Chapter 94: Magical Creatures, Clues to the Cloud Yaks

Chapter 94: Magical Creatures, Clues to the Cloud Yaks

Honestly, Cao Xing really wanted to say that a little girl had been outside by herself for two days, and there had been a heavy snowfall the night before last.

Elisa was probably frozen solid like a figurine by now.

Old Mel sighed, "I understand what you mean, Lord."

"The snowfield at night is far too dangerous. The temperature is simply impossible for an ordinary person to survive."

"But Elisa has been sharp since she was little. She's gone out alone and spent the night outside the village before. A few times, even I thought she wouldn't make it back."

"And then a few days later, the girl would pop out from who knows where."

"She seems to have her own survival skills, but whenever I ask her, she won't say."

"So I believe little Elisa must still be alive…"

Cao Xing pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Alright then, Mr. Mel."

"After daybreak tomorrow, I'll head near Snowfall Lake as you mentioned to look for your daughter's whereabouts. How does that sound?"

Hearing this, Old Mel immediately wept tears of gratitude. "That's fine! As long as you can go look for my daughter, My Lord, tomorrow is totally fine."

Cao Xing nodded and accepted the quest.

[Successfully accepted quest: Mel's Entrustment. Favorability increased.]

Cao Xing helped Old Mel to his feet.

After asking about a few quest details, Cao Xing turned to leave.

Under Old Mel's watchful gaze, Cao Xing and his group disappeared down the street, making their way to the grain store to pick up the supplies he had purchased.

On the way to the grain store, Cao Xing thought helplessly, 'I just wanted to damn well buy a few cows, and now I've ended up taking on a quest.'

He shook his head. 'Oh well, I'll check out Snowfall Lake tomorrow and see if I can find Old Mel's daughter.'

"Ah Xing, is Snowfall Lake very dangerous?" Liu Muxue asked tentatively.

Cao Xing shook his head. "I'm not too sure, but there's no red X marked on the map, which means there shouldn't be any major danger."

Liu Muxue nodded slightly, feeling a bit more at ease.

Danny, the villager nearby, spoke up, "My Lord… I just heard Old Man Mel say that Elisa discovered Cloud Yaks."

"They're an extremely sacred and rare creature. If it's true, you might be striking it rich, My Lord!"

Hearing this, Cao Xing grew interested. "Oh? What do Cloud Yaks look like, and what makes them so special?"

Villager Danny scratched his head awkwardly at the question. "I… I haven't seen a Cloud Yak myself either…"

"But I've heard the elders say that just like their name, Cloud Yaks have fur like silk clouds. It's incredibly soft and light, provides immense warmth, and even generates its own heat."

"The rich noble lords in the big cities are willing to pay astronomical prices for a fur coat made from Cloud Yak pelts."

Cao Xing looked surprised upon hearing this.

Fur that could generate its own heat—this was his first time hearing of such a thing.

In a world covered in ice and snow, such fur was comparable in usefulness to a Golden piece of equipment.

If Cloud Yaks were truly that magical, wouldn't mercenaries have hunted them to extinction?

Seeming to read Cao Xing's doubts,

Villager Danny explained cheerfully, "My Lord, Cloud Yaks are extraordinarily rare to begin with and seldom seen. Plus, they don't stay in fixed locations. You might see a herd of Cloud Yaks one day, and by the next day, they've vanished completely."

"You could say finding them depends purely on luck."

At this point, Danny paused. "Also, I heard that the milk produced by Cloud Yaks carries magical powers. It not only beautifies and nourishes skin, but it can even enhance a person's constitution!"

Cao Xing froze for a moment. From what Danny was saying, Cloud Yak milk could improve physical attributes.

For Survivors, this was a precious resource.

This further strengthened Cao Xing's resolve to check out Snowfall Lake tomorrow.

"Danny, this is great intel."

Cao Xing directly counted out 20 crowns and handed them to Danny.

Seeing Cao Xing whip out so much money all at once, Danny's eyes went wide!

He extended both hands, took the coins tremblingly, and kept expressing his thanks.

Cao Xing waved a hand dismissively.

Afterward, they arrived at the entrance of the grain store.

Elena, the proprietress, was already waiting there.

At this moment, Elena leaned lazily against the doorframe, wrapped in a wolf-pelt coat, yet her fully matured charm was impossible to conceal.

Every single movement of hers seemed capable of making one swoon.

Upon seeing Cao Xing and his companions, Elena's eyes immediately lit up.

"My, My Lord, you've finally arrived."

Cao Xing nodded. "Is everything ready?"

Elena hurriedly replied, "Of course it's ready. All the grain has been loaded onto the cart for you. My Lord, would you like to weigh it and check?"

Cao Xing glanced at the simple horse-drawn cart by the door, which was fully packed with various grain sacks. Harnessed in front was a dark brown Yanski Horse.

He shook his head and said, "No need. Thanks, boss lady."

Hearing Cao Xing thank her, Elena covered her face and giggled softly.

Her impressive bust jiggled with her laughter, causing Danny beside them to stare blankly.

Elena said full of seductive charm, "My Lord, you are far too polite~ Next time you visit our Hoge Village, I'll treat you to a couple of drinks at the Zhuolan Tavern, and we can stay up chatting about life through the night~"

Her words carried a strong suggestive tone.

However, Liu Muxue beside him immediately picked up on something when she heard the last sentence.

She instinctively took Cao Xing's hand, looking at Elena with a gaze full of vigilance.

Seeing this, Elena giggled again.

Cao Xing coughed awkwardly twice and then said, "Boss lady, we'll be taking our leave now. Thanks again."

"You're very welcome~ Take care, My Lords~"

Cao Xing nodded.

Assam adeptly stepped to the front of the cart, took the reins, and began leading it out of the village.

Under the watchful eyes of a group of militia, Cao Xing and his group walked out of [Hoge Village]…

Just after Cao Xing and his group departed,

a young man wearing dark iron armor on his upper body and jeans on his lower half—looking rather mismatched—walked out from a tavern along the street.

He stared at Cao Xing's back, a complex swirl of emotions repeatedly flashing across his eyes.

If Cao Xing were here, he would definitely notice that this guy was also a Survivor from Earth.

His name was Shen Jinbing.

Shen Jinbing let out a sigh. "I can't believe that guy was Cao Xing."

"The star figure in the chat channel, ranked number one in District 174… I actually ran into him!"

"What a formidable person. He even has a level 13 Boss unit under his command. No wonder he levels up so fast."

At the moment, Shen Jinbing had only seen Assam's info and hadn't noticed Sarah lurking in the shadows.

At this moment, a hint of hesitation appeared in his eyes.

Currently, Fang Long's high reward for Cao Xing's location was public knowledge.

A recruitment scroll for a Level 10 Elite creature was enough to drastically boost most Survivors' strength, making it an offer almost impossible to resist.

However, Shen Jinbing was also afraid that informing the Three Heroes Association about this location would invite retaliation from Cao Xing.

After hesitating for a while, Shen Jinbing opened his private messaging and sent a message.

"I have the information you want, but you must ensure my identity isn't revealed…"

…

In the snow, the group pressed onward against the dimming sky.

Sitting atop the tracked robot, Cao Xing glanced at the countdown above.

[Time until nightfall: 32 minutes…]

[Current Temperature: -56°C]

"The last half hour. Luckily, we made it back before dark."

Cao Xing breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the map; they were only a few hundred meters from the campsite now.

In the snowy landscape ahead, a bright fiery red glow illuminated the silhouettes of numerous houses.

It looked like a secluded little world isolated within the ice and snow.

As he got closer, Cao Xing saw that the Arctic People, the Tree Spirits, and the human Cao Yi and his team were all still hard at work.

Gathering resources, upgrading houses, and constructing new buildings.

The entire territory was in a state of bustling development!

Outside the territory, two iron rails extended into a mine cavern out in the snow, with minecarts transporting loads of ore along them.

Liu Muxue's beautiful eyes sparkled as she said with pleasant surprise, "Ah Xing, our territory has changed so much!"

Cao Xing had noticed it too. Compared to when they left, the territory had undergone dramatic changes.

First, the bonfire at the center of the territory had transformed from a large bonfire into a massive furnace nearly three meters high and over a meter in diameter!

The territory's radius had also expanded significantly.

The radius reached 500 meters, and the bonfire's coverage area reached one kilometer!

This area was already quite immense—growing crops or raising cattle and sheep inside would be no problem at all.

Besides that, Cao Xing also saw seven buildings over ten meters tall.

Three of them were [Basic Elemental Arrow Towers], and two were [Basic Watchtowers].

As for the other two, they were [Lighthouses].

Many other buildings had also popped up within the territory.

Da Zhuang, Cao Yi, and the others also noticed the grand procession of figures in the snow from afar.

Compared to before they left, their group had gained four more members, making the team even more formidable.

Not only that, Cao Xing had brought back a whole cartload of supplies.

They all put down their work and looked at the approaching figures with hopeful expressions.

When they saw the towering Mammoths, exclamations broke out among them.

"It's the Lord!"

"The Lord is back! Everyone, come out quickly to welcome these brave warriors!"

At Da Zhuang's shout, dozens of people in the territory surged forward in a crowd.

Under their expectant eyes,

Cao Xing and his party walked straight into the territory.

Instantly, a wave of warmth washed over them.

Everyone felt an overwhelming sense of physical comfort.

The Centaur Kandaer said excitedly, "Such a warm territory! This is way more comfortable than our Centaur tribe!"

Kanter chimed in from the side, "That's right, Kandaer, Centaurs love it here."

Even the Black Smoke Shaman nearby wore a look of surprise.

After all, this was their first time entering a Survivor's territory.

And a magical thing like a [Bonfire] was unique to Survivors.

Cao Xing also looked at his thermometer in curiosity.

[Current Temperature: -21°C]

…