Chapter 108 Quest Completed, Returning to Hoge Village (5000)

Chapter 108 Quest Completed, Returning to Hoge Village (5000)

Elisa asked doubtfully, "With the defensive strength of Lake Doron City, can the Hunter really attack this town?"

Cao Xing spread his hands, "I don't know about that, but you'd better not get close."

Looking at Cao Xing's serious expression and thinking of their strength, Elisa nodded, "Alright then… I won't go to Lake Doron City."

"But… but if I don't go to Lake Doron City, where can I go?"

"My father was taken away by you, am I supposed to live alone in Hoge Village, wuwuwu…"

At this moment, not only Cao Xing, but even Liu Muxue beside him burst into laughter.

She took Elisa's small hand and said, "Elisa, you can come back with us."

Elisa raised her head, "Re… really? Can I also join your territory?"

Liu Muxue smiled and nodded.

Elisa wept for joy…

A few minutes later, the team was reorganized.

The crowd split into two groups.

Nineteen Cloud Yaks stood quietly together.

Although they were forcibly tamed, the loyalty of this group of Cloud Yaks was only a little over 60.

But at least they wouldn't disobey Cao Xing's orders.

Cao Xing secretly pondered his next plans in his heart.

Next, they needed to take Elisa back to [Hoge Village], and then bring Old Mel and his herd back to the territory.

Because the journey was far, they needed to escort these Cloud Yaks back to the territory first.

Otherwise, if any accidents happened on the road, Cao Xing would die of heartache.

After thinking for a moment, he looked at Andrew beside him.

"Andrew, I need you to take this herd of yaks back to our territory first. Try to avoid crowds and beasts on the way, and ensure a safe arrival."

Andrew was soothing the herd. Hearing this, he said with a gentle smile in his eyes, "Alright, respected Lord."

Cao Xing nodded.

Andrew was now a Level 16 elite creature, so he shouldn't encounter any trouble along the way.

However, Cao Xing was still somewhat worried; after all, rare magical creatures like Cloud Yaks were too valuable.

To be safe, he looked at the Black Smoke Shaman beside him, "Blot, you follow Andrew to ensure the safety of this group of Cloud Yaks."

"This is the property of our territory and must not be lost."

Blot Brimstone slightly bowed, "Obeying your command, respected Lord."

"I will take care of them like the children of the Shire."

With the addition of this boss-tier Shaman, there shouldn't be any problems along the way.

"Then, Andrew, Blot, I wish you a safe journey."

The two subordinates each saluted Cao Xing.

"The glory of the Lord protects us."

"May the Goddess of Luck be with you."

Having said that, they set off with the nineteen Cloud Yaks.

As for Cao Xing, he led the other recruited creatures back onto Snowfall Lake.

Now, he was going to find that powerful old man to retrieve his share.

Qinong Durante did not break his promise and was still waiting on the ice.

Seeing Cao Xing approaching, a look of joy appeared on Qinong's face.

"This young Lord, our luck is good. This time I caught a total of 6 salmon: 3 Gray-Western Salmon, 1 Red Salmon, and 2 Silver Salmon."

"However, it's a bit regrettable that no Golden Salmon were caught this time. Maybe we need bait with a more stimulating scent."

Cao Xing nodded. This harvest was already quite good.

Adding the first one made a total of three Silver Salmon, and he could get two of them. Calculated this way, it could increase his maximum health by 600 points and population by 6!

As for the Red Salmon, Cao Xing glanced at it.

It also had good effects, being able to increase maximum health by 100 points, but it didn't have the effect of increasing population.

Qinong wore a faint smile, seemingly happy because of today's catch.

Of course, it could also be because his wife would soon be able to taste her favorite fish soup.

"Lord Cao Xing, according to our agreement, six for you and four for me, you can choose two Silver Salmon."

"Of course, you can also choose one Silver Salmon and the remaining Red Salmon."

Hearing this, Cao Xing immediately said without hesitation, "I want two Silver Salmon."

Qinong didn't say much about Cao Xing taking advantage of him, but nodded very generously.

"Very well."

He handed the two glistening silver salmon from the bucket to Cao Xing.

[Acquired: Silver Salmon 3kg * 1, Acquired Silver Salmon 4kg * 1]

After the trade was completed, both parties parted ways.

And in his heart, Cao Xing also remembered this lake.

After all, there might be a legendary-grade weapon here: the lady of the lake sword!

When he had the chance in the future, he would definitely come back again.

Meanwhile, Cao Xing and Liu Muxue returned to Dabai's back.

As for Elisa, she looked curiously at this sacred Mammoth, seemingly surprised that they could tame even such a creature.

But thinking that this Lord had personally tamed as many as 19 Cloud Yaks right in front of her,

it wasn't surprising that he could tame a Mammoth.

Cao Xing said to Liu Muxue behind him, "Muxue, let her up too."

Little Elisa was just a Level 5 ordinary person. At her speed, rushing to Hoge Village would take at least a dozen hours.

He didn't know how this little girl managed to come all the way to the distant Snowfall Lake by herself.

Liu Muxue had probed and asked before.

However, this little girl acted all shy and refused to say, looking like she was hiding a secret.

Cao Xing didn't ask further anyway; she was about to be taken into his territory soon, and by then, those secrets would quickly be exposed.

Under Liu Muxue's invitation, Elisa cautiously climbed onto the Mammoth's back.

Then, the two girls sat behind Cao Xing together.

Now, Dabai was essentially carrying three people at once.

But judging by Liu Muxue and Elisa's weights, added together they didn't exceed 180 catties, which posed absolutely no burden to Dabai.

Cao Xing commanded, "Alright, now start advancing towards Hoge Village."

"Moo—"

Thud! Thud-thud!

The Mammoth flicked its trunk and then took wide strides with its elephant hooves.

The group advanced rapidly across the ice.

Because Andrew and Blot were missing, the team had shrunk a bit compared to when they arrived.

But their combat power remained formidable.

They quickly stepped onto the snowfield and sprinted all the way towards the coordinates of Hoge Village.

A streak of red energy blessed the Mammoth's four hooves, making it look like a speeding little train.

Hilda's [Queen's Domain] plus [Queens Will] caused everyone's movement speed to skyrocket.

On the back of the Mammoth, Elisa exclaimed repeatedly.

"So fast… Oh gosh, so amazing!"

"Too fast… I can't breathe!"

Cao Xing turned around helplessly, looking at this noisy little girl.

Liu Muxue also seemed to realize that Elisa's lines sounded a bit strange, lowering her head shyly.

Elisa was completely oblivious, finding her first experience riding a Mammoth extremely novel.

After all, just like Cloud Yaks, Mammoths were also extremely rare creatures.

Half an hour later…

They had advanced over thirty kilometers.

There were still about twenty-something kilometers left to Hoge Village.

The map showed that they had arrived near a place called [Zawada Village].

"Another indigenous village discovered?"

Cao Xing felt a wave of joy in his heart.

Ahead of them appeared a village with infrastructure similar to Hoge Village.

There were also patrolling militiamen and guard posts in the village.

However, there were relatively few villagers, with only a scattering of people wandering inside.

Moreover, there were no cattle, sheep, or fields around, falling short of Hoge Village in agricultural and pastoral development.

Cao Xing pondered, "The village looks like it has a tavern too, and I recently want to recruit a batch of newcomers."

"Should we go in and take a look?"

Elisa on the side said, "This is Zawada Village, I have an uncle who lives here!"

"I can take you to my uncle's house for a meal!"

Hearing this, Cao Xing chuckled, "A free meal? I like it."

"Then let's go check out this Zawada Village."

However, just as Cao Xing was about to head into the village, he suddenly felt something was amiss.

The few militiamen standing guard at the village entrance watchtower had been locking onto them with sharp gazes.

Compared to the militiamen of Hoge Village, who always showed fear when seeing his subordinates,

the militiamen of this Zawada Village actually showed no fear at all.

This was a bit strange.

"Stop."

Cao Xing directly ordered.

The team stopped when they were about seven or eight hundred meters away from Zawada Village.

Elisa and Liu Muxue both looked at him quizzically.

"What's wrong, Ah Xing?"

Cao Xing did not speak, but instead pulled out the [Gale Snowfield Map] from his backpack.

This was a map found in a Hunter camp. According to the location on the map, Cao Xing indeed saw that where Zawada Village was located, there was a dazzling sun symbol.

At this moment, Cao Xing cast a nonchalant glance at the village.

He instantly sensed even more things that were not quite right.

That group of patrolling militiamen was gradually gathering toward the village entrance.

Even those villagers wandering back and forth were intentionally or unintentionally looking outside, seeming to have noticed Cao Xing and the others.

Cao Xing thought to himself secretly, "It seems this village has long fallen and been used as a stronghold for Hunters."

"They use this village as a disguise to attract more refugees and turn them into cultists."

"And if we go in now, we will inevitably end up in a battle with that group of Hunters."

Although Cao Xing was confident in his own strength,

for this kind of battle without prior scouting or knowing the opponent's background, he would avoid it as much as possible.

Thinking of this, Cao Xing directly said, "Let's go, let's take Elisa to her father's side first."

Although everyone was puzzled, they didn't ask much and instead turned around to change direction.

Before leaving, Cao Xing silently memorized this place.

…

Meanwhile,

the militiamen of Zawada Village flashed a look of regret in their eyes after seeing that Cao Xing and the others did not enter the village.

At this moment, a figure wearing a black robe and a mask appeared silently.

All the militiamen knelt down uniformly, a look of fanaticism appearing in their eyes.

"God of Light above, greetings, Lord Priest!"

This black-robed priest nodded.

A militiaman reported, "Lord Priest, that group of people didn't come in. The leader seems to be an Otherworld Lord."

The black-robed priest had a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Recently, more and more of these Otherworld Lords have been appearing in the Gale Snowfield."

"We didn't pay attention before, but now it seems that the growth speed of these Otherworld Lords is terrifyingly fast."

"The plan over at Lake Doron City is about to be put into action, and we absolutely cannot afford any complications at this time. It seems we also need to learn more about the situation of these Otherworld Lords."

His profound gaze looked toward the nearby militiaman and asked, "Are the few Otherworld Lords captured last time still alive?"

That militiaman immediately nodded and said, "Still alive, we give them a little food every day to keep them hanging on by their last breath."

The black-robed priest nodded. "Very well, take me to see them."

…

20 minutes later…

Cao Xing and the others had already appeared at the entrance of Hoge Village.

When that group of militiamen saw that there were actually three figures sitting on top of the tall Mammoth, they immediately cried out in astonishment.

The Hilda beside them, with her spider-like body and human upper body, made the villagers of Hoge Village feel even more fearful.

Fortunately, living in this bizarre world, they had seen even stranger creatures.

The leading militia captain recognized Cao Xing and said with a trembling voice,

"L… Lord… You've come again…"

Cao Xing nodded.

He knew the rules: Hoge Village did not allow mounts and strange creatures to enter the village.

Therefore, Cao Xing had Dabai and Hilda both wait in the shed next to the village.

After Hilda entered the shed, she instantly wore an expression of utter disgust.

"Tch… To actually make this Queen stay in a place where beasts stay."

Cao Xing gave her a helpless look. "If you don't like it, you can go stay in the snow outside."

"We'll be back very soon after finishing our business. Don't cause trouble for me, understand?"

Upon hearing this, although the Blood Spider Queen still had an expression of disgust, she did not disobey Cao Xing's command.

Then, Cao Xing brought Assam, Reiniss, Liu Muxue, and Elisa into Hoge Village.

As for Sarah, she habitually entered stealth mode directly.

The group of five walked on the streets of Hoge Village.

Compared to the previous village, this place appeared much more lively.

The coming and going pedestrians and vendors hawking along the street gave this village a flavor of life.

The gazes of most vendors lingered on Liu Muxue and Reiniss.

Elisa was also the village belle of Hoge Village. Standing together, the three girls were like three tender and vibrant flowers, attracting everyone's attention.

However, because the tall Assam was beside them, along with the sharp aura radiating from Reiniss, these vendors only dared to look.

Under the watchful eyes of the villagers,

they soon crossed the first street.

As they passed by a tavern next to the street, Cao Xing seemed to feel that some hostile gazes had locked onto him.

These gazes were somewhat like the gazes that group of militiamen in Zawada Village had directed at him earlier.

Cao Xing stopped in his tracks, his gaze looking into the tavern.

However, he only saw a few drunkards sitting drunkenly at the entrance of the tavern.

Assam asked in puzzlement, "My Lord, what's wrong?"

Cao Xing shook his head. "It's nothing, maybe I was just overthinking."

After all, this was Hoge Village; those Hunters shouldn't have infiltrated this place yet.

Cao Xing continued leading Elisa straight to Old Mel's house.

Thump thump thump!

The sound of knocking rang out, the door opened, and an elderly man with a thin face walked out.

It was none other than Old Mel.

He also saw Cao Xing and Elisa behind him.

At this moment, a light lit up in Old Mel's murky eyes.

"Elisa!"

"Father!"

Elisa instantly rushed out and threw herself into Old Mel's arms.

A father and daughter reunion, hugging and crying—it should have been a touching scene.

Yet at this very moment, Old Mel raised his right hand and gave Elisa's head two sharp thumps.

They knocked the little girl into holding her head with tear-filled eyes.

"Father… why are you hitting me?"

Old Mel said with a disappointed look, "You're still asking me why I'm hitting you?"

"I told you to run around! I told you to run around! If you run off again next time, I'll break your legs!"

While taking the beatings, Elisa begged for mercy, "Father, I won't dare do it again. Please spare Elisa this once."

This scene once again made Cao Xing and Liu Muxue laugh.

At this time, Liu Muxue came to Elisa's rescue, "Old Mr. Mel, please don't blame Elisa. She wanted to go catch a Cloud Yak to sell, and then take you to live in a big city."

"Elisa did this purely out of filial piety."

Hearing this, Old Mel stopped the action of knocking Elisa's head and asked in confusion, "This beautiful lady, is what you said true?"

Elisa nodded with a wronged expression all over her face.

Old Mel's heart softened, and a look of heartache appeared in his eyes as well.

He rubbed Elisa's head and sighed, "Sigh… Don't do such foolish things next time."

At the same time, Old Mel also cast his gaze over and said gratefully to Cao Xing, "Thank you, Lord Cao Xing, for sending my daughter back from such a distant place."

Cao Xing nodded. "Old Mr. Mel, you're too polite. From now on, you are a member of our territory, and your family is naturally our family as well."

Hearing this, Old Mel's expression immediately turned solemn. "You are right, respected Lord Cao Xing."

"So, as agreed yesterday, since you brought Elisa back, I will bring my cattle and sheep and head to your territory together."

Cao Xing smiled and said, "Yes, Old Mr. Mel. One day in the future, you will feel fortunate for this decision of yours."

Old Mel also said solemnly, "I believe I will. The potential you have displayed already exceeds any lord I have ever seen!"

Elisa at the side watched her father and Cao Xing's conversation with watery eyes.

She chimed in, "Father, didn't they say that if the villagers of Hoge Village want to migrate to another place, they still need the village chief's approval?"

Hearing this, Cao Xing asked in confusion, "There's even this procedure?"

Old Mel nodded. "Yes, Hoge Village does not belong to the jurisdiction of any lord or noble, so the coming and going of villagers are entirely up to the village chief to decide."

"If this were the territory of some lord, the defense strength wouldn't be so weak."

Cao Xing nodded and then asked, "Where is the village chief?"

Old Mel looked toward the only three-story building in the center of the village. "That is the village chief's home; you can go there to find him."

Cao Xing nodded and said, "Alright, I'll go with you to get the village chief's approval."