Chapter 168: Travelling to the West

By the time Moon and the others reached the alpine mountain, Nox had already finished setting up the maze formation.

They stepped out of the hidden tunnel under the bush one after another.

The cold air hit Moon’s face at once, carrying the sharp scent of pine.

After these few days inside the Lost Realm, Moon had almost forgotten it was winter outside. The sudden chill made him pull his collar a little higher without thinking.

Oshan was sitting on a rock nearby, eating wild berries.

Nox came over after checking the formation one last time.

"Everything is ready. The guards are still busy patrolling the gorge and the southern ring. They haven’t noticed anything unusual."

"Let’s go back to the courtyard before someone finds us," Oshan said in a low voice.

Though they had distracted the guards hidden in the mountain with a maze formation, there were always people more shrewd than others.

He wiped his hands on his pants and stood up.

They turned to Malong City without attracting much attention.

Nox and Oshan had already made arrangements for their return, so there was no need to linger around the mountain.

They walked down the mountain like any other people.

Soon, many people caught their eye.

All of them were also going to Malong City just like them. Some carried large bags, others pulled small carts, and some walked arrogantly among servants and guards.

The road was already livelier than usual.

Moon looked at the three groups ahead and wondered why the road was so lively this early.

"This is the time when the west turns into a festival ground. To attend the three big academies every year, many people go to try their luck. Not only the pack’s young members, but also the vendors, merchants, and others too. It’s a grand gathering."

Oshan said as he chuckled under his breath.

But his eyes flashed with sharp viciousness.

This may be a good time for werewolves, but not necessarily for hunters.

Though now they on the surface pretended to be in a treaty, in reality hunters had always been the arch enemy of werewolves.

It was not a single-handed werewolf’s fault.

In fact, they were victims too.

No one knew how it started, but hunters began to erase the werewolves while werewolves started to massacre the hunters.

The long history of treaty and betrayal was endless.

And Oshan’s Bruce clan was just one of those endless loops of revenge.

Moon didn’t ask anything about Oshan.

He was extraterritorial here and already had enough trouble, so sometimes he saw everything yet pretended not to see anything.

Some things were better left untouched for now. So he turned his attention to the crowd.

When they finally reached their courtyard, the first lights of Malong City appeared in the distance, and the sky had already started to spread the orange light.

The courtyard was silent and still.

Nothing had been disturbed.

The familiar gray stone wall and the small perch Oshan had fixed earlier still looked the same as the day they left.

Nox went inside and woke up the nanny and Marina.

"Wash up and change quickly. We are leaving," he urged them.

Oshan, Axe, and Ugo also became busy settling things inside the courtyard.

Bags were checked, formations were reinforced one last time, and the leftover supplies were packed away.

Moon took a round and felt a little nostalgic.

He didn’t know if they would be back here again.

He didn’t have any belongings here, just some memories. So he stood there waiting for the others to finish, eyes lingering on the quiet yard for a moment longer.

Marina yawned and rubbed her eyes as she finally got ready. Her hair was still a little messy, but she looked more awake now.

Levi’s group was already waiting near the west merchant road. So they didn’t waste time here. They left the courtyard quietly, without drawing any attention.

The streets of Malong were still half-asleep.

Only a few early vendors were setting up their stalls.

The group moved quickly through the quieter lanes until they reached the west side of the city. The air already carried the smell of dust and horses.

A long line of carts and horse carriages waited along the merchant road, stretching toward the clearing near the city gate.

Muscular men dressed in mixed armor moved between the carts and carriages, checking the ropes securing the loads and inspecting the weapons.

Some argued over the weight of the cargo, while others stood guard with bored expressions.

At the front of the line, Levi sat inside a large horse carriage, looking out through the window.

When he spotted them approaching, a small smile appeared on his lips. He lifted one hand slightly in greeting.

"You’re later than I expected."

Nox gave a nod. "Not that late either."

Levi’s gaze passed over the group once, lingering for a short moment on each of them.

"Guest tokens are already registered under the Elysian Crown merchant guild. No one will question you openly on the road. Get up on this carriage."

Moon raised his brows.

His eyes didn’t hide the amusement.

This young man was very enthusiastic. He even invited them into his personal carriage.

It seemed like he really wanted to get hold of the poison-removing pill’s formula.

But Moon could not give the pill formula.

Yet he gladly accepted the favor.

Even if he couldn’t give the pill formula, he could always supply the pills.

The caravan began to move as soon as they settled inside.

Dust rose under the wheels.

Mercenaries rode on both sides.

There were other travelers mixed in—some merchants, some rogue wolves who still had some sanity left, some witches, and many others disguised as normal citizens heading the same direction.

The whole road felt crowded yet peaceful.

Oshan didn’t follow them.

He went alone with the other merchants, blending into the larger group.

For a while, everything was quiet.

The rhythmic sound of wheels and hooves filled the carriage.

Moon leaned back slightly and closed his eyes for a moment, thinking the journey might actually be peaceful.

Just when Moon thought the journey would be peaceful, he heard a sharp cry of a horse and a lot of galloping on the ground.

So much so that even their carriage seemed to be vibrating.

Levi lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw a group of well-dressed young men and women appear on the side of the road, slowing as they approached the caravan.

Moon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He saw two familiar faces at once.

"What are they still doing here?" Moon asked Nox.

"How would I know?" Nox said grumpily.

"You don’t know? You were here in Malong City these days. Didn’t you meet them once?" Moon asked, raising his brows.

"Why would I meet them? I was busy buying things. I don’t have time for hearing gossip about young princes and princesses." He scoffed and turned his face away.

Marina tittered from the side.

"This young man, can you give us the pass first? We are in a hurry to the west. We don’t have much time to wait in line," Evan Vesper of the Vesper Pack said, leaning from his horse toward the carriage window.

"Get back in line," Levi said leisurely. His tone almost sounded like he was very reluctant to talk.

Evan knitted his brows.

"Your caravan is just too long. It will take almost half an hour to clear out from the gate."

"So?" Levi slurred, still looking half-asleep.

"Who are you? Let’s get to the point. How much do you want?" Evan said arrogantly.

He knew this kind of merchant very well. They pretended to be so arrogant, yet the moment they heard money, they would bend to anyone.

"Oh?" Levi straightened up with interest, he wore his monocle that flashing slightly.

Evan sneered. His face was clearly saying, ’See? Money can talk.’

"Give me Thirty thousand siki then," Levi said with great interest.