Chapter 108: The Mastermind

Seeing Langdon shake his head, Teabing felt a chill run through his heart, knowing that the scroll inside the cryptex was destroyed. For a moment, Teabing's heart was in utter despair.

He had dedicated his life to researching the Holy Grail, his greatest wish being to uncover this thousand-year-old secret. He wanted to break the Church's millennia-long reign, even if it meant betraying the Priory's secrets to the Illuminati.

Yes, it was Teabing who had betrayed the Priory elders.

He had never imagined that all his scheming would end in his hopes being dashed by the Illuminati. Nothing could be more disheartening.

Suddenly, life felt meaningless. He regretted not agreeing to William's suggestion to kill the man holding him hostage earlier, but it was too late now.

With a voice full of desperation, Teabing shouted, "Kill him, William! He's the one who assassinated the Priory elders. Don't worry about me, William, kill him!"

Teabing's sudden outburst puzzled William, but he no longer had a clear shot. The white-haired assassin kept hiding behind Teabing, making it impossible to take a lethal shot.

As William hesitated, he noticed on a nearby monitor that a dozen people were sneaking into the estate. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were police officers, identifiable by the red armbands they wore during operations.

The police had arrived, and William knew his time to kill the white-haired assassin was running out.

Gritting his teeth, he contemplated whether to heed Teabing's advice and risk a shot, but the idea was quickly dismissed. With the police already here, any accidental shooting would lead to serious repercussions.

As he pondered why Teabing was so sure the white-haired assassin was the culprit, he recalled Langdon mentioning that Teabing likely knew the names of some Priory members and elders. Thinking back to the measures Grand Master Jacques Saunière took before his death, William suspected that Saunière might have believed there was a traitor within the Priory, a very high-level one at that. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been four elder deaths in succession.

But what if it wasn't a traitor within the Priory, but someone outside who was well-versed in its workings? This thought made Teabing a prime suspect in William's mind.

Although he couldn't fathom Teabing's motives, the seed of doubt was planted. William walked towards the table with a desktop intercom, discreetly using his mental power to press the button connecting to the first floor.

"Let Teabing go, and I'll let you leave," William shouted, ensuring that the officers downstairs would hear there was a hostage situation.

At that moment, the butler Remy entered with a gun. Having heard William's shout from the kitchen, he rushed upstairs, narrowly missing the police.

Seeing Teabing held hostage, Remy pointed his gun at the white-haired man. "Let Sir Teabing go."

Seeing William and Remy teaming up made the white-haired assassin even more nervous. "Drop the gun, or I'll kill this old man! I mean it," he shouted.

Watching Teabing's neck get another cut, William and Remy dared not move, creating a tense standoff.

Teabing, a seasoned veteran of many such situations, had calmed down within minutes. Realizing he didn't want to die, he decided that as long as he lived, he could find other ways to pursue the Holy Grail.

Teabing gave a subtle signal to Remy, which William, scanning with his mental power, immediately picked up on. Remy, standing just over a meter away from William, nodded slightly. "Let Sir Teabing go; I'll be your hostage."

William sensed Remy approaching him by half a meter as he spoke, then suddenly pointed his gun at William's head.

The sudden move startled William, who instinctively rolled behind a table for cover.

Remy, quick to adapt, grabbed Sophia, using her as a shield, and aimed his gun at her head.

Smiling at William, Remy said, "Drop the gun, Mr. Devonshire, or I'll shoot Professor Langdon."

Hiding behind the table, William scanned Remy with his mental power, puzzled why Remy hadn't just shot him earlier and had instead aimed to take them hostage.

Something was off. Pretending to care about Sophia's safety, William shouted, "Don't shoot! I'll drop the gun. Just be careful." He tossed his gun out in the open.

With another gun in his storage space, William wasn't genuinely worried. He discreetly pulled out another firearm, keeping it ready.

"Stand with Langdon," Remy ordered.

Feigning compliance, William avoided Remy's line of sight and walked to within a meter of the now-panicked Langdon, careful not to put him in harm's way.

William's reflexes were faster than a bullet, but he was confident he could outmaneuver Remy. "Why, Remy?" he asked.

Ignoring William, Remy told the white-haired man, "Let Sir Teabing go and tie them up."

Though confused by Remy's actions, the white-haired man, known as Silas, didn't release Teabing, fearing a trick. "How do I know you're not acting with him to trick me? Drop your gun first," Silas demanded.

Remy smiled and said, "Silas, you can let Sir Teabing go. We're on the same side."

Silas, shocked, looked at Remy and then at Teabing. "Are you the one who called us?" he asked.

Remy nodded. "Yes, Silas. I was the one who called, and it was Sir Teabing who gave me the information about the Priory elders. Now let him go and tie them up."

Silas, finally convinced by Remy's detailed information about their conversations and the elders' names, released Teabing.

Feeling relief, Silas endured the excruciating pain in his arms, now filled with a renewed sense of purpose. He picked up the gun William had discarded, aiming to kill William.

"Wait, Silas. You can't kill him yet. William is still useful," Teabing quickly interjected.

Confused, Silas looked at Teabing. Teabing explained, "With the keystone destroyed and the four Priory elders dead, our only lead is the Devonshire family.

"The Devonshires were among the original five Templar Knights who discovered the Holy Grail. Although they haven't been involved with the Priory for centuries since the massacre 600 years ago, their family might still have clues.

"Silas, you heard him. William is very devoted to his mother. We need to take them to Oxford, England, and find William's mother. Do you understand, Silas?"

Silas nodded, lowering his gun. Meanwhile, William seethed inwardly, staring at the floor. He had made up his mind: at the first reasonable opportunity, he would eliminate these people.

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