Chapter 36: Bandit Suppression Mission Request

Tally had transformed into a cute halfling maid, pouring a cup of water for each of them.

Then she sat directly on Luo De’s lap.

Luo De picked her up and moved her away.

“Rest assured, Lady Dimeya, as an official of Shiying Town, safeguarding the territory’s assets is one of my duties.”

He uttered a polite remark, thereby accepting the mission.

Though he lived long in the forest, he and Shiying Town shared a fate of mutual dependence. Moreover, he bore some responsibility for drawing the attention of the Ruin Brotherhood.

Dimeya nodded in relief.

In her peripheral vision, she noticed Tally changing form again.

Fat suddenly swelled on her chest, lifting her maid’s dress high and stretching the buttons apart into a wide, multifunctional gap.

The succubus flung herself into Luo De’s arms, her two large white bunnies squashing against his chest.

She kept a wary eye on Dimeya throughout.

The witch sighed silently in her heart.

She had long heard rumors that the forest warden of Windwall Forest kept a succubus, but she had always assumed it was just gossip.

After all, no human had ever been known to outlast a succubus in that regard.

“How much strength remains in a human fifth-rank who has been worn down by a succubus?”

Dimeya murmured silently to herself.

She even began to doubt whether the warden had rescued Miss Daphne by sheer luck.

“But we don’t know their troop strength, do we?”

Luo De raised his concern.

Launching a reckless assault on their stronghold could mean walking into a tiger’s mouth if the power gap was too great.

“No, Mr. Luo, we do know.”

Dimeya smiled, as if everything had been calculated.

She added: “The Ruin Brotherhood’s structure is loose by nature, destined to be a disorganized rabble. Two days ago, we captured a halfling in Shiying Town who disguised himself as a student to steal—he is one of them.”

“From him, you learned their base location, structure, and troop numbers?”

“Exactly.”

Luo De felt something was off and raised his question again.

“Don’t overestimate them, Mr. Luo. I’ve faced the Ruin Brotherhood multiple times in Stormwind City. Aside from their numbers, they’re nothing but cowardly, treacherous, and proud of betrayal—crumbling at the first strike.”

Dimeya shook her head, her disdain obvious.

Luo De said no more; after all, she was the commander of this operation.

He shifted to asking about the timing.

“Before the Ritual of Burning Moon begins tonight, I will deploy numerous magical illusions along the town’s edge to create the illusion that we are heavily defending for the festival. In truth, the high-rank forces under my command will secretly strike their base.”

“The Ritual of Burning Moon draws all kinds of people—what if they slip into town?”

“No concern. They fear the town’s internal guardian array and dare not enter lightly.”

The two discussed the operation’s details for a while.

Soon, Dimeya took her leave, citing the late hour.

Before departing, she warned:

“The Ritual of Burning Moon is near, and the battle ahead is uncertain. Please, Mr. Luo,” she glanced at Tally, “rest and conserve your strength. Do not exhaust yourself.”

“Huh?” Tally said in a sarcastic tone.

Without waiting for a reply, Dimeya’s body rose in a deep purple mist, vanishing from sight.

Outside the wooden house, moonlight filtered through layers of leaves, casting a faint red, strange pattern on the ground.

As the Ritual of Burning Moon neared, the moon moved into a specific orbit, its color deepening until, on the day of the festival, it would burn orange-red like fire.

This was the day the night elves despised as profane; in human myth, it was said the exiled people on the moon held rituals, hoping their primordial clans far beyond the Milky Way would welcome them back.

"What's wrong? Can't bear to let go?"

Seeing her master staring outside the door, Tally grumbled.

“Thinking. What do you take me for?”

"A mortar that grinds anything, meat or vegetables, no restrictions."

She hugged him, but Luo De pushed her away without mercy.

Undeterred, Tally transformed into Dimeya’s form, pinching her master’s arm between her soft white bunnies.

“Master~ Don’t you have the [Whip of Delight]? Why not try it out~”

She exhaled a pink, lust-inducing mist toward his face, her baby-fat cheeks glistening with desire.

Luo De fell silent for a moment, then pulled out the whip and gave it a light flick.

“Ah~”

Tally’s breathing grew heavier; a tear split open in her dark gown, revealing her massive northern hemisphere, which swayed with a breathtaking, liquid motion as she moved.

Her eyes and lips curled with a seductive smile.

Luo De ignored Dimeya’s advice.

Until the day of the Burning Moon, Tally ate three full meals a day as usual.

Perhaps because she had been eating too much lately, her demonic nature had begun to show slightly.

During the most recent dinner, she even dared to slip something into Luo De’s food.

Worse, she had secretly learned a hypnosis spell—this morning, during their life interaction, she tried to hypnotize him, demanding he interact with only her and make her his master.

Fortunately, his strong mental resistance, honed by long-term use of the Crystal Stomach Pouch, successfully resisted the hypnosis.

To punish Tally,

Luo De cut her meals from three a day to one, and locked her inside the shadows.

Inside Shiying Town,

the Ritual of Burning Moon had begun.

Along the central avenue toward the town hall, every shop spilled onto the street, leaving only a narrow path.

Red moon fabrics could be seen in nearly every corner.

On the bustling streets, men with red cloth strips tied to their arms hurriedly prepared for tonight’s grandest ritual.

Luo De walked to the central square.

A large open space had been cordoned off, surrounded by tents adorned with countless red flags.

This was the annual circus performance, organized by the returning Shiying Town troupe.

Outside the tent lay a game area, especially popular with children.

“What are you doing here again?”

Luo De stood at the edge of the game area, watching Bond running wild inside.

Nearby, Kali stood upright.

“Xiao Ke asked me to watch over Bond.”

The half-deer and the tree spirit disliked crowded places.

After that night, Kali had burned her short tunic, and all memories faded with the wind.

She had no desire to interact with the warden again.

Yet as a tribal teaching spirit, seeing a promising child like Bond made her unable to resist intervening and guiding him.

“Aren’t I here?”

“Precisely because you’re here, I need to be.”

Luo De felt the spirit’s attitude toward him had grown colder.

A few days ago, only Xiao Ke would say such things.

Clouds drifted across the sky, casting a rare shadow over Bond, who was drenched in sweat from playing.

“What about Farsade? Any news of him?”

“No. He’s been hiding in town, and his concealment magic has grown sharper. He’s always been like that—only triggering his talent when pushed to the brink.”

“Let him go. What good will this do?” Luo De chuckled.

Kali shook her head, her expression serious.

“The elders still have patience. If this drags on longer, I fear Farsade will be exiled.”

(End of Chapter)