Chapter 74 Fallen Aura
"Hahahahaha!"
Lu Ze burst into uncontrollable laughter upon seeing Viscount Dorset's embarrassing corpse.
He knew this was a side effect of 3-169, and though he was anxious, he couldn't stop laughing; in fact, he laughed even louder. Frey and Police Inspector Toler looked at him like he was a Lunatic, and the Viscount's family, who had been waiting downstairs, heard his voice and angrily came looking for him.
"What's so funny! Who's laughing?"
A richly dressed lady strode in, her anger evident, with several maids struggling to keep up with her.
The question didn't need an answer, as Lu Ze was still bent over, roaring with laughter in the bedroom.
3-169, you're really trying to kill me!
Lu Ze covered his mouth and cursed under his breath.
Only then did he finally suppress his hysterical laughter, panting heavily.
"What incompetent police! How rude! How does your police department manage its people?!"
Lady Dorset shrieked. Her family was already ashamed by the manner of the Viscount's death, but they were still trying to maintain their aristocratic composure. Now, Lu Ze's loud laughter shattered even the pretense of dignity.
"I'm very sorry, Lady Dorset," Police Inspector Toler said helplessly. "This Longdaoer probationary inspector, he, he—"
It was clear that Toler was trying to explain but couldn't find any plausible reason.
"Respected lady, this was an accident," Frey said with a cold face.
"No need for explanations! What's your name, you fellow! I'll have you kicked out of the police station immediately!" the lady continued to shout. "Look up! Is this how you behave in front of nobility?"
Towards the end, her voice suddenly softened, because Lu Ze had straightened his back, fully revealing his flawless handsome face to her eyes.
Suddenly, the Viscountess felt that a young man's occasional Error seemed forgivable.
"My deepest apologies, madam."
Lu Ze raised his right hand and bowed gracefully to the Viscountess. "I was rude just now; please forgive me."
In his uniform, combined with that face, it was hard for women not to feel a liking for him. Not only the Viscountess, but even the maids behind her had distant looks in their eyes.
"You… you be more careful next time."
The Viscountess's attitude became very gentle. The drastic change in her demeanor made Police Inspector Toler look incredulous.
The lady asked Lu Ze a few more questions, and after learning that he had come from elsewhere to assist, she even encouraged him further. Finally, because Lu Ze needed to continue his investigation, she reluctantly left the bedroom.
"You really should go to the nobles' balls; all the ladies and young women would go crazy for you," Toler said enviously. He had initially thought Lu Ze had caused a huge problem, but who knew that the other party had appeased the Viscountess's anger with just his face.
"I'm not short on money, nor am I interested in attracting them," Lu Ze said, shaking his head indifferently.
After a chaotic interlude, the investigation continued. Lu Ze reluctantly pulled back the white sheet, revealing Viscount Dorset's body underneath.
The Viscount's body was indeed unclothed. A rope was wrapped around his neck, the ends of which he clutched tightly in his hands, pulling them outwards. His face bore an expression of excited agony, and his complexion had turned a bizarre purplish-red.
"He died of asphyxiation," Frey stepped forward, pried open the deceased's eyes, and examined them.
What was this, he strangled himself to death? Truly a noble, playing such rich and varied games.
Lu Ze couldn't help but shake his head, his eyes scanning the body up and down, but he found no strange aura. "I don't see any mystical factors either."
"Then why did he die in such a state?" Frey frowned.
"Probably to seek thrills," Lu Ze said. He had seen similar cases in his previous life where some people enjoyed obtaining pleasure through asphyxiation, occasionally pulling too hard, accidentally killing themselves, and leaving behind sensational legends due to their strange deaths.
"…"
After Lu Ze finished his explanation, Frey's expression became very conflicted. He probably hadn't expected people to play such a variety of games.
"I just don't know how to explain this to Police Inspector Toler."
"Just tell him the truth; he's the one who needs to worry about it," Lu Ze said, his gaze sweeping across the bedroom. He suddenly noticed a faint aura of depravity on a chair, which, based on its condition, he deduced was left recently. Lu Ze felt that this aura seemed somewhat familiar.
Hmm, I think I've seen a similar aura on those streetwalkers, Lu Ze thought. Could it be that someone else was present when the Viscount died?
"Wait a moment, it seems there was someone else present at the time. I'll try to find them with ritual magic."
So he used his newly bought silver dagger to create a Wall of Spirituality, lit candles, sprinkled herbal powder and essential oils, chanted incantations, and prayed to the Goddess to depict the scene of the person present at the time.
A quiet and profound power quickly enveloped Lu Ze. He couldn't help but pick up a pen and automatically draw on a blank piece of paper. Before long, he had drawn a detailed portrait.
The drawing showed a girl with a round face, whose features were not outstanding individually, but when put together, they became very attractive. She seemed to have witnessed something shocking, her small mouth agape, her face showing surprise.
Oh? This lady…
After dismissing the ritual, Lu Ze picked up the portrait and examined it closely, feeling an increasing sense of familiarity. He had indeed seen this lady before, in the Tingen underground market, on the same day he met Mr. Azk!
Was that woman a streetwalker?
Do streetwalkers also visit the Beyonder materials market?
With a mind full of questions, Lu Ze pushed open the door and called Police Inspector Toler over. "It's highly likely that the Viscount voluntarily strangled himself for pleasure."
"Is that really the case?" Police Inspector Toler seemed to have already guessed something.
Lu Ze nodded. "Also, I discovered that this lady was present on the day the Viscount died. You can ask the servants if this is true."
Police Inspector Toler took the drawing and left, returning shortly after.
"The servants saw her. She was a streetwalker the Viscount found himself. The poor girl, shortly after entering the Viscount's bedroom, she fled in fright. At that time, the servants all saw that the Viscount was still alive; he was very displeased but still had the servants send her away."
She fled? It seems she couldn't accept that kind of game. But the Viscount was surprisingly magnanimous, letting the streetwalker go so easily, only to meet a tragic end where he sought pleasure himself and accidentally used too much force, dying.
Lu Ze nodded and asked, "So, the servants actually knew about the Viscount's interests?"
"Yes, but when they were questioned before, they didn't tell the police for the sake of noble dignity," Police Inspector Toler said. "Moreover, the servants all said that the Viscount had been playing increasingly extreme games recently, pursuing more excessive thrills. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before he played himself to death."
If that's the case, was the Viscount's encounter with that lady purely an accident?
Lu Ze shook his head, always feeling that these were too coincidental. He planned to go back and tell his captain, letting him decide whether to continue the investigation. As for other troublesome matters involving nobles, he would leave them for Police Inspector Toler to handle.