Chapter 141: Tavern Opened, Recruiting a Wandering Hero

Upon seeing Cao Xing enter, everyone stood up.

"Oh! Lord, you're back! Come have a drink with Braum!"

Bearded Braum raised his glass, speaking drunkenly, "Assam is almost done for; there's no one left to drink with me!"

However, Assam, sitting opposite him, was as steady as a rock, with only a slight flush on his face.

It was Braum himself who was about to slide under the table.

Cao Xing laughed, "Alright, the business here is finished. It's time to head back."

Upon hearing this, Braum blew at his handlebar mustache and stood up, "Alright then, Assam, I admit your tolerance for alcohol is truly impressive."

"But next time, I will definitely drink you under the table."

Hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Assam's resolute face.

Cao Xing walked straight to the bar and paid for their expenses today.

The total came to 847 crowns.

Given Cao Xing's assets, this amount of money was basically negligible.

Then, beaming with joy, they walked out of the Zhuolan Tavern.

By this time, the sky had gradually darkened.

The group marched imposingly out of Hoge Village.

Da Bai and the Frost Wolf were still waiting outside.

Looking at Braum's drunken state, Cao Xing was genuinely worried he might bump into a rock while traveling.

Shaking his head, he took a four-person sled out of his backpack.

He hooked the sled's rope onto Da Bai.

Cao Xing ordered, "Assam, put Braum on it. And Lachi, you get on too."

Hearing this, the newcomer Lachi cautiously glanced at the others.

Seeing that they didn't say anything, he carefully climbed onto the sled.

Then, Cao Xing commanded, "Let's go, return!"

Thump! Thump-thump!

Da Bai moved its thick elephant legs, dragging the sled as it sprinted along.

Braum and Lachi, sitting on the sled, kept exclaiming in shock.

"By the gods! How can this Mammoth run so fast?"

"I… I'm feeling a bit dizzy…"

Lachi gripped the wooden handle of the sled tightly, his eyes rolling back.

Braum also mumbled unclearly, "Oh! By the gods! Da Bai, slow down! Everything I ate last night is about to be shaken out!"

Finishing this sentence, Braum threw up.

"Blegh!"

Riding a sled is not as comfortable as riding a mount.

With Da Bai's terrifying running speed, a slight bump could shake their very guts out.

Seeing Braum's miserable state, Assam, Andrew, and the others couldn't help but chuckle.

However, no one paid him any mind.

Who told this guy to drink so much when he clearly couldn't handle his liquor?

While traveling, Cao Xing pondered silently.

Today's goals—exploring the Ascalon ruins, taking out Fang Long, and finding the Spirit Spring Water—had mostly been completed.

Now that he had recruited a bartender, the tavern's recruitment function could also be used.

However, he hadn't found the blacksmith and doctor he was hoping for this time.

Also, he hadn't found any clues about the Moses Grass that Old Mel mentioned.

Cao Xing shook his head, "I'll think of a way for other matters tomorrow; it's too late for today."

Thump! Thump-thump!

Da Bai continued to sprint all the way.

With its current speed, it would only take about ten minutes to get back to the territory.

Before long, they had arrived near the territory.

From afar, Cao Xing saw that his territory had changed again.

One-quarter of the city walls had been built up from their original three meters to four meters high.

The Elemental Arrow Towers had also increased to 20, and with the addition of 5 water-blue Frost Arrow Towers nearby, along with several watchtowers, it was full of deterrent power!

At first glance, one could tell that the territory's defensive capabilities were extremely formidable.

Cao Xing nodded with satisfaction, "Not bad, not bad. There really is strength in numbers; this construction speed is too fast!"

He now had dozens of Arctic People under his command, along with other territory residents, totaling over fifty people.

With the efforts of so many people, his territory could be said to change with each passing day!

Soon, they arrived at the foot of the city wall.

Recognizing Cao Xing's identity as the Lord, the iron gate opened automatically.

The young Lachi, like the other newcomers, kept looking around curiously after entering the territory.

Looking at those towering Elemental Arrow Towers and the Imperial Soldiers standing guard on the watchtowers.

Lachi let out bursts of exclamations from time to time.

"By the True God! I've lived in Hoge Village for so many years and never knew there was such a prosperous territory nearby!"

"Is this the power of a Chosen Lord?"

Hearing Lachi's exclamation, a drunken Braum reached out a large hand and patted his shoulder, saying, "Haha! Kid, you've got a good eye."

"When I saw this territory today, I was just as surprised as you!"

Lachi nodded in deep agreement.

Cao Xing turned his head with a smile and said, "Lachi, our tavern is just ahead."

"I'll take you to get settled in a while."

Lachi nodded solemnly, "Understood, respected Lord!"

Only now did Lachi understand how much power this Lord possessed.

This wasn't just a territory; it was practically turning into a fortress!

Living in such a territory, there was no need to worry about threats from Snow Demons or Hunters.

Meanwhile.

Da Zhuang and the others, seeing the figures of Cao Xing and his group, had already quickly gathered together.

Everyone's faces were filled with enthusiastic smiles.

They saluted in unison, "Welcome back, Lord!"

Cao Xing nodded.

At this moment, Da Zhuang of the Arctic People exclaimed, "I can feel it! The warriors under the Lord have become so powerful!"

"The aura on them is as fierce as an Earth Dragon!"

Hearing this, other Arctic People also spoke up, "Heavens! I feel it too!"

"By the Mother Earth Goddess, every time the Lord goes out and returns, there are earth-shaking changes!"

These Arctic People could be considered veteran employees, so they immediately sensed that the strength of Braum, Andrew, and the others had surged.

And those newly joined Imperial Soldiers and Wild Boar Warriors had looks of envy on their faces.

They also wanted to possess greater power.

This time, without Cao Xing needing to say much, the resident Cao Yi came over to report the day's work progress.

"Lord, according to your instructions, we have built seven more Elemental Arrow Towers, and 3 Frost Arrow Towers."

"The Campfire has been upgraded to level 12, and your Lords Cabin has also been upgraded to level 4."

Cao Xing nodded.

He also saw that his Lords Cabin had expanded a bit more, and the population cap had been significantly increased.

He glanced at the system interface.

[Current Population: 115 / 406]

Cao Xing nodded with satisfaction, "Not bad. It just so happens I have over a hundred recruitment scrolls in my backpack and was worried about not having enough population. Now, this is perfectly sufficient."

He looked at the resident Cao Yi, "Continue."

The resident Cao Yi respectfully said, "Besides that, we have upgraded one-third of the city walls to Intermediate City Walls, and both the Ore Processing Plant and the Logging Camp have been upgraded to level 3."

"The processing plant can now sort copper metals."

Speaking of this, the resident Cao Yi paused, "However, Lord, there is something I need to report to you."

"That is, our territory's resource reserves are running low."

Cao Xing was stunned, "Resource reserves are running low?"

One had to know that through the previous few transactions, Cao Xing had collected a large amount of basic resources like wood and stone.

According to estimates, it should have been enough for a long time.

"Yes."

The resident Cao Yi nodded, "It's mainly that wood and stone are running out; the consumption for upgrading to Intermediate City Walls is too great."

After hearing this, Cao Xing looked at the consumption for the Intermediate City Walls: each section of the wall required 100 stone, 50 wood, and 10 iron to upgrade.

And his territory, encircling it, required over three hundred wall sections.

Plus the consumption for the Elemental Arrow Towers and Frost Arrow Towers.

Therefore, it was perfectly normal for his territory's resources to be bottoming out.

This was the price of rapid development.

Cao Xing nodded and said, "I understand. I will figure out a way for the resources."

"Tomorrow, stop the construction work first and send a portion of the Arctic People to collect resources outside the territory."

"By the way, remember to craft more iron rails tonight to speed up our resource collection."

The resident Cao Yi nodded respectfully.

At this time, Old Mel also walked over to report, "Lord, the emotions of that group of Cloud Yaks have gradually stabilized. Not only that, but they also successfully produced their first batch of milk today."

"You can take a look at the effects of this batch of milk."

Hearing this, a look of joy appeared on Cao Xing's face, "Oh? Let me see."

After all, these were magical creatures, and it was said that the milk they produced had special effects, so Cao Xing was somewhat expectant.

Old Mel was carrying a small wooden bucket. After lifting the lid, it contained half a bucket of milky white milk.

Even from here, Cao Xing could smell the rich, milky aroma.

[Cloud Yak Milk: 17L]

[Per 100ml consumed: Restores 250 HP, 10 Satiety, Cooldown 40 seconds]

(Milk filled with the breath of life, capable of healing some internal injuries; it is also an excellent ingredient.)

…

Seeing the attributes of this milk, Cao Xing nodded secretly, "It can actually restore 250 HP directly. This is almost comparable to a bottle of Life Potion!"

"If we don't find a recipe for Life Potion soon, we can use this milk as a substitute for now. After all, 100ml restores 250 HP!"

"I believe this kind of milk, which restores both a significant amount of Satiety and HP, will be very popular among other Survivors."

Then, Cao Xing looked at Old Mel, "Mr. Mel, what is our daily production of this milk?"

Old Mel pondered, "Cloud Yaks only have a milking cycle of two to three months per year. One yak can produce about 1–3 liters of milk per day."

"Plus, there are 8 male Cloud Yaks that cannot produce milk. The remaining 11 female Cloud Yaks produce a total of about 15–30 liters of milk daily."

Cao Xing nodded. This milk production was already acceptable.

Based on a production of 15 liters per day, Cao Xing could sell 150 servings as Life Potion!

You have to know, the Luna Chamber of Commerce sells one bottle of Life Potion for 500 crowns. Even if Cao Xing's were cheaper, he could sell them for at least 300 crowns.

In other words, just by producing milk, these Cloud Yaks could bring him tens of thousands of crowns in revenue every day!

Cao Xing was incredibly excited.

Old Mel sighed with emotion at this moment, "I've heard that this Cloud Yak milk is a specialty ingredient supplied exclusively to the royal family. A single liter costs several thousand crowns, enough to buy me a cow."

Hearing this, the other Arctic People and villagers also stared at the wooden bucket in Old Mel's hand.

They all understood the value of this bucket of milk.

Just then, Cao Xing suddenly called out, "Dahua, use the Cloud Yak milk to boil a pot of milk soup for our members."

Hearing this, a look of surprise appeared on Dahua's face.

She had just heard Old Mel talk about how high the value of this milk was.

Dahua said hesitantly, "My Lord… our daily food is already rich enough. You should keep this precious milk for yourself…"

The others joined in, trying to persuade Cao Xing.

However, Cao Xing laughed, "Don't worry, it's not like you'll be drinking this milk every day."

"This is a reward for your hard work."

Hearing this, smiles appeared on the faces of all the villagers.

Then, they spoke in unison respectfully, "Thank you, generous Lord!"

"We are willing to shed our last drop of sweat for the development of the territory!"

Cao Xing nodded, "Alright, everyone go back, and just wait for dinner this evening."

Everyone looked at each other with excited smiles on their faces, and then left with great enthusiasm.

At this moment, Cao Xing looked at the newcomer, Lachi.

"Lachi, come with me."

Lachi immediately straightened his body and said, "O… okay, My Lord!"

At this moment, Cao Xing was filled with prestige in Lachi's eyes!

The two arrived at the tavern.

Looking at the clean facilities inside, Lachi couldn't help but feel a bit excited.

Because this was where he would be working in the future.

A pleased smile appeared on Cao Xing's face.

Because this meant the tavern could start operating.

Cao Xing did not intend to use the tavern for business.

Instead, it was because the [Territory Recruitment Function] could be used within the tavern.

Through this function, he could attract nearby drifters or other talents.

However, those drifters would still need Cao Xing's consent to enter the territory.

Just then, a system prompt appeared.

[A villager with Junior Bartending skills has been detected. Do you want to assign Lachi Babu to work in the tavern?]

Cao Xing directly clicked 'Yes'.

[Assignment successful. The Territory Recruitment Function has been unlocked.]

[Territory Recruitment Function: Based on the Lord's reputation, broadcast recruitment information to drifters or rangers within fifty kilometers of the territory.]

[This function can be used once every three days. Later, you can increase the recruitment range and reduce the cooldown by upgrading the tavern.]

…

"Fifty kilometers nearby?"

This range was a bit small, and Cao Xing wasn't sure if he could recruit useful talent.

But whatever, let's try it first.

Then, he clicked [Recruit] directly.

A system prompt appeared.

[Recruitment information successfully broadcasted.]

Cao Xing nodded.

Next, it was just a matter of waiting.

To see if any other drifters would come near his territory.

After arranging Lachi, Cao Xing walked out of the tavern.

Then, he strolled leisurely around his territory.

Before long, he saw a pair of beautiful figures.

They were the Tree Spirit sisters, Juliette and Nive.

Cao Xing approached them.

When Juliette and Nive saw him, they bowed together.

"My Lord, may you be in good health."

The two fair-skinned beauties, as exquisite as figurines, standing together were quite a sight to behold.

Cao Xing nodded, then handed all the magical plant seeds he had harvested today to Juliette.

The beautiful and moving Juliette gently stroked the seeds in her hand, a look of surprise appearing in her gem-like pupils.

"My Lord, are these seeds of the nearly extinct War Ancient Tree, and seeds of the Spirit Breath Grass?"

Cao Xing nodded secretly; she was truly his plant encyclopedia.

Just by looking at them, she knew the origin of these seeds.

"That's right, Juliette. Are you confident in growing them?"

Juliette pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "My Lord, these magical plants all need to be planted in areas with abundant magic or vitality."

"We have the Pale Tree seeds in our territory, and it has gradually changed the soil's ecology, so the growing environment can actually be met."

"It's just that… like the Mutant Thorn Vines, they all need to be watered with Cold Spirit Water…"

Hearing this, Cao Xing laughed, "Don't worry, I've already solved the Cold Spirit Water problem. This time when we went out, we happened to find a pool of Cold Spirit Water, and the supply is very sufficient."

"I have kept your request in mind."

Upon hearing that last sentence, a hint of shyness appeared on Juliette's stunningly beautiful face.

She nodded gently, then whispered, "I… if we have the Cold Spirit Water, I can grow these seeds…"

"Very good, then the War Ancient Tree and the Spirit Breath Grass are in your hands."

Cao Xing nodded, "I believe that with you two clever sisters here, my territory will be filled with all kinds of magical plants before long. I look forward to that day."

Hearing this, Juliette and Nive looked at each other, both seeing the emotion in the other's eyes.

It was the emotion of having their talent recognized.

Little Nive waved her pink fist and said excitedly, "Don't worry, My Lord. My sister and I will definitely complete the task you've entrusted to us."

Juliette also nodded, "You are a visionary Lord. Juliette is honored to live in your territory."

Cao Xing nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something, "Oh, right, this is for you."

After saying this, as if performing a magic trick, he produced two [Gorgeous Hairpins] from his hand.

These two hairpins were pale gold all over, with a hollow-carved gold spirit bird pendant on top, plus other charms, making them look exceptionally beautiful.

These, naturally, were opened from the burial item bag of Ascalon.

He had originally intended to sell them later, but Cao Xing thought this pair of hairpins was quite pretty and just happened to suit them well.

The two sisters each grabbed a hairpin, and the joy on their faces could hardly be contained.

Juliette bowed slightly, "Thank you for your gift, respected My Lord."

Nive also said with emotion, "My Lord, you are so good to us!"

[You have gifted a villager: Nive's favorite gift. Loyalty has increased. Current loyalty: 96]

[You have gifted a villager: Juliette's favorite gift. Loyalty has increased. Current loyalty: 93]