Chapter 59

"Viscount Vain?!"

Qin Ran's face was filled with surprise, but his heart was unusually calm. When the mastermind behind the scenes, named 'Evan,' slightly revealed the power of his forces, Qin Ran had narrowed down the possibilities to a few individuals, and Viscount Vain was the most suspicious among them. After all, his family had a formidable reputation in this city. However, Qin Ran had no evidence before this. And now? It was no longer necessary.

"Truly the best detective in this city!"

Viscount Vain looked at Qin Ran's surprised face, and the sarcasm in his eyes grew even more intense. He said casually, "I originally thought it would take you a week to find those things for me!"

Clearly, he had already considered the wealth accumulated by the Dawnlight Church over a thousand years as his own.

"As a reward for you, I think you must want to see your old friend!"

Without waiting for Qin Ran to respond, he lightly clapped his hands. Immediately, the police chief John, with his hands tied behind his back and his mouth gagged, was pushed out of the crowd and stumbled to Qin Ran's side. The police chief John had clear marks of injury on his body—caused by whips and daggers. Blood was dripping! However, Qin Ran felt a sense of relief. What he feared most was seeing the police chief John's body.

"John, how are you?"

Qin Ran supported him, tore off the rag from his mouth, and untied the ropes on his hands.

"I'm fine!"

Police Chief John shook his head with a bitter smile, his face filled with a gloomy expression. Obviously, the fact that the enemy was so powerful had left him disheartened. Of course, more of the reason came from himself—failing to see through Viscount Vain's true nature beforehand was a heavy blow to the upright police chief!

Viscount Vain did not intend to stop Qin Ran from untying Police Chief John. He watched Qin Ran calmly and allowed him to talk with Police Chief John. After about two minutes, the viscount spoke again.

"Detective Qin Ran, it seems you are very satisfied with your reward!"

"Then, I need to get my things!"

"I hope we don't have any more conflicts!"

As Viscount Vain spoke, the people around him raised their guns, and the towering man, over two meters tall, approached Qin Ran to search him. Qin Ran immediately raised his hands. This made Viscount Vain's face even more pleased. He was very satisfied with Qin Ran's cooperation. For this, he believed Qin Ran could know a bit more—as a reward for him.

"Svok and Ruskan have already taken the first step ahead of you!"

"Detective Qin Ran, your chosen partners are far less loyal to their oaths than you imagined!"

"But don't worry, I will make them pay!"

"After all, they are despicable scoundrels, and they just did something that enraged both heaven and earth—"

Viscount Vain looked at Qin Ran's changed expression, and the additional smile could no longer be suppressed, making him chuckle. Then, he continued slowly, "Attacking St. Paul's School!"

"You can't do this..."

"Of course, I can!"

"In this city, I can do anything I want!"

Viscount Vain interrupted Qin Ran, his tone cold and decisive. Immediately, a worried and pained expression appeared on Qin Ran's face. This made Viscount Vain laugh mockingly.

"Besides, you, who are also blinded by greed, have no right to show such an expression!"

"Put away your false pity, you have more important tasks to do!"

"Pathfinder—this title suits you and Police Chief John!"

Viscount Vain ignored the flintlock pistols and daggers that were also searched, only taking the notebook with important information. He briefly flipped through it, confirming that it contained information related to the Dawnlight Church but no specific route, and then gave orders. With Svok and Ruskan, the two traitors, already ahead, Viscount Vain had no time to sort through the information in the notebook. However, he was confident that he had everything under control, just as he always did.

As for why he didn't catch the two traitors first, Viscount Vain believed Qin Ran was a smart person and would never tell everything to two fools. The two fools, thinking they knew everything, were merely misled and became pawns for the other side! For this, Viscount Vain expressed admiration. Therefore, he assigned Qin Ran and the police chief the same task. Everything was so interesting, wasn't it?

Viscount Vain looked at Qin Ran's extremely grim face and laughed again, calmly and elegantly, like any noble described in a book.

The manhole cover was opened again, and three of Viscount Vain's men went down first to confirm safety. Then it was Qin Ran and Police Chief John's turn, followed by the towering man. Viscount Vain was the last to come down. Eight of the twelve men had already lit oil lamps, illuminating the dark sewer, while the remaining three surrounded Viscount Vain. The towering, muscular man stood behind Qin Ran and Police Chief John.

"Tru, my most capable subordinate!"

"He has saved me more than ten times, and his opponents were torn in half!"

"Detective Qin Ran, Police Chief John, I think you absolutely do not want to face Tru's anger!"

With his subordinates protecting him, Viscount Vain appeared calm and composed. The muscular man named Tru showed a fierce smile, which, under the aim of nearly ten flintlock pistols, was full of intimidation. Police Chief John instinctively wanted to say something, but was stopped by Qin Ran. The latter's lips moved slightly, eventually turning into a sigh. Police Chief John was not foolish or stubborn; he knew that if he contradicted or acted, the gunmen around him would not hesitate to give him a lesson. Perhaps not aiming at vital points, but even targeting his limbs would be unbearable. But the only remaining persistence in his heart made him furious. The harsh reality and the persistence of ideals tormented Police Chief John, especially after he chose to compromise.

Qin Ran looked at Police Chief John's expression and felt a sense of helplessness. It was not about the current situation—everything was under his control. But it was hard to speak. Although he wanted to tell everything, his reason told him what to do!

"Let's go!"

Qin Ran half-supported Police Chief John and walked forward. This scene made Viscount Vain clap his hands.

"I like working with smart people!"

Viscount Vain said this and then gave a signal to his subordinates. Immediately, the eleven men, except for Tru, dispersed in a specific formation, subtly protecting Viscount Vain while not ignoring any unusual movements around. It was clear that protecting Viscount Vain was the most important task. Each of these men was expressionless, moving like machines, their eyes empty, as if they were living corpses. Assassins!

Qin Ran and Police Chief John exchanged a glance at this scene. Both saw the answer in each other's eyes. Qin Ran had heard about such people from the Guardian Knight, but he did not expect to encounter them so soon.

"If you encounter assassins, don't tangle with them—because they only intend to complete their mission, even if it means trading their lives for yours!"

The Guardian Knight's words echoed in Qin Ran's ears. However, Qin Ran did not intend to change his plan. When he made this plan, he had already considered the worst-case scenario. The appearance of assassins was not a problem for Qin Ran. The same went for Police Chief John. In fact, it was even better than Qin Ran had expected! At least, Police Chief John, though injured, had not had his legs broken or become disabled—Qin Ran understood why Viscount Vain did this. He never intended to leave any survivors. Once the wealth left by the Dawnlight Church was found, he and Police Chief John would surely die. Similarly, Qin Ran planned it this way. As soon as the wealth of the Dawnlight Church was 'found,' it would be the end for Viscount Vain and his subordinates. Qin Ran supported Police Chief John and walked at the front. A strong stench hit them. The slippery feeling under their feet made them reluctant to think about what they were stepping on. In fact, this was a semi-abandoned sewer. If it were a real sewer, the environment would be ten times worse. Those walking in it, including Qin Ran, Police Chief John, and the assassins, remained unperturbed. Viscount Vain, however, had a handkerchief in front of his face, but his expression was extremely grim. The muscular man named Tru was also uncomfortable, muttering some slang behind Qin Ran and Police Chief John. Although Qin Ran could not distinguish the words, they were certainly not pleasant. Under such conditions, the group walked for nearly an hour. The stench became even stronger. Qin Ran's nose had lost its sensitivity—he realized for the first time that overly strong perception was not always a good thing. However, Qin Ran had no complaints. Because the 'grave' he had chosen for them was almost there.