Meet the old witch again and return to the territory! (5600)

Cao Xing was stunned, "You're giving it to me?"

After all, this was the Soul-Calming Incense that could make even a Griffin lower its guard; it sounded extremely valuable.

And yet, he was told it would be given to him directly.

The man seemed to know what he was thinking and chuckled, "I also want to see if anyone can succeed in taming a Legendary creature like the Griffin King."

Hearing this, Cao Xing laughed as well.

"Then many thanks. With these things, I will definitely succeed."

His tone was full of confidence.

The Beastmaster looked at Cao Xing with admiration.

Then, both parties conducted a transaction.

[Transaction successful. You have obtained [Master-Grade Pet Contract Scroll] * 2, you have obtained [Soul-Calming Incense] * 1, you have obtained [Specialized Pet Rations] * 30, you have obtained… You lost crowns * 8.1 million…]

These four items cost Cao Xing over eight million crowns in total.

Now, he had 37 million crowns left.

What made Cao Xing feel a bit conflicted was that his money seemed to be insufficient again…

He needed to know that there were over 260 warriors in his territory who needed to break through to the fifth tier.

And if he used the altar to let them break through, not counting other materials, the crowns alone would cost 52 million…

Cao Xing suddenly felt a pang of heartache.

"It seems that no matter how much money I earn, it's never enough…"

"I still have to find a way to get some more money."

However, he wasn't too worried.

If it really came down to it, he could go find the wealthy Marita to borrow some.

Or sell a batch of the high-grade secret medicines and clothes in his territory, which should be enough to cover the crowns needed for the warriors' breakthroughs.

The Master-Grade Beastmaster on the other side seemed quite pleased.

After all, buying so many things at once made Cao Xing a rare big customer.

He continued to ask, "Guest, is there anything else that catches your eye? I can give you a discount."

Cao Xing's eyes lit up instantly, "I want the Dragon-Taming Reins. What kind of discount can you give me?"

Hearing this, the Beastmaster smiled and shook his head, "I can't offer a discount on this."

Cao Xing was immediately disappointed.

Just then, the other party changed the subject.

"However, I have a commission here. I wonder if you are interested?"

"As for the reward, if you complete it, I can give you my Dragon-Taming Reins for free. How about it?"

Cao Xing's heart stirred.

This is… another quest triggered?

He asked tentatively, "What do you need me to do?"

The man chuckled, "It's nothing major."

"I just need you to go to the peak of the highest mountain in the Gale Snowfield and retrieve something for me."

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

There were so many mountains in the Gale Snowfield, and the terrain was very high; how would he know which mountain was the highest?

Seeming to know the confusion in Cao Xing's eyes, the man continued, "It's in the northeast direction, near the Wolf Sound Valley."

"That mountain is called Skavi Mountain, and it's about 23,000 meters high. You'll be able to see it when you go there."

Hearing the number 23,000, Cao Xing couldn't help but gasp.

You have to know that even the highest peak on Blue Star was barely a third of this height.

And the two mountain ranges he had visited before didn't have such high peaks either.

"So high?" Cao Xing asked.

The man nodded, "Yes."

"As you know, because of the temperature, once you go above 10,000 meters, it's not something that creatures like our Master-Grade ones can endure."

"And to climb the peak of Skavi Mountain, you can only rely on the power of the Griffin King."

"It can take you through the cold currents directly to the summit."

Cao Xing seemed to understand what he meant, "You mean that I can only successfully reach the summit and get the thing you need if I tame the Griffin King?"

The other party chuckled, "You can understand it that way."

"Of course, if you can find other flying creatures, such as a dragon or a Hero-Grade griffon, they can also take you up there."

"These powerful creatures can also fly to an altitude of 20,000 meters."

Cao Xing rolled his eyes.

If I could tame a dragon, would I need to go through so much trouble to tame a griffin?

Cao Xing continued to ask, "May I know what the thing you want me to bring back from the summit is?"

"You may."

The Beastmaster replied, "It is a corpse…"

Cao Xing was stunned, "A corpse?"

The other party nodded, "To be precise, it is my younger brother's corpse."

"Since he was young, he had a rich spirit of adventure and sought to conquer every high mountain."

"But every high mountain has various dangers, dangers that could even cost him his life."

"I tried to dissuade him many times, telling him not to attempt to climb Skavi Mountain."

"However, he disregarded our opinions and resolutely began his climbing journey."

Speaking of this, a hint of regret appeared in the other party's eyes.

"No one knows what he experienced on Skavi Mountain."

"I only know that a month after he started climbing, he sent a message back to me through a Wind Spirit, saying that he had climbed to the peak of Skavi Mountain, seen an unprecedented scenery, and felt that his life had no regrets."

"And because he had exhausted all his strength, he finally decided to sleep there forever…"

"For so many years, I have also tried to climb the peak of Skavi Mountain to bring back his remains, but in the end, it all ended in failure."

"So, I thought, if you could tame the Griffin King, you might be able to give it a try."

[Successfully triggered event: Beastmaster Miles Gray's commission, climb to the peak of Skavi Mountain and bring back his brother's corpse]

[Quest Difficulty: B-rank]

[Quest Reward: Dragon-Taming Reins (Orange) * 1]

…

Seeing the system prompt, Cao Xing pondered for a moment.

Obviously, this was also a quest without any penalties or a deadline for completion.

Failing the quest wouldn't bring him any losses either.

And this was the kind of quest that Cao liked the most.

So he replied, "Sir, I accept this quest."

"If I have the chance, I will try to climb Skavi Mountain and bring back your brother's remains."

Hearing Cao Xing agree, a gentle smile appeared on the Beastmaster's face.

"May the Spirit of Ten Thousand Beasts bless you and help you successfully reach the summit."

Cao Xing nodded, "Then, we will meet again next time."

After speaking, under the watchful eyes of the Beastmaster, he left the shop.

When the door closed, a thoughtful look appeared in Cao Xing's eyes again.

"I didn't expect that this trip would not only find the method to tame the griffin but also pick up a quest along the way."

"In this way, I have already accepted two quests in Merlind City."

He chuckled softly.

Cao Xing began to check the attributes of those two Master-Grade scrolls.

[Master-Grade Pet Contract Scroll]

[Item Effect: Can be used on a wild creature below level 70 to make it your exclusive pet. The success rate is 55% ~ 65%.]

(Note: The stronger the contract target, the lower the success rate. You can also use some unconventional means to increase the success rate of the contract.)

…

…

"Not bad, not only can I contract creatures below level 70, but the success rate is also much higher."

He nodded with satisfaction.

Cao Xing's gaze continued to look at the corridor in front.

There were rooms there, but he only had one last chance to open a door.

But it didn't matter.

After all, he had already achieved his biggest goal for this trip and successfully obtained the method to tame the griffin.

Next, Cao Xing walked around the third floor at will.

As he walked, he came to a room in the corner of the third floor.

This location was relatively remote, and few people came here.

Cao Xing pondered, "Should I go in and take a look?"

With a tentative mindset, Cao Xing pushed the door open and entered.

The door opened, and an empty room appeared before his eyes.

Unlike other rooms, it wasn't filled with various display cabinets.

There was only an old small wooden table in the center of the room.

And sitting opposite the wooden table was a hunched, gloomy-looking old woman.

She hung her head low, as if she couldn't lift it, her gaze fixed on the tabletop in front of her.

And on the table, there was a crystal ball emitting a faint light.

The moment he saw this figure, Cao Xing was shocked, and at the same time, a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.

Because he recognized this old woman.

It was exactly the Old Witch he had met in the Witch Forest, who had asked him to deal with the witches in the forest and told him three fairy tales!

Cao Xing looked at her with a hint of vigilance in his eyes.

But this Old Witch raised her head, and a smile appeared in her eyes.

Then she slowly opened her shriveled lips.

"Heh heh heh… Young man, we meet again…"

That familiar, hoarse, and harsh voice sounded.

Cao Xing frowned slightly, "Why are you here?"

The Old Witch laughed strangely a few times, her voice sounding like a broken bellows being pulled.

"Heh heh… This old one is doing a little business here."

She raised her withered, thin hand slightly and pointed to the crystal ball on the table.

"Young man, do you need to do some divination? It only costs 1 million crowns per time."

"Through my divination, you can see your future…"

"Whether it is full of thorns, or wealth and glory, or dying on the battlefield…"

Her voice had a strong seductive quality, making people want to agree to a divination.

But fortunately, Cao Xing's mental resistance was very high, and he was completely immune to this kind of seduction.

He shook his head and said, "No need."

He didn't believe in any divination.

After all, even the Pale Tree, which knew almost everything, had been destroyed.

This showed that there was no such thing as omniscience and foresight in the world.

The Old Witch was not at all surprised to see Cao Xing refuse.

She continued, speaking in that raspy, bewitching voice, "Heh heh heh… Actually… before you came in, I had already performed a divination."

"I saw a future of chaos and bloodshed…"

After finishing, she raised her head and fixed her murky gaze upon Cao Xing.

"Young man, I believe you have foreseen it too, haven't you?"

"On some day in the near future… a crisis that will sweep across the continent shall arrive, and the world will be stained red with blood…"

Cao Xing frowned slightly.

Connecting this to the information he had obtained, Cao Xing roughly guessed that the Old Witch was likely talking about the Blood Legion.

Cao Xing asked, "What are you trying to say?"

The Old Witch continued to stare at Cao Xing with that chilling gaze.

"Heh heh heh… What I mean to say is, from that day on, every corner of the world will fall into unprecedented chaos."

"However… this is only the beginning…"

"When blood spreads, once again, the Abyssal Land's…"

"Only then will it be time for the entire world's order to be reshuffled…"

Cao Xing did not hear the last few words clearly; they must have been blocked by the Lord System.

He had experienced this phenomenon before, so he was not surprised.

"What is the point of telling me all this?"

The Old Witch's mouth stretched, and an exaggerated, terrifying smile appeared on her face.

"Heh heh… Young man, would you be willing to become a believer of a great existence?"

"That great existence can grant you… Legendary power immediately…"

"In the future, you could even participate in ****…"

Cao Xing took a long, deep look at her.

Although he knew that the identity of this Old Witch was definitely extraordinary.

The fact that she claimed she could grant him Legendary power immediately was still beyond his expectations.

But Cao Xing did not want to deal with her.

Because there was always an aura about her that made him uncomfortable.

Furthermore, the great existence she spoke of did not sound like a benevolent entity at all.

If it happened to be some evil god, then things would be a real mess.

Cao Xing shook his head and said, "No thanks, I have no interest in being anyone's believer."

Hearing this response, a look of surprise appeared in the Old Witch's murky eyes.

It seemed she had not expected that someone could resist the temptation of becoming Legendary!

After all, Legendary rank possessed true destructive power.

So-called Masters and Heroes were completely vulnerable before a Legendary entity.

And Legendary was the first step on the path to godhood!

However, the Old Witch did not force Cao Xing to agree.

Instead, she chuckled, "Very well, young man…"

"Perhaps one day in the future, you might change your mind."

"We will meet again then, heh heh heh…"

After saying this, right in front of him, the Old Witch transformed into a cloud of black smoke and vanished on the spot.

After the Old Witch left, Cao Xing felt a bit puzzled.

He pondered for a moment, but couldn't figure it out.

So he turned and walked toward the door.

After leaving that room, it was already past eight o'clock in the evening.

He had finished opening all 15 rooms across the upper, middle, and lower levels of this black market.

There was no point in staying any longer.

So Cao Xing left the castle.

Outside, Elisa, Renice, and Sarah were waiting silently.

Upon seeing him, they immediately said with joy.

"Lord, you're back!"

Elisa's clear voice rang out.

Looking at the gentle smiles on the faces of these three women, the slight worry in Cao Xing's heart dissipated.

His mood gradually improved.

Cao Xing nodded and smiled, "Let's go, we are heading back to the tavern now."

"Get a good rest tonight; we are returning to the territory tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, the three women's faces filled with joy.

Elisa cheered, "Yay! We can go home tomorrow!"

"Although big cities are lively, they don't feel as comfortable as our territory!"

Renice and Sarah felt the same way.

Cao Xing smiled.

Then, he brought Elisa and the others back to the Vilsin Tavern.

Pushing open the tavern door, the four of them did not enter immediately.

They stopped in their tracks, with expressions of confusion appearing on their faces.

Because they all felt that the atmosphere in the tavern today seemed a bit different.

Compared to yesterday, everyone here had a very serious expression.

Everyone was silent, as if something bad had happened.

Even the bartender moving through the hall was silent.

Elisa whispered in Cao Xing's ear, "Lord, something seems wrong…"

Cao Xing did not speak; he directly pulled over a bartender.

And asked, "Has something happened in the tavern?"

Seeing it was Cao Xing, the bartender's face immediately showed a respectful expression, and he said.

"My Lord, it is Miss Gwyneth; something has happened to her…"

"Something happened?" Cao Xing asked, puzzled.

"Yes."

The bartender replied respectfully, "I don't know the reason, but while Miss Gwyneth was singing tonight, she suddenly fainted without any warning."

"When we called a physician and finally managed to revive her, we discovered that she could no longer speak!"

Hearing this, Cao Xing immediately realized the source of the problem.

It was highly likely caused by the [Black-Beaked Crow Poison] on this woman.

Although he had warned her, the toxin had erupted in the end.

And its effect was to render her unable to speak ever again.

This woman's singing voice had a peculiar magical power, which even Cao Xing and Sarah could not resist.

Clearly, someone was jealous of her singing voice and had poisoned her, causing her to completely lose her voice.

However, this act was no less agonizing than killing her.

Cao Xing could not help but sigh, "That is truly vicious…"

"Isn't it!"

The bartender chimed in with righteous indignation, "After Miss Gwyneth discovered this, she couldn't handle the truth and fainted again."

"Now the Woodpecker Chamber of Commerce is also very angry and is dispatching various forces to investigate the culprit."

"They have also summoned the most famous physicians in the city, hoping to help Miss Gwyneth recover."

"If she really can never speak again, it will be a grave loss for all of us…"

The bartender's eyes were full of regret.

Elisa, standing nearby, felt a pang of heartache, "Waa… will that sister who sings so beautifully never be able to speak again?"

"That is so pitiful…"

Sarah and Renice also felt a sense of regret.

After all, for such a perfect voice to disappear from the world was indeed a loss.

Cao Xing shook his head slightly, though he felt a sense of lament.

He had already given the warning he should have; now that things had reached this point, it was up to Gwyneth herself to see if she could recover.

Cao Xing said to Sarah and the others nearby, "Let's go, we are going back to rest."

Everyone nodded gently.

Then they each returned to their rooms.

After arriving in his room, Cao Xing lay down directly.

The night was peaceful.

Except for the frequent sounds of heavy footsteps and commotion coming from outside the tavern.

Those soldiers seemed to be hunting for the culprit, and they continued until late into the night.

And Cao Xing soon fell asleep.

The next day. The sky had just brightened.

With the system notification for the start of the fifth day of the 'Zhuo Mas Claw' challenge appearing.

Cao Xing also opened his eyes right on time.

He pressed the communication device on his ear and opened the team channel.

"Everyone, it is dawn, prepare to get up."

Hearing Cao Xing's order, the Wild Boar Warrior and Sarah and the others quickly woke up.

After about a few minutes, everyone had gathered at the entrance of the tavern.

10 Wild Boar Warriors, plus 1 Ascalon Warrior, and Sarah and the others, totaling 14 people, were all there.

Cao Xing glanced at the Ascalon Warrior and said, "Yaskin, you are coming back with us too."

The matters in Merlind City were mostly handled, and Cao Xing had no other plans for now.

Plus, Yaskin was still only at level 30.

Letting him return to participate in battles would allow him to quickly reach the level cap of Tier 4, and then with the help of the Altar of the Gods, he could directly advance to Tier 5.

Upon hearing this, Yaskin respectfully said, "As you command, Lord."

After saying this, the group headed toward the city gate.

Passing through the bustling crowd.

Soon, they arrived at the city gate.

And successfully retrieved Dabai from the stables.

"Moo…"

Having not seen Cao Xing for two days, the Mammoth felt very nostalgic and kept rubbing its massive head against Cao Xing's body.

Cao Xing chuckled, patted its ears, and then turned to climb onto Dabai's back.

"Let's go, heading back."

Dabai immediately strode forward with its thick elephant hooves, carrying Cao Xing toward the direction of the territory.

Pedestrians at the city gate watched the figure riding the Mammoth gradually disappear, their eyes filled with either awe or envy…

And not long after Cao Xing and the others left.

A man in his early thirties, wearing a simple gray coat, followed closely out of the city gate.

He watched the backs of Cao Xing and the others as they left, then took out a strange ornament from his backpack.

After arriving in an empty corner, he lowered his voice and said.

"Captain, the target has left the city; you may prepare to act!"