The Survival Rules of NPCs

Chapter 36: Why did everything fall apart the moment I woke up?

"How is that possible?"

In Martin's room, everyone was stunned when the man in red arrived with Peter.

"Priest Oliver..."

The man in red trembled. In the entire Heart of the Forest, there were only two priests who could control the Human-Faced Tree. Oliver was one of them, and he was in his prime. He was one of the most valuable beings in the religion, perhaps second only to the Soul Healer. He never expected that just leaving him here to interrogate that useless city lord would cause trouble, even though the room had been thoroughly checked!

"Who is it?" the man in red roared fiercely.

"I think I know who it is." Peter looked at the priest with an arrow through his throat, his eyes serious.

Northerners are skilled in riding and archery, and even the women there are not like the delicate indoor flowers of the South who only know how to dance and socialize. Skill in riding and archery is one of the qualities that women are sought after, and Eliza was one of the best among them. Her archery skills were famous among the noble women of the time!

"It seems there's a secret passage in the city lord's room as well."

Peter led his men to search, and after nearly half an hour, they finally found the hidden passage. No wonder they missed it during the previous search; who would have thought that such an ingenious mechanism would be hidden in the servants' room?

Moreover, it was in the room of a servant who was good at tidying up and cleaning. It was a clever psychological design. The large manor kept the servants busy and exhausted every day, so they only did a simple cleaning of their own rooms, which would become the most inconspicuous places.

The original city lord and this good-for-nothing Martin are not even in the same league in terms of intelligence.

"You're saying the murderer is Eliza?" The man in red looked incredulous. That woman who was so passionate and unrestrained at the ball, making all the noble ladies green with envy, actually had such superb archery skills?

"It can only be her... This arrow isn't from the South; it's much heavier. After Eliza came here, she only kept the bow and arrow as a souvenir. All the servants thought it was just an ornament. I didn't expect that after several years without using the bow and arrow, her archery skills would still be so good." Peter couldn't help but sigh.

With a single arrow to the throat, the priest was rendered speechless, giving her enough time to escape and conveniently eliminate Lord Martin!

Yes, Martin was dead too. His bloodied face was filled with disbelief. He clearly never expected that the woman he had subdued in bed would kill him without hesitation!

"Why did she kill Martin? Wasn't that what she relied on?" The man in red frowned.

"Two possibilities..." Peter said coldly, "The first is that seeing Martin half-dead and in too much pain, they simply let him go. However, this possibility is unlikely. Judging from Martin's expression, he was surprised and resentful. He clearly didn't want to die, but rather was caught off guard by the other party's unexpected attack. So I'm more inclined to the second possibility..."

"What?"

"Silence them!"

"Oh?" The red-clad man and the gray-robed middle-aged man next to him both lit up. They had felt something was wrong after seeing that the city lord Martin had recovered from his injuries. Otherwise, they wouldn't have left the priest here to interrogate him using supernatural methods, resulting in the loss of such an important supernatural personnel.

"It seems there is indeed important intelligence. Last night, the Holy Maiden passed on a message that Allen told Saning that Eliza has a superhuman behind her. It seems to be true. Quickly, we must capture her as soon as possible so that we can force her to find out who the superhuman is."

"Wait..." Peter began.

The man in red said coldly, "At a time like this, you're not still thinking about your crotch, are you? Don't worry, once you get the key information, we'll keep our promise and hand her over to you."

"That's not what I meant." Peter shook his head, his expression grave. "I think I know... who the superhuman behind her is."

"Oh?" Both of them were taken aback. "You knew all along? Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"I didn't even have a chance!" Peter took a deep breath. He hadn't expected Eliza to act so decisively. He thought he could dispel her doubts with his years of relationship, but she had him locked up for several days!

As it turns out, I didn't hold a very important place in her heart.

"Who is it?"

"The corpse collector!"

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Intelligence 1: Viscount Allen and Viscount Saning have perished. The identity of the Forest Heart Saintess has been confirmed: she is Allen's granddaughter, Gina Wood!

Intelligence 2: Lord Martin has died, the Lord's mansion has been taken over, Knight Peter has been released, you have been exposed, please evacuate as soon as possible!

Intelligence 3: Eliza managed to escape and, during her escape, shot and killed the enemy's key priest, preventing them from obtaining your crucial intelligence. As a result, Dr. Jack was also not exposed, but everything is only temporary.

Intelligence 4: A citywide manhunt for the corpse collector, Bright, will begin in three hours.

Intelligence 5: Eliza will seek Allen's help after seeing your wanted poster, thus walking right into your trap!

Intelligence 6: Due to your exposure and Viscount Allen's death, Orant has decided to bring forward all plans. Tomorrow, during the prayer at the Sanctuary, he will coerce the nobles and control everyone to worship the Shadow Forest outside the city. Once the worship is successful, the roots of the Human-Faced Tree will spread throughout Holy Stone City, and the entire population of Holy Stone City will become fertilizer!

"Holy crap..."

One piece of bad news after another jolted Brett awake from his drowsy state, almost dropping his notebook. He had only taken a nap, how come everything was fine yesterday, and now the situation had completely changed?

Are you kidding me?

Without hesitation, he put on his most expensive dress, packed his valuables, and left the crematorium. While cursing the ridiculous plot twists, he was also glad that he hadn't stayed at Lord Martin's house, otherwise he might be dead by now.

But what to do next?

As can be seen from Intelligence 1, the only two viscounts in Holy Stone City who could turn the tide have already passed away, and the original plan is probably no longer feasible.

Because he needed someone influential to confront Orlando in court in front of the public so that he could have a chance, and the best candidate for that confrontation was Alan Wood!

His prestige is high enough, even higher than that of the city lord. Only by questioning such a person in public can he gain the support of the people and give himself a chance to take over Orland.

But now that Allen is dead, and Sanin, who had a thousand samurai to his name, is also dead, who can he rely on?

Oh right, Martin died too, oh my god, this is catastrophic!

Is it too late to escape now?

With his current abilities, he could easily escape Holy Stone City amidst the chaos, but he was unwilling to give up!

I currently possess two extraordinary professions: Corpse Whisperer and Spirit Healer, as well as a martial arts profession. The experience points required are more than many ordinary people can earn in a lifetime. If I give it up, will I have a chance to make a comeback in the future?

More importantly, that fellow countryman in the forest is a powerful ally. Once he leaves Holy Stone City, he probably won't have another chance to rely on him. Is the only option to escape and start over as a refugee?

He already possessed so much, and was even about to receive the title of viscount. To give it all up like this was unacceptable... truly unacceptable!!

With a grim face, Bright made his way to Rose Avenue. There were still three hours before the citywide manhunt for him, so he had some time to find a hiding place.

Although it was still dark, there were already many pedestrians on Rose Avenue. The middle class was just a slightly higher class of cattle and horses; they couldn't sleep in like the aristocracy. Sometimes, they were even busier than the farmers who grew crops.

Although there were many pedestrians, no one paid special attention to Bright. Dressed in a formal suit, he looked elegant and noble, not at all like a corpse collector.

Such formal attire and air of nobility wouldn't attract much attention on Rose Avenue. The city's best legal and medical consultations are located here, and it's not unusual for noble young men to come here every day.

Disappearing into the crowd, Bright quickly headed towards Dr. Jack's clinic.

Before dawn, Dr. Jack was already packing his things at the clinic. According to the original plan, after instructing his assistant on some matters, he was going to the city lord's mansion to assist Mr. Bright in treating the remaining infected servants and to accumulate experience in extraordinary surgery.

Although he had only slept for four hours, he was full of energy. His identity as an extraordinary doctor made him as excited as if he had been injected with adrenaline, and he did not feel tired at all!

"Mr. Bright?" Jack excitedly greeted Bright when he saw him come to his clinic.

Bright nodded slightly, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then asked, "Where's your assistant doctor?"

"They probably aren't up yet, right?" Jack laughed. "Kids these days don't work as hard as we did back then. Plus, she's a girl, so I haven't been too strict with her. I haven't scolded her as long as it's not too late when she's late."

Blake nodded: "That's a good boss's habit. Close the clinic immediately and don't go to the city lord's mansion anymore."

"Why?" Jack was taken aback.

"Something happened over there," Bright said without hiding anything.

Jack's expression changed drastically. His family was still under the control of the cult, and all his hopes were pinned on Lord Martin. Now, the lord was in trouble.

"Dr. Jack, I need you to take a risk!" Bright whispered.

"I..." Dr. Jack hesitated. He was now a superhuman doctor. As long as he reported to his superiors, the position of viscount was almost a certainty. That would bring wealth and honor to his descendants for hundreds of years. Why would he take such a risk now? What difference would that make from sending a well-fed duck into the water?

"You need to understand two things," Bright said in a low voice, noticing the other's hesitation. "First: your medical profession comes from Lord Martin, who is now dead. If the seal of authority falls into the hands of the cult, you will most likely lose your position as a superhuman doctor. Second: your family is still in the hands of the cult. If the people of the Heart of the Forest learn of your superhuman profession, they might give you an important position, but from now on, you and your family will be officially designated cult members by the Rhine Empire. You should think carefully!"

Upon hearing this, Jack immediately felt a chill. He had personally witnessed how the Sunfire Cult punished those heretics, not to mention the Heart of the Forest, a terrifying organization that treated people as fertilizer at the drop of a hat. He had no desire to join it.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Help!"