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26. Provocation and competition

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    Although he had long known that Kong Ze was a very good police detective, after listening to his report, Charles was still deeply impressed by the results of his meticulous investigation.  As he expected, there was indeed a lot of hope hidden in the desperate prison of Fort If, and Kong Ze unearthed a lot of very important information.  Father Bushani is indeed a pseudonym, a character who never really existed - however, he has actual meaning of existence.  Judging from his entire activity trajectory, this person must be related to Chateau d'If and Marseille.  ¡°Not only Father Busani, Prosecutor General Villefort, Butler Bertuccio, but also the prisoner Edmond Dant¨¨s who was imprisoned until death all kinds of people are related to Marseille.  ¡°What are the dusty past events in this city that all the clues seem to involve this place?  He still can¡¯t figure it out.  However, the only thing that is certain is that the Count of Monte Cristo must be involved in many old events in Marseille. Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why this series of coincidences happened to him.  After reporting his discovery to Charles, Conze went straight to the Ministry of the Interior to find out who was the person who ordered Chateau d'If to continue detaining Edmond Dant¨¨s; and Charles had no time to spare.  Then, he also started his investigation.  Lord Wilmore and Father Buschany, these are two people who are said to have close relations with the Count of Monte Cristo, and coincidentally, they are both in Paris now.  Ciel plans to visit these two people.  He decided to visit the British noble Lord Wilmore first.  After all, judging from the information obtained so far, Lord Wilmore is the enemy of the Count of Monte Cristo. Even if Charles asks him about the count's secrets, he will not tell the count, at least the information will not be leaked out quickly.  In addition, there is another point - in Charles's heart, Father Busani is now a key figure, and he wants to observe for a while to see who the priest is.  Early in the morning, Charles took a carriage to the bustling Sixth District of Paris, and then came to an apartment facing the street.  After informing the concierge of the visitor's identity, he was quickly allowed in, and then came to Lord Wilmore's temporary residence in Paris.  Charles was waiting for the master's reception in the living room. The living room was decorated like most living rooms in high-end apartments for rent. The furnishings were very formal, with a fireplace, two new-style porcelain vases and a wall clock placed on the mantelpiece.  , a screen with carved patterns on both sides, and red curtains with black trim.  The only things that can reflect the identity and hobbies of the owner are the hunting clothes and riding boots commonly used by the British, as well as a few long swords placed in the corner of the living room.  The curtains in the room were tightly closed, so the light was a bit dark. Although there were a few lamps lit, the light from the frosted glass lampshades looked very weak, which made Charles feel a little uncomfortable. However, since he was a guest, he had to do as he pleased.  .  Ten minutes later, the wall clock on the wall began to ring. When it struck the fifth time, the door next to the living room opened. A tall, middle-aged man with a familiar figure and a dark red sparse beard walked forward with his head held high.  came in.  His face is pale, his blond hair is a little gray, and he no longer looks young, but his eyes are piercing and his tall aquiline nose makes people feel that he has a kind of indifference that repels people thousands of miles away.  He wore a high-collared blue jacket with gold-plated buttons, and the shiny buttons made him look even more domineering.  As soon as he came in, he glanced at Charles and then spoke in English.  "Your Excellency, you know that I don't speak French, so I'm sorry if there is any inconvenience. Of course, you can speak French, and I understand it." His speech was not fast, but it was obviously with a strong tone.  His nasal voice and arrogant attitude are palpable.  Charles was not dissatisfied with the other party's attitude - after all, Britain is now prosperous and technologically advanced, and can be said to be the most powerful country in Europe. It is not surprising that its nobles have such arrogance.  He is here to inquire about the situation today, not to quarrel.  "Hello, Lord Wilmore." Charles stood up very politely, took off his velvet hat, nodded slightly to the other party, and then answered the other party in fluent English, "I respect that you don't want to speak the foreign language.  If you wish, you can conduct today's visit in your native language. I can also speak English." Perhaps it was because Charles's English was too fluent, Lord Wilmore glanced at him again in surprise.  ¡°As expected of a boy from a famous family like Treville, he received a very good education.complete.  ¡± ¡°I hope this leaves you with a good first impression.  " Charles smiled, and then sat down again. "Although the blond boy looks very young, and his gentle appearance makes him less oppressive, he is used to seeing big scenes. In this kind of occasion,  "I heard that you are a very experienced adventurer and have traveled all over the world.  "Ciel started today's visit with a compliment. "Yes, your information is correct.  "Lord Wilmore did not mean any humility. Instead, he held his head high and said to Ciel, "I have traveled to many places and seen many things.  " " Salute to you, sir.  " Charles complimented him again without saltiness, and then continued, "So it is said that you and the Count of Monte Cristo, another great adventurer, have known each other for many years, right?  " "Yes, I have known him for many years, and I even began to hope that he would die in my hands many years ago.  "When he heard the name Monte Cristo, Lord Wilmore curled his lips disdainfully, "If you want to investigate him, I'm afraid this is indeed the best place.  " "It's not even about investigating him.  Charles smiled sheepishly and deliberately downplayed his hostility towards the count. "After all, the Count of Monte Cristo suddenly came to our country and quickly became a news figure. Many people are a little curious about him - this  It shouldn't be surprising.  " "This guy is a complete weirdo. It's normal for you to be curious.  Lord Wilmore sneered, "However, he is a natural disaster. Whoever encounters him will be unlucky. You must also be mentally prepared."  " "It's not to this extent, is it?  Although the count has a somewhat eccentric personality, how many big shots are there who don't have eccentric personalities?  Charles shook his head and said something good for the earl, "I think he can generally be considered a good person, at least he is generous."  " " Can he be considered a good person?  Lord Wilmore was still sneering, "It's just that you don't know him well enough. When you know him well enough, you will find out what a lawless person he is!"  " "It seems that you are really prejudiced against him.  "Char shrugged, "Okay, let's get down to business - when did you know him?  " "When he was very young, he was about twenty years old at that time.  Lord Wilmore replied coldly, "At that time, I was in India, serving the British army - and he was serving in the army of a small kingdom in India, fighting against the British."  We were already enemies by then.  By the way, his name was Chai Kang at that time, not the Count of Monte Cristo.  " "So who will lose and who will win in that battle?  "Ciel ventured to ask. "Of course we won. Is there anyone else who can defeat the British army?  "Lord Wilmore replied arrogantly, "In that war, Chai Kang became a prisoner. I knew him at that time - at that time we were preparing to escort these prisoners to England for imprisonment, and he was also imprisoned on a ship.  In the prisoner ship, he escaped by diving on the way, this cunning thief!  " "Is that when you regarded him as your mortal enemy?  "Ciel continued to ask. "That's not true. He was an enemy of Britain at the time, but he was not my enemy. Besides, the earth king he served for has been defeated and eliminated by us, so we don't need to continue to fight against him.  I soon quit the British army and became a free adventurer.  Lord Wilmore shook his head, "So when I saw him for the second time, I didn't regard him as an enemy. On the contrary, I regarded him as a potential collaborator and a very clever adventurer."  " "His wealth was obtained during your adventure?  "Ciel continued to ask tentatively. "Yes, since he escaped from the prisoner ship, he began to travel and take risks everywhere. When there was civil strife in Greece, he happened to be serving in the army of those loyal to the King of Greece.  During that service, he discovered a silver mine in the mountains of Thessaly, but he kept his mouth shut and hid it from everyone.  After the Battle of Navarino, the Greek government was in a stable situation. He asked King Otto for the mining rights in that area, and the king gave it to him.  He became extremely rich as a result.  Lord Wilmore shrugged, "Of course, by our British standards, he is not particularly rich."  " "Then how much property do you think he has?  " Charles asked. "It's about one or two million francs a year. Judging from his love of spending money, this income can't save much.  Lord Wilmore curled his lips and seemed to be very disdainful, "But that kind of property is unstable. Once the silver mines are exhausted, his good luck will come to an end. With his current ostentation and squandering, I see  At some point he will go bankrupt.  ¡± ?Income of one or two million francs per year?  Charles didn't quite agree with Lord Wilmore's judgment. After all, he had seen the scene with the Count. He felt that the Count's pomp and circumstance could not possibly earn such a small amount a year - although one or two million francs, for ordinary people,  It is a huge sum of money that is out of reach, but it may not be enough to support the Count of Monte Cristo's squandering.  What¡¯s more, he had personally seen the count take out unlimited credit certificates from three banks. With only this amount of income, it was hard to imagine that these three prestigious banks would make such a judgment at the same time.  However, considering that Lord Wilmore is an enemy of the Count of Monte Cristo, it is not surprising that he belittles the Count of Monte Cristo.  "Why do you hate him so much? To be honest, I'm a little curious." After a pause, Charles continued to ask the Lord, "You said before that you had adventures with him, which can be regarded as a bit of friendship.  Right? According to my observation, the Earl is a very generous person to the friends around him. He will not fall out with his friends easily, right?" When asked this question, Wilmore looked calm.  Lord, his face suddenly became tense, and his eyes became very sharp.  Just when Charles thought he was about to get angry, he suddenly calmed down slowly.  "This miserable bastard! When he was in England, I took him everywhere to see the world and make friends, buthe ended up seducing my good friend's wife! Because of my responsibility, my friend suffered humiliation and disaster  , has become a laughing stock in people's eyes, so should I let him accept punishment? " "That's it" Charles suddenly realized.  He suddenly couldn't laugh or cry again. It turned out that the Count of Monte Cristo, who seemed to behave strangely, would also have an affair, and because of this kind of thing, he also provoked a life-or-death enemy "What punishment did you let him receive?"  I'll ask again.  "I have dueled him three times," replied Lord Wilmore, "the first time with a pistol, the second time with a sword, and the third time with a two-handed sword." "What were the results of those duels?" "  The first time he shot me in the arm. The second time he stabbed me in the chest. "The third time he gave me this scar." Lord Wilmore opened his shirt.  The collar revealed a scar. The scar was long and deep, and it could be seen that a lot of blood had been shed.  And the scar was still bright red, proving that it was a new injury.  "That's why I have a mortal feud with him, and he will definitely die in my hands." Lord Wilmore said harshly, as if his old hatred was aroused again.  "But you seem to be at a disadvantage." Charles couldn't help laughing, "You lost all three duels." "Oh! I can't keep losing! I can win after all, and I win  When he comes down, it will be his death," Lord Wilmore said coldly, "Now I practice shooting every day, and Griese comes to my house every other day to teach me how to shoot with a gun.  "More accurate." "From my standpoint, I still don't really hope you can succeed." Charles still smiled, "The Count of Monte Cristo is a guest in Paris and a talkative figure in every living room in society. If it is true.  What a pity it would be to die in your hands. " "That's just a loss for you French people, it has nothing to do with me." Lord Wilmore glanced at him coldly, seeming to be a little dissatisfied with his words.  Not too happy.  Then, he made a gesture to indicate that he no longer wanted to talk.  Of course, Charles could see what his master meant. To be honest, he had almost all the things he wanted to ask today, so he stood up and prepared to leave.  But just when he stood up, his whole body froze.  ¡­ ¡­ No, something seems to be wrong?  There suddenly seemed to be a strange feeling in Charles's head.  Everything seems so complete that it doesn¡¯t even seem to really exist.  Why does everything Lord Wilmore say seem to confirm the rumors he has heard?  It¡¯s just It¡¯s like you¡¯re just speaking for the Count of Monte Cristo. They are obviously enemies, right?  Then, his blank eyes swept around the dim room, and finally fell on Lord Wilmore.  "What's wrong with you?" Lord Wilmore asked impatiently.  Ciel didn¡¯t answer, just continued to look at each other.  Although he was wearing loose clothes, he had a strong body and his steps were strong when he walked in.  And, why does he keep speaking English to me?  It¡¯s really just?Is it because the British are naturally arrogant and unwilling to speak French in France?  Or to hide the accent?  Andand that extremely pale skin!  Although the light here was intentionally dimmed, Charles, who had practiced swordsmanship for many years, had already developed a very sharp gaze. When Lord Wilmore exposed the wound on his chest, he could clearly see that the wound on his chest was  The upper muscles are well defined, and the skin is very fair, almost too fair.  ¡° Could it be that Charles suddenly had a strange suspicion.  Damn it, how do you verify it?  "Mr. Treville, if there is nothing else, you can leave" At this time, Lord Wilmore seemed to be impatient, and issued an eviction order to Charles unceremoniously.  Did you really just leave like that?  No, it needs to be verified.  Because, it is really a coincidence. If we don¡¯t verify it, we simply can¡¯t feel at ease.     so be it.  Ciel was heartbroken, then immediately raised his head and showed a gentle smile.  "Lord Wilmore, I have another request, and I hope you can generously grant it to me." "What?" The Lord was a little strange.  "Please compete with me in swordsmanship, can you?" Charles's smile was bright, but his eyes suddenly became sharp. "To tell you the truth, when I heard that you had competed with the Count of Monte Cristo several times, I also  Some people want to try it. " "Huh?" Lord Wilmore was very surprised.  "What?" "I want to compete with you to see if your swordsmanship is lacking." Charles took a step towards the other party, "To tell you the truth, although I am not old, I have been practicing since childhood.  I practice swordsmanship, and the person who taught me is a real swordsmanship master, so I also have some insight into swordsmanship. You said before that you and the earl lost in a sword fight, so I want to see what can be improved.  " "I don't need anyone to teach me swordsmanship." Lord Wilmore immediately refused after coming back to his senses.  "Then let me put it another way - Lord, I am dissatisfied with your arrogant attitude. It doesn't matter if you insult me, but you cannot insult France on French soil." Charles also raised his head and looked arrogantly.  The other party said, "You were too dismissive of France just now, which makes me very unhappy - this is a battle of honor between Britain and France. I hope that as a British noble, you will not choose to escape." Of course, Charles is not concerned.  What an honor, but he must press forward step by step so that Lord Wilmore cannot retreat and can only challenge him.  In the face of such an aggressive provocation, if he still does not accept the move, it would be very inconsistent with his "personality" of an arrogant British aristocrat.  Britain and France fought a hundred-year war in ancient times, and then fought intermittently for two centuries starting from Louis XIV. It can be said that they have been enemies for generations, so even if he wants to maintain his character, he must rise to the challenge and not show any cowardice.  ??"You are more like a noble than I expected" Finally, Lord Wilmore, seeing that he had nowhere to hide, could only nod helplessly, "Well, you are from the Treville family after all.  Where is the descendant I am happy to communicate with you like our ancestors." After saying that, he stood up directly and walked to the weapon shelf in the corner of the room.  "Since we are practicing, let's use a non-lethal sword." "You are much older than me, I think I should make some concessions in terms of weapons, and I was the one who raised the challenge, so you can give priority to weapons  ." Charles also walked towards the shelves.  "No, on the contrary." Lord Wilmore glanced at him coldly, his arrogance evident, "I think I should let you go, because you can't have as much experience in dueling as I do, and I'm deeply afraid of someone  If I accidentally hurt you, I won't be able to explain it to your grandfather. " "You don't have to worry about that. Nobles have their own honor." Charles smiled and shook his head, telling the other party not to worry, "If I really do.  Even if you were injured in the competition, no one will make things difficult for you. This is basic dignity. We can't afford to lose." Lord Wilmore brought over two swords, both of which were used for training, so they were useless.  What has been sharpened is not so much a sword as it is a thin metal rod embedded in the hilt.  The Lord picked up one casually, then shook it a few times to try the feel, "Hmm, it's really good, it reminds me a little bit of the past" And Charles also picked up the remaining sword, and gently  I waved it a few times to get used to the feel.  Under Lord Wilmore's gaze, he raised the sword in his hand and pointed it at the other party.  But for a moment, in a daze, the person opposite him seemed toHe became another person, a slim but vigorous figure.  "Are you distracted again, you bastard!" The scolding in the memory appeared in my ears like a reappearance.  And that weird, wonderful smile.  Aunt Agnes, how are you now?  Thank you for everything you taught me, and please bless me and don¡¯t embarrass you.  The scarlet imagination was quickly dispelled by Ciel. He gently picked up the sword, then stretched out his front legs slightly, lowered his waist, and the sword blade was facing diagonally downwards, assuming a normal starting position.  Lord Wilmore also quickly began to show his own starting moves.  "Three" "Two!" The two people raised their heads and stared at each other at the same time. At this time, their eyes no longer had the mask-like etiquette before, only the purest desire to fight was left. This is  The aggressive instinct of males has been passed down for thousands of years, and civilization has spent thousands of years disguising it, but it will still dominate the heart of every man when given the opportunity.  "One!" With this loud shout, Ciel quickly took a step forward, then swung the sword in his hand and stabbed the opponent's left chest.  This kind of direct attack without hesitation made Lord Wilmore a little surprised, because generally speaking in such fencing competitions, people are more cautious and will initially fight to find the opponent's weaknesses.  And what this young man did was obviously to use the physical advantage brought by his youth to directly enter a war of attrition, and to win quickly with an oppressive style of play.  The fearless mentality is evident.  With a trace of annoyance, he quickly turned slightly to the right, and then swung the sword in his hand and slashed at the opponent's shoulder.  After Ciel withdrew his sword to block the attack, the two swords intersected and emitted the first chirping sound, but since there was no sharp edge, it was more like the muffled sound of two iron pillars colliding.  After this heavy blow, the two people took a step back in their respective directions at the same time.  Lord Wilmore's breathing was slightly rapid. When the two swords met just now, his wrist couldn't help shaking. He almost dropped the sword in his hand to the ground. He was still aching secretly.  He was a little surprised by the young man's strength. He didn't expect that the young man looked so elegant and handsome, but was so skilled that he could almost be regarded as a professional swordsman.  It seems that he just claimed that he has received special education since he was a child, which is definitely not a boast.  ?The two people looked at each other fiercely, waving their weapons and fighting with each other. During the attacks and blocks, the swords kept making sounds. The sound of "ding-dong-dong-dong" was like an exciting piece of music.  The individual's breathing also becomes increasingly rapid and dull.  ?Because they knew that this was a weapon that could not kill people, compared to a duel with a real sword, both of them were much braver and very offensive. Their footsteps were chaotic and not chaotic. They kept stabbing at each other, always going  The key to greeting, the offensive is very urgent.  Overall, because he was older, Ambassador Lord Wilmore was at a disadvantage. He had been suppressed and could only slowly retreat to weaken the opponent's fierce offensive. In the end, he found that he had retreated to a corner.  When his body was stopped because he hit the wall when he retreated, Ciel took a big step forward, and then stabbed his left chest again with all his strength. This time he was fierce and looked like he was going to use this  to end the entire battle.  Lord Wilmore looked a little exhausted, so he simply lowered his waist to avoid the violent blow, then directly picked up the sword in his hand and swung it hard, hitting the sword blade close to the guard. This blow  It was very powerful and much faster than before. He was convinced that as long as he hit it hard, it would be enough to make the opponent's jaws open and the weapon unable to be held.  However, to his surprise, the young man suddenly stopped his steps and forcibly stopped his body. Then the sword directly blocked his sword, and then twisted it directly. At this moment, the two of them fought.  He gained strength, and then involuntarily took a few steps back.  Ciel felt very uncomfortable, his chest was tight and his hands ached a little, but he did not drop his sword after all.  Lord Wilmore¡¯s condition was further investigated, and his face turned pale, then he coughed quietly and dropped his hands.  Ciel did not continue to attack, but just stood there, looking at the opponent, his eyes a little complicated, but he had no fighting spirit.  "Sure enough, boy." Lord Wilmore slowly calmed his breathing, then threw the sword to the ground, declaring the end of the competition.  "Your teacher did not teach you the wrong person. You are very strong, better than me. I know you. Maybe you can compete with Chai Kang and not fall behind." Ciel did not answer, just lowered his head.The sight and eyes are very complicated.  Yes, he won this contest.  But victory cannot be won without force.  Because the opponent was holding back and was facing him in an extremely unfavorable situation.  He can be sure and certain that the damn guy in front of him is wearing height-increasing shoes!  Although the opponent concealed it very well, when two people are fighting, especially when they get serious later, there are some things that cannot be concealed. Ciel could tell from the opponent's steps and subtle movements that he was wearing height-increasing shoes.  Because of this, his performance was greatly restricted. His pace could not be as compact as normal, and he unfortunately lost to himself.  It is conceivable that if the opponent is in a normal state and is slightly better than him, he cannot win. Among the people he knows, Agnes is probably the only one who can defeat the opponent.  ¡°However, he did not challenge Lord Wilmore for the sake of winning the sword duel.  He has already obtained the information he wanted.  Lord Wilmore secretly wore height-increasing shoes, certainly not to look more dignified, but to conceal his own height.  ¡°Hehe, Count of Monte Cristo is indeed a master of swordsmanship.
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