CH-106

106 I Advise You Not to Offend Me

After making his request, Shu Li had three or four seconds of clarity. Those three or four seconds made him realize his consideration might not have been thorough enough. If the abduction of Duke Claude was the act of one person, exposing it and rescuing him from the attic would be the end of it. But if the entire estate was complicit, then even if they were allowed up to the attic, the two of them could easily become trapped like turtles in a jar. Hiding two more children on the estate would be as easy as flipping a hand. However, the maid's words quickly dispelled Shu Li's worries.

"This matter requires the butler's permission," the maid said, her eyes flickering with fear and caution. "The one living in the attic is the Dowager Viscountess." Following the maid's words, Phillips instinctively glanced up at the attic, five or six meters high. The closed window was set into a stone wall covered in strangler fig ivy. The dense, vibrant red ivy blooms were almost morbidly lush. In the moonlight, their swaying shadows resembled venous blood flowing through vessels. The entire wall was undeniably beautiful, but a beauty so intense it felt unreal, the air carrying a strange, sweet scent of decay pushed to its extreme. Moreover, common sense dictated that attics weren't meant for living. Phillips couldn't help but ask, "Why does the Dowager Viscountess live in there?"

The maid glanced around nervously before lowering her voice. "The Viscount said the old lady is in poor health and prefers the attic with the strangler fig ivy... that's why it was arranged this way." She paused, her voice even softer. "But the truth is, the Viscount just wanted to keep the old lady confined there. The attic door is always locked." Phillips was immediately drawn in by the maid's story. "That's too much. How could he lock up his own mother?"

At this point, Phillips couldn't help but speculate, "Could it be that the Dowager Viscountess is the current Viscount's stepmother?" The maid swallowed, using her hand to half-cover her mouth as she whispered, "Rumor has it..."

Shu Li listened quietly from the side, not interrupting their conversation, just giving the maid a slight glance. In truth, back in the Savoy parish, Shu Li required all church staff to be discreet in word and deed. Because their position carried authority, a casual comment without solid evidence could be taken as fact, causing unnecessary trouble. Furthermore, they had the duty of listening to confessions. Gossiping about others could easily lead to misunderstandings. Shu Li would explain his concerns clearly to them, not just recite rules and expect rote obedience or parroted phrases. Only by understanding the principles and potential consequences could they better grasp how to act and speak.

Someone who leaked the estate's internal scandals so freely, regardless of truth, would never be retained in his Savoy parish. Besides, Shu Li wasn't the type to believe everything he heard. While Phillips was engrossed in the story, Shu Li was carefully analyzing the maid's words—was it an innocent confession or deliberate manipulation? It was clear the maid was simply confiding. Shu Li thought to himself that he really did encounter more good people than bad.

Under the gazes of Shu Li and Phillips, the maid said solemnly, "The Dowager Viscountess... seems to be a vampire." "You're kidding," Phillips said, half-doubting. "Before she was locked in the attic," the maid whispered, "the old lady was almost never seen during the day, but often walked around alone at night, her face as pale as if she hadn't slept."

Shu Li was silent for a moment. That could just be elderly insomnia. The elderly often have trouble sleeping at night and feel tired and drowsy during the day. Or it could be cognitive impairment, or dementia, where patients experience day-night reversal—listless during the day but active at night, often forgetting what they're doing or where they are. As for the pale complexion, in a medieval diet lacking variety, iron deficiency or other chronic illnesses causing poor complexion was all too common. "Really?" Phillips felt a shiver of fear at her words. Shu Li almost wanted to ask Phillips if he had never been around elderly people before.

But he returned to the main topic, frowning. "Isn't it a bit rash to suspect her of being a vampire just based on that?" Seeing Shu Li completely unconvinced, the maid was determined to make him believe, adding in a low voice, "There's more. Someone once saw the old lady sucking the young master's blood in the middle of the night. And in the morning, when the servants tended to him, they found two sharp puncture wounds on him."

"Being away from home and still hearing such a thrilling and terrifying story, even though she wouldn't scream, she still covered her mouth."

"It was only some people spreading it, and a few defended the old lady. But after the Viscount was told, he decisively locked the old lady in the attic, claiming she was ill." Phillips nodded, "I didn't expect the Viscount to still be protecting his mother."

Shu Li glanced at him, recalling the person from the boat—deep and unfathomable, showing no emotion, handling matters flawlessly. Compared to now, it was like two different people. It seemed over these past ten-plus years, Phillips had changed quite a bit.

"Can we take a look? I sense an ominous presence inside," Shu Li said, because the original book never mentioned this. If it truly confirmed the existence of such a creature, Shu Li, for the sake of his own safety, certainly wouldn't take the risk lightly. And the reason vampire legends spread in the Middle Ages was precisely because they were associated with illness. People back then couldn't explain the pallor, strange bleeding wounds, and aversion to sunlight. But from a 21st-century scientific perspective, regarding just the avoidance of sunlight—it could be due to certain diseases causing sensitivity to light and dizziness, making people prefer the shade. For instance, someone suffering from heatstroke would much rather stay in the shadows than be exposed to the blazing sun. He said this because he wondered if someone might have fed Duke Claude to the Dowager Viscountess. Ah, a bit worrying...

The maid stopped speculating and hurried off to find the butler. Phillips initially moved to follow her, feeling responsible since they had brought it up. But seeing Shu Li stand still, he stopped and asked, "Aren't you going to explain?"

Shu Li turned and walked back towards the dining hall where their group was, his tone flat. "This is their private matter. There's no need for us to be anxious."

"If they're anxious, they'll come find us. If they're not, even if we beg them, it's useless. Or perhaps it's something we can't solve independently anyway, and getting involved would just be meddling."

Phillips fell into deep thought because of Shu Li's words. "You remind me of someone." It was hard to pin down. He could casually save a stranger on the road. Yet, knowing something might be wrong in someone's home, he kept his distance. But it didn't come across as snobbish or attention-seeking. On the contrary, he was clear-headed, rational, cautious, and steady, not easily swayed by emotions, and knew how to distinguish responsibility from boundaries.

Shu Li was puzzled. "?" Where did this conclusion come from, and where was it going? Phillips said with mock seriousness, "The village elder from our town."

"..." The image of a bald elder popped into Shu Li's head, and in the next second, he quickened his pace, putting more distance between himself and Phillips. Phillips hurried to catch up. "I'm complimenting your intelligence!" And he didn't believe Shu Li would actually abandon him; Shu Li was just walking fast. "Wait for me, don't run so fast."

Shu Li had no choice but to stop and earnestly advise, "Just go back to the group." "Why?" "You're just a kid, aren't you?" What if there's danger? Phillips retorted, "Aren't you a kid too?" Shu Li: "..."

Shu Li: "Well, I don't have any obligation to bring you along, do I?" Phillips countered, "But aren't we friends?"

Shu Li fell silent again. A surge of rebuttal rose within him, but he felt there was no need to be so harsh. So he tried another approach. "I want to find our group's knight commander and have a word. You don't need to follow." Phillips didn't see any reason to avoid it. "Then I'll just keep you company."

Shu Li opened his mouth. "..." Forget it.

As Phillips walked beside him, he asked, "Why do you want to see the knight commander? Are you that close with them? They don't seem very trustworthy to me either." Shu Li finally understood his instinct to refuse Phillips stemmed from a gut feeling that Phillips was like a curious puppy, wanting to know everything. Even if he was easily fooled, he still loved asking questions.

In truth, Shu Li didn't actually intend to talk to the knights. He just wanted to stay near the authority figures of this group. If anyone on the estate harbored ill intentions towards him, having knights nearby would make them think twice. After all, while the estate had many people, the knights escorting the Successors were also numerous. Shu Li believed there were more good people than bad, but it was always wise to be cautious.

"Will you give that silver ring you picked up to the knights?" Phillips suddenly posed a new question, startling Shu Li.

"Don't mention the ring for now." "Why?" Phillips asked curiously. "Are you planning to keep it for yourself?"

Shu Li didn't want to draw unwanted attention to Claude, who was hiding within the group. He certainly wouldn't reveal his discovery and risk disrupting Claude's actions. He was about to fob Phillips off with some talk of the Lord when a tall, straight-backed black-haired youth blocked their path at a corner.

Shu Li had been distracted talking to Phillips and hadn't noticed him, nor had time to dodge, nearly bumping into him. The youth simply raised a hand and shoved Shu Li backward. The force was considerable, like a punch. Shu Li stumbled back two steps to steady himself, just as the youth unceremoniously spoke, extending his hand.

"That ring is mine. Give it back." When people get angry, they really do laugh. Shu Li was so angered he laughed, staring fixedly at the youth before him. Although different from the adult version, the brows and eyes were unmistakably Claude's. So the person was fine, it was just an ordinary lost item.

But still— Even though Shu Li essentially didn't want any reward from Claude, nor did he want Claude to know of his good intentions, right now, he felt like a fool for worrying about Claude just seconds ago. One truly cannot empathize with their past self from mere seconds ago.

Shu Li fixed his gaze on Claude's face and asked deliberately, "What ring?" Phillips was puzzled and about to speak, but Shu Li stopped him. "You probably just heard there's something valuable here and want to claim it falsely, right?" As soon as he said this, Phillips understood and eyed Claude with suspicion.

Shu Li asked, "Does the silver ring have any special crest? Does it have your name on it?" Phillips, having briefly glimpsed the silver ring and knowing it was worth at least three or four silver coins, chimed in indignantly, "Yeah, yeah, does it have your mark?"

From Claude's perspective, Shu Li had first fooled Kyle, then sweet-talked the estate's servants. Now, having found the ring and fearing discovery, he hadn't mentioned it at all. If Phillips hadn't brought it up, the silver ring would likely have been pocketed. And now this person was saying such things. Claude had never met anyone so shameless and didn't want to waste words. "If you don't return it, be careful, or I'll hit you."

If Shu Li were meeting Claude for the first time, he'd have to waste some words to make him back down, especially knowing the current Claude didn't want to attract attention. But having dealt with him for so many years, Shu Li was all too familiar with his temperament. He didn't even bother reasoning, directly countering.

His expression unchanged, he retorted, "Show me some respect. What if I become a Successor? Then you'll be the one at a disadvantage. Let me tell you upfront, I'm not a good person." Claude's eyes instantly darkened.

Before Claude could pull out a dagger to threaten him, the roguish youth across from him began playing with Claude's ring, as if suggesting that if Claude made any rash moves, the ring might just be tossed away. Such a childish threat was utterly useless against Claude. He sneered, looking around. There was no pond, no hunting dogs to devour it. He could easily beat Shu Li up and retrieve the ring without any effort. In other words, no matter what Shu Li did with the ring, Claude could deal with him first. Not to mention, he only needed to grab Shu Li's wrist.

But just then, Shu Li suddenly raised his palm towards Claude. His fingers were long and fair, his bones slender yet strong. Shu Li's tone was calm, like reciting scripture. "Take a good look at where the ring is." The ring sat securely on Shu Li's index finger. But when the youth flipped his hand over, the ring on his finger seemed to vanish into thin air, like an illusion, as if he'd never shown it to anyone at all.

Claude's eyelid twitched. His expression darkened instantly. He grabbed Shu Li's wrist, demanding in a low voice, "Where did you put the ring?" Before the words finished, his grip tightened—his fingers like iron clamps, Shu Li's wrist deforming in his grasp, veins surfacing. The force was clearly merciless.

But Shu Li just raised an eyebrow slightly, as if feeling no pain. He yielded to softness but not force. The more pressure applied, the more nonchalant he became. He spoke unhurriedly, his voice light, almost teasing, yet like a warning. "Are you sure you want to offend me?" His tone wasn't heavy, but it was like asking about something very expensive, something with a high price.

The atmosphere tightened abruptly because of Claude's expression. Even Phillips beside them subconsciously held his breath. Claude stared into the other's eyes, realizing he wasn't just facing a seemingly carefree, occasionally soft-hearted youth, but someone who wasn't afraid of trouble and didn't mind flipping the table.

Sensing Claude's grip loosen slightly, Shu Li said flatly, "Let go." But Claude, with a cold face, refused to yield an inch, biting down on this small advantage. "If you're in pain, beg for mercy first."

As soon as he said this, the air seemed to tighten a layer more. Shu Li frowned, not responding, just staring at him quietly. There was no anger in his eyes, only a cold, almost clinical scrutiny. For a moment, the two stood in silent confrontation, like two razor-sharp swords pressed against each other's throats, neither willing to give way.

The atmosphere was heavy enough to collapse. Phillips beside them had already stopped breathing, unsure whether to speak, afraid that getting involved would ignite the powder keg. Clearly, neither was willing to back down first. If someone offered a way out, it might end decently; but interfering now was not only ill-timed, it might be like pulling chestnuts out of the fire.

Just as Phillips worried about the stalemate, the maid who had left earlier hurried back, accompanied not only by stewards and servants but also by a well-dressed, anxious-looking man—the estate's Viscount, Edmond.

Upon arriving, he quickly scanned the tense scene but didn't inquire about it. Instead, he asked urgently, "Which one is the divinely gifted Master Shurik?" Shu Li paused, unwilling to respond to this strange, stiff form of address. "..." He wasn't sure if he disliked being called 'Shurik' more, or suddenly being addressed as 'Master'.

Phillips, still not quite grasping how Shu Li had become 'Master Shurik', instinctively pointed. "Him."

As soon as he pointed, Edmond dropped to one knee before Shu Li without any warning, his voice urgent. "Please, save my mother!"

For a moment, everyone was stunned by Viscount Edmond's decisive and humble action. Shu Li was even more bewildered. To avoid this sudden kneeling, he reflexively dodged behind Claude. Claude glanced sideways at him but said nothing. He couldn't continue arguing now, lest he draw even more unnecessary attention.

He stared for a long moment at the red, swollen wrist held in his own hand, then finally chose to let go first. "..."

A short while later, everyone gathered in front of the attic. Shu Li had expected to find a patient on the brink of death. But when he was led to the attic with its door wide open, what he saw was the cold, stiff body of the Dowager Viscountess hanging from a beam. In the dim light, with the shadow at her feet, the old lady looked like a pitiful, black termination mark.

Shu Li's steps faltered. Under the shocked and astonished gazes of the crowd, he was the first to step into that quiet space, as if this was exactly where he was meant to be.