radiothebook Chapter 178 Abandoned Manor
Chapter 178 Abandoned Manor
Chapter 178 Abandoned Manor
The ship was hit by two huge arrows, but at least it didn't sink.
If the ship had been brought into the battlefield any later, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
The situation in the Clown Islands was originally quite clear.
It was nothing more than the six pirate leaders launching a sneak attack on the archipelago while their navigator was away.
But with Chris's intervention, the situation quickly became complicated.
Behind him followed about twenty warships from New Gate City.
New Gate City was an outpost established by people from the Far East continent, and the warships dispatched from here were naturally capable of both offense and defense.
Twenty ships, though few in number, were enough to disrupt the entire situation.
The Clown Islands and surrounding waters were instantly thrown into chaos.
The ships couldn't distinguish friend from foe and attacked each other.
Only the ship Chris was on had eyes that were relatively clear—there were no friends here, only enemies!
Once inside the battlefield, Chris had only one thought on his mind: to escape from the battlefield.
Those warships will be towed by the pirate ships, and Chris will be able to escape if he can get away from the battlefield.
Con artists are always good at escaping, and now Chris knows enough about the ocean that he knows how to escape from the sea.
In the end, although his ship was damaged, he at least managed to escape.
Chris had no way of knowing how the battle for the Clown Islands ended.
One thing is certain: with the intervention of third-party forces, even the meaning of victory or defeat in this war may become unclear.
For Chris, the significance of this experience was that it made Passamacodi and the green-eyed people he led realize that...
Just how dangerous is the ocean?
They were lucky, as Chris, an amateur, led the way and managed to stay on course without even straying into the corrupted waters.
The ship continued its journey following the route marked on the nautical chart.
Perhaps it was divine intervention, or perhaps it was the guidance of fate, but Chris never encountered any more accidents after that.
Sure enough, fate either cycles or rises. Chris has broken his own cycle, and what awaits him next is surely a rise in fate.
When the people on the lookout tower reported spotting the coastline, cheers erupted on the deck.
Chris was so excited that he shed tears—finally, he had said goodbye to that damned New World and ocean and returned to the place where he spoke his mother tongue.
He's a fraud, and regions where other languages are spoken are hell for him.
However, Chris did not rush to find the nearest port to land.
There are two main reasons. One is that the green-eyed people on the ship are difficult to deal with, and Chris thought of finding them some cloaks to cover their eyes a little.
Another reason is that spices are undoubtedly a luxury item, and ordinary ports may not be able to find suitable buyers.
Ultimately, Chris decided to head north along the coastline to the Weeping Fjord.
Chris was more familiar with that area, and there were many Ice People traveling along the coast of the Weeping Fjord, who always liked to wear hooded clothes.
Therefore, in that land, even if Passamacodi and his companions covered their entire heads, it was unlikely that they would arouse suspicion.
Once the decision was made, the ship turned north and headed along the coastline.
According to the nautical chart, after arriving at Shoepad Island, you only need to turn northeast to enter the Crying Gorge.
Then find a major port, process the spices, and you can make a fortune.
However, just as he felt he was about to reach Shoepad Island, someone suddenly told him that a large number of ships had appeared ahead.
Chris was startled and hurriedly went to check the board.
A large number of ships were lying across the sea, and various flags were flying on them.
Chris recognized several of them, and he immediately drew a conclusion.
These are the warships of the nobles.
Faced with this scene, Chris was filled with panic. Why were the warships suddenly gathered here?
Could they be here for me? Chris couldn't help but wonder if Newgate City had already sent ships to the New World ahead of time and bribed the kingdom's nobles to besiege him.
Separated by the turbulent ocean, Chris naturally couldn't draw a conclusion.
But if he has any doubts, he will not dare to approach further.
Chris hurriedly asked Passamacodi to order a course change to avoid entering the blockade line of the warships ahead.
He couldn't help but curse in his heart, why did so many unexpected things have to happen when they had already reached the point of destiny's ascent!
The ship fled in disarray, and Chris had no choice but to study the nautical charts to figure out where to go next.
After studying for a long time, he still had no ideas and was too lazy to bother, so he simply found a large port on the border.
The closest area to Insole Island is undoubtedly the Blois Peninsula.
This area isn't too far from the frozen continent, so it shouldn't seem too strange that Chris is leading a large group of people with their heads covered.
However, just to be on the safe side, Chris still required that these green-eyed people not log in on the first day.
He needed to investigate the local attitude towards the green-eyed people; otherwise, if their identities were discovered and the situation escalated, Chris wasn't confident he could handle everything with his words alone.
Moreover, now that he has lost an eye and an ear, his image is severely damaged, and the power of his lies will inevitably be greatly reduced.
Passamacodi agreed to Chris's proposal, but he himself had to go along.
Chris understood that Passamacodi wouldn't compromise on this point, so his words weren't wasted.
His ship arrived at the port of Tongue a few days later, which is said to be the largest port on the Blois peninsula.
Ships came and went at the port, and crowds thronged the market.
Chris had Passamacodi follow behind him, pretending to be his slave.
Then they immediately bought him a hooded robe to cover his face as much as possible.
In this way, few people will doubt that the already tall Passamacodi is a green-eyed person.
Listening to the Mandarin spoken around him, Chris felt refreshed and relaxed.
Compared to a few months ago, when he was full of deceitful ideas but unable to use them due to language barriers, he now felt as if he had arrived in paradise.
But he wasn't here to just stroll around; he needed to find a way to make some money.
Although the ship carried twenty chests of spices, the Easterners did not know the value of spices, and Chris had to figure out how to exchange these spices for gold.
He now had a small cloth bag hanging from his waist, containing a handful of white peppercorns.
Ordinary markets are out of the question; those poor slobs don't deserve the aroma of pepper.
Ordinary merchants may not be able to distinguish the value of spices, let alone have the funds to buy whole boxes of spices.
Selling to the Chamber of Commerce is even worse; Chris knows some inside information, and the Chamber of Commerce is no better than bandits.
Once that group realizes you possess something of high value, they will inevitably resort to all sorts of insidious methods.
To get things at a low price.
Finding the local lord would likely yield a good price, but there are two potential problems.
Firstly, the green-eyed man's identity in Passamacodi would inevitably be discovered, even though Chris could explain that he was his slave.
While it's possible to get away with something by deceiving others, the risks involved cannot be ignored.
Secondly, the local lord might use the value of spices to bind him.
He had already learned his lesson at the new gate, so he couldn't afford to fall into the same trap twice.
Dealing with people who have military power requires extreme caution, and it's best to avoid it altogether.
But then, who will Chris turn to to sell the spices?
After much deliberation, Chris came up with an answer.
If those with troops are not suitable, then find those without troops, that should work!
It wasn't just the knights who were addressed as "Master"; the workshop owners and farmers were all people who met Chris's requirements.
The Blois peninsula is world-renowned for its golden grapes, and vineyards are scattered throughout the land.
Chris immediately decided to leave the city and find a vineyard.
After making some inquiries, Chris learned the address of the nearest vineyard.
Chris immediately took Passamacodi to the estate.
When they reached the streets outside the city and the number of pedestrians gradually decreased, Chris finally agreed to let Passamacodi take off his hood.
It was only then that he realized how nervous Passamakodi looked.
Passamakodi was probably shocked by the scale of the city, which is typical of Asian cities.
Indeed, compared to East Asians, the green-eyed people are a sparse population.
There is little movement of people between their tribes, let alone trade.
It's understandable that people were shocked by the prosperity of Tongue Harbour.
Passamacodi must have realized that they alone probably couldn't stop the invasion of the East.
In Chris's view, acceptance and integration are the only way for the green-eyed people; otherwise, they will only bring about their own destruction.
However, whether the green-eyed man lives or dies is none of his business, and he will not offer any advice.
He just wanted to make as much money as possible from Passamacoti before that day came.
But the differences between people in the East and the West are not just about numbers, economy, technology, or various extraordinary powers.
The ability to control people's hearts and their mastery of power politics and strategies are what make the Green-Eyed People most vulnerable.
Westerners need a broader perspective, and Chris brought them to the East. At least in this respect, Chris didn't give them nothing in return.
The journey to the vineyard wasn't too far, and they arrived quickly.
Upon arriving outside the manor, Chris found that the gate was dilapidated.
Stepping inside, the vineyard was overgrown with weeds, looking as if it had been abandoned for a long time.
Hmm? Chris was puzzled. What was going on? He hadn't come to the wrong place, had he?
Just then, Chris saw a person walk out of the mansion ahead.
The man was dressed in a fitted tuxedo, and as he approached, Chris's gaze was immediately drawn to the man's finely trimmed goatee.
The man walked forward with a smile and bowed to Chris and Passamacodi:
"Gentlemen, do you perhaps have business with this manor?"
Chris nodded.
The other party immediately added, "Then there's no need to waste your time. This manor has already been abandoned. Before the lord of Tongue Harbor bestows it upon someone else, I'm afraid it will remain unattended for a long time."
Chris asked, "What happened?"
"I just learned that the owner of this estate was assassinated, and his family was killed by rioting grape growers. Later, the lord discovered the grape growers' crimes, arrested them all, and hanged them at the city gate a few months ago."
Upon hearing this reply, Chris felt incredibly unlucky to have chosen an abandoned vineyard.
However, he also noticed something: "If that's the case, why are you here?"
"I'm here for a reason."
"What's the purpose?"
"I came to deliver a message to a boy here, but unfortunately, I'm too late. I wonder how he is doing."
The man shrugged.
"So, sir, what is your purpose?"
"Try to sell something to the landowners here."
"Salesmanship?" Chris sensed the other person's ill-intentioned scrutiny. "Excuse my bluntness, sir, but your appearance..."
He doesn't seem like a businessman; it's unlikely anyone would want to do business with him.
"I just have some things I need to take care of."
The goatee squinted. "What is it?"
"It's none of your business."
Since Chris can't exchange spices for gold here, there's no need for him to stay any longer.
However, the moment he turned around, the goatee caught up with them:
"If you tell me, maybe I can help you."
"you?"
"I make a living with my brain, specializing in solving all sorts of difficult problems," the goatee said confidently. "If you need help, I'm definitely the best choice."
Chris scoffed, "Anyone with a mouth knows how to spout nonsense."
The goatee smiled and then said:
"Why do you come to sell your goods outside the city when Tongue Harbor is right in front of you?"
"Either your goods can only be sold to vineyards, and the only kind of goods I can think of are fertilizer, but you obviously didn't bring any fertilizer with you."
"Either your goods cannot be sold in the city, but there are many such things, so I won't bother listing them."
"And since your reason is the latter, I think I can help you get rid of the goods. I can contact my friend in the north." After listening to this analysis, Chris realized that the person in front of him was not someone who spoke carelessly, and might actually have some ability.
"Then tell us your friend's address, and I'll give you gold as a reward afterward."
"Different goods require different buyers," the man smiled. "You just need to show me the goods, and I will definitely be able to provide you with suitable sales channels."
Chris hesitated for a moment, but he was indeed in a hurry for the money. He was still behind on the pound tax and barge fees, and he had to pay them in full before tonight, otherwise soldiers would board the ship to collect the cargo as taxes and fees.
He had no time to waste, so he ultimately chose to hand over the cloth bag at his waist.
The moment the bag was opened, the rich aroma of pepper was released, and Goatbeard sneezed.
He must have been seeing something like this for the first time, and asked with a puzzled look:
"What is this?"
Spices are things that make food delicious.
"Ha! I see! This is good stuff, where did you get it?"
"Never mind that, just tell me the address!"
"Of course, please follow me—"