Chapter 919: Chapter 112: The First Snowfall
The temperature is decreasing day by day.
Residents of Vena Ice-Free Port have already donned thicker clothing, and the smoke billowing from the chimneys in the streets is becoming more abundant.
At night, the temperature is approaching 0 degrees, and without lighting a fire for warmth, one would fall ill.
Heavy dark clouds are pressing from the north, half of Vena Ice-Free Port is under its shadow, only the port and the distant sea are bright due to thinner clouds.
Along with this might co a new wave of cold air and rain.
It’s best if it rains instead of snows; this year the temperature has dropped faster than usual, and many citizens haven’t stocked up on charcoal for the Harsh Winter Season. If the first snow falls too early, it could lead to fatalities due to cold.
Then, the next day, the newspapers would publish the news, with the nobility criticizing the mayor for negligence.
Damned nobility, people die every day in the lower town and slums, but they never care.
The fierce wind carries debris across, pedestrians on the streets tighten their coats and hurry by.
The power plant in the northern industrial zone continuously provides electricity, illuminating the street lights of the city.
Gradually, the scenery before my eyes beca hazy and blurred, reflecting the outline of the study and the window.
A hand appeared, wiping away the fog on the glass. The view contorted and deford, like a gardener’s random abstract landscape painting.
The assistant who completed these steps retreated behind Mayor Matteus,
“How long until Lu Li’s train arrives?”
Mayor Matteus took out a handkerchief to wipe his wet palm and then wiped the window, making the view clear again.
“The train stopped at Sulger Town last night, it should have just departed now,” replied the assistant.
“They can arrive this afternoon?”
“If everything goes well.”
“What do you an?”
“This cloud cluster.” The reflected young face on the glass looked up at the clouds; even the port where ships were docked was shrouded in dark clouds, only the sea remained visible.
“The west lacks mountain shields, the cloud cluster will reach there before Vena Ice-Free Port. If the cold wave freezes the railway, the train will delay—”
Knock, knock.
The sound of knocking ca.
The assistant turned and opened the door, whispering a few words with the waiter outside, then returned with a piece of parchnt behind Mayor Matteus.
“What’s the matter?”
“From the railway, it’s bad news.”
The assistant sighed, as if a returning surprise had just occurred…
“A blizzard hit Horse Foot Town, and the railway nearby is frozen. The Voztek train is stalled midway, and His Excellency Lulian is on that train…”
The broad-shouldered figure in the coat did not turn back, only the hand under the hem gradually clenched.
“Do we have our people in Horse Foot Town?”
“A Privy Council Advisor and a Judiciary Guard squad.”
“A Privy Council Advisor? How did they end up in town?”
“Don’t you rember, assisting His Excellency Lulian in investigating the ‘Resurrection of the Dead’ incident.”
“Have him go… no, have him find the Judiciary Guard, and the town’s officials to go rescue the Voztek.”
“Your Excellency Mayor, please allow to speak frankly… doing so will expose His Excellency Lulian’s whereabouts; everyone will know he’s left Vena Ice-Free Port.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Mayor Matteus sighed lightly, “Let it get exposed, I don’t want to assu any kind of accident anymore.”
“Hope Mr. Luli doesn’t run around so much after coming back…”
…
Their return journey wasn’t smooth.
Moving quickly, they returned to Haoge Town under the shelter of the Crowd of Suffering before dark, but evil spirits are always linked to trouble — they couldn’t bring the Crowd of Suffering into town.
Although the Crowd of Suffering ritual wouldn’t actively attack humans, its appearance would cause riots and so trouble.
Even exposing his identity, Lu Li found it hard to suppress the consequences of the evil spirit entering the town.
They were forced to settle down in a Scavenger’s hut far from town.
The dilapidated Scavenger’s hut was drafty everywhere, and with the Harsh Winter Season approaching, even lighting a bonfire, after a night, Katerina unfortunately fell ill.
She didn’t think it was her fault, the Barren Lands had never been this cold —
Lu Li had brought dicine, but the herbal roughly processed dicine was not very effective; she coughed nonstop from late night to morning, feeling cold even under three blankets.
“But why doesn’t the Barren Lands have a Harsh Winter Season?”
In the VIP carriage, Katerina curled up in her seat, wrapped in three handmade blankets with ancient markings. Holding a cup of hot coffee in her hands.
A day passed, her cold hadn’t gotten better, nor had she been able to rest well.
Katerina couldn’t understand. She could go without eating for days, drink the dirtiest and filthiest water, endure the countless tis of pulling out and inserting the Homogeneous Item into her eye, yet she fell ill just staying in a cold place overnight…
“Maybe it’s blocked by the Spine of the World Mountains.” Lu Li answered Puxiu’s question.
“Do mountains block clouds in the sky?”
“Air currents.”
Noting the brief answer, Puxiu may have understood, or may not have.
Psshh—
Dense steam spread over the cold platform, the train gently trembled.
The coffee cup in hand rippled, licking the cup rim on both sides.
Katerina took a sip, preventing it from tilting and spilling due to the train’s movent.
“Mr. Luli, what did you say to the Crowd of Suffering when it left?” Puxiu asked again.
“Goodbye.”
“Huh? Mr. Luli, where are you going?” Puxiu curiously asked.
“Idiot, Luli said he said ‘goodbye’.” Katerina said in a muffled voice with a strong nasal sound.
“Goodbye? Why say that?” Puxiu was even more puzzled.
Katerina knew the answer, but didn’t want to speak.
“The Crowd of Suffering can repel the strange.”
And it wouldn’t actively harm them.
That, aside from being ugly and an evil spirit, it was quite the perfect Amulet.
The departing steam train gradually accelerated. Shortly after, the waiter ca from the back carriage where voices were chatting, delivering so complintary pastries.
After leaving Sulger Town for half an hour, they who occasionally looked out the window suddenly saw the wind.
Or rather, fragnts mixed in the wind.
“It’s snowing!”
Puxiu rushed to the window, staring intently at those gray, ash-like snow fragnts carried by the wind.
A snowflake followed the train, falling on the window. Double-eyed, carefully observing this tiny snowflake composed of several lovely ice crystals.
In an instant, the snowflake lted into insignificant water droplets from the temperature higher than ice and snow; Puxiu went on to look at others falling.
“Just like the patterns of the Ice and Snow Church…”
Puxiu murmured, he had seen this church’s pattern in the old sewer.
The snowflakes were beautiful, their miraculously symtrical shapes indeed resembling creations of Divinity.
After gazing at the snow for quite a while, Puxiu turned and asked, “Mr. Luli, is the Harsh Winter Season a strangeness?”
“Don’t know.”
The cold, just like the night, is normal, only it’s unspeakable whether its formation reason is due to strangeness.
“The Harsh Winter Season cos from the north, could there be other continents there?” Puxiu expanded his thinking.
“Don’t know.”
In human history, the furthest exploration distance was only a few thousand nautical miles.
The mist shrouds the world, illuminating only three continents and the Shattered Isles. No one knows if this is the center of the world or just so remote, tiny broken island on the periphery of the world…
Whoa—
The carriage suddenly shook, spilling the coffee.
The train abruptly decelerated.
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