Early September.

The Duke of Negan's autumn social dinner was brightly lit and packed with guests.

Chen Chen, in his capacity as Viscount Price Chen, slowly walked through the porch of the Duke's mansion.

The dark gray dress was a brand new item that I picked up from the tailor shop just two days ago. The bow tie was a bit stiff, and I wasn't used to wearing it.

The giant crystal chandelier in the foyer shone brightly, almost blindingly so.

Guests chatted quietly in twos and threes, their elegant attire and graceful demeanor creating a peaceful atmosphere of high society.

Audrey Hall stood on the east side of the banquet hall, surrounded by several young nobles.

As their gaze slowly swept across the entire venue, the audience's keen observation skills quietly unfolded, scrutinizing each guest's expression, demeanor, and subtle flaws.

Chen Chen took a glass of champagne from the waiter's tray, held the stem of the glass lightly, and calmly walked towards the cold buffet table on the west side of the banquet hall.

He had no intention of having any direct contact with Audrey; his purpose tonight was simple.

Taking advantage of Qilingus' assassination attempt, they secretly tested the waters and made their move.

An invisible sense of space quietly unfolded, enveloping the entire hall.

Individuals of different spiritual intensities are clearly distinguished and their weights are clearly defined in his perception.

The vast majority of guests were spiritually stable with minimal fluctuations, with only a few experiencing slight fluctuations due to drinking or excitement.

Soon, a distinctive outline was precisely locked onto.

Tall and slender with blond hair, dressed in a neat and appropriate formal suit, his posture was relaxed and natural, perfectly embodying the demeanor of a fallen nobleman.

On the surface, there are no flaws, but in spiritual perception, the other person does not have the vibrant life rhythm of a normal person.

Only the seal creates a false sense of stability.

The throbbing hunger.

Confirm the target.

Chen Chen gently placed the wine glass on the cold buffet table.

Almost at the same instant, Audrey's gaze swept over from the other side of the hall.

The audience's keen observation instantly captured the extremely incongruous stiffness in the blond man's micro-expression, like an ink spot on white paper, glaring and abrupt.

Qilingus keenly sensed that he was being watched and instantly abandoned his disguise.

His right hand hung down to his side, his five fingers slightly bent, and a rapid stream of air quickly gathered between his fingers.

An invisible wind blade instantly took shape.

At the same time, in the main seat of the hall, Duke Negan's pupils suddenly contracted, and the spiritual energy of the Wind Favored Ones around him surged instantly.

As a Sequence 6 Wind Chosen One and a core secular agent of the Church of Storms, he immediately sensed the deadly danger, his body tensed instinctively, and he raised his hand to activate the Wind Barrier.

The bodyguards around him instantly went on alert, shifting their feet to protect the Duke, and the lively conversation among the nobles suddenly froze.

At that very instant, Chen Chen's gravitational field suddenly expanded.

Seeing that there was no chance, Zilingus manipulated the sharp wind blades he had thrown to change direction and cleaved the heavy cables of the crystal chandelier in the center of the hall.

The cast iron lamp stand, weighing hundreds of kilograms, and the dazzling crystal lamp fell from a height of several meters with a crash, leaving the guests below no time to even gasp in surprise.

The force of the fall was forcibly held back by an invisible gravitational force.

The heavy lamp body was steadily suspended in mid-air, and the crystal prism slowly rotated, refracting fine spots of light that enveloped the entire banquet hall, which was still in a daze.

The delayed panic suddenly erupted among the crowd.

Chen Chen raised his left hand, and a repulsive shockwave suddenly erupted from him, striking straight into Qilingus's chest.

The powerful thrust instantly sent the pirate general flying, his tall, thin body crashing through the long banquet table, shattering porcelain plates and spilling wine everywhere.

Duke Negan's face was grim. He took the opportunity to fully activate the wind-elemental defensive barrier, blocking the flying fragments, and shouted in a deep voice.

"The Duke has been assassinated! Seal off the hall!"

Having weathered many storms, though still shaken, he maintained the composure and calm of a nobleman, immediately directing his guards to control the situation and prevent the chaos from spreading.

Knowing he had encountered a top-tier expert and that the assassination attempt had completely failed, Qilings had no intention of continuing the fight.

Using the momentum of the impact, he flipped himself to the ground, his shoulder smashing through the huge French window. Amidst the shards of glass, he turned and fled without hesitation, his trajectory heading straight towards Green Park outside the city.

Chen Chen did not pursue.

There were already people waiting there.

Azik Eggers will make the final interception at the finish line.

The gravitational field slowly receded, and the suspended giant chandelier landed steadily on the ground, causing no secondary casualties.

Chen Chen deliberately slowed his breathing, his shoulders and arms trembling slightly, putting on a tired posture as if he had only managed to force the assassin back after a hasty attack and exerted all his strength.

To avoid attracting attention, Audrey glanced at Chen Chen's reaction and slightly raised an eyebrow.

Armed security personnel from the Duke's residence and extraordinary guards from the church perimeter quickly entered the area, systematically guiding guests to evacuate the side hall and sealing off the site to investigate potential hazards.

Duke Negan stood in place, his face solemn. His gaze swept across the messy hall, then he glanced deeply at the broken window, his eyes filled with apprehension and coldness.

A pirate general infiltrates a noble banquet in the inland capital to attempt an assassination, and the implications behind it are far-reaching...

Chen Chen mingled with the evacuating crowd and slowly made his way out.

At the corner of the corridor, he met Audrey face to face.

After the chaos subsided, the two unfamiliar noble guests briefly exchanged glances.

Audrey's gaze lingered on him, a mixture of scrutiny and doubt in her eyes.

Chen Chen calmly withdrew his gaze and continued to walk out of the mansion with the crowd without making a sound.

In the following days.

Price Dust's name was repeatedly mentioned in Backlund's high society.

"That viscount who often goes to the slums in the East District to provide free medical care and medicine actually played the hero at the Duke's banquet tonight."

At an aristocratic afternoon tea party, a viscountess opened her mouth with a light laugh, her tone full of mockery and undisguised sarcasm, and several noblemen and women around her echoed with light laughter.

Audrey sat quietly at the tea table, listening silently to all the discussions.

She had heard rumors of charitable acts in the East District before.

So it turns out... it's the same person.

As for the so-called "playing the hero," Audrey gently shook her head, disagreeing.

Deep down, she had a feeling that this seemingly selfless act was either to digest the potion, or...

The kindness in my heart...

……

……

Autumn always arrives earlier in Tingen than in Backlund.

Dai Li stood quietly by the window of the second-floor archives for a long time.

Looking down at the old coin in his palm, its surface covered with a layer of light gray mottled.

The quiet of the room was broken by steady, approaching footsteps in the corridor.

Dai Li quickly clenched the coin, concealing the subtle emotions in her eyes, and slowly turned around.

Dunn Smith was walking down the corridor, a neat brown file bag tucked under his arm.

At first glance, his demeanor remains as calm and reliable as ever.

"Dali, tonight's field roster and weapons allocation list need your signature for confirmation."

"team leader."

Upon hearing the sound, Dunn looked up at her, his gaze gentle, yet carrying a hint of barely perceptible concern.

Daisy loosened her palm, gently placed the coin on the table, and handed it to Dunn.

"It's very easy to use: just hold the coin against your fingertip and flick it with your thumb. It might even save your life in a critical moment."

Dunn did not immediately reach for it. He keenly sensed that Daly was unusually calm today, lacking her usual casualness and exuding an indescribable solemnity.

Dai Li lowered her eyes slightly and gently pushed the coin forward half an inch. Her tone was soft but stubborn: "The captain always rushes to the front during field missions. This thing is much more useful to you than to me."

Dunn remained silent for a moment, a subtle unease passing through his mind.

He could clearly sense the extraordinary power emanating from the coin, gentle yet stable, clearly not an ordinary object.

Seeing the subtle emotions hidden in Daly's eyes, he didn't refuse anymore. He reached out and picked up the slightly cool coin, carefully putting it into the pocket inside his uniform close to his heart.

"Thank you, I will keep it safe."

Dai Li watched him quietly put the coins away. She wanted to smile as usual, but when she remembered Chen Chen's last teasing remark, her lips twitched slightly, and she ultimately couldn't smile.

He picked up the file folder on the corner of the table, quickly signed his name, and used it to suppress the turmoil in his heart.

After signing the papers, he looked up at Dunn, his tone deliberately relaxed, and casually asked as usual, "The black tea from yesterday was just right, Captain, could you make me another cup?"

Dunn's sense of unease deepened.

Carefully sensing her spiritual state, it was clear and peaceful, without any abnormality of being corrupted by evil spirits. However, Daly's unusual behavior today was strange in every way.

Without asking further questions, he simply nodded gently: "Okay."

The steady footsteps faded into the distance, disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Dai Li reached out and pulled open the drawer, taking out the neatly folded transfer order from the deepest part...

Letter of approval for his appointment to Backlund.

The deadline for submitting the transfer order had long passed, and she had not submitted it in time.

hold on.

Let's stay a few more days.

Ever since that psychologist's indirect questioning, a vague unease has been hanging heavily in my chest, refusing to dissipate.

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