Chapter 15: A moonless, windy night perfect for murder

When enemies meet, their eyes turn especially red.

This saying fits Luo De now perfectly, with no flaw.

His eyes are really red!

The memories of being plundered, imprisoned, beaten, and nearly killed by the Tanite Tribe bandits flashed through his mind, and Luo De wished he could tear every one of those Tanite Tribe people before him into pieces right now.

Even though his fists were clenched so tightly they crackled, Luo De still forced himself to endure and turned his head back.

This is Kawanyi.

You can't kill people on the street.

Especially not in a place with so many witnesses.

Otherwise, with Luo De's current ability, facing a thirty-person hunt, he couldn't escape even if he fled to a foreign land.

A hard-won peaceful life.

Luo De didn't want to waste it all over a bunch of scum.

"Do those people have a problem?"

Others couldn't see Luo De's abnormality, but Dixiya could.

How to put it?

Luo De's gaze now is no different from that of the most ferocious sacred bone beast in the desert.

It could make the mild-mannered Luo De erupt with such murderous aura.

Without a doubt.

These few people before him surely have a grudge against him, and a deep one at that.

"Nothing."

"I mistook the person."

Luo De didn't over-explain; he just tried to keep his expression calm so others wouldn't notice anything odd.

Indeed, it's not easy to kill inside Kawanyi.

But once you leave Kawanyi, no one can protect them.

So there's no need to rush, especially not to startle the snake, letting this Tanite Tribe group become alert early.

"You mistook the person?"

This lame excuse naturally couldn't fool Dixiya.

She glanced at those Tanite Tribe people, then raised her eyebrows: "Tanite Tribe people?"

She was familiar with the totems of almost all the desert tribes.

For a top-tier tribe like the Tanite Tribe, she was even more familiar.

Speaking of which.

The Blaze Light Hunting Beast also had a run-in with the Tanite Tribe once.

But that wasn't a friendly exchange.

The Tanite Tribe are infamous desert bandits; any caravan, tribe, or mercenary group they target hardly leaves any survivors.

The Blaze Light Hunting Beast happened to run into the Tanite Tribe bandits while on a guard mission.

At that time, the Blaze Light Hunting Beast was still an obscure little mercenary band.

However, facing bandits ten times their number, the Blaze Light Hunting Beast fought to the death, refusing to retreat an inch; they ended up wounding thirteen enemies, two of them permanently disabled, including Dixiya herself suffering serious injury, and repelled the Tanite Tribe raiders, thereby establishing the fearsome reputation of the Blaze Light Hunting Beast and the Blaze Mane Lion.

Strictly speaking.

Dixiya, too, bears a grudge against the Tanite Tribe.

But after that battle, the Tanite Tribe seemed to realize the Blaze Light Hunting Beast was not to be provoked, and thereafter, whenever the Blaze Light Hunting Beast took on commissions, they never saw Tanite Tribe members coming to cause trouble.

I don't know whether he's worried Dixiya will advise him to give up revenge, or doesn't want his revenge killing to implicate Dixiya.

In short, Luo De never voiced his personal grudge against the Tanite Tribe.

He didn't even give Dixiya a chance to speak, nor glance at the Tanite Tribe people again, and calmly stood up saying, "Sorry, I have something to do today; I probably won't have time to return to A Ru Cun. If you're in a hurry about the Blaze Light Hunting Beast matter, you can go back first."

"It's just a small cargo delivery commission; my absence doesn't matter."

Dixiya didn't call out Luo De's thoughts, smiling: "I'll just keep you company here. By the way, there's only one inn in town; if we don't book ahead, we'll be sleeping on the streets tonight."

"Only one inn?"

Luo De narrowed his eyes, then his brow relaxed as he said, "All right, let's go there first."

Golden Sand Journey.

That's the only inn in Kawanyi that Dixiya spoke of.

Fortunately.

When Luo De and Dixiya arrived, there was no melodramatic situation of only one room left.

After booking the room.

Luo De then hurried off, not even having time to greet anyone.

Dixiya didn't stop him, calmly watching his back disappear into the crowd, then chuckled and returned to her room.

Luo De's departure.

He didn't return until evening.

Before he came back, those Tanite Tribe merchants had just finished checking in.

Luo De found Dixiya as usual and treated her to a good meal at the first-floor barbecue restaurant.

It must be said.

The billboard in front of Golden Sand Journey isn't just bragging.

Their barbecue really is quite good, far better than what Luo De has eaten elsewhere.

Let's go back tomorrow.

While eating, Luo De said to Dixiya.

His face showed nothing unusual; he even had a faint smile.

Oh? You've finished your business?

Dixiya asked curiously.

She clearly saw that the Tanite tribe people had come to settle.

Moreover, she had been following Luo De all the way.

Just as she thought, Luo De indeed did not act in Kawanyi.

So when Luo De suggested leaving tomorrow, it was still somewhat unexpected for her.

According to Dixiya's thought.

To act against the Tanite tribe people, leaving the city would definitely be the best choice.

But looking at it now.

Luo De, aside from acting tonight in the city, seems to have no other opportunity.

Could it be that he has given up on revenge?

Dixiya secretly pondered.

Acting in Kawanyi city is obviously not a good choice.

As a key border stronghold of Sumeru, the thirty-person squad stationed in Kawanyi is not a small number.

If it were only the thirty-person squad, that would still be manageable.

They're just a bunch of power-hungry good-for-nothings; let alone needing to investigate a murder, even if you kill someone right in front of them, as long as you pay them enough, they won't say a word and will even gladly send you to a safe place.

However, the Academy official responsible for supervising the thirty-person squad makes things troublesome.

The Academy official is the post responsible for supervising the daily operations of Sumeru's important institutions.

With them present, a major case like murder naturally cannot be glossed over by the thirty-person squad; otherwise, lightly they'd lose their Academy subsidies, and seriously they'd be replaced by the Sumeru City Academy official and the thirty-person squad personally investigating.

No way.

Kawanyi's geographical location is too special.

The people coming and going here are a mixed bag of all sorts; without heavy penalties and strict responsibility, it's impossible to maintain order here.

Doubting when Luo De would act, after finishing her meal Dixiya returned to her room and began to intently eavesdrop on the movements in his room.

Time trickled by.

Soon.

Night fell.

I don't know if it's a coincidence, but tonight the sky is unusually dark; the sky that should be full moon is covered by dark clouds, letting no light through.

By midnight, the whole Kawanyi had almost completely fallen into darkness, leaving only scattered points of light.

As the saying goes, dark moon, high wind, night for killing.

Even the fully focused Dixiya didn't notice; at some point Luo De had already quietly left the Golden Sand Journey, and with a few silent leaps disappeared into the night.

(End of chapter)