Salted Fish Chapter 67.2: The Great Purge (Part 2)

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: GaeaTiamat

 

Behind the other’s back, Carter flung his injured arm and gnashed his teeth twice. “This is one of my favorite suits.” He gritted his teeth, and yanked a ruby necklace from his collar.

He gripped the necklace and held out his hand toward Xenophon – the hand that had been scratched. However, Xenophon could see clearly that the wound on his arm had surprisingly healed.

– Carter was also an occult practitioner!

How was this possible…? The Nightmen had investigated his family history, he was a regular nobleman. His family had no relationship with occult practitioners. His secret arts weren’t inherited from his family, so it was only possible that he learned occult philosophy later in life.

He has been in and out of the Abnormal Case Investigation Unit section for so long, but had not once revealed his identity! So many Nightmen, but not a single one had found out that he was actually their nemesis!

That guy was really good at pretending! He had been masquerading as a high-flying bureaucrat and a foxy gentleman, which caused everyone to loathe him but never to think he had any real skills. They had underestimated him greatly.

An invisible shockwave hit Xenophon in the chest. He hit the wall hard. His head buzzed, there was a blur of gold sparks in front of his eyes, and his tongue had a rusty taste.

He didn’t wait for the gold sparks to disappear before he struck again. Two huge energies collided in the room. Xenophon clenched his teeth against the power released by Carter. The invisible energy formed countless blades of wind that slashed at Xenophon’s body. He opened a secret shield in front of himself, but Madame Boyle was still to the side and, after controlling Z, also turned to him.

Xenophon wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and refused to back down, as he continued to strengthen his shield.

The last time the Nightmen had three men, plus an outside poet, and they were able to hold Madame Boyle down. However, this time he was only one, fighting alone, with an additional unknown opponent, Carter.

The situation wasn’t good. The man liked to do as he pleased, but rarely disobeyed the boss’s orders (as long as the boss was sincere in giving orders, not angry talk). In other words, the boss told him to run. He absolutely didn’t say to the bottom of the oil, run faster than the steam locomotive.

But this time he didn’t want to obey the order.

The night he lost his entire family, the boss came down from the sky to save him. If this time he left the boss alone so he could escape, then what was he?

Even if he died here…

“Xenophon!!!” Z hissed.

Xenophon gritted his teeth.

The boss was not the only one who came to rescue him that night, but also all the companions of the Nightmen. Just now Carter had said that the Nightmen would no longer be needed in the future, indicating that he might go after the other Nightmen. Especially that kid…Xenophon had no doubt that Carter would hang the kid before he hanged him in the square to dry, if he got the chance.

Someone had to warn them.

Shit, he was going to have to say it again. He knew he was a loser, but he didn’t expect to be this much of a loser. Since he couldn’t beat the occult practitioners, he was forced to leave his companions behind and run away…

Carter and Madame Boyle closed in on him.

Xenophon resisted the urge to curse. He withdrew his shield, and turned his energy into a wind that wrapped around his body.

He transformed into a raven, and flew out the window with the wind. Madame Boyle chased after him, and grabbed the windowsill, then glared hatefully at the diminishing black dot in the sky.

“Don’t chase him,” Carter said lazily. “I’ve sent someone to Scotland Yard. As of today, the Abnormal Case Investigation Unit section has been taken over by us. Those guys won’t be able to make any waves.”

“He owes me an eye,” Madame Boyle said coldly.

“When we’re done, you can ask him to pay you for the eye. For now you must assist us.”

Carter tucked the ruby necklace back under his shirt, and paced leisurely up to Z.

Z was still trying to break Madame Boyle’s confinement. He strained every muscle and every part of his prosthetic legs to fight the invisible force that held him down. Cold sweat soaked through his shirt, and his moist silver hair clung to his forehead while beads of sweat dripped from the ends.

“Don’t struggle, Superintendent Xenia. Save your strength. It will be easier for you and for me.” Carter looked at Madame Boyle. “What do you want to do with him?”

“Lock him up for now.” Madame Boyle was a little bored. “I’ll come back and dismantle his body when I have time.”

“How about the dungeons of the Nightmen? I hear it’s the most secure prison in London, and no occult practitioners have escaped over the years. It’s almost time for my men to be stationed in Scotland Yard, and they’d be the perfect guards.”

Madame Boyle laughed sarcastically, “Putting the head of the Nightmen in the Nightmen’s dungeon? You have a good sense of humor. Let’s do as you say.”

Carter picked up Z’s chin and admired his handsome, pale face with interest. “I’ve always had a question, madam. Did you make his face, or was he born with it?”

Z glared at him indignantly. If eyes could kill, Carter would have been thrown to the ground by Z’s gaze by now.

“That’s what he looked like when I first saw him. What? You’re interested?”

“If you could reshape people’s faces with secret techniques to make them more beautiful, you could make a lot of money with this craft alone!” Carter fantasized about the glorious future of opening a plastic surgery hospital.

Madame Boyle gave a contemptuous grunt. “Is that all you want? To make money?”

“…Yes.” Carter shrugged.

They were after something bigger. Money? When they had endless power, why did they want something that wasn’t important?

Xenophon flew crookedly.

His wings hurt, and his neck hurt. His whole body ached. His mouth was still dripping blood. Several times as he swept over people’s heads, and dripped blood on them. Maybe in a couple of days London would be circulating an urban legend of the “blood rain.”

He didn’t even know how he got back to Scotland Yard. Probably because he was born with a strong will. He landed on the windowsill of the Abnormal Case Investigation Unit like a dirigible that crash landed, and intended to knock on the window with his beak.

However, he was shocked to find that there was a group of people he did not know in the office.

They were all dressed in black, and although they were dressed like ordinary detectives, they had an air of mystery about them, almost as if the words “I am an occult practitioner” were written on their faces.

The only person who stayed in the office today was Miss Acheson. Boss Z was called away by Carter, Chester Jr. went to Aberdeen, and everyone else was out investigating the foul play of the Committee for Scientific Progress.

Miss Acheson stood in the office doorway, hands clasped in front of her, head slightly tilted, and was talking to a man who looked like the chief. Miss Acheson asked, “Are you firing me, sir?” 

“Yes. Everyone in the Abnormal Case Investigation Unit section has been dismissed. You can go home now, Miss.”

“I’m not a police officer, sir, I’m just a typist, usually typing reports and things. If you fire me, then I’ll have to go drink the wind.”

“I’m sorry, miss. Find another job. We have our own typist.”

Miss Acheson bit her lip and looked aggrieved. She was occupied by the strange woman at her desk. The woman was studying the use of the typewriter. She was obviously not a skilled typist.

Xenophon’s eyes fell out of his head. Since he came to work at Scotland Yard, it seems to be the first time he saw Miss Acheson leave the office before closing time…

He always felt that the woman had become one with the office, part of a daily routine, just like how hands of Big Ben spun every day in a step-by-step manner. If one day it suddenly stopped spinning, it would be no different from the arrival of the end of the world.

To force her away would bring about some kind of calamity.

The people in black quickly turtled up the nest. The desk that originally belonged to Xenophon was occupied by a man five times thicker with thick hair. He even put his feet up on Xenophon’s desk!

Suddenly, a small flame emerged from the file on the desk.

The man in black hurriedly grabbed another file and tried to blow the fire out. However, in doing so, he only made the file in his own hand burn as well.

A puff of smoke rose from the filing cabinet. Panicked, the men in black pulled open the cabinet doors, only to have the flames lick right up into their faces. Fire was burning on every table. The smoke filled the hallway and even the regular police officers downstairs were alarmed. They flocked to the floor they had never dared to approach, as they pointed, chattered and debated what was going on.

The black-clad people chickened out for a while, but eventually one occult practitioner summoned a stream of water to put out the flames. The office was in shambles. All the important files were burnt to ashes. Those that weren’t engulfed in flames were drenched in water.

Xenophon couldn’t help but laugh, and a crunching laugh came from the raven’s beak.

The people in black heard the crowing and looked out the window, but Xenophon had long since flown away on the wind.

He didn’t have to worry about Miss Acheson. She had a number in mind. Mrs. Q, Mr. R and the poet were all out investigating clues, and he was sure Miss Acheson would find them. The only one to worry about was the boy who was in Aberdeen. He said he’d be back soon, but he didn’t say when. His “fast,” and Xenophon’s “fast” might not be the same thing.

The only good thing was that Carter didn’t know he was in Aberdeen. Xenophon could find him before that lot did and take him to a safe place of refuge. They had a shelter in London.

Because it wasn’t clear when he would return, and which train he would take, Xenophon had to follow the railroad all the way north. Anyway, the train from Aberdeen to London would definitely pass this track.

After transforming into a raven, Xenophon’s eyesight was amazingly good. He crouched on the branches of a tree by the side of the road, and watched every passing train. He watched until the evening, when he finally found the man in the second class car of a train.

 

Meanwhile. London, the Whitechapel district, the Beautiful Gaia nursing home.

Councilor Evangeline Black was writing a letter of congratulations. Some time ago, she read in the newspaper a piece of good news. Mr. Leopold Chester was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen. Her patient, Miss Lynn, also told her the same thing.

Mr. Chester was her benefactor, so how could she not congratulate him on such a happy event? She ordered her men to prepare some congratulatory gifts, which she intended to send to Mr. Chester together with the congratulatory letter in a few days.

As she was thinking about how to word her message in a way that would be polite, and not too stilted, Annie Hall, the preacher, called from outside the door.

“Gentlemen, you can’t go in there! This is Beautiful Gaia’s sanitorium, and only members of Beautiful Gaia are accepted! Please go back! You can’t just barge in here! Ah, that’s the office of the chairman of our council! Stop, you can’t just barge in!”

The door of the office opened with a bang. Five men in black barged in, but stopped in their tracks because it was pitch black. They seemed to suspect that there was some kind of trap hidden in the darkness and did not dare to take another step forward.

Evangeline was used to seeing in the dark, and didn’t need any light. This was the curse she suffered – the downfall of betraying the Lord of Light. She could perceive that the five men were all occult practitioners. She had little contact with the occult society, and did not even know a handful of occult practitioners. She couldn’t remember when she had offended more than one person. She asked coldly, “Gentlemen. Is there anything I can do for you?” 

The people in black were startled by the sudden sound of the voice. A man summoned a handful of flames and illuminated the office. When they saw Evangeline sitting behind the desk, they tensed up in unison.

“We are Detectives from Scotland Yard. We have been ordered to come and arrest Miss Evangeline Black.”

“Oh? Why?” Evangeline raised a sculptured eyebrow.

Preacher Annie Hall stood outside the door on her tiptoes and peered into the office. Evangeline winked at her. She blushed furiously, but nodded and tiptoed away. She would carry out the order properly.

“We have it on good authority,” said the man in black. “That you are an occult practitioner. We have the right to arrest you.”

“Do you have a warrant for my arrest?” Evangeline asked without condescension.

The leader of the men in black took a piece of paper out of his pocket and slapped it on the desk. Evangeline scanned it over, and it was indeed an arrest warrant.

“I am the chairman of the Council of Beautiful Gaia. If I am arrested, can you guarantee the safety of my people and the patients of the sanatorium?”

The man in black’s lips twisted into a vicious smile. “I’m afraid your sanatorium will have to be closed, ma’am.”

“Is that so? Too bad.” Evangeline closed her eyes. She had been careful all these years, so afraid that her identity would be discovered. She not only used the organization Beautiful Gaia to hide her identity, but also laid all kinds of escapes, so that one day if she really had to be arrested, she could use it to get out.

Preacher Annie Hall was loyal to her. Although she wasn’t considered smart or clever, she would protect the doctors and patients in the sanitorium. They would immediately withdraw and return to their own homes. It was just a pity for the patients who have not yet been cured…

The men in black didn’t know that Beautiful Gaia Sanatorium was extremely special in its construction. The room in which the director’s office was located was suspended from the highest floor, without any support below it. The master builder who designed the building did so only with great skill and careful calculation.

The design was not only visually appealing, but also practical. If the sanatorium was attacked, it was only necessary to lure all the enemies into this office, and then blow up the places where the office was connected to the main building. Then the whole office would fall and bury all the enemies.

Evangeline gave them a faint smile.

The leader of the men in black was about to step forward to pull her up and escort her away, when an explosion suddenly rang out!

The whole office collapsed. The ceiling smashed above their heads, while the floor under their feet fell apart. The walls lost their support and fell apart. Some of the men in black were knocked unconscious on the spot, while others chanted incantations and summoned power to hold back the raining plaster and masonry.

Evangeline Black leapt backward out the window.

The moment she leapt into the air, the office collapsed completely, and buried all the men in black among the rubble and debris. It was late in the day, so Evangeline Black covered her face with her shawl and walked quickly along the street side with her head down in the shadows.

Where should she flee to? For years, she had made Beautiful Gaia her home. She didn’t know how she was going to live away from that place. To escape overseas, or rather…?

Oh yes, the Master of the Trading House! He also lived in London, and had recently been knighted. Going to join him was undoubtedly the best choice. He would definitely take her in. At least, she could hide in the trading house for a while, right?

She looked back to make sure no one was following her, and then walked towards 49 Frances Square. The collapse of the wing of the beautiful Gaia Sanatorium drew a crowd of onlookers, with firefighters and patrolmen squeezing hard towards the sanatorium amidst the excited crowd of spectators. No one noticed her, a woman walking with her head down.

Arriving at Frances Square, she was disappointed to find the windows of the third floor of No. 49 were dark. Was the Master of the Trading House not at home? The restaurant on the first floor was lit up, but there was not a single customer inside. The business had a very dismal look.

Evangeline wandered downstairs for a while, then decided to find a safe place around to hide first while she waited for the Master of the Trading House to return.

At that moment, the door of the restaurant opened. The owner, wearing an apron and a rag on his shoulder, leaned out of the doorway and smiled at her. “Madam, would you like to come in and sit down?”

Evangeline pulled her cloak closer to cover her face. “No. I don’t have any money.”

“Not your money.” The owner turned sideways and made an inviting gesture.

“Who are you?” Evangeline was alerted.

“A restaurant owner. I also moonlight as a Nightman,” the boss said with a smile.

She was not very good at the combat type of occult arts, but life and death was at stake, she had to go out of her way.

A golden head suddenly poked out of the restaurant. “Boss, bring more wine!”

The head saw Evangeline outside the door and was surprised, “Chairman of the Board? What are you doing here?”

This time it was Evangeline’s turn to be surprised, “Mr…Mr. Chester?”