Chapter 103: The Lindsays Are Elusive

Chapter 103: Chapter 103: The Lindsays Are Elusive

If the Lindsay family continued digging, it might eventually uncover a connection.

But investigations took time, and time was precisely what Xavier needed.

With his investment system, he was confident he could strengthen himself considerably in the coming months.

Breaking through the Spirit Platform Realm and reaching the Divine Power Realm no longer seemed like an impossible goal.

Once he possessed that level of strength, even if the Lindsay family discovered that he had killed Collins, they would have to think carefully before trying to take revenge.

Still, Xavier knew things did not always unfold according to plan.

Unexpected developments could ruin even the most carefully prepared arrangements. He was willing to accept that risk.

After all, Collins had repeatedly targeted Mira.

Xavier had no intention of standing aside while another man continued coveting his wife and putting her in danger.

There were limits to what he would tolerate, and Collins had crossed them long ago.

"Mr. X? Are you still there?" Samuel’s voice brought Xavier out of his thoughts.

"I’m here, Minister Bush," Xavier said. He had already decided how he would respond.

"Let me answer your first question. I know Collins is dead, and I know who killed him. It was an acquaintance of mine."

Samuel fell silent for a moment.

"Are you talking about Graham Cole? The mysterious expert who rescued Helena?" he asked.

"That’s right," Xavier said, not hesitating to confirm it.

"But there’s something more important I need to discuss with you. Graham left something in my hands and asked me to pass it on to you."

"What is it?"

"A ledger. I think you’ll want to see it for yourself."

Xavier had no intention of keeping the notebook. Its contents were far more useful in Samuel’s hands than his own.

As the minister responsible for the Extraordinary Division, Samuel had the authority and resources to investigate the people and organizations named in it.

If the records were genuine, they could expose a network of corruption that had allowed underground organizations to operate with alarming freedom.

"All right," Samuel replied without hesitation. "Tell me where you are. I’ll come to you."

Xavier gave him his location. It was not long before Samuel arrived at the secluded riverbank.

He approached Xavier with a grave expression, clearly expecting another disturbing revelation.

"Here. Read it yourself," Xavier said, handing him the ledger.

Samuel accepted it with a puzzled look. At first, he seemed unsure why Xavier had summoned him over an ordinary looking notebook.

But as he read through the entries, his expression changed. His face flushed, and his grip on the pages tightened.

"These are records of transactions between the Lindsay family and underground organizations throughout Valemont and beyond!" he said.

Unlike Xavier, who had only just discovered the ledger’s contents, Samuel was familiar with many of the region’s major incidents.

He recognized several names almost immediately.

"The first entry mentions Marcus Webb," he said.

"I remember him. He was the deputy director of the Comprehensive Management Bureau in Redcliff City. At the time, he was competing with the Lindsay family for a powerful position. Then, without warning, he died at home."

Samuel turned another page, his eyes widening.

"And this entry concerns the Hartley family," he continued.

"They were a prominent local family involved in a land dispute. The Bloodshadow Cult slaughtered them overnight, and the land eventually ended up in the Lindsay family’s hands."

He continued reading, moving more quickly now as familiar details emerged from the pages.

"There are other cases here that I remember, too," he said.

"I don’t know enough about every transaction to confirm all of them, but the incidents I recognize match the records closely enough to convince me that this ledger is genuine."

Samuel’s jaw tightened.

"Pat Marty must have been one of the people responsible for managing these secret dealings on behalf of the Lindsay family," he said.

"That would explain why he was so trusted."

He looked down at the notebook again, his expression darkening.

"So this is why those underground organizations have been so difficult to eradicate," he said.

"No matter how many operations the state launches against them, they somehow manage to survive and rebuild. Even the Bloodshadow Cult has repeatedly escaped the consequences of its crimes despite suffering major losses at our hands."

Samuel’s hands trembled with anger.

"They’ve had protection all along," he said. "And the Lindsay family has been helping them."

He shut the ledger with a sharp snap.

"The Lindsay family is rotten to the core!"

The Barley Cup Champion

"Can this ledger bring down the Lindsay family?"

After giving Samuel Bush a moment to regain his composure, Xavier finally asked the question he had been considering since handing over the notebook.

That was the main reason he had decided to entrust the ledger to the minister. If its contents could be used to cripple the Lindsay family, then the risk of obtaining it would be worthwhile.

"Not by itself," Samuel replied, shaking his head.

"Bringing someone to justice requires more than a record of suspicious transactions. We need corroborating evidence, reliable witnesses, and proof connecting the people involved to specific crimes. Right now, the ledger gives us a strong lead, but it doesn’t provide everything necessary to bring down a family as influential as the Lindsays."

He paused before continuing.

"However, this is still enough to change things," he said.

"I can use it to convince the people above me to launch a thorough investigation into the Lindsay family. Once they become a target of official scrutiny, their activities will no longer be as easy to conceal." His expression hardened.

"In cases like this, you don’t always need conclusive evidence before an investigation can begin. Sometimes, a credible reason to suspect wrongdoing is enough to draw the authorities’ attention. And with the names and transactions recorded in this ledger, the Lindsay family will have a difficult time escaping notice."

Although the notebook might not be enough to destroy the family immediately, Samuel was confident it would deal them a serious blow.

For now, that was a good start.

* * *

After separating from Samuel, Xavier used his disguise mask to alter his appearance once more before making his way back to Stormvale Martial Academy.

His thoughts were occupied by Mira.

The Lindsay family was powerful, and Collins had already demonstrated how far he was willing to go to get what he wanted.

If he had previously hired the Bloodshadow Cult or another underground organization to abduct Helena, there was no telling what other arrangements he might have made against Mira.

Collins was dead, but the people who had helped him were still out there.

Until Xavier understood the full extent of the threat, he was not going to let his guard down.

Returning to Mira’s side would allow him to protect her if anything unexpected happened.

On the way, he finally found time to examine the other spatial ring he had collected after the fight. It belonged to Collins Lindsay.

Considering the number of valuable resources Pat Marty had carried, Xavier had expected the young master of the Lindsay family to possess an even greater collection of treasures.

After all, Pat had spent more than twenty years serving the family and had been entrusted with protecting Collins.

Xavier opened the ring with considerable anticipation.

His excitement vanished almost immediately. The useful items inside could hardly compare with what he had found in Pat’s possession.

There were only three healing elixirs, none higher than 5th-Grade, a mid grade spirit stone, a spear like weapon, and the fragment of a spatial rune Collins had used to escape during their battle.

That was practically everything of value. The rest of the contents were a different matter entirely.

Xavier stared at the assortment of magazines, illustrated comics, and women’s underwear packed inside.

There was so much underwear that, if he had taken it all out and piled it together, the heap would have stood nearly a meter high.

For several seconds, he simply looked at the ridiculous collection. Then he let out a disgusted snort.

"No wonder there’s hardly anything useful in here," he muttered. "Pat was probably carrying most of the important resources for him."

His gaze fell on the mountain of inappropriate belongings again, and his expression turned sour.

"Collins Lindsay? He should have been called Collins the Pervert," he said.

The more Xavier thought about the man’s behavior, the more convinced he became that killing him had been the right decision.

If Collins had continued living, who knew how many more women would have suffered because of his twisted desires and the protection his family afforded him?

At least one menace had been removed from the world.

Xavier collected the healing elixirs and spirit stone, then turned his attention to the spatial rune fragment. During their confrontation, Collins had activated it to escape twice in quick succession.

The fragment had clearly been an effective means of getting out of danger, but Xavier had no idea how it worked.

He examined its dull, gray surface and tried channeling chaotic energy into it.