Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 164 Small Town Hunt
The tracking finally yielded results, and Su Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

“Qiluo dares to leave such a blatant message, so it seems the person on the other end doesn’t have any magic skills,” Zijin judged. “You’re about to face a team of all melee classes.”

"Understood." Su Ming put on his cloak and rode off, following the sled tracks.

This journey was a bit longer, and as we moved forward, our destination became clearer and clearer: the nearby town of Safran.

This gang of robbers was clearly not just arrogant; they chose their hideouts in places with convenient living and transportation.

The outline of a town gradually appeared ahead, with watchtowers atop the city gates. Su Ming stopped approaching from a considerable distance. He found a snow pit, covered his snowmobile with a camouflage cloth, and piled snow on it. Then, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed towards the town of Shafur.

It was called a town, but it was more like a small city. The town of Shafur was not small in area, with a not-too-high wall around it. At the gate, a shivering soldier stopped him and demanded three copper coins as an entrance fee.

It was already past five o'clock, and the sky was pitch black. The town lights were not dense, so Su Ming found a quiet corner and launched the drone.

The drone took off manually in the cold wind, its camera scanning the air. The streets were deserted, with few people out and about, except for the town government office in the center, which was brightly lit, seemingly hosting a lively banquet.

After a week of searching, Su Ming found the tallest building to be a spire. He zoomed in and discovered it was actually a church of the Church of Light.

"There's a church in such a remote place?" he muttered to himself.

The church's exterior was simple; its entire budget was likely spent on its height. At the very top of the spire stood a statue of a radiant angel. The angel wore a wreath, and Su Ming maneuvered the drone to land steadily atop it.

Once the relay communication was established, he made contact with Zijin.

“Elisa, I tracked them into the town of Shafur,” he said, offering a guess. “Could it be that the lord himself stole from their own residence?”

To satisfy his own desires, the lord sent his men to impersonate bandits and kidnap people in various places.

“That’s impossible,” Hanster denied. “The lord can just conscript maids directly. After all, the people are all his private property, and he can do whatever he wants with them.”

Su Ming's understanding was once again challenged. He calmed himself down and asked, "What should we do now?"

“Let’s investigate the tavern first,” Violet said.

Su Ming adjusted his attire. He put on a tattered cloak to cover the overly exquisite appearance of the forbidden magic cloak. Then he slung a double-barreled shotgun made by dwarves over his back, with ammunition hanging from his waist, pretending to be an adventurer gunslinger.

With a good communication signal, Zijin connected to the drone's camera and looked down at the town from above.

“The image is very clear, I can see you, Su Ming,” she said.

Where is the tavern located?

The violet rotating camera quickly located the tavern and guided Su Ming there.

"Huh, is this the Church of Light?" she noticed as well.

"Should we set it on fire?" Su Ming asked. There seemed to be hardly anyone inside the church, but the house couldn't be left unattended.

“No.” Violet immediately stopped him. “The North is a place of exile. There are many members here who have been rejected and driven away by the church authorities.”

Su Ming originally wanted to ask if there were factions within the Church of Light, but before he could say it, he thought it was pointless—any large organization is like that.

The harsh environment and terrible conditions of the North were indeed the best place to exile political enemies and ostracize dissidents.

"Are there many people like this?" he asked.

“The God Covenant faction is up to no good,” Violet replied. “The God Covenant is those people in the church’s upper echelons who claim to have signed a covenant with God, that their families will serve the light for generations and dedicate their lives to God.”

Su Ming sneered. Sure enough, both sides described hereditary succession in such a refined and elegant way.

“But in the last twenty years, many outstanding commoner clergy have emerged, seriously threatening these ‘servants of God’s’ dedication to the church.” Violet continued, “They are almost all exiled to the North, which has practically become a formal qualification for elite status.”

"You want to use them?" Su Ming quickly understood.

“Of course,” Zijin affirmed. “There are quite a few people like this now, and they’ve started to form a force in the North, calling themselves the Northern Flow Commoners Faction. Most of the clergy in these outlying towns belong to this category.”

“That’s something we should take advantage of,” Su Ming agreed.

Differential treatment and division are key points emphasized by political teachers. Especially when facing a powerful force like the Church of Light, utilizing its internal opponents is inevitable.

Unfortunately, the Northern School has declined somewhat and has been exiled to a remote place far from the core.

"But the Church's Covenant faction is really useless," Su Ming complained. "They control all the resources, how did they manage to get so many ordinary people to rise up?"

Although the upper class may gradually become corrupt, the means of solidifying class is the basic skill and cornerstone of the existence of these vested interest groups.

"That's all the information I have," Violet replied. "I've only been freed from the Tower Spirit's shackles for a few months."

****
During the conversation, Su Ming had already found the tavern in the town. It was somewhat dilapidated, with its door half-open and a heavy windproof curtain hanging at the entrance. Su Ming pushed aside the curtain, and a wave of hot air mixed with alcohol rushed out.

It was noisy and filled with a cacophony of smells inside. At a glance, there were quite a few guests; it seemed like everyone who had left town was here.

Su Ming squeezed through the crowded tables and sat down at the bar. He glanced around; most people had dark beer in their glasses, the liquid full of impurities and sediment. A few were drinking vodka, its pungent smell carrying a cheap, sour taste.

Judging from the color, they should all be made from sweet potatoes.

This was a privately owned pub, and the person standing behind the bar was the owner. Su Ming knocked on the bar and ordered a whiskey. The pub owner's eyes lit up, and his attitude softened considerably. He carefully poured the drink and brought it to Su Ming.

Su Ming picked up his wine glass and inquired, "Has a stranger named Joseph recently come here?"

The tavern owner thought for a moment, then shook his head. "It seems you arrived first." He handed over a piece of paper and a pen. "You can write down any messages you have. I'll pass them on to Joseph if I run into him."

A few other patrons nearby chimed in, "Guests who drink good wine are treated differently!"

This was an era where communication was underdeveloped, and letters were still the primary means of communication. In large cities, rune-based communication towers were the fastest method of contact. If two people who lived far apart arranged to meet in a certain place, they often wouldn't be able to run into each other.

The established practice is that whoever arrives first will leave a message at the local tavern, waiting for the other person to visit. The tavern's revenue comes from the fine wine that Su Ming ordered.

Clearly, the wine he ordered was very good; the owner even provided him with paper and pen.

Su Ming pretended to hesitate, "No, he must have arrived before me... Have any outsiders come to this town recently?" The tavern owner raised an eyebrow, but for the sake of this glass of whiskey, he still pointed out, "That's the captain of the local security team over there. You can ask him for information."

Su Ming looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a very burly middle-aged man with a full beard, also holding a glass of cheap liquor. Around his neck hung a wooden holy emblem, which upon closer inspection resembled leaf carvings, belonging to the nature god Oubai Hai.

Due to the harsh environment, nature gods were widely worshipped among the people of the North. They would pray for rain during droughts and for sunshine and favorable weather during the rainy season. This extremely utilitarian behavior resulted in a large number of believers, but no clergy or church existed.

Of course, the doctrines of the God of Nature are quite frivolous.

The sheriff had obviously overheard the conversation and came over. "Hey, stranger! Buy me a glass of this whiskey and I'll help you find Joseph."

"Deal!" Su Ming perfectly feigned a pained yet generous expression. The tavern owner's eyes crinkled with laughter; he couldn't earn this much from these penniless bastards in a whole night.

The middle-aged man raised his glass, let out a loud "whoosh," and swaggered at everyone in the tavern, earning a chorus of boos in return. Distilled spirits made from barley were the ultimate luxury for this group.

"That kid got incredibly lucky!" several familiar drinkers joked.

The middle-aged man then carefully took a sip, savored it, and made a sound of admiration.

“Nice to meet you, generous guest!” the man said to Su Ming. “My name is Rupert. There are very few outsiders here this time of year, and the Joseph you mentioned is not here.”

“It’s possible that Joseph himself didn’t arrive, but his companions did,” Su Ming said. “But all I know is Joseph’s name, which is troublesome.”

"Is it an individual or a group?" Rupert asked.

“A group of people, it should be three or more,” Su Ming replied.

“There are fewer targets,” Rupert replied. “There are two groups in total. One group is staying at the inn near the east gate, which you can go directly to. The other group of four arrived ten days ago and is staying at Old Luo’s house on the north side of town.”

"Does their house have a cellar?" Su Ming asked.

“All our houses here have cellars,” Rupert replied. “Old Luo said he’s a relative from the Kingdom. Coming all the way from the south in this freezing weather, damn it, his relative’s brain must be rusty—oh, what was I going to say? His cellar is huge!”

Rupert took another sip as he spoke. The whiskey was much stronger than his usual drink, and he couldn't help but loosen his collar and exhale sharply.

"Thanks!" Su Ming said to Rupert. Inns weren't suitable for hiding kidnapped girls, so Old Luo's house was clearly the only place that fit the bill.

He asked about the exact location of Old Luo's house and inquired about Old Luo's background. Old Luo was a merchant who, during normal times, traveled to and from Moon Bay City, making a living by selling goods; he was known for his friendly manners.

Su Ming judged that the businessman was involved in the crime, and might even have been the ringleader.

Whiskey is a strong liquor, so he didn't dare drink too much. Disguised as an alchemist, he put down the half-empty bottle of whiskey, tossed aside a silver coin, and got up to leave.

"Heh heh," Rupert called after him, pointing to the glass he'd left behind, "You're not coming back, are you? So, this glass of wine—"

"If you don't mind, feel free to do as you please," Su Ming said.

"I'll repay you with this wine!" Rupert raised his second glass and made a toasting gesture towards Su Ming.

The tavern erupted in boos again, and Rupert even opened his mouth and started singing.

****
Back on the street, Su Ming pressed the button on his earphone and synchronized the latest information with Zi Jin.

"The four of them are likely all mid-level combatants."

Violet thought for a moment, "Wait for me to come over. We'll launch a lightning attack and then take everyone with us."

The town of Shafeng is about 35 kilometers away from where the Youth Civilization Train is docked. If the corydalis flies over, it will only take 15 minutes.

Su Ming thought for a moment and rejected the suggestion. She might not be discovered on her way here, but once she made a move, her identity would be easily exposed, after all, the scholar was too famous.

It would be unwise to reveal one's identity over such a trivial matter at the very beginning of a trip to the North.

On the contrary, Su Ming's existence was quite unfamiliar to this world.

“Four mid-level fighters, I should be able to defeat them with Qi Luo’s help,” Su Ming said.

“Then you’ll have to go all out,” Violet said. “Have you figured out how to conceal your identity as a necromancer?”

“I already have a plan,” Su Ming replied.

He easily found the location of Lao Luo's house, a two-story building. As expected of a shrewd businessman, the house was beautifully decorated and surrounded by a fairly large yard.

Due to the restrictions of the magic-blocking cloak, Su Ming's perception was greatly reduced, but he could still vaguely see people moving around in the house through the hazy window glass and light.

"Since the mastermind behind this can't be the lord, can we use the town's security team?" Su Ming asked Zi Jin.

“I advise against it. You’re a necromancer, and your identity can’t withstand scrutiny,” the experienced wanted criminal said. “That security captain is just an ordinary mid-level officer; he won’t be of much use. His presence will only hinder your actions.”

“That’s true.” Su Ming nodded.

He walked to the vicinity of the house and casually cast a wind-messaging spell. There was no specific target, but the unicorn, as expected, overheard him and immediately responded, "Yo, handsome! Good evening!"

"Hey, you!" Su Ming said angrily, "You acted without saying a word."

No, I arranged for a flock of sparrows to deliver the message.

Su Xiang recalled the fried snacks they had eaten during afternoon tea, and her tone was anything but unconvincing: "We absolutely did not receive any letter!"

The unicorn was somewhat suspicious, so to be on the safe side, she specially found more than twenty sparrows to accompany her, and tied letters to the legs of three of them.

"Okay, it was my oversight... It's really kind of you to come looking for me." Kira rarely admitted her mistake. "Has Elisa arrived?"

No, it's just me. How many enemies are there?

"A warrior, an archer, and a thief, all mid-level—oh, that thief is more troublesome than usual; we'll have to be careful when fighting him," Qi Luo replied. "There's also a trainee named Karami, whose profession I don't know, and the last one, Old Luo, is just a regular merchant."

(End of this chapter)