Tarry Mercury took a sip of the coffee on the table, composed himself, and then began to explain slowly. "Since the incident with the Golden Ring man, many things have happened. By chance, my old friend White Eagle's son, Sylvika, acquired this cross medal. He then had an accident at Silver Veil Castle."
"What happened?" Galon inquired.
"He fell from the top of the castle. If there hadn't been something to break his fall, he might have died on the spot. Even so, Sylvika has been in a coma ever since, with no clear reason why."
Marian added, "Strangely, the doctors found no brain injuries after examining Sylvika, yet he remains unconscious. He's still lying in the hospital bed without moving." She, too, looked worried. "If possible, we hope, Mr. Kelly, that you could help us."
Galon frowned, looking at Tarry Mercury and Marian. Clearly, they regarded him as someone with mystical powers, hoping his mysterious abilities could solve the young boy's problem.
"I'm sorry..." He clasped his hands together, showing difficulty, "My sensitivity to cursed antiques is just that – a sense of discernment. I'm not the mystic figure you imagine... just a regular person with a special talent."
"But Sylvika's condition..." "Stop, Marian."
Tarry Mercury cut off his wife, "I can see Kelly genuinely can't help; he's not lying."
The detective's brow furrowed, but he soon regained his usual calm and intelligence.
"It seems we'll have to start with the origin of this medal. I stayed at Silver Veil Castle for so long without any incident. How come something happened to Sylvika as soon as he visited?"
"We should analyze it thoroughly," Galon agreed, "I've been free lately, so I'll help you investigate the situation. If we encounter a cursed antique, I can alert you in time."
"I used to think the curse was just a myth, but seeing Mr. Kelly's direct insight, perhaps there's something more. Regardless!" Tarry Mercury stood up, "If cursed antiques are real, and Sylvika's incident happened after acquiring this medal, we must investigate ourselves by taking the medal with us."
"I'll go."
Suddenly, a male voice came through the window, and a figure in a white coat leapt in, sitting on the edge of the couch. It was the blond man who had criticized Galon for his brutality the other night.
"This is...?"
"He's White Eagle, also my best friend," Tarry Mercury introduced him, also briefly explaining Galon's current alias, Kelly.
White Eagle scanned Galon, nodding, "We might entirely rely on you this time." He didn't recognize Galon as the disciple of the Mo Elephant School from the other night.
"No worries, I've been through thick and thin with Tarry, and it's only right to help a friend. Besides, this involves a cursed antique, which I'm very interested in," Galon waved off, "Enough talk. When do we visit Silver Veil Castle?"
"Let's meet tomorrow morning at this Manleyton Company branch and head to Silver Veil Castle together," Tarry Mercury suggested.
"Agreed."
"So, it's settled," Tarry Mercury concluded, putting away the medal, "I originally got this medal from Sylvika, feeling it suspicious. I didn't expect it to lead to this."
"Don't worry too much. Everything will turn out fine," Galon reassured, patting Tarry Mercury's shoulder. His kindness was driven by two factors: wanting to repay Tarry Mercury for his gift and a strong curiosity about the secrets of cursed antiques. After all, he had been duped at Silver Veil Castle once before.
"I need to prepare for the festival tonight," Galon stood up, "I'll take my leave."
"Please do," the Mercurys politely stood as well.
"Rest here; I must excuse myself," Galon said, glancing at White Eagle with a hint of wariness before leaving.
"Didn't notice that guy eavesdropping through the window. He's not bad..."
Goryth waited for him outside. Together, they headed downstairs to the company.
"This branch of my company is under my control. I've arranged everything. Also, I've got the details you asked for."
She handed Galon a document, which deepened his frown.
"No obvious injuries, preliminary judgment is cardiac arrest?"
"Yes, it might be some form of toxin. The enemy has made their move again, this time with great determination. Unfortunately, I might be tied up for a while," Goryth said, troubled.
"No problem, I'll investigate this with the detective and others. It also suits my plans," Galon said, squinting.
Goryth, unaware of his plans, nodded, "Need anything prepared?"
"If possible, get me a gun," Galon smiled.
That night, Galon spent a quiet Carnival Festival with his family, simply having dinner and chatting. After washing up, he slept. The next morning, he disguised himself and met Tarry Mercury and White Eagle at the Manleyton Company branch.
"You're early. Shall we drive?"
In front of the building, Tarry Mercury and White Eagle stood without Marian or Mercury's usual female assistant. A shiny black car waited, its headlights like dead fish eyes.
"I'll drive straight to Silver Veil Castle. Everything ready?" Tarry Mercury got into the car.
White Eagle and Galon also followed suit.
After closing the doors, White Eagle handed Galon a cigarette.
"Thanks, but I don't smoke."
"Mr. Kelly, it's really troubling you this time," White Eagle lit his cigarette and exhaled a smoke ring, "Regardless of the outcome, I owe you."
"You're Tarry Mercury's friend, which makes you mine. No need for formalities. Plus, this was my choice," Galon smiled, "You seem upright. Worth befriending."
"You too," White Eagle grinned.
The car set off, merging into the street traffic, and soon left Huai Shan city towards Silver Veil Castle along a dirt road, surrounded by barren hills.
In the car, Galon played with a black pistol, eager to try it out.
"First time with a gun?" Tarry Mercury noticed from the mirror.
"Yeah, you don't really need one in the city. I got Goryth to arrange a defensive handgun for the trip," Galon examined the revolver, intrigued by its design – a semi-automatic capable of holding six bullets.
"We should go to a shooting range sometime," White Eagle suggested, pulling out a white gun, "But first, let's deal with the little rats behind us."
As he finished, White Eagle swiftly rolled out of the moving car.
Bang! Bang!
Two gunshots followed, and the sound of screeching brakes came from behind.
Tarry Mercury stopped the car and rushed out, with Galon not far behind. Through the window, he saw White Eagle shoot down a burly man, then roll and precisely kill two more assailants.
They were followed by two black cars, from which six men emerged. In a brief moment, White Eagle had killed four and was aiming at the two trying to escape.
Laughing coldly, White Eagle fired two more shots.
Boom!
The fleeing car exploded into flames, filling the air with the scent of gasoline and burnt materials.
Before Galon could fully exit the car, the battle was over.
"Quick action, accurate shooting!" Galon was impressed by White Eagle's efficiency.
Tarry Mercury examined the bodies, confirming they were from the Golden Ring.
"These annoying rats!" White Eagle spat, dusting off his coat. He then turned to Galon, who seemed unfazed by the violence, "You seem to have been through this before. Dealt with the Golden Ring guy last time, right? How about a spar sometime?"
"I'm no match for professionals like you. I'm just interested in antiques, and in our line of work, you can't avoid these situations," Galon shrugged.
"That makes sense. Let's get back in the car, gentlemen. Leave the killing and arson to us professionals," White Eagle kicked the corpse and headed back to the car.
The others followed, and the journey continued. The car was silent for a while, everyone lost in thought.
Galon glanced at White Eagle, who appeared relaxed but was clearly on high alert. It seemed the previous ambush by the Golden Ring had left a deep impression, making him wary of any potential threats.
Tarry Mercury focused on driving, deep in thought.
"Since White Eagle is so vigilant, I might as well rest," Galon decided, eventually falling asleep in the moving car.