Large population, with returning legions. (6300)

She raised her head, biting her lower lip slightly, and gazed at Cao Xing with a peculiar look in her eyes, as if she had something to say.

Cao Xing asked, "What is it?"

The baron's mother seemed to muster up her courage and asked, "Lord Cao Xing, are you going to send me away?"

Cao Xing shook his head, "No, it's just that what I promised you back then was to ensure your safety before eliminating the enemy."

"Besides, I figured you probably aren't used to living in my territory either."

Hearing this, Gracie said softly, "How could I not be used to it? I am living very well here."

"My lord, do you think I am too old and unworthy to serve you?"

Hearing this, Cao Xing's face darkened instantly.

Then, he sat down in a chair.

"Come here."

Hearing Cao Xing's stern voice, the petite woman obediently came to his side.

"Lie across my lap."

Yes.

Gracie obediently did as she was told, prostrating her whole body across his thighs.

Her soft body rested its entire weight on Cao Xing, her full, perky buttocks raised high.

At this moment, Cao Xing raised his right hand and slapped down fiercely.

"Slap!"

A crisp sound rang out.

For this slap, he only used ten percent of his strength, but even with just ten percent, it was not something ordinary people could endure.

Gracie shuddered all over, feeling a burning sensation of pain.

She tilted her head and looked at Cao Xing with misty eyes.

"My lord……"

Cao Xing did not speak, but patted her a few more times.

"Slap! Slap, slap!"

Several slaps in succession made ripples dance across Gracie's buttocks, and also caused the petite noblewoman's face to flush red.

There was a mist of tears in her eyes. At this moment, she did not dare to resist and let Cao Xing do as he pleased.

Until he stopped, turned his head, and asked tentatively,

"My lord, are you angry?"

"I was wrong. Can you please forgive me—"

There was pleading in her tone.

Cao Xing let go of his hand and said earnestly, "Listen, I don't think you are too old."

"I'll forgive you this time, but don't say such things next time, understand?"

Lying across Cao Xing's lap, the baron's mother's face instantly blossomed with a happy smile.

She nodded like a chick pecking at rice and said, "Mm-mm, I know, My Lord. I will never say such things again."

After saying that, she continued to lie across Cao Xing's lap.

And Cao Xing also felt an unprecedented soft touch.

Gracie said softly, "My lord, it seems like you—"

Cao Xing glanced at Elisa nearby and chuckled softly.

Then he hoisted the woman up onto his shoulder and entered another room.

"Clang!"

As the door closed, Gracie obediently knelt in front of him.

"My lord—please let me have a taste. Gracie is hungry."

Cao Xing already knew that this baron's mother was actually very open-minded.

However, she had been suppressing herself because of her identity.

Now that she had come to his territory, she had completely let go in front of Cao Xing.

A smile appeared on Cao Xing's face, and he said, "If you want to eat, do it yourself."

"Okay, My Lord—"

Maintaining a kneeling posture, Gracie came to his side.

"Rustle…"

Then, the baron's mother began to feast heartily.

After a few minutes of tasting, Gracie's face was flushed.

She said softly, "My lord, the place where you hit me earlier is aching a bit. Please help me see if it's swollen."

With that, she squatted down, her buttocks slightly raised in front of Cao Xing.

At a glance, Cao Xing saw the marks of his slaps left on those full, snow-white buttocks.

Instantly, his mouth felt dry.

Without any hesitation, Cao Xing pressed his hands onto her plump waist and instantly drew close.

Until about an hour later.

Cao Xing walked out of the room feeling refreshed.

As for the baron's mother, she put on her clothes with a flushed face.

At this moment, Cao Xing stood in the territory, pondering what to do next.

"Currently, the threat of the Church of Light has been resolved. Next, I need to find a territory for Tian Jing and then start preparing to build the legion."

"After the matters regarding the legion are mostly settled, I can go explore the legacy of that Legendary mage."

"Then I'll see if there's time to send people to the Diyeisha Highlands to check out and explore that dragon nest."

"Finally, it's heading to the Orchid Kingdom to find Rosie of Chuanhaibao."

These matters were quite important and needed to be done one by one.

Of course, the premise was waiting for Hilda and the others to return.

But it would be soon, because in the morning, they sent word that they had already arrived at the Blisban Wilderness.

Calculating the time, they should be able to return to Gale Snowfield soon.

Sure enough, past one o'clock in the afternoon.

The staff members heard the sound of the air being torn apart from above.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—" Massive shadows quickly flew over the territory.

That was a flock of griffins.

Clearly, the Silver Hand Knights returned first.

At the same time, one griffin after another landed in the buffer zone of the territory.

Cao Xing saw that on the backs of these griffins, besides the Silver Hand Knights, there were also some unfamiliar figures.

They were raggedly dressed, wearing worn-out cotton clothes and hats, and varied in height and build.

Those were a group of Arctic People and blacksmiths from various major races.

Besides the Dwarf Clan, there were human blacksmiths.

Adding them up, there were nearly two hundred people.

After landing, these blacksmiths and Arctic People jumped down from the backs of the griffins one after another, then stood in place somewhat apprehensively.

Knight Captain Furtagen stepped forward and said respectfully, "Lord Territory Lord, these are the captive blacksmiths Lady Hilda found in that stronghold."

"The other Arctic People were gathered from other strongholds."

"Because there were quite a lot of people, I first took the griffins and brought all these captives back."

Cao Xing nodded slightly. "Well done, you've worked hard."

The knight immediately replied respectfully, "It's not hard work, respected Lord!"

"It is our honor to be able to contribute to the territory!"

Including the other knights, their eyes looking at Cao Xing were filled with respect and adoration!

Cao Xing first let this group of knights wait aside, and then his gaze fell upon the hundreds of captives, scanning their panel information.

Needless to say about that group of Arctic People; in this world, they were a hardworking and resilient race.

Eat a bowl of rice, do a bowl of rice's worth of work—that was how they were described.

These Arctic People ranged from level 3 to level 10, numbering over 150, which was quite good.

As for the blacksmiths nearby, most of them were human or from the Dwarf Clan.

Their skin was dark or dark yellow, marked with mottled lines.

This was formed by dealing with high temperatures and furnace fires all year round.

On the panels of these blacksmiths, they all possessed the lifestyle skill [Forging Mastery].

There were everything from junior blacksmiths to advanced blacksmiths, and even two expert blacksmiths.

Seeing this, a smile appeared on Cao Xing's face.

These blacksmiths were rare talents indeed!

Now, the military forces in his territory were growing more and more.

And those soldiers were still wearing the initial equipment they came with when they were just summoned, having basically little defensive capability.

Although with Cao Xing's [Ice Armor Technique], he could already add several thousand points of armor to them, equivalent to the bonus of over a dozen pieces of armor.

But if these warriors could wear equipment to enhance their strength further, it would also be a good thing.

He had this idea before.

But because there was only Harold in the territory at the time, his forging tasks had always been at full capacity.

Now with so many more blacksmiths, this model could indeed be implemented.

Under the condition of sufficient resources, coupled with the three blueprints he acquired through trade not long ago.

A large amount of equipment could be crafted in batches.

Cao Xing walked over and said, "Everyone, as you can see, the Church of Light has been wiped out by us."

"From now on, you won't have to worry about this church abducting you, nor will you have to work for them anymore."

"And right now, my territory is in a state of development and still needs a large workforce."

"Are you willing to join my territory?"

On the field, that group of Arctic People immediately replied without hesitation, "We are willing!"

They had long seen that the Arctic People in this territory were all robust and had shockingly powerful auras!

Clearly, those Arctic People were living very well here.

Therefore, what was there to hesitate about in such a territory? Of course, join!

However, facing Cao Xing's question, that group of blacksmiths did not respond immediately, but stood in place looking somewhat hesitant.

Some blacksmiths opened their mouths to speak but stopped, seeming to have something to say.

Cao Xing could naturally see this, so he said, "If you have anything to say, feel free to speak your mind."

"Even if you don't want to join my territory, I won't force you."

Hearing this, the expressions of these blacksmiths shifted slightly once again.

At the same time, two figures walked out from the crowd.

One was tall, and the other was short.

One was human, and one was from the Dwarf Clan.

Cao Xing glanced at them; both of these men possessed [Expert Forging Mastery].

In other words, they were also the ones with the highest forging skills among this group of blacksmiths.

Among them, the human expert blacksmith asked tentatively, "Respected Lord, we are deeply honored to receive your invitation to join this powerful territory."

"We also very much hope to join your territory and work for you."

"But before that, I would like to ask a question on behalf of everyone."

Cao Xing gazed at this human blacksmith.

His name was Hoggson, around his early forties, with a slight disability in his right foot, and he didn't walk very smoothly, looking like he had been injured in his youth.

Cao Xing said, "Go ahead and ask."

The blacksmith named Hoggson respectfully said, "We want to know, once our work is completed, can we have a few days of vacation every half a year or about a year?"

"A few days of vacation? You want to rest?"

A look of puzzlement appeared in Cao Xing's eyes, and then he said, "Rest assured, in my territory, after finishing your work during the day, your time in the evening is entirely your own."

Hearing this, the people on the field looked at each other, seeming somewhat surprised.

However, the blacksmith Hoggson still shook his head and said, "Lord, you've misunderstood."

"We are not afraid of working too long or being too tired—"

"We just want a little time every year so that we can go back and visit our families."

Cao Xing was slightly stunned.

At this moment, another senior blacksmith behind him said, "Respected Lord, ever since we were captured by the Church of Light, we have been forging weapons for them day and night."

"We haven't been back to visit our families for several years."

"When I was captured, the child in my wife's belly was only a few months old, and I don't know how she is doing now."

"We really miss our families." The other blacksmiths also mustered up their courage at this moment and spoke in a pleading tone.

"This benevolent Lord, please show mercy and let us see our families!"

"I beg you!!"

Cao Xing did not speak, but was pondering some matters.

After a moment, he asked, "Do you know the locations of your homes?"

Those blacksmiths immediately chattered away, "My home is in Tallinn City of the Ostia Kingdom."

"My home is in Oak Village of the Brisbane Wasteland."

"My home is in the Blue Water Town of the Velon Kingdom."

"I—"

After hearing their reports, Cao Xing suddenly felt a slight headache.

These blacksmiths came from all corners of the world, basically from four or five neighboring kingdoms.

Furthermore, the territory of each kingdom spanned four to five thousand kilometers, coupled with the barren areas outside the borders.

Traveling from one kingdom to another involved a journey of at least seven to eight thousand kilometers.

Not to mention that some of the blacksmiths came from even more distant realms.

Cao Xing said, "I can give you a vacation and even provide you with plenty of time to go back and see your families."

"But are you sure you can make it back?"

"This is the Ice Crystal Kingdom. Except for a few blacksmiths whose homes are nearby, do the rest of you have the ability to cross several countries?"

After Cao Xing finished speaking, most of the blacksmiths present fell silent.

They all knew how difficult it was to cross the territory of a kingdom in this dangerous world.

Even experienced caravans had to find a large number of mercenaries or guard units to travel between countries.

Moreover, they had to take routes they were familiar with; otherwise, once they strayed from the trade routes, casualties would most likely occur.

For ordinary people like them, this was an even more impossible task.

If all of these more than one hundred blacksmiths really wanted to go home,

nine out of ten would die on the road.

Thinking of this, a look of despair suddenly appeared on their resolute faces.

Some blacksmiths even felt darkness before their eyes and almost passed out.

Then Cao Xing said, "How about this, I will provide you with a plan, a plan that will allow you to see your families."

Hearing this, a startling brilliance appeared in the eyes of everyone present, and then they looked at him with excitement.

Cao Xing continued, "Next, all of you will join my territory and work for me."

"And after my territory stabilizes, I will send people to bring your families over to settle in my territory."

"How do you feel about this plan?"

Hearing this, all the blacksmiths present were stunned for a moment.

But they also knew that this was a tremendous stroke of good fortune!

Everyone wanted to agree immediately, but they were somewhat hesitant and unsure.

For a moment, they all stood awkwardly in place.

It was still that expert blacksmith who spoke, "Respected Lord, what you said—is it true?"

"Can you really bring our families over and settle them in such a prosperous territory?"

Before Cao Xing could speak, the big guy Braum spoke up first.

"Aha! Our Lord never deceives our own people; his word is law!"

Regarding this point, everyone else in this territory could be said to deeply share the sentiment.

The other warriors nodded one after another.

Cao Xing also gave a clear reply, "It is true."

"My territory not only has a large number of griffins, but also many goblin airships."

"These are all highly mobile units, capable of safely and securely bringing your families over."

After getting his personal confirmation, expressions of excitement appeared in the eyes of this group of blacksmiths!

"If that's the case, I am willing to work for you in this territory for the rest of my life!"

"Me too!"

"We are willing to join, this benevolent and great Lord."

For a time, these blacksmiths swarmed to sign up.

Most of these blacksmiths were family men.

For them, what were they working so hard for in those small towns or cities?

Wasn't it just to make their families live a little better and have a warm dwelling?

Their biggest dream was nothing more than saving up some money to move to a big city in the future, ensuring their own safety.

And now, this territory possessed all the conditions!

Not only was it warm and safe, but the Lord also seemed very amiable.

This was simply the perfect dwelling they dreamed of!

A smile also appeared on Cao Xing's face.

"Very well, then welcome to join us."

After saying that, he uniformly issued a recruitment invitation to these people.

[Recruitment successful! Blacksmiths: Luka / Oli / Stone — joined your territory, territory population +348]

When everyone had joined, Cao Xing nodded with satisfaction once again.

In this way, the number of workers in the territory surged significantly once more!

Cao Xing called Du An over and also summoned the working Dwarf Clan blacksmith, Harold.

As Harold walked over holding a forging hammer, that steady and heavy aura on his body kept emanating, carrying a special rhythm and charm.

The two expert blacksmiths present recognized at a glance what the source of this temperament on Harold was, and immediately exclaimed,

"Oh! Goodness, this is a Master-level blacksmith!"

"The Gods above! Am I seeing things? This territory actually has a forging Master!"

Hearing this, the other blacksmiths suddenly widened their eyes, staring fixedly at Harold.

Only as fellow blacksmiths did they know how rare a Master-level blacksmith was!

That was a figure hard to produce even among hundreds of expert blacksmiths; after all, awakening [Craftsman Soul] was simply too difficult.

Under the premise of not awakening [Craftsman Soul], even if you maxed out your proficiency, you couldn't break through.

If it weren't for the [God of Forging Statue] in Cao Xing's territory, even Harold would have been stuck at the expert level and unable to break through at this time.

Such a figure, even those nobles, had to treat him with great courtesy.

The other captured Dwarf Clan blacksmiths were even more excited.

Faced with the other blacksmiths' admiring gazes, Harold merely glanced at them and paid them no further mind, then respectfully came to Cao Xing's side.

"Lord, please give your instructions."

Cao Xing said, "Harold, as you can see, there are many more blacksmiths in our territory."

"Next, this batch of blacksmiths will be led by you. First arrange living quarters for them, and then take them to check out the Blacksmith Shop."

"Later on, you will be solely responsible for forging the batch of high-tier materials I brought back."

"They will be responsible for forging the armor and weapons worn by the soldiers."

"Then when you have free time usually, you can guide them."

Cao Xing issued a series of tasks.

"Right, take these blueprints as well, and have them forge starting tomorrow."

Harold took the blueprints from Cao Xing's hands, then solemnly replied, "Yes, Lord, I will lead them well."

Having said that, he turned to look at the other blacksmiths, and said, "Everyone, follow me, I'll arrange your living quarters first."

"Alright, Master!"

They could be said to obey Harold's words implicitly.

Soon, a large number of blacksmiths followed behind Harold, walking towards the residential area.

After this group of blacksmiths left, Cao Xing called Du An over again, and said, "Du An, I am handing these Arctic People over to your command."

"First take them to familiarize themselves with the territory, and then take them to the cafeteria to eat."

"Now that manpower is also abundant, you split off a group of people to build several Blacksmith Shops, and then upgrade them all to expert level."

"After doing this, dispatch these Arctic People out to mine the surrounding ore veins."

"Obey, Lord!"

Du An looked at the other Arctic People: "Clansmen, follow me."

"I will lead you to familiarize yourselves with this sacred territory."

Those Arctic People immediately said with excitement, "More than happy to!"

They likewise followed behind Du An, uttering exclamations of amazement as they walked.

"Oh! This clansman, you are truly strong. Are you an Arctic People who inherited the bloodline of the Earth Ox from legend?"

Du An replied, "No, this is the Lord's power."

"Perform well, and you can also have this kind of treatment in the future!"

"Earth Mother above, this is really something to yearn for!"

"Haha, we will definitely perform well and work hard—"

Soon, the voices of the Arctic People gradually faded into the distance.

After arranging these people,

Cao Xing let those griffins also return to the Griffin Nests to rest, including the Silver Hand Knights, who also returned to their respective dwellings one after another.

Next, they just needed to quietly wait for the return of the other combat personnel.

Around two o'clock in the afternoon,

Cao Xing, relying on his sharp hearing, heard the commotion coming from the high sky overhead.

"Buzz buzz buzz" vibration sounds kept ringing out, which were the sounds of the goblin airships' propellers.

"It should be Hilda and the others back," Cao Xing thought to himself.

Sure enough, before long, the voices of Hilda, Bjorn, and others rang in his ears.

"Lord, we have arrived at the territory."

A smile instantly appeared on Cao Xing's face, and then carrying an excited mood, he quickly pushed open the doors of the Lords Castle.

Including other combat personnel, they also heard the commotion overhead, and then came to the buffer zone of the territory to wait.

Under everyone's gaze, more than a dozen goblin airships slowly landed.

Emerging from them were teams of powerful soldiers, as well as Tier 7 powerhouses with terrifying auras one after another.

Hilda, Ilena, Bjorn, Tian Jing, and others walked over one after another.

They came to Cao Xing's side and respectfully bowed.

Then they said loudly, "Lord, we have successfully completed the mission, and all personnel have returned safely!"