Chapter 163
The house was pitch dark, with no lights on inside. But Odalys knew that Brandon and his son were both in the house, watching her.
“Odalys stepped inside, her boots echoing slightly on the empty yard. The air smelled faintly of something unustual, a fragrant scent wafting in from inside. As she pushed open the door, the lights in the living room suddenly flickered on.
You’re here! Brandon’s aged voice called out, breaking the silence.
“He was dressed in a black vintage suit, his pale hair slightly disheveled. His bony face revealed no emotion, but his sharp eyes were fixed on her, piercing as ever.
It looks like he’s over the fever, able to sit up now. The poison in his body has been temporarily suppressed,” Odalys said, turning her head to glance at the middle–aged man Keylor beside Brandon, giving him a slight nod
“Keylor looked pale, dressed in an oversized T–shirt that only highlighted his frailty.
“Did you save me?” Keylor coughed softly, bowing his head
gratitude.
“Odalys stood calmly, her hands clasped behind her, raising an eyebrow. She let out a low chuckle. “It seems like you have some questions for me”
**If you’ve got something to ask, just ask. I don’t like to beat around the bush,” she added, her voice clear and confident
“She had come with a purpose. If it hadn’t been for that scent, she wouldn’t have had her eye on this place.
“Brandon took a slow drag from his cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke after a pause. He studied her thoughtfully through the haze as if trying to ace through her
Tolus surprise, Odalys stood there unfazed, and he couldn’t read her mind.
He began “From ilar production team to that night in the v you brought proper into my house
village, you stood outside my house for two minutes. Then, pretending to be on a walk,
You’ve had your eye on the front the tart 1
Last night, you came to save my son. What is it you want? Brandon’s voice was old but still str
“Odalys narrowed her eyes, meeting i beraud offering it to him
this gaze without al
hint of unease. “Help me check something.” she said sofily, pulling out
out a stick from behind
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Chapter 163
“Brandon looked at her, confused, before taking the stick from her hand. As he held it, he noticed dried blood on the surface, with a faint metallic smell lingering
“This stick has a peculiar scent, almost like the one in the air here. Is this y
yours!” Odalys asked, her voice low and deliberate
“The stick had been used to stals into the body of a giant squake. After pulling it out, she had kept it. Now, the scent it carried seemed to match the one wafting through the house.
Brandon shook his head slowly.
“He ran his fingers over the stick, tapping is lightly before speaking. “This stick may look ordinary, but it’s been soaked in a special solution for
several year”
The scent and the stick have merged together,” he added, handing it back to her.
“Odalys frowned. She turned her head toward the lit scented candles nearby, her voice soft but serious. “But this scent i coming from the candles you’re burningTM
is the same as the
as the one
“It’s different. Our scented candles are freshly made, while the scent on your stick has been aged for years. It may smell the sam different” Keylor suddenly spoke up, his voice weak but clear.
“Odalys’s curiosity deepened
but the effect is
“Freshly made scented candles mask other odors in the room, but aged ones, after years of accumulation, can be both a scent and a poison. Keylor explained.
“Odalys’s eyes widened in understanding
“So this stuck, which seems to be covered in scented candle residue, is actually poisonous?” she asked, her voice a bit sharper.
“Keylor nodded slightly. After steaking for years, the wood has turned Lilack”
That’s stratige Odalys said, even more jazzled now
“Someone had taken a poison sick and used it to stab a snake, but clearly, the glant python would have been of far more
r value.
“There’s nothing strange about it. This poilus a unique effect. Over time, it can control the human mind. Brandon suckdenly added.
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Chapter 163
“Odalys’s fingers tightened slightly. The answer felt like it was almost within her grasp, but she couldn’t quite catch it.
“An unusual sensation began to spread in her chest, an unsettling feeling that gnawed at her.
But the stick was taken from a snake,” Odalys finally admitted.
“When Brandon heard her mention a snake, the cup he had been holding slipped from his hands with a clatter, crashing to the ground. Water splashed on his clothes, and his hands trembled as he stared at her.
“Was it the snake from the forest at the edge of the village?” Brandon’s voice was shaky, almost fearful,
“Odalys nodded, recounting everything that had happened earlier that day.
“She kept her gaze fixed on them, noting every detail of their expressions, taking it all in.
Was there something wrong with the snake’s injury? Odalys suppressed the rising confusion within her, her voice soft as she asked
“Brandon fell silent for a long time, his gaze distant, as though lost in thought.
Time passed slowly. Odalys remained patient, not interrupting him. When he finally snapped out of it, it seemed as though he had aged a decade.
gant python is poisonous, but the older they get, the more intelligent they become. It’s difficult to control them. Some people, in order to control these adult giant pythons, target their offspring instead.” Itrandon explained.
giant python and make it
you said is true, then it’s possible that the stick was driven into that snake to control it, to use it to subdue the gia subunit, Brandon continued.
“Odalys was completely bewildered by this.
Why would they want to control a giant python?” she asked in a low voice
“Brandon let out a quiet Laugh, though it was laced with anger. The giant python has venon in its body, and the fluids it secretes can be used to make all sortsed different poin
Wide murder is a comer, if the giant
the toes the killing, swallowing a person whole leaves no trace, no evidence. The giant python is more loyal than any human, making is dar perfect amassing”
The one in the forest near caur village may be alot to ascend to a lugler form. It has become sentient. It doesn’t attack humans, but it won’t let anyone near its lair either. I never imagined someone would harm its offspring, Brandon said, his eyes burning with barely contained rage.
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Chapter 16
He slammed his hand down hard on
ard on the table
table, the sound echoing through the room.
***So these scented candles, are they unique to your house, or does everyone in your village have them? Odalys asked, ber confusion deepening.
“But after entering the village, she hadn’t noticed this scent anywhere else, only in Brandon’s house.
“Our village has a long history of making scented candles. They can be used as fragrance or as poison, and my family has a tradition of weaving fabric. We use the scent in the cloth we make. The fabric we produce absorbs the scented candles, and it can stay fragrant for a long time without the need for perfume, Brandon explained.
“Odalys’s mind wandered briefly to the piece of clothing she had seen at the Stewart Villa, the one in the pond.
“That garment had been made from the clothing of the dead. It not only carried the scent of the scented candles, but also the lingering energy of the deceased.
Is your family the only one in the entire village that makes clothing!” Odalys asked in a low, measured tone.
“Keylor, who had been silent until now, hurried to answer. “Of course, Our fabrics were famous all over the world. Back in Crownridge, we were well–known and respected.”
