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Chapter 5 - Chapter 5:Behind Farnan

Following the direction indicated by the farmers, after ten minutes, two cottages came into view, with wisps of smoke gently rising from one of them. Alpha thought to himself that this place seemed so peaceful; why would it be feared by other farmers? He considered their timidity excessive, given that only a few accidents had occurred. Despite his thoughts, Alpha did not let his guard down.

As Alpha approached, Falnan Farm gradually revealed its true face. The fields were nearly abandoned, overgrown with weeds, and wild dogs roamed freely. Had it not been for the sounds coming from the house, Alpha would never have dared to come close.

"Come, children, it's time to eat. Today we have a delicious meal—pumpkin soup with small rolls. No fighting over the food; sit nicely, and there will be enough for everyone," a weary voice called out from within the house. In response, the children chorused back in unison, "Okay." They sat neatly around the table, their bowls filled with golden pumpkin soup. A thin woman, dressed in a red linen blouse and a gray long skirt, was holding a basket of coarse bread rolls—this is what Alpha saw as he pushed the door open: "Apologies for the interruption. I heard you were hiring. I was wondering if the positions are still available?" Alpha asked with a smile.

"Oh, please come in. We are still hiring. It looks like you haven't eaten yet. Sit down and join us, and we can discuss it after the meal," the woman said, hastily putting down the bread and speaking with a pale complexion.

Alpha had his doubts but did not voice them. Under the curious gaze of the children, he sat down as the woman instructed. The woman handed Alpha a bowl of soup and said, "Don't stare; it's impolite. Hurry and finish your meal, then go take a nap." With that, the children began to lower their heads to drink their soup and eat their bread.

After the meal, once the woman had seen to the children's afternoon nap, she sat down at the other end of the table and regarded Alpha with a hint of unease. "The daily tasks include fetching water, driving off wild dogs, and clearing sunflowers. Board and lodging are included, with a daily wage of 10 copper coins," she said. Alpha feigned deep thought and did not respond immediately. After a moment, just as the woman thought he was about to refuse, he said, "I agree." Alpha's gaze was steady as he spoke, and the woman's face turned even paler, her lips trembling as if to say something—"You—"

"Mistress, we're back. Oh, is this the new hand? Hello there, I'm Ali, and these are Yi Li, Er Li, and San Li." Four burly men entered, the leader a bald man wearing a red scarf, clad in black leather armor trimmed in red, black linen trousers, and wolf-skin boots. Alpha looked at the four men and then at the woman, replying, "Greetings, gentlemen. I'm the new hand, Alpha. Please guide me well." He promptly stood up and bowed to the four men.

"This lad has potential. Since you've just arrived, you can start by driving off those wild dogs. They're a constant nuisance," one of them said. "Of course, I'm on it," Alpha replied, hastily making his exit. Before leaving, he noticed the woman's compassionate gaze.

As night fell, Alpha finished his day's work. Upon arriving at the quarters, he found the four men absent, their beds in disarray. Shortly after, the men returned, collapsed into bed, and immediately fell asleep. Despite the faintness, Alpha detected a slight scent of blood. Considering the morning's events, it was clear that Falnan Farm was indeed suspicious. At this point, Alpha too lay down on his bed, falling into a light slumber.

For several days, Alpha noticed that the four men would disappear during the day and return late at night without any visible work done. However, when Alpha subtly inquired about this with the farm's wife, she remained tight-lipped, advising him to mind his own business and stick to his duties.

One morning, after the four men departed, Alpha swiftly rose and stealthily followed them. He observed them bypass the farm, climb over a few small hills, and frequently look back until they approached an abandoned mine. At the entrance of the mine, a creature was loitering—a kobold, a being similar to a gnoll, albeit shorter in stature, quick in movement, and with a particular fondness for gold, evident by the candle on its head, presumably for easier gold detection. Somehow, the four men managed to enter the mine unnoticed by the kobolds.

Should I go in? Alpha pondered, unsure of what lay inside and worried about alerting the kobolds. After a moment of indecision, he resolved to enter and deal with any discovery later. Thus, a gray panther slowly approached the mine.

Carefully avoiding the kobold at the entrance, Alpha swiftly slipped into the mine. It was pitch black and eerily cold inside. The tunnels crisscrossed, with faint candlelight flickering about. Judging by the number of candles, Alpha cursed under his breath; it seemed the kobolds had gathered in large numbers. He moved with even greater caution, using the panther's keen sense of smell to track the four men, and found their trail here...

"D*mn Adonar, this lapdog of the Alliance, can't he just stay in Sentinel Hill and leave us alone?" came a familiar voice. "Stop complaining and focus on the task the chieftain assigned us," another voice responded. "Why hasn't he arrived yet? It's freezing in here," a third person complained.

Alpha found a secluded spot to hide. His intuition told him that this matter was far from over. Indeed, a dark figure floated over, "How is the task I assigned to you progressing?" The voice was ethereal, yet Alpha felt as if he had heard it somewhere before.

"Everything is nearly in place," Ali reported respectfully. "The contact from the Defias Brotherhood has informed us that as long as Twilight can take control of Sentinel Hill and give the Brotherhood dominion over all of Westfall, they will join the Twilight Hammer and serve our master." "Yes, you have done well," the shadowy figure intoned. "Remember, do not let this information become known. Once our plan is accomplished, your master will reward you." With those words, the dark figure vanished, and the four bald men also made their exit. They were entirely unaware of the individual, no, a panther, concealed behind a rock in the corner.

"Twilight, the Defias Brotherhood, our master. It seems the waters run deep indeed. I've heard of the Defias, but what is this Twilight?" Alpha muttered to himself. It appears I need to have a proper conversation with those four. A fierce glint flashed in his light blue eyes. The mine once again fell silent, as if no one had been there at all.

Behind the barn at Falnan Farm, the four bald men chatted and discussed their next steps. "We're finally leaving this wretched farm. I'm about fed up with being here every day," Ali said. "Indeed, we're nearly done with the tasks our master has given us. We've nearly figured out the situation in Sentinel Hill," Yi Li kicked a stone away.

"Don't make any noise. If others find out, our master will kill us," Ali warned. San Li nonchalantly replied, "What are we afraid of? If anyone finds out, we'll deal with them like we did with the others. As long as they can't speak, there's no fear of them divulging anything, right?" "You still have the nerve to say that. If it weren't for those few, we would have left already. Why did it take us so many extra days to complete the mission? If we're any later, our master will be wrathful."

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Suddenly, Ali yanked out his dagger and stabbed forward, disregarding the shocked expressions of the others.

"I suppose I got too close. Ah, I should have kept my distance. I believe you'll tell me more now, won't you?" A gray panther effortlessly dodged Ali's dagger and spoke with a mocking tone. As the words left its mouth, its claws swung, blood splattered, and several screams echoed from the rear of the farm.

After a long while, Alpha wiped his hands and said, "The Twilight Hammer, ogres, the Defias Brotherhood—things are becoming increasingly complicated. Regardless, once I've settled matters here, I'll make haste to Sentinel Hill. Judging by the information from those four men, a crisis is imminent in Sentinel Hill."

Pushing open the farmhouse door with a "bang," he saw the pale-faced farmwife standing by the stove, her spoon long since fallen to the ground, unnoticed. The woman and the children were indeed pitiable. Alpha softly called out, "Mistress?" "I don't know anything, I haven't seen anything, please don't involve me," she blurted, then crouched down, hands clasping her head as the children huddled together in fear. Alpha, gazing at the scene before him, let out a heavy sigh, took out his purse, and placed it on the table. "There are a dozen gold coins here, more than enough for you to reach Stormwind. Leave this place at once." With that, he left without looking back.

As Falnan Farm gradually receded into a speck of blackness and then vanished from sight, Alpha treaded on the golden soil and gazed at the still-vibrant blue sky. "The heavens are about to change," he murmured, quickening his pace as he headed towards Sentinel Hill.

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