Mysterious: The Innate Sacred Body of Destiny

Chapter 387 Are you Fors' pen pal?

"I'm planning to go back to Backlund. What do you guys think? Are you coming back with me, or will you go on your own later?"

In a corner of the Tingen Inventors Club, Lorne finished tidying up the contracts he had just signed and looked at the two inventors he had just "recruited".

"I still have some personal debts and matters to settle—" Owens rubbed his hands nervously. "I need to settle my previous debts. I can't go to the new city with debt on my hands."

"I also need to make arrangements for my family's life and explain the situation to a few friends I'm currently working with," Anthony Itte added. "It will probably take about four or five days."

Seeing that both of them were still busy with other matters, Lorne didn't press the issue. Since the contract was already signed and the design drawings and patent documents were in his possession, he wasn't worried about them running away.

"Alright, I also have some things to take care of back in Backlund."

As he spoke, he picked up a piece of sticky note, scribbled an address on it, and handed it to the two of them.

"Once you get to Backlund, just go to this address."

Backlund, a hidden alleyway in the eastern district.

"This is some information I've collected."

Hugh handed a sealed brown paper bag to the man wearing a gold mask. It contained "detailed intelligence" about James Scott that she and Fors had been working on for the past two nights.

The masked man took the paper bag, opened the seal, and quickly flipped through it in the dim light of the alleyway.

Information regarding the scale of James Scott's businesses in the East District, his reputation among employees, and his speculated daily routine, etc.

Basically, it's all information that seems to have some substance but is actually quite useless.

The masked man stopped flipping through the items and his gaze fell on Hugh again.

"What's wrong?" Meeting the other person's gaze, Xiu subconsciously straightened his back, his hand subtly moving closer to the triangular spike at his waist. "This is all information that has been verified from multiple sources."

"It's nothing, you did a good job."

Surprisingly, the masked man gave a calm and positive assessment. He put away the stack of documents, then took out a wad of banknotes from his pocket, counted out 40 pounds, and handed it to Hugh.

"This is your payment. Continue the investigation; we need more in-depth and detailed information, especially regarding the people involved."

International relations.

"Okay." Hugh took the money, didn't ask any more questions, and quickly left the alley.

She only breathed a sigh of relief after turning two street corners and mingling with the relatively bustling crowd on the main street.

She's managed to get away with it for now. But what about next time? And the time after that? She can't keep using these superficial pieces of information to fool people forever.

We must contact Scott as soon as possible to discuss countermeasures.

"well--"

She didn't go home immediately. As a diligent "bounty hunter," she still had several arbitration cases to handle.

"Forehead--"

As he walked, Hugh suddenly stopped and glanced back sharply.

Behind me was a rather empty street with only two or three hurried passersby who didn't seem particularly special.

"Strange—" Hugh frowned and rubbed his messy blond hair.

Just now, she seemed to have noticed a strange gaze.

"Is it an illusion?"

After observing for a while and finding nothing unusual, Hugh shook his head, turned around, and continued walking towards the location of his commission: Backlund train station.

In the shadow of a house not far away, the air distorted slightly, and Tracy, who was in an "invisible" state, slowly revealed a faint outline.

She watched Xiu's departing figure, her beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"A bounty hunter who accepted an official mission, huh? Quite perceptive—"

Through two days of covert investigation and surveillance, Tracy has gathered a considerable amount of information about this short man.

Hugh Deercha is most likely an Extraordinary via the "Arbitrator" pathway. His Sequence is not high; he probably hasn't reached Sequence 7 yet. However, he has a considerable reputation in the East End and is a very reputable "Arbitrator." He previously lived with a writer friend.

When Hugh and the masked man were making their deal in the alley, Tracy didn't dare get too close. As a witch, she could sense that the masked man was quite powerful and was very likely an official of the Rune organization.

But is this information useful?

It's useless.

For Tracy, this news was of no value whatsoever!

Aside from discovering that Hugh occasionally went to the gun factory to help maintain order and might have some personal connection with James Scott, there was no other useful information.

Forget about clues about Brando, they haven't even dug up much more information about James Scott himself.

"Am I being too hasty?" Tracy bit her lip in frustration and began to reflect on herself.

Because of impatience, precious time was wasted on these completely unproductive follow-ups.

"Let's follow them a little longer—"

She sighed reluctantly, went back into stealth mode, and continued to follow Hugh, watching him head towards the train station.

"As expected, they're going to teach the gangsters a lesson again—"

Tracy has noticed in the past few days that many of the requests Hugh has received are of this type.

Areas near lucrative transportation hubs like train stations and docks have always been hotspots for gangs to fight for territory and collect protection money.

Watching their petty antics, Tracy found it utterly boring. Continuing to follow them was pointless and wouldn't provide any valuable clues.

"well--"

She sighed, deciding to end the futile tracking. Turning away from the noisy area, she found a reasonably clean and respectable restaurant nearby. She needed to eat something and sort out her chaotic thoughts.

There weren't many customers in the restaurant, so Tracy chose a quiet spot by the window to sit down.

As she gazed at the darkening sky outside the window, a strong sense of powerlessness and longing welled up within her.

"Brando—where are you?" she murmured silently.

"Perhaps I should try to get help from the sect—but—"

Tracy recalled her days aboard the Black Death, when she commanded respect and influence. Back then, with so many men under her command, she didn't need to do everything herself; a single word was enough to have countless sailors vying to serve her.

But in terms of trust, even his fellow members of the sect were less trustworthy than the pirates who lusted after him for his beauty.

At least the latter wouldn't target Brando. As for the cult—that's a bottomless abyss that devours people without spitting out the bones.

"James Scott also seems to manage a charitable foundation—"

"Perhaps I could try starting with that foundation? Pretending to be someone in need, or a donor?"

"Or we could just hire some local gangsters or private investigators to help me search—"

Backlund train station square.

"Get out of here! Don't let me see you here again!"

Hugh knocked a gangster who was extorting money from a shop to the ground, then took out a triangular dagger he carried with him, waved it in front of the man, and warned him sternly.

"Yes, yes, yes! I'm leaving right now! I'm leaving right now!" The thug clutched his stomach and scrambled away.

"Alright, he probably won't dare come back again. I'll talk to the local leaders later." Xiu put away his weapon and said to the shopkeeper he had entrusted with the task.

"Okay, thank you, thank you."

After finishing the commission, she dusted herself off.

"Waaah—"

The deafening roar of a steam train entering the station filled my ears.

"If I go back now, I can still have dinner with Fors—if she's awake right now."

"Stop scheming in your heart."

Just then, a commotion broke out.

As the train came to a stop, a massive number of passengers surged out of the station exit like a tidal wave.

Among them were well-dressed businessmen carrying suitcases, bewildered country folk carrying large bags, and railway staff in uniforms hurrying about.

Various shouts and the cries of porters mingled together.

"Is it the last train this evening?"

Just as Hugh was about to avoid the crowd, her gaze inadvertently swept across the crowd and she unexpectedly spotted an acquaintance.

The man was carrying a suitcase and had a shoulder bag slung over his waist. He was walking slowly and steadily with the flow of people.

"stop?"

When the other person called out to him, Hugh was taken aback: "You—are Fors' pen pal?"

>