Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 353 - 353 Two hundred ten

353: Two hundred ten.

A good person.

353: Two hundred ten.

A good person.

The joy emanating from the Tree King was like a small wooden boat in the deep sea, almost imperceptible and difficult to discover, but it was indeed there.

A rusty axe lay under the tree, leaving behind a deep gash where it had originally been.

Further away, an umbrella spun around in the wind as it was swept away, but the oil lamp still remained under the tree.

“Remove the barrier,” Lu Li said to Anna, as he put on the hood of his raincoat.

Anna waved her hand, and the invisible barrier above their heads disappeared.

The cold rain began to fall again, quickly stripping away their body heat.

Lu Li proceeded following the rough path he remembered.

After walking some distance, a figure suddenly appeared in the veil of rain, seemingly there yet not.

Anna swiftly concealed her presence, while Lu Li approached the figure and said, “I thought you had run off.”

“How could I?

I, Barton, am not like those bosses who only have eyes for money.

But if you really were to have gotten yourself killed by the Tree King, I wouldn’t have come to save you,” he retorted, letting out a cold snort of dissatisfaction with how Lu Li had underestimated him.

Soon enough, his attention was diverted to something more important.

“You…

could it be you’ve…”

“I was nearly overwhelmed by the erupting emotions,” Lu Li said, a deep shadow passing through his dark eyes.

Barton had not seen it himself, but he had witnessed many times how the Forest killed people in their ignorance, either by strangling themselves with belts and suspenders, by smashing their own heads with axes, or by continuously kowtowing on sharp rocks until their faces were no longer recognizable…

He could fully imagine that horrifying scene.

“How did you manage it?” Barton couldn’t help but ask.

Lu Li replied calmly, “Unconventional means.”

Barton more or less understood, realizing it had something to do with his mysterious identity.

“It seems I don’t need to warn you explicitly,” Barton said, his tone complex.

Lu Li followed the emotionally complex Barton, and after about half an hour, the ground ahead was replaced by bluestone pavement.

They had returned to Elm Street.

However, there were no rented carriages here, and they had to walk two more blocks before they saw an unmanned carriage traveling along the road.

Lu Li intended to first stop by Shelov Street to drop Barton off at home.

Shelov Street sounded dirty, chaotic, and poor, and that was indeed the case.

It was situated at the southern edge of the slums in Belfast.

It wasn’t a slum, but it wasn’t far off—there were police patrols, and young thrill-seekers looking for excitement.

The slums of Belfast consisted of more than a dozen blocks, with shanty houses built haphazardly from wood, stone, and tin, unsightly and flimsy.

The last hurricane that struck had raised the city’s death and house collapse rates dramatically.

The slums were where most of Belfast’s poor lived.

Yes, the residents of Sailor Street were not considered poor.

After all, they had their skills and work, unlike those in the slums, who lacked any special talents, abilities, or even physical strength.

Gangs, illegal transactions, crimes—horrors unfolded on this land.

Yet severe incidents were rare here—perhaps one of the reasons why the Elders’ Council and Belfast City Hall tacitly allowed its existence.

Or perhaps it was one reason among many.

The uneven, dilapidated streets flowed with sewage, and most houses along the road were crude Long Houses, with scarcely any stone buildings or relatively fine houses to be seen.

This was Shelov Street, the “paradise” many of the poor from the slums dreamed of moving to, and also the limit to which rented carriages would go.

The carriage stopped in front of a row of Long Houses, and Barton pocketed the 60 shillings and a raincoat that Lu Li gave him before being helped by the coachman to dismount.

“I need an accurate map of Elm Forest.

If you can make one, I will pay you another 300 shillings,” Lu Li said to Barton before leaving.

Barton’s expression showed interest.

“When do you need it?”

“The faster, the better.”

“I’ll have someone deliver it tomorrow.”

Lu Li nodded and got back into the carriage.

The wheels rolled on, heading toward Sailor Street.

Having barely traveled a few meters, the carriage abruptly came to a halt, followed by a commotion outside.

Lu Li lifted the carriage curtain and looked out, “What’s the matter?”

Three teenagers around fourteen or fifteen years old stood in front of the carriage, unprotected from the rain, thoroughly drenched.

The coachman awkwardly informed Lu Li, “Sir, it seems they want to…

rob us…”

Lu Li’s calm gaze fell upon the three youths before the carriage.

One of the girls actually took a step back in fear, and beside her, the tallest boy stuttered, “Hello…

we would like some money.”

Lu Li’s eyes scanned their slender figures, “What do you need the money for?”

The tallest boy was about to say something when the boy shorter than the girl by his side suddenly shouted, “We are bad people!

Bad people don’t need a reason to rob!”

If he could have opened his eyes in the rain, perhaps he would have appeared more intimidating.

Suddenly, an angry curse came from the side of the carriage, “You little rascals, actually daring to rob on Shelov Street!?”

The three youths were startled, and upon recognizing the approaching person, hastily called out, “Uncle Barton (the limping old man)!”

“Do you know them?” Lu Li asked Barton as he hurried over upon hearing the noise.

“Hmm, their mother used to live here, but later she moved to the Inner District due to lack of money,” Barton replied, referring to the slums.

Lu Li inquired, “Do you know what’s going on?”

Barton sighed, “I heard that Maria is sick…

They’re probably trying to gather money for their mother’s treatment…”

Although he spoke sternly, Barton couldn’t help but protect them, hoping that Lu Li would not trouble them considering they were doing this for their family.

“How much is needed for the treatment?”

Lu Li’s question made Barton guess something, his somewhat cloudy brown eyes slightly brightened, “30 shillings.”

The three youths also realized something, and clamped their mouths shut, not daring to make a sound.

“Is that enough?”

Barton was taken aback, then chuckled, “Of course it’s enough…

you have to realize, an adult male working ten hours of physical labor at a factory could only earn 10 shillings.

If Maria wasn’t sick, it would take her sewing clothes for others for a week to earn the money for her treatment.”

Lu Li was silent for a moment.

Indeed, when he first arrived, he was also struggling for a few dozen shillings, but that situation didn’t last long.

Reaching into his coat, Lu Li took out a 50-shilling note and handed it to Barton, “Give it to them for me.”

Without questioning why there were 20 extra shillings, Barton understood Lu Li’s intention.

He took the money, limped over to the three youths, and spoke to them in a low voice.

“Go around.”

Lu Li said to the coachman and let the curtain fall.

Anna’s figure emerged in the carriage, the corners of her mouth curving into a pleased smile.

As the carriage circled around Barton and the children and began to move away, a shout mixed with the sound of rain came from outside.

“Sir!

What’s your name?”

The children did not receive an answer, staring blankly as the carriage gradually disappeared into the rain.