Chapter 305: The Sweetness of Revenge

After Daryl issued his orders, Nina truly understood the source of his pride.

The Silvermoon wolfkin had no objections. The weapons and equipment that helped them establish a foothold in this land had all come from Orgrimmar, and Ram painstakingly procured the food they brought with them. Even without considering practical benefits, they felt obligated to repay this favor in such a situation.

Moreover, they all knew Wu Qingsong’s capabilities. While it might sound arrogant, if Wu Qingsong brought his people here, it was likely that this land would soon fall under his control. At that point, issues like food shortages would naturally be resolved.

What caught Nina’s attention were the wolves who had only recently joined Silvermoon. They didn’t know about Wu Qingsong’s strength, yet they still quickly separated out more than half of their sheep under Daryl’s command. They began driving the flock southward as instructed, preparing to support the residents of Orgrimmar.

The rest began expanding Silvermoon’s camp to accommodate more people.

As Daryl said, Silvermoon may have lost much, but from another perspective, it now had the potential to grow even stronger.

***

Ram and Harold’s task was even more challenging. They had to find suitable locations to build a temporary relay camp for sheltering and transferring people under the watchful eyes of Marquis Osaga and a relay base outside Osaga’s northern territory, near the Batiz Desert. The base needed to stockpile as much food and weaponry as possible to prepare for their journey northward.

This task became even more difficult after Wu Qingsong and Ling left Norwei for Gale Island.

Ram and Harold racked their brains, even enlisting Feya and Xeila’s help, to barely complete the preliminary construction of these two sites by the deadlines in Wu Qingsong’s plan. Fortunately, since both locations were for one-time use, they only needed to meet the requirements for storing supplies and providing short-term rest, without needing to be particularly sturdy.

To maintain secrecy, they had to rely on Xeila’s connections to purchase livestock, vehicles, and food from desert bandits. The exorbitant costs of using such channels, combined with the money spent earlier to free themselves from the greedy half-elves of Riniconia, nearly drained everything they had accumulated over the past few years.

This infuriated Ram, but Wu Qingsong was unfazed.

After all, they had next to nothing when he and Harold first arrived in this land. Now, they had many trusted companions, subordinates who not only believed in them but revered them.

Besides, when he’d exact his revenge on those vampires, everything they had taken would be returned tenfold.

After Wu Qingsong and Ling returned, Ram’s workload lightened slightly. Though they had to navigate by night to avoid being spotted by Osaga’s soldiers and were heavily affected by the weather, Ling managed to help Ram safely transport a large number of people and supplies to the relay base.

When Red Moon successfully ransomed the detained believers, this unusual rescue operation on the continent finally neared its conclusion.

Thanks to Ling’s tireless efforts, a group of nearly two thousand people quietly converged at the relay base from two separate locations. They began traveling north along the path the Silvermoon Wolf Clan had previously taken. Though Daryl couldn’t come personally, the guides he sent proved invaluable, and Ling’s presence made locating water sources relatively simple.

Despite the group consisting of many elderly, women, and children, which slowed their progress to two months, no one was left behind. Through the combined efforts of Nina and Alice, not a single beastfolk died along the way. This could only be called a miracle.

Daryl led the Silvermoon wolfkin ten miles out from the camp to greet them, expressing his welcome to Wu Qingsong and the others. Seeing the once-reckless boy transform into a reliable leader, Wu Qingsong shook his head repeatedly but gave him a firm hug.

While the Orgrimmar beastfolk rested at Silvermoon’s camp, Wu Qingsong took Xeila, Ling, Ram, and Nina, quietly boarding the airship to head south to Riniconia City.

“Who do we start with?” Ram asked.

“Of course, the one with the highest status,” Wu Qingsong said.

The target wasn’t the Marquis Riniconia himself. He had been stationed in Padamia for a long time and likely didn’t know what was happening in his territory. However, the stewards under him were undoubtedly culpable.

Wu Qingsong didn’t know exactly who had made the suggestions, issued the orders, or participated in the spoils, but since he had decided to abandon the identity of Tagraedi, the plan was very straightforward.

They stayed in Riniconia for a day to make preparations. After nightfall, Wu Qingsong awakened the beastfolk girls’ abilities one by one. Ling piloted the airship, Ram cloaked them in illusions, and they made a direct descent near the main tower of Riniconia Castle.

Ram and Ling were responsible for support, while Wu Qingsong, Xeila, and Nina entered the chief steward’s bedroom through the window.

“You…” 

Before the steward could say anything, all maids and guards were swiftly knocked unconscious. The steward was awakened from his sleep with a dirty sock stuffed into his mouth and a few hard slaps to the face.

With minimal effort, Wu Qingsong had the pampered half-elf crying and wailing as he revealed the location of the treasury, the method to open it, and the whereabouts of all the other stewards. As a reward, Wu Qingsong didn’t kill him but tied him up and locked him in the wardrobe. He also looted every treasure in the room, handing them out the window to the airship.

For this man, figuring out how to explain the situation to the Marquis and clean up the aftermath would likely be more despair-inducing than death.

Next was the constabulary chief. Without his approval, it would have been impossible to mobilize two garrison regiments. After verifying the information obtained from the chief steward, Wu Qingsong killed him and emptied his room as well.

Treasurer, chamberlain, chief of household, assistant steward, tax director—one prominent half-elf after another fell in their sleep. 

Entering directly through windows with Ram’s illusions concealing them, they often didn’t even need to alert the guards outside. They confirmed the identities of the sleeping targets before dealing with them.

The treasures taken from their rooms alone were enough to offset a significant portion of Orgrimmar’s losses, but Wu Qingsong had no intention of stopping there.

Once everyone on their list was eliminated, they descended directly outside the treasury. Xeila silently took care of the guards. Wu Qingsong, using the verified information from the chief steward and treasurer, opened the vault door. Inside lay the wealth these individuals had plundered from Riniconia’s various regions, yet to be sent to Padamia for the Marquis’s enjoyment.

“Not as much as I imagined…” Ram said, slightly disappointed.

“It’s only one year’s income, maybe with a little extra that hadn’t been submitted yet,” Wu Qingsong said. “If there were more, Ling wouldn’t be able to carry it all. Or are you planning to stay here instead?”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

The group quickly loaded everything onto the airship. Wu Qingsong thoughtfully lit several incendiary bottles and hurled them at the buildings surrounding the treasury.

“Sort through these items. We’re returning to Orgrimmar tomorrow night,” he said.