Chapter 317: Returning to the Territory, Popular Yak Milk (5800)

"Damn it, who the hell did this!"

"They destroyed our church's camp and killed everyone. How hateful!"

The bishop was incredibly furious, unable to even control his own power.

Terrifying aura surged out like a tide!

However, he knew now was not the time for anger; he had to pass the news back as soon as possible.

Struggling to calm his emotions, he tremblingly took out the crystal and said:

"Bishop Anglun, Bishop Bella, something has happened."

"The camp where High Priest Carllo was stationed has been wiped out!"

Upon hearing this, the panicked voices of the two bishops came through.

"What!?!"

…

…

Meanwhile.

At around three in the afternoon, Cao Xing and his group had already returned to the vicinity of the territory.

From afar, everyone saw a large gathering place located in an open area ahead.

The buildings inside were somewhat sparse but arranged in an orderly fashion.

Moreover, a city wall was almost finished on the perimeter, and hundreds of Elemental Arrow Towers, Ice Arrow Towers, and so on were distributed throughout…

In addition, there were three massive ancient trees rooted at the edge of the territory.

This was Cao Xing's current territory.

Under the full efforts of the territory resident Cao Yi and the others, the progress of the city wall was almost halfway complete.

It already had the scale of a large town.

Surrounded by the endless plains, this territory looked like a pearl in the snowfield.

The open terrain also brought convenience to trade.

Cao Xing could already imagine the bustling scene in the near future, with traffic flowing into his territory from all four directions.

Under his creation, it would become an impregnable Giant City in the Gale Snowfield.

Thinking of this, Cao Xing said directly: "Alright, we're home. Everyone, remove your disguises now."

As the words fell, the dark energy on everyone's bodies receded, and they returned to their original appearances.

Braum joked: "Mr. Assam, why does it feel like you aren't as handsome now that you've returned to your current form as you were in your Demon Slave form?"

"In your Demon Slave form, you wore black battle armor, and every gesture you made carried the demeanor of a great general."

Assam looked at him speechlessly: "Mr. Braum, perhaps it's because your aesthetic sense is flawed."

"Your Demon Slave form looked like a black exhibitionist."

Braum's face turned black instantly.

Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

Then, with happy expressions on their faces, they returned to the territory.

The few girls in the team, Elisa, Tong Chuchu, and Francesca, still had excitement lingering on their faces.

It was as if they had secretly done something bad and hadn't been caught.

Cao Xing noticed their expressions and gave a reminder: "Remember to keep today's events confidential."

Everyone nodded heavily.

Cao Xing naturally trusted this group of his subordinates.

If he didn't trust them, he wouldn't have brought them along for the operation.

At this moment, Cao Xing also couldn't help but feel a little excited.

This time, their harvest was too great!

If they could digest it, it would definitely improve their strength by a large margin!

Next, it was time to digest these gains.

The territory gate opened.

The group returned to the territory.

Just as Cao Xing was about to call the combatants over to give them a major boost, the territory resident Cao Yi came over to report: "Lord, you've returned."

"Lord Hilton from the Black Lion Chamber of Commerce came early this morning. I told him you were out on business and asked him to come back tomorrow."

"As it turned out, Lord Hilton said he could wait for you, so I let them go to the tavern to wait."

Cao Xing was a bit surprised to hear this.

"Oh? That old guy Hilton said last time he would come to my territory again in a week; he's quite punctual."

It just so happened that Cao Xing was short on money right now. Although last night's harvest made up for the shortage of food, the shortage of crowns was still there.

It could be said that Hilton's arrival was very timely.

Territory resident Cao Yi nodded slightly and continued: "There is one more thing. Not long after Lord Hilton arrived, people from another chamber of commerce followed."

"They said they wanted to visit you, so I let the people from this chamber of commerce go to the tavern to wait for your return as well."

Another chamber of commerce?

Cao Xing was even more confused.

But he didn't say much, nodded, and said: "I see. I'll go meet them first."

"You go back to work, Cao Yi."

"As you command, Lord."

Cao Yi bowed slightly and then respectfully retreated.

Cao Xing looked at the others and said: "You all go back and rest for now. I'll call you if I need you later."

The combatants dispersed one after another.

As for Elisa and Tong Chuchu, they stuck to Francesca, grabbing one of her hands each, not knowing where they were planning to take the witch.

Cao Xing headed straight for the tavern and soon arrived at his destination.

"Creak!"

As the wooden door of the [Intermediate Tavern] was pushed open, waves of warmth and a strong aroma of alcohol wafted out.

Cao Xing saw at a glance that there were nearly twenty people sitting inside the tavern.

They were divided into two groups.

One group was the familiar Hilton from the Black Lion Chamber of Commerce.

The other group was a group of people he had never seen before.

Among them, there were also a dozen guards, as well as a middle-aged man wearing thick furs, with a crocodile skin belt tied around his waist, and looking very luxurious from head to toe.

Cao Xing scanned them.

[Woodpecker Chamber of Commerce: Jess Watson]

[Affiliated Power: Ice Crystal Kingdom]

[Level: 17 (Tier 2 Common Creature)]

[Skills: Reading People, Negotiation, Haggling, Primary Management Mastery]

[Talent: None]

…

Woodpecker Chamber of Commerce?

He hadn't heard of this chamber of commerce.

But Cao Xing didn't show his emotions, instead smiling and saying: "Everyone, sorry to keep you waiting."

Hearing the voice, everyone looked toward the tavern entrance.

When he saw Cao Xing, Hilton's pupils shrank, and he stood up abruptly.

He walked up quickly and shook Cao Xing's hand, excitedly saying: "Lord Cao Xing, you've finally returned!"

Beside him, the merchant named Jess also reacted quickly.

He also walked over quickly, extending his hands—which were adorned with four or five rings and looked extremely luxurious—to shake Cao Xing's other hand.

"So this is Lord Cao Xing, truly dashing and handsome."

"And to be so young and already possess such a prosperous territory, you are truly a talent among the youth!"

"Our Woodpecker Chamber of Commerce loves to cooperate with lords who are as powerful and capable as you."

Before Cao Xing could speak, Hilton beside him muttered: "Jess, you really are a hypocrite. You said before that this territory's facilities were incomplete!"

Merchant Jess retorted immediately upon hearing this: "Hilton, I think you must have misheard. This territory has a good foundation and diligent workers."

"Plus this wise Lord, I can already see the future, a territory rising here comparable to Merlind City!"

Cao Xing looked at these two with a strange expression, then interrupted: "The two of you, let's not stand here. Let's go inside and talk."

The two nodded hurriedly upon hearing this.

Soon, the three of them were sitting at a small round table.

Nearby, the people brought by the two chambers of commerce were each sitting in different locations.

The bartender, Lucky, ran over quickly and poured each of them a glass of red wine.

The rich, mellow aroma of rose red wine instantly diffused.

It made people subconsciously want to take a deep sniff.

It must be said that after returning from a trip, sipping a glass of fine wine is indeed one of life's great pleasures!

Cao Xing also picked up his wine glass and drank it in one gulp!

After finishing the glass of wine, Cao Xing got straight to the point: "You two, let's talk business now."

The two looked at each other.

The merchant named Jess stood up first and said: "Lord Cao Xing, I am a merchant from the Woodpecker Chamber of Commerce in Merlind City. I accidentally learned that your territory is selling Cloud Yak milk."

"This kind of milk is very popular in our Merlind City; the nobles and rich people in the city love it very much!"

"So, we want to establish a long-term cooperative relationship with you, and we will definitely give you a satisfactory purchase price!"

Hilton, who was beside him, stood up abruptly upon hearing this, his tone filled with anger.

"What do you mean 'accidentally'? You clearly saw me selling Cloud Yak milk, used money to bribe my guards, and found out about Lord Cao Xing's territory!"

"Now you want to take the milk from this territory first? What a despicable tactic!"

Merchant Jess didn't get angry at all upon hearing this; instead, he chuckled: "Lord Hilton, we are old friends. In this kind of commercial competition, how can you call my methods despicable?"

"Everyone is just competing fairly."

"Besides, our Merlind City is closer to Lord Cao Xing's territory, and the sale of the milk is very convenient."

"The yaks raised by Lord Cao Xing produce milk daily, and we can collect it on the same day, which not only guarantees the freshness of the milk but also provides a stable resource source for you."

"Compared to you coming to purchase it irregularly, it is obviously more beneficial for Lord Cao Xing to cooperate with us."

Hearing this, Hilton was even more furious.

But he couldn't refute it, because what the other party said was the truth.

And Cao Xing, listening to their conversation, understood the reason for the matter.

It turned out that Hilton was selling the milk in Merlind City, and it was very popular.

And the sense of smell of those merchants was as keen as sewer rats, wanting to get a piece of the action.

So they arrived at Cao Xing's territory one step ahead.

And when Hilton found out about this news, he hurriedly put down what he was doing and rushed over as soon as possible.

And then, the scene before them happened.

At this moment, Cao Xing narrowed his eyes.

He chuckled: "So both of you are here for the milk."

"To tell you the truth, my territory has had many more yaks recently, and the output of the milk source has already expanded by three or four times."

"I wonder, what price are you willing to pay for it?"

Upon hearing this, the two merchants on the scene, including the people they brought with them, all wore expressions of shock!

You must know, last time Hilton only purchased two hundred liters of milk, and it was extremely popular among the nobles and the wealthy!

Furthermore, due to the healing properties of the Cloud Yak, many clinics in the city also purchased quite a lot.

Therefore, his milk was completely sold out within a single day.

And Hilton, naturally, obtained a massive amount of profit.

Now, Cao Xing said that the milk production in his territory has increased several times over!

This means they will earn even more profit than before!

And more importantly, they have confirmed that there is a large number of Cloud Yaks in this territory.

These yaks will produce more baby yaks.

As time goes on, the future milk output will continue to increase!

This is simply a territory that can continuously bring in wealth!

Before Hilton could speak, the merchant Jess beside him spoke up first: "Respected Lord Cao Xing, although I do not know at what price Hilton previously purchased it."

"But I can make the decision to purchase the milk produced in your territory at a price of 8000 crowns per liter. What do you think?"

Hearing this price, Cao Xing narrowed his eyes again.

You must know, last time Hilton's purchase price was only 7000 crowns per liter.

And this merchant offered 8000 crowns!

Calculating it this way, for 100 liters of milk, he could earn an extra 100,000 crowns.

He is currently in a time where he really needs money.

It must be said, Cao Xing was already severely tempted.

And Hilton, standing beside him, saw the expression on his face and knew that Cao Xing was moved by this price.

He gritted his teeth and said directly: "Lord Cao Xing, although the previous purchase price was a bit low, before that, we did not understand the market conditions."

"Now, I am willing to purchase it at a price of 8500 crowns per liter!"

Hearing that Hilton had increased the price by another 500, a smile gradually crept onto the corner of Cao Xing's mouth.

Jess, on the opposite side, listened and said calmly: "Then I offer 9000."

Hilton was instantly shocked, seemingly not expecting that Jess would be willing to offer such a high price.

You must know, at this price for a liter of milk, there isn't much profit left to be made.

Furthermore, there are transportation costs along the way, and selling milk also requires paying commercial taxes to the baron or the city lord.

In the end, what lands in their hands is not much.

He looked at the other party with a confused expression.

But the Jess opposite him remained calm.

A look of hesitation flashed in Hilton's eyes, and then he recalled what Cao Xing had just said about the milk production increasing several times over.

He seemed to have made some kind of decision and said directly: "Lord Cao Xing, I will purchase it at 9500 crowns per liter!"

This number made even Jess's brow twitch.

Clearly, this was already somewhat exceeding his upper limit of tolerance.

But he still gritted his teeth and said: "In that case, then I offer 10,000!"

"Lord Hilton, will you still increase the price?"

Hearing this price, even Hilton was already somewhat hesitant.

And Jess, standing beside him, was composed and relaxed; it was clear he was determined to win this time!

Because Merlind City is close to Cao Xing's territory, he could reduce a lot of transportation costs.

Furthermore, as a local snake of Merlind City, Jess had extensive connections.

Even taxes could be reduced a little.

Therefore, even at this purchase price, he could still earn a profit from it.

It was clear that both sides had reached their limits of tolerance.

Now, it depended on Cao Xing's decision.

They both looked at the young lord with eager expressions, hoping he would choose to trade with them.

However, Hilton did not have much confidence, because his bid clearly did not hold any advantage.

As long as one was a normal person, they would basically choose to trade with Jess.

What they didn't know was that at this moment, Cao Xing was already overjoyed inside.

Both of their bids far exceeded his expectations.

This meant that for 100 liters of milk, he could earn nearly 300,000 extra crowns.

Of course, these merchants might earn a little less, but in the near future, the milk output in Cao Xing's territory will continue to increase.

As long as they sell more at a lower profit margin, they can still earn quite a bit of money.

Cao Xing pondered for a moment, then smiled and said: "I'm sorry, Lord Jess, but I will still choose to trade with Lord Hilton."

Hearing this, the merchant Jess's expression stiffened, and the confidence and calmness on his face vanished completely.

And Hilton looked as if he had heard something unbelievable!

Sweeping away the disappointment in his eyes, he turned to become extremely pleasantly surprised.

On his face full of fat, his pair of small eyes opened wide!

The merchant Jess beside him was very confused, and he asked: "Why would you make such a choice, Lord Cao Xing?"

"Our bid is higher than Hilton's, and our transportation is also more convenient; whenever you have a need, you can have someone notify us to come and purchase the milk at any time."

Cao Xing explained: "Hilton and I are old friends, and our previous collaborations have been very pleasant."

"Furthermore, when my territory was just starting out, he took care of my territory, and I am someone who believes in reciprocity."

"So, I'm sorry, Mr. Jess."

Hearing this, the merchant was stunned for a moment, and then a look of sudden realization appeared in his eyes.

So, this was where he lost…

He glared hatefully at Hilton, seemingly not expecting that this guy actually had such foresight to establish a relationship when this territory was still weak.

And Hilton, standing beside him, was moved beyond words.

He said gratefully: "Thank you, Lord Cao Xing, you are a person with noble character."

[Due to your words and actions, Black Lion Chamber of Commerce: Hilton's favorability has increased, current favorability: Close]

…

Cao Xing shook his head, then said: "Lord Jess, let me have someone see you off."

Hearing this, Jess knew that this lord was sending his guests away.

Although he was somewhat unwilling in his heart, he could also feel how formidable this territory was.

Any soldier that came out had the strength to wipe out all the people he had brought.

Here, he dared not act rashly.

The merchant Jess smiled and shook his head, saying: "Since that is the case, then I will not disturb you any further."

He sighed, took his men, turned around, and walked towards the tavern entrance.

And just at this moment, Cao Xing's words made him feel a glimmer of hope once again.

"Mr. Jess, if I have the opportunity later, I will go to Merlind City for a visit. If there are other businesses, we can discuss cooperation then."

Hearing this, the dejected merchant swept away the frustration in his eyes and became full of fighting spirit once again.

Although this was just an empty promise from Cao Xing, this lord was even able to capture so many of these sacred creatures, the Cloud Yaks.

No one could say whether he would capture more magical creatures in the future.

For these merchants, Cao Xing was a hidden big client!

He hurriedly turned around and said pleasantly surprised: "The headquarters of our Woodpecker Chamber of Commerce is in Merlind City, and we await Lord Cao Xing's arrival at any time!"

He bowed slightly towards Cao Xing.

Then, he took his guards and left the territory.

And in the tavern, only he and Hilton's two groups of people remained.

Hilton, that old guy, was already moved beyond measure at this moment, "Lord Cao Xing, thank you so much for this time!"

Cao Xing waved his hand, "It's nothing, Lord Hilton. Just as I said before, we are old friends, and our previous collaborations have been very pleasant."

"The price you gave me is very fair, which is also the reason why I chose to cooperate with you."

After hearing this, Hilton couldn't help but recall the first time he came to Cao Xing to purchase Black Diamonds.

It was precisely that time that he thought about building a good relationship with this lord, so he offered a very high purchase price.

He had originally thought.

Perhaps in two or three years, or seven or eight years later, this lord would be able to develop, and at that time, when he was trading in the Gale Snowfield, he could receive the other party's help.

As a result, he didn't expect that Cao Xing would have developed to such a powerful level so quickly.

For a moment, his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

Cao Xing did not know Hilton's inner thoughts and said directly: "Now, let's talk about business."

"Lord Hilton, you came over this time, ready to collect the second batch of Cloud Yak milk, right?"

Hilton nodded and said: "Yes, Lord Cao Xing, that batch of yak milk I purchased from you last time was very popular!"

"Two hundred liters were transported to the city and sold out very quickly; those nobles and wealthy people were all willing to pay high prices to purchase it, and it was even in short supply."

"So I thought about coming to collect another batch today."

Hearing this, Cao Xing also nodded.

"No problem."

"It just so happens that in my territory, 300 liters of milk have been produced over these past few days, and I can let you take it all."

Hearing this number, Hilton was instantly shocked.

This was much more than what he had collected last time.

Furthermore, according to what Cao Xing said, from here on out, this territory's milk production will increase by more than three times!

That is to say, they can produce at least 900 liters of milk a week?

Hilton's breathing immediately became somewhat rapid.

He said excitedly: "That's great, Lord Cao Xing. From now on, I will come to your territory regularly every week to purchase!"

"However… about this price…"

Cao Xing smiled and said: "Just as we just discussed, how about 9500 crowns per liter?"

Hilton beamed with joy, "No problem!"

Just as mentioned before, at this price, Hilton's profit margin would shrink a lot.

But business, after all, is about reciprocity.