I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

"That's right, do you know this mansion?"

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Stone took a drag of the pipe smoke, and only after it filled his lungs and brought him a pleasurable sensation did he exhale, leaving a cloud of smoke around him.

Stone kept everyone in suspense before finally speaking.

"This is now Mr. Browning's private property, but before he bought it, the mansion was called Stormy Hill House. Legend has it that it was built under the supervision of the Taoist Crane Cry, who lived here for several years before his ascension on the Night of Thunder, devoting himself to cultivation."

The reactions of the group to Stone's words were different.

Rum's expression softened, and he seemed to have thought of something, revealing a greedy look.

Emma was somewhat confused, but she remained silent because she had been frustrated in her previous verbal exchange with Stone.

Lily seemed even more confused. For a maid, her impression of beings like Crane Cry Taoist only existed in the bedtime stories she used to scare children when she was a child.

The burly Gao De raised an eyebrow, his reaction rather indifferent.

Upon hearing the name Stormy Mountain Villa, Lu Ban had a feeling of "I knew it," and also sensed a subtle connection to fate.

This wasn't the first time he'd heard the name.

Before completing the mission "Springtime Without War" on the way to He Island, Lu Ban had seen the Rainstorm Manor in the ruined capital. He remembered that the mission was that the owner of Rainstorm Manor invited guests, probably to find the secret of Crane Cry Taoist.

Based on this, it seems highly likely that if Lu Ban had chosen this mission, he would have met Mr. Browning, who was still alive.

Of course, even if there was no choice back then, Lu Ban would still be standing here now.

Fate is truly wondrous.

Or rather, Lu Ban's future may be destined to end here.

"Everyone knows about Daoist Heming. After his ascension, his sect declined due to unforeseen events. His disciples hid their identities and scattered to various places. The method of ascension was also obtained by different disciples, making it difficult to piece together the complete 'Nine Chapters of Heming Secret Scripture.' I believe that Mr. Browning bought this mansion back then for Daoist Heming's true teachings."

As Stone explained, he glanced at Lu Ban.

“I had accepted Mr. Browning’s invitation to come here this weekend to conduct an investigation. Unfortunately, Mr. Browning suddenly fell ill and passed away. However, he had already paid the fee. As a detective, I keep my promise. Even though my client has passed away, I still came to investigate this mansion.”

He spoke in a very high-sounding manner, but in the eyes of Mr. Browning's children, this detective probably also had his eye on the Crane Cry Taoist's treasure, which is why he came to investigate regardless of the consequences.

"The night of the summoning of souls is in six days. I heard that Mr. Browning has even found a true master of the Crane Cry School?"

Stone asked the old butler.

“That’s right. Master Byron had a very good relationship with my master, and this mansion was purchased through Master Byron’s introduction.”

The old butler answered politely.

"However, Master Byron's whereabouts are unpredictable. He only told me that he would come, but did not say when."

"Hasn't he arrived yet?"

Stone asked.

"That's right, but Master Byron is a man of his word and will not break his promise."

The old steward said with certainty.

"Yes, I believe him too."

Stone nodded.

"Gentlemen, I will be conducting an investigation at the mansion over the next few days, and your cooperation may be necessary. As for what I find, it is Mr. Browning's estate, and you are free to dispose of it as you see fit."

He then spoke again to reassure the group.

"Dear guests, we have prepared lunch. Please be seated, and I will have the servants bring it up shortly."

The old butler continued.

The group casually chose seats and sat down. A moment later, the servants served a sumptuous meal.

Roast chicken, steak, sausage, fish soup, fresh vegetables and fruits, and rice and bread.

For wealthy young men like Rum and Emma, ​​such dishes were commonplace, but for Sia, it was practically a sacred meal.

She didn't care about her image, wolfing down the food on the table like a bottomless pit.

Seeing this, the Browning family members were somewhat embarrassed.

As for Stone, he ate his food with an air of elegance while observing the others like a cunning fox.

After the meal, everyone dispersed, leaving only Stone, Lu Ban, and Xia in the restaurant.

"Hiccup—"

Xia let out a burp, patted her round belly, and lay contentedly on the sofa.

"what is going on?"

Lu Ban asked Stone.

Where did Drizzt go?

"The story isn't short, so let me tell you the conclusion first."

Stone put down his pipe, ran his fingers along the rough surface of the briar root, exhaled a long breath, and then spoke.

“Mr. Drizzt is dead. I became the Chosen One, inherited his detective agency, and learned everything about the Silent Land.”

"Ten years have passed since then."

Hearing Stone's words, Sia looked over.

"Ten years... hiccup."

"Yes, ten years ago, I found Mr. Tristana who was hospitalized. He took me in and made me his assistant at the detective agency. Sometimes he would suddenly disappear for a period of time. Before he disappeared, Mr. Tristana would usually tell me something, like a last will and testament. Now that I think about it, that must have been him going to another world to complete a mission."

Stone remarked with considerable emotion.

"Later, as you have seen, Mr. Drizzt disappeared one day and never returned. A few days after he left, I was chosen by the Silent Lands to become the Chosen One. I inherited everything from Mr. Drizzt, and I still do today."

Chapter 613 Ten Years

Upon hearing Stone's words, Lu Ban was surprisingly unmoved.

In quiet places, death is quite normal.

Besides those bizarre and unpredictable monsters, there is also the corruption of the Old Ones. Their sanity is diminished with each mission, and the Chosen One's end will surely be death during one of those missions.

Even for the chosen ones, being able to die directly is already quite a blessing; falling into madness, becoming a monster, or becoming a follower of an evil god are all more terrifying than death.

Not only Trist, but even Sia, who is by his side, may die in a mission in the future and be lost forever. Lu Ban was already very clear about this after obtaining the Dancer's Smile.

However, Lu Ban was a little curious. Ten years had passed since they left the ruined capital, which was really too long.

Lu Ban was well aware that the flow of time was not uniform in other realms, but he initially thought that such a flow of time should be based on a fixed ratio, such as two days passing in the ruined capital and one day passing in his own world.

When he first arrived in the ruined city, he could feel that time was passing much faster for Drizzt and Stone than it was in his own world.

But unexpectedly, ten years have passed.

As for Twisted Fate, he may have met with misfortune during one or two missions after they parted ways.

This shows that even the ruined capital and the world Lu Ban himself lived in were not at the same time reference point; his "now" and Trist's "now" were not the same "now".

He glanced at Sia.

What Sia is in the "present" of the Night Kingdom might already be the "past" in Lu Ban's eyes. If Lu Ban can quickly withstand the pollution and sublimate into a higher existence, and see all of time clearly, he might see that the present of the Night Kingdom has been destroyed, and Sia is just a projection of the past, only not yet entered into the closed loop of fate because she has not yet been observed.

“Mr. Tristram once mentioned you. He said you were one of his few true friends. In fact, I only understood his words after I became a Chosen One. For a Chosen One, fellow travelers are the true companions who can rely on each other.”

Stone said in a deep voice.

Time has left its mark on him.

He was no longer the clever and cunning young man who struggled in gang warfare and tried to create a stable society.

He has grown up, donned Drizzt's deerstalker hat, inherited his identity, and is active in the ruins. Although he is still shrewd, he has clearly developed some principles and convictions.

Just like after Batman died, Robin put on his mask and became a fighter in the night.

Regarding the incident with the Glass Flower, although Stone and his pet did kill quite a few gangsters, he himself was also manipulated. Moreover, since Drizzt accepted him and the Quiet Lands accepted him, Lu Ban naturally had no need to reject them.

"Did Old Cui tell you anything about his mission?"

Lu Ban asked again.

Putting aside everything else, Trist has at least one powerful weapon: [Mimetic Sunfire]. If he encounters any fatal danger, this thing will definitely be difficult for Lu Ban to deal with.

Upon hearing Lu Ban's words, Stone remained silent for a moment, as if recalling something. After a brief silence, he took a deep breath of air from his pipe and then replied.

“I’m not sure if it was related to the mission, because at that time I vaguely sensed the existence of the Silent Land. Mr. Drizzt would sometimes talk to me about things unrelated to exotic knowledge. During the last mission, before he disappeared, he said a few words to me.”

Stone looked at Lu Ban.

He said, "If I ever see you again in the future, please give me a message, or Miss Sia."

What did you say?

Lu Ban suddenly felt a strange thrill; he could almost guess what Stone was about to say.

"He said, Mr. Drizzt, that the dead pay homage to the dead."

Stone said seriously.

Upon hearing Stone's words, Sia frowned, not knowing what they meant, and looked at Lu Ban with a puzzled expression.

When Lu Ban heard these words, it was as if a heavy bell had struck his mind, and all the clues connected.

He already knew the destination of Drizzt's last mission.

When Drizzt arrived in the alien realm, he faced the sealed Great Old Ones and alien invaders who wanted to break the seal. After a battle, he discovered that the seal was loosening. If the seal here were to fail, not only would the mission fail, but the alien realm would also be doomed.

Therefore, just as the ancient capital did in the ruins, Drizzt became a shackle imposed on the Great Old Ones, at the cost of his own life.

Furthermore, Drizzt spread that technology throughout that exotic land, distributing it among the people, and many years later, people still remembered that legacy.

Until Lu Ban arrived at that place because of a mission, he saw a skeleton and the same writing in the cave.

To the deceased, we pay tribute to those who faced death.

Yes, Drizzt is Xuanjun, and Xuanjun is Drizzt.

Lu Ban didn't know if Twisted Fate knew that he was saving his own world, but whether he knew or not, Twisted Fate chose to sacrifice himself.

Furthermore, it is hoped that Lu Ban can continue the seal, and that future generations will continue this seal.