Chapter 192: Dark Moon

Wu Qingsong’s words left Ram slightly surprised, but a familiar figure suddenly appeared in the direction he was facing. Although he couldn’t recall her name, Wu Qingsong couldn’t forget her stunning face.

“How did you find me?” Xeila asked in surprise. 

Until now, neither Wu Qingsong nor Ram had been able to detect her presence.

“You’ve been gone for so long, do you think I couldn’t have gotten a bit stronger?” Wu Qingsong said. 

Facing this unconventional girl, his feelings were somewhat complex.

“How did you find us?” Ram quickly sensed something unusual among them and interrupted their conversation.

In a city of millions, with countless people arriving and leaving every day, she couldn’t believe that Xeila had run into Wu Qingsong by chance.

“I joined an organization,” Xeila answered. “There are people there who specialize in researching new nobles in various places, looking for investment or speculative opportunities. I saw the name Woody Tagraedi.”

“And then?” Ram asked warily. 

Seeing that name wasn’t surprising, but how did she know when they would arrive in the Imperial Capital?

“The recent commotion must be related to you, right?” Xeila asked. “When I saw the descriptions of the individuals involved, I knew it was you. I figured you must have arrived and would be handling the ennoblement process soon, so I’ve been waiting around the Marquis Riniconia’s residence these past few days.”

This explanation seemed plausible, but Ram remained suspicious.

“Do you know the secret bounty Sentalus has issued?” Xeila asked with a cold smile. “They suspect you might come to the Imperial Capital and have secretly offered a bounty to all the gangs, instructing them to look for a group consisting of a half-elf, a raccoongirl, a wolfman, a catwoman, a mixed-breed dog girl, and a houndman. The reward for capturing all of you is 200,000 Renals, and 30,000 for any one of you alone, as long as you’re alive. Even providing reliable information earns 3,000 Renals. Yagata isn’t as wealthy, but they’ve offered the ownership of an estate for capturing you alive.”

“Ram, Xeila isn’t that kind of person,” Wu Qingsong said.

During their adventure in the temple of the God of Death, Xeila had received an equal share of the loot as Wu Qingsong, but she took almost none of it. Instead, she gave a portion to the Batiz family survivors and distributed the rest to the desert bandits. To her, wealth was meaningless. She could get as much as she wanted whenever she wished.

Ram said nothing, but her mood visibly darkened.

“The methods you’ve used so far have been somewhat effective,” Xeila continued. “At least, as far as I know, no one suspects you yet. But that’s only a matter of time. All the inns, carriage services, and boat services in the Imperial Capital are under gang control. There are indeed a lot of people here, all sorts, but a group like yours is highly unusual. If you keep gathering like this, someone will soon connect you to the bounty notices.”

“So?” Ram asked.

“Without help, it’s only a matter of time before you’re suspected, followed, and then captured by those two factions,” Xeila said. “Elsewhere, you might escape easily, but here in the Imperial Capital, there are magic warriors and mages stationed in the lower city daily. Your combat skills won’t help here. They’ll only attract stronger forces to suppress you.”

“Who can help us? You?”

“The organization I’ve joined now,” Xeila replied.

“We might trust you, but you want us to trust a group of strangers?” Ram questioned.

“They aren’t strangers,” Xeila said. “At least, not to you. Do you know why they are interested in the name Woody Tagraedi? Because they sold that identity elsewhere.”

“The Dark Hand?” Ram’s expression changed slightly.

“The Dark Hand, the Black Hand, the Shadow Blade, the Dark Moon, the Death Eaters. They go by many names. I know this isn’t your first time dealing with them,” Xeila said. “Ram, don’t you wonder who bought all that soap? Do you really think it was the pirates? Do they have that kind of purchasing power?”

Ram’s face darkened considerably. Wu Qingsong quickly intervened, “Do they want to help us?”

“They want to meet you, Wu,” Xeila replied. “I think they will help you, and you can trust them.”

“Why?”

“You’ll understand when you meet them,” Xeila said. “It’s best to bring Ling and Liuli along.”

“Why?” Ram still remained skeptical, but Wu Qingsong believed Xeila had no reason to betray them.

“I trust her,” he told Ram.

Ram didn’t argue further. She knew that if Xeila wanted to harm them, she wouldn’t need to go to such lengths. Still, being led by Xeila made her very uncomfortable.

They followed Xeila and boarded one of the Imperial Capital’s common two-wheeled carriages. After traveling through the city for about ten minutes, they transferred to a typical two-oared boat in the canal. The cabin was covered with thick curtains, making it impossible for those outside to see in, though those inside could see out. The boat was rowed by a beaverman, with a dogman sitting at the bow.

“Are these all your people?” Ram asked.

Xeila nodded. “By the way, don’t call me by my name here. My alias here is Twilight Moon.”

“Twilight Moon?” Wu Qingsong asked.

“Yes, because the organization uses the name Dark Moon in the Imperial Capital,” Xeila explained. “The person I’m taking you to meet is called Dark Moon. He’s the leader of the organization.”

The small boat navigated through a bewildering array of waterways, turning into a secluded canal. Wu Qingsong noticed several dogmen sitting on a bridge at the canal entrance, who discreetly nodded at the boat. The boat continued forward, then suddenly turned right and entered a hidden passage beneath a riverside house.

“We’re here,” Xeila said.

The room was dark. The passage was just wide enough for the small boat. Wu Qingsong could see a few wolfmen and bearfolk standing nearby, and a dogman was closing the stone door leading to the canal.

“Twilight Moon?” one of the wolfmen asked.

“This is Woody Tagraedi,” Xeila said. “I’m taking them to see Dark Moon.”

The wolfman scrutinized Wu Qingsong and his companions, then nodded. “Go ahead.”