Translator: CinderTL
"They've finally left."
At the harbor, watching the fleet of the royal guards depart, a brown-haired young man dressed in gentlemanly attire, Lund Charles, finally relaxed his expression.
After all, the king's trusted Alchemy Master was on board. If their factory operations had been discovered, it could have led to unfavorable consequences.
"Father, we've been shut down for several days now, and many orders remain unfulfilled. What should we do about the factory?"
Lund asked. The brown-haired middle-aged man in a silk robe turned his gaze away from the sea and nodded lightly.
"Let's resume operations and try to finish as soon as possible."
"Yes."
Lund nodded, but soon Duke Charles spoke again.
"How's the investigation into Tule going?"
"We've already started the investigation, Father," Lund replied respectfully. "There were over thirty fleets docked at the harbor during that period, but since Master Adler is also here, I've held back on sending too many people out these past few days."
"Send more men immediately."
"Understood, we'll expedite it."
With a light nod, Duke Charles turned and walked toward the carriage.
A cold glint flashed in his deep eyes.
He was curious about who dared to oppose the Charles Family.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
The carriage moved steadily along the smooth road, the sound of hooves echoing melodiously.
It was an open carriage, with seats that could accommodate only two or three people.
"Master, are you also a ship captain?"
On the way, Tulin, who was driving the carriage, asked curiously.
"No."
Chen Feng shook his head, and the other man let out an "Oh."
The two fell silent, and Chen Feng glanced at the streets on either side.
Ragged beggars knelt by the roadside, and occasionally, horse dung could be seen, still uncleared.
Amidst it all, the sound of coughing reached his ears, and Chen Feng couldn't help but look toward the distant factory.
A black chimney rose straight into the sky. After a moment of thought, he asked,
"Has the Sark Factory shut down?"
"Yes, Master."
"It stopped operations last Monday. There seems to have been some issue with the production equipment."
Tulin quickly explained, and Chen Feng realized that over ten days had passed in this world.
"Many people are complaining. After all, when the factory shuts down, they lose their income."
"Our family has also been affected. With the factory closed, workers no longer dirty their clothes."
Tulin inadvertently began talking about his family, and Chen Feng learned that he had a mother and a younger sister.
His father had died from a fall years ago, leaving little behind.
To take care of his sister, his mother usually stayed at home, washing clothes for others.
Chen Feng fell silent. No wonder the boy had started working at such a young age.
"We've arrived, Master!"
Tulin suddenly called out as rows of houses in the garden district came into view.
Passersby glanced curiously, and Lei Long, who happened to be in the garden of one of the townhouses, spotted him immediately and hurried over.
"Master Feng Chen!"
He was wearing a thick gray sweater, his beard unusually well-groomed, as if he had been spending time at home with his daughter, Little Andi.
Chen Feng nodded, stepping down from the carriage, then gestured toward Tulin beside him.
"Master, I don't need payment!"
Tulin, catching the hint, greeted Lei Long with admiration before quickly turning to climb back onto the carriage, ready to whip the horses and leave.
"You little rascal, where do you think you're running off to!"
Lei Long feigned annoyance, stepping forward to grab hold of him.
At the same time, he stuffed a dozen copper coins and a hidden silver coin into the patched pocket of the other person's clothes.
"Lord Lei Long, I..." Tulin's face flushed red as he tried to break free and retrieve the coins from his pocket.
But before he could react, Lei Long suddenly slapped the black horse's rump, startling it into a gallop.
"Hahaha, young Tulin, you look so awkward driving the carriage!"
Laughter echoed around them, and some passersby who were drawn to the scene chuckled lightly, not paying much attention.
Chen Feng understood Lei Long's intention.
A dozen copper coins were manageable, but a silver coin was enough to support a family of three here for a month.
Lei Long clearly didn't want others to see it, lest they become envious and act irrationally.
"Hehe, Master, I looked into this young Tulin earlier."
"It's been tough for him, so please don't laugh at me."
Lei Long explained, and Chen Feng nodded, naturally refraining from further comment.
Subsequently, the two walked through the iron gate and arrived at the garden in front of the row of townhouses.
The flowers inside were well-tended, and there was a noticeable cluster of small white flowers.
"Uncle..."
Little Andi, with slightly curly hair, had been curled up under a blanket on the lounge chair, taking a nap, but now she woke up.
"Uncle!"
Her uncertain call grew louder, and she threw off the blanket, running over despite the maid's exclamation.
"Andi."
Chen Feng smiled, ruffling her hair.
"Uncle, those little flowers are all smiling, as if they know you really like them."
Little Andi pointed at the cluster of small white flowers, swaying in the breeze.
The innocence of a child made Chen Feng smile and nod.
Amid the child's laughter, he and Lei Long entered the house and went to the study.
Coffee was brought by the maid, and the door was closed.
Lei Long asked curiously, "Master, how long do you plan to stay in Banli Port this time?"
Having left without notice twice before, he mistakenly thought Chen Feng was exploring nearby or busy with other important matters.
"About six or seven days."
Chen Feng said casually, taking a sip of coffee.
It was somewhat bitter, not quite to his taste.
"The main reason I came to see you this time is to find out how things are going with the Mermaid."
Putting down the coffee, Lei Long noticed him slightly furrowing his brow.
"There's already a lead, Master. I heard someone saw a Mermaid at the port, escaping from a fleet."
"They thought it was a mistake, so they didn't make a fuss."
"Later, I found out that the fleet they saw was probably the same one we encountered at Merman Bay."
Lei Long looked worried, suspecting that behind this fleet was a prominent figure in Banli Port.
Duke Charles, Earl Sorodo, and a few other nobles and factory owners.
Chen Feng nodded, knowing these matters weren't easy to investigate.
He had to be patient and wait. Later, he inquired about the local church, especially the Storm God.
The talent orb from Eaglefall Island was related to storms, and the rumors there were similar, so he had to pay extra attention.
"The nine true gods joined forces to seal the evil god and then fell into a deep sleep."
"The Storm Church and the Frost Church both have branches in Banli Port, each with a bishop and over a dozen followers."
Lei Long explained, adding that he himself was a follower of the Storm God.
Chen Feng became interested.
Through some probing, he roughly understood the reason.
The Sequence Power of this world was rumored to have been passed down by the gods, allowing the church to spread supernatural knowledge.
The gods cherish the world and are also the creators of each Sequence.
Therefore, under normal circumstances, every Sequencer is a believer of the corresponding Sequence deity.
However, some have deep faith, while others have a more superficial belief.
As for whether to join the church, it is entirely up to the individual, and not everyone can join.
Upon hearing this, Chen Feng pondered deeply, even entertaining a somewhat absurd thought. Could the gods here be one of the Evil Gods?
If he approached their followers, could he obtain the corresponding Evil God Power?
No one could provide an answer. After discussing with Lei Long, Chen Feng decided to take some time to wander near the Storm God Church.
Five days later.
Chen Feng left the Storm God Church and the Frost God Church one after another.
Despite his attempts, he did not obtain the so-called divine power.
He suspected that such power could only be obtained from the so-called Abyssal Evil Gods, and the Storm God and other righteous deities were clearly not among them.
Chen Feng shook his head and prepared to leave.
Looking around, he noticed the grand entrance of the Frost God Church, adorned with intricate carvings resembling frost, clearly made from some precious stone.
Outside the gate stood two armored knight statues, each about two meters tall.
It seemed as if some hidden power resided within them, deterring ordinary people from making eye contact.
Chen Feng sensed a momentary feeling of intimidation, not malicious, but rather a warning to the wicked.
"The Frost God will protect us."
"May diseases stay away."
"God, please bless us!"
Intermittent whispers of prayers could be heard. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw many people kneeling on the gray stone plaza.
The church entrance was bustling with activity, a testament to the real existence of the gods in this world and their numerous followers.
"The recent epidemic is indeed getting worse," Lei Long remarked.
Chen Feng glanced at the distant black chimney.
Gray smoke had begun to pour out again, turning the once slightly blue sky back to gray.
"Do you think the church will protect them?" Chen Feng asked.
"Probably... yes?"
Lei Long was uncertain, or perhaps he didn't truly believe it himself, but dared not deny it out of respect for the gods.
Chen Feng didn't argue, simply stepping out through the exquisite gate of the Frost God Church.
A carriage was parked nearby, with Tulin, dressed in patched clothes, standing beside it.
He had returned home and found the silver coin, then sought out Lei Long, stubbornly refusing to accept it.
In the end, to accommodate him, and because Lei Long often went to sea and didn't keep a coachman at home, Lei Long not only gave him the silver coin as payment but also added a bit more, hiring him to make a few extra trips to the garden area these days.
"Master!"
Seeing them from afar, Tulin quickly brought down a small stool from the carriage.
"Have you been waiting long?"
Lei Long ruffled his hair, having heard that Tulin also dreamed of going to sea.
"As long as I'm waiting for the Master, no amount of time is too long!"
Tulin said firmly, and Lei Long smiled with satisfaction.
The two then boarded the carriage and gradually left the church.
"Master Feng Chen, shall we take a detour around the city again?" Tulin asked, though puzzled as to why the Master insisted on touring the city these past few days, he didn't inquire further.
High-ranking Masters often have peculiar habits, as his cousin had told him.
"Yes, just take a different route."
Chen Feng nodded, during which Lei Long inquired about Tulin's family situation.
"It's going well, Lord Lei Long."
"The factory has finally started production again, and workers have returned to wash clothes."
"Mother is very happy, and I plan to help out more when I go back tonight."
Tulin said with a smile, his face full of hope for life.
Just a little more savings, and he could ease his mother's burden, and his sister could enjoy better bread.
Perhaps sensing something, Lei Long, with his thick brows and broad face, had a flicker in his gaze, as if seeing a reflection of his past self in Tulin.
Without making a fuss, he finally looked around the street.
He was also curious why Master Feng Chen was spending his time this way, but it wasn't appropriate to ask.
Chen Feng, though outwardly calm, had already extended his senses to the limit, enveloping everything around him.
According to Lei Long's clues, there might be a Mermaid in Banli Port.
If that was the case, he didn't mind acting as a human radar to see if he could make any discoveries.
The journey was silent until they were about to circle back to the garden district.
Chen Feng glanced at a grand standalone villa.
Inside the iron fence was a large garden, with red brick walls.
Several servants could be seen moving about, and he curiously asked,
"Where is this?"
"The residence of the Bishop of the Frost Church."
Lei Long replied, and Chen Feng frowned.
Earlier, at the Storm and Frost Church, he indeed hadn't seen the latter's bishop.
"Doesn't he live in the church?"
"I don't know, I heard this house was gifted to him."
Chen Feng pondered this, then swept his senses over the area once more before following the carriage away.
At the same moment, inside the villa.
A Mermaid, tears streaming down her face, was bound and lying on the floor.
Her blue-green tail scales were damaged in many places, and her body, without shell coverings, bore numerous whip marks.
"Slap!!"
The whip lashed, and the Mermaid clenched her teeth.
Not daring to dodge, she shielded a younger Mermaid beneath her.
Slap! Slap!!
Slap!!! The sound of whipping continued, the man wielding the whip wore a church robe, middle-aged, his face filled with excitement.
"Scream!"
"Let me hear you scream!!"
He shouted, his eyes alight with fervor, as if deriving some satisfaction from this.
The Mermaid refused, stubbornly protecting the younger one who was crying beneath her, enduring the lacerations and the blood that flowed.
Finally, he stepped forward, pressing her head to the ground with his foot, grinding it into the floor.
This scene was witnessed by a figure in a gray cloak outside the window, their eyes filled with shock and anger.
The esteemed Bishop of the Frost Church, engaging in such perverse acts in private.
Torturing Merfolk, hysterical.
Was this truly the Bishop and follower chosen by the Frost God?
Anger flashed in her eyes, wanting to intervene, but she had to regain her composure.
The Frost Bishop was a fourth-tier powerhouse, stronger than herself, that was one point.
Moreover, he had close ties with the Charles Family, and if she acted now and was exposed, it would be easy for the Charles Family to suspect and discover her.
The investigation into the factory had just reached this point; if the lead was cut off, all her previous efforts would be in vain.
"Scream!!"
Suddenly, the excited shouts continued inside.
The obese bishop in the church robe lashed out with the whip, cursing, adding more scars to the Mermaid's body, blood spilling everywhere.
In the end, he was even lifted off the ground by the throat, his bloodshot eyes filled with excitement as he stared intently and shouted threateningly.
"Shout!!!"
"Shout for me! Shout until your voice breaks!!"
He said with an eager expression, as if only this could bring him the greatest satisfaction.
The gray-cloaked woman outside clenched her teeth tightly, filled with rage.
Reason and emotion clashed on the scales of her mind, hesitation blooming like waves in her heart.
"Shout!"
"Let me see if anyone will come to save you when your voice breaks."
Boom!!! A golden figure charged forward like a war chariot, smashing through everything!
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (MF) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c336. [+5k Words]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (5) Series, (2.8K+) Chapters, (3.9M+) Words.