When evil gods hold a meeting in my head

Richard led Rosalie out of the cabin and gently closed the door behind them.

The alley was still as dilapidated as ever. Some of the houses on both sides had half their walls collapsed, while others had their roofs burned away, exposing the blackened beams. The smell of gunpowder mixed with the stench of the sea, making one's throat tighten. He looked around but didn't see anyone in the gray robe, so he pulled Rosalie to the right.

The pier the fisherman mentioned was on the far right, and you had to walk through several alleys to get there.

He walked quickly, Rosalie following behind, each step crunching on the broken bricks and tiles. She stopped vomiting, and that smile returned to her face, her eyes bright, though softer than before. Richard walked while keeping an eye on his surroundings, stopping at each fork in the road to peek inside before continuing.

It took about fifteen minutes to walk.

The alley was getting narrower and narrower, and there were more and more things piled up on both sides: broken fishing nets, rotten wooden barrels, broken wine bottles. In some places, you had to turn sideways to pass.

Richard was about to turn into a wider alley when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him.

He turned around abruptly, his hand already raised instinctively, purple mist swirling between his fingers, a small knife condensing as if it were about to fall at any moment!

Once the face was fully revealed, Richard slowly sheathed his knife... He hadn't expected the old fisherman to actually follow... The man looked utterly terrified; his legs probably wouldn't even be able to walk straight...

The fisherman ran up to him, panting heavily. His face was covered in sweat, his chest heaving violently, and he was making hoarse noises, unable to speak for a long time.

Richard waited until he caught his breath before asking, "What's wrong?"

"They...they're here again..." the fisherman said haltingly, pointing behind him. "I heard...I heard them looking for someone. The body might be found soon."

Richard frowned: "How many people?"

"Seven or eight... We need to hurry, things will get really bad if the murders are discovered!"

The fisherman straightened up, glanced behind him, then looked back down.

"They're searching along the alley, they'll be here soon... I dare not stay in the house, I'm afraid they'll find me... My benefactor, please take me with you... I beg you..."

His eyes were red-rimmed, and he grabbed Richard's sleeve, pleading incessantly.

Richard looked at him and began to ponder:

Would taking him along be a burden? But he knows the port well, knows the way, and knows where to hide and where to stay. Besides, maybe the ship will take him along because he's carrying a poor local...

Thinking of this, Richard pulled Rosalie along, not chasing the fisherman away, as if he had already allowed him to follow: "What's your name?"

The old man paused for a moment, then quickly followed: "Taylors Michael!"

Richard clicked his tongue: "Stay close to me and try not to make a sound."

Thales nodded frantically, tears streaming down his face. He didn't wipe them away, just followed Richard closely, not daring to fall behind.

Richard released Rosalie's hand and instead took her wrist, walking quickly forward. Thales followed behind him, jogging, her feet crunching softly on the broken bricks.

The three people walked through the alley, turned several corners, and headed east.

After running for a while, Richard suddenly stopped.

He raised his hand, signaling the two people behind him to stay still. Then he pressed himself against the wall and listened intently.

There were footsteps ahead.

It was a mixed group, and there was more than one person. The footsteps on the pebbles made a soft, rustling sound as they drew closer.

He slowly peeked out and saw several people in gray robes walking past at the alley entrance. There were four of them, carrying sticks, looking to both sides as they walked.

They walked very slowly, and at each doorway they would stop, kick the door, peek inside, and then continue walking.

Richard lowered his voice: "Let's go around it."

The three changed their route again!

Richard squeezed sideways into the gap between the two rooms, Rosalie followed behind him, and Thales brought up the rear. Thales struggled to squeeze through, his face turning red, but his chest was still pressed completely against the wall. He could only grit his teeth and desperately try to move forward.

When he came out, his chest was already bleeding profusely...

After squeezing through the alley for what seemed like forever, Richard finally led the two to the very end of the alley... Looking ahead, they could already see the dock!

A three-story steamship was moored at the shore. Its hull was a distinctive dark brown, and wooden crates filled with fish were piled on the deck. Wisps of white smoke rose from the chimney, drifting away in the wind.

Thales pointed to the ship and said in a low voice, "That's the one, the Via family's ship."

Richard stared at the ship for a while.

The boat was impressive, several times larger than the dilapidated fishing boats beside it. People were moving about on the deck, dressed in neat dark blue sailor uniforms and matching hats. A flag hung at the stern, dark blue with some kind of pattern embroidered on it, but it was too far away to see clearly; only a vague golden shape could be made out.

"Why do they dare to open it?" Richard asked. "Don't the church people care?"

Thales shook his head, moved closer to him, and lowered his voice even further.

"Who dares to mess with the Via family? They're rich and powerful, owning hundreds of shops in the Kingdom of Colombia. Ever heard of Xixi Creek Beauty Shop? That's theirs. Even the police have to treat them with utmost respect, and pirates give them face. Those lunatics in the church are only superficially crazy; they wouldn't dare mess with anyone tough enough, let alone the Via family. They know the consequences..."

Richard was taken aback for a moment.

How could I possibly run into the Via family from Xixi Creek Beauty Shop here?

"In short, the church doesn't dare touch their ship," Thales continued, a hint of envy in his voice. "When those lunatics came this morning, a few people tried to board the ship, but the people on board pointed guns at them and they slunk away. After that, no one dared to go near it. Those lunatics only dare to bully us poor people..."

Richard nodded.

He pulled Rosalie along and continued walking. Thales followed behind, jogging along, glancing back every now and then, afraid someone would catch up.

The dock is getting closer.

The ship was now clearly visible. Its hull was painted a bright, glossy sheen, gleaming in the sunlight. Wooden crates and sacks were piled on the deck, and several sailors were efficiently moving things. A puff of white steam occasionally shot from the steam pipe at the bow, making a muffled, hissing sound.

Richard was about to walk forward when he suddenly noticed something was wrong and immediately stopped Thales and Rosalie behind him.

He saw several church members hiding behind a pile of barrels next to the dock, peeking and looking in his direction.

And it wasn't just this one spot... Behind the wooden crates and dilapidated huts, seven or eight church members were scattered about. They dared not approach the ship, yet they dared to hide not far away... It seemed they were trying to prevent some people who wanted to board from getting on board!

Richard's heart tightened.

Seeing this, Thales asked anxiously, "They...they're blocking the way...what do we do?"

Richard remained silent.

He stared at the hiding places, his mind racing.

How do we get there?