André's face had decomposed considerably, a rough, putrid stench emanating from it. One could still vaguely make out the terror and struggle frozen on his features at the moment of death.
But beyond that, Lucian could find nothing else related to his bizarre manner of death — no clues, no traces.
"What does this have to do with the Allen Gang keeping such a low profile lately?"
After sitting in quiet thought for several minutes, Lucian found a scrap of cloth, wrapped it around his hands, and then forcefully shoved André's corpse down into the water. He didn't know how it had previously gotten caught on the barbed wire, but this time, it wouldn't be so lucky.
André's body followed the current of the underground river, slipped through the barbed wire, and was swept out into the River Belen. As for who would find it afterward, that was beyond Lucian's control.
He tossed the money pouch and the scrap of cloth into the underground river as well, then rose to his feet and headed back. This time, however, Lucian did not retrace his steps. Instead, at a junction some twenty-odd meters away, he changed direction, avoiding another encounter with that group of beggars. This alternative route, as he compared it against the path he had taken coming in, would pass through the ruins of the Witch's arcane laboratory before leading back to the sewer entrance he had used.
He turned at the junction and walked a few meters when suddenly he heard a series of heavy footsteps.
The footsteps were uneven, staggered, and in the quiet, enclosed sewer they carried astonishingly far — startlingly clear, as though a large group of people were approaching from a distance. Several of them seemed to carry absurdly heavy weight, producing that deep, pounding effect.
Lucian straightened his back and scanned the tunnel he was in. Not far ahead, he spotted a recess in the wall. It wasn't large enough to fully conceal his body, but as long as whoever was coming didn't step inside for a closer look, they wouldn't notice him from outside.
He pressed his back tightly against the wall and waited for several minutes before the group finally passed.
Perhaps because things had always gone smoothly before, with no incidents to speak of, the group merely cast a few casual glances toward the tunnel where Lucian was hiding before continuing on their way.
"You lot, hurry up and dump these corpses down. May the Lord protect us — let the sharp-billed fish devour them quickly." A low voice rang out, carrying from far down the enclosed, quiet sewer. But the speaker seemed to have a slight lisp, leaving many of his syllables imprecise.
Lucian had been planning to take this chance to slip away, but that voice made him frown. "That sounds familiar. Who is it?" His mind began combing through every person he had encountered.
Then another voice — one Lucian also recognized — came through. "Why are you collecting them so slowly? Don't hold up the important business."
"The old man who was trying to preach." The second voice Lucian had heard only recently, so he identified it at once.
The first voice fell silent for a moment, then answered with a faint note of trepidation. "Relax. Within ten days, we'll have them all gathered. Boss Allen has already given the order — spare no cost."
Allen. Longson Allen?
Lucian immediately recalled the owner of that first voice — Jackson, the man who had brought people to smash up his house, only to be beaten up by him and John. The lisp was because Lucian had knocked out several of his teeth. "But the way it sounds, the Allen Gang isn't the victim here. They're accomplices to some heretical cult. That André was probably killed for refusing to comply."
The preaching old man let out a sinister chuckle. "Please pass along to Mr. Allen and that person: as long as you cooperate wholeheartedly, we will absolutely not disappoint you. Don't let my lack of power fool you — beneath the radiance of the Divine, I am merely the lowliest of worms. The priests are all powerhouses comparable to bishops of the Heretical Church of Truth. If not for the need to maintain that thing, we wouldn't require your help at all."
"I'll relay the message to Boss Allen," Jackson replied, his tone listless.
After several splashes, another voice spoke up, trembling slightly. "But, Brother Jackson, it's really hard to find people who won't be missed if they disappear. Ten days isn't nearly enough to round up fifty. I don't know where all the beggars in these sewers have gone — apart from the ones belonging to your group, we can't find a single one." The last remark was directed at the preaching old man.
The old man cackled softly. "Of course they've been washed into the River Belen and become food for the sharp-billed fish."
Jackson drew a light breath. "Ska, don't worry. Hasn't Boss Allen already said — spare no cost? As long as we don't go after nobles, priests, or anyone in high society, even if we have to kidnap ordinary people, he'll use every connection and resource to smooth things over."
"Boss Jackson, do you have targets in mind?" Ska asked hesitantly.
Jackson let out a cold laugh. "Ska, you've already seen and done so much — do you really think you can just walk away? Don't forget André! As for targets — hmph, my cheek still aches when I think about it. Those two little bastards and their whole family. How could I let them off?"
Hearing this, Lucian nearly lost control of his fury. Jackson, for the sake of a grudge that wasn't even that serious, wanted him and Aunt Elisa's entire family dead. The man was truly vicious.
But Lucian quickly reined in his anger, because he had heard of plenty of such twisted individuals — people who would slaughter an entire family over a few coins or a petty argument. "Good thing I overheard this. If I hadn't, John and I might be able to handle ourselves, but Uncle Joel, Aunt Elisa, and Evan would likely have no chance of survival."
"This has to be dealt with quickly," Lucian thought quietly, a killing intent rising within him. If he let Jackson and the others leave the sewer, where would he ever find them? He couldn't be in two places at once — how could he protect the Joel family? Who knew when and where Jackson's people would strike? "If I kill them all, the rest of the Allen Gang won't have any particular reason to target us. With that breathing room, I can fabricate an excuse to pass along to John and have him bring it to Sir Vein's attention to deal with this cult problem."