Chapter 273 Mermaid Rescue Plan_2
Looking closely, rows of wooden shanties appeared at the furthest edge of the island, mainly gathered to the north, where mostly women, children, and the elderly lived in simple attire.
The ground was a mix of gray bricks and gravel paving the roads, with the occasional carriage bearing people in woolen clothes, but seldom any nobles.
"Sir, this is the pauper district of Hurricane Island."
"The north lacks ports and factories, so the economy is poor...."
On the road, Trin drove the carriage, seriously explaining the situation on Hurricane Island to Chen Feng, just like those days in Banli Port when he served as a guide.
Despite the simplicity of his black cotton clothes, they were clean and free from mending marks.
The freckles on his face remained, but perhaps due to the events in Banli Port, Trin seemed a bit more mature, gripping the reins on the carriage seat with a hint of grown-up demeanor.
"What happened after the Banli Port incident?"
Chen Feng asked, knowing that nearly a month had passed in this world.
"The Sack Factory was destroyed, and the Charles family was swallowed by some enemies."
"I heard the King was furious and issued a warrant for you, with notices posted even on Hurricane Island."
"Those days, neither we nor Lord Lei Long dared to go out much, but later we realized the Hurricane Island Master wasn't too concerned about it, and we breathed a sigh of relief."
Trin spoke softly, while Chen Feng pondered deeply.
He thought of that Fifth-Rank polymath, Adler, and his disciple, Fran, cloaked in gray.
The latter quietly stayed in Banli Port, seemingly gathering evidence on the Charles family.
Uncertain if the charges have already been reported.
"Perhaps, even if reported, no one would attend to it."
Sparks flickered in his eyes as Chen Feng thought of Duke Charles hunting mermaids to win over many nobles in the royal capital.
And also Prince Seth, the third son of the Steel King.
Such a formidable force wouldn't be easily shaken.
Shaking his head without delving further, the carriage had already left the northern shanty area of Hurricane Island.
Soon, the sight of terraced houses built of red-gray bricks greeted the eyes, with floral wrought iron fences gradually becoming part of the scenery.
From afar, short buildings clustered tightly, occasionally interspersed with villas and estates.
The clip-clop of horse hooves echoed around, with the black streetlights illuminating passersby with rosy complexions, dressed in woolen clothes or suit coats.
Women wore delicate long hair, carrying small purses, while men donned shiny leather shoes, smoking cigarettes.
This was the area closer to the island's center, moving further south led to a wealthier, port-adjacent region.
As for the west side, rows of steel factories and scattered giant chimneys came into view.
"We're here, Lord Feng Chen."
Trin respectfully said, jumping off the carriage and placing a small wooden stool on the ground.
Here stood a cluster of red-gray buildings, with many company names related to fleets displayed on the outer walls of the second-floor windows.
It was no surprise, as Lei Long had already reported this when sending a letter to Jia Ta before.
The Red Flame Fleet, a medium-sized commercial fleet, was their new identity.
The world's oceans were vast, with countless fleet-style companies, and Hurricane Island welcomed fleets establishing companies there.
This was one of the reasons Lei Long and others dared to hide their identities and linger on Hurricane Island.
Perception already detected Lei Long in a second-floor office, and Chen Feng nodded, about to step down from the carriage.
"Make way!"
"Hurry, make way!!"
Suddenly, a voice called out, accompanied by the sound of a whistle.
Turning his head, Chen Feng saw Hurricane Island soldiers dressed in brown greatcoats, carrying guns, jogging over to forcibly disperse the crowd.
Amidst the confusion, a red-haired boy in a silk robe clutching reins appeared, face full of excitement, cheering and riding a horse, ignoring the crowd.
Pedestrians hurriedly stepped aside, while carriages blocking the way also moved to both sides.
"Young Master Vito!!"
Someone was chasing from behind, a few knights with long swords riding black horses.
At the same time, a convoy of carriages came into view.
At the front flew a hurricane flag, while the rear bore a red scepter family emblem on the carriages.
It should have been ordinary, but that red scepter emblem design was very similar to the fleet flags seen earlier at sea.
"It's Lord Hurricane and the Red Dragon family."
"Looks like Lady Soya has returned for a visit."
"Was that young Master Vito earlier? Lady Soya's child?"
Whispers reached his ears as Chen Feng watched the caravan slowly pass by.
The exquisite curtains blocked the view, but inside, he sensed many silhouettes and an elderly mage in a robe, casting curious and scrutinizing glances around.
As for the distant red-haired boy riding away.
His black horse nearly trampled and injured a passerby, but the latter knelt in terror, begging for mercy.
Ultimately, he was barely spared, watching the group disappear at the end of the gray-black street.
"The Red Dragon Family..."
He was somewhat puzzled; it was the first time he'd heard of this family.
But the confusion didn't last long, as Lei Long, attracted by the commotion from the street, soon spotted him.
The sound of footsteps descending quickly, the two reunited after a long time apart.
Still bearing the appearance of someone in their thirties, with slightly curled brown hair, wearing broad cloth garments and a dark jacket.
The only difference being the clean-shaven beard, making him appear somewhat younger.
"Lord Feng Chen!"
He exclaimed excitedly, eyes filled with deep reverence.
The further he walked down the sequence path, the more he could feel the power of this lord.
"Seems like you have gained something as well."
Chen Feng was invited into the upstairs office, smiling faintly, noticing the storm aura within Lei Long intensified, approaching the Third-order Peak.
Trin quickly brewed coffee on the side, while Lei Long explained with a smile, "Thanks to you, I received a Storm Baptism and had insights."
He had been stuck at the Third Rank of the storm series for a long time, having visited Fishman Bay twice, and experienced storm and lightning strikes within the white fog, which gave him some understanding.
Chen Feng could roughly guess the reason, then thought of this world's uniquely peculiar sequence powers.
It seemed that starting from the Fourth Rank, certain rituals were necessary to ascend to the next rank.
This was why Fourth-Order Sequencers were considered to have entered the ranks of the powerful.
Immediately, he asked a question, and Lei Long nodded without concealment.
"I must undergo a baptism within the storm to ascend to the Fourth Rank."
This was his current dilemma, also the bottleneck of the storm series.
Nodding gently, thinking of the uniqueness of Fishman Bay, Chen Feng pondered.
The two didn't dwell long on the topic; he quickly began inquiring about Fourth-order Sequence Berna and the matter concerning the mermaid related to Duke Charles.
"This matter is somewhat related to Lord Hurricane."
"Ever since Duke Charles's demise, Bernard has been hiding on Hurricane Island."
"He might be afraid of retaliation and reckoning, so he's been moving around and finally established a connection with Lord Hurricane...."
Lei Long explained seriously, recounting the information he had gathered and tracked during this time.
Lord Hurricane is suspected to be a powerful sequencer of Saint Level.
He has several children, with the third son named Mod, who is a Viscount and Bernard's latest master.
Mod is suspected of taking in the mermaids brought by Bernard, along with part of the Duke Charles's list of associates among the nobility.
"So, the mermaids are hidden in Mod's estate?"
"Uncertain, but it's possible. I have, however, determined his whereabouts."
Lei Long explained earnestly, having spent much effort to find these clues.
Seeing this, Chen Feng nodded slightly.
If he could locate Bernard, he would naturally find out where the mermaids are.
"Then let's go."
Without further ado, he motioned, indicating he was ready to leave the carriage.
"Let's hope that these people have some sense and don't get in the way."