Chapter 741: Chapter 14 The Theater Mystery (Part 1)_2

Gongsun Ce stubbornly said, “Philis could very well be a combat expert, holding a teacup in one hand, and with the other, he could have killed Douglas…”

“Even the first strike from this swordsman was dodged by the old man. After gaining some distance, instead of throwing the dagger, he grabbed a hammer with one hand and struck multiple times before he finally killed his opponent. In the end, he didn’t forget to put down the tea gracefully, like a butler,” Alandia summarized, “his technique seems unrefined, and he appears eccentric in character.”

“Ah, shut up, shut up,” Gongsun Ce’s face turned a bit red, “then how do you explain this dent?”

“In King Morton’s country, besides thieves and ruffians, there’s another kind of person who carries a short blade. Old-fashioned nobles prefer it as a personal weapon, and most of the time it’s a show of force.”

“Why don’t they carry guns? Oh, you mean rich folks like Ustus.”

“You’re good at making connections.”

Scratching his head, Gongsun Ce said, “I should search Mr. Buck’s person in a bit. Want to bet? I guess he carries a foldable knife, with a handle of wood or ivory, marked only with initials as proof of identity.”

“No bet. A foldable knife, silver encased, inlaid with ruby, engraved with a lion or a sword.”

“Come on, are you kidding me? That’s so tacky!”

Alandia didn’t respond but instead said, “Check if there are any drag marks around the tent.”

Gongsun Ce scanned the area with telekinesis and shook his head in disappointment.

“No obvious marks outside, this should be the crime scene. The victim was facing the table before he died, struck from the front, then fell… Look at the mess on the ground, he must have struggled during this time, and the killer hit him several times until he was finally dead…”

Gongsun Ce mimed the positions and wondered, “Did they switch places during the fight? Or did the killer deliberately move the body?”

Logically, an assailant coming from outside the tent should have struck with the tent entrance behind them.

“We need more information.”

While Gongsun Ce was still contemplating, Kerky’s voice came from outside the tent, “Hey, Mr. Gongsun! I’ll lead them in now–”

“F*ck, are you out of your mind?! Don’t let the kids in!”

Gongsun Ce quickly ran out of the tent, blocking the scene of the crime. Kerky said nonchalantly, “What’s the big deal, it’s just a dead person.”

Philis stood beside her, his little face pale with fear, and he stammered, “Mr. Douglas… is he, is he dead…?”

Gongsun Ce shook his head, “Yes, after this, brother will ask you a few questions; it’ll help us figure out how he died.” He looked at another man beside Kerky, “You’re Mr. Buck?”

This man was lean, around thirty-something, with gold-rimmed glasses and a goatee, donning a luxurious fur coat and shiny boots, obviously a nobleman. He said indignantly, “Indeed! He died? How dare this old jerk die!”

It wasn’t warm outside; both Buck and Philis were wearing gloves. Gongsun Ce took a look and thought, identifying the killer by fingerprints is going to be hard. He adjusted his glasses and asked, “It seems you and Douglas had a good relationship.”

“Ha! Our relationship was indeed very good,” Buck huffed, “I funded that old fraud for a full two years! He beat his chest and promised there would be significant archaeological findings, and once published, we would be famous. I provided him with so much precious material… and what did I get? After two years, he has nothing but a pile of nonsensical papers. This will just make me a laughingstock!”

“What did the old man write that got you this upset?” Kerky asked eagerly.

Buck puffed out his cheeks and glared, “It’s driving me insane! I came here bursting with excitement for his ‘significant findings,’ and you know what this old fraud wrote? Holy King above, he dared to tell me that King Morton is a fraudster!”

Gongsun Ce had a thought and mused that maybe this Impermanence Law Enforcer in archaeology really could uncover something serious, and immediately followed up, “What exactly are the contents of his research?”

“I don’t know; I don’t even want to hear these vile, dirty slanders against the glorious history of our country! Let me tell you, sir, this old fool has gone mad from the rotting books, all he thinks about is making shocking, outrageous stories for filthy money, the shameless man! With his character, it’s inevitable he was hated by everyone; I was blind to believe in his ability, and I think his death is actually a good thing!”

Buck vented at length, then squinted at Gongsun Ce and said in a lower voice, “Ah… look at me getting all worked up. Kid, who are you? Daring to question a nobleman, a noble Viscount?”

Gongsun Ce flicked his cloak and smiled, “As a Viscount of such standing, you must be aware of the old man’s other identity?”

Buck’s expression changed, “I am aware of it. You are…”

Gongsun Ce flipped a playing card and let it fly around Buck’s head.

“You may call me Mr. Gongsun. Special cases always require special handlers, understand? Stand quietly and answer what’s asked of you, until the case is clear and the truth comes out like a stone resurfacing from the water.”

Gongsun Ce’s arrogant air was even more pronounced than that of the Viscount. Buck nodded hurriedly and quickly positioned himself to the side, not daring to ask more.

“You’re very good at bluffing, Mr. Gongsun.”

“I haven’t played the Dawn Knight card yet, I’m letting him save face.”

Gongsun Ce gave Buck a cold glance, “Mr. Buck, you had a disagreement with Douglas over the research results, escalating into a physical struggle.”