Chapter 350, Kill Someone
"I heard there are quite a few ships docking lately, and the number of patrons at the tavern is slowly increasing," Milisen said as she poured him a cup of water.
She then stood obediently to the side.
"Hmm, I can see that. You're managing it well," Wu Heng complimented.
You could tell just from the entrance.
Though the tavern's business couldn't compare to those on the main street, it seemed to be doing alright.
Early in the morning, the bartenders were already cleaning, changing the barrels.
Milisen's restrained expression showed a hint of joy as she whispered, "Thank you, sir."
Wu Heng gestured for her to sit, and once she was seated at the edge of the bed, he continued, "Are there many people staying here?"
"A few, but not that many."
Wu Heng nodded, "Have you noticed anyone suspicious?"
Milisen frowned, thinking for a moment, then said, "The tavern has just opened, so I haven't really noticed anyone suspicious."
Previously, Wu Heng had asked Milisen to keep an eye on the wanted notices issued by the guild.
They had general appearance descriptions.
Wu Heng continued, "I need you to watch out for a few people. If you see anyone matching their description, let me know."
Milisen nodded, "Understood, sir."
"There are three individuals. One is about my height, with black or dark-colored hair. The second is nearly three meters tall, wielding a long-handled warhammer. The third is of normal height, wielding dual swords." Wu Heng described them again based on the corpse's information.
Milisen listened attentively, her expression filled with doubt.
If she wasn't mistaken.
The Deputy Steward's two attendants fit these descriptions.
Not to mention, the first one had black hair, roughly the same height—it sounded like he was looking for himself.
But given the task, she had no intention of questioning it further.
She simply agreed, "Yes, sir, I will keep an eye out."
"They'll likely be in disguise, so I'm not sure of their original appearance either. If their builds seem similar, notify me immediately."
"Understood!"
Wu Heng was quite satisfied with Milisen's attitude.
He then took out a tablet, showing her a picture of 'Kalema,' the inspector envoy, "There's one more person who looks like this."
The photo was taken sneakily while 'Kalema' was checking records at the guild's entrance.
Though it was only a side profile, the physical traits were still apparent.
Plus, he always wore a mage's robe, which was easily recognizable.
Milisen took the tablet, studying the face.
Wu Heng added, "He's with the guild. I suspect he's involved in a case. If you see him, just pay attention to whom he interacts with, and relay it to me later."
Milisen nodded seriously, "Got it, sir."
"Good. Do your best." Wu Heng continued, "Pick three private rooms and two guest rooms. I'm going to set up some arrangements. If anyone looks suspicious, put them in those rooms so we can listen in on their conversations."
Milisen seemed confused and cautiously asked, "Sir, do you want empty rooms chosen?"
"Yes, pick them first, and I'll explain later."
Milisen stood up, "I'll take you there."
Wu Heng put the [Veil of Illusion] back on and followed her out of the room to the next private room.
Inside the room were a round table, a side cabinet, and some potted plants.
Wu Heng took out a bugging device he had scavenged from an electronics shop and installed it behind the side cabinet.
In this world, there wasn't much concern about it being discovered. Even if someone found it, they wouldn't think it was a listening device.
Next, they went to the other private rooms and guest rooms.
Once everything was set up, they returned to the previous room.
Wu Heng took out a new tablet, connected it to the listening devices, and demonstrated how to use it, saying, "This is a device for eavesdropping. If you find anyone suspicious, put them in those rooms, and use this to listen to what they say."
As they connected, a faint static came from the tablet.
Gradually, the sound of footsteps and the bartenders entering, moving furniture, and cleaning could be heard.
"Who was that fat lady who came by earlier? She was huge."
The voices came through clearly on the tablet.
Milisen was surprised that the device could actually pick up sounds from far away. She nervously glanced at the man beside her.
She whispered apologetically, "They just like to gossip. Please don't be offended."
Wu Heng said nothing more; it was just a disguise.
From the tablet, the conversation continued.
"Gotta say, the boss really is a beauty. If I could spend the night holding her, I'd die happy."
"Yeah, a lot of the people who come here are just here for her."
"Seriously, I'm scared one day someone's gonna get drunk and cause trouble in the tavern."
Milisen's face had started to flush.
Her eyes carefully glanced sideways, whispering, "Taverns are like this. Some guests talk nonsense when drunk, but nothing's ever happened here."
Wu Heng nodded and continued explaining the various functions, as well as how to pull up certain images.
Milisen learned quickly.
She was soon very adept at using it.
"You can use this for now. If it stops working, come find me."
"Thank you, sir, I will take good care of it."
Wu Heng closed the tablet and asked, "Any issues with running the tavern?"
Though the tavern was established for intelligence purposes, it would arouse suspicion if it didn't operate well or only pretended to.
Ideally, it would be like the Old Barrel Tavern, a bustling spot that also handled some intelligence work.
Milisen thought for a moment before saying, "There are some local gangs that have come by twice to collect protection money. The menu at the tavern isn't extensive, and it's hard to find high-level chefs. And there are always drunk troublemakers."
All three problems were solvable.
But it wasn't appropriate for him to directly get involved.
Wu Heng said, "Let's wait a few days. I'll arrange for someone to help you soon."
"Thank you, sir." Milisen thanked him again and then asked in a soft voice, "Philipa hasn't caused you any trouble, has she?"
"Don't worry, she's doing well. Recently, she even helped the guild capture two wanted criminals. Her merits have been recorded in the archives."
"She's not in danger, is she?"
"No danger. You don't need to worry."
Based on the news from Philipa, the Iron Barrel pirate crew had used the money from last time to fully arm themselves.
Aside from some ballistae on the ships, they had also recruited quite a few crew members.
They couldn't compare to the major pirate crews, but they were no longer easy targets.
Milisen showed a gentle smile, bowing once more, "Thank you for taking care of her."
"Yes, do well, and you and your daughter can have a better life in the future."
"Thank you, sir."
Having given all the instructions, Wu Heng stood up, saying, "That's all for now. Keep an eye out, and just let me know if there's any news. No need for you to do anything dangerous."
"Understood!"
Maintaining the guise of the plump woman, Wu Heng opened the door and walked out.
Milisen escorted him to the tavern entrance, watching as he got into a carriage, waving, "Come by again sometime."
"Hmm." Wu Heng lowered the curtain, and the carriage left.
The bartender came over.
Curious, he asked, "Boss, was that your friend?"
Milisen glanced in the direction of the departing carriage, then turned to him, saying, "You two, go clean the cellar. Don't just stand around."
"Huh? We're not just standing around!"
"Go on, hurry!"
Seeing Milisen really looked upset.
The two slinked off to clean the cellar.
Milisen returned to the rooms, rearranging the listening devices.
"Guild gadgets really are amazing."
......
The carriage creaked along.
Returning all the way to the central area, stopping near the main plaza.
Wu Heng, still dressed as a woman, paid the fare, entered the guild hall,
98. Taking advantage of the empty corridor, Wu Heng removed the veil, transforming back to his original form.
He knocked lightly on the door and then pushed it open.
The youthful-looking elven Deputy Steward was frowning at the document in her hand.
She looked up briefly, her surprise evident when she saw Wu Heng, "What are you doing here?"
"I had nothing to do at home, thought I'd drop by and see you."
Sheila Grey rolled her eyes, "You never come by the guild when you're supposed to, but now that you're on leave, here you are running over."
Wu Heng smiled, sitting down on the sofa, "Any leads?"
"We've found some, but none of it clears you," Sheila Grey said, tapping the documents on the desk.
"Care to share?"
"Not much. We questioned some others from the Stag Merchants Guild; they said the steward argued loudly with that woman that night, and they did hear a scream, but didn't expect it was something serious." Sheila Grey's cheeks reddened slightly as she spoke.
This part had already been noted by the coroner.
Because of the shouting, even the final death scream was mistaken as something else.
Sheila Grey glanced at him, continuing, "There was only one set of footprints by the window, and the size didn't match any of the three. We suspect that besides the deceased, there was a fourth person present. Two of the guild's squads are continuing to investigate others from the merchant group and the tavern staff. We should have new clues by tonight."
A fourth person?
The more they investigated, the more people seemed to be involved!
And still, no significant progress.
Not surprising, considering someone had died just last night. Clues would be scarce by morning.
Wu Heng smiled, "Thanks for the hard work."
"You can still smile? Aren't you afraid that if we don't find evidence, this will forever be pinned on you?" Sheila Grey scolded.
"How is that possible!"
"Why not! If we can't catch the culprit, you'll forever carry this charge."
"True, whether I clear my name or not is all up to you now!" Wu Heng said.
Sheila Grey gave him another exasperated look, "This morning, I went to the Old Barrel Tavern to ask around."
The Old Barrel was the territory of the six-armed seer.
You could pay for information there.
But it was limited to the port and Lighthouse Street.
"Any clues?"
"Nothing directly related to this case. But on the day you were suspended, a suspicious character arrived on the island with a merchant convoy." Sheila Grey's tone grew serious.
"A wanted criminal?"
"No. His name is Keramu, a level 16 Ronin who makes a living off bounties from guild and Snake Emblem Consortium wanted lists."
"A righteous person, then!"
"There's a record. He killed a dwarf royal member, an guild deputy steward, and hasn't been listed on the guild's wanted list," Sheila Grey glanced at him.
Killing royalty and a deputy steward.
And yet, not appearing on the guild's wanted list.
His strength was one thing.
More importantly, he knew how to navigate rules, avoiding being listed even after murder.
Wu Heng's face darkened.
Now he was on the island, and with experience killing deputy stewards.
How lovely.
It was hard not to suspect he was here for Wu Heng.
"Ronin is a class?"
"Yes, a melee-type, strong in combat."
"Is he that strong?" Wu Heng asked.
Sheila Grey slowly replied, "He's a lone wolf, living by killing bounty targets, and is quite famous in certain circles. Without external help, I have no confidence facing him."
Meaning that even Sheila Grey had no confidence in beating him.
To be appointed as deputy steward at least meant Sheila Grey had the talent and potential.
Not even a shred of confidence. It seemed the man was indeed formidable.
"You think he might be here to target me?" Wu Heng asked.
"It's possible!"
Wu Heng scratched his head, "Know where he's staying? I'll send some skeletons to hack him up."
Sheila Grey glared at him, "We haven't found out where he is, nor can we be certain he's targeting you. Let's wait and see."
Wu Heng was just talking, of course. He couldn't openly kill the guy.
But the level 16 did make him feel a sense of danger.
Whether in direct confrontation or ambush, he wasn't afraid of this Ronin.
"Do we know his strengths and weaknesses?" Wu Heng asked.
"Not much detailed information. I'll speak to the steward and have them get intel from the Whisperers. I'll let you know when I have it."
"Alright!"
With that matter discussed, Wu Heng continued, "By the way, I wanted to talk to you about something else."
"What is it?"
"I want you to take your squad and search through all the taverns. I suspect the person framing me is hiding in one of them," Wu Heng said directly.
Sheila Grey frowned, "You want to exhaust us to death? There are so many taverns. Plus, if the guild acts too aggressively, it will hurt our reputation among the residents."
"Just the main taverns in Lighthouse District, along the main street. Say you've found important clues and are conducting checks. Other merchant groups seeing how seriously we're taking this will trust the guild even more," Wu Heng said.
Sheila Grey still frowned, pondering for a moment.
She finally agreed, "I'll talk to the steward and request more squads to help."
"Alright, then I'll be going."
Wu Heng stood up and left the office. Sheila Grey also grabbed her sorted documents and headed to the steward's office.
......
Corridor.
Wu Heng waited for a moment until the voice of the ghost 'Glenda' came to his ears, "The room is empty."
"Hmm!" Wu Heng responded softly, then walked towards the guild's dormitory.
He was still an ex-deputy steward of the guild.
Even suspended, no one stopped him along the way.
He went directly to the third floor, to the dormitory where Inspector Envoy 'Kalema' lived.
Seeing that no one was around, he used the bronze key to slightly open the door and slid a bugging device inside.
Closing the door again.
Glenda floated into the air, maneuvering the device to the ceiling beam.
"What are you doing here?"
Suddenly, a voice came from the stairs.
Kalema, along with his guard, came up from downstairs, looking at him suspiciously.
Wu Heng's heart skipped a beat but he replied, "Inspector Envoy, I came to see you, but it seems you were out."
Kalema looked at him suspiciously, his eyes glancing at the door, "What do you need me for?"
"Why not use that truth-telling artifact to ask me if I killed anyone? Wouldn't that prove my innocence more quickly?" Wu Heng said directly.
"Oh, that's what this is about." Kalema smiled, then explained, "The Stag Merchant Guild is also following this incident. Us simply claiming it wasn't you isn't enough. We need to catch the culprit or present concrete evidence. Just saying we used some artifact within the guild won't convince them."
"Why wouldn't it? Just show them how the artifact works!"
Kalema looked at him, still calm, "Don't rush. Take a few days off. Trust the guild, and trust Sheila Grey and the others to find the culprit."
Wu Heng hesitated, then said, "Alright then, I'll go talk to Sheila Grey again."
"Yes, stay calm."
"Alright, Inspector Envoy, I'll leave you to your work then."
"Sure."
Wu Heng went downstairs while Kalema watched him go, before opening the door and entering his room.
......
The room was empty.
Holding his staff, Kalema cast several detection spells.
He frowned slightly, "Was he really just here to ask about the artifact?"
Feeling doubtful, he cast spells on every corner, checking some of his belongings as well.
After confirming everything was normal.
He sat down on his bed, deep in thought.
......
Leaving the guild.
Glenda flew back from afar, merging back into his body.
The view of the room also played out in his mind simultaneously.
Glenda had placed the bugging device on the ceiling beam and quickly exited through the window.
To avoid being noticed by Kalema.
Wu Heng took out the receiver, put on the earpiece, and began listening in.
He could hear the rustling of the robe and soft murmurs.
Other than that, nothing else could be heard.
The bugging device he had scavenged was an old model, or maybe that was just how it was.
It was still rather bulky, about the size of a power bank, with an attached transmitter wire.
Not like in the movies where they're the size of a button.
Otherwise, he could've figured out a way to attach it to Kalema or something he carried.
"Let's see if you're connected to this incident."
......
Black Crow Tavern, second-floor private box.
The door opened, and a man wielding a rapier, wearing a sailor's headscarf, walked in.
Over his leather armor was a half-sleeved loose tunic, and his exposed left arm was covered in numerous tattoos—snakes, demon faces, rats.
Entering the private room, the man's gaze swept across the room.
Sitting near the entrance, he directly said, "Ready?"
"He has now been suspended for investigation, you can make your move."