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

nIn order to successfully complete his mission, Steve had brought a full three thousand Black Armor Guards who were adept at battle. But as they rushed to arrive at Wissen Town, their logistical support had suffered. They did not have adequate rations or clothing that could dispel the cold; in fact, they did not even have replacements for the weapons and armor they wore out. That was the reason why Steve had been forced to impose heavy taxes the moment he assumed his position.

nEven though he knew that imposing heavy taxes would be unfavorable for his future rule, he had no choice. Faced with rapidly depleting rations and the coming winter, he needed a strategy that would yield results immediately. But, he believed that in the face of the three thousand Black Armor Guards he had brought with him, none of the townspeople would riot. Even Yang Ling, who had powerful abilities, was no exception!

nSteve had gotten whatever he wanted in the capital, and he thought that this would be the same in Wissen Town. As long as he could solidify his rule in Wissen Town, he would be able to return to the capital early and enjoy his fortunes. Wissen Town was such a remote territory, it would naturally be handed over to his servants to care for.

nAfter deliberating for a moment, Steve decided that he would not waste his breath on unnecessary words. He asked directly, “Brother Yang Ling, I came in a hurry and have no money or rations. I do not even have a place to stay. Would it be convenient for you to lend me a few crystal coins to tide over this crisis?”

n“No problem! How much do you need? Just state the amount!” Looking at Steve’s superficial smile, Yang Ling knew that this person had finally revealed his evil intentions. He put on an act and said, “Being able to serve Sir Leader is my honor!”

nOn the negotiation table, the person who first showed his cards might not be doomed to lose, but he had definitely accepted a disadvantage. Anyone who revealed his trump card that soon wasn’t likely to win.

nSeeing the so-called leader Steve lose his patience, Yang Ling felt coldly satisfied. Steve was confident in his power, not only allowing the soldiers under him to trash Yang Ling’s bar and refinery, but also personally leading a large group of warriors into Yang Ling’s home to extort him. He was simply trying to force Yang Ling to fight against him. Yang Ling was going to let him be proud for a little while, but one day, he was going to let this Pig Leader know what pain truly was.

nTen years is not a long time to wait for revenge!

nCasey and the rest were still holding a grudge over losing the bar and refinery, but Yang Ling wasn’t too upset over it. He understood what was more urgent and important. He would lay low and wait, and when he did attack, he would leave no room for his enemy to respond or recover. For now, he was going to maintain a low profile, taking away the other party’s animosity and defensiveness before dealing the fatal blow at the critical time. He believed that when the time came, the so-called leader Steve would not have tears to shed even if he wanted to.

nWhile Yang Ling was secretly coming up with a plan, Steve felt rather surprised. Considering that Yang Ling was the sole leader in Wissen Town, he had thought that he would have to spend more effort to convince Yang Ling to help him. Unexpectedly, Yang Ling had been incredibly forthright.

nAfter deliberating for a moment, he decided to go all the way and seize the opportunity to extort a large sum. He feigned composure and said, “My demands are not high, only a hundred thousand Purple Crystal Coins!”

nA hundred thousand Purple Crystal Coins?

nHearing Steve say this, Casey, Jarlock, and the rest were shocked. They did not expect this person to go this far, asking for a hundred thousand Purple Crystal Coins at one go.

n“Oh Yiblis, a hundred thousand Purple Crystal Coins, you might as well rob someone. You are basically a thief!” Yang Ling did not react, but the barbarian Jarlock angrily flailed the tire-sized ax in his hands, wanting to split the fair-skinned Steve in two.

n“Hmph, the guts of you!”

nSeeing Jarlock raise his ax, Steve’s guards were unwilling to display weakness, all pulling out their weapons. A few Spellcasters quietly muttered incantations. A massive amount of Magical Energy instantly gathered in the air.

nAt the same time, following a wave of indecipherable murmurs from a mysterious man in a cape, Yang Ling felt a sinister air descend from the sky, like a venomous snake slithering outside his body. Quickly, he felt his four limbs become numb.

nDemonic spells?

nIn his shock, Yang Ling did not dare dally, and he circulated the protective Wizard Power in his body. After the violent Wizard Power clashed with the sinister cold air, it let out bursts of tiny explosions.

nFailing in his attack, the mysterious man in a cape clenched his teeth indignantly and once again started to murmur. Quickly, Yang Ling felt the cold air grow thicker, quickly sliding through his skin and sinking deeper into his body. In that instant, his pores shrunk, and a thin veil of frost appeared on his skin. He had difficulty breathing, as if the blood in his body had turned into ice.

nAt the critical moment, Yang Ling quickly consumed a few Magical Beast Blood Orbs and tried his best to circulate the Wizard Power that had been fused with the green life force in his body, slowly expelling the cold air. At this situation of life and death, the precious and practical Magical Beast Blood Orbs had once again proven their worth, rapidly replenishing the Wizard Power he had exhausted.

nSoon after, with the crisp sounds of explosions, Yang Ling successfully dispelled the sinister cold air. At the same time, the mysterious caped man opposite him trembled, as if he suffered an unknown attack.

nAfter a dull grunt, the caped man looked at the unshaken Yang Ling in disbelief. He deliberated for a moment before whispering into Steve’s ear. After hearing the words, the latter was immediately shocked. He looked seriously at the mysterious man, then shifted his gaze to Yang Ling and his unchanging expression, his expression getting grimmer and grimmer.

nOriginally, he had wanted to allow his warriors to threaten Yang Ling and gain much more of an advantage. But after learning that Yang Ling had quietly overcome his most powerful guard, he had no choice but to re-evaluate Yang Ling’s abilities. It would be better if he could extort a larger number of crystal coins, but if it was at the cost of severe damage to both parties, or a huge loss in terms of manpower, then it would not be worth it.

n“Tsk tsk, how powerful. Sir Leader, your men are strong indeed. But, by gathering such a large amount of Magical Energy, are you chiding me for not having enough light in my house and intending to blow a hole in my roof?”

nAfter taking in a deep breath, Yang Ling stopped the impulsive Casey and Jarlock, nonchalantly teasing them. Now was not the time to attack. Furthermore, he believed that Steve was merely testing his abilities. Having a falling out now wouldn’t be beneficial to either of them.

nIndeed, seeing Yang Ling remained unmoved after both his persuasion and his threats, Steve clenched his teeth in disappointment. He quickly calmed down after taking a sip of rum, instructing his guards to lower their weapons. “Sir, if you have difficulties raising the crystal coins, you could also give us an area in the castle to stay in, just so my subordinates wouldn’t freeze outside every day!”

nEveryone could see his villainous plans clearly!

nHearing Steve say this, Yang Ling knew that he had finally stated his true intentions. Asking for money was a ruse, and forcing Yang Ling to hand over Wissen Castle might be his true motive for this trip.

n“Sir Leader, the crystal coins are not a problem. If it’s just a mere hundred thousand Purple Crystal Coins, feel free to take them!” Yang Ling let out a secretive smile. “But housing is a little hard. Given how the rations in town are getting more limited, I was preparing to rear a batch of Sharo Boars in the castle. Sir, you and your subordinates are all of noble status, and I would be offending you if I asked you to eat your meals with a bunch of pigs as your neighbors!”

nPreparing to raise a batch of Sharo Boars?

nAs Yang Ling spouted more nonsense, Casey and Jarlock struggled not to laugh, holding it in until their stomachs were in knots. Steve was gritting his teeth in fury. At that moment, he did not dare to attack, but he could not think of any retorts to make. His expression became darker and darker.

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