Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 520, 519: Abbott Again

This matter is strange, but Master Feng couldn't figure out the key to it for the time being.

But back to the present, Feng Xiuhu can at least figure out one thing—the two opposing sides are not targeting a particular group, but rather a specific objective.

For example, the foreigners only wanted to deal with Hei San Niang, not the bandits on Feisha Road—otherwise, they wouldn't have needed to deliberately spread the news of "Second Master" to attract the surrounding bandits to surrender.

As for Hei San Niang...

Feng Xiuhu asked, "The foreigners who do business with Ma Er must be quite influential, right?"

Among the bandits, the most experienced and quick-witted was the oldest and also the one with the most authority. He gave a thumbs up upon hearing this: "You're quite sharp. You might not know the answer to this if you asked others, but we in the Copper Whistle Gang know it all too well."

"That foreigner's name is Kanef Abbott, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the local tyrant of Fornax City."

Feng Xiuhu didn't believe it: "How can a foreigner like him be the local tyrant?"

"Why not?"

Old Ma scoffed, "In this huge city of Fornash, most of the factories are his property. A few years ago, this was just a small county town. Fornash is what it is today entirely thanks to this foreign lord. So even the officials in the government have to be careful to serve him."

Just as Feng Xiuhu was about to press for more information, Shunzi suddenly tugged at him secretly and whispered a reminder: "Brother, Abbott."

Feng Xiuhu suddenly realized something and raised his eyelids: "This Master Albert, could he also be from the Heretozhe Empire?"

"How fresh!"

The old bandit raised his voice and sneered, "Isn't the city of Funas you see now the work of the Heretozhe Empire? That Lord Abbott is the one appointed by the Church of War to oversee Funas! But why did you say 'also'?"

Feng Xiuhu pondered for a moment: "What is the relationship between this Kanev Abbott and Tirger Abbott?"

Old Ma was taken aback: "Who is this gentleman?"

Well, I finally got to the point he didn't know.

Feng Xiuhu's thoughts gradually became clear. Tirger Abbott was the glove of the War Church, and the project he was in charge of was building bridges over three major rivers. If Kanef Abbott was in a similar position, the project he was assigned was most likely to open up the railway in Yu'ai Prefecture.

Although these two people are in different places, the matters they are in charge of are closely related.

The bandits couldn't explain the deeper issues either, so Feng Xiuhu didn't ask any further questions.

As night fell, the roommates took their beds and prepared to sleep. Shunzi rummaged through drawers and cabinets, trying to find a decent basin to fetch water for Feng Xiuhu to wash up, but after searching for a long time without success, he couldn't help but complain: "The conditions in this village building are not as good as when we were in Dicheng."

Seeing the bandits so calm and collected, Feng Xiuhu was a little curious: "Are you really settling down here? Ma Er and Ye San aren't here right now, so even if we run away, they won't know."

"run?"

Old Ma the bandit rolled over on the bed: "Since Second Master dared to bring us here, he's not afraid we'll run away—I saw when we came in that this floor isn't just inhabited by owls, but also by quite a few familiar faces."

Feng Xiuhu frowned: "A familiar face? I don't think I've seen it."

The bandits all burst out laughing.

Old Ma shook his head with a smile: "They are familiar faces to us, not yours—those bandits who came to join Second Master are all settled here. If we want to run away, I'm afraid we'll be caught and brought back to claim credit the moment we step out of the factory."

"So that's how it is," Feng Xiuhu nodded silently.

……

The next day, Shunzi went to borrow a wooden basin and a towel from the owl in another room, and then went to the washroom with Feng Xiuhu.

The so-called wash area is actually located downstairs in the village building, with two water pipes connected from the factory.

When Feng Xiuhu and his companion arrived, many owlmen were already queuing up for water. Most of these owlmen looked tired, but their eyes were not as numb as those of the working owlmen Feng Xiuhu had seen elsewhere.

Feng Xiuhu guessed that perhaps the police were not lying—the factory in Fornes City did not withhold wages and offered a high price.

There were many owlmen, but only two water pipes. Feng Xiuhu and his companion waited for more than ten minutes until finally there was only one person left in front of them.

But the owl in front of him was very slow. He didn't wash his face, but held a bumpy tin cup and brushed his teeth slowly and deliberately, his movements were so slow that they could be described as cautious, as if he was afraid of splashing water on his face.

At first, Feng Xiuhu didn't pay much attention to the owl, but now that he was getting impatient, he glared at it.

But before Master Feng could even make a move, someone else took the lead and became a troublemaker—

A commotion broke out at the back of the group as a group of people, exuding banditry and morning grumpiness, squeezed in, throwing the owl group into chaos.

Feng Xiuhu and Shunzi turned around to look and found that it was their "roommate" who lived on the same floor.

The owls dared not speak out in anger, but seeing the bandits crowding in front of Feng Xiuhu, Feng Xiuhu quickly said, "Brother, they're on our side."

The man at the front paused for a moment, and Feng Xiuhu stepped aside, pointing at the owl-man who was still dawdling and rinsing his mouth: "That's the one who's refusing to leave!"

The man glanced at Feng Xiuhu, then walked around him and reached out to the owl in front of him.

The owl seemed to have eyes in the back of its head, and it dodged to the side first. Then it wiped its mouth with its sleeve and calmly said, "I'm ready, you can come now."

The man missed his target, looking somewhat embarrassed: "Did I tell you to dodge?!"

He slapped him across the face. The owl instinctively wanted to back away, but after hesitating for a moment, he stopped and merely raised his arm to symbolically block the blow.

"Still blocking?"

The man grinned maliciously and kicked the owl in the stomach, sending him tumbling twice.

The bandits behind him swarmed forward, punching and kicking the owl.

The man was finally satisfied. He looked around arrogantly, and all the owls around him avoided his gaze.

Shunzi couldn't stand it anymore and turned her gaze to Feng Xiuhu, her voice filled with suppressed anger: "Brother."

Feng Xiuhu didn't respond, staring intently at the owl in the bandit group.

After waiting for a while, the owl remained curled up on the ground with its head in its hands, showing no sign of trying to resist.

Feng Xiuhu lost his patience and waved his hand at Shunzi, saying, "Go."

Shunzi grinned, revealing his white teeth, and rubbed his hands together as he stepped forward.

Feng Xiuhu turned around and saw the man in front of him occupying the water pipe, tilting his head and pouring water into his mouth.

Feng Xiuhu grabbed his hair and pressed him hard against the water pipe—the faucet almost went straight into the man's throat, cold water gushed down his esophagus, and when he instinctively held his breath, water sprayed out of his mouth and nose.

The man struggled wildly, but he was no match for Feng Xiuhu's strength.

As water was forced into his trachea, the man coughed painfully, and the spurting water was tinged with blood.

Gradually, the man started rolling his eyes.

Feng Xiuhu finally let go.

(End of this chapter)