System 55: "Host, are you going?"

Bai Yu: "Of course I am going."

The words 'retreat without a fight' were not in his dictionary.

But as Bai Yu folded the letter, he suddenly thought of something. He raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose and sighed slightly.

System 55: "Host?"

Bai Yu: "I was just thinking that the kitten definitely won't want me to go. It will be a bit difficult to persuade him."

These past few days, Imuel had been incredibly clingy with him, like a dragon that had grabbed hold of its only treasure, wanting only to hold it close and fiercely guard it, almost to the point of not wanting Bai Yu to leave his sight.

Sure enough, when he mentioned the matter to the kitten that evening, he was met with the Duke's fierce opposition.

Imuel had been pretending to be calm, elegant, and well-mannered in front of him these days, caring immensely about his appearance and demeanor. But upon hearing this, he suddenly put down his knife and fork, his brows locked tightly, revealing a bit of a kitten baring its fangs and brandishing its claws.

The Grand Duke realized his loss of composure and immediately lowered his head to pick up some food, his tone very muffled: "You are not allowed to go."

Bai Yu sighed: "I have to go."

This was a very normal banquet invitation, and Rhys had a high status. Not going now would mean that Bai Yu had a guilty conscience, and he would lose the initiative.

Imuel raised his voice: "You are not allowed to go!"

Imuel had experienced just how ruthless Rhys's methods were; to this day, there was still a knife scar on his stomach. The Grand Duke had already almost lost Bai Yu once, and he didn't want to experience it a second time.

The kitten uncontrollably scratched at the table with his claws, visibly anxious. Bai Yu saw this, and for a moment, he almost hallucinated the kittens from his previous life that had separation anxiety, pacing around under the surveillance camera after their owners left the house.

Bai Yu couldn't help but smile: "Don't worry too much. I'm just going to take a look. Rhys wouldn't dare do anything to me at the banquet."

Imuel didn't speak, tightly gripping his utensils. The two of them were in a silent standoff until the poor fork snapped and deformed under the pressure.

Bai Yu then grabbed the Grand Duke's wrist, rescuing the utensil just like holding a kitten's paw.

He set the knife and fork aside, trying to reason with him: "Rhys can't be sure of who I am, which is why he sent the invitation to test the waters. If I refuse outright, he'll know there's something suspicious about my identity, which will be detrimental to our subsequent work. Moreover, this is a public banquet. It's not just me; there are other nobles as well. I hold the title of Baron; he wouldn't dare make a move on me on the spot, as it would give people cause for gossip."

Pressing down on the wrist and squeezing the toe beans was a common way to soothe a kitten. Previously, when Bai Yu did this, Imuel would quickly quiet down. But this time, he pursed his lips and actually pulled his wrist away.

The Grand Duke was ignoring Bai Yu.

The kitten started to sulk by himself. His beautiful brows and eyes lowered, and with his eyelids half-drooping, he looked exceptionally striking yet gloomy, making the servants tremble in fear, even lightening their movements when serving the dishes.

But in Bai Yu's eyes, he just felt that Imuel looked like an angry kitten.

The kind that turns its back on you, leaving you with only a round back of the head. When you reach out to grab its paw, it angrily shakes you off, yet the ears on its head are still standing straight up, slightly turned in your direction, as if waiting for you to apologize.

So Bai Yu couldn't resist reaching out and rubbing the Duke's head.

Imuel's hair was soft and fluffy, feeling furry like a kitten to the touch.

The old butler gasped. The Grand Duke coldly pushed him away, sporting a look of 'if you go, don't talk to me'.

Bai Yu sighed: "I must go."

The doctor had a cold personality and was very clear-headed on matters of principle. To him, attending the banquet was something where the pros outweighed the cons. It would be beneficial to both the Duke and himself, making the slight risk worth taking. Therefore, even though he had made his own kitten so angry, Bai Yu still took the invitation and attended the banquet.

He still wore that ugly Silver Mask, sitting at the very edge of the banquet. He coldly watched others toast and exchange glasses, neither enjoying the pastries nor speaking a word, communicating solely by writing.

Rhys moved freely among the crowd. It wasn't until the banquet was about to end that a servant invited Bai Yu to a small gathering on the second floor.

They took their seats on opposite sides of a marble table.

In front of outsiders, Rhys was an elegant old gentleman with a signature aquiline nose. Bai Yu remained impassive and sat opposite him, only to see Rhys looking him up and down: "Why are you wearing a mask, Your Excellency?"

Bai Yu didn't speak, only writing on a piece of paper: "My appearance is ugly, I fear it might frighten you."

This fit his persona as a mute.

The servant presented the slip of paper. After Rhys read it, he handed the slip to a scholar-like old man. The old man took it, unfolded the slip right in front of Bai Yu, and scrutinized it carefully, simultaneously laying out another notebook.

It was the original owner's notebook.

Rhys: "This is a scholar specializing in traceology."

In Illyria, the discipline of traceology already existed, and handwriting identification was a common criminal investigation method. Bai Yu could hide his face and not speak, but Rhys could still determine whether he was the original person from his handwriting.

For a moment, the atmosphere turned freezing cold.

The scholar held the slip of paper under the light, carefully comparing it word by word.

Rhys smiled as he poured tea: "Please do not take offense, sir. It is truly because a rebellious spy appeared in the Grand Duke's Mansion, and you came at such a coincidental time. We worry for Grand Duke Imuel's safety and have no choice but to take precautions."

He pushed the teacup over, unabashedly scrutinizing Bai Yu, seemingly trying to find a flaw in him.

Bai Yu remained perfectly composed, as calm as an ancient well.

A moment later, the scholar made a subtle gesture: "It's not him."

Rhys's brow twitched, while Bai Yu minded his own business and drank his tea.

The original owner previously worked for the Black Robe Society, and his handwriting was sealed in their archives, but what did that have to do with Bai Yu?

Bai Yu had transmigrated with his original body; his upbringing was completely different from the original owner's. The original owner grew up in the church of the Black Robe Society, while Bai Yu was educated through nine years of compulsory education, later studying veterinary medicine and developing an elegant handwriting style that bore no resemblance to the original owner's.

Rhys frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed his brow.

He became much warmer toward Bai Yu, sighing: "I apologize for the offense. It is just that Your Excellency's figure is truly similar to that spy's. When I took a glance, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me."

Bai Yu remained impassive, writing on the paper: "Who exactly is that Mr. Bai?"

Right now, his overt identity was Bai Yu's stand-in, and it was perfectly in character for a stand-in to be curious about the original person.

Sure enough, Rhys's wariness lessened by another fraction: "That gentleman... I have heard of him."

He said vaguely: "His Excellency Bai Yu comes from the Black Robe Society and is their spy. The Black Robe Society, as you know, is a group of brutes, mostly consisting of street thugs, minor gang leaders, and some young and beautiful girls. This Bai Yu was the only exception; he didn't join a gang, but rather succeeded in his studies and even got into the best medical college in Illyria. If not for this incident, he would have been a promising talent."

In front of outsiders, Rhys was the Grand Duke's uncle, with absolutely no connection to the Black Robe Society. He couldn't go into too much detail, nor could he praise the Black Robe Society, so he only spoke of things that were common knowledge.

These things were common knowledge among the local residents, but for Bai Yu, it was the first time he had heard them.

Just like water is for drinking and fire shouldn't be touched, these things were so fundamental that no one had bothered to mention them to him.

Bai Yu paused for a moment and wrote: "In other words, not many people in the Black Robe Society are educated?"

In a flash of inspiration, he seemed to have grasped a certain clue.

Rhys asked strangely: "Of course, didn't you know this? How strange, from which obscure corner did Your Excellency pop out from?"

Bai Yu: "I lived in the suburbs, I truly did not know."

Bai Yu didn't have the original owner's memories, but from Madam's confession, he learned that the orphans in the church grew up together and then entered various professions based on their talents—some relying on their beauty, others on their strength.

The churches in Illyria were not like the orphanages or welfare institutions of later generations. In fact, for a very long time, the churches that raised young children were quite terrifying entities, much like the notorious Kamloops Church in Canada, where unimaginable sins were hidden beneath a holy facade. When people unearthed the church's foundation, they found the remains of 215 children, their bodies bearing marks of abuse and torture.

The churches operated by the Black Robe Society were the same. The orphans had no parents, like lambs waiting to be slaughtered. They lived in abysmal conditions and were subjected to long-term brainwashing, becoming thoughtless pawns and slaves. The vast majority of the children would die during the screening process; only those as strong as Hammerhead Shark, or as beautiful and specially favored as Madam, were able to survive and grow up.

When they grew up, most of those like Hammerhead Shark became leaders of gangs and thugs. They mingled in the streets and markets, becoming the capillaries of the Black Robe Society spreading throughout the city. They silently controlled entire areas, providing nourishment for the whole organization. From small drops to a mighty ocean, gathering sand into a tower, these small areas converged to form the immense power the Black Robe Society held today.

For the original owner to emerge from such an environment as a scholar was actually a very rare occurrence.

"..."

'Heh.' In his mind, Bai Yu's voice turned cold, letting out a soft, mocking laugh.

System 55: "What are you laughing at?"

Bai Yu closed his eyes slightly: "I just thought of a question, System 55. Tell me, when these children grow up, who do they go to when they're sick?"

Gangs often had armed turf wars, so scrapes and bruises were commonplace. The Black Robe Society naturally wouldn't dare to casually visit just any clinic for treatment. But what if, at this time, there was a doctor who had grown up with them in the church?

He remembered the thick stacks of medical records in the original owner's bookcase.

Bai Yu had also once wondered why the doctor's clinic was so dirty and dim, and the doctor himself didn't even have an operating license, yet there were so many medical records in his study, and so many people frequently visited the clinic to seek his treatment?

Hammerhead Shark and Madam only had one-way contact, and Bai Yu had mistakenly assumed that everyone had one-way contact. But the doctor himself happened to be the exception within the Black Robe Society, because that thick stack of medical records in the original owner's bookcase was the personnel roster of the Black Robe Society.

This was also why the Black Robe Society wanted to kill him after his undercover identity was exposed.

Bai Yu silently clenched his fingers.

The reason the Black Robe Society was so troublesome was because they were hidden, like a stubborn disease in the dark, difficult to cure completely. Judging solely by their overt strength, they couldn't compare to the Duke's personal guards, who were equipped with guns and cannons. But when they were hidden in the streets and alleys, blending into the crowds, it was a different story.

If they had a list, the situation would instantly be reversed.

Both of them had probed for what they wanted. Rhys was certain that the young man in front of him wasn't Bai Yu, and Bai Yu was even more eager to return home. There was no need to sit there any longer, so they waved, bowed, and bid their respective farewells.

Rhys made a gesture: "Chatting with you has truly been a pleasure. A few days ago, I received a few cups' worth of tea, fine Oriental tea transported by sea. I would like to ask you to do me the honor of trying some."

A servant bowed and stepped forward, placing a clear cup of tea in front of him.

System 55 floated over vigilantly: "Host, it's drugged."

It patted its small screen: "But it doesn't matter, just drink it. Whether it's one cup or two, the antidote works the same. I can guarantee your life isn't in danger. Eh?"

Before it could finish speaking, Bai Yu had already pushed the tea away and wrote on the paper: "Sir, I'm afraid I do not have the fortune to enjoy this."

Having 'said' that, he didn't consider Rhys's face in the slightest. He simply stood up and walked straight out.

System 55: "Wait, are we just going to—"

According to the system's assumption, if he didn't drink it, he should have encountered some obstruction.

But this time, all the servants stood obediently in place, while Rhys wore a smile, his expression calm as he indifferently watched him leave.

It wasn't until they exited the banquet that System 55 looked back, still bewildered: "We just came out like that?"

Bai Yu shook his head and sighed, facepalming at the little system's naivety: "System 55, that was the final test."

The Black Robe Society used an addictive poison. The characteristic of this type of poison was that one had to drink a cup of it at regular intervals; otherwise, it would feel like tens of thousands of ants biting at one's heart. The pain would seep into the seams of one's bones. But if one drank it every month, they would be perfectly fine.

Therefore, in Rhys's eyes, if he were Bai Yu, upon seeing this cup of tea, he would drink it without hesitation to delay the onset of the poison. If he wasn't, he would have reservations about some inexplicable tea and wouldn't dare touch it.

This was a risky move of doing the exact opposite of what was expected. It was only at this point that they had truly and completely dispelled Rhys's wariness.

Bai Yu estimated the days in his mind, thinking to himself: 'No wonder he chose to host the banquet today. In two more days, it will be time for the flare-up.'

In the face of the drug's agony, no one could remain calm. If Bai Yu were the original owner, he would definitely resort to any means to obtain the drug at the banquet, and under Rhys's surveillance, he would have inevitably revealed a flaw.

Fortunately, however, Bai Yu had the system.

He confirmed with System 55: "You can block out the toxic effects, right?"

System 55 nodded: "Yes, the system can neutralize most of the harmful effects to the body, but..."

It hesitated for a moment: "But you will still feel very uncomfortable."

This was also a limitation of the system. Refusing to drink the drug was a deviation from the plot. Although the system could protect the host's body from lifelong damage, it was powerless against the pain. Just like Xie Yu's headaches before, to prevent deliberate deviation from the plot, even though Bai Yu wouldn't become addicted or die from the drug, he would still suffer for quite a while during the flare-ups.

Bai Yu said: "It doesn't matter, that's inconsequential."

As long as it didn't leave lifelong damage, a short period of pain was something Bai Yu didn't care about.

The trip to the banquet yielded fruitful results. When Bai Yu returned to the Grand Duke's Mansion, Grand Duke Imuel was still angry.

The Grand Duke detoured behind the study and took a distant glance through the window. After confirming the doctor's safety, he refused to pay him any more attention. Even during dinner that night, he moved his small table away, leaving the large table to Bai Yu, and huddled in his bedroom to eat all by himself, visibly furious.

Bai Yu couldn't help but chuckle.

—The kitten had pushed away his little food box.

Before he had figured out how to soothe him, he first went to the archive room to deal with the Black Robe Society matters.

System 55 gestured: "Are you just leaving like this?" This wasn't how its previous hosts acted when they were in love.

Bai Yu: "Time is tight."

—In a few days, the poison would flare up, and he didn't know how long he would suffer for. He had to finish handling the important matters first.

After the doctor's undercover identity was exposed, all the items in his home had been confiscated, documented, and sealed. They were placed in the archive room.

He dug out those yellowing, old medical records and then went to find Madam in her prison cell, categorizing the files and cross-referencing them one by one with the children from the church.

Many people had changed their names after reaching adulthood, making cross-referencing difficult. Furthermore, the doctor's illegal clinic had been open for nearly ten years, resulting in a complex jumble of medical records and a significant flow of people. Bai Yu had to burn the midnight oil, working day and night at his desk, determining which ones were obviously nearby residents and which ones had suspicious identities. It took him nearly three days of non-stop work to compile the first list of over a hundred people.

During this process, which resembled a detective game, the doctor's brain was unprecedentedly active. The clues formed complex logical chains in his mind. He seemed to be peeling back the cocoon, uprooting the Black Robe Society's massive underground root system. During this process, Bai Yu didn't feel bored; instead, he actually found a bit of enjoyment in it.

Bai Yu handed the first batch of names to the personal guards, instructing them to make these a priority for investigation.

Although the personal guards were confused and somewhat dismissive, Bai Yu was currently deeply favored and not someone they could easily offend. So, they accepted the list and began their investigations.

And as they investigated, they truly found something.

The people on the list were not innocent. They all had cases of lawbreaking and indiscipline on them, and many even had lives on their hands. Digging deeper, they discovered that over half of them actually had dealings with the Black Robe Society.

Shocked, the personal guards couldn't help but feel a profound respect for the silver-masked manservant in the mansion.

That person sat alone in the study, the lights burning through the night, with files and books spread out one by one, and actually managed to organize key information from those voluminous texts. He was far more capable than even the personal guards.

There weren't many people on the list, but the Black Robe Society didn't have many mid-level members either. A hundred people was enough to shake its foundation.

And up to now, only one-third of the files had been organized, with two-thirds still unorganized.

Imuel had been sulking originally. Since Bai Yu returned to the mansion, he hadn't paid him any attention, solely focusing on flipping through medical records, as if the dignified Grand Duke wasn't as important as cold, hard records. But when the list was handed to him, Imuel couldn't say a word.

The doctor was working day and night to clear away obstacles for him.

But after staying up for several days consecutively, even the doctor had developed dark circles under his eyes and looked much more haggard. His lips were slightly pale, and a hint of weariness hung between his brows. The Grand Duke angrily kicked open the study door, attempting to drag the manservant out to sleep. But the doctor had always been the type of person who had to finish things once he started them. When handling matters, he would forget to eat and drink, possessing a sort of morbid fanaticism—otherwise, he wouldn't have worked himself to death in his previous life.

With the list on his mind, he seemed to treat himself as a tool for processing medical records, where sleeping was merely a necessary recharging process. Upon seeing Imuel, he calmly capped his fountain pen and even glanced at the moon hanging high outside the window: "It's fine, I'm almost done. You go to sleep first."

Imuel pursed his lips.

There were clearly still many documents on the doctor's desk.

He sat down opposite the doctor and said angrily: "Give me half."

Bai Yu laughed involuntarily: "Alright."

Grand Duke Imuel learned things very quickly; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to take over as the Grand Duke after being a slave for decades. Bai Yu explained some details to him, and he roughly understood how to distinguish between ordinary patients and potential undercover members. Thus, he moved a table and sat in the corner of the study, drawing a clear boundary with Bai Yu, and also began to lean over his desk and examine the files.

Document after document was dispatched from the Duke's Mansion, and countless personal guards traversed the streets and alleys. A war without smoke quietly commenced. In the end, the huge shadow that was the Black Robe Society, looming over Illyria, seemed to have dissipated quite a bit.

Three days later, the sorting work came to a close. The follow-up work required waiting for the personal guards' investigations, and in front of Bai Yu, there were finally only a few thin sheets of paper left.

He took off the narrow-rimmed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose and took a sip of coffee.

Bai Yu didn't like the bitter taste of coffee, but he really needed it to stay awake when working.

But at this moment, he heard Imuel's exclamation.

The Duke suddenly stood up and reached his hand out toward Bai Yu, his eyes filled with worry, as if he had seen something disturbing.

A warm current surged in his nasal cavity and then dripped down.

Bai Yu lowered his head, and the blood dripped perfectly onto the desk, like a blooming plum blossom.