Chapter 140: The Invitation from Lady Boss Elena

"Go, go, go! Hurry to Hoge Village to take shelter!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone braved the hail and began to run wildly.

Fortunately, this freezing rain came and went quickly.

It stopped after only ten minutes or so.

Cao Xing and his group breathed a sigh of relief and gradually slowed their pace.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the location of Hoge Village.

Cao Xing saw a group of villagers already climbing onto the roofs, beginning to repair their battered, hole-ridden roofs.

This is the weather in an extreme environment.

A mere ten minutes of freezing rain is comparable to a natural disaster.

If it had rained for another half hour, I'm afraid the entire Hoge Village's houses would have been ruined.

However, the villagers seemed to be accustomed to this phenomenon.

That group of militiamen also stood by and watched.

Seeing Cao Xing's team, they were not as fearful as before.

One by one, they crowded around, curiously looking at Cao Xing's Mammoth and the powerful subordinates beside him.

The militia captain asked in a low voice, "My lord… you've come again?"

Cao Xing nodded and smiled, "Yes, I'm here to purchase some supplies."

And by the way, see if I can poach some talent.

Of course, Cao Xing didn't say the latter part out loud.

Cao Xing continued, "Everyone, no need to be nervous. I know the rules."

Then, he prepared to take Dabai and Hilda and the others to the nearby shed.

The group of militiamen looked at each other, and smiles appeared on all their faces.

"This lord is really easy to talk to."

"Actually, we could let you go straight through, but your mount is simply too large. The streets of Hoge Village are too narrow, and it might accidentally knock something down. We ask for your understanding, my lord…"

Cao Xing nodded with a smile, "Understand, understood."

After speaking, he left Dabai and the Frost Wolf behind.

Then he took the others, including Hilda, and marched into Hoge Village in a grand procession.

Along the way, those villagers all cast their gazes toward Cao Xing and the powerful subordinates beside him.

Especially Blood Spider Queen Hilda, who attracted many gazes.

However, there was no fear in the eyes they cast toward Cao Xing.

Instead, it was filled with a bit of respect and admiration.

The fact that this powerful lord wiped out over a hundred cultists in one fell swoop yesterday had already spread throughout the village.

Coupled with what Cao Xing said when he left, the villagers regarded him as the embodiment of justice, a hero who protected Hoge Village.

Under the watchful eyes of the villagers, Cao Xing and his group went straight to the Zhuolan Tavern in the village.

This was also the only tavern in the village.

He first let the others wait outside, while he took Liu Muxue and Assam and walked straight into the tavern.

The tavern was very warm and bustling with noise.

He glanced at the temperature. [ Current Temperature: 16°C ]

As soon as the three of them entered, the noisy tavern instantly fell silent.

They all noticed Cao Xing and Assam, as well as the stunningly beautiful Liu Muxue beside them.

A few drunks among them, seemingly because they had drunk too much, fixed their eyes on Liu Muxue, their eyes revealing a naked gaze.

Just as they wanted to stand up, their companions beside them, as if they had seen a ghost, directly pressed these guys back down.

Not only that, other villagers who were drinking also rushed over and pinned these guys firmly to the ground!

Are you kidding! The scene of these people slaughtering in Hoge Village yesterday was still fresh in their memories.

Don't they have any sense of who can be provoked and who cannot?

The companions of this group smiled apologetically at Cao Xing, while also feeling a bit nervous.

Fortunately, this powerful lord didn't seem to care.

Facing their apologetic smiles, Cao Xing nodded.

This also made everyone in the entire tavern breathe a sigh of relief.

Cao Xing scanned this group of people; they were all ordinary wandering mercenaries and drunks.

He didn't find any special talent, so he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Then, he went straight to the bar.

A bartender wearing a jacket, dressed neatly, looked at Cao Xing with a gentle smile.

"My lords, what would you like to drink?"

Before Cao Xing could speak, the bartender took the initiative to introduce, "We have craft rum here, fruit wine produced by the Ruth Winery, and Baucland white wine…"

"I suggest this lord try our white wine, and the one beside you can have a glass of rum."

"As for this lady, as beautiful as a fairy, she can try our fruit wine."

Cao Xing also smiled, "Then let's do as you suggested."

After speaking, he took out one hundred crowns from his backpack.

But the bartender shook his head and smiled, "My lord, there is no need for you to pay crowns. This is my treat."

"Your heroic deeds yesterday have truly earned my admiration."

Cao Xing was stunned. The benefits of building good relationships with other factions were now apparent.

He did not decline, but nodded and said, "Then many thanks."

The bartender smiled, then turned around to mix the drinks.

And Cao Xing silently scanned his attributes.

[ Hoge Village Villager: Elkan Babu ]

[ Level: 7 ]

[ HP: 680 / 680 ]

[ Attack: 31 ~ 38 ]

[ Skills: Observation, Junior Bartending Mastery, Junior Brewing Knowledge ]

[ Talent: Sensitive Smell (Elkan has possessed a more sensitive sense of smell than ordinary people since birth) ]

"Not bad talent, plus bartending mastery and brewing mastery."

This was one of the targets Cao Xing was looking for.

However, this was the only bartender in the Zhuolan Tavern; it wouldn't be good for Cao Xing to poach him.

A moment later, the bartender placed the three mixed drinks in front of the three of them.

"My lords, your drinks are ready."

Cao Xing nodded, then said, "Hello, Mr. Elkan. I have a matter I would like to consult you about."

He got straight to the point.

The bartender looked at Cao Xing with a smile, seeming a bit surprised that he actually knew his name.

"My lord, please speak."

Cao Xing said, "You should know that I am a lord in the vicinity, and my territory also has a tavern and stored liquor."

"But because I lack a bartender, my tavern has been unable to operate."

"I also know that you have worked at the Zhuolan Tavern for many years, and it wouldn't be right to poach you."

"So I would like to ask, do you have anyone you can recommend?"

After speaking, Cao Xing took out 200 crowns and placed them on the bar.

The bartender Elkan thought for a moment, then nodded, "Actually, I have a son who just turned 17 this year."

"But he has been learning bartending techniques from me for many years. When I am not around, he also comes to the Zhuolan Tavern to take my place."

"If this lord doesn't mind, I can go call him down."

Hearing this, Cao Xing's eyes lit up, "Then I will trouble you, Mr. Elkan."

Elkan bowed, then left the bar.

Before long, he brought back a young man who looked 70% like him, only younger and with a slightly pale complexion.

Upon seeing Cao Xing, the young man nervously called out, "My… my lord…"

Cao Xing nodded and quickly scanned his attributes.

[ Hoge Village Villager: Lachi Babu ]

[ Level: 4 ]

[ HP: 420 / 420 ]

[ Attack: 12 ~ 15 ]

[ Skills: Junior Brewing Knowledge, Junior Bartending Techniques ]

[ Talent: Sensitive Smell (Lachi inherited his father's talent and has possessed a more sensitive sense of smell than ordinary people since birth) ]

Cao Xing's eyes lit up immediately.

Good heavens, is this talent hereditary?

He smiled and said, "Mr. Elkan, your son has good talent."

Hearing the praise, a gratified smile appeared on Elkan's face, "This lord is too kind."

Then, Cao Xing asked, "Lachi, would you be willing to come back to my territory and work there?"

"I will pay you the same remuneration as your father receives here."

Hearing this, Lachi tentatively looked at his father.

Elkan nodded.

Lachi immediately said excitedly, "I am willing, honorable lord!"

Cao Xing also smiled.

"Good, then wait a moment, I will take you to get the village chief's approval."

After speaking, he called in Renice, Andrew, Hilda, Braum, and the others.

The small tavern was instantly filled by the figures of several big guys.

Looking at the powerful aura invisibly exuded by this group, Lachi's eyes were filled with both surprise and envy.

Cao Xing smiled, "Mr. Elkan, these are all my residents."

"I'll let them relax here for a bit, and I'll pay for all consumption when I return."

Assam and the others had been fighting all day, so Cao Xing wanted them to have a few drinks to unwind.

Cao Xing turned his head and said, "Assam, Braum, you wait here for a while. Order whatever you want to drink."

Bearded Braum heard this and immediately laughed, "What? There's alcohol to drink!"

"That's great! Long live the lord!"

Braum pulled Assam, and they excitedly rushed to the bar to start ordering frantically.

Seeing this scene, Cao Xing smiled and shook his head.

Of course, the others who didn't drink, such as Hilda and Renice, sat at a separate table.

Cao Xing gave Liu Muxue a word, "Muxue, I'm taking Lachi to find the village chief. Wait for me in the tavern for a while."

A faint smile appeared on Liu Muxue's face, then she nodded slightly and sat down next to Renice.

They didn't need to worry about Cao Xing's safety.

With Sarah by Cao Xing's side, even if they encountered an assassination like yesterday's, they could easily resolve it.

Moreover, Cao Xing's strength had skyrocketed, and he could activate his demon transformation at any time, as well as use the [Book of the Dead], giving him many trump cards.

Then, Cao Xing and Lachi walked out of the tavern together.

Soon, they arrived at the village chief's residence.

After hearing Cao Xing explain his intentions, the village chief readily agreed to the request.

After all, to him, Lachi was just a young kid in the village with nothing to do.

He was insignificant compared to Old Mel.

Since a lord had taken a liking to him, it also solved some employment burdens for the village.

A system notification appeared.

[ The Hoge Village chief has approved your recruitment request. Lachi Babu has joined your territory. Territory population +1 ]

After saying goodbye to the old village chief, the two of them stood at the door.

Lachi respectfully saluted, "Honorable Lord, Lachi will work hard for you in the future."

Cao Xing nodded, "No need to be too nervous. Our tavern is not large in scale at the moment, so your work will not be too tiring."

Hearing this, a smile also appeared on Lachi's face. "My Lord, I am not afraid of hard work. I am just worried that I might not do a good job and ruin your reputation."

"Now, please allow me to go home and pack my luggage. After that, I will devote myself wholeheartedly to the upcoming work."

Cao Xing nodded. "Go ahead, Lachi. Just come find me at the tavern later."

"Yes, my Lord."

With that, Lachi trotted away.

Just as Cao Xing was about to return to the tavern, he happened to pass by the shop where he had bought grain the day before yesterday.

After a moment's thought, Cao Xing decided to go in and purchase some other supplies.

Anyway, he was rich now. He had a huge sum of hundreds of thousands of crowns in his bag, so he could spend freely.

The proprietress, Elena, was listlessly lying on the counter at this moment.

Upon seeing Cao Xing enter, her eyes immediately lit up.

She hurriedly stood up from the counter and quickly ran to Cao Xing's side.

She laughed softly, "My Lord, you've come again?"

Cao Xing felt a burst of fragrance coming towards him; he didn't know what perfume Elena was using.

He nodded. "Yes, proprietress, I've come to purchase some supplies."

Upon hearing this, Elena was overjoyed. She naturally took Cao Xing's arm and pressed his hand tightly under her armpit.

A wave of softness came from between her arms.

Cao Xing tilted his head to look. Today, Elena was wearing a white shawl and simple casual clothes.

It perfectly showcased her full and slightly plump figure, making her look very mature and charming.

Elena held Cao Xing's arm and chuckled again, "My Lord, are you buying grain today too?"

Cao Xing shook his head and said, "No grain today. The grain I bought last time is still enough for us to eat for a while."

"I want to ask if you have any other vegetable seeds here. I want to buy some to take back and plant myself."

Hearing this, a thoughtful look flashed in Elena's beautiful eyes.

Then she nodded slightly and said, "My Lord, you've come at the right time. I have indeed just received a new batch of seeds, including carrots, spinach, beets, garlic, and so on."

"I wonder, which one do you need?"

As Elena spoke, half of her body pressed against Cao Xing, as if she were whispering in his ear.

Cao Xing thought for a moment and said, "Give me a bag of each."

"Very well, my Lord~"

Elena agreed readily. "However, my Lord, besides these ordinary vegetable seeds, I have also received a new batch of magical plant seeds. I wonder if you are interested?"

"Magical seeds?"

Elena nodded. "A few days ago, some hunters went hunting in the Borealis Mountain Range and accidentally found them in the mountains. It is said that they are seeds of some kind of magical plant: Spirit Breath Grass."

"I said that as someone who runs a grain shop, these are useless to me, but they insisted on forcing them on me."

"I thought, we are all from the same village, and it's quite difficult to make a living in this icy and snowy weather, so I accepted them. As it turns out, I haven't been able to sell them yet."

After listening to Elena, Cao Xing nodded.

Although he didn't know what this Spirit Breath Grass was useful for, since it was a magical plant, it must have its extraordinary aspects.

Therefore, Cao Xing said, "Alright, bring them over together and let me take a look."

Upon hearing this, Elena smiled even more happily. "My Lord, then you sit by the heater for a while, and wait for me to bring the seeds for you~"

With that, Elena supported Cao Xing and walked towards the stove.

Cao Xing came to the stove and sat down. Elena pulled away and walked into the shop, leaving Cao Xing with a view of her back.

When Elena walked, her waist swayed, and her rounded buttocks swayed slightly, fully displaying her charm.

However, she was inside for quite a while this time, taking three or four minutes to come out.

To Cao Xing's surprise, when Elena came out again, she had actually changed into a tight-fitting qipao.

She also had light makeup on her face.

Under the candlelight in the shop, Elena's body curves were completely presented by this tight-fitting qipao.

At this moment, Elena moved her long, slender legs and walked gracefully towards him. The snow-white base of her thighs swayed in front of Cao Xing, very eye-catching.

Then, she came to the opposite side of Cao Xing, smoothed her buttocks with her hands, adjusted her clothes, and sat down gently.

She handed Cao Xing a cloth bag.

"My Lord, the carrot and beet seeds have already been placed at the warehouse entrance. There are over three thousand in a bag. Let me bring the Spirit Breath Grass seeds over first, will you take a look?"

Cao Xing nodded and took the cloth bag from Elena's hand.

Although the weight was very light, it contained at least dozens of seeds.

He took out a seed with a greenish hue and checked its attributes.

[Spirit Breath Grass Seed (Green): Magical Plant]

[Plant in soil rich in vitality and water regularly with Spirit Spring Water to make it grow rapidly.]

(Note: Spirit Breath Grass contains weak vitality and is one of the main ingredients for making Life Secret Potions.)

…

Seeing the note on the system, Cao Xing's pupils suddenly widened in surprise.

This was actually one of the main ingredients for making Life Secret Potions!

You know, Cao Xing was preparing to use Life Secret Potions to replace beast meat to exchange for supplies in the hands of other players.

Although he had not yet obtained the recipe, it would be a very important thing if he could prepare the materials in advance.

Seeing Cao Xing's expression, Elena immediately knew that he was tempted.

She leaned forward, resting her chin on one hand.

She placed the heavy, soft objects on her chest onto the wooden table, looking extremely exaggerated.

Elena chuckled and said, "My Lord, are these magical plant seeds useful to you?"

Cao Xing nodded. "They are indeed useful, Ms. Elena."

"I want this batch of seeds. Name your price."

Hearing about the price, Elena chuckled again.

And just at this moment, Cao Xing suddenly felt a long leg, like a spirit snake, rest on his knee under the table.

Then, it traced along his thigh, all the way up.

Cao Xing looked up at Elena, only to see endless charm in her eyes.

One glance seemed capable of stealing a man's soul.

"Elena?"

Elena said softly, "My Lord, in fact, my husband died in an accident in the snow many years ago."

"For so many years, I have been guarding this grain store all alone, and I am very lonely…"

"The men in Hoge Village are all rough and crude, and I don't fancy them…"

Her face looked a bit sorrowful.

And Cao Xing immediately understood something.

At the same time, Cao Xing noticed that under the table, Elena's other leg had also come up.

The beautiful woman's fair and slightly fleshy long leg kept brushing against Cao Xing under him.

Before long, the charm in Elena's eyes grew stronger.

Then, she gave a charming smile and crawled under the table.

…

The wood in the stove crackled.

…

They were currently inside the grain store, so there was no need to worry about being seen by people outside from this angle.

A moment later, Elena stood up and locked the door of the grain shop.

Then, she walked over gracefully and sat on Cao Xing.

"My Lord, can you fulfill Elena's wish?"

Through the silk-textured qipao, one could feel that soft body.

The beautiful woman's eyes burned with endless heat, as if she wanted to swallow Cao Xing whole.

Cao Xing nodded.

Elena smiled even more happily.

For the next half hour, Elena was unleashing the fire that had been dormant for many years.

Its intensity made even Cao Xing marvel at it.

A moment later, Elena was drenched in sweat and went limp.

And just when Elena thought it was over, she saw Cao Xing pick her up directly.

Elena was surprised at first, and then joy that could not be suppressed appeared in her eyes.

After another round of intense struggle, Elena was completely exhausted.

Afterwards, Elena sat in Cao Xing's arms, her eyes filled with deep affection.

Cao Xing checked the time.

[Time until nightfall: 32 minutes 17 seconds…]

"Elena, I should go."

Upon hearing this, Elena stood up from him, reluctant to part.

However, as she got up, she deliberately wiggled her rounded buttocks a few times.

"Very well, my Lord. I will take you to get the seeds~"

With that, she led Cao Xing to the warehouse behind the shop.

At the warehouse entrance, there were four bags of seeds that Elena had already moved down.

Cao Xing asked, "Elena, how much for these seeds and the Spirit Breath Grass seeds outside combined?"

However, Elena chuckled and said, "My Lord, you have already paid the fee."

"In the future, when you come to Hoge Village, remember to visit my grain shop often~"

Cao Xing was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then nodded.

"Alright."

With that, he collected the four bags of seeds on the ground and the magical plant seeds on the table into his backpack.

[Obtained: Carrot Seeds * 3231]

[Obtained: Spinach Seeds * 3523]

[Obtained: Beet Seeds * 4231]

[Obtained: Garlic Seeds * 1024]

[Obtained: Spirit Breath Grass Seeds * 72]

Then, amidst Elena's lingering gaze, Cao Xing pushed open the grain shop door.

Whoosh—

The howling cold wind outside instantly sobered Cao Xing up.

Before long, he returned to the tavern.

Inside the Zhuolan Tavern, Braun was already flushed from drinking, and was even pulling Assam to compete in drinking capacity.

Hilda was occupying a table all by herself, savoring the vibrant red wine.

As for Renice and Liu Muxue, they were at a separate table, smiles on their faces.

Lachi had also packed his luggage and was waiting in the tavern.

Seeing Cao Xing, everyone stood up…