I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

Lu Ban watched the candles burn carefully for a while and found that these candles did not consume wax. They were like decorations. Only the wick in the middle kept emitting intense sparks. It was as if it was frozen in this moment and could not consume wax normally.

Similarly, the offerings placed in front of the memorial tablet were also very fresh, as if they had just been placed there.

Xia poked the roast chicken with her finger and could even feel its temperature.

A daring idea popped into Xia's head, and she grabbed the glistening chicken leg of the roast chicken and tore it off.

"Ah, this..."

Seeing this, the old butler wanted to stop them, but hesitated for a moment and then remained silent.

For some reason, this kind of disrespectful behavior towards the deceased seems quite normal when it happens to Sia.

Moreover, the old butler looked at the armor on Sia's body and realized that he definitely couldn't beat her, so he obediently shut his mouth.

Xia tore off a piece of chicken leg and sniffed it.

The roasted chicken, coated in honey, is glistening with oil, its skin crispy and its inside tender and juicy. Holding it in your hand, the white, fluffy meat is as tempting as a young girl's delicate hand.

Xia took a bite of the chicken leg, and the juices inside the meat were even more abundant, spreading directly from her lips and teeth, flowing down her tongue and into her throat. The salty and fresh taste was just right, and the flavor was wonderful.

"It's delicious."

Xia commented that she quickly gnawed the chicken leg down to the bone, and without caring whether Browning, the offering, had any objections, she then eyed the other chicken leg greedily.

“In my hometown, the offerings used for worship are eventually eaten. These things have received the incense and are believed to bring good luck and blessings.”

Lu Ban explained to the old butler, then tore off a wing and began to gnaw on it.

The old butler didn't dare to say a word and could only watch as Xi Ya and Lu Ban quickly devoured the entire offering chicken, leaving them full and satisfied.

After finishing their meal, the two didn't rest but started examining the coffin.

"We need to examine the body."

Lu Ban said to the old butler, and then added a sentence.

"Don't worry, I won't eat it."

He and Sia exchanged a glance, and then lifted the coffin lid.

They moved the heavy piece of wood aside and peeked inside.

There was no body in the coffin.

Chapter 637 Where Did They Go?

There was nothing inside the pure black coffin.

There was no Browning's remains, nor any monsters, tentacles, slime, sludge, zombies that move when they hear music, or any other random stuff.

It was completely empty inside, just like new.

Lu Ban removed the cover to get a clear view of the coffin.

He reached in and shook it to make sure it wasn't some invisible person lying there.

Lu Ban rubbed his fingers against the inside of the coffin, but he didn't feel any liquid adhering to it.

No one has ever lain down here.

Lu Ban looked at the old butler.

"No, I don't know, I really don't know..."

The old steward was stunned. He had never seen such a scene before. He hurriedly peered into the coffin, but he could not see his master anywhere.

"I clearly remember putting the master inside... How could this be?"

The old housekeeper felt that his decades of understanding had been challenged.

The body had vanished without a trace.

Lu Ban and Xi Ya exchanged a glance.

"It seems we overlooked something from the very beginning."

Lu Ban said.

From the outset, they assumed Browning was dead and that what remained was a corpse, thus overlooking a possibility.

That means Browning didn't die, and has been active in this Rainstorm Lodge ever since.

The extra person was not Byron, but Browning.

But how did Browning manage to evade the eavesdropping of the Seeker's soul?

Lu Ban had not heard Browning's inner thoughts in this mansion, which is why he had not noticed it before.

Looking back now, isn't that a bit outrageous?

If Browning hadn't died, there would be no way to summon the spirits; what's the point if the spirits don't even come out?

Lu Ban and his team's mission was to survive until the end of the Night of Summoning Souls, which meant that they would eventually discover the truth about Browning's coffin, whether it was the first day, the second day, or the ninth day. No wonder the alteration of this understanding was so minor.

Therefore, Lu Ban realized that this mission probably had more than one side quest and one way to the answer.

Or perhaps all the clues they've come across are the puzzle pieces that will ultimately allow them to survive the Night of the Summoning?

There is only one major problem now.

That is, where did Browning go?

However, just as Lu Ban was thinking that he might need to look for Browning for a while, and as the Night of the Summoning drew closer, he heard a cough.

"Cough cough."

On the other side of the hall, a seat that was empty before is now occupied by a person.

His temples were gray, but he didn't look old; he looked like a mature man in his forties.

He was wearing an old, loose-fitting suit, leaning on a cane, with a kind smile on his face. Anyone who saw him would only think he was an ordinary old man who knew his destiny.

But Lu Ban recognized him at a glance, after all, the black and white portrait was still hanging on the other side.

That's Browning.

"Your investigation is progressing much faster than I expected. I originally thought it would take at least seven or eight days before you discovered this."

Browning's tone was steady when suddenly the wind outside the window picked up, causing the window to bang heavily. Thunder roared and lightning illuminated the entire desolate hall. In the flickering candlelight, Browning's eyes were as deep as an endless abyss, as if light were shimmering within them.

"You found Byron, which really surprised me. How did you find him locked in the wine barrel?"

Browning asked calmly and unhurriedly. At that moment, he didn't seem like a man who was about to die, but more like a teacher asking a question to a student, composed and confident.

“We possess some extraordinary items that allow us to detect God’s remains and discover something in the underground wine cellar.”

Lu Ban replied, indicating to Xia that they didn't need to make the first move, because something told Lu Ban that Browning was not someone they could deal with, or rather, the person sitting in front of them now might not be the original Browning as a mortal, but some higher being.

"Extraordinary items?"

Browning scrutinized Lu Ban carefully, as if deep in thought.

"This Stormy Mountain Villa uses the paintings of the ancient capital to suppress certain beings. I want to know, are you the one being suppressed, or the one responsible for the suppression?"

Taking advantage of the other party's silence, Lu Ban asked.

“I came to see Si Tong to deal with the problems here, but I didn’t expect that you would uncover almost all the deepest secrets of this Stormy Mountain Villa.”

Browning did not answer Lu Ban's question, but instead muttered to himself.

"It seems that detectives are indeed unreliable. They always have an extraordinary curiosity and always want to find out the truth of the matter. They will never believe in the seemingly happy ending and will only dig out the cruelest truth with their own hands."

"So, you were one of those who were suppressed."

Lu Ban quickly understood Browning's meaning from his words.

"Suppression? Not at all."

Browning smiled, but there was no smile in his eyes.

“I am not yet at the level to be suppressed by that one. The reason I stay here is because I fear those who truly walk on the earth.”

"A being that truly walks on the earth? You mean, a god who has truly awakened in the ruins?"

Lu Ban became interested.

His previous guess was that the most distinctive feature of the ruined capital might be the presence of truly awakened gods walking on the earth, just like the countless eyes he had seen. Now, judging from Browning's words, Lu Ban's guess might be correct.

"It is fortunate to have a walking god, at least it is difficult for visitors from foreign lands to truly corrupt the inhabitants of that land. But it is also unfortunate to have such a god, because His very existence will create corruption."

Browning smiled and said with a touch of emotion.

"Moreover, the one here is a very jealous person. I once clashed with Him to some extent, but unfortunately at that time, I had not become the complete form, so I was defeated and almost lost everything. That's why I was forced to hide here and rely on the reincarnation technique to prolong my life."

"You've clashed with Him before? That guy with countless eyes?"

Lu Ban said deliberately.

He knew that this information itself was a kind of contamination from the Great Old Ones. If what the other party said was true, then this sentence would naturally not have any effect. But if he was just muddying the waters and pretending to be something he wasn't, then this sentence could be enough to cause damage.

"You seem to know a lot too."

Browning remained unmoved, he said.

"Looking at it this way, you might become the next me."

He looked at Lu Ban.

"who are you?"

Sia couldn't help but ask, she had some guesses but still needed a definite answer.

"I?"

Browning's expression turned serious.

“You can call me Crane Cry Taoist.”

Chapter 638 Detective Reasoning Methods

At the same time.

In the room where Byron was imprisoned.