Chapter 101: Wolfsbane

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As the one who brought Mulan from the coastal city of Valentin to the imperial capital Digo, Owen had always been considered relatively close to her. However, that did not mean Mulan would trust him unconditionally, especially under the current circumstances.

In fact, Owen’s whereabouts had always been under the control of Baron Shale. Although Shale no longer ruled his land as an absolute lord, he still enjoyed certain privileges. Anything he wished to know would be conveyed to him directly, even by the local police station.

By midday, Owen had already arrived at the Shale police station. There had been a murder case on a train, and the damage to the train was severe. The station had been overwhelmed these past few days, arguably the busiest it had been in years.

Of course, since the case involved a werewolf attack on the train, Shale’s police wouldn’t pursue the culprit. Their main task was to clean up the mess for Baron Shale.

Or rather, since the Baron wanted to prevent the matter from escalating, the police were fully focused on containment—hoping to minimize the scandal.

In the Baron’s own words, Shale no longer had resources, nor an industrial district or special local products. The next phase would focus on developing tourism, and it was best not to let any ugly scandals break out.

As for the werewolves? What were werewolves? No bodies had been found, all victims were human. Such rumors were better suppressed.

In truth, legends about terrifying beasts in the wild had long circulated in Shale. For some time now, few dared to hunt in the mountains, as several hunters had gone missing.

That noon, Owen arrived at the police station and first inquired about recent cases in Shale. He quickly got to the point, asking about the incident on the train.

Within five minutes, Owen exited the police station. He glanced back at the dilapidated sign outside; inside, the officers had been evasive. He had essentially been shown the door.

“Ah, this small place called Shale really is...” Owen chuckled softly, then looked toward a certain direction.

“Mulan is actually here...”

After a moment’s thought, Owen instinctively hired a carriage and headed for the Baron’s estate.

At that moment, Mulan, Shale, Farolinch, and Hendel—who had already returned—looked out from the second-floor study window of the estate and saw the approaching carriage.

“He really came. Shale, remember, don’t slip up.”

Mulan gave a stern reminder, and Shale nodded in response.

“I know. Even if he’s harmless, I really am a half-vampire! You all rest; I’ll head downstairs first.”

Minutes later, outside the Baron’s estate, Owen stepped down from the carriage with a smile and came to pay a visit. Of course, the servants stopped him; to see the Baron, prior notice was required.

Soon after, Shale greeted him with a smile. Following Mulan’s instructions, he stepped into the sunlight, wearing a smile that seemed genuinely surprised, though tinged slightly with the usual aristocratic insincerity.

“So it’s the police officer from the imperial capital. Quite a rare guest here in Shale. Mr. Owen, please come in!”

Shale quickly stepped out from inside the estate into the sunlight, extending a hand. Though he still loathed the sunlight, the mark of the Dawn symbol on him made it more bearable than before. Having sufficiently prepared himself mentally, he now appeared composed and at ease.

Owen fixed Shale with a steady gaze, smiling as he clasped his hand.

“Baron Shale himself coming out to receive me—I'm truly honored. I’m but a humble patrol officer.”

“Hahaha, Mr. Owen is a distinguished guest from the capital. Please, come in! Why not stay for lunch?”

Shale was exceedingly cordial, leading Owen inside. Owen observed Shale’s reactions carefully, his smile unreadable.

“Oh, by the way, I heard Mulan is here as well?”

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Owen asked suddenly, and Shale was momentarily taken aback.

“Mr. Owen, you mean Her Excellency Jonster, the Queen’s Guardian Knight? Do you know each other?”

Owen nodded.

“Mulan and I have crossed paths professionally. Hearing he was here, I came straight to the Baron’s estate. Of course, even if Mulan weren’t here, I would have visited Baron Shale out of respect and courtesy.”

“No need for such formality, Mr. Owen. Yes, Her Excellency Jonster is indeed here, though he’s a bit tired and resting. The train he was on encountered danger midway; all passengers disembarked at the old Shale station. Many are still stranded in town. Honestly, their arrival has livened up Shale quite a bit.”

“Mr. Owen, what do you think about developing tourism here in Shale? After all, it once was...”

Shale chatted animatedly, pulling Owen into a lively conversation as if they were old friends reunited after years apart. From the moment they met, Shale hardly stopped talking, always circling back to Shale’s development.

Near noon, Shale finally let Owen rest and change clothes, also preparing to invite Mulan to join them for lunch.

In one of the Baron’s reception rooms, with Shale having left, Owen rubbed his forehead and exhaled. This Baron Shale was a seasoned noble; though he lived in this remote corner, his skills were far from rusty.

Before lunch, Mulan finally entered the reception room.

“Mr. Owen, it really is you! How did you come to Shale? My train accident shouldn’t have been reported to the capital, nor would they have sent you directly.”

Mulan’s surprise was mixed with delight. Owen quickly stood.

“You finally arrived. This Baron Shale is a headache I can hardly handle. If it weren’t for you, I would have found an excuse to leave earlier... Wait, are you injured?”

Owen’s smile faded suddenly. He stepped swiftly to Mulan’s side, noting his pale complexion and unusual movements, and most notably, the scent of medicine.

Mulan smiled faintly and nodded.

“Yes, I was bitten by a werewolf. Fortunately, the wound missed any vital organs.”

“A werewolf bite? But I heard you fought bravely on the train, killing werewolves without mercy. Was that when you got hurt?”

Owen tried to support Mulan, but was refused. The two sat on a sofa as Mulan began to recount the story of the werewolf lair.

“It wasn’t the train injury. Last night, Hendel and I sneaked out to handle something...”

“What was it?”

Owen frowned.

“We destroyed a werewolf den. Guess who I encountered? Silvermane Dobrich—the Mad Ripper!”

Mulan didn’t keep Owen in suspense, answering immediately. Owen’s eyes widened, then he looked at Mulan’s visibly injured left upper body with concern.

“You faced Silvermane? That lunatic is utterly insane. You’re still here in Shale and he hasn’t come after you, which means...”

“Yes, I won. Though I used some tricks, I managed to kill the Silvermane werewolf. The cost I paid was acceptable.”

As Mulan spoke, he carefully observed every subtle expression and glance from Owen. At that moment, Owen’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You actually killed the Mad Ripper? Are you sure? Oh, I’m not doubting you—it’s just... Mulan, you might not realize this, but that creature wasn’t just a third-tier mad wolf. He was a virus carrier, a source of poison. Killing him is no ordinary matter... This is truly shocking, especially since you’re only...”

At this point, Owen’s expression suddenly changed.

“Wait, you were bitten by him?”

Mulan paused briefly, then nodded.

“Even though I anticipated and countered twice in advance, he was still incredibly tenacious. You can’t afford any mistakes fighting him. But this injury is the lighter price.”

“Yes, I understand, but his poison is no ordinary toxin. Let me see your wound!”

“Here?”

“Right here!”

Owen’s urgency showed on his face. Mulan frowned but slowly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his left shoulder and chest wrapped in bandages.

Owen produced a small knife from somewhere and carefully cut away some edges of the bandages to expose the wound.

Mulan’s muscles had largely closed over the injury, but the wound itself had not healed. The scent of medicine mingled with blood.

His resistance seemed very high, lighter than Owen had imagined. “But Mulan, don’t underestimate this poison, especially since Silvermane is dead... Things look alright now, but you must return to the Black Castle within a month. Better yet, come back with me now!”

“No. I must acquire the materials I need. Shale is just a minor detour, and I can’t linger. Your arrival is timely—there’s surely a conspiracy behind the werewolves and vampires stirring trouble on the capital’s outskirts. I need you to investigate.”

“Vampires?”

Owen’s surprise returned, and Mulan nodded solemnly.

“Yes. I encountered one briefly on the train; we clashed, but he escaped. I suspect something is amiss.”

Owen’s face darkened.

“Vampires... But since you destroyed the werewolf den and killed the Mad Ripper, their plans are ruined. Your safety is paramount. By the way, since you can’t return immediately, I need to take a vial of your blood. If the poison is severe, I will come to you at once.”

“My blood?” Mulan frowned slightly but eventually consented. Owen seemed trustworthy enough, and the request was unavoidable.

Half an hour later, Shale and Hendel came to the reception room, only to find Mulan, freshly dressed.

“Oh! Where is Mr. Owen? I wanted to invite him to lunch. Her Excellency Jonster, where did he go?”

Shale was still playing the part even though he knew Owen had left.

Mulan shook his head resignedly and played along.

“He returned to Digo. Said it was urgent.”

“Oh, what a pity! I wanted to discuss Shale’s development further with him. He’s such a witty and talkative gentleman!”

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