Chapter 820
Who is it? As a Sheriff, Xio had a sharp intuition for monitoring others and for being monitored by others . Her heart tensed up as her mind raced to consider what had just happened .
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In the past two to three weeks, she hadn’t encountered anything particularly noteworthy . The few criminals she apprehended weren’t Beyonders, and they were, at best, related to certain gangs . No one would offend a famous bounty hunter in East Borough for them . Therefore, she quickly narrowed down the list of suspects, and she vaguely guessed at the spy’s faction .
A member from the Aurora Order? I didn’t attend Mr . X’s gathering, and an accident happened . Apparently, it was quite a stunning scene… The person from MI9 said that Mr . X was assassinated on the spot, and had his corpse taken away . Furthermore, the assassin had used powers at the demigod level… Is the Aurora Order investigating the possible culprits? Every invitee is in their sights? Although Xio was careless and short-tempered at times, her thought process was relatively direct . But in similar fields, she had a strong intuition that allowed her to figure out the crux of the matter .
And on the matter regarding Mr . X’s assassination, she had once been thankful that Fors had stopped her from attending; thus, avoiding the accident . On the other hand, she felt that there wasn’t anything wrong about her, allowing her to stand up to the scrutiny of any investigation . Therefore, when she met the masked man from MI9 last week, she had been frank and confident, and she had accepted the mission to investigate the truth behind the matter . Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure which other Beyonders had participated back then, and she had no clues to kick her off .
Hmm, that man from MI9 said that the members of Aurora Order are either lunatics or potential lunatics . You can’t use common sense to guess at their actions . Even if they believe that there’s nothing wrong with me, they can kill me in passing to vent their anger as a warning to the real murderer… The stressed Xio walked forward as she revised her path in East Borough .
This new route allowed her to obtain the help of friends at any time . If she suffered an ambush, there was a considerable chance that she could escape or kill the assailant .
As she walked, Xio’s mind suddenly went into a daze, as she realized that she had unknowingly arrived back at her residence in Cherwood Borough at some point in time .
Xio entered blankly and drank a cup of water when she was patted on the shoulder by Fors .
“Accompany me to East Borough . ”
Xio was taken aback as she found herself saying something very familiar .
“You want to head out to gather material?”
Fors immediately said that it wasn’t the case, indicating that she had previously accepted a mission to find the dust left behind after a ghost faded away . As the deceased had been given a send-off by the priests at the cemetery to their respective deity’s kingdom, there wasn’t any ghosts . Thus, they could only head over to East Borough to find targets .
Xio hesitated and said, “Can’t you push it back a day? I’m planning to participate in Mr . X’s gathering . ”
Fors immediately wore a bitter look and said that she had delayed it by too much, and the mission’s deadline was looming .
Xio sighed and agreed to accompany her friend to East Borough to find a deceased person that had just died or one that hadn’t been discovered after a period of time since their death .
Just as the two were about to exit, Xio felt the wind strike her in the face as she trembled and snapped awake . She saw a wandering poet sitting in a corner, playing a seven-string guitar as he sang a folk song that was famous in the southern villages .
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Xio frowned slightly as she rubbed her temples . She had a nagging feeling that her mind had gone adrift, but she couldn’t remember what she was thinking about .
She continued maintaining her vigilance as she followed her originally set route, entering a bar that sold lunch . On the way, she met an East Borough resident who would occasionally provide her with intelligence .
He was a man who was either twenty-three or twenty-four years old . He had thinned his brows, and his brown hair reached his shoulders . His facial features were rather soft, and he had put on cheap makeup . He gave off quite an odd vibe .
“Sherman, did anything happen in the past few days?” Xio greeted .
According to what she knew, this young man named Sherman had always thought of himself as a woman . However, fate had played a terrible joke on him, making him a man . This made him suffer serious levels of ostracization for many years .
Sherman grinned and said, “It’s been peaceful . No man offered to buy me any drinks . ”
“Drinking is bad,” Xio advised him seriously, walked past him, and walked to the bar counter .
Sherman spat as he walked to the entrance, swaying his hips until he arrived at the condominium he rented .
He paused at the door for nearly a minute before walking two steps to the side and knocking on the door next door .
The wooden door creaked open as a low, female voice sounded with an undeniable sweetness to it .
“Have you made your decision?”
Sherman walked in and closed the door behind him . Looking towards the bed, he said to the black-dressed lady, “I’m still doubtful . I don’t believe that there’s something as magical as that . ”
To him, the lady had a round face and a gentle and refined temperament . Not only was she sweet-looking, but she also had a different air to her . She was extremely charming and alluring .
Of course, to Sherman, he was more envious instead of smitten .
The black-dressed lady replied with a deadpan expression, “Haven’t you seen the picture of my former appearance?”
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Her gaze moved as she couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy .
“But that might’ve been your twin brother . I find it difficult to believe that there really is a substance to change me into a woman…” Sherman said in a wavering tone .
The black-dressed lady chuckled without any humor in it .
“Then, you can pretend that it’s fake . You may leave . ”
Sherman’s hands tightened as he fell silent for a long while .
“I-I’m willing to give it a try . Although I know that you might be bluffing me, I still wish to give it a try .
“Then, what should be the price I need to pay?”
“Listen to my instructions, and help me do certain tasks . Don’t worry . They will definitely be things you are capable of,” the black-dressed lady said . “To truly change your sex, you need to drink three potions and complete certain rituals . I’ll guide you . ”
Upon saying this, she said in a self-deprecating manner, “You can consider your female name . ”
At night, in the Backlund Bridge area, in a small alley at Iron Gate Street .
Xio stood under a street lamp that had been shattered by someone . She was recounting what had happened in the morning .
After confirming that she wasn’t being tailed, she returned to Cherwood Borough and secretly observed Fors . She discovered that her friend didn’t head out at all, staying at home like she usually did . She spent most of her time reading novels, newspapers, and magazines . She also drew the curtains in her room for nearly an hour, as though she was familiarizing herself with her Beyonder powers . Until she had nothing to do, she got a piece of paper and spent fifteen minutes writing the opening to her new book . Finally, she tore it apart, crumbled it into a ball, and threw it into the trash can .
She smokes and drinks excessively… Xio silently clenched her teeth when she saw a figure in a black suit walking out of the shadows from the other end of the alley .
The man was tall and wore a golden mask that revealed his eyes, nostrils, mouth, and cheeks . He was none other than the MI9 member who was in contact with Xio .
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“Is there anything urgent?” he asked directly .
Although Xio was short, she said in a similarly domineering manner, “I was tailed in East Borough . I suspect that it’s someone from the Aurora Order . They seem to be investigating what happened during the gathering . ”
The topic Xio had prepared to talk about was about someone she was asked to look for . She planned on using a clue that couldn’t be confirmed, to make a request for the emergency meeting to appear normal . However, she now had a more suitable excuse thanks to the Aurora Order .
“The lunatics from the Aurora Order are like that . Although they know that we’re also investigating the matter and are finding them, they don’t shrink back . If it’s not because of that, they wouldn’t always be suffering setbacks,” the golden-masked man said with a laugh . “To be frank, I’m very surprised that they didn’t directly surround you and bring you to a secluded place to interrogate and channel your spirit . ”
Xio was about to answer him that the Aurora Order member didn’t tail her for long when she suddenly recalled the dazed feeling she found inexplicable . Hence, she deliberated and mentioned, “I’m not sure what I encountered . For a very brief period of time, I seemed to be in a daze and can’t remember what I recalled . ”
The golden-masked man fell silent . After nearly twenty seconds, he said, “The investigation pertaining to you should have ended… The importance the Aurora Order has placed on this matter has exceeded my imagination . I will report this matter .
“Hmm… You mentioned that many Beyonders received the invitation but didn’t attend?”
Xio nodded and said, “The participants of each gathering doesn’t exceed a third of the number of people invited .
“This is mostly normal for a gathering . It’s not an exception for Mr . X’s gathering either . ”
The golden-masked man considered for a moment before asking, “Are there any clues about the person I got you to search for?”
“The person whose original name was Trissy?” Xio shook her head after seeing him nod . “Not yet . She’s likely experienced . ”
The golden-masked man immediately chuckled .
“The number of people she has killed is more than the number of bounty missions you have completed . If you have any clues, make sure not to approach her . She’s highly dangerous . ”
Xio tersely answered and focused on the main topic at hand .
“Is there a new commission?”
“Why have you suddenly become so proactive?” the golden-masked man asked in surprise .
Xio frankly replied, “I’m almost about to save up enough points to exchange for the Interrogator potion formula . I wish to obtain it early . ”
“Actually, there’s no need for that . You can directly exchange it for the potion, as it will save quite a bit of points,” the golden-masked man suggested in Xio’s behalf .
I already have the Beyonder characteristic! Xio shook her head and said, “That would still take a very long time . I might be able to buy the ingredients at other Beyonder gatherings . ”
The golden-masked man didn’t insist as he said with a laughing sigh, “I wish you luck .
“This time, it’s a rather complicated commission . If you can complete it, you should have enough points . ”
Xio held back her delight and asked, “What’s the mission?”
The masked man said with a slightly odd tone, “Take note of the people Viscount Stratford interacts with, and list them down in a report before submitting it to me .
“There’s no need for you to frequently monitor him . Whenever you are free or walk past, take note of it in passing . Trust me, you aren’t the only one working on this mission . As long as you hand over a report of certain value a week, it’ll be considered as you contributing a certain amount . This can be repeated every week . ”
Viscount Stratford… Xio suddenly fell into a daze again, but this time, she knew why .
This viscount was the captain of the royal guards; he was once her father’s deputy!
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