Chapter 118 Charlatan Antics

Back before he transmigrated, during his university days, Odis had chatted with his roommates about folk tales like the ‘Great Immortal Huang’.

Even then, he had acutely realized that the most crucial step in any superstitious racket was winning the target’s trust. As long as the target bought into that ignorant and superstitious logic, they would believe virtually anything said afterward.

At least, they would believe it in the moment.

And so, Odis had carefully staged his entrance, leading Viscount Verde and everyone around him to believe he was an authentic Warlock. Even Beavis, a Sequence 6, found himself thinking that the Warlock before them was exceptionally skilled.

This caused Odis to feel his spirituality become noticeably active, to the point where even his potion showed signs of digestion.

He realized his direction for acting was entirely correct. Setting aside old men like Gandalf who took bizarre detours in their skill trees, a Warlock was supposed to be a mysterious and wise existence well-versed in all manner of sorcery…

Thus, at the viscount’s request, Odis waved a hand dismissively, saying, “Since I appeared upon your path, it means fate has bid me to aid you.”

Leaning on his staff, he cast a theatrical gaze around the living room before turning to Verde, “Just as I foresaw, a malevolent entity has fixed its gaze upon this place, bringing misfortune upon you.”

Beavis frowned slightly at that, because he hadn’t sensed any evil gaze in this place.

Viscount Verde hurriedly asked, “Then what should we do?”

“Do not rush. Let me take another look.” Odis stared up at the ceiling as though gazing into the far distance. Only after a good while did he speak: “This malevolent entity hails from the Underworld, a lord over one of its realms. His gaze is exceedingly covert, seemingly… seemingly using the soul of someone dwelling in this house as a shroud.”

Beavis was left feeling lost. He knew about things like the Underworld and its lords, but he never heard that one could conceal their gaze behind a human’s ‘soul’.

Hearing Odis’s words, the way Viscount Verde looked at everyone around him shifted instantly. At this moment, everyone seemed suspicious to him.

Finally, he asked, “Should I replace all the servants?”

Hearing the viscount’s words, many of the servants in the room revealed lost and reluctant expressions.

Though the Verde family had terrible tempers, all the servants here cherished their stable jobs.

Fortunately, Odis said, “There is no need. We simply need to find that person and exorcise the evil from them. Besides, that person should be one of your family members; otherwise, it would not affect your family’s fortune.”

Many servants breathed sighs of relief.

Viscount Verde immediately said, “I will summon all my family members at once.”

“It is not a matter of summoning them, but rather of me searching their rooms,” Odis said, “That person’s room frequently bridges with the Underworld. We will surely be able to uncover some clues within it.”

He paused before adding, “I need you, as the master of this house, to help me search. Yet if you go in person, it would be easy for that malevolent entity to shift his gaze onto you, so you must not go.”

The viscount froze for a moment, “Pardon me, I didn’t quite catch that. If I can’t go in person, how am I supposed to help you search?”

“I will take your soul with me.” Odis replied indifferently.

Viscount Verde instantly grew nervous, “I… I don’t possess the power to separate my soul from my body…”

As an aristocrat, he naturally knew about the existence of Beyonders, which was why he placed such firm trust in Odis, believing this Warlock’s sorcery and Beyonder powers could help him.

But this particular request seemed impossible for him to fulfill.

“I will assist you,” Odis said, “Rest assured, you will not be in any danger.”

Hearing this, Viscount Verde immediately beamed, “You truly are a powerful Warlock!”

Beavis was about to step forward to dissuade him, because Beyonder operations involving the Soul Body were generally dangerous. After a moment of hesitation, however, he ultimately chose to stand by and watch, intending to intervene only if he noticed danger.

Odis began directing the servants to move the sofa away, having Viscount Verde sit on a single-seater armchair. Then, he produced a pen and spiritual materials he had prepared beforehand, then began drawing a magic circle.

Once everything was ready, he took out a palm-sized crystal ball and placed it at a specific node within the magic circle.

He explained, “In a moment, your soul will enter this crystal ball. However, you will not be able to speak, move, or hear anything. You will only be able to see.” Then he added, “Do not be nervous. Once we find the clues, I will send you back.”

Having never experienced anything like this, Viscount Verde was naturally somewhat anxious, “Alright, alright.”

Finally, Odis uncorked a small vial of medicine and held it under Viscount Verde’s nose for him to sniff.

The latter instantly slumped back against the armchair, appearing to have fallen asleep.

Odis began chanting an incantation in a deep, solemn voice. If a fellow transmigrator were here, they would’ve been amused to discover that the mumbled syllables he uttered were: “I sleep in spring until the dawn comes breaks… From all around the songs of birds awake. But in the night, the sound of wind and rain… Who knows how many blossoms fell away…” {T/N: FYI, These words are from ‘Spring Dawn’, a Chinese poem by Meng Haoran…}

Naturally, these incantations held no real power. The true crux lay in the moment Odis infused spirituality into the magic circle to activate it.

Still, to lend the process a greater sense of mysticism, he had no choice but to put on this elaborate show first.

In truth, what he said about transferring Viscount Verde’s soul into the crystal ball was also pure mystification. Having a Soul Body possess an object was a very high-level Beyonder power, something Odis’s magic circle was currently incapable of achieving.

What he had actually drawn was a Vision Extension Array; something capable of establishing a close link between his or someone else’s line of sight and a specific object.

As long as one remained within 50 meters of the array, they could use that object to quietly observe distant surroundings, or cleverly bypass obstacles to look around.

The instant Odis used the drug to put Viscount Verde into a half-asleep, half-awake stupor, the nobleman’s body was no longer able to move or speak, and only his vision followed Odis away.

As a result, this created the illusion for Viscount Verde that his soul had attached itself to the crystal ball and was traveling with Odis…

Once the performance was nearly complete, Odis infused spirituality into the array, and Viscount Verde’s vision manifested through the crystal ball.

Believing in his half-conscious haze that his soul had already left his body, the viscount immediately grew tense, every muscle in his body stiffening.

By now, the sky had darkened, and a servant lit the gas lamps. Under the glow of the lamplight, the magic circle drawn with occult symbols, Viscount Verde lying rigid on the sofa, and the herbal fragrance lingering in the air combined to make the scene before them appear extremely bizarre.

Seeing the array functioning properly, Odis picked up the crystal ball and said to those around him, “Watch over the Viscount here.”

Beavis nodded. Through his Spirit Vision, he saw that Viscount Verde’s Soul Body was still in his body. He wanted to see how this Warlock would wrap up his act once the viscount woke up.

Unaware of this, the others responded in unison, “Yes.”

Many of the servants quietly swallowed their saliva to hide their nervousness. They were really curious if the viscount lying on the sofa was still alive…

…

Carrying the crystal ball, Odis required no guidance as he made his way to the doors of the Verde family members’ bedrooms.

The butler followed closely behind him, partly to avoid any breach of etiquette, and partly to prevent any valuables from going missing.

Besides the late Bishop, Viscount Verde had two other sons and two daughters. One daughter was already married, and the eldest son was married as well.

The family members still living here had all been drawn to the living room earlier by the Warlock’s ‘magical performance’, leaving the bedrooms completely empty.

Accompanied by the butler, Odis began inspecting the rooms one by one. He soon arrived at the third room, which was the bedroom Bishop had once occupied.

He abruptly froze at the doorway.

“Did you find something, Mr. Warlock?” Asked the butler.

Without answering, Odis strode quickly into the room and seemed to pull something illusory from near the head of the bed.

*Whoosh!*

As he made the pulling motion, a wisp of eerie green fire flared to life in his hand, startling the butler, who recoiled in haste.

The flames vanished almost instantly. Odis said solemnly, “Bring the owner of this room here. We must perform an exorcism on him at once!”

The butler blinked in a momentary daze before offering a polite smile, “I apologize, Mr. Warlock, but the master of this room is already dead.”

“Dead?” the killer, Odis, echoed in mild surprise.

“Yes.”

“Then that makes things simple,” Odis said, “Come, let us return to the living room.”

When the two returned, the Viscountess hurried over and asked, “How did it go? Did you find out who it was?”

Odis did not reply, placing the crystal ball back into the array instead.

The butler answered hurriedly, “I–it was in Master Bishop’s room. He found…” He did not even know how to describe what he had just seen.

“Oh, poor Bishop,” the Viscountess said, grief creeping into her voice, “No wonder he met such a tragic end.”

Before Odis could say a word, she was already letting her imagination run wild.

At that moment, Odis severed the connection between Viscount Verde and the crystal ball, then held a refreshing potion to the man’s nose.

Before long, the viscount slowly blinked awake, “Heavens… Good heavens, what I just experienced was simply miraculous! It is hard to believe I truly entered such a small crystal ball.”

Beside him, Beavis was taken aback: ‘What? The Viscount’s Soul Body entered the crystal ball? This doesn’t make any sense. Just moments ago, his Soul Body was still inside his body!’

The Beyonder bodyguard fell into deep self-doubt.

Still, no one noticed the shock on his face, because everyone present was just as stunned. Many of the servants were tracing the shapes of the moon and stars over their chests, while others traced the symbols for storm and lightning.

“Unbelievable… That… that will-o’-the-wisp… Yes, that eerie flame was pulled right out of Bishop’s pillow!” Viscount Verde said with lingering agitation, but soon, a pang of sorrow overtook him, “To think it was Bishop, of all people…”

“The problem has been identified. Now, let us discuss how to resolve it.” Odis said.