HCB Chapter 641 Cracking Down on the Anti-fan Industry
Chapter 641 Cracking Down on the Anti-fan Industry
It is located in a room deep within the fortress of a count's estate on the southwestern border of the governorate of Midland.
The furnishings exude luxury, with gilded carpets covering the floor, velvet curtains hanging on both sides, oil paintings depicting hunting scenes hanging on the walls, and an exquisitely carved wooden cabinet standing in the corner with silver candlesticks on it, the flickering candlelight illuminating the room with a warm and inviting atmosphere.
In the center of the room, a noblewoman sat gracefully in a carved chair beside a round table.
She wore a deep purple long dress, the hem of which was embroidered with intricate vine patterns, and the collar and cuffs were adorned with tiny pearls that swayed gently with her subtle movements.
The lady's gaze fell on the doctor standing opposite her, her tone full of uncertainty:
"Doctor, can this really cure my ailment?"
The doctor was about forty years old, dressed in a clean linen robe with a dark belt around his waist, and carrying a small leather pouch in his pocket.
Upon hearing this, he immediately stepped forward, a warm smile on his face, his voice filled with unwavering certainty:
“Indeed, Countess. No matter what the ailment, just one sip of this powder will cure it.”
As he spoke, he took a clean parchment from his pocket, carefully laid it on the table, and then poured out a puddle of black powder from a small leather pouch.
The powder particles were fine and pure black. When it landed on the paper, it did not scatter at all, but instead clumped together in a small ball, faintly exuding a strange smell, neither like the fragrance of herbs nor the fishy smell of minerals.
The lady's gaze fell on the black powder, her brows furrowing even more deeply, her suspicion undisguised:
"Does this thing really have no side effects?"
"There are absolutely no side effects, Madam, please rest assured."
The doctor quickly waved his hand, his tone urgent and sincere.
"If you don't believe it, you can try it now and feel the effect immediately."
The noble lady pondered for a moment, thinking of the chronic illness that had been troubling her for days, the discomfort that made it difficult for her to sit or stand still was unbearable.
She reached out, her fingertips slowly probing towards the black powder on the table. Her fingertips drew closer and closer to the powder, almost touching the black particles.
Just then, with a loud bang, the heavy wooden door was kicked open, and the door panel slammed against the wall, making a dull echo.
A squad of fully armed soldiers filed in and, without saying a word, immediately pounced on the doctor.
Caught off guard, the doctor's smile froze instantly. Just as he was about to shout, two soldiers pressed down on his shoulders.
His arms were twisted behind his back, his knees were slammed into the ground, and he staggered and fell to his knees, his cheeks almost touching the cold floor, letting out a suppressed cry of pain.
"Who are you? How dare you commit violence within the Earl's city!"
The doctor struggled, his neck pressed so hard by the soldier that he was almost suffocating. His voice was hoarse, yet tinged with a hint of bravado as he questioned the doctor.
"I am the physician invited by the Countess. Aren't you afraid of being punished by the Count for doing this?"
The soldiers holding him down were expressionless. One of them spoke in a deep, metallic voice:
“We are a patrol team led by the Governor-General of the Southwest. We suspect you of secretly colluding with cultists and illegally selling poisons. Now, come with us.”
As soon as the soldier finished speaking, two men stepped forward, took out ropes, tied the doctor's hands behind his back, and then dragged him to his feet.
The doctor tried to struggle, but was shoved hard by the soldier and staggered toward the door, muttering that he was innocent.
The Countess was so frightened by this sudden turn of events that her face turned pale and her body trembled slightly. She was speechless as she watched the doctor being taken away and the soldiers quickly withdrawing.
……
The interrogation room was located deep in the dungeon of the Earl's mansion. In the center of the room was a heavy wooden table with a chair on each side, and around it were various terrifying instruments of torture.
The doctor was led to the center of the interrogation room, his ropes were untied, but two soldiers still stood behind him, their hands on his shoulders to prevent him from moving.
His face was pale, his hair was disheveled, his linen robe was covered in dust and stains, his eyes were filled with fear, he kept looking at the instruments of torture around him, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
On the other side of the table sat three people. The one in the middle was none other than the Earl, the master of this earldom.
Although he was obese, he was tall and wore a dark blue aristocratic outfit. What was most striking was his large head, which was completely bald and smooth as polished jade, gleaming faintly in the torchlight.
To the count's left sat a squad leader dressed in the uniform of the Southwest Governor's patrol team, while to his right sat a tall, fully armed monk from the Antiquities Order.
The interrogator stood beside the physician, toying with a small pair of iron pliers in his hand, the tips of which gleamed coldly.
Watching the torturer manipulate the various instruments of torture, and imagining the pain they would inflict, the doctor's mental defenses crumbled instantly. His legs gave way, and he almost collapsed to the ground, his voice trembling with tears as he urgently cried out:
"I'll confess, I'll confess everything! I'll tell you whatever you want to know!"
The count nodded slightly, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority:
"Tell me, where did the black powder on your table come from?"
"Yes... I bought them from several places in the city."
The doctor dared not conceal anything and quickly gave a list of locations.
Upon hearing this, the count frowned even more deeply. He never imagined that these places selling the banned powder were all within his own city, and so widely distributed.
His territory, his main city which he thought he had governed perfectly, had been so thoroughly infiltrated by cultists that it was as riddled with holes as a sieve.
No wonder he could never catch many cultists, even after leading his army out of the city and spending a lot of manpower and resources to arrest them. It turns out that these people had been lurking right under his nose for a long time, and were even openly conducting illegal transactions.
The count took a deep breath, suppressing his anger and shock, and continued to ask:
"Do you know the composition of this black powder? Also, who is the person who sold you the powder?"
"I don't know the ingredients; they only told me it was a medicinal powder that could cure diseases."
The doctor shook his head, his voice still filled with fear.
"The people who sold it to me were all dressed in ordinary clothes and looked no different from ordinary people in the city. I didn't know their real identities. They just said that if I needed more, I could go to those places to find them and try to recruit them into some kind of cult. They would give me several more bags of this powder for each person I recruited."
The count, the squad leader, and the monk exchanged a glance, all understanding each other's thoughts.
It seems these cult members are acting very cautiously, deliberately concealing their identities. It will probably take much more effort to follow this lead and find their core stronghold.
After hearing this, the squad leader's expression also turned serious, and he said in a deep voice:
“We will immediately send people to search these locations and make sure to wipe out all the cultists hiding in the city.”
The cultivator nodded slightly, his eyes remaining cold and stern.
“The influence of cultists is far more covert than we imagine, and they must be eliminated as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences will be dire.”
After the interrogation concluded, the count stood up and gestured for the squad leader and the monks to proceed.
"Gentlemen, the air in the dungeon is foul. Let's go out first."
The squad leader and the cultivator nodded in agreement, and the three of them walked together out of the dungeon.
The soldiers took the doctor away to be imprisoned, while the interrogator began to compile the interrogation records.
Stepping out of the dungeon, the fresh air rushed towards him, and the count's tense nerves relaxed slightly.
He stopped, turned around, and bowed deeply to the squad leader and the monks, his waist bent very low, his voice full of gratitude:
“If it weren’t for the timely arrival of these two people, my wife would probably have been killed by the cultists. I will never forget this kindness.”
The squad leader quickly helped the count up, speaking earnestly:
“Your Excellency, there’s no need for such formality. Combating cultists is simply our duty. It’s our good fortune to have thwarted a conspiracy.”
The cultivator also spoke up:
“Protecting the residents from cults is our duty as the Anti-Foreign Religious Order. Your Excellency need not express your gratitude.”
The three immediately returned to the Earl's mansion's council hall, summoned the commanders of the city's army and key members of the patrol teams, and began to discuss in detail the plan to eradicate the cultists.
That night, the city was completely silent.
The occasional barking of dogs and the footsteps of pedestrians that could be heard on ordinary days have now disappeared.
The residents were all sound asleep, completely unaware of the impending storm.
At midnight, with a command given, the soldiers in each squad, who had been assembled and waiting, moved out simultaneously.
They moved swiftly and stealthily, quietly making their way to their respective destinations.
Soon, hurried footsteps and deep commands echoed throughout the city.
"Don't move! Put down your weapons!"
"Put your hands behind your head and squat on the ground!"
After the command was given, there came the sounds of fierce fighting and the roar of muskets.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The sound of musket fire was particularly jarring in the quiet night, shattering the city's tranquility.
The battle lasted all night, with shouts of battle, gunshots, and the clash of weapons echoing through the city.
The gunfire gradually subsided as dawn approached, and the battle finally ended.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the residents of the city cautiously opened their doors and peeked out to observe the situation outside.
The streets were filled with the count's soldiers, and there were dark red bloodstains on the ground, along with occasionally discarded weapons and tattered clothing.
However, the soldiers have begun clearing the streets and maintaining order.
A grand victory banquet was held at the Earl's mansion at noon that day.
The count, dressed in even more luxurious attire, greeted the squad leader, monks, and officers of various ranks involved in the operation with a beaming smile.
He raised his glass to the two men and said:
"The successful eradication of the cultists in the city this time is entirely due to the great help of the two of you. I raise a glass to you both to thank you for your support and contributions."
The squad leader and the monk also raised their glasses, clinked them with the count's, and then drank them down in one gulp.
The squad leader said with a smile:
"Your Excellency is too kind. This is what we should do. The successful completion of the mission is also inseparable from your meticulous planning and the brave fighting of the soldiers."
The monk put down his wine cup, a relieved smile appearing on his face:
"With the cultists eliminated, the city's residents can finally live and work in peace. This toast should be made to the victory of justice."
Everyone raised their glasses to celebrate the success of the operation, and the banquet hall was filled with laughter and joy. They enjoyed the delicious food while discussing the previous night's battle, creating a lively atmosphere.
Just then, the monk's gaze inadvertently fell on the table in front of the count.
A golden cup sits on the side of the table. The cup is exquisitely crafted, with intricate patterns carved on it and several tiny rubies inlaid along its rim.
Inside that golden cup was a strange black stone.
The stone was shaped like an egg, only smaller, and its color was shiny black.
What's most eerie is that the stone is clearly imprinted with various human facial features—eyes, nose, mouth—giving off an indescribable sense of gloom and strangeness.
The monk's expression instantly turned serious. He put down his knife and fork, pointed at the black stone, and said solemnly:
“My lord, that stone is the product of cultists.”
Upon hearing this, the count was startled and immediately reached out to carefully remove the black stone from the golden cup.
He had simply thought the stone's shape was peculiar and casually placed it in the cup, never imagining it would turn out to be such an evil object. The thought that he had kept a cult's creation near him for so long filled him with dread.
"Thank you for the reminder, cultivator. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known that this thing was so dangerous."
The count quickly handed the black stone to the monk, speaking earnestly.
"Please take it back to the guild for processing, cultivator."