Chapter 558

"Hmph, so you’re the alchemist coming to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong?" The leading man in black spoke coldly, his voice heavy with threat.

Chrome’s heart chilled, but he kept his composure, "I am here at the government’s invitation to uncover the truth, who are you people, daring to obstruct me?"

"The truth?" The man in black sneered, "Sometimes the truth is too blinding, and people would rather not see it."

With a wave of his hand, the others dispersed instantly, forming a tight encirclement around Chrome.

A battle was imminent, Chrome leaped from his horse, landing steadily on his feet, and in the same motion drew an exquisite short sword from his waist, the blade glowed faintly with blue light, clearly, it was no ordinary weapon.

As an alchemist, every item on his person was high-quality goods.

"Since you insist on courting death, don’t blame me for being merciless." Chrome let out a low shout and moved like lightning, charging at the nearest man in black, his short sword carved a brilliant arc through the air, aimed straight for the opponent’s throat.

The man in black reacted swiftly, tilting his body to dodge the fatal strike while simultaneously flicking out a sharp dagger backhanded, targeting Chrome’s heart.

Chrome spun his body and parried with the short sword, knocking the dagger away, the two fell into a fierce clash.

Seeing this, the remaining men in black joined the fray, engaging Chrome’s two guards.

"Who sent you? Why do you want to stop me from finding the truth?" Chrome demanded as he fought, trying to extract information from them.

The men in black acted as though deaf, merely attacking with frantic intensity, their moves were ruthless and devoid of any regular pattern, specially trained assassins, without question.

Chrome pondered silently, the appearance of these assassins was no coincidence, some unspeakable secret lay behind this.

Just as the battle reached a white-hot state, a crisp flute melody suddenly rang out, piercing through the clamor of the forest, the tune was melodious and mysterious, seeming to penetrate the very soul, making every fighter’s movements turn involuntarily sluggish.

The men in black were clearly affected as well, their offensive momentum weakening significantly.

Seizing the opening, Chrome counterattacked, his short sword moved like a wandering dragon emerging from the sea, striking several men in black in succession and knocking them to the ground one by one.

"Who’s there?" Chrome looked around, vigilant, but saw no one.

At that moment, a woman in a white dress walked slowly from the woods, a long flute held in her hands, her face was cold and clear, and an otherworldly aura radiated from her brow.

"Thank you for your assistance, Miss," Chrome cupped his hands in gratitude, though curiosity toward this suddenly appearing woman brimmed within him.

The woman smiled faintly, her voice clear as spring water, "You’re welcome, I was entrusted by someone to come lend you a hand."

"Entrusted by someone?" Chrome’s face was full of questions, he could not fathom who in this small town could summon such a highly skilled helper, moreover, judging by the woman’s aura, she was no ordinary cultivator, she had to hail from a major sect.

How could such a person be in a place like this?

"You should head back to the small town first," after those words, the woman in white vanished without a trace.

Chrome and his two guards stood in stunned silence, this woman’s strength was unfathomable.

Outside the village, when the chief official and his men saw Chrome return safe and sound, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lord Alchemist, was the journey arduous?" The presiding magistrate hurried forward to greet him.

"I’m fine, let’s make it quick, where is the corpse?" Chrome replied curtly before asking with impatience.

"Lord, please follow me," the official did not dare delay, leading Chrome swiftly to the autopsy room.

A cold, gloomy air rushed against their faces, carrying the mingled scent of herbs and faint decay, Chrome took a deep breath, adjusted his mindset, and got straight to work, inside the room, flickering candlelight made everything look both clear and hazy, as if the air itself had solidified.

"Bring the body up," Chrome’s voice was deep and commanding, carrying unquestionable authority, his guards sprang into action, carefully placing the white-cloth-covered corpse onto the autopsy table.

Chrome donned specially made gloves and slowly lifted the white cloth, revealing a pale, twisted face, Miss Zella, the key figure in this entire case.

He first observed the complexion and pupils with care, then pressed his fingers gently against several key points on the body, his brows knitted tighter with each examination.

"This toxin is no small matter," Chrome muttered, conjectures already forming in his mind.

He drew an exquisite jade bottle from his waist, poured out a single drop of clear liquid, and let it fall onto the back of the deceased’s hand, the liquid penetrated the skin quickly, turning into faint blue ripples that slowly dissipated.

"This..." Chrome’s expression turned exceptionally solemn.

"Even my Poison-Identifying Liquid cannot fully discern its components, I can only vaguely sense a burst of evil qi that does not belong to the mortal realm."

His words carried unprecedented shock and unease, the potency of this toxin surpassed his imagination.

"My Lord, is this poison really related to evil demons?" A guard beside him could not help but ask, fear threading through his voice.

"That’s right, and this poison is extremely rare, if it wasn’t the work of evil demons, then someone has mastered an extraordinarily profound poison-refining technique," Chrome replied in a grave tone, still pondering.

The chief official and the crowd turned pale instantly.

So it really was connected to Adam, they had nearly been convinced by his words, and now this? Was this what they called demanding irrefutable proof only to have it thrown back in your face?

To be honest, during that trial, they had believed him, after all, no one would shoot themselves in the foot by demanding a professional examination if they were guilty.

But now, to their shock, it truly appeared that Adam was the cause.

"Where is that Zeon now?" Chrome’s face darkened, those men in black who had ambushed him were very likely sent by Adam.

"Still in the prison," the chief official said, voice trembling.

"An ordinary cell?" Chrome frowned.

"Yes."

"Then how could it possibly hold him?"

"He hasn’t broken out of prison, nor has he resisted, so we just..."

A/N:

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