I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

His words made Emma and Rum tremble slightly. The two looked suspiciously at every corner of the room, afraid that something might suddenly jump out and kill them.

"Should we wait for Master Byron to arrive?"

Emma asked.

"It's uncertain when he'll arrive. For everyone's safety, I need to check everyone's rooms first to make sure there are no problems."

Stone added.

It's obviously impossible for everyone to sleep in Lily's room, and these people wouldn't agree anyway. Everyone will eventually go back to their own rooms. So, Stone will use this as a reason to check these people's rooms first to make sure that Crane Cry Daoist's belongings are not in their rooms.

"Well... okay."

Although somewhat reluctant, Rum glanced at the choking marks on Lily's neck, swallowed hard, and finally agreed to Stone's suggestion.

Emma did not object, but only God, Browning's friend, refused Stone.

"I don't like people coming into my house, and I'm not afraid of demons or monsters."

The burly man, who looked more like a thug than a businessman, said.

Stone didn't dwell on it. He and Lu Ban checked Rum and Emma's house, which the two of them didn't usually live in. The house was very clean, and they didn't find any clues.

"Perhaps Lily's room is the key."

Stone guessed.

"If she's the only one who's encountered something strange, it's either because she's special or there's something wrong with the room she's staying in."

As Lu Ban spoke, another spark of inspiration struck him.

"Speaking of which, how did Browning die? He looked so healthy and young, how could he die so suddenly?"

"Just like you said, Daoist Heming doesn't possess the true art of immortality. He only makes Browning's body look young. He hasn't really turned back the clock. Inside, Browning is still a sixty-year-old man. He indulges in pleasure and debauchery like a young man every day. His body will definitely not be able to take it."

Stone took a drag of the smoke from his pipe and chuckled softly.

"According to the doctor's diagnosis, Browning's body had suffered very serious failure. His stomach, liver, and kidneys were almost beyond repair. They only see such cases in patients suffering from serious illnesses."

"What, you think Browning's death was related to his family?"

Stone asked Lu Ban.

"Not really. I'm wondering why the will of Daoist Heming would choose this particular time to let Browning die."

Lu Ban murmured.

“No, you’ve got one thing wrong. It’s not that Crane Cry Daoist’s will caused Browning to die at this point in time, but rather that our mission was scheduled for this time because Browning died at this point.”

Stone laughed.

"Our mission in the Silent Land was deliberately arranged by those great gods, who will surely ensure that we arrive at the most suitable location at the best time."

"That's true."

Lu Ban nodded slightly, no longer dwelling on it.

"Gao De didn't let us check his room. What is he trying to hide?"

Stone raised new questions.

"As Browning's business partner, he was not a family member and had no say in the inheritance. He was only invited by Rum and others to attend the final farewell ceremony. Now that he knows there is an inheritance at Stormy Hill, he may become greedy."

"But I think Gaode might not be that suspicious."

Lu Ban suddenly said.

"why?"

Stone was puzzled.

"Because he is the most suspicious. Normally, the guy who is the most suspicious from the beginning is not the mastermind. He usually has other secrets to confuse the detective, create a smokescreen, and mislead the reasoning."

Lu Ban replied.

"Where did you get this theory from?"

Stone felt that Lu Ban's words seemed to make some sense, but also seemed to be complete nonsense.

That's how it's written in detective stories.

Lu Ban said it as a matter of course.

"..."

Although Stone knew beforehand that Lu Ban sometimes had a quirky way of thinking, he still underestimated the man in front of him after not seeing him for many years.

"Is it possible that Gao De knows Byron, or that Byron is hiding in Gao De's house right now? Byron deceived Gao De, saying that he could control the resurrected Browning to some extent and transfer Browning's assets and wealth to Gao De, so he came along this time to try and profit from it?"

Stone said in an attempt to change the subject.

"That's a possibility; we can ask other people."

Lu Ban nodded.

"Alright, let's go find Emma first. I'll speak first, so don't say anything unless it's absolutely necessary."

Stone gave instructions.

He now understood why Drizzt had that complicated expression when he talked about his journey with Lu Ban.

"no problem."

The two men entered the drawing room, where Rum and Emma were already present, with servants attending to them. After briefly explaining their purpose, the two men and Emma went to the next room. This study next to the drawing room was usually used for private meetings, and sometimes romantic affairs would take place there.

"Please relax, Ms. Emma. We're just here to better investigate the legacy left by Mr. Browning. I have a few questions for you..."

Stone had barely taken out his notebook, his hands weren't even warm, when Lu Ban spoke up.

"What do you think of Gao De? Does he have any grudge against your father? Does he know Byron?"

"what?"

Lu Ban asked the woman with heavy makeup.

Chapter 620 An Awkward Yet Polite Smile

Emma was completely dumbfounded by Lu Ban's question.

Wasn't it agreed that we would investigate the pollution of Father's villa?

Why are you asking about Gaode Maps?

This has nothing to do with Gao De's father's inheritance, so why ask him?

This detective is quite handsome, but he's not professional at all.

Looking at Lu Ban with suspicion, Ms. Emma began to have some doubts about him.

Stone, standing to the side, looked at Lu Ban and couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Ahem, he's just a little curious. We'd like to ask you about your relationship with your father first. Has he said anything or done anything that has left a deep impression on you in the past few years?"

Stone cleared his throat and asked.

“My relationship with my father wasn’t that good. He was always very methodical and had his own way of doing things. He was never willing to deviate from his plans, like a precise clock that always struck midnight. Although this brought him great success in business, I would say my father was a really boring person.”

Emma seemed to have been given a free hand and started talking non-stop.

"So, if you ask me what he did that was memorable, I really can't think of anything right now, because he's the kind of person who's been consistent for ten years."

At this point, Emma glanced at Lu Ban and had another idea.

"To be honest, it's not entirely true. It was quite strange that he bought this villa. My father has never been interested in real estate. He has lived in the same house for decades, only renovating it every now and then. He is not materialistic. He drinks and smokes in moderation. Since my mother died, he has not looked for other women. Well, at least not to my knowledge. So, he bought this place, collected those terrible paintings, and even had a lover. This is very puzzling to me."

Emma continued her nagging.

"I don't know exactly how my father bought this place, but he quickly moved here from the old house where he had lived for decades, and started collecting all sorts of strange and unusual things, including works from the ancient capital, paintings, antiques and treasures, and even a lover. Good heavens, does he even know how old he is?"

"Miss Emma means that something changed before Mr. Browning bought this house, and after moving here, he did some things that had never happened before?"

Stone asked the question while writing it down in his notebook.

"Ah, yes, yes, that's right. If you ask me, it's probably all Gaode's fault. He's known my father for over ten years, and my father has changed so much. By the way, it seems that this villa was introduced to my father by someone from Gaode."

Emma seemed to recall something, and then spoke again.

"He introduced you?"

Stone stopped writing and looked at Emma carefully.

"you sure?"

“Yes, that’s right. I remember now. Gaode lost money on some speculative business and then approached my father, introducing him to this property. He took a commission from it. If it weren’t for Gaode, my father wouldn’t have bought it.”

Emma suddenly gritted her teeth, her fists clenched so tightly that the veins on the back of her hands were clearly visible.

“Maybe that woman was also introduced to my father by Gao De. How could he do this? My father has been so good to him, and he actually wants to ruin our family fortune…”

"Please calm down, Ms. Emma."

Stone gently took the other's hand to calm her down. Emma glanced at Stone and gave him an ambiguous smile.

“You are so kind, Mr. Stone. I have met many people, but none of them are as true a gentleman as you.”

She was practically shoving a room key into Stone's hand and saying, "Don't come to my room tonight, I'll show you the 'rich woman's fun' experience."

Stone maintained his friendly smile and then spoke.

"Then let's talk about Mr. Gao De. What kind of person is he? How did he meet your father? Did he mention Byron?"

Lu Ban immediately glanced at Stone.

This is the exact same question he asked at the beginning.

However, Emma was not confused this time. She thought for a moment and then answered.

"Gao De, well, I don't really like him. He came from a gang, but the turmoil back then caused the big gangs to fall apart. He started his business through some shady means and already had a lot of assets when he met my father."

"The turmoil of that year?"

Lu Ban interrupted Emma out of curiosity.

"Don't you know? It's the Catania family. They expanded extremely back then, defeating several major mafia families at the time. But they eventually fell apart due to internal strife, and the Godfather died. At that time, the Catania family had almost controlled all the underground mafia. But because of that internal strife, those mafia families that had originally submitted to them rebelled. The Catania family disappeared from the world of mafia from then on. As for the others, most of them were insignificant. God was a mafia member who was recruited by the Catania family back then, but later left."

Emma said matter-of-factly.