Suspicion, Amnesia!

An old friend? Harry didn't have many old friends, and even fewer who could make him panic. Du Chen vaguely realized who it might be and shot Harry a calming look, signaling him to confirm the answer he had already surmised.

Harry furiously rubbed his nose and muttered, "This scent can't be wrong; it must be him!" Despite his words, Harry was indecisive, unwilling to make a foolish mistake in front of his master. He abruptly grabbed Andy, whispering in his ear, "Your sense of smell is only slightly inferior to mine, and you know that person even better than I do! So, you must have also sensed who has arrived!"

Andy, drowsy-eyed and disoriented from following Harry, paused for a moment after being grabbed, muttering, "Oh, Lord Harry, you can't treat a noble Snow Wolf with dreams and an appetite like this… Oh, fine, I'll sniff then…" He timidly avoided Alex, using a claw to pick two clumps of something from his nostrils before taking a deep breath. "Hmph… Damn it, it's him! I'll kill him!"

Andy instantly flared into a rage, puffing out his chest, drawing in his belly, and tensing his limbs, ready to seek vengeance!

But then he smacked his lips, lifted his head, and chuckled, "Er, if possible, Master, let’s settle the score with him after we eat! Andy’s stomach is more important than revenge…"

Harry swiftly clonked Andy's head with a Brick, then cheerfully bowed to Du Chen. "Noble Master, Harry was still unsure just now, but with Andy’s assistance, I can confirm it. Your old friend, Divine Grant Earl Brockman, is nearby!"

He then gave a sheepish smile, explaining his initial uncertainty to be safe. "Master, Brockman's scent seems a little different from before. Er, there are subtle differences, and he carries a very strong scent of blood. Under the cover of this blood, your most loyal servant almost failed to sniff him out. However, as long as his blood still flows, he cannot escape a Shieb's nose!"

"A strong scent of blood… has Brockman killed many people recently?" Du Chen rubbed his nose, then patted Porter's shoulder. "You and Harry will switch tasks. You look after Cassian here, and Harry will accompany me to meet an old friend!"

Saying this, Du Chen retrieved some snacks from Alex's pocket and handed them to Porter, leaning in to whisper instructions about Cassian. Porter immediately rolled her eyes, staring oddly at Du Chen: "Threatening a child with not being able to become a man—how did you come up with such a malicious method?"

Du Chen suddenly noticed that Porter’s large eyes were remarkably expressive when she rolled them. He smiled, a wicked grin. Leaning into Porter’s ear, he whispered, "We're all men; you should know this method is quite effective…" He playfully punched Porter’s chest, engaging in a lighthearted, intimate jest between men.

Porter lowered her head, waving dismissively, "Enough with the nonsense, let’s get down to business!" *Men,* she thought, *truly none of them are good. How could the normally gentle and refined Francis turn so foul when this topic comes up?*

Following Harry, Du Chen still felt a bit strange. Porter seemed to have changed a lot since leaving Battle God Isle; she felt… very open and lively!

Winding through streets and alleys, Harry, guided by scent like a tracking dog, led Du Chen to a path in front of a dilapidated church. This Holy Church was distributing relief food to commoners, and though there was a sea of people, the order was impeccable.

"Master, Brockman is just ahead!" Harry stopped, pointing at a few figures in the distance, his voice trembling. He was still quite afraid of Brockman.

Du Chen nodded slightly. Indeed, just dozens of meters away, Brockman’s back was unmistakable. He and several strangely garbed individuals were slowly pushing a cart. Du Chen knew he couldn't be mistaken about this 'old friend'! His gaze was chilling. Deboning, seeing Du Chen’s expression from behind, thought to himself, *Young Master has still taken Flaying’s advice—kill when necessary! Alas, it seems Flaying’s influence over Young Master still surpasses my own!*

However, Brockman truly deserved to die. Newin Port had been plundered, with over a thousand civilians, including women and children, perishing. Yet, at this very moment, Brockman appeared within Newin Port, reeking of blood. Connecting this to Brockman's identity and background, what did it imply? Even a child would draw angry conclusions!

At the very least, Brockman was highly suspected of plundering Newin Port!

Just as Brockman was about to disappear around the street corner, Du Chen’s grim expression transformed into a crestfallen, bitter smile. He hugged Alex and hurried a few steps, catching up to Brockman, raising his hand to pat his shoulder in greeting.

Suddenly, Brockman spun around, fixing his gaze on Du Chen, stepping back sideways. He coldly said, "What do you want, Sir?" His hands were tucked into his sleeves, his expression wary. It seemed that if a word went awry, he was prepared to fight Du Chen in the street!

Simultaneously, the strangely garbed individuals around him also scrutinized Du Chen, shifting their feet to subtly encircle him.

"Huh? A challenge!" The Master Alex rolled up his sleeves, his nostrils flared towards the sky, his peripheral vision sweeping over the encircling figures!

Brockman glanced at Alex, seemingly never having encountered such an arrogant Master before, and scoffed, "An amusing little fellow, isn't he!"

Du Chen was startled. He quickly handed Alex to Deboning and asked in surprise, "My friend, do you not recognize me?"

He observed Brockman closely: golden hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and a tall, sturdy build. Except for a new ruthlessness and brutality in his demeanor, he was undoubtedly still the elegant Divine Grant Earl!

"Do we know each other?" A sharp glint flashed in Brockman's eyes, startling Du Chen. The old Brockman, though powerful, always maintained noble grace and would never look at him with such disrespect!

*Wait, Brockman doesn't have a child with him. Could it be that he didn't bring the young Tyran Beast, Homan, this time!?*

"Of course we know each other, my dear Divine Grant Earl, my good friend, Mr. Brockman!" Du Chen said, observing Brockman’s reaction.

Brockman’s brow furrowed for a brief moment before he suddenly smiled. "Ha, so you were a friend of mine from before. My apologies." He pointed to his head. "I suffered a severe injury recently and have forgotten many things. You are…" He asked with a 'noble' air, and the other accompanying individuals also relaxed their expressions, nodding and smiling at Du Chen.

"Heavens, you've lost your memory? That’s terrible! Back then, we…" Du Chen rattled off perfunctory remarks, his mind racing. Was Brockman truly suffering from amnesia, or was he deliberately feigning not knowing him?

His identity hadn’t been exposed to that mysterious organization, so there was no need for him to pretend not to know him. Could something have happened to Brockman!

Thinking this, Du Chen ended his rambling condolences, remarking with regret, "Alas, to think you don't even recognize me, Cheers!"

"Your name is Cheers? Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I truly can't recall!" Brockman bowed apologetically and then asked, "Are these people around you also my friends from before?"

He surveyed the people behind Du Chen. When his gaze fell on Deboning, there wasn't a trace of unusual expression, as if he genuinely didn't remember anything from before!

Du Chen rubbed his nose, inventing a fabricated history for everyone. While spinning this lie, he secretly observed Brockman, until he was certain that Brockman, at least in his outward appearance, truly didn't recognize them. This only deepened his suspicion!

Brockman shrugged in vexation. "Honestly, I only found out my name was Brockman a few days ago, when I met these friends of mine…" He gestured to the people beside him. "Mr. Cheers, do you know much about my past? Could you tell me some things about myself? Oh, the inns at the port haven't reopened yet, so why don't we go to where we're staying and chat?"

Du Chen smiled, "That sounds good. I'm very willing to tell you everything I know. Come, we can talk on the way!"

"Good, we’ll talk on the way!"

Along the way, Du Chen tried every trick in the book. Brockman, however, either truly had forgotten his past, or his deception had reached an incredibly high level, leaving not a single flaw for Du Chen to exploit. Du Chen even vaguely brought up the three tyrannical she-dragons of Mount Miglio, pricking the Divine Grant Earl's most painful wound, but there wasn't a flicker of change on his face.

In the Auerbach Grand Canyon, Brockman had torn Sinos apart alive in a fit of rage when Sonora exposed that very wound!

Brockman smiled, leading the way. After the great disaster, refugees and beggars were countless. Soon, the church bells rang, signifying the end of the relief food distribution. Suddenly, people heading to the church to collect food became flustered, dashing frantically. A few beggars accidentally pushed their way to the front of the crowd, reeking abominably.

Brockman frowned. "Get lost!" With a wave of his hand, he telekinetically slammed the beggars to the ground.

Du Chen’s brow furrowed slightly, thinking, *Brockman's methods are truly ruthless. Was it really necessary to shatter their leg bones just to deal with a few beggars blocking his path!?*

*The old Brockman wouldn't have been like this. He would have considered beggars too lowly, and acting against them beneath his dignity!*

"Hmph, damned beggars!" Brockman cursed, then smiled at Du Chen. At this moment, he looked no different from the scoundrel young nobles in Saint John City… but that trace of sinister ruthlessness in his brow made one feel profoundly uncomfortable!