Mystery Paradise: Wishing Power Demon
Chapter 325 - 324 Unforgivable

Chapter 325: Chapter 324 Unforgivable

The furnishings in the room were very simple, or rather... very cheap. Aside from the hard board bed, there was only a stool and a beat-up low table.

The two sat facing each other, one on the stool and the other on the edge of the bed, with a freshly brewed green tea in between them. The scent of the tea wafted up with the steam, slightly dispelling the musty smell in the air.

"Are you short of money?" Walter asked, frowning, after a long gaze.

"Are you referring to... why I’m living in a place like this?" Dane smiled and took a sip from his teacup. "It’s because I’m used to it. When I was doing investigations in the Royal Capital, I often rented places nearby. The area was densely populated, identities were complicated, and there were many alleys, good for a quick escape if trouble arose. As for you... how did you find this place?"

"I don’t have that ability, to catch up with you after many years," Walter shook his head. "The recent big news from Walter News Agency, that was a tip from you, right? I found your name card in Qiu Ji’s office drawer, a new one, which proves you had been there recently. So I guessed, maybe your partner would know your whereabouts. Fortunately, Mr. Farrelan doesn’t play hide and seek. He told me you’d choose between the Golden Rose Hotel and a folk inn on Fishgut Street to stay in. I’ve been to the former, you weren’t there."

"So it was him who told you," Dane revealed an ’I see’ expression. He only told three people about his whereabouts: Farrelan, Shandela, and Ryan. A few days ago, he indeed stayed in the grand hotel because a respectable identity was more persuasive. If Walter News Agency had not accepted his news, he would have to try other publications.

Now that the weekly magazine was already on sale, there was naturally no need for him to continue staying at a conspicuous place. Compared to the Golden Rose Hotel, this folk inn wasn’t even known by most people.

But the other party didn’t understand him, Walter probably thought he couldn’t afford the expenses of a nice hotel, which was why he moved to this obscure place.

"Originally, I wanted to give you a beating," Walter suddenly changed the subject.

"Because of my leaving without saying goodbye... I’m sorry."

"The one you should be apologizing to isn’t me, but Youyuan!" his voice suddenly rose two octaves, veins bulging on the back of his hand, "You knew her situation back then, why couldn’t you even give her a simple goodbye?"

On that point, Dane had nothing to say.

He had his reasons, but he was also clear that his actions undoubtedly hurt the boss’s daughter, Youyuan Walter.

"Anyway, I don’t want to dwell on the past, and don’t expect me to forgive you!" Walter clenched his fist for a long time but finally let go, "You better leave quickly, don’t stay in the Royal City anymore, otherwise you may invite big trouble."

Dane was slightly shocked, "Big trouble? What do you mean?"

"I don’t know, but it’s definitely not something good!" Walter said indignantly, "Today at noon, Walter News Agency was warned by Duke Longjiu’s Internal Affairs Troop. The latest issue of the weekly had to be immediately ceased from sale, and the chief editor has been taken away."

"Qiu Ji?"

"Yes, before he was taken away, he deliberately spilled a lot of tobacco in the drawer; that’s when I noticed your business card inside. I guess he was trying to remind me to tell you to run away quickly. After all, you are the initiator of the report, and if they investigate, it will definitely fall back on you." Walter sighed deeply, drinking a sip of tea with indignation, "Although I don’t know what about the report has upset the Duke/Duchess, my instincts tell me this isn’t simple."

Dane pondered for a moment, "How many copies of the weekly have been sold?"

"You’re still concerned about that damn news now!?" Walter said incredulously.

"Qiu Ji was probably just taken for questioning, he won’t be in mortal danger. The extent to which the weekly has spread is key."

"You mean... if the news can’t be suppressed, they’ll lessen their attention to us?"

"Indeed. Now, only Walter News Agency is publishing, and Duke Longjiu’s attention will naturally focus on you," Dane said candidly, "Why don’t they let the police handle this matter, but instead dispatch the Internal Affairs Troop to warn you covertly? Because they themselves know that to publicly ban a news agency’s newspaper is utterly untenable!"

Walter thought back, grateful he had asked Li Xi before leaving, "We printed two rounds, a total of one hundred and fifty thousand copies, all sold out. The third batch has also been printed, it’s just that the Duke’s people happened to come knocking, so it’s now stored in the warehouse."

"Give me the newspapers from the third printing; I have a way to sell them," Dane stood up, "Of course, not now; I’ll make a trip to the newspaper agency tonight."

"You really plan not to leave?" Walter gaped.

"No matter what, Qiu Ji was arrested because of the news I provided; I will stay in the Royal Capital until I’m sure he’s safe," he walked to the window, scanning the situation below, "But I won’t be staying here anymore, just consider that I’ve left without saying goodbye again."

"..." Walter stared at him for a while, finally pulling a key from his waist and tossing it to him, "Take this."

"What’s this?"

"The key to the news agency’s storeroom. All the employees are on leave now; there’s no one there. If you plan to take the newspapers, you’ve got to get inside first, right? Of course, if the Duke starts investigating, I’ll say you stole the key."

"Thank you." Dane solemnly placed the key into his pocket.

"Where you’ve been all these years, what you’ve done, we can talk about that next time when we have a chance," Walter walked to the door, then turned and said, "Besides... Although I haven’t forgiven you, my daughter hasn’t held a grudge against you for so long. She’s married now and is very happy. After this matter is settled, you should explain to her why you had to leave back then."

...

Zither Longjiu dropped the whip in his hand, gesturing with his fingers to the Attendant.

The latter promptly brought over a basin of water and soap that had already been prepared.

He meticulously cleaned each of his fingers, including the bloodstains in the gaps between them. He knew his father disliked somebody filthy; a noble should maintain their appearance at all times.

Even during an interrogation.

"Young master, what should we do with this man?" the executioner moved closer to ask.

"He doesn’t know much, not very useful," he said.

"So, release him?"

"No... Journalists, they love to make a fuss, releasing him now would give him the chance to smear our family’s name, wouldn’t it?" Zither wiped the last drops of water from his hands with a towel, "Lock him up for a few days more, I’ll make him understand how to manage his mouth. Besides, wasn’t he so tough when he was first brought in, saying he had nothing to discuss with me? Yet, he confessed everything once put on the rack. Such people... If not taught a lesson, they never learn their place."

After he finished washing his hands, he began flipping through the interrogation records. Qiu Ji, chief editor at Walter News Agency, had visited Thistlefort five days ago, staying for three and a half days, and upon returning, the latest issue about the Paradise Sect was published. The one who provided him with the information was someone called Dane, a former journalist at the agency, and his ex-colleague.

This information had already been imprinted in Zither’s mind, but revisiting the records after interrogation was his habit. The more times he read them, the better he could catch the key elements from between the lines. Compared to his brothers, who excelled at warfare, this was one of the few skills that earned him his father’s praise.

Clearly, Qiu Ji was just a ghostwriter; Dane was the one driving this affair. The information he had now was not much, only knowing that this man had once been well-known in the Royal City before traveling overseas, until he returned recently. Although Qiu Ji was completely unaware of the details, Zither had already sensed the scent of conspiracy. This man named Dane, without a doubt, was a follower of the Paradise Sect— a new divinity was encroaching upon the faith, and Dane was his vanguard.