Chapter 164: Sharp Words (Part 2)

“Regarding this matter, I have not truly informed Lord Marquis…”

Grand Knight Anluo spoke word by word, his tone appearing very cautious, and he was trying his best to show his goodwill.

“Then, was this your own decision?”

Miss Baron asked very bluntly.

“I, I just…”

Grand Knight Anluo was immediately speechless, and only a bitter smile remained on his face, while Dean beside him looked at Miss Baron with some surprise—he had heard rumors about her ability long ago, but only at this moment today did he see that the rumors about her ability were not false.

Just such eloquence and this scrutiny were enough to make Dean show surprise.

After all, Dean had seen quite a few sharp-tongued people, but combining her own identity, being able to stand before the general trend and firmly seize on the other party’s mistakes was very rare, especially considering Miss Baron’s age and gender, it was enough to make people surprised.

“She really should stand in front of the negotiating table!”

Dean thought subconsciously.

Then, looking at Grand Knight Anluo who looked slightly awkward in front of Miss Baron, this thought became even stronger.

“I think I need to pay a visit to Lord Marquis; may I ask when Lord Marquis will have time?”

Like a pronouncement, Miss Baron asked this.

“Up until a quarter before dinner, Lord Marquis has time.”

Grand Knight Anluo said almost subconsciously.

“Very well, we are heading to Vauban Castle right now!”

Miss Baron said and walked out, leaving Dean and Grand Knight Anluo standing in the room—

“I am truly sorry!”

Dean said with an apologetic look.

“No, no, it was I who lacked consideration! I didn’t expect Baron Defendi to be so bold!”

Grand Knight Anluo waved his hands repeatedly, but in the next moment, his face showed a trace of gloom.

Obviously, Baron Defendi’s actions had somewhat angered this Grand Knight; however, similarly, Grand Knight Anluo did not have any substantial evidence.

And this feeling of knowing clearly that the other party did it, but being unable to produce evidence, was undoubtedly extremely uncomfortable.

Of course, it also conformed very much to the standards of the Emerald Nobles.

If other nobles learned of what happened here, not only would they not think Baron Defendi was at fault, but on the contrary, they would cheer loudly for him.

A mistake that is not caught is not a mistake.

The Emerald Nobles firmly believed in this.

“Your Excellency the Baron obviously has helpers we don’t know about—not only are his skills good, but he also has considerable technique… from the time I heard Baron Janel’s scream to the time I appeared at the scene, it was at most three seconds!” Dean began to recount some things he ‘knew’, “More importantly, Baron Janel’s residence is in the very center, and lines of sight from all directions would focus there the instant the scream rang out… but I can confirm that not a single person saw the murderer!”

“Mm, thank you Dean for the information you provided!”

Grand Knight Anluo nodded with a grave expression; obviously, he understood the hidden meaning in Dean’s words.

“This is what I should do; I hope it is useful to you, after all, I don’t want to see any more unrest occur in Vauban County!”

Dean responded very politely, and before Grand Knight Anluo could say anything else, the shout of Miss Baron rang out from outside again—

“Grand Knight Anluo, we should set off!”

Miss Baron’s words carried a hint of impatience.

“I think I should leave!”

Grand Knight Anluo said with a bitter smile.

“Have a safe journey!”

Dean smiled as he saw this Grand Knight to the door, and at the same time, instructed Huck, who was acting as Miss Baron’s guard, to be careful in everything.

After the carriage completely disappeared at the end of the street corner, Dean returned to his residence, and called Captains Theron and Ike, as well as Chad, into the room—

“Equip your bows and arrows, and Chad, from today onwards you are in charge of the secret sentry!”

Dean instructed his subordinates.

“Yes, Regiment Commander!”

The young subordinates answered without hesitation.

Undoubtedly, the ‘assassination’ that happened beside them in the afternoon was enough to make them feel that intense unfriendliness.

After the three subordinates left, Dean carefully checked the room’s layout, then draped his cloak over himself and left the room as well; he needed to confirm something before dinner.

…

Inside that secret stronghold near the moat that originally belonged to Madel, Dean checked the safety measure he had left on the basement threshold.

“Heh!”

When he saw that strand of hair was broken, Dean sneered in his heart.

This strand of hair, apart from the door being pushed open, would not have any other possibility of breaking, and he had strictly forbidden anyone from approaching here.

And at the same time, the person approaching here, apart from ‘River Rat’ Zimo, would not be anyone else.

Almost subconsciously, Dean thought of what this Zimo had done to his superior Madel—thinking of that feeling Zimo had of knowing Madel ‘like the back of his hand’ made Dean’s brows furrow even tighter.

Dean would not think that Zimo would change such a habit.

Regarding this, Dean did not have the slightest expectation; he only needed the other party to restrain themselves a little.

After all, he was still short of manpower right now, so as long as it wasn’t too excessive, he could tolerate it.

However, it seemed now that his tolerance had been somewhat misunderstood—

Creak!

Pushing open that small door, Dean walked in; he watched Madel raise his head feebly, and then lower it again, and he sneered in his heart once more.

Although the other party seemed weak, there was a trace of brightness in his eyes; he was clearly not in a state of having suffered endless torture and starvation to the limit.

Although the wounds on his body were still simply bandaged and hadn’t been changed, he clearly hadn’t lacked food or water.

As for who did it?

That was naturally obvious.

However, Dean acted as if he hadn’t seen it and stood in front of the other party—

“There are some things I need to ask you!”

Dean asked in this manner.

“I have already told you everything, there is nothing else… ah!”

A hoarse voice came from Madel’s throat, but in the next moment, his scream became abnormally loud; Dean picked up the small knife on the table beside him and stabbed it into the other party’s abdomen, not plunging it all the way in, but inserting the blade halfway and then slowly pushing it.

That sensation of pain was several times more intense than the latter.

“I really told you everything!”

Madel roared with a face full of pain.

“Is that so? Are you sure you told me everything… for example, some ‘Transactions’ between you and ‘River Rat’?”

Dean let out a cold laugh.

“What transaction?”

Madel asked as if subconsciously.

But Dean clearly saw the contraction of the other party’s pupils—a reaction that people who lie usually have.

“It seems you still have a lucky mentality—in fact, perhaps you know clearly yourself that you definitely cannot escape death, but your lucky heart makes you always make wrong decisions… originally, I had planned to give you a quick death, but you chose the most painful kind!”

As Dean spoke, he walked toward the corner, where there were several thin, long ropes; he picked them up, examined them for a moment, and then turned around and tore off the clothes on Madel’s body.

At the same time, he said slowly: “Do you know what ‘lingchi’ is? Hmm… don’t understand? Then let me put it another way—death by a thousand cuts, do you understand this time?”

Under Dean’s manipulation, several ropes tightened the small pieces of flesh on Madel’s upper body—this was not troublesome; the pampered Madel had enough fat on his body for Dean to do this.

Pfft!

That sharp small knife lightly grazed a protruding piece of flesh, and immediately, that piece of flesh fell off in response.

“Ah!”

Madel let out another scream.

“Do you know? At this time, the finest kind of fishing net should be used to cover your whole body, and then tightened deathly, followed by cut after cut… after a total of thirty-six thousand cuts, I can obtain a complete human bone specimen, and at the same time, you still won’t breathe your last—however, the existing tools make it difficult to achieve that effect, but I am not stingy about trying!”

As he spoke, Dean moved the small knife with extreme speed across the small pieces of flesh tied up on Madel’s upper body again.

“Ah, ah… I’ll talk, I’ll talk, stop… ah! Stop! I’ll talk, I will talk!”

Madel screamed, but Dean did not stop; he seemed to be addicted to it, the small knife in his hand sliding back and forth on Madel’s body.

Just a moment later, Madel’s upper body was already a bloody blur.

“Oh, you’re going to talk? I thought you could hold on a bit longer; after all, we’ve only just started!”

Dean stopped the movement in his hand and looked up at Madel in surprise, while Madel, who had long been terrified by Dean’s words, shivered when he looked into Dean’s eyes.

In those eyes, what Madel saw was mockery and coldness, without a shred of emotion.

“Devil, you are a devil… River Rat asked me for the names of other lurkers!”

After shouting as if to vent, Madel confessed truthfully.

“Oh, what are those names?”

Dean narrowed his eyes, then asked casually.

Getting rid of Zimo was inevitable, but verifying Madel’s notes and letters was also inevitable.

And the latter was obviously more important.

As for the former?

Just a guy blinded by the desire for power and self-righteous, he would clean him up properly later.