School Transmigration: I, Chosen as the Saint by Dragons at the Start-Chapter 177 --Crimson Plum Blossom

The furnishings within the room were far from luxurious.

A modest carpet covered the floor, a square table flanked by two chairs stood at the center, and a neatly made bed was pressed against the wall, which was adorned with two sheathed short swords hanging above.

At the foot of the bed stood a wardrobe.

The room’s doors and windows were carved with exquisite decorations.

"Who really are you?"

Anna moved to the bedside as Visto surveyed the room, the pair of short swords within easy reach.

"I am Visto," he replied with a jesting bow.

"Visto is just Visto, huh?"

With a "swoosh," both short swords were in Anna’s hands.

Visto instinctively took a half-step back, and in the next second, the blade in Anna’s left hand sliced through the air where Visto had just been standing.

"Your reflexes are quite fast."

Anna bit her lip lightly, her right-hand sword pointing at Visto, ready to pierce his chest with a gentle thrust.

"That was close, nearly cost me my life. Lucky for me, I dodged quickly."

Visto seemed oblivious to the blade before him, maintaining a mocking demeanor.

"I am a healer. Just by looking at your complexion, I can tell you’re suffering from a serious illness. Am I right, girl?"

Anna’s eyes remained fixed on Visto.

Despite her perception indicating this country doctor lacked arcanergy, he had somehow evaded her deadly strike.

Could it have been mere coincidence?

Something felt off to Anna, but she couldn’t pinpoint what.

The more she observed Visto, the more she felt his presence was weak, almost blending seamlessly with the surroundings.

Her gaze briefly flickered to Visto’s hands, noting they were slender, reminiscent of a scholar’s.

By his left side, Gael sat quietly on the floor.

When had the dog entered? She hadn’t noticed at all.

A chill ran through her: "Who sent you to kill me?"

"Nature itself," the uncle replied with a slight smile, "Gael and I have wandered the wilderness for so long, cultivating our minds and spirits, that we’ve absorbed the essence of nature and naturally blend into our surroundings."

"This is somewhat similar to some professional assassins, though they deliberately conceal their presence. We are different; not only does our presence become one with the environment, but we can also sense anomalies within it. For instance, girl, you’ve been trying to detect if I possess arcanergy."

Anna was skeptical but instinctively sheathed her knife, hoping Visto’s words were true.

If Visto truly were an assassin, possessing such a powerful ability to hide his presence and such keen perception, he would undoubtedly be capable of delivering a fatal blow.

With her abilities, she likely would not stand a chance.

Moreover, she had never disclosed her "illness" to anyone, yet Visto had immediately recognized her outwardly robust but inwardly deficient constitution.

Perhaps he could indeed alter her fate.

After a moment of eye contact, she flashed a smile, the kind borne of weathering life’s storms, and left the room.

Visto poured three cups of tea.

Gael leaped onto the chair opposite him, grabbing the cup and gulping down the tea.

Visto chuckled, barely sipping his tea when the door was pushed open.

As if none of the prior events had occurred, Anna entered with an innocent smile, closing the door behind her, "Uncle, I forgot to mention, this is my room."

"Oh?"

"The lord’s residence seldom has visitors, so there are few guest rooms." Anna winked at the uncle, "I’ve asked the servants to prepare another room for you. Please, make yourself comfortable here for now."

"That sounds good," Visto replied with a soft smile.

"It’s still early; let’s play chess," Anna suggested, cheerfully taking Visto’s hand.

...

The dinner was ready, and the servants had withdrawn, yet Lord Dawson had not arrived.

Anna said she would go and hurry her father, darting towards the study like a swallow.

Visto, watching Anna’s graceful figure, smiled and asked Owen, "What do you think of this girl?"

"I can’t see through her."

Owen’s expression was serious, "She seems to carry a strange aura; I always feel this woman is very scheming."

Visto gave a slight smile, patting Gael’s head, his eyes suddenly flashing with worry.

Dawson hadn’t come, not because he didn’t want to, but because he had been poisoned.

Upon entering the study, Anna found her father sitting motionlessly in a wicker chair, his breathing erratic.

Approaching, she confirmed her father was indeed poisoned, surviving only by shielding his heart with his arcanergy.

Unlike a typical young lady, Anna didn’t panic in the face of crisis.

She quickly gathered her maids, instructing them to pretend to change the potted plants while standing guard around the study.

Then, claiming her father had a painting he wished the distinguished guests to see, she lured Visto and Owen into the study.

Once inside, Anna and several maids who had been lying in wait cornered Owen.

The last person seen with Lord Dawson was Owen, and with the lord poisoned and unable to speak, the truth unclear, they couldn’t allow Owen to roam free.

Owen, understanding the situation, didn’t resist, though being tied up was hardly comfortable.

Anna demanded Visto cure her father’s poisoning, saying, "I know the people in the city cannot cure this poison, so I won’t let them try because I don’t want to kill them. But you, you already know too many secrets. If you can’t save my father, you’ll join him in death."

Visto said nothing, requested no medicinal herbs, and simply gestured for everyone to leave.

The method of detoxification remained a mystery to all, but three days later, Dawson was able to speak again.

With his health slightly improved, Dawson convened a meeting in the study with Owen, Visto, and a few trusted officials.

His cultivation was utterly destroyed, a fact he could no longer conceal.

Dawson briefly recounted the events, explaining that after sending Visto away that day, Owen had detailed the situation in Termination Forest.

He decided to promptly report the matter and simultaneously strengthen the defenses of Ironblade City.

After the discussion, Owen left the study.

As Dawson was reviewing the city’s defense plans, he suddenly felt a chill, followed by a burning sensation at the back of his neck, and then lost consciousness.

At this point, Dawson looked at Owen and Visto with a smile, saying, "My daughter mentioned inviting you two to see a painting that day. It wasn’t entirely untrue. Anna, please bring out the painting."

Anna retrieved a small scroll from the bookshelf and slowly unrolled it on the table, revealing a petite plum blossom.

"Crimson Plum Blossom!" exclaimed several of Dawson’s officers, and even Owen’s expression darkened.

"Crimson Plum Blossom" represented a person, a killer far removed from poetic elegance.

Yet, he called himself "Crimson Plum Blossom," always leaving behind a small painting of a red plum blossom with each murder.

Curious souls once sought to discover if the plum blossoms were personally painted by the assassin, spending a fortune to acquire several left by "Crimson Plum Blossom" only to find they were all identical, leading to claims that the paintings were printed.

Not long after, one such inquisitive person was found dead in a plum garden, their body covered with scrolls.

Since then, the infamy of "Crimson Plum Blossom" only grew.

Some criminals, after committing murder, would leave a plum blossom painting beside the body, impersonating the deeds of "Crimson Plum Blossom."

In a span of fifteen years, more than eight hundred murders were attributed to Crimson Plum Blossom, with the victims purportedly exceeding a thousand.

However, what truly instilled fear in people about Crimson Plum Blossom was not the sheer number of killings, but the method employed.

Fifteen years ago, all seven marshals of the Charlotte Kingdom were assassinated overnight, each dying from severe poisoning.

The marshals, sworn brothers, were all masters of their craft, residing in closely situated estates within the Marshals’ Quarters, yet none detected the assassin’s presence, dying silently and without warning.

This incident sent shockwaves across the empire, prompting the capital to dispatch the royal guard to investigate.

According to the coroner’s findings, the strongest among them, Marshal Fitz, was the last to be murdered.

As the leader of the seven marshals and one of the most perceptive individuals in the Charlotte Kingdom, Marshal Fitz resided in the central estate of the Marshals’ Quarters.

That he was assassinated right under his nose, after six of his brothers had been killed without detecting anything amiss, ultimately losing his own life, was astonishing.

The royal guard meticulously examined the entire Marshals’ Quarters, finding no signs of struggle, no inside accomplice, and all victims poisoned by an unidentified toxin injected at the back of the neck.

The small puncture wounds suggested needle stabs, yet no poison needle was found, presumably withdrawn after use.

The only clues left behind were a painting of a red plum blossom in front of each body and a few words on Marshal Fitz’s wall: "Killed by Crimson Plum Blossom."

The royal guard concluded that the assassin worked alone, possessing top-tier skills in concealing his presence and using a poisoned needle for a lethal neck stab, indicating he was a master poisoner.

The captain of the guard believed that the assassin targeted the six weaker marshals first, leaving Marshal Fitz for last, and the act of leaving a painting beside the bodies to announce his name demonstrated his arrogance and presumption.

He was sure to strike again.

As a response, the empire dispatched three hundred elite masters to assist in various locations, ready to lock down entire cities at a moment’s notice and mobilize all nearby forces for tracking and capture should Crimson Plum Blossom commit another crime.

Yet, Crimson Plum Blossom went silent for an entire year, only to reemerge in the Pes Kingdom by assassinating Prime Minister Glenn.

After that, he continued his spree of crimes without ever being caught, like an invisible man.

Rumors spread that the emperor personally decreed the establishment of a secret agency dedicated to capturing Crimson Plum Blossom.

Nonetheless, his crimes persisted, leaving the empire clueless as to whether he was a lone wolf or part of a larger assassin organization.