Chapter 260: Shifting Blame (Part 2)

“I’ll be joining you on this mission,” Dark Moon suddenly said, catching Wu Qingsong off guard. 

“Dark Moon has been smuggling weapons and other critical supplies to the northern tribes through hidden desert trade routes for years. With me here, I can make sure that after we pull off what needs to be done, everyone gets back to Esola safely.”

This made Wu Qingsong take a second look at him. While his initial impression of Dark Moon was hard to shake, at least the feeling of having his hard work taken advantage of had eased a bit.

“Our best route is to head straight north, then veer northeast near Tannar and cut through the forest west of Manaus,” Dark Moon explained. “From what I’ve heard, almost all of Tannar’s defense forces have been pulled into this campaign, leaving the city practically empty. If we start soon, we’ll have a long stretch with minimal risks.”

“And what about making the Yagata people the scapegoat?” Wu Qingsong asked.

“That’s where Miss Ram comes in,” Dark Moon replied. “Logic says that, while undead don’t need supplies, the Silver Moon Clan moving up north would definitely need to gather food along the way. We could hit a few—maybe even four or five—supply points or mines, leaving just enough survivors to see exactly what we want them to see. Once we reach the borders of Marquess Mesthebes’ territory, we’ll cut control over the undead and take the desert trade route back to Esola.”

“That’s it?”

“The simpler, the less chance for slip-ups,” Dark Moon replied. “Getting an undead army to march over 300 li in just a few days, all while leaving evidence at the right spots, is already a big ask.”

“Do you really think they’ll believe our setup that easily?” Daryl asked, still doubtful. 

After all, their whole clan faced disaster once over something as small as forgetting to dye their hair. Dark Moon’s plan sounded equally risky to him.

“Whether they believe it or not isn’t what matters. What matters is that this gives Duke Sentalus a reason to throw accusations and stir things up with the Yagata people,” Dark Moon explained. “We can’t bring these undead to Esola, since that would just broadcast that Silver Moon is allied with Orgrimmar. Leaving them here does nothing for us, so why not take a shot? Even if there’s only a one percent chance of success, isn’t it worth it?”

“Let’s get into the details,” Wu Qingsong said.

Daryl glanced at him but held back any further objections.

The group for this mission didn’t need to be large. The main players were Ram, who could create illusions, Wu Qingsong, who commanded the undead, and Dark Moon, who insisted on joining. Once these three had drawn all the attention, the others could take the side paths back to Esola in smaller groups.

After some thought, Wu Qingsong decided to bring Ling along.

Her abilities often combined well with his spontaneous ideas, creating effects he couldn’t anticipate. If things really went south, she could at least conjure a flying vessel to escape into the sky with him, while Ram could make her own getaway on the undead giant eagle.

Dark Moon had no objections to this. 

Nina originally wanted to take on the responsibility herself, but leading the remaining clan members to Esola required her influence, decisiveness, and persuasive power—along with close coordination with Harold, who was back in Orgrimmar. So, she ultimately accepted this arrangement.

“So, the four of us will handle this mission,” Dark Moon said quickly. “The sooner we move, the better our chances. Shall we head out separately by tomorrow morning?”

“Agreed.” Wu Qingsong scanned the group and finally nodded.

***

“Sir! Outside! Outside!” 

A guard burst through the door, pale and panicked, his voice trembling.

“What’s going on? Bandits?” 

The mine owner, who had been going over accounts with a clerk, immediately jumped up from his seat.

Wasn’t the Sentalus military supposed to have deployed a battalion to clear out the mountains? And on top of that, he had seen the Tannar garrison transporting provisions south along the mountain roads just a few days ago. He’d even hosted the officers, hoping to negotiate a deal for some low-cost slaves. But he was told this time the orders were strict: kill on sight.

So, how on earth did the bandits make it to Tannar? Were those soldiers completely useless?

“It’s not… it’s not that…” 

The guard was struggling to even get the words out.

“Not bandits? Then what are you panicking about?”

“It’s… it’s monsters! Skeletons! The whole mountain is crawling with them!” the guard finally managed to blurt out.

“What?” 

The mine owner’s legs nearly gave out, and he staggered.

When he scrambled up to the wooden walls surrounding the mine entrance and saw the horror with his own eyes, any thought of resistance vanished.

His only hope was that these creatures were just passing by, but his heart sank as it became clear that they were headed directly for his mine.

What had he done to deserve this? How could he possibly deal with something like this?

At least with bandits, he could negotiate—release a few slaves, offer some valuables. But how could he bargain with these monsters?

“Sir…sir?” The guard captain stammered, his voice shaking. “How… how are we supposed to defend against this?”

“Defend?” The mine owner suddenly had an idea. “With what? Gather everyone! We’re all going to hide in the mine shaft!”

“But… but won’t they get into the mine too?”

“Seal the entrance with rocks!” he snapped, gritting his teeth. “Once they’re gone, we’ll dig it back open!”

***

“This one’s good to leave as-is,” Dark Moon said to Wu Qingsong.

Wu Qingsong nodded.

It was their second day heading north from the Tecks Mountain Range. 

While the undead didn’t move particularly fast, they could keep going as long as they had energy from the soul fire. By traveling non-stop for a full day and night, they’d managed to cover almost 200 li.

They had now entered the borders of the Noguti Duchy, and, just as Dark Moon predicted, the local garrisons had been pulled away. Word of the defeat hadn’t reached here yet, leaving this area in a temporary military void.

The sight of a massive wave of skeletons passing by had left every mine they encountered in a state of pure terror.

If Wu Qingsong really were a necromancer bent on slaughter and destruction, he could wipe out the overseers and slaves at several mines in a single day, raising thousands of ghouls. He’d be capable of wreaking havoc across this region, and even nearby areas, before the elves could react.

And that was just with the few necromancy spells he knew. If he were adept in plague-spreading or virus-casting magic, he’d be a walking disaster.

This made Wu Qingsong realize that necromancers weren’t really suited for direct combat. They were far more effective for terror tactics. Even a low-level necromancer, once they abandon their morals and lower their standards, could wreak unimaginable havoc across the continent.

No wonder the elves, after destroying the Batiz Kingdom, chose to completely wipe this kind of magic from existence. Necromancy might not necessarily make them stronger, but if it spread, it would cause endless trouble for those in power.

He began directing the undead to build a wall of skeletons to climb into the mine. They opened the main gate and moved all the food supplies out. Ram, positioned at the entrance, cast the illusions that Dark Moon had so carefully crafted.

***

“Those damned thieves!” the mine owner, crouching behind some rocks, muttered through clenched teeth. “What could they want with grain? Do these cursed skeletons even need to eat?”

“Sir? Look at the main gate,” his overseer whispered urgently.

“Nina Lams? By Aymes, I knew it! Those wolves must’ve sold their souls to the devil long ago. Every one of them deserves to rot in hell!”

“Sir! Look behind them!”

From their vantage point, they could see a number of wolfmen helping the elderly and carrying children as they passed by the entrance to the mine. Once the skeletons pulled out supplies from the mine, they either handed it over to the wolfmen or slung it over their own backs, then followed the group as they left.

“Dammit, so they’re using my grain to feed those bandits!” the mine owner roared again, seething with rage.

Just then, more figures appeared at the gate, mostly wolfmen, but one in particular stood out—a half-elf with distinctly canine features. He was so memorable that they immediately took note of him.

“Useless soldiers! Supposedly ‘rooting out the bandits,’ but they’ve only driven them straight to us!” the mine owner muttered furiously, barely able to contain his voice. “They’ll pay for this—oh, they’ll pay dearly!”