Chapter 697, They've Gone Mad
Damn!
It really was that old man from the Snake Emblem Consortium.
Wu Heng remembered him clearly. Aside from a change in outfit, the appearance was exactly the same.
Then came the conversation between the old man and the Whitewing Gang leader.
"Still not ready?"
The Whitewing Gang leader shook his head. "Almost."
"Don't mess it up."
"Relax."
After that, the two said no more and simply sat drinking tea.
Xiaoxiao turned and flew back immediately.
Wu Heng furrowed his brows tightly.
A member of the Snake Emblem Consortium appearing in the city guard's logistics hall, drinking tea with a gang leader?
A wave of speculation rose in his heart, and the entire case now seemed much more suspicious.
It might even mean the entire case was wrong.
...
"What is it?" Janvito came over and asked.
Wu Heng's brows were still knitted. "Elder, Dean, let's speak inside."
The two men's smiles faded into seriousness, and they followed him into a separate room.
"That gang leader also dead?" Tapani guessed instinctively.
"No, but I found someone else. There might be a problem with our investigation results," Wu Heng said gravely.
The other two narrowed their eyes.
Tapani said in a low voice, "Tell us what you discovered."
"The wraiths found the Whitewing Gang leader, and his appearance matches the results of our questioning the corpse. But there was also someone else—a familiar face. The old man from the Snake Emblem Consortium who gave us the item yesterday. It seems the two of them have a plan and are waiting for the gang leader's arrangement."
Wu Heng explained everything the investigation uncovered.
After hearing it, both men frowned, confusion and suspicion flickering in their expressions.
The same man from the Consortium yesterday was now together with the target they were about to capture, clearly involved in something.
No matter how they thought about it, it didn't make sense—yet they couldn't figure it out.
Tapani's expression turned serious. "What's your take?"
Wu Heng pondered a moment. "There are two possibilities. First, the Whitewing Gang is connected to the Snake Emblem Consortium and they're just meeting over business. This could affect our operation. Second, the old man's identity is fake."
"Which one do you lean toward?"
"The second one," Wu Heng answered.
The two elders' eyes sharpened.
If it was the second possibility, that meant the Consortium's identity was false—and everything they uncovered yesterday would be overturned.
"Why?"
Wu Heng said, "Elder and Dean might not know, but in the Ekow Kingdom, the Snake Emblem Consortium is illegal. After a conflict, it was forcibly shut down. Even if some stayed to watch the shop, they wouldn't blatantly sit in a government office drinking tea."
A very direct deduction.
Janvito stroked his beard, still puzzled. "The gang members were conscripted. Maybe Consortium people just came out too."
Before Wu Heng could speak, Tapani cut in. "Impossible. The Consortium's biggest promise was only to provide protection for important clients. They would never get involved in this."
"So you also think his identity is suspicious?" Janvito asked.
Tapani said nothing.
Wu Heng said, "Didn't yesterday's investigation feel too smooth? We got intel on the Whisperer's family in the morning, then got the letter via his wife, which led us to the Consortium, then conveniently found the killer and Twin Dragon Gang members."
Janvito said, "So someone, afraid things would get too messy, set up the evidence and handed it to us."
It seemed like the Guild was powerful—breaking into a city and capturing suspects boldly.
But this was still someone else's turf.
"The Consortium was shut down long ago. Someone sent a fake to deliver clues to us," Tapani concluded.
"Maybe everyone we met yesterday was acting," Wu Heng rubbed his temples. "They want us to wrap this up and leave quickly."
Tapani nodded. "That explanation fits. If the case stalls, HQ will pay more attention. Many eyes are on us—one way or another, they'll want an answer."
"So what now?" Janvito asked.
Both looked toward Wu Heng.
HQ had assigned Wu Heng to handle the case, and the wraiths had found the key lead. They wanted his thoughts.
"Speculation won't help. I say we arrest them both and interrogate them. As for the woman who left this morning, send someone to track her down. Maybe we can still catch up."
Wu Heng shared his plan.
"Agreed. Do it," Tapani approved. "If they turn out to just have business dealings, we stick to our original story—the Twin Dragon Gang leader did it."
"No objections," Janvito nodded.
"Good. No delay—Wu Heng, Janvito, go arrest them. Do it before the city guards get involved. Bring them back and get answers," Tapani ordered.
The arrest fell once again to Wu Heng and the old mage.
The two nodded.
They left the room, picked two level-15 Professionals, two Guild squads, and over a hundred skeleton warriors.
They marched out in force, heading for the logistics hall.
Meanwhile, several tamed beasts soared from corners, trailing the team quickly.
...
The logistics hall was a four-story building.
Bang~!
The main door was broken down violently. The Guild members charged in with skeletons. All resisting or alerting soldiers were subdued on the spot.
It wasn't a military camp—just a functional office.
There weren't many soldiers inside, so it wasn't difficult.
Wu Heng led the team into the main hall.
The Whitewing Gang leader with the missing earlobe stood there, surprised at the sudden intrusion.
He stammered a few times before saying, "Gentlemen, this is a key logistics area. Isn't this against protocol?"
No one responded. The team began a thorough search.
Soon, the old man from the shared memory—the Consortium member—was dragged in.
"What are you doing here?" Janvito asked directly.
The old man looked panicked but said, "Just handling some issues. Nothing related to the Guild."
Wu Heng looked around and declared, "Human trafficking in the Emerald Sea. Suspect: Whitewing Gang leader and accomplice. Confirm their identities and take them in."
Guild members stepped up, restrained the two, and swiftly headed back to HQ.
Meanwhile, figures dashed out.
To report the matter to the City Lord and military camp.
...
Back at the Guild.
Wu Heng and Janvito led the group, followed by members escorting the Whitewing Gang leader and the dark-clothed old man.
Elder Tapani stood in the hall. He looked stern. "Identities confirmed?"
Wu Heng nodded. "Confirmed."
"Separate interrogations. Wu Heng, take the gang member. Be quick," Tapani instructed.
"Understood!" Wu Heng nodded and pointed at the Whitewing leader. "Take him to the interrogation room."
Inside the interrogation room.
Once the investigator was ready—
Wu Heng spoke directly. "Tell the truth and you might live. Lie and it's a dead end."
The gang leader said in a low voice, "What do you want to ask? I've never gone against the Guild."
"You're not even high enough level to oppose the Guild," Wu Heng replied. "Who told you to transport people to 'Bejaya City'?"
The gang leader froze. "I don't know what you're talking about. Someone must be framing me! I want to confront them!"
His tone was defensive, like a falsely accused man.
Wu Heng found his performance amusing.
This intel came from a corpse. Dead men don't lie.
Before Wu Heng spoke, the cleric said, "He's lying."
"Cut off one of his fingers," Wu Heng ordered.
No need for the Guild to act—one of the skeletons drew a short sword and, amidst the man's fear and struggle, sliced off a finger.
A scream of pain echoed in the room.
"Heal him."
The cleric cast a spell, and the wound closed quickly.
"Don't lose the finger," Wu Heng said, then continued, "Who's behind this?"
The gang leader snapped his head up, eyes fierce.
Still holding out.
"Cut two mo—" Wu Heng started but suddenly paused.
One of his wraiths had returned and flew into his body.
Wu Heng sat bolt upright.
A vision shared directly in his mind.
In the sky, beams of light from many high-level auras converged into a radiant stream heading their way.
Wu Heng's eyes locked in.
"Damn. They've gone mad."