My esoteric uncle Jules

Chapter 108: Specific Moonlight (4k for now, 6k tomorrow)

At this time in Innsmouth, some time had passed since that night.

Although it had not yet fallen into the dilapidated state it would be in the future, it still had some traces of that.

Jules and Lolita walked side by side on the street, attracting many glances, some openly and some covertly.

Their healthy and not sickly appearance, as well as their looks that are quite different from those of the people of Innsmouth, make them the most eye-catching here.

Even though he had changed out of his gorgeous clerical robes in advance, he still felt out of place in this environment when walking on the road.

At this moment, Lolita was not idle either. She held a bone stick in one hand and a stone in the other, grinding bone powder with a grunt.

In order to ensure that the bone meal would not be spilled on the ground, she moved very carefully and did not dare to use too much force.

Seeing that they were almost at the town center, Jules told Lolita:

"Okay, put your bones away. There are so many people here, and I'm afraid someone will recognize it."

Lolita obediently put the bone away and put it in her pocket. She patted her hands, looked around, and asked:

"Didn't you say you were going to Devil's Reef? Why are you here?"

She had never been to the town center, so she just looked around curiously with her big, blinking eyes.

Jules smiled:
"Meet someone I know."

He wanted to see what the situation was like for the "outsider" shop owner a few years ago.

Perhaps, we can see if there is a second night pearl.

The streets leading to the town center are narrow and messy, and only become a little wider when entering the square.

The air was filled with the smell of fish and damp mold, and the tattered signboard creaked, hanging on a crooked wooden pole.

A few crows squatted on the eaves, making shrill calls from time to time, like vultures waiting for their food.

Most of the passersby had pale faces and walked hurriedly. Occasionally, they glanced at Yule and Lolita with a mixture of vigilance and curiosity.

Innsmouth at this time was not as dilapidated as it was in later generations, and it still had some vitality. Therefore, Jules even saw street vendors shouting and selling fish.

Jules ignored all this and his eyes fell on a small shop not far ahead and he walked straight towards it.

The shop door was half-open, and the paint on the wooden boards showed signs of peeling, but since it had been cleaned not long ago, it did not look shabby.

"Excuse me, is anyone there?"

When he pushed open the door, he didn't see the owner, but saw another beautiful woman - the owner's wife.

At this moment, she had not yet turned into a monster like the ones in later generations. She was just a little paler and weaker than ordinary people.

"My husband is taking inventory. What would you like to buy?"

The owner's wife has a very friendly smile and her words are warm and refreshing.

Jules asked with a nonchalant air:
"Excuse me, are there any night-shining pearls here?"

The shop owner's wife raised her eyebrows and said in a strange tone:
"You've come to the wrong place, haven't you? We're just a small shop selling groceries. If you want treasures like night-shining pearls, you'll probably have to go to a jeweler."

"Is that so..." Yule said with a look of regret. "I once saw a night-shining pearl in the market that had a strange shape. It was made of a metal similar to copper."

"After asking around, I found out it seems to be from Innsmouth, so I came here specifically to inquire about it. But after all this time and asking so many people, I still haven't found anything. What a pity."

The shop owner's wife pondered for a while and said:
"Excuse me, does the metal material of the night-shining pearl you saw appear pink?"

Pinkish? That's the color of orichalcum. It looks like similar night-shining pearls existed in this era of history?

Yule's mind was full of thoughts, but he remained calm on the surface and just smiled and said:
"I remember it seemed like it, but unfortunately I didn't have enough money at the time and couldn't buy it. It's a pity."

Hearing this, the shop owner's wife seemed to be lost in memories and said:

"If that's the case, it might have been passed down from our ancestors."

"Oh?" Jules asked, feigning interest.

"Can I ask what exactly happened?"

"Heh, although it's a family secret, it doesn't really matter if I tell it out. After all, quite a bit of time has passed."

The shop owner's wife smiled gently and said:
"More than two hundred years ago, my family hadn't yet declined. Although we weren't considered a noble family, we at least had some influence in Ireland."

"Our family had a night-shining pearl just like this one, passed down from our ancestors. All the details of it were exactly as you described, but we lost it at that time."

"Can I ask how it was lost?" Yule's eyes flashed slightly, and he was a little surprised.

It seems that in this period of history, the development of certain historical events is not exactly the same as that in the period of history in which one is located.

In the original history, the mountain copper night-shining pearl has been passed down to this day and has been carefully preserved by the owner's wife. But in this history, it disappeared more than two hundred years ago.

The shop owner's wife shook her head and sighed:
"At that time, the heir who our ancestors believed could revive the family took this night-shining pearl with him to the sea and never returned."

"When he left, he left a note. The content of the note simply described how he received a 'divine revelation' through the night pearl and went to find the origin of our family."

She raised her head, looked at Jules, and said with some emotion:
"The family spent a huge amount of money searching for his whereabouts, but found nothing. Even the news of the Night Pearl disappeared without a trace. Everyone believed that the heir must have been buried in the sea along with the Night Pearl.

But from what you said, maybe he is not dead, but just living abroad and starting a new life."

After saying that, she fell silent.

Jules was not in a hurry to ask further questions, but was carefully pondering the information in the words of the shop owner's wife.

In this period of history, did the family heir from more than two hundred years ago receive "divine revelation"?
He knew the function of the mountain copper night-shining pearl. There were probably only two possibilities for the so-called divine revelation.

One is the bell sound engraved in it, which will ring at a specific time, and the form it expresses is indeed strange and unpredictable.

The other possibility, which Jules believed to be the most likely, was that the heir successfully used this night-shining pearl to illuminate the route to Ys under a specific moonlight!
"A certain moonlight... I was just wondering what this certain moonlight meant."

Yule's eyes flickered slightly, and he spoke slowly:
"Can I ask what the family heir wrote in the note?"

The shop owner's wife was slightly startled and said with a wry smile:
"You're putting me in a difficult position. How am I supposed to remember a note written over two hundred years ago?"

Just when Jules was feeling a little disappointed, she suddenly continued:
"But I can tell you where the note is now."

"If my memory serves me correctly, our ancestor, the father of the family heir, was disheartened after his child disappeared. He left Ireland and went to London, taking part of the family fortune and the parchment note."

London? Jules's expression froze, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

How could it be in that damn place?
He thought it should be in Innsmouth or somewhere in Ireland, but who knew it was in London!

However, the shopkeeper's wife did not notice Jules's strange expression, but continued:
"The family didn't record anything more, but it's worth mentioning that when the ancestor went to London, he assumed the pseudonym 'Dantes.'"

Dantes? Jules was a little dumbfounded when he heard this name.

Could it be such a coincidence? Could it possibly be related to the centipede, the protagonist of The Count of Monte Cristo?

Logically speaking, wouldn't it be more reasonable to take the treasure to Monte Cristo Island? After all, that's where the treasure was taken in the original novel...

He shook his head, took a deep breath, and said:
"Thank you very much for your information, it is very helpful to me." In any case, this is very important news to him.

Even if he didn't have the chance to look for it in the fragments of the Sixth History, he could always go back to his own history and look for it.

Even if there is only a little hope, it is better than being a headless fly.

After the two finished their conversation, the shop owner came out and saw Jules lost in thought at the counter. He asked in surprise:

"Hey? What does this customer want to buy? Why are you hesitating for so long?"

Yule smiled slightly and said:
"I asked some questions, and now I have the answers I wanted."

As he spoke, he took out a few pounds from his pocket and placed them on the table.

"These coins are just a thank you gift."

Seeing this, the couple hurriedly said:

"You don't have to do this! Collect it quickly..."

However, Yule turned around and left, laughing loudly:
"Knowledge is priceless. This is just a token of my gratitude. Please accept it!"

In addition to expressing gratitude, there is actually another important reason why he can give so readily -

The money in the Sixth History Fragments cannot be taken out anyway, so I don’t feel bad about spending it.

After leaving, he could still hear the couple's surprised voices coming out:
"My dear, this pound will buy you a new suit and leather shoes. After all, you sometimes have to negotiate business with people..."

"It's okay, dear. I don't need it. Didn't you say a few days ago that there was a merchant from across the ocean selling a rare flower at the market in the next town? I can use this money to buy you the flower you like..."

The sound of their affection continued to be heard, and Yule couldn't help but sigh.

Before long, this loving couple will be drawn into a ritual fueled by ambition, and their lives will be completely destroyed.

Even with his intervention, if the ceremony of the Irish Famine was officially launched in the future, his life and death would still be uncertain.

The joys and sorrows of the little people are a part of their lives, but to those in power, they are nothing more than ceremonial consumables and a cold number in the statistics.

As an educated modern man, Jules naturally knew that this was wrong - but how could he change it?

Maybe saying it out loud might seem powerless or even incompetent, but he really didn't know.

He can't even take care of himself, so how can he help others?

Perhaps, in this world of mysticism and supernatural reality, the only way is to make yourself strong enough.

Strong enough to set this twisted world back on track.

Thinking about this, Jules couldn't help feeling a little depressed.

But soon, he couldn't help laughing at the funny figure of Lolita squatting in the corner and grinding her bones:
"Aren't you tired of grinding like this?"

At this moment, Lolita was hunched in the corner like a kitten.

In order to prevent outsiders from seeing the black bones in her arms, she deliberately used her body to clumsily cover them up, but because of her thin body, the effect was not very good.

And once it moves, it becomes even more ridiculous.

Hearing Jules's movement, Lolita turned around and said angrily:
"Didn't uncle tell us not to let anyone else see? This is all I can do!"

Jules smiled helplessly:
"Okay...it's uncle's fault."

He rubbed Lolita's little head and said:
"Let's go to Devil's Reef."

……

The fog that never dissipates all year round still shrouds the sky above the Devil's Reef.

At this time, the tide was high, so the twisted reefs were not visible at all.

But Jules knew that those reefs, like the devil's claws, were secretly plotting to drag any ignorant passerby into hell.

He was about to ask Lolita if she felt anything, but she took a deep breath and her face relaxed.
"It's right here, that nice smell comes from here!"

Hearing this, Yule laughed and patted Lolita's shoulder:

"Wait, if you sense anything strange, you must tell your uncle, understand?"

Lolita nodded repeatedly and said:
"Are we going into the water then?"

"of course."

Hearing this, Lolita's expression became a little hesitant:
"Can we go down later?"

"Why?" Jules was a little puzzled.

Could it be that Lolita is afraid of water? But she is the daughter of the waves, how could she be afraid of water?

She raised her head and whispered:
"I haven't drunk the bone meal yet. If it gets in the water, it'll be gone."

So it was because of this... Yule was a little confused and said:
"There's only seawater here. You either drink it or swallow it."

Lolita blinked, took out the handful of bone powder from her arms, and stuffed it into her mouth.

Just when Yule thought she was about to smoke a cigarette, she jumped into the water, drank the sea water in big gulps, and swallowed the bone powder in her mouth mixed with water.

The water splashed, reflecting Yu Le's somewhat astonished expression.

"This guy..." He shook his head helplessly and was about to jump down with Lolita when a nervous old man's voice suddenly rang out:

"That little girl! Don't move! Come on, grab this stick! I'll pull you up!"

San Diego?

Hearing this voice, Jules turned his head in surprise.

He had been too lazy to visit Santiago again, but unexpectedly he ran into an old acquaintance.

"No need, old man. We are going diving." He stopped Santiago with a smile.

"What nonsense are you talking about! This is Devil's Reef! There are—"

Santiago's words suddenly got stuck.

Because he saw that Jules had fallen into the water.

"Come back soon, young man!"

Santiago lay on the shore and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"The scariest thing here isn't the sea, it's the monsters! There are monsters in the water!"

Then, Santiago saw Jules slowly emerging from the sea, and a leisurely voice entered his eardrums:

"Thank you for your kindness, but don't worry, the scariest person here is me."

(End of this chapter)