Chapter 261: Shifting Blame (Part 3)

“And that’s it,” Wu Qingsong said.

They were standing in a barren stretch of land in the western part of Marquis Mesthebes’ domain, the planned endpoint of their mission.

To the north lay endless badlands, and to the east stretched the forests within Mesthebes’ territory. Having the massive undead army disappear here would easily stoke speculation. If they went any deeper, they might run into Mesthebes’ guard units and spark a confrontation, which would complicate Dark Moon’s carefully crafted plan.

After scouting around, they found an enormous sand pit nearby. 

Wu Qingsong ordered the skeletons to march inside, and once they were all in, he buried the pit completely. A few remaining skeletons stayed back to wipe out traces of their presence. After their final task, they would proceed to the depths of the Batiz Desert as instructed.

They’d keep going until their soul fire burned out, ending somewhere so remote even We Qingsong wouldn’t know where they’d fall. For any pursuers, their trail would end here.

The past few days hadn’t exactly been pleasant, but neither were there any major issues. 

Dark Moon had kept his word, never once mentioning Red Moon or the Black Pearl, and he had deferred to Wu Qingsong’s leadership in every aspect of the mission. As a key leader of a powerful underground network, his humility was clear. Wu Qingsong, though still wary, decided to set aside his reservations and focus on completing the mission well.

After all, for Dark Moon, this operation was merely another attempt to fan the flames of internal strife between the elves’ conservative and reformist factions. Success would be ideal, of course, but even failure wouldn’t have any real impact on them. For the Silver Moon Wolf Clan—and even for Orgrimmar, who had taken them in—this plan’s success would mean they could finally stop living in constant tension and fear.

Countless people must have witnessed the sight of the undead army, mingled with wolfmen, heading northeast toward Marquis Mesthebes’ lands. Many would have seen Nina, the black-robed necromancer, and the half-elf Marcus walking alongside him. The forest trails were intentionally left marked with traces of a large group on the move, along with signs of campsites left behind by many.

Anyone tracking this trail would likely conclude that a large force had traveled from the Tecks Mountains, eventually vanishing within Mesthebes’ territory.

As to why these traces suddenly disappeared in the deserts of Mesthebes, that was no longer their concern—it was a problem for the Mesthebes family, now covered in suspicion and left to answer for it.

While everything seemed to go smoothly, achieving the desired effect, the ultimate outcome was still uncertain. It depended on how the Sentalus family, who had suffered considerable losses in this, would choose to respond.

If the Sentalus family refused to accept the apparent, open-and-shut conclusion and instead decided to comb through the Tecks Mountains for clues, they could still end up following the trail of evidence inevitably left behind by a migration of thousands, which might just lead them to Esola.

“Well then, let’s go our separate ways here,” Wu Qingsong said to Dark Moon.

Though it felt a bit like burning bridges after crossing them, he had no interest in lingering on the road any longer.

Ram rode the undead giant eagle to catch up with the main Silver Moon Wolf Clan group. With her ability to create illusions, she wouldn’t be seen even if she flew during the day.

Wu Qingsong and Ling set off at night on the airship she created.

As for Dark Moon, he had his own way of traveling—in fact, he’d be safer alone once they parted.

“This trip has been a valuable experience,” Dark Moon said. “Lord Tagraedi, I hope we’ll have more chances to fight side by side in the future and work to bring down this decaying empire together.”

“We’ll see,” Wu Qingsong replied, hiding his true thoughts.

Their return journey was completely uneventful. The massive undead army had captured almost everyone’s attention, so the remaining members of the Silver Moon Wolf Clan entered Esola in separate groups along the smuggling route, undisturbed. With support from Harold, who had received advance word from Becker and made the necessary preparations, they were quietly settled in the northern mountains of Esola.

The return journey was smooth. The large undead army had drawn everyone’s attention, allowing the remaining Silvermoon Wolf Clan to slip into Esola in groups along the smuggling paths without interference. With Harold, who had received an advance warning from Beck and others, they were quietly settled in the northern mountains of Esola.

Nina led a group of wolfmen to carefully erase their tracks. It was impossible to leave no trace, but they made it look like smuggling routes left by traders.

Nina even set up a backup plan, diverting some tracks toward the northern wilderness.

This way, even if trackers found traces and followed, they might believe the clan had escaped north rather than into Esola.

Wu Qingsong and Ram soon joined the operation, and a week later, Wu Qingsong finally returned to Orgrimma.

It had been months since he’d left.

“Who’d have thought so much would happen?” 

Wu Qingsong and Harold shared the same thought as they updated each other.

What was originally meant as a simple trip for Wu Qingsong’s knighthood ended up bringing about the Silvermoon Wolf Clan’s collapse, establishing a distant but potentially stronghold in the Gale Kingdom, and sparking a rift between the two most powerful factions in the empire—outcomes none of them had ever expected.

Orgrimmar itself fared well in his absence. Nearly all activities that violated imperial law or posed risks had ceased. Under Harold’s management, the territory hadn’t progressed much, but there were no issues either. Orgrimmar’s solid military discouraged interference from Esola’s two officials after they received their expected bribes, and neighboring territories, not wanting to upset a rising noble or face the Hang Man’s reputation, also stayed quiet.

“A month ago, Marquis Osaga sent someone, saying he’ll be on his lands for a while managing affairs, and to meet with him as soon as you return,” Harold informed him.

“What’s it about?” Wu Qingsong asked.

“They didn’t say.”

“Alright then,” Wu Qingsong nodded.

Marquis Osaga was one of the few elves Wu Qingsong respected, and Alvin’s death still left him feeling uneasy around him. Yet, as an exception, he wouldn’t sway Wu Qingsong’s view of the elves or weaken his resolve.

“We also need to head to Riniconia to finalize our territorial boundaries,” Wu Qingsong said. “Let’s handle both matters in one trip.”