Chapter 737: Humanity Will Prevail
Glenda said, "The skinny one is the one behind the scenes giving commands, and the fat one is probably the shop owner or someone working for him."
"What about the owl?" Xiaoxiao leaned over.
"The owl is his tamed beast."
"No need to ask about the owl!" Wu Heng looked at Xiaoxiao.
Always paying attention to strange things.
"You have to be meticulous when solving a case, Uncle."
"The killer is your aunt. What case is there to solve?" Wu Heng said, then turned to the skeletons, "Check the upstairs rooms. You two go find some sheets and wrap the corpses."
The skeletons began to act.
Some skeletons went upstairs to search, and two of them found sheets to tightly wrap the corpses.
Wu Heng stored them directly in his spatial ring.
He stood at the door for a while and, once sure there was no one else inside the shop—
Closed the shop door and led the team back.
...
Back at the City Lord's Mansion, dawn had already broken.
Wen Mansa had changed into armor, and in the courtyard, the skeleton army was assembled.
Seeing Wu Heng return, she stepped forward, "Master, how did it go?"
"The targets are dead. Let's go outside and question the corpses."
Walking together into the courtyard, Wu Heng took out the corpses.
The sheets were unwrapped.
Wen Mansa frowned, "I know these two!"
"You know them?"
"No, not know personally, just seen them once." Wen Mansa continued, "This one's a shopkeeper from the outer district. The other is a merchant from out of town. I once met him during a business meeting to discuss development plans. He even asked some questions."
Wu Heng frowned, "So he entered the city quite early on."
"Yes, just didn't expect him to have this identity." Wen Mansa sighed.
"Take off his spatial ring."
A skeleton stepped forward and removed the ring from the man's finger. Wu Heng examined it and took out the contents one by one.
Weapons, items, some daily necessities, and certificates of property and shops.
He really looked like a merchant.
"Let's question the corpse first," Wu Heng said.
Wen Mansa nodded.
[Speak with Dead] was cast, and the skinny man suddenly sat up, his hollow eyes staring this way.
Wen Mansa looked at the corpse, "In Rentam City, who is your highest-ranking commander?"
The corpse replied, "Me."
As expected, the right target was chosen this time.
Wen Mansa continued, "Why are you so persistent in attacking Rentam City?"
The corpse answered, "According to the plan, we need more funds to fight against the Crown Prince's army."
Wen Mansa suddenly looked at Wu Heng.
To fight the Crown Prince.
So, they're not under the Crown Prince.
Seeing Wu Heng's confused look, she asked, "Which prince do you support?"
The corpse replied, "The Second Prince."
The army attacking Rentam City is just a force the Second Prince could mobilize personally.
It doesn't represent the entire Ekow Kingdom.
No wonder they didn't show strong combat ability or unity.
They were defeated all the way by the skeleton army.
Wu Heng said, "Wen Mansa, ask where the others in the city are."
Wen Mansa nodded and asked the corpse, "Give me the locations of all your people in the city."
The corpse was silent for a moment, then began listing the locations one by one.
The maid took out paper and pen, recording all the places.
Judging from the hiding spots—
These people were hiding in taverns and houses in the outer district.
A few had snuck into the outer city.
Wen Mansa stepped back and said, "Master, one last question. Do you have anything to ask?"
Wu Heng thought for a moment, then asked, "Tell me about the princes and princesses of Ekow Kingdom."
The corpse paused again, then said, "The Crown Prince controls many regions in the south of the kingdom, and the Second Prince controls a few cities in the north. There's no clear info on the others. Some may have their own cities and troops, some are already dead, but none can compare to the two."
After speaking, the corpse fell back with a thud.
His words still provided a lot of previously uncollected intel.
It was indeed the Second Prince who led the attack on Rentam City, but he clearly overestimated himself.
Not only did he fail to seize Rentam City, he lost many cities and lacked the confidence to confront the Crown Prince.
Squeezed tighter and tighter by the skeleton army, and with the Crown Prince's forces from the south—
These two forces might end up sandwiching the Second Prince's army to death.
That Second Prince sure is unlucky.
Can't win on either front, and both sides are enemies.
There was one more corpse, and Wu Heng again cast [Speak with Dead].
The obese body sat up and looked over.
Wen Mansa asked a few more questions, and the corpse answered one by one.
This one clearly didn't know much. He was just a shop owner helping cover for the other and gathering intel in the city.
As for who was in the city and where—
He didn't know a thing.
The corpse lay back down.
Wen Mansa said, "Throw the corpses out and bury them. Hartel, mobilize the guards. Arrest everyone based on the addresses. Kill anyone who resists or tries to flee."
"Yes, ma'am." Hartel responded and left with two skeleton squads.
She went to the guards to mobilize troops and start making arrests based on the list.
...
"Master, you're so efficient. We caught them so quickly." Wen Mansa held his hand as they returned home together.
"It's all thanks to the specters."
"Introduce us sometime. I haven't met your specters yet!" Wen Mansa glanced around.
Wu Heng smiled, "Maybe next time. I need to ask them first."
"Alright! I'll have breakfast prepared. After eating, we can rest for a bit more. Leave the arrests to Hartel." Wen Mansa called the skeleton chef to prepare breakfast in advance.
"What do you think of Hartel?"
"In what way?"
"Other than me, maybe she could accompany you. She's got a good figure and is trustworthy." Wen Mansa said with a smile.
Accompany me?
"Why bring that up all of a sudden?"
"Just thought of it," Wen Mansa smiled. "Let's eat."
...
After breakfast.
Wen Mansa went to feed the baby, and Wu Heng, after the sky brightened a bit more, headed to the radio room.
Picking up the mic, he said, "Minnie, are you there?"
After a moment, Minnie's voice came through, "Master, I'm here."
The radio at the Island Lord's Mansion was guarded by skeletons.
When there's a message, they go downstairs to inform Minnie or another maid, so usually, if you wait a bit, one of them comes.
"Has anything happened on Gold-Silver Island lately?" Wu Heng asked.
"Nothing major. Yesterday, Steward Sheila Grey came over and used a Skeleton Prophet to catch a wanted criminal on the island. It seems he had a Tier 2 merit."
Tier 2 merit meant a level 15 Professional—not a low rank.
"What did he do on the island?"
"Murder. A wealthy merchant."
Damn. After all that effort to build a business-friendly environment, someone dares kill on the island.
"Tell Sheila Grey to take this seriously. Also, increase patrols and investigate anyone coming ashore." Wu Heng gave direct orders.
"Understood. I'll speak with the Steward shortly." Minnie replied, then added, "By the way, Master, Steward Sheila Grey also brought news about the headquarters reporting the cult gathering in the Ekow Kingdom."
"Oh? What news?"
"The headquarters is sending personnel to Ekow Kingdom. I heard a hero will be passing through Gold-Silver Island and may come ashore."
A hero?
Another hero is entering Ekow Kingdom.
Looks like a massive brawl is coming.
"Which hero?"
"I heard the name was something like Holy Radiance."
"Holy Radiance Arbiter."
"Yes, that's the one."
Damn!
The head of a religion.
"Contact Sheila Grey and tell her I'll speak to her via radio tonight," Wu Heng ordered immediately.
"Yes, Master."
...
Serted Fortress.
The earth trembled. A dense skeleton army charged toward the fortress built of iron-grey stone.
A hail of arrows rained down from the top of the walls, clattering against the raised shields of the skeletons below.
Bolts as thick as arms were shot down from the walls.
Skeletons hit were instantly shattered, and scattered magic blasts affected surrounding groups of skeletons.
Skeleton archers entered range and began shooting at the wall.
Bullets clattered against the wall.
After a round of shooting from both sides—
The ground beneath the walls was covered in bones.
Seeing the siege hopeless, the skeleton army began to retreat like the ebbing tide, leaving the battle zone.
"The skeletons are retreating."
"Humanity will prevail..."
Cheers echoed along the walls.