Clues for taming the griffin, Greedy Money Keeper (8600)

Cao Xing was already tempted by this commission.

However, he still asked, "Earl Winston, I can certainly give this commission a try."

"But, what will I receive if the task is completed?"

"Also, will I face any penalties if I fail to complete the commission?"

This was Cao Xing's consistent style.

Regardless of who you are, if you want me to work, you have to pay.

Furthermore, he never accepted tasks that came with penalties.

Earl Winston was not surprised and chuckled, "Ten million crowns, or… a private estate in Lake Doron City."

"Even if you don't retrieve my family heirloom sword, I won't do anything to you."

"After all, it is just a personal sentiment of mine."

Cao Xing was tempted after hearing this.

After all, ten million crowns was no small sum.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Cao Xing had over fifty million crowns in vouchers in his inventory; that was only gathered after looting dozens of shops.

The purchasing power of ten million crowns could be said to be immense.

Moreover, to him, this task was just something to be done while on the way.

And since there were no penalties for failure, there was even less reason to refuse.

"I can accept this commission."

"However, I would like to ask, can that private estate be exchanged for a shop in the central city district?"

"As long as the value is roughly the same."

That's right, Cao Xing had no interest in some estate.

He lived quite well in his own territory; who would want to live in his estate?

Therefore, swapping it for a shop in Merlind City would yield higher returns.

Shops in such bustling areas were naturally impossible to buy even with money.

Even if he didn't use it to open a shop, renting it out would be nice.

Earl Winston seemed somewhat surprised, not expecting this Otherworld Lord to be interested in the commerce of Merlind City.

He readily agreed, "No problem, as long as you can retrieve this family heirloom sword for me."

"You may choose any available shop within the second ring of Merlind City!"

[Task rewards updated]

[Available rewards: 10 million crowns, or one estate in the suburbs of Merlind City, or 1 title deed to a shop in the central city district of Merlind City]

Cao Xing chuckled, "Then, I accept."

"Thank you, generous Earl."

The Earl still wore an exaggerated smile, seemingly very satisfied with his answer.

Cao Xing thought for a moment and then raised another question.

"Earl, I would like to ask you another question."

Earl Winston glanced at him and nodded, "Go ahead."

It was evident that Winston was in a very good mood today.

He had granted all of Cao Xing's requests.

Cao Xing asked, "I would like to know, assuming I find a griffin and successfully capture it."

"Without a beast tamer, how can one quickly tame these griffins?"

In fact, Cao Xing was not speaking hypothetically.

He had already actually captured the griffins.

He was currently troubled by how to tame them!

The Earl had been active here for many years and was knowledgeable; plus, he had hunted griffins before, so he should know the appropriate methods.

Hearing this question, Winston pondered for a moment and replied, "Griffins are very difficult creatures to tame…"

"I do know that there is an expert-level beast tamer in Merlind City."

"You can pay a certain price to have him tame the griffins."

"But the time required for that is too long."

"If you want to make the griffins submit quickly, you can only rely on those strange contract scrolls and some alternative items."

"Perhaps the black market in Merlind City has such things, but that would require some luck to find."

Cao Xing's eyes lit up immediately.

This Earl indeed knew the method for taming them.

However, what he found a bit strange was that as the lord of the city, he actually knew about the black market?

The Earl seemed to know his thoughts and chuckled, "What, do you think that because I am the city lord of Merlind City, I shouldn't know about the black market?"

Cao Xing nodded, "That is indeed the case."

The Earl laughed, "The so-called black market is just a trading platform that I allow these shady characters to build."

"They trade inside, and no matter how much money they make, they have to pay taxes to me."

"Every year, the money I collect from the black market is quite substantial."

A look of realization appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

As expected, the Earl could tacitly allow the existence of the black market because it brought him benefits.

He bowed slightly and said, "I understand, thank you for your clarification, Earl."

"Then, we shall take our leave now."

Winston nodded.

And Cao Xing quickly led his people away from there.

After they left, a smile appeared on Winston's face.

For him, issuing the commission to this Otherworld Lord was just a whim; he never thought the other party would be able to complete the task.

Of course, if they were lucky enough to actually retrieve the sword, that would also be very nice.

Then, his gaze turned to the succubus beside him, a lustful look appearing in his eyes.

He reached out and tore off the succubus's low-cut dress.

Magnificent proportions were presented before him.

The tall succubus before him did not cover herself but instead crossed her arms, allowing the Earl's gaze to scan her.

"Melanie, just like yesterday, use all your tricks and let me enjoy myself to the fullest."

Hearing this, the succubus slowly opened her mouth, revealing the sharp teeth inside.

She licked the corner of her mouth and said, "As you wish, my Earl~"

"Slurp~!"

After leaving the Earl's mansion.

Cao Xing looked at the crowns in his inventory, and a smile curled at the corner of his mouth again.

Last time, he spent ten million crowns at Marita's place buying a large quantity of magic plant seeds and magic-stabilizing flower pots.

There were only about two million crowns left in his inventory.

Completing the bounty this time, which amounted to about four million, meant he was wealthy again.

Cao Xing mused, "I wonder if I can buy some good things in the underground black market with this money."

"It is said that the things inside are very expensive."

"However, if I were to exchange all the fifty-plus million in vouchers I have on hand for crowns."

"With such a large sum of money, surely I could buy quite a few good things even in a place like that."

However, there was still one problem with wanting to exchange the vouchers for money.

That was, he needed to deal with the manager of the money shop.

Cao Xing decided to take it one step at a time and go to the money shop first.

The location of the money shop in Merlind City was quite easy to find.

He could just ask a passerby.

After crossing two streets, Cao Xing soon arrived in front of a spacious building.

This building was also divided into three floors—upper, middle, and lower—and was over ten meters high.

Engraved on it were a few large characters.

[Cardina Money Shop]

This was his destination.

Cao Xing said, "Yaskin, you and all the Wild Boar Warriors wait outside."

"Renice, Elisa, you two come inside with me."

The Ascalon captain respectfully said, "As you command, my Lord."

With that said, Cao Xing led his people directly into the interior of the money shop.

A young receptionist saw them and quickly walked over.

He asked politely, "My lords, are you here to deposit or withdraw money?"

Cao Xing said directly, "I want to see your money shop manager."

The receptionist narrowed his eyes.

"May I ask if you have an appointment in advance, my lord?"

Cao Xing shook his head, "No."

Hearing this answer, the receptionist did not treat them with any special courtesy.

Instead, he remained polite and said, "Then please wait in the side cubicle for a moment, my lord, while I go ask the manager for instructions."

Cao Xing nodded slightly.

The receptionist led them into a secluded cubicle.

Inside the cubicle was a square table with a few stools next to it.

Cao Xing brought Renice and Elisa into the cubicle.

Sarah was, as always, hidden in the shadows.

Before long, the receptionist ran over happily and said, "My lord, our manager happens to be free today; she says she will come down to see you in a moment!"

Cao Xing was surprised to hear this; he hadn't expected it to go so smoothly.

He thought he would have to go through some twists and turns.

"Good, thank you."

The receptionist chuckled, "You're welcome."

Soon, a woman with light makeup on her face, who looked to be in her early thirties, walked over.

She was wearing a light cyan robe that clung tightly to her body, highlighting her graceful curves.

Draped over her shoulders was a piece of white fur, making her appear somewhat elegant and luxurious.

The moment she entered the cubicle, the woman's gaze landed on Cao Xing, as if she were observing something.

And just as she observed Cao Xing, Cao Xing was observing her as well.

Before him, the woman's attribute panel appeared.

[Cardina Money Shop: Natalie Scott]

[Level: 18 (Tier 2 Ordinary Creature)]

[Health Points: 2480/2480]

[Attack Power: 127~135]

[Skills: None]

[Life Skills: Advanced Management Mastery, Elementary Speech Mastery.]

[Talent: None]

She was only a Tier 2 existence and posed no threat to him.

At the same time.

The female manager of the money shop walked over gracefully, then bent down, lightly smoothed her skirt, and sat down gently opposite Cao Xing.

She carefully scrutinized Cao Xing's face and then said, "My lord, it seems we don't know each other, right?"

Cao Xing nodded, "Indeed, we don't."

Hearing this, a look of confusion appeared in the eyes of the mature-looking manager.

"Then, may I ask, what are you looking for me for?"

Cao Xing didn't waste words and directly took a voucher out of his inventory.

It had the number 200,000 printed on it.

Seeing this, the manager reached out with her fair palm, picked up the voucher, and examined it carefully before her.

She looked at the voucher, then at Cao Xing.

"May I ask, are you Gary Mills himself?"

Cao Xing chuckled, "Do I look like him?"

The woman shook her head, "No."

"That is also the purpose of me coming to see you."

Cao Xing said, "I want to withdraw the money on it; can this be done?"

Hearing this, the manager immediately straightened her posture.

"Of course not. Our money shop clearly stipulates that all vouchers must be withdrawn by the person themselves."

"There are corresponding magic imprints on them; even we cannot operate them privately."

She said righteously.

Cao Xing seemed to know the woman would say this and continued, "Then what if… I have a lot of these vouchers on hand?"

Hearing this, the woman's expression shifted slightly.

She asked with a probing look.

"How many?"

Cao Xing held up one finger.

"One million?"

"No, ten million."

Hearing this number, a look of surprise immediately flashed across the manager's face.

Although she had done this sort of thing before, it was always for amounts of a few hundred thousand, or at most one or two million.

But this unknown Otherworld Lord before her opened with ten million, which truly gave her quite a shock.

A look of hesitation appeared in her eyes, and her eyelids, painted with light pink makeup, were slightly trembling.

She seemed to be considering whether to take this risk.

A moment later, the manager seemed to have made up her mind.

"My lord, according to our money shop's regulations, this is not possible."

Hearing this, Cao Xing felt some disappointment.

But as she said this, the woman suddenly changed the subject.

"However… I have a little business of my own that I would like to discuss with you."

"I wonder if you are interested?"

Cao Xing heard this, and a smile appeared on his face.

Because this meant the other party had likely agreed.

Cao Xing said, "Of course I am interested."

The manager heard this and chuckled, "Very well, then please follow me to the second floor to discuss in detail."

After saying this, she stood up and walked toward the door.

Cao Xing followed behind her and stepped onto the wooden staircase nearby.

The manager walked in front, her tight-fitting cheongsam outlining the beautiful curves of her back.

Every time she took a step, her waist twisted, and her hips swayed from side to side, which was extremely eye-catching.

Soon, they arrived on the second floor of the money shop.

The manager walked to one of the doors and pushed it open directly.

"My lord, please come in with me."

"However, these two with you need to wait outside."

Cao Xing nodded and instructed, "Elisa, Renice, you two wait here."

He had already reached level 50, the max level.

As the saying goes, having great skill makes one bold; relying on his own strength, he was not afraid of what this woman could do to him.

He followed her into the room.

Before him appeared a woman's room.

It exuded the scent of perfume.

Besides that, there was a wooden vanity table with a bronze mirror placed on it.

On the other side was a spacious bed.

When the door was gently closed.

The smile on the woman's face immediately vanished.

Her expression instantly became as cold as frost, and her eyes were filled with indifference.

She was completely different from the kind person she had been outside.

The woman spoke slowly, "I can help with this matter."

"But you need to give me sufficient benefits."

Cao Xing was not surprised; this woman flipped her attitude faster than turning a page.

After all, she had a hidden identity.

That was a Black-Robed Priest of the Church of Light.

Without some ability, it would be impossible for her to hide in Merlind City for so long.

Cao Xing asked, "How much do you need?"

The mature woman before him pondered for a moment and then said, "I will help you exchange these vouchers into crowns, and you need to give me a certain percentage."

"Let's go with a 70/30 split."

Cao Xing frowned, "I take 70, you take 30?"

The woman shook her head, "I take 70, you take 30."

Cao Xing nearly laughed upon hearing this, "You really are greedy."

Hearing this, the manager sighed, "I have no choice; I am taking a risk doing this."

"If I'm not careful, I might lose my job."

"So I have to make a profit to ensure my future life, right?"

Cao Xing shook his head, "You want too much."

"I refuse this deal."

With that, Cao Xing turned to leave.

Even if this woman wasn't willing to cooperate, he could easily go to another money shop and find another manager to cooperate with.

Hearing this, the mature woman sneered, "I'm afraid you can't refuse."

"If you step out of this door today, I'm afraid the city guards will come to arrest you immediately."

Cao Xing heard this and said with great interest, "Oh? You mean you are threatening me?"

"You, a Tier 2 individual, are threatening me?"

"Do you know that I can crush you with a flick of my finger?"

He couldn't help but find it amusing.

This is just like a female-oriented novel; it's as absurd as a Foundation Establishment cultivator threatening a Great Completion one.

The mature woman, however, chuckled, "I certainly know that your strength is formidable."

"But you cannot possibly make a move against me here."

"Because if you do, you will be wanted by Merlind City."

"Besides, you are carrying so many promissory notes, and they belong to dead people at that."

"Do you think if I were to report this to Earl Winston, how would he deal with you?"

Cao Xing frowned slightly upon hearing this.

The woman seemed completely unconcerned.

She was certain that Cao Xing would not dare to make a move here.

"You have no other choice now."

"I can take a step back: six for me, four for you. How about that?"

Cao Xing shook his head upon hearing this and said, "That's not necessarily the case."

"Sarah, come out."

As soon as he finished speaking, a figure appeared silently.

Upon sensing the lethal aura emanating from Sarah, the female shopkeeper's expression immediately turned panicked.

However, the woman knew that this was a critical moment and that she must not lose her composure.

"What do you want? To kill me here?"

"I told you, if you kill me here, you will be arrested by the city guards!"

Cao Xing shook his head. "Of course I won't kill you; I still need you to help me exchange my money."

With that, he pulled out a strange scroll.

Having been in the business for many years, the female shopkeeper seemed to recognize what was in Cao Xing's hand!

After the initial shock, a look of disdain appeared in her eyes on her mature face.

"You actually want to use that kind of scroll to enslave me!"

"Give it up; that's impossible."

"As long as I maintain my mental defenses, your scroll won't succeed."

This type of slave scroll is actually quite similar to a pet contract scroll.

Although they both have a certain success rate, that only applies when the target is not resisting intensely.

Just like those griffins Cao Xing captured; because they were high-level and would rather die than submit, the pet contract scroll had basically no effect.

The same applied to the woman in front of him.

If Cao Xing were to use the scroll on her while she resisted violently, the success rate of the contract scroll would be negligible.

However, Cao Xing had other methods.

The success rate of a contract scroll is determined by the target's level of mental resistance.

Therefore, he simply needed to destroy her mental defenses and force her to submit.

This is the same method used by slave traders.

By inflicting both physical and mental torment on a slave, the target's will gradually weakens over time, at which point the contract scroll can be used.

But Cao Xing didn't have the time to deal with this woman slowly.

So he decided to use a faster method.

Cao Xing reached into his backpack and pulled out a potion glowing with a pink fluorescent light.

It was the [Succubus's Demon Flame Potion (Orange)].

It was said that just one drop of this stuff could make the victim burn with uncontrollable desire.

It was just right to test its effects on this woman today.

The moment she saw the potion, a look of confusion appeared in the female shopkeeper's eyes.

"What is that!?"

Cao Xing didn't explain, simply saying, "Sarah, open her mouth!"

Upon hearing the command, Sarah instantly vanished from where she stood.

She then moved with ghostly speed to the female shopkeeper's side and gripped her throat.

At that moment, the female shopkeeper felt as if her throat were being gripped by the Grim Reaper, an irresistible force pressing down on her.

It felt as if, should Sarah desire it, her neck would be snapped as easily as a fragile clay doll!

Sarah then reached out with her gloved hand and clamped the mature woman's mouth shut!

In that instant, a look of fear flashed in the female shopkeeper's eyes.

She opened her mouth and exclaimed.

"Help… someone… help…"

The woman seemed to still be trying to call for help toward the door.

However, as a Tier 6 creature, Sarah's strength was dozens of times greater than hers!

With such a massive disparity, a slight application of force caused the woman to feel a terrifying sense of suffocation.

Her cries for help were instantly cut off.

Cao Xing then poured out a single small drop of the magic potion and dripped it into her mouth.

Not only that, he took out an entire bottle of [Dream Demon Wine] and poured it directly down her throat.

"Gulp… Gulp…"

The female shopkeeper's eyes widened, her pupils filled with fear.

She didn't know what Cao Xing had forced her to drink, but it certainly wasn't anything good.

"Mm… mm… let… go… of… me…"

She struggled frantically, but Sarah didn't give her any chance to break free.

In the blink of an eye, the entire bottle of magic wine had been poured down her throat.

These two potions, one of Gold quality and the other of Epic quality, took effect very quickly.

Less than half a minute after it was poured, a blood-red hue appeared in her pupils.

Even her skin was rapidly turning from fair to a flushed pink.

The female shopkeeper felt as if she were being kneaded by an invisible hand, and a wave of intense heat swept through her entire body!

Her slightly fleshy legs clamped together tightly, and a look of panic appeared in her eyes.

The Dream Demon Wine amplified her senses to the extreme, while the Demon Flame Potion unleashed the desires within her heart.

The combination of these two things was truly terrifying!

Just like the woman before them now.

Her legs, pressed tightly together, rubbed against each other, while her hands involuntarily clawed at the floor.

"What… what is this… mm… mm…"

She couldn't help but let out a series of seductive moans.

Clearly, the female shopkeeper's consciousness was becoming increasingly clouded.

Seeing this, Cao Xing said, "Sarah, you can let her go."

As the Dark Elf released her,

the woman collapsed softly onto the ground.

She began to writhe on the floor like a water snake.

Cao Xing saw this and the corner of his mouth twitched. "Damn… that effect is truly terrifying."

"Under the influence of the potion, she would probably be desperate for any man right now."

Cao Xing, of course, had no intention of taking advantage of the situation.

He only used the potion to break down the female shopkeeper's mental defenses so he could use the scroll to control her.

Just then, as the effects of the potion intensified, the female shopkeeper fell into a state of obsession.

She gazed at the only male in the room, like a cat in heat, and said with a desperate, longing tone:

"Give it to me… I want it… mm…"

"Please… give it to me quickly…"

She writhed frantically on the floor, trying repeatedly to crawl toward Cao Xing, only to be pinned down by Sarah.

"Mm…"

With her back pinned down, the female shopkeeper seemed to go mad. She reached out her flushed, pale hands, clawing at the floor as if trying to crawl to Cao Xing's feet.

However, she couldn't move an inch.

"I can't take it anymore… please…"

"I can't take it anymore… I'm going to die… wuwuwu…"

"Riiip… snap…"

The woman began to frantically tear at her own clothes, and her body became covered in bloody scratch marks.

It seemed as though the pain helped to slightly soothe the fire of her desire.

However, once the fire of desire is ignited, it only burns brighter and is difficult to extinguish.

The more she tried, the more she was consumed by the flames.

Eventually, she even began hugging Sarah's leg and begging.

The two in the room remained unmoved.

After waiting for about five minutes,

Cao Xing saw that the woman had completely entered a delirious state and had even begun to lick Sarah's leather boots.

He nodded and said, "That's enough."

Cao Xing walked over, squatted down, and asked,

"Now, I am going to use a slave contract on you. From now on, you will obey me."

Upon hearing this, the woman, who was half-undressed and writhing on the floor, showed a flicker of struggle on her flushed, delirious face.

Cao Xing continued, "If you don't agree, I will keep you in this state forever, never letting you find satisfaction."

Hearing this, the woman's heart was instantly filled with overwhelming fear.

"I… I agree…"

"As long as you satisfy me… I'm willing to be your slave…"

"Please…"

Her tone was full of pleading.

Seeing this, Cao Xing took out the scroll from his backpack.

[Do you wish to use the Slave Contract Scroll on the Kadina Money Shopkeeper: Natalie Scott?]

(Note: The success rate of this scroll is 20% ~ 40%. Due to unknown reasons, the success rate has reached 100%!)

…

Seeing the system prompt, a smile appeared on Cao Xing's lips once again.

It had indeed reached 100%.

He clicked "Yes."

In an instant, he felt the same sensation as when he had contracted Fitz Walker.

His consciousness connected with the soul of the female shopkeeper on the floor, and he could clearly sense it.

It was as if this young woman's soul was now held firmly in his grasp…

With just a thought, he could make her die at any moment!

At the same time, a system notification appeared.

[Contract Successful: Natalie Scott has become your slave…]

…

Now that the contract had been successfully signed,

the woman felt a strange will suddenly appear in the depths of her soul, seemingly controlling her every aspect.

She said longingly, "Master… can you give it to me now?"

"Please…"

She knelt on the ground, pleading.

However, seeing her like this, Cao Xing remained completely unmoved.

Cao Xing was not that kind of casual person.

But looking at her, the effects of the potion would last for a while longer. If this continued, he estimated the woman's brain would be fried by the fire of desire.

Cao Xing asked, "Do you have any tools? The kind you usually use yourself."

Natalie immediately understood what he meant.

"Under… under my bed…"

Cao Xing found a strange wooden rod under her bed and tossed it to her.

The woman grabbed it as if it were a precious treasure.

Completely ignoring Sarah and Cao Xing nearby, she began to use it.

"Mm…"

After a series of strange reactions, the woman seemed to find release.

However, this thing was ultimately no match for a real man.

She still kept glancing at Cao Xing, her eyes filled with longing.

About ten minutes later,

since Cao Xing had only given her a single drop of the Demon Flame Potion, the duration wasn't that extreme.

The effects of the potion finally began to fade.

The woman collapsed onto the floor.

She panted heavily, as if she had just fought a great battle, completely exhausted.

A few minutes later, Cao Xing said, "Get up and change your clothes."

The woman seemed to regain her senses upon hearing this.

She regained a bit of strength and slowly climbed up from the floor.

With a trace of resentment on her face, she pointed at Cao Xing and said, "You… you actually used that kind of thing on me."

"Des… despicable…"

Cao Xing frowned slightly at her reaction.

Compared to the [Soul Contract Scroll (Orange)] he had used before, this purple slave scroll was clearly much less effective.

It didn't boost the slave's loyalty to the maximum, so the target still harbored negative emotions toward Cao Xing.

However, he could still control her life and death.

So, Cao Xing had a thought.

The will from deep within her soul descended instantly.

The woman immediately felt a sense of impending death!

It was as if she had suddenly fallen into an endless ice cavern, her entire body turning ice-cold.

Coupled with the lingering effects of the Dream Demon Wine, this fear of death was amplified to the extreme.

She felt as if she saw endless darkness rushing toward her.

The feeling was as if she had truly died!

At the same time, Cao Xing stopped the manipulation.

The female shopkeeper panted heavily, as if she had just walked on the edge of death.

However, because her clothes were tattered,

her cheongsam had already been shredded.

One of her fair, rosy breasts was still swaying in the air.

The scene was quite erotic.

After a few seconds, she seemed to recover.

She looked at Cao Xing with a resentful expression and asked, "Slave scrolls were banned on the continent long ago. Aren't you afraid of being discovered for using one on me?"

Cao Xing chuckled, "Of course I'm not."

"Besides, compared to me, you have more to be afraid of."

"As a Black Robe Priest of the Church of Light,"

"do you think the city guards would arrest you or me first if this were exposed?"

Upon hearing that, a look of fear instantly appeared in the female shopkeeper's eyes.

She asked in disbelief, "How… how did you know?"

Cao Xing shook his head. "Don't worry about how I know."

"Now, are you willing to cooperate?"

At this point, the woman finally realized that she had never had a choice from the very beginning.

She sighed and said, "I… I agree…"

Cao Xing nodded. "Very good."

"Now, what are you going to call me?"

Hearing this, the female shopkeeper bit her lower lip, seemingly finding it hard to say.

But after some internal struggle, she finally said,

"Mas… Master…"

Cao Xing chuckled. "Good. You must remember your identity."

"In front of me, you are a lowly slave."

"Now, as a slave, you are to exchange these promissory notes for crowns. Do you understand?"

The woman nodded slightly. "Un… understood… Master…"

Natalie found it hard to accept calling a man younger than herself "Master."

However, since her life was now in Cao Xing's hands, she had no choice but to obey him.

Natalie walked behind Cao Xing and took a new set of clothes from a wardrobe.

She took off her original clothes right in front of him and changed into the new ones.

As Cao Xing pulled out that large stack of promissory notes,

the fear in the eyes of the shopkeeper named Natalie gradually turned into shock.

Cao Xing had previously only told her there were tens of millions.

But this pile of promissory notes definitely far exceeded that amount.

The woman exclaimed, "This… this much?"

"Is there a problem?" Cao Xing frowned slightly.