"Who are you... ... "
The man in the black robe also recognized Shade by the mask.
His condition at this time looked very bad. Although there were no obvious injuries on the outside, Xia De could feel that his mind was extremely unstable. If he was not affected by a powerful relic, he must have been hit directly by a mental attack such as a mind explosion.
"What is one plus one?"
Shade asked in a low voice.
"two."
"What's thirty-nine times three?"
Shade continued to ask, but the man actually retched. Relying on simple mathematics to judge whether the mind is damaged is a highly respected method of mental identification in modern times. Of course, Shade is very sure that the other party can answer such questions in a normal state. Ring sorcerers need a lot of grammar, history and mathematics knowledge. Ring sorcerers who don't understand mathematics are not normal ring sorcerers.
"Take me to the city and I'll give you 50 pounds."
The man was helped by Shade into the fog outside the cemetery, panting heavily, and he offered a number that Shade could not refuse. Although Shade wanted to propose a deal for the slate, he was not sure what the man in front of him was in the Apna Library, and this was obviously not a good place to discuss business, so he pulled the man up and asked:
"I'm not after your money, believe me. Address?"
"No. 21, Yinkum Street, in the university part of the city."
The man spoke in a low voice, panting as if he was about to die. Of course, Xia De, who was supporting him, was sure that he was healthy, but he was too exhausted:
"What attacked you?"
Xia De asked softly, and at the same time smelled the strong smell of ink on the other person from a close distance.
"The Peace Church's Divine Art - Thought Seal."
The magic of the priests and followers of the God of War and Peace always seems so interesting to outsiders, just like the white dove bomb.
In order to avoid the church's search, the two of them circled around the cemetery before daring to enter the city. After entering the city, they did not dare to hire a carriage immediately, but changed clothes in the alley, which allowed Xia De to see the other person's true appearance. He was a middle-aged man who looked very scholarly, with a thin face and gray eyes that were almost unable to open.
But the man couldn't see Xia De's appearance clearly because he was seriously injured.
After finding the carriage, the carriage successfully took the two to Yinkem Street in the university district in the dark. When getting off the carriage, the man had to be supported by Xia De to stand steadily. Fortunately, Xia De had already sprinkled some wine on him in advance, so the driver only thought that he was a drunkard being sent home by his companions.
Shade was quite familiar with Yinkem Street in the university district. One block away was Quill Pen Street where Dorothy rented a house. Yinkem Street was also a common block in the university district with street-front apartments on both sides. It was late at night, and only a few lights in the windows could still show an ambiguous glow in the night fog.
Xia De supported the gentleman and walked along the edge of the street where the street lights could not illuminate. After the two climbed the stairs of No. 21, the man used all his strength to knock on the door in front of him in a fixed rhythm, and Xia De had put on his mask again.
After waiting for half a minute, vigilant footsteps were heard behind the door—the footsteps were deliberately lowered and slowed down, but they were vigilant footsteps.
"Who is it?"
There was a man's voice from inside the door.
"It's me."
The man supported by Xia De squeezed out a voice from his throat:
"I was ambushed by the church, and the monastic order found someone to take over the goods and sent me back."
He was reminding the person inside the door that there was a stranger beside him. The person inside the door obviously understood, and Xia De also understood.
Xia De supported the man and said to the person inside the door in a low voice:
"This gentleman promised me a reward of fifty pounds."
"Yes sir, that's no problem."
The voice from inside the door answered immediately.
Xia De waited for another 3 minutes and 17 seconds before he heard the sound of someone removing the anti-theft chain from behind the door. Then the wall lamp outside the door was turned on, and the door was pushed open to reveal a small gap. Two people wearing black robes and masks stood inside the door.
In addition to them, there were people standing in the far end of the hallway behind them, and also people standing high up on the side stairs.
Xia De didn't care about these things, but handed the person he was supporting to one of them, who carefully helped the unlucky guy, who was almost completely unconscious, into the house.
Of course, Xia De could not be invited in, so another tall man in a black robe handed him an envelope. Xia De squeezed it and knew that there were banknotes inside.
The people here were obviously on guard against Shade. Shade smiled and stuffed the envelope into his coat pocket. The dull voice behind the mask said:
"Since I have helped you, can I say a few more words? I have another deal I want to make with you. I wonder if you are interested in selling me a book?"
"trade?"
The man in the black robe hesitated for a moment, holding the door with his right hand, leaving only a crack:
"If it's a serious business, of course it's fine, but it's too late today. Come back at 8 a.m. on Tuesday."
Of course, the late time was an excuse. Xia De knew that the other party wanted to confirm what happened tonight. If the other party felt that his identity was questionable, I'm afraid this house would be empty on Tuesday:
"Sure, Tuesday morning at eight."
Xia De nodded and turned to leave without hesitation. The man inside the door held the door frame and watched him disappear into the night fog. He waited for a while before closing the door.
Shade walked alone in the fog, opened the envelope and counted the money. The rustling sound could not be heard far away in the fog, and his fingers skillfully fiddled with the banknotes until he confirmed that it was fifty pounds, then he tore up the envelope and threw it into the alley beside him.
"Isn't there something wrong with my perception just now?"
He held the stack of banknotes between his right index finger and thumb and swung it slightly in front of him. He was in a very good mood.
No doubt, it was him.
“That’s really interesting.”
Xia De raised the corner of his mouth and hurriedly turned into the alley where there was no gas light.
In the dark alley, several wild cats were searching for food in the garbage pile by the wall. Hearing the footsteps, the wild cats turned around and looked at the stranger. Wild cats in the city are not easy to mess with at night, and outsiders have also seen news reports of wild cats hurting people, but they did not provoke Shade, but just stood there and looked at him.
I took out a few grains of Mia's cat food and threw them over:
"One of the ring sorcerers who was on guard against me in the house just now turned out to be an acquaintance. I never expected that an academic spy, a real academic spy, has appeared."
It seems that your mission has been accomplished.
"Yes."
Xia De hurried out of the alley, looked in the direction of Quill Pen Street, and then continued walking east.
"Sir Kings Prisher, who came with Princess Margaret to visit Tobesk, is in the house just now. He is a correspondence student at the Suxes Medical College and is now mixed up with the people in the Apner Library."
The other party was also on guard against him just now. Sir Prisha didn't seem to be a "guest" of the house. He should be one of the owners.
Xia De expressed his guess in his mind, and when he entered the area where the street lights were not bright, he reached into his pocket. When he appeared again, he had changed into a new coat.
His eyes were fixed on the next streetlight:
"It's just speculation at the moment. We must have solid evidence to confirm the other party's identity. If the Moon of Guidance - Laikins Prisha is really an academic spy who sneaked into Sexes from the Apna Library, then whether it's the slate book I'm looking for or his spiritual light, I can easily get it... After all.
Squinting his eyes slightly, he turned and looked in the direction of No. 21 Yinkem Street, which he had just left:
"Sir Prisha, you don't want your identity to be exposed, do you?"
On the way from the university district to Old John's pawn shop, Shad encountered no more accidents except for two drunks who were arm in arm, cursing the tax policy and vomiting. Before entering the pawn shop, he opened the box again on the way and recorded the contents of the documents. Shad arrived fifty minutes later than the original time, which made Old John realize that there must be an accident in this mission.
Seeing Xia De pushing the door in with a suitcase, the old man hurried out from behind the counter. He opened the door and looked around for a while before motioning Xia De to put the suitcase on the counter.
Old John poured tea for Shad, and Shad told him what happened in the cemetery. The old man listened with a serious face until Shad talked about how he took the injured man back to 21 Yinkem Street. Then he spoke:
"Detective, although I know you are a good person, but you are so kind to send him back tonight, it shouldn't be just for the money, right?"
"Yes, the Apna Library has what I want."
Shad nodded.
Old John put his hand on the suitcase:
"I can guarantee that the church ambushed in the cemetery in advance, and we did not leak the secret. The Hermitage will ask the Apna Library for an explanation on this matter. We can put pressure on them to try their best to meet your deal, which is a compensation for you. Although we are an unknown ring wizard organization, we will never treat our friends badly. Treating friendship well is an important part of civilization."
Shade smiled:
"Well, Father John, then you don't have to pay me extra fees for the unexpected events that occurred during this commission."
The old man also smiled and looked down at the suitcase:
"I know you are curious about the information in it, but I don't know if you have looked through it on the way. Detective, please remember that there are some things that you should not easily participate in. If you participate, you must be prepared for the worst."
The old man, who always had a childlike temper, now had a gleam in his eyes and a serious expression:
"Poetry and the chosen are no joking matter."
Xia De reached out and knocked on the counter:
"I understand, Father John. Since I have the knowledge of the Guiding Light Hermitage, I must have my own ways and means. Don't worry, at least I am not a member of the evil camp."
"No one thinks of himself as evil..."
He opened the suitcase and looked through the documents inside. The contents were fragments of poems, translations, and speculations about the chosen ones of wisdom and knowledge from the Apna Library. In addition to the already known "Lake Schluch" and "Wise Pyroxene", the most valuable part for Shad was that the fragments clearly stated that this time the ceremony of the chosen one needed to be held on the water.
"... But I believe you are not evil."
"Why? Do you think I'm an honest and kind person?"
Xia De asked with a smile, and the old man shook his head:
"Schneider never makes mistakes in people, and sometimes I feel like you are on the same path as us. Although there is no evidence, just take it as the wisdom of an old man - I think you are also working hard for the continuation of this civilization. Remember the topic we talked about about civilization? I run this pawn shop to get closer to our civilization, the civilization of the Sixth Era, the civilization of mankind, which is the real enlightenment... We transmit light, and you transmit fire, that's about it."
Shad had no idea what Father John meant.