redvbooks Chapter 356: The Alley Where Wind Moved Alone
Chapter 356: The Alley Where Wind Moved Alone
Inside a medium sized chamber, a beautiful young woman sat gracefully on the crude wooden chair. The ordinary looking chamber did not reduce her grace and elegance at all.
The chamber had the common hard mud ground. A few crude wooden chairs were arranged in rows on both sides.
Two small windows provided illumination to the chamber, and at the center was a bigger wooden chair that looked like a throne.
Hung on the throne were skulls of beasts, humans, and beastmen.
Seated on the throne was the Sandroach Chief. Its carapace and shell shone brightly in the chamber. The air around it twisted slightly, and a suffocating, savage aura emanated from its body.
His small crimson eyes stared at the beautiful young human woman, and he spoke.
"Why have you come?" His voice was hoarse, like two hard stones rubbing against each other.
The beautiful young woman, who was the captain of the Slave Trade Guild, had a faint smile plastered on her lips.
"I have come to finally complete our mission," she began slowly, her voice sweet and peaceful.
"You must know Mantis Town should have been destroyed. But strangely, they are still standing. Rumor now has it that they have Black Water, where everyone can get anything they want."
The Sandroach Chief did not speak.
He merely stared at her intently. Under such an intense gaze, many would have felt uncomfortable, but for her, her smile blossomed deeper.
"Our mission is not Mantis Town but something else," she continued with the same peaceful and elegant smile. "More importantly, we need to transport our goods, and we need your people’s assistance."
"Then, you know what I need," the Sandroach Chief said.
"Of course. Everything has already been provided. More so, we have even found a way for your species to grow stronger," she said, releasing the bait.
"I know your species is at odds with the Dung Beetles. After this mission, we will help you destroy them completely, and your influence can grow stronger."
Listening to this, the stoic expression on the Sandroach Chief faltered for a moment. Although they were all Carapace Clan, conflict could never be avoided.
Each clan tried to dominate the others.
Even though the bait was too good to ignore, the Sandroach Chief did not fall for it immediately.
"What about the humans living in Dung Beetle Town? Do not think I do not know there are humans living there."
"Of course, there are humans living there. But you do not have to worry. Compared to us, those humans are nothing. We can take care of them anytime we want," she responded confidently.
With such a confident tone, the Sandroach Chief finally released his guard, and a smile which was creepy to look at appeared on his face.
Even under the creepy smile, the Slave Trade Guild captain did not avert her gaze.
"In that case, tell me anything you need. My people will fulfill it immediately," the Sandroach Chief announced.
Hearing this, the Slave Trade Guild captain’s smile deepened.
’The fish has taken the bait.’
She lowered her gaze slightly, hiding the faint contempt flashing deep within her eyes.
To her, the Sandroach Chief was strong, brutal, and useful, but still easy to tempt.
Hatred between beastmen clans had always been a sharp blade, and the Slave Trade Guild knew how to hold that blade by the handle.
The Sandroach Chief leaned back against the skull covered throne, his sharp claws tapping the wooden armrest slowly.
"Speak clearly," he said. "How many of my people do you need?"
"Not too many," the Slave Trade Guild captain replied gently. "Enough to guard the hidden routes, enough to move the goods, and enough to create pressure when the time comes."
"What goods?" the Sandroach Chief asked, his crimson eyes narrowing.
The young woman’s smile did not change.
"Goods that should not be seen by ordinary eyes," she said softly. "Goods that can change the future of many factions if handled properly."
The Sandroach Chief understood her meaning, and the twisted smile on his face widened.
Captives.
Slaves.
Resources.
Secrets.
These were the things the Slave Trade Guild moved through the Crimson Dunes.
He did not care about human morality.
He only cared about what the Sandroach clan would gain from this cooperation.
"If your promise fails, I will eat your people first," the Sandroach Chief said hoarsely.
The Slave Trade Guild captain chuckled softly.
"If my promise fails, then you may do as you wish," she replied.
Her confidence made the Sandroach Chief stare at her for a long moment.
Finally, he raised one clawed hand.
A Sandroach guard standing near the wall lowered its head immediately.
"Gather the carriers," the chief ordered.
The Sandroach guard struck its chest and hurried out of the chamber.
The Slave Trade Guild captain watched him leave, and her smile remained calm.
Everything was moving smoothly.
Mantis Town was attracting attention.
Black Water had drawn countless greedy eyes.
The Crimson Arc Guild was busy defending itself.
And beneath all that noise, their real mission could continue.
For a moment, she believed everything remained under her control.
****
Outside the Sandroach Chief’s residence, on the common street, humans and Sandroach walked with different expressions. For the Sandroach, their expressions were calm, and their steps were firm.
As for the humans, they were not so calm. Frequently, they looked over their shoulders. Most walked in teams.
Defensive formation.
As if they were ready for battle at any moment.
On the street, there were fewer human merchants. The wooden and mud houses were tattered, and some could not even be called houses.
Yet, humans could be seen coming and leaving from the buildings.
The slight tense atmosphere hung over both the Sandroach and humans like a sword of Damocles.
Patrolling the street were both human guards and Sandroach guards trying to maintain the little peace. However, under such a tense atmosphere, who would be foolish enough to cause any trouble?
Taverns were almost empty.
The only places that were frequently visited were stores that bought beast parts and restaurants.
The entire town carried the feeling of a place waiting for something terrible to happen.
No one laughed loudly.
No one walked carelessly.
Even simple bargaining in front of the beast part stores sounded cautious and restrained.
The Sandroach moved with their hard shells reflecting the dim moonlight, their antennae twitching slightly whenever humans passed too close.
The human awakeners kept their hands near their weapons, their eyes constantly moving from rooftops to alleys.
Trust did not exist here..
While the Sandroach and the human awakeners continued their business, a figure stood on a roof, looking at the scene below without any change in his expression.
His gaze followed the human guards patrolling the street.
The figure’s silver hair moved slightly with the dry wind, and his deep blue eyes remained cold and calm.
Thoren had arrived without alarming the town.
From the rooftop, he could see the arrangement of the streets, the patrol routes. The Sandroach Town was not like the smaller villages he had destroyed earlier.
Suddenly, the air around him twisted, and five undead Sanguine Vulture Spawns appeared beside him. Without averting his gaze, he commanded through the mental link.
"Kill."
Whoosh!
The five undead Sanguine Vulture Spawns vanished from their original position, leaving a crimson trail behind.
....
....
On the street, a group of five guards had bright smiles on their faces while whispering.
"Our shift is almost over. I cannot wait to return," one of them whispered.
"Haha. As if we do not know what you are trying to do," another teased.
"Haha. Compared to our captain, my luck is ordinary."
Listening to his men, the young man walking ahead had the corner of his lips curled upward. Indeed, he was lucky. Who would have thought he would be able to snag such a pure succubus?
Just thinking of her taste, he drooled.
’Gush! I must return immediately to her after this silly work ends.’
The guard took a turn, walking down a much quieter alley.
The alley was narrow, with cracked mud walls on both sides.
A broken cart rested near the corner, and old beast bones were piled carelessly beside a closed doorway.
Compared to the main street, this place was almost empty.
Only the wind moved here, dragging loose grains of crimson sand across the ground.
Suddenly, the captain felt all the hair on his body stand on end.
’Danger!’
His instincts screamed before his eyes could understand what was happening.