Catastrophe Card King
Chapter 1225 - Chapter 1225 Chapter 377 Seeing the M Signature Again_3

Chapter 1225: Chapter 377: Seeing the ‘M’ Signature Again_3 Chapter 1225: Chapter 377: Seeing the ‘M’ Signature Again_3 Upon closer inspection, it was a shrewd-looking little mouse.

The old crone said to the mouse, “The bait has been taken.”

The mouse spoke with a human voice, “How strong?”

“At most Fifth Tier. Seems to have some skill, likely sent by the Lionheart Family to collect materials. The materials he chose are quite Mysterious Type; he could be a Mysterious Type card master. Be careful,” the old woman said.

“Understood.”

Having said that, the mouse disappeared in an instant as a miniature Spirit Communication Array lit up beneath its feet.

…

On the other hand, Leonard Churchill was strolling through the Black Market again.

However, as the old crone had mentioned, that shop could almost satisfy all the customers’ needs; the other shops were optional at this point.

Moreover, having acquired two Disaster Objects and so many materials, Leonard no longer felt the desire to continue browsing.

As he wandered, he arrived at the banks of the Dark River, planning to take a boat and leave the Shadow Abyss Black Market.

The boat available for passengers was just a small sampan, manned by a single old boatman.

The moment he boarded the boat, Leonard glanced at the boatman and muttered to himself, “Tsk tsk, not so easy to take things, huh…”

His perception of “air” had become extremely keen, and with his deductive abilities, nearly any disguise had flaws in his eyes.

Whether it was the shop owner or this boatman, he knew something was off.

Nevertheless, Leonard wasn’t surprised and calmly boarded the boat.

This was the Black Market; it had its own rules.

The locals, no one would dare make a move here.

Leonard also felt that it wasn’t quite appropriate to take action in this place.

He sat on the plank seat, carefully checked around but found nothing; yet he muttered to himself, “Didn’t find any markers… seems like a very special method.”

He was certain he had been marked.

But the fact that he hadn’t discovered it indicated the adversary’s technique was extremely sophisticated.

It was the lack of clues that solidified Leonard’s thought, “Why do I feel like it’s a professional spy with official backing?”

Someone who could offer so many treasures and utilize such professional methods couldn’t be just any run-of-the-mill backstabber.

“Could it be the Black Blade Organization quietly cultivated by the White Family?”

Leonard pondered for a moment.

Only a significant force could afford to dangle such a big bait.

Within the City of Thieves, the White Family was the prime suspect, though it could also be another family.

Regardless, Leonard knew that even without any apparent flaws in disguise, the shop owner surely noticed it was his first visit, perhaps even his first time to the Shadow Abyss Black Market.

And with his rich man persona, it would be hard not to have ulterior motives.

“Heh, they probably think I’m a buyer for the Lionheart Family, huh?” he chuckled to himself.

If they were conducting honest business, that would be the end of it–paying for goods was only natural.

If they were running a shady shop, all the better.

It would save costs.

As he pondered, the boat had already turned into a pitch-dark section of the Dark River.

After making the turn, the lights of the Black Market on the rock walls were no longer visible behind them.

Only the faint light from the carbide lamp next to the boatman remained.

The two of them continued rowing deeper into the depths of the Dark River.

The path to leave the Black Market was different from the one they came in on, all arranged by the organizers of the Black Market.

Normally there wouldn’t be any mishaps.

Leonard’s gaze scanned the surroundings, watching as the boat disappeared into the darkness.

While sensing the boatman behind him, his mind kept wondering, “Strange… is this guy even alive?”

Even though he knew he had been ensnared by someone, Leonard showed no change of expression, instead, the corner of his mouth slowly curved upwards.

Before long, the boat reached a secluded place where no sound could be heard other than the water.

Suddenly Leonard sensed a change in the boatman and looked forward with anticipation, “Are you about to make a move…?”

But after observing for a while, it seemed there was no one else around.

Just as he wondered what the boatman was up to, the man suddenly spoke, “Sir, how about we make a trade?”

Upon hearing the old man speak, Leonard’s eyes sharpened, “Oh?”

It wasn’t because of the opponent’s strength, but he had realized something. The moment he spoke, he confirmed that this fellow before him was a “puppet”!

To be precise, someone was manipulating an unconscious commoner to converse with him!

No wonder it felt so odd earlier. The calmness in his perception almost led Leonard Churchill to doubt whether his opponent was even alive.

Now he confirmed that the boatman had actually been unconscious for a while, which is why his “aura” was as steady as if he were in deep sleep.

In secret, someone was controlling this unconscious boatman to row and even talk to him!

Leonard Churchill suddenly felt this method seemed familiar, as if it were an enemy he had encountered before, and he suddenly thought, “Could it be Domingo? But how did he discover me?”

Apart from that “Puppeteer” Domingo, one of the “Four Knights under the King,” Leonard Churchill couldn’t think of anyone else with such perfect puppet control skills.

But after deducing it, he felt it was impossible.

The other party shouldn’t have been able to find him.

But if not that guy, then who?

And what did it mean that this boatman didn’t attack directly?

Probably because time was pressing, before Leonard Churchill could figure it out, the boatman said outright, “I know that Your Excellency, daring to come to the Shadow Abyss Black Market alone, must possess some abilities. However, I can assert that no matter your strength or who is behind you, once targeted by ‘them’, no one lives to leave!”

“Is that so…”

As Leonard Churchill listened, his eyes began to show an increasingly dangerous gleam.

It was not fear but a sense of excitement slowly overtaking him.

He had no doubt about what the man had said.

The stronger the enemy, the more he could revel in the experience of dancing on a knife’s edge.

Even if it were Domingo himself, Leonard Churchill didn’t recall that he was necessarily at a disadvantage.

Instead, he was now curious about the boatman’s identity.

From the way he spoke, it seemed like this fellow might not be in league with the shopkeeper?

Heh, interesting.

He had thought this was just a cliched scenario of “black eating black”, but it appeared he had stumbled into some other conspiracy.

Leonard Churchill calmly inquired, “Those ‘they’ you mentioned… who are they?”

Knowing he had to give some genuine information to gain the other’s trust, the boatman spoke frankly, “The Black Blade Organization. You may not have heard of it; it’s a very secretive assassin organization…”

Upon hearing the words ‘Black Blade’, Leonard Churchill casually mentioned, “The Secret Service Bureau of the Orlan Royal Court?”

“You…???”

Hearing this from Leonard Churchill, the boatman was shocked but also became cautious. Knowing about “Black Blade” meant there was a high probability he was an enemy, so he cautiously said, “Your Excellency certainly is knowledgeable. However, since you know of ‘Black Blade’, you should realize that my words earlier were true.”

Leonard Churchill

He was no stranger to the “Black Blade,” the Secret Service Bureau of the Orlan Royal Family.

The last time someone came to hunt him down in Sinless City, it was confirmed they were from that organization.

And indeed, they were strong.

If it weren’t for his numerous clever tactics back then, he might have actually died.

But it was precisely because he was about to face such opponents that Leonard Churchill found himself more interested in delving deeper into the matter.

However, the boatman didn’t seem willing to waste more time and quickly pressed on, “I have no interest in probing Your Excellency’s identity. However, you only have thirty seconds to consider my earlier proposal. Otherwise, once you leave this water area, you will be targeted by those people, and I won’t be able to save you.”

Leonard Churchill replied indifferently, “Your deal… let’s hear it.”

Although he didn’t fully believe it,

the current deductions indicated that the person hiding in the shadows and manipulating the boatman was probably not with the Black Blade Organization.

That made him even more curious about who this fellow was and what his intentions were.

The boatman, unsure where Leonard Churchill’s composure came from, took his only chance without hesitation and spoke directly, “Give me that [Ashen Mist Relic Portrait], and I’ll help you leave this place.”

He came for the photo?

Hearing this, Leonard Churchill’s gaze instantly turned cold, “Your Excellency, I don’t think this deal is very appealing.”

If it were something else, it wouldn’t matter.

But he would definitely not hand over something they came for explicitly, the photo.

After all, it might be a relic of Emperor Lanlingster.

Seeing that Leonard Churchill had no intention of trading, the boatman couldn’t hide his urgency and quickly said, “To be frank with Your Excellency, that photo was initially set as a trap to lure me, but unexpectedly you walked into it.”

Leonard Churchill: “???”

Hearing this, he suddenly felt things were even more interesting.