MTL - He Became a Salted Fish After Inheriting Millions of Secret Arts-Chapter 29 midnight track

"I hired a private eye, but the venerable folk ruled it out. The only ones who got in and out were the butler and a few old servants. They had a chance, but no motive. They're all here. I have worked as an old servant for decades, and I know everyone! I was afraid to sleep in this house because I was afraid of another accident. I simply moved to the lakeside villa, and my mother and Melissa also moved. There. My mother insisted on tearing down the whole mansion, so that if there were any ghosts hiding in the house, there would be nowhere to hide. But..."

Yeats smiled teasingly, and said in his place, "You want to sell the land where the manor is located. If the mansion is demolished, the price will not go up."

Lord Perilla smiled embarrassingly, "I really can't hide this little thought from you. If the gentlemen can successfully expel the undead, then I am willing to suffer a bit and sell my father's relics to you at a low price."

Duan Feizhuo got dizzy when he heard it. He doesn't know how to exorcise ghosts! He can't even drive away the living, let alone ghosts!

"That's not part of our business," he said. "Would you like to try and get some exorcists?"

Lord Perilla looked at him in bewilderment, "Uh, I know I'm a little too strong. Otherwise, I'll pay you an extra fee?"

"It's not a matter of money or not." Duan Feizhuo pretended to be serious.

Yeats smiled at Lord Perilla, turned around and grabbed Duan Feizhuo's sleeve, pulling him aside.

"Mr Chester, don't forget why we came here," he whispered.

"I wouldn't have come if it wasn't for helping you hold the stage." Duan Feizhuo was a little unhappy.

"Your deep friendship is always in my heart," Yeats said, "but if we refuse your lord's request, we may not be able to do business."

"The night police are watching. He hopes to get rid of his father's belongings as soon as possible."

"That's right, but your lord has another option, which is to burn all the relics." Yeats' expression sank, "We will get nothing at that time."

Duan Feizhuo let out a long sigh. He accompanied Yeats all the way to this damned manor just to allow Yeats to successfully purchase the Lord's father's relics. Once a word is made, it is hard to follow, and he must let the business continue no matter what he says.

"But the undead..."

"Leave it to me, you don't have to waste energy on such trivial matters."

Since Yeats made such a promise, Duan Feizhuo had nothing to say. If it wasn't for Yeats' face, he would have run back to London overnight carrying the train.

"Then it's up to you. The sooner we get this mess out of the way, the sooner we can go home."

Yeats turned to Lord Perilla and smiled, "Let's first try to see if we can expel the undead, but the result may not be guaranteed. After all, spirit seance is not our specialty."

Lord Perilla was overjoyed, "I have no doubts about the abilities of the gentlemen! Although I moved to the lakeside villa, I deliberately left Hote and a few clever servants to serve the three gentlemen. The guest room has also been tidied up. Gentlemen Just stay at ease."

Are you sure you can live "peace of mind" in this haunted house? Duan Feizhuo thought sarcastically.

Yeats said, "Then please ask your lord to show us your father's relics."

"Yes, yes, this way please."

Lord Perilla led them out of the mansion and into the garden.

In the gardens there is a majestic hedge maze, with an ingenious gazebo at the center of the maze.

Duan Feizhuo thought that the secret studio of the previous owner of the manor was hidden where the gazebo was, but the Lord didn't directly lead them through the maze. They wandered here and there in the maze, sometimes they entered a dead end, and sometimes they wandered in a side road. When they finally saw the gazebo in the middle of the maze, the Lord turned around and went back the same way.

"Are you sure you didn't go the wrong way?" Yeats wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.

"You can reach my father's secret laboratory only by following the correct route." The Lord was also flustered with exhaustion, "Actually, it is in the middle of the maze, but if you walk directly there, nothing will happen. Okay. My father said it was called the arcane…arcane…damn, I forgot…”

"Mystery geometry, right?" Duan Feizhuo asked, "Our steps will form a huge pattern, and only when this pattern is completed, the door to the secret studio will be opened."

"That's what you said!" Lord Perilla nodded repeatedly, admiring Duan Feizhuo's erudition. He didn't know that this was just the basic knowledge of arcane geometry.

They walked around for a long time, and then walked towards the central pavilion again. This time when they arrived at the gazebo, a staircase leading underground appeared under the gazebo. The lord went down first.

"My father often pretended to go for a walk in the maze, but in fact he got into the laboratory to conduct his secret research. This way, even if he stayed for a long time, no one would suspect him."

At the top of the stairs is a basement, sort of a cross between a dungeon and a museum. A row of tall bookshelves is filled with heavy hardcover books, and the display shelves opposite are filled with a bunch of eccentric exhibits, ranging from crystal skulls to candles carved in human shapes. There is also a set of experimental benches in the center of the basement, but there are not so many alchemy equipment, and the only few flasks are also covered with dust.

"Everything is here." The Lord looked around, a little timidly, for fear that a ghost would emerge from the wall, "After inheriting the title, I wanted to burn these things, but... well, my mother disagreed. She and my father Plaice is deeply affectionate, and she refuses to discard his relics. If it weren't for our family's recent financial difficulties, and the fact that we are being watched by the night police, she still won't let go."

Yeats asked, "If you clear these things, it is tantamount to giving up the mysterious inheritance of your family for thousands of years. Are you really willing?"

Lord Perilla shrugged, "For me, mystical philosophy is useless. I should learn how to do business." His tone was a bit sad, "Gentlemen, sort it out yourself, I won't accompany you. I have to catch up Go to the lakeside villa to accompany my mother and Melissa. If you want to leave, you can just go out, and you don’t need to go through that... secret magic map again."

"Aren't you afraid that we will hide something secretly?" Duan Feizhuo felt amused.

"Where can it be hidden?" The Lord looked at their three empty hands.

There are far more places we can hide our stuff than you might imagine. Duan Feizhuo unconsciously touched his pocket. The magic circle talisman paper of the secret trading house is installed there.

The Lord hugged his shoulders tightly and fled. You could tell he was genuinely terrified of the place.

The three of them looked at each other and smiled wryly at the same time.

"Let's get to work." Yeats took out a small notebook and a pen from his briefcase, stood still in front of the bookshelf, and wrote down the names of each book.

Duan Feizhuo walked around in front of the display stand. Some of the items on the display rack exude a faint brilliance, while others are ordinary. He picked out those common items and gave them to Al to pile them all up on the lab bench.

"We can't take all these things on the train," he said.

"That's natural. After the inventory is completed, it will be sent directly to the secret trading house. These books will also be temporarily stored in the trading house. Does Mr. Chester agree?"

"No problem. It's very convenient to have a trading house, like carrying a house with you. Why don't we just sit at the Lord's house and open a shop?"

Yeats laughed, "That's very convenient."

The whole afternoon was spent counting books and occult items. Yeats found a bunch of messy things, a cookbook written by the chef of the manor, a notebook that recorded the manor's previous repairs, a genealogy of the Midlow family, and a lot of notebooks filled with mysterious code names. Research notes of successive lords.

Duan Feizhuo picked out all the common items. As for those items that contain special powers, ask the lord for their functions before filing them down.

They transfer the counted things to the trading house first. The rest can be sorted out tomorrow. When he left the underground studio, night had already enveloped most of the sky, only a trace of bright red remained on the western horizon, and Duan Feizhuo couldn't help thinking of Z's eyes.

When he passed out in the oak forest, it was Z who rescued him desperately.

His chest seemed to be filled with something warm.

Yeats said, "Speaking of which, the two police officers who ran all the way to Perilla Manor were probably not just to scare the Lord? If their purpose was to search Perilla Manor and find evidence that the Lord is a mystic, Then they should have brought a search warrant. They didn't have one. That means they're here for something else. It's just a passing call on Lord Perilla."

Al grinned, "As a result, Lord Perilla was scared out of his wits, and he couldn't wait to clear out the secret art items, which did us a favor."

Yeats turned to Duan Feizhuo, "Did the Night Policeman reveal anything to you?"

Duan Feizhuo shook his head, "They were very strict and didn't tell me anything. I didn't even know they would come to Shropshire."

Yeats said, "I have an unfeeling request, can you please go to the night policeman to inquire about it?"

"Huh?" Duan Feizhuo felt as if struck by lightning, "It's over!"

He just said casually, did Yeats really treat him as an undercover agent?

"I know it's dangerous, but I don't feel at ease if I don't know the purpose of their coming here." Yeats frowned, "You said, is it possible that they came after me or you? Once we make Anything out of the ordinary will be arrested immediately."

Duan Feizhuo also thought about this question for a while. Z has already made up his mind to recruit him as a night watchman, but he keeps his secret about the purpose of coming to Shropshire, which is very suspicious no matter how he thinks about it.

It was a matter of his own safety, and he must not take it lightly. But how to get the truth out of those two shrewd police officers at night?

Wait, he can't ask directly, but no one stipulates that he can't eavesdrop!

"I have a solution." He smiled at Yeats, "I brought a phantom leaf, so I can lurk beside them and eavesdrop!"

Yeats widened his eyes, "If I remember correctly, phantom leaves are very expensive."

Duan Feizhu shrugged. Anyway, it's his uncle Joseph's relic, so use it as soon as you use it, and he doesn't feel bad at all. Good steel must be used on the cutting edge, when should we wait now?

He took out the phantom leaf from his pocket and put it in his mouth.

Yeats and Al turned their attention to the hedge maze at the same time. Whenever the phantom leaf is used, people around can't help being attracted by some insignificant little things, thus ignoring the fact that a big man is walking by them.

"Strange, why did the master suddenly disappear?" Al scratched his head in confusion.

"That is the effect of the phantom leaf can make a person not be noticed by others." Yeats said, "The market price of a phantom leaf is around 50 pounds. ..."

Duan Feizhuo left the manor and walked towards the village along the country road.

If you are in London, this time should be the beginning of the lights, and the rich and colorful nightlife of the people in the metropolis has just begun, but in the countryside, everything is completely silent at this moment. People in the countryside still maintain the law of life that the sun rises and the day goes in and rests.

He stood at the entrance of the Clover Inn, looked up to the second floor, and looked for the window of Z's room. He broke into it once by mistake yesterday, which room was it?

Damn it, he only remembered Z's scarred and shocking body, and he didn't remember the location of the room at all. What the **** is his pathetic little brain storing in it every day?

Just as he was trying to remember, the door of the hotel opened quietly. A silver-white shadow appeared lightly. In the darkness, he could only see a silver head floating in the air.

Duan Feizhuo thought he had bumped into a ghost, so scared that he almost swallowed the phantom leaf. But when he took a closer look, it was actually a big living person, wearing black clothes that blended into the night, and the silver hair was too conspicuous, which gave him the illusion that the head was floating.

Z pushes the door and goes out. Immediately behind him was Xenophon with a dull expression.

Holding a civilized stick in one hand and a lamp in the other, he muttered, "Why can't we go tomorrow? It's already so late!"

"Does our work still have mornings and evenings? Isn't 24 hours a day part of working time?" Z said coldly.

"But you will disturb other people's rest!"

"It's not me who was disturbed anyway."

They passed in front of Duan Feizhuo without turning their eyes. The latter stood upright, with his hands clinging to the seam of his trousers, not daring to move, trying to pretend that he was a stone pillar. Once he moves too much or makes untimely noises, the effect of the phantom leaf will be broken.

Xenophon adjusted his hat, "The moonlight is so beautiful tonight!"

Z said suspiciously, "According to the moon phase table, there should be no moon today."

Xenophon nodded, "That's why you're beautiful!"

Z"???"

The two of them discussed the topic of the moon one after another, walking along the country road to the outside of the village. It was only now that Duan Feizhuo realized that he should follow the two detectives to see who they were going to bother them at night.

He tiptoed after the two of them, almost right behind their backs. This is not tracking, it is clearly accompanying him openly.

The destination of Z and Xenophon is a small farm. It was not far from the village, one of the many family farms in Shropshire. The windows of the farmhouse were dark. But Xenophon didn't care about disturbing others, walked forward and knocked heavily on the door twice with his staff of civilization.

"Who is it?" A male voice came from inside the room.

"Is Mr. Prow there?"

The door opened a small crack, revealing a shining eye, looking suspiciously at the two well-dressed police detectives, they looked like outsiders from the big city, and they exuded an aura that was out of place with the countryside.

"We are police detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department." Z said politely, "We are here to investigate your son's disappearance."

Mr. Prow wanted to close the door, but Xenophon quickly inserted the staff of civilization into the crack of the door. Mr. Plow tried several times in vain, and could only stare at Xenophon angrily, "Can't you come in the daytime tomorrow? My wife is already asleep!"

"How strange, she can still sleep?" Xenophon raised his eyebrows.

Mr. Plow wavered. He opened the door and quickly pulled the two into the house, fearing that the neighbors might witness two strange people visiting his house at night. That must have fueled the rumors about his family.

Duan Feizhuo sneaked under the window of the farm, poked out half of his head, and observed the situation inside the house.

The furnishings in the room are simple, with only a rough table, a small bed, and two chairs. A ragged woman sat on the bed.

The only source of light in the room was the lantern in Xenophon's hand. Even in such dim light, Duan Feizhuo could see the woman's face clearly.

Wasn't she the same woman who stopped them in the village square yesterday and called Al her son?

Z said politely and plainly, "Hi, Mr. Plow, Mrs. Plow, let's inquire about your son."

Mrs. Plow was thin and out of shape, with disheveled hair and sunken cheeks, except for her dark eyes that shone brightly.

"My son, my Barney, have you found him?" She grabbed Z and Xenophon excitedly, "You are the police, right? Have you found my son?"

Z didn't push her away, let her hold her like that, and said, "Can you tell us about your son's disappearance?"

Mrs. Plow nodded sharply, as if grasping at a straw.

"He's wearing a blue jacket and gray trousers. The jacket is big and he made it out of his father's old clothes. The kid has brown hair and blue eyes and he's so tall..."

She began to go on and on describing her son's physical features. Duan Feizhuo felt sad for a while. Since her son disappeared, she may have stopped strangers on the road countless times, repeating the same words, just to find out a few words about her son.

Mr. Plow pulled his wife away, sat her up on the bed, and said, "It was Sunday, we were all working in the fields, and the boy was at Sunday school. He was supposed to be home from school, But he didn’t come back until the evening. The children who went to Sunday school with him said that they were still together after school, but he disappeared in a blink of an eye. So we mobilized the whole village to look for it together. On Sunday I searched several times between the school and the village, but found nothing."

"Have you searched elsewhere?" Z asked.

Mr. Prow nodded, "I have searched all over the surrounding area. The villagers in the nearby villages heard that a child was missing and joined the search team. The police from the county also came. My lord heard about this and sent the servants of the manor to come. Help out, even loan out a few horses. But..."

His expression darkened, and he couldn't speak anymore.

Z then asked, "Have you searched in the oak forest?"

Mr. Prow blinked in surprise. "You mean the lord's private woodland? Of course I searched, but found nothing. Do you think the boy got lost in the woods?"

"Who was in charge of searching the oak forest?"

Mr. Plow did not understand why he asked. The honest farmer frowned and recalled for a long time, saying, "The oak forest is the lord's private woodland. Others are not allowed to trespass, and it is easy to get lost after entering it. Therefore, the housekeeper, Mr. Haut, brought a group of people to search."

"I understand."

Z touched his hat to the Praws, "We've finished our inquiries. Let's take our leave."

"Wait!" Mr. Prow stopped him. "What do you mean? Do you mean that Mr. Haut didn't try his best to search, and missed some clues?"

"I didn't hint at anything." Z said coldly.

Mrs. Plow grabbed his hand helplessly, her voice trembling, "Can you find my little Barney, Mr. Police?"

Xenophon held her wrist and asked her to let go. He knelt down, looked Mrs. Plow in the eyes, and said, "We will do our best, madam. Go to sleep now, and forget all your worries."

He touched Mrs. Plow's forehead lightly with his staff of civilization.

The slim woman yawned, leaned against the head of the bed, and closed her eyes.

Her husband stroked her cheek in astonishment to make sure she was just asleep.

He turned to Xenophon, pinching his clothes with both hands uneasily, as if he was ashamed of his previous coldness and rudeness.

"Thank you, sir, I don't know how you did it, but thank you." He bowed his head gratefully, "Since Barney disappeared, she hasn't had a good night's sleep. Every night is a nightmare Woke up and cried till dawn."

Xenophon smiled, nodded to him, picked up the lantern and walked out of the hut.

Duan Feizhuo knew that they were leaving, and he should leave quickly.

He turned his head and met a pair of dark eyes.

It was a black and white shepherd dog, probably raised by the Pulau family. It was sticking out its tongue, panting towards Duan Feizhuo, and it opened its mouth to form a happy smile.

At first glance it looks cute, but Duan Feizhuo really wants to RUA. But he suddenly noticed a problem.

—Pu Lao's dog, why do you look at him so much?

The phantom leaf thing...doesn't work on animals?

Shi Zhongjian only said at the beginning that the Phantom Leaf can make "others" ignore him, so what about "other animals"...?

The collie wagged its tail, then barked loudly.

It looks so cute, but its sound is deafening. When he barked, his saliva almost sprayed on Duan Feizhuo's face.

——Sword in the Stone, thank you so much! Duan Feizhuo thought desperately. If one day I die, the epitaph must write "Don't believe in scam emails and the sword in the stone"!

"Who's there?!"

It was too late to say it, but Z rushed to the window with a stride, and flipped out of the window lightly.

Duan Feizhuo turned and fled subconsciously. Z was faster than him, pinned the back of his head, and slammed him to the ground.

Duan Feizhuo fell face-down into the dirt, and fell so badly that he felt that the bridge of his nose was about to fall flat. The blood gushed out of the nose and flowed into the mouth, mixed with the bitter smell of the earth and the soapy smell of the phantom leaf, it was almost too ecstasy to speak.

Z straddled his back, cut his arms backwards with one hand, grabbed his hair with the other hand, and pressed his head into the soil mercilessly.

"It's you!" Realizing that the eavesdropper was actually Duan Feizhuo, he showed an unbelievable expression, and a cold and murderous look suddenly appeared on his handsome face.

Duan Feizhuo's mouth was filled with a bitter and **** taste. Z exerted too much force on the back of his head, and he couldn't even lift his head.

A pair of shiny leather shoes appeared in the restricted field of vision. He realized that they were Xenophon's feet.

"Take it easy, boss," Xenophon patted Duan Feizhuo's cheek lightly with his civilized stick, "you made him unable to speak."

Z let go of his hand upon hearing this.

Xenophon squatted in front of Duan Feizhuo, grabbed his hair, and forced him to raise his head to face himself.

"Who sent you here?" The black-haired detective had a smile on his lips, but his eyes were cold and there was no smile.

It's all over. Duan Feizhuo thought desperately. The only thing he could do was to swallow the phantom leaf immediately, and swallowed some dirt along the way.

"Nobody... I did it myself," he mumbled.

"Come to Puluo's house for tea so late?" Xenophon smiled.

Mr. Plow cowered behind the door, showing only one eye. Hearing his own name coming out of the detective's mouth, he hastily closed the door, fearing that he would be involved too.

Duan Feizhuo was trembling, his face was in excruciating pain, and his arm was in excruciating pain, as if Jing wanted to break his arm off.

—Honesty comes first, and what is more important than honesty is that you only tell half the truth.

Joseph Chester's advice echoed in his head.

"I heard that there is a child missing in the village... I'm curious, I plan to go and have a look... I didn't expect you to be there too..."

"Didn't I tell you that what happened here has nothing to do with you?" Z whispered softly, but the strength in his hand was getting heavier. He clenched Duan Feizhuo's wrist tightly, as if he wanted to crush his wrist bone. With the power of a mechanical prosthetic, he can do it if he wants to.

Duan Feizhuo screamed in pain. Z was even more furious, but unexpectedly lessened his strength.

"What has nothing to do with me!" Duan Feizhuo yelled aggrievedly, "You recruited me to join the Night Police, but you didn't tell me anything! I came to inquire by myself, and I will be scolded by you again!"

"you-"

Duan Feizhuo couldn't see Z's face, but he was sure that Z's expression must be extremely distorted now.

Xenophon turned his face away, suddenly looked up to the sky and laughed.