Chapter 222: Unlucky Time
Zhou Ning took out the few items he had gotten from Joshua Lambert and examined them one by one.
First was the iron box that looked like a safe. Zhou Ning toyed with the keys in his hand and found that each one looked exactly the same—practically impossible to tell apart. For someone like Zhou Ning, who had "key blindness," it was even more of a headache.
According to the seller, he had once tried sticking numbered labels on some of the keys or making deliberate scratches to tell them apart, but before long they would automatically revert to their original state.
And even the same key would sometimes point to different spaces.
That was the magical thing about unknown oddities. Unlike extraordinary items made by craftsmen or master alchemists, no one knew the principles behind them.
Zhou Ning casually tried a few keys. The first opened to an empty space. The second revealed some unknown potions that looked long expired; worried they might cause unpredictable problems, he decided to leave them inside. The third space stored a pile of Falric gold coins, which could be exchanged for Vecktas at roughly a 1:2 ratio—Zhou Ning didn't hesitate to take them out.
Overall, the thing was a bit like opening a mystery box—quite fun, but Zhou Ning didn't dare keep playing with it, afraid that his current good luck might be repaid in the form of misfortune.
After putting the box away, Zhou Ning turned to the gold pouch worth 8,700 Vecktas.
Since it was already past midnight, Zhou Ning reached to the bottom of the pouch and, sure enough, felt three gold coins from the ancient Falric period.
Simple, straightforward, and rather handy. Zhou Ning silently praised it with satisfaction.
Next was the treasure map and Joshua Lambert's diary.
According to Molly, the map carried a sinister curse that required certain materials to dispel. Zhou Ning merely brushed it with his fingertips before feeling an unsettling fluctuation in his spirituality, and immediately decided not to look further, quickly stowing it in his inventory. Then he picked up Joshua's diary and began skimming through it.
The diary ran over 300 pages, with the earlier sections mostly filled with trivial matters—many of them lengthy accounts of his escapades in the red-light district, a perfect illustration of the saying, "No decent man keeps a diary."
As Zhou Ning had already learned, Joshua Lambert was a textbook example of a hereditary noble scion—a top student who graduated from Vick University. The Lambert family motto was "Pride." His father, Blake Lambert, was one of the leaders of the Bryston conservative faction, with a highly prominent reputation.
But whether it was because Lady Lambert had an affair or for some other reason, Joshua did not inherit the Lambert family's motto, nor did he resemble Count Lambert at all, and so never earned his father's favor.
The beautiful young woman Zhou Ning had met before was his mistress, Marilyn, from a certain red-light district, introduced to him by none other than Mrs. Harrison Rivers. Joshua himself had also been involved with Mrs. Rivers, and both were members of an organization called the "Retreat Society."
Reading this, Zhou Ning couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Harrison Rivers—wearing such a bright green hat was truly pitiful.
The Retreat Society was very active in Darkland, advocating indulgence of one's nature and living for the moment. They believed that only by giving in to one's desires and enjoying life to the fullest could the soul be liberated. Joshua had joined the cult through introductions from Marilyn and Mrs. Rivers.
Outside of cult activities, Joshua actually had no major vices. Since becoming Second Executive Secretary, aside from several conflicts with Harrison's radical faction, he had apparently kept out of trouble and was even said to be a man of good character.
Wait a minute…
Zhou Ning frowned, his eyes locking onto one particular diary entry.
"September 19 — Father asked me to join in launching an impeachment against Mr. Harrison over the new Poor Relief Act. Mr. Harrison's bill prohibits vagrants from sleeping on the streets and from storing, using, or maintaining personal property on the streets. They can receive aid, but must enter the workhouses. When we objected to the bill, they claimed it was perfectly fair because it also forbade the rich from sleeping on the streets, begging, or wandering about, and His Majesty the King agreed. But here's the problem: rich people don't need to sleep on the streets!"
"Father then sent people to investigate one of the trial workhouses. On the surface, it was a poorhouse, but in reality it was a labor camp—heavy work, low pay, poor food. Without written approval from the overseer, no one could leave or receive visitors. In less than two months, more than thirty laborers had died for various reasons. This was clearly abnormal. As Father said, the conservatives weren't opposing the new policy out of stubbornness, but for the sake of the country."
"October 12 — Tonight Mrs. Rivers brought two new noble ladies over—one of them was actually the Prime Minister's wife! A great man once said, 'When three walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher.' It seems four together is even better. Mrs. Rivers taught me many new things… including whips and candles. No, I must tidy myself up—tomorrow I have an audience with His Majesty the King."
"October 13 — When I arrived at the Darkland Fortress to tell the King what I had discovered, I found His Majesty speaking with Mr. Robbins and an unfamiliar middle-aged gentleman. The King flew into a rage and threw me out. Oddly enough, after last night's events, I seem to have developed a liking for being beaten and scolded."
The following entries were all salacious episodes that couldn't be spoken aloud. Zhou Ning skimmed through them before closing the diary, feeling a twinge of envy.
Zhou Ning: …
One entry had mentioned the Prime Minister's wife—the mother of that chubby kid, Alan West. Thinking about it left Zhou Ning a bit emotional and sighing inwardly.
Alan, you really have it rough.
As for Joshua's death, it might have been to silence him, or perhaps to eliminate a conservative faction member… Zhou Ning felt it was still hard to say for sure.
But judging from the situation, Joshua's identity might be usable. He didn't get along with his father, and his relationship with Marilyn was purely physical—not a deep emotional bond—so the risk of being exposed might not be high.
He would have to wait until tomorrow to be certain.
…
The next day, Zhou Ning woke from his sleep. The first thing he did was take out his pocket watch, snap it open, and check the time.
Almost 8 o'clock—about two hours left before his Lucky Clover time ended.
Exhaling lightly, Zhou Ning quickly got out of bed. He now had two options: stay home and wait for the three hours of unlucky time to pass, or go out and wait it out.
He had a strong feeling that the upcoming unlucky time would be rough—not only costing him money, but possibly putting his life in danger.
(Support me and read ahead on Patreøn: patreøn.com/craxxtranslations.
3 new chapters are released daily—thank you for your support!
Powerstone Event: For every 50 powerstones, 1 chapter will be unlocked.)