Chapter 110: Deceiving the Shadow Guards

Marina’s face immediately fell. "So soon? Brother, you just came back."

Moon looked at her aggrieved expression and took out a small, ordinary pouch.

"We’ll be back soon. Just a few more days and things will settle." He stuffed the pouch into her hands. Inside were some candies he had tried refining earlier.

He tossed the last pouch to Oshan. He didn’t need to explain to him.

The night outside was silent and cold.

Moon and the others slipped past the door.

After a few twists and turns through a deep alley, they removed the disguises they had been wearing. Instead, they wrapped a fur cloak, hiding their faces just like other passersby.

Moon wanted to leave the impression that the fugitives were not the ones inside the courtyard but still somewhere near the Black Sea Gorge.

That was also why he had chosen tonight.

Lyra and Evan had seen them here.

If the same group also appeared at the gorge, it would be harder for people to connect the two.

No one knew about the shortcut through the Alpine forest.

The area outside was secretly guarded.

Alpha Vaelis’s scouts had been crawling around the borders of Malong City for days, searching for any sign of the defective fugitives.

Though they had withdrawn and focused on the secret realm, their second target was still them.

Moving with practiced ease, the group avoided the main paths entirely.

They slipped through the deep shadows of the outskirts.

The snow under the canopy was thick and frozen. The cold winter air bit into their skin as they went deeper into the wilderness.

Lupine’s voice floated into Moon’s mind.

"I already set a temporary mark on the four of you. As long as you stay within a certain range, I can still pull you back if things go wrong. Don’t die stupidly."

Moon gave a small nod and kept walking.

The snow on the ground was thick and frozen.

Every step made a soft crunch that sounded too loud in the quiet night.

They moved slowly outside Malong Village. Moon kept the lead, divine sense stretched outward. He could feel figures hiding in places ordinary people would never notice.

Behind him, Axe walked with one hand resting on the new machete. Nox’s eyes kept scanning the shadows. Ugo moved almost silently, occasionally brushing his fingers against a branch or a clump of frozen leaves.

When they reached the slope of the Alpine forest, they slowed down. They had only gone a short distance when Moon suddenly raised his palm.

Everyone stopped.

"Twenty, maybe more," he whispered.

"Hmm. We noticed," Axe muttered.

Moon’s eyes narrowed. "Vaelis or Vesper?"

"Probably both. Even more. The ones who didn’t go to the southern ring."

Nox cracked his neck once. "Leave them to me."

His fingers under the cloak were already moving. Thin soul threads of spiritual force sank into the snow and the tree roots without a sound.

Moon watched, a little impressed.

Three days ago Nox could barely hold a basic array. Now the lines he drew were clean and vicious.

Nox finished the last seal and slammed the formation into the ground. The snow flickered for less than a breath before all light buried itself deep.

Even to Moon, it looked like nothing more than a brief glint of moonlight on the snow.

"Maze is ready," Nox said quietly.

"Not strong enough to kill, but it’ll keep them running in circles for at least half an hour."

He flicked his fingers.

The formation activated; only the four of them felt it.

Moon glanced back at the ground.

They pretended to take the path leading toward the next city.

Within moments, their figures vanished from the original spot.

Almost immediately, two shadows loomed over the trail they had just left.

As the shadows gave chase, they suddenly found themselves standing at a junction of three paths. No one was in sight around any of the curves.

The first shadow spoke confusedly. "Was there a path like this in the Alpine forest before?"

The second one shrugged. "Who knows? There are many paths, and they’re all buried in snow every day."

"Where did that group go? They were right here a moment ago."

"Maybe they headed to the next city. This is already the third group tonight. I’m tired of tracking every mouse and rat lurking around Malong." He yawned.

"Don’t know why we even need to track all these people," the first guard said unhappily as they turned to leave. "They’re clearly just some—"

He stopped.

"Wait. Where’s the trail?"

The second one’s voice rose in anger. "They were right here just now!"

At that moment, another scout who had been hiding in a high pine suddenly felt the branches under his feet twist.

He dropped with a yelp and landed almost on top of the other two, nearly breaking their necks.

He scrambled up, looking completely bewildered.

"How... how did I fall here?"

The two talking guards stared at him strangely.

"Black Three, did you drink tar-e today? Are you drunk? Your post was more to the west."

"No, no! I just suddenly felt like my head was spinning."

The other two sighed.

But when they looked back and saw that the path they had followed was gone, their faces turned blank.

Regardless, they started walking again.

"Left! Go left— damn it, this is the same rock!"

"What the hell? Is there a ghost here?!"

"I think we just passed this one!"

"So you guys also drank tar-e, huh? Mwahahaha!"

"Shut up! As if you don’t drink on a dead night like this!"

A few steps away, Axe almost laughed out loud. Moon had to elbow him hard to keep him quiet.

They slipped through the path Nox had opened. The guards’ curses and confused clatter slowly faded behind them.

Nox’s lips curved in a rare, satisfied smirk.

Moon glanced at him. "Enjoying yourself?"

"A little," Nox admitted.

They kept moving.

After going down another slope, Moon turned them back onto their original path. The maze was working. No one could track them anymore.

When they reached the thick bushes that they had popped out from the deep tunnel before, Moon stopped and stretched his divine sense once more, checking if anyone still had eyes on them.

Just as he stepped into the bushes to find the entrance, Ugo suddenly spoke in a low voice.

"Wait."