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nTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

nIt’s easy to defend against an obvious attack, but it’s hard to guard against something you don’t know is coming!

nSince he had already decided to deal with Steve, Yang Ling wanted to obtain victory at the lowest cost possible. He did not wish to suffer a loss of eight hundred men to kill a thousand of his enemies. Steve had offered to confer a piece of territory to him, and Yang Ling decided to go with the flow, first giving him a sense of stability, then dealing the fatal blow while the Banto army’s defenses were weakest.

nYang Ling believed that after Steve made such an offer, he would have to depend on Yang Ling until his reinforcements arrived. He would not suspect Yang Ling for the time being, and that was a great opportunity. As long as Yang Ling planned this carefully, Wissen Town would become Steve’s burial ground.

nAfter Steve and his group departed, Yang Ling gave a mysterious smile to the confused Casey and barbarian Jarlock. He did not elaborate, but instead walked toward his villa with large strides. Recently, both his Wizard Power and psychic spell seemed to have reached a bottleneck. He had to achieve a breakthrough soon. In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, improving his abilities was the most important thing he could do.

nAs soon as Yang Ling left, a commotion broke out within the meeting hall. Goode and Harribell knew what was going on, so they smiled and remained silent. Casey, Jarlock, and the rest didn’t know what was going on, and they argued for the longest time without understanding Yang Ling’s intentions. But they all shut their mouths when they left the hall; even the servants serving tea were no exception. They all knew what they should and should not say.

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nThree days later…

nYang Ling slowly opened his eyes. The red Wizard Power and green life force in his body had become richer, circulating automatically on a mysterious path. Wherever they passed, Yang Ling’s muscles and bones continuously contracted, expanded, then contracted again. The cycle gave his body an explosive power.

nHe believed that if he persisted in his training, he would one day breakthrough his bottleneck. The change in quantity would ignite a change in quality. Once he successfully advanced to the level of Earth Wizard and crystallized his Wizard Core, he would be able to train in the deeper regions of Terras Forest. Being able to absorb the life force of thousand-year-old ancient trees was secondary; it was more important to him that he could tame more powerful high level Magical Beasts and build a true Magical Beast army.

nYang Ling had a large number of guards, but he was more interested in improving the ability of his Magical Beast army. If they were offered sufficient rewards, even the forest elves might turn their spears against him, much less the human warriors and barbarians. But the Magical Beasts would not do this. After being tamed, the Magical Beasts would never hesitate after receiving the order to advance, even if what lay ahead of them was a sea of blades and fire.

nIn this world, there were no eternal friends, only eternal interests!

nYang Ling knew that the mysterious wizard techniques and powerful Magical Beast army were his greatest means of ensuring that he could live a peaceful life in this foreign world. If he lacked strength, even the life of a beggar might be dangerous for him. He might be trampled to death like an ant one day.

nPatting the dust off his butt, he walked quickly toward Shangri-La. John’s reputation as a royal bartender was well deserved. Anybody who had tasted the cocktails he created would naturally get addicted. That was also the reason for the bustling business in Shangri-La’s small bar.

nThe small bar was full of people even though it was early in the morning. Of course, the high chair that Yang Ling used exclusively was empty and untouched. Even though Yang Ling had not come for a few days, no one dared entertain any thoughts about the high chair. That was the highest respect the troops and adventurers would give to a powerful fighter. ( NovelFull )

nAfter greeting a few familiar troops and servers, Yang Ling sat on the high chair. “John, as always, a glass of rum and two plates of Alpen Peanuts.”

n“Boss, I still have a bottle of the hundred-year-old Monkey Wine. Do you want to try it?” John picked out a bottle of pale green liquor from the cabinet. “It normally goes for two hundred thousand Purple Crystal Coins, boss, but I’ll give you a fifty percent discount. A hundred thousand Purple Crystal Coins is enough. Don’t miss it!”

nYang Ling smiled and shook his head as he looked at John’s grin. That was the lie he had told Steve when the man was trying to woo Maryse. Yang Ling hadn’t expected John to turn the joke back on him. Yang Ling smiled. “Well, John, why don’t we try a glass of such a precious wine together? We can deduct the expenses from your salary!”

nDeduct a hundred thousand Purple Crystal Coins from my salary? Would that be my wages for the next hundred years or the next thousand?

nJohn nearly fainted, shaking his head and pretending to be pitiful. He poured a full glass of alcohol for Yang Ling and said, “Forget it; I do not dare lay a finger on such a good wine. I don’t even have a Black Crystal Coin on me right now, much less a hundred thousand Purple Crystal Coins. The ladies these days are too much. A hundred crystal coins just to touch them. That’s even more expensive than the noble ladies in the capital! They sure are lawless. Boss, why don’t you deal with it personally!”

nI also have to deal with the prostitutes?

nYang Ling almost spat out the indescribably-valuable Monkey Wine. John’s bartending skills were impeccable, but he was too much of a flirt. It looked like he needed a strong lady to keep a firm hand on him and prevent him from getting himself into trouble.

n“Sir, why are you so late today?” Maryse walked past some time later, dressed in a low cut black shirt. She smiled at Yang Ling. “I wonder if you are free to have a chat with me in private?”

nMaryse slowly walked toward the seat near the window after finishing her words, swaying with every step, her assets bouncing. The troops and adventurers nearby all swallowed hard.

nSimilar to Yang Ling’s high chair, no one dared entertain any thoughts about that spot no matter how crowded it got. Over the previous weeks, the troops only had two forms of enjoyment when they came to the bar; one was to drink and brag, and the other was to look at the great beauty that was Maryse.

nA few days ago, a person who did not know any better sat in Maryse’s seat. In the end, he had not even warmed the seat when the rest of the crowd rained blows down on him and threw him out.

nLooking at the crowd staring at him in envy, Yang Ling shook his head and slowly followed. For safety’s sake, he slipped a Wizard Amulet out of his pocket. He could not understand Maryse, and he had to defend himself against her.

nMaryse was wearing a black shirt, and a black tulip adorned her chest. Coupled with her slender figure and faint fragrance, she looked like some sort of mythical succubus. Even Yang Ling couldn’t keep himself from stealing a glance whenever he had the chance, much less the lecherous troops and adventurers.

n“Beautiful, you’re too beautiful!” Yang Ling smiled and started at Maryse’s chest as he took a sip of the ice cold cocktail.

nLooking at Yang Ling’s naked gaze, Maryse felt joy instead of anger, but she feigned a look of shyness. “Sir Yang, thank you for your praise…”

nLooking at the proud Maryse, Yang Ling’s smile became even more radiant. “Miss Maryse, I’m saying that the tulip on your chest is too beautiful. Please do not misunderstand!”

nTulip?

n“You…” Maryse gritted her teeth after recovering from her surprise, her full breasts rising and falling. She was fuming.

nDetestable, the lad Yang Ling was too detestable!

nIf she hadn’t needed to successfully complete the mission of roping him into the Association of Dark Magic, if she hadn’t wanted to exact a cruel revenge upon him, Maryse would have turned Yang Ling into a skeleton using Dark Magic right there.

n“Sir Yang, could I, Maryse, be so ugly that I cannot face other people?” Maryse forced herself to calm down quickly after taking a few deep breaths, pretending to be pitiful.

nRetracting his smile, Yang Ling feigned sincerity. “No, Miss Maryse, in my eyes, you are as beautiful as a dinosaur!”

nDinosaur?

nMaryse looked at Yang Ling in confusion. She did not know what he meant. She had heard of Holy Dragons and Ancient Dragons, but she had never once heard of a dinosaur.

n“The dinosaur is a beautiful little creature in my hometown. They have devilish figures and angel-like faces, and they are frequently used to describe a beautiful young lady. To a man, being able to take a dinosaur-like beauty as a wife would definitely cause a commotion!” Yang Ling said as he moved his eyes up and down Maryse’s body.

nHearing Yang Ling say this, Maryse’s anger quelled a little. But she still felt as though something was off when she saw Yang Ling’s smile. She couldn’t figure out what was wrong, though.

nTaking a large gulp of her ice cold rum, Maryse once again forced herself to calm down. She was prepared to go straight to the point, directly explaining her identity and background. “Sir Steve was ambushed by a few men in black some time ago. Might I ask if you have any clues about that?”

nHehe, it’s finally here!

nYang Ling noticed that Maryse seemed to be implying a lot with her words. He decided to cope with whatever the conversation had to offer by sticking to his fundamental principle.

n“What, Sir Steve was attacked?” He shook his head, pretending to be surprised. “What bunch of b*stards did that, daring to ambush our respected Sir Leader? They must be tired of living! After I catch the culprits, I’ll send the males to dig in the mines, as for the females… Hehe!”

n“What are you going to do with the females?”

nMaryse was furious, seeing Yang Ling feign ignorance. She had encountered despicable pimps and traitors of their countries who had committed heinous evils, but she had never seen a more detestable person than Yang Ling.

nThe men would be sent to work in mines, and Maryse knew what would await the females just from his expression alone. For him to say this right in front of her, he was going too far.

nKill him?

nIn her fury, Maryse instinctively took out a thin, pitch-black needle. When struck, even Steve’s Sword Saint warrior guard was unable to reverse the situation. Yang Ling, of course, wouldn’t stand a chance.

nMaryse’s face was steel green. She was motionless, as if waiting for a moment to strike. Yang Ling did not dare to wait around for her to act, either. He tried his best to circulate the protective Wizard Power, then he took out a bunch of Wizard Amulets with his left hand and formed a hand gesture with his right, preparing to summon his Magical Beast army.

n“Both of you, come, why not try this new wine?” Just as the battle was about to erupt, John walked over quickly carrying two glasses of a pale yellow cocktail.

n“Brother John, thank you!”

nMaryse quickly came to her senses after John’s interruption, understanding that this was not the time for her to strike. Otherwise, everything she had tried to accomplish before would have lost its meaning.

nMore importantly, the current situation in Wissen Town was very delicate. According to reliable information, many high level warriors had rushed into Wissen Town after they heard that the relic containing the Undead Divine Weapons sealed by the Holy Dragon Ayrpaciro had been found in Terras Forest.

nEven though a large portion of the thousand-year-old monsters did not care to interfere in the battle between the Banto and Rossi forces, a major powerhouse like Yang Ling suddenly being killed would definitely attract their attention. If she inadvertently drew attention to Association of Dark Magic, and thereby foiling her teacher’s plans, then things would go poorly for her.

nMaryse had already been taught a harsh lesson by her teacher after she ambushed Steve. Their main objective in coming to Wissen Town was to obtain the treasures sealed by the Holy Dragon Ayrpaciro; everything else was secondary. Maryse knew what kind of punishment she would have to face if she carelessly foiled the plan that the association had worked on for many years.

nHearing Maryse delicately call John “Brother John,” then looking at the smitten John, then looking at the surrounding troops and adventurers and their ugly expressions, Yang Ling shook his head. Beautiful women got unexpected privileges wherever they went.

nYang Ling did not care for Maryse, but John seized the opportunity. “Miss Maryse, if you have some time tonight, I will treat you to the best cocktail. It will be like nothing you’ve ever tasted!”

n“Oh, I’m sorry, I already have a date tonight!” Maryse gave an alluring smile. She was familiar with dealing with a love-crazy person like John. She could have her way with him as she pleased.

nShe already has a date?

nLooking at the alluring Maryse, then looking at Yang Ling lazily leaning back in his chair, John understood and backed down. Compared to Yang Ling, John knew that whatever he had to offer was insignificant.

nTaking a sip of the delectable wine John sent over, Yang Ling puckered his lips. “Ah, Miss Maryse, I was intending to ask you out tonight to do some exploring. It’s a pity, it looks like I won’t have the chance!”

nDo some exploring?

nAfter a moment’s surprise, Maryse understood the meaning behind Yang Ling’s words and blushed. Her fair skin, perky breasts… The surrounding troops fell into a daze looking at her. In a mere instant, Yang Ling heard the crisp sounds of a dozen wine glasses falling onto the ground.

n“Miss Maryse, you’ll have to pay for my losses!” Yang Ling shook his head and came up with an idea when he looked at the surrounding troops and their ugly expressions.

n“Oh, what do you mean?” Maryse was a little nervous, not knowing what scheme Yang Ling had up his sleeves. Her heart told her that she had to be calm, she definitely had to be calm!

n“That’s a long story!” Yang Ling shook his head. “First, the troops had smashed so many wine glasses because of your beauty. I imported those glasses from the faraway Rossi Empire, and each one of them cost at least a hundred crystal coins. Some of them can’t be bought anymore, even if you have the money. Consider me unlucky; you can pay half and the troops will pay the other half!”

n“Oh, that is to say that being a little pretty is also my fault?” Maryse forced out a smile, then continued, “If that was the first reason, what is the other reason?”

n“It isn’t your fault if you are pretty, but wearing such revealing clothes and obviously flaunting your assets is not right. Furthermore, I came to the bar to relax, but your appearance has caused the troops to act like buffoons, putting me out of the mood to drink. Perhaps a value could be assigned to the glasses, but my mental health is priceless. Say, how are you going to pay me?”

nWearing clothes that are too revealing and obviously flaunting my assets? Damaging his mental health?

nMaryse had never expected Yang Ling to say this. As she looked at Yang Ling’s smile, Maryse felt that she would go insane if they carried on like this. After clenching her teeth, she decided to directly expose her identity and status. But she felt that it was inappropriate to do so in front of the troops and adventurers looking at her. She wrote a few sentences on her handkerchief after some deliberation and slid it across the table to Yang Ling.

n“Sir, if you wish to know the identity of the men in black that attacked Steve, meet me tonight. Then, I’ll pay you whatever you want me to!” Maryse left quickly after whispering into Yang Ling’s ear.

nYang Ling looked at the elegant handwriting on the handkerchief. Dawn today, Ladoja Valley, I’ll be waiting, Maryse.

nRecalling Maryse’s words, Yang Ling knew that this vixen was finally desperate enough to show her hand. But he could not eliminate the possibility that this was a trap, a gentle yet deadly trap.

nYang Ling suddenly had a thought, recalling how smitten Steve was with Maryse. He came up with a bold plan after a moment’s deliberation. Maryse’s invitation was a challenge, but it was also a great opportunity, an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime.

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