Chapter 115: The Sucker

Ah…

After rubbing his eyes to see clearly the silhouette behind him, Saliel let out a terrified scream, his limbs turning icy cold.

The black shadow behind him… wasn’t it that Necromancer?

“A ghost, a ghost…”

Saliel took off running. In his panic, his steps were unsteady, and he tripped and fell to the ground. Without looking back, he scrambled up on hands and knees, screaming loudly as he ran. Legend had it that after death, a layer of resentment in one’s body could transform into an omnipotent Ghost, coming back to seek revenge on its enemies. Seeing a Necromancer who had clearly died under his own sword in the middle of the night, Saliel was nearly in a state of Soul Scatters and Spirit Dissipates.

“A ghost, where is it?”

“Saliel, what’s going on?”

…

Saliel’s screams woke everyone up at once. The Knights rushed out, holding their long swords hastily, their faces tense. The two accompanying White-robed Priestesses were even paler, clinging tightly to each other. Unexpectedly, after looking left and right, they found nothing unusual. It was only Saliel, shouting alone.

“A ghost! I definitely didn’t see wrong. It was that Necromancer’s Ghost!”

Seeing that no one believed him, Saliel explained loudly. Even now, thinking of the green phosphorescent fire on the Necromancer’s body made his skin crawl and his teeth chatter.

“Hallucination. Sigh, how pitiful!”

Watching Saliel constantly repeating and loudly defending himself, Hu Feng feigned shaking his head. “It was hard to kill a powerful Necromancer. It’s unavoidable to be excited. Returning to Glory Castle, you will surely receive a considerable reward. However, thinking too much is not a good thing, especially when sleeping. If you aren’t careful, you might get hallucinations while dozing off.”

“Exactly, where would there be any ghosts?”

…

Hu Feng’s explanation was reasonable and quickly gained agreement. The weather was cold, and being woken up in the middle of the night left no one in a good mood. They quickly lay back in their blankets. Saliel, who had been nearly in a state of Soul Scatters and Spirit Dissipates, did not receive sympathy. Instead, he was severely scolded by Commander Randolph. The reason was simple: how could he have hallucinations if he hadn’t abandoned his post and secretly hidden away to sleep in?

Unjust!

Seeing Commander Randolph’s iron-blue face, Saliel had grievance but could not speak, feeling depressed and speechless.

This matter was very unjust, yet he couldn’t, nor dared to, defend himself. The sleep in the corners of his eyes had explained everything. Under Randolph’s orders, he had to grit his teeth and continue standing guard alone in the cold wind. He looked around nervously, fearing that the Necromancer’s Ghost would suddenly appear from the darkness. Each day felt like a year. This cold night felt particularly long.

Early the next morning, everyone set off quickly. On the way, they were careful, avoiding Magical Beasts wandering in the Wasteland. A few days later, with some scares but no danger, they arrived at the massive Graham City Settlement and stayed in a Settlement about ten miles away from the castle. They prepared to replenish some necessary supplies and leave the next day.

Although the scale was small, with only a few hundred residents, unlike the dark and damp Gulan Town, this small town named Granget was bright and sunny. Upon entering, one could feel a rare sense of security. Usually, around a large castle, many large and small Settlements were scattered like stars. Different from remote Settlements in the wild, these were obviously much safer. As long as they paid tribute in Crystal Coins or resources each year, they could receive the castle’s protection.

After working hard in the wild for over half a month, the Knights finally arrived at a secure Settlement. They finally relaxed and ate a big meal. This Settlement was not large; the back part of the living quarters was an inn, and the front part was a tavern.

“My Lord, if I remember correctly, once we arrive at Graham City, if we walk for another month or so, we can return to Glory Castle.” A burly Knight burped and asked Commander Randolph, who sat beside him.

“Yes, if we persist a little longer, we can return to Glory Castle and successfully complete the mission.”

Randolph’s face showed relief. As the Commander of many Glory Knights, he bore the greatest pressure. The Magical Beasts wandering in the Wasteland were not the main concern; he was more worried that some Great Demon Heads would hear the news and come to kidnap Cinia, the Candidate Saintess. After stepping into this town near Graham City, his tight nerves had finally relaxed somewhat. But he knew that as long as they hadn’t returned to Glory Castle, they faced unknown dangers at any moment.

“Polard! Polard! Bring us your best wine and food, quickly!”

Just as everyone was eating a big meal, a group of fierce warriors walked in, carrying prey like Wind Wolves and Cloud Leopards. They shouted and yelled before even entering, their momentum intimidating, surrounding a chubby little man with a face full of fat. Every warrior wore identical heavy blue-green armor, with heavy swords on their backs. They looked more like soldiers of nearby Graham City than Demon Hunters who had wandered and hunted in the Wasteland for years.

Seeing their figures, the tavern owner immediately rushed over with a smile. “Young Master Abbas, please come inside. With so much prey, it seems your luck is really good today!”

“My luck has always been good. However, catching so much prey relied not on luck, but on strength, understand?” The little man named Abbas looked coldly at the tavern owner, terrifying the latter into breaking out in a cold sweat.

As the only direct descendant of the Graham Family, Abbas was undoubtedly the first heir. In other words, he was the only candidate for the next City Lord of Graham City. With his father’s status as City Lord, he had always been decisive within a hundred miles. Who dared to show disrespect to him?

Once, the son of a Settlement leader was unwilling to accept his defeat. Unwilling to let his fiancée be taken by him, he spoke a harsh word. As a result, solely because of that one sentence, the entire Settlement disappeared the next day, turning into ruins. In the eyes of these nobles, the poor people in the Settlements, living day by day, were no different from ants.

After sitting down nearby, the many warriors quickly started eating fish, meat, and drinking. An attendant poured wine while whispering to the little man beside him. “Young Master Abbas, I heard a big shot came to the city. Is the City Lord planning to join the Bourbon Alliance?”

“Yes, the Morgan Family did send envoys, but the final result of the negotiation is not yet fully determined.” The little man took a sip of mellow wine. A cold wind blew by. He accidentally saw the side profile of the Nun Cinia. Her dark, slender eyelashes, the shadowy Nun’s robes, the veil fluttering in the wind… suddenly, he was dumbstruck, thinking her a celestial being.

“The Morgan Family’s envoys have smiles on their faces all day. It must be a done deal. Joining the Bourbon Alliance, the power of our Graham City will expand rapidly. By then, Young Master can personally lead the army to conquer Cold Moon City, Sand City, and Banks Castle, becoming an Overlord!” The ugly-faced attendant flattered loudly. After refilling a cup of wine, he realized that Young Master Abbas wasn’t listening to him at all. Following his gaze, he quickly understood Abbas’s intentions and smiled lewdly.

As the future City Lord, everything within a hundred miles of the castle could be said to belong to this Young Master Abbas. As long as he liked a beautiful woman, none could escape his grasp. The Knight sitting next to Nun Cinia did not look like someone to be trifled with; but on Young Master’s turf, no matter how strong their power was, it was useless.

The Morgan Family?

The speaker meant it casually, but the listener took it to heart. Hearing the nearby ugly attendant say this, Hu Feng’s mind moved. He remembered Thrace, who had arrogantly come to Sand City to woo Weinberg.

Winning over buyable forces, then using them to exclude others, and conquering nearby forces unwilling to join the Alliance, thereby expanding rapidly with the minimum cost, and finally unifying the Sunset Wasteland.

Brilliant!

After Cultivation of the Great Mystery Technique, Hu Feng’s calculations became faster and faster. Soon, he understood the Morgan Family’s calculations. Once their intentions were clear, he naturally wouldn’t let them succeed in using Graham City to deal with Weinberg, his ally. Now, Sand City and Cold Moon City were the windows through which his base connected to the outside world. Their strategic significance was extraordinary, so they could not be easily abandoned.

“Beautiful lady, nice to meet you. May I invite you to have a glass of rum?”

Just as Hu Feng was secretly pondering how to sabotage the Morgan Family’s plans, the short and fat Abbas walked over like a pumpkin. His appearance was not complimentary, but he pretended to be elegant, which made people feel uncomfortable just looking at him.

“Sorry, I don’t drink!”

Cinia signaled Bella beside her, stood up, and prepared to turn and leave. Unexpectedly, she was blocked by Abbas, the pumpkin, opening his arms. His crossed eyes lingered on her chest and slender waist, making Cinia’s whole body break out in goosebumps. Seeing his rudeness toward the future Saintess of the Divine Court, the Knights ‘swish’ and stood up simultaneously, their Killing Intent intimidating. Abbas’s attendants were no less assertive. They quickly drew their weapons and surrounded them. With their numbers and momentum, their faces were fierce.

“Young Master Abbas, don’t be angry. Cinia really can’t drink. For this glass of wine, I’ll drink it for her!” Hu Feng restrained his Magic Power fluctuations. At this critical moment, he stood up holding a glass of wine, signaling the Knights beside him not to be impulsive.

“You…” Abbas’s mouth twitched. His crossed eyes looked disdainfully at Hu Feng. “Who are you? Who is she, and what qualification do you have to drink this wine for her?”

Rarely encountering a beautiful and independent woman, Abbas’s gaze towards Cinia grew hotter and hotter. He wished to execute her on the spot. He liked women who resisted. The more fiercely they resisted, the more he liked it. The attendants around him understood his preferences well. They laughed heartily, looking lustfully at Cinia and Bella, who were cornered.

“She is my fiancée, Lord, please behave yourself!”

Hu Feng pretended to be cowardly and fearful, pulling the panicked Cinia behind him.

Fiancée?

Hearing Hu Feng say this, both the many Knights and Cinia herself were startled. Just by saying this one sentence, he could be judged guilty of the heavy crime of desecrating a Nun. Even if he were a Divine Official, he would hardly escape death. However, thinking carefully, what he did here was understandable under the circumstances.

“Hahaha, a fiancée. That’s even better. Brother, tonight, lend me your fiancée for use.” Abbas laughed arrogantly, extremely excited. Then he continued: “Don’t worry, not a hair will be harmed. I will take good care of her. If you are not assured, you can follow us and see how I take care of her.”

The short and fat Abbas laughed louder and louder, ignoring the anger in the Knights’ eyes. He didn’t notice the evil smile that flashed across Hu Feng’s face. Kidnapping someone else’s fiancée was always his favorite. He didn’t expect to encounter such a enchanting woman today. The tavern owner Polard hadn’t said wrong; the luck today was indeed good.