Chapter 230 - 149: Exaggerated Reward, Another Hidden Quest

Chapter 230: Chapter 149: Exaggerated Reward, Another Hidden Quest

"Is... is that Lord Shen Xing?"

A somewhat familiar, trembling voice filled with fear reached their ears.

The three of them stopped in their tracks.

Shen Xing recognized the owner of the voice and replied, "It is."

The words had barely left his lips when a pot-bellied figure, covered in dirt, popped out of the ground.

It was the merchant, West, whom they had met earlier.

He looked utterly wretched; his silk robe was torn to shreds, and his face was smeared with blood and black soil.

"By... by the gods, I can’t believe I’m seeing you again... I’m still alive..."

As he spoke, his shoulders trembled violently. Finally, he plopped right onto the ground and burst into tears.

"Mr. West, please calm down. First, tell me what happened," Shen Xing said soothingly.

"It... it was those Skinners!"

West took a deep breath, his eyes bloodshot. "Those damned half-blood bastards! They were targeting us from the start, following our caravan the whole time."

"They killed everyone and stole all the pack animals and cargo."

"If I hadn’t used an Earth Escape Scroll to hide underground, I would have ended up just like those guards—nothing but minced meat scattered on the ground."

Shen Xing’s brow furrowed at his words.

He recalled West mentioning the Skinners before, but he hadn’t expected the half-bloods to be so vicious and cunning. ’They had been tailing the Ouroboros Trading Company all this time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And... their Stealth Ability seemed quite impressive. After all, I have Reina and Xia Wanyin with me, both of whom possess extremely powerful Perception Abilities. To be able to evade their detection... these Skinners are no simple matter.’

"Oh, gods... That shipment contained important cargo bound for Black Eagle City. If it’s lost, the company president will throw me into Brocade Water Lake to feed the fish."

"Waaah... Now the cargo is gone... my job is gone... I’m a dead man, waaah..."

The merchant, West, sobbed uncontrollably, pounding his fists on the ground, his face ashen with despair.

Just then, he seemed to remember something. He turned to look at the young man in the wheelchair, a glint of hope appearing in his eyes.

"Lord Shen Xing... could you please help me find those Skinners and get our cargo back?"

"If you can help, you will earn the friendship of the Ouroboros Trading Company, and you can take your pick from the reclaimed cargo."

He pleaded humbly, as if grasping at his last straw.

[Ding! You have triggered a special quest: A Bloody Debt and a Merchant’s Path]

[Quest Details: Find the Skinners’ hideout and retrieve the Ouroboros Trading Company’s cargo.]

[Quest Rewards: Ouroboros Trading Company Reputation +500, increased affinity with West the merchant, choose 1 item from the cargo as a reward.]

...

Shen Xing’s interest was piqued when he saw the quest information flash before his eyes.

"Mr. West, I understand how you feel, and I sympathize with your predicament."

"However, you also know that these Skinners are cunning, treacherous, and savage by nature. They are extremely difficult to deal with."

"Even if I wanted to help, not knowing where they are leaves me powerless to do so."

He neither agreed nor refused immediately, instead choosing to placate the other man first.

West was taken aback, but he knew Shen Xing had a point. His shoulders slumped in defeat.

But then, Shen Xing changed the subject. "However, you are welcome to come to my territory to rest for a while, Mr. West."

"During that time, I will dispatch my territory’s forces to search the area and do our best to find the Skinners’ location. What do you think?"

Hearing this, the light of hope returned to West’s eyes.

He replied without hesitation, "Yes, of course! I was just worrying about where to go!"

"Lord Shen Xing, you are truly my savior! I’m counting on you completely!"

[Due to your assistance, affinity with West the merchant +25. Current Affinity: Trust]

...

Shen Xing looked at the notification and smiled calmly. "In that case, Mr. West, please come back with us for now."

As he spoke, he had Fried Chicken lower its body and spread its wings. He and the two girls then sat in the front.

West carefully sat behind them, gripping the back of the wheelchair tightly with both hands.

Once the four of them were settled, Fried Chicken flapped its wings with great effort, slowly rising from the ground.

As a juvenile chick... no, a juvenile Horned Eagle, Fried Chicken was still just a kid.

Carrying three people had been manageable, but adding a man weighing over two hundred pounds pushed it right past its limit.

"CHIRP... CHIRP..."

Fried Chicken let out a strained cry. After struggling for some time, it had only managed to ascend a little over a hundred meters.

But then Shen Xing took a strip of Finger Insect meat from his pack and stuffed it into its beak.

Fried Chicken’s expression instantly changed from one of pained struggle to one of fiery determination!!

The bird, now full of energy, shot up several hundred meters into the sky in just a few flaps and sped toward the distant territory.

Not long after they left, a shadow slowly materialized in the nearby woods.

It lifted its head, a bloodthirsty glint flashing in its eerie green, beast-like eyes as it watched the distant figures disappear into the sky.

A black mist rose, and the shadow vanished from the spot.

...

...

「Ten minutes later.」

A streak of Dark Gold light cut across the sky, flying straight into an area bathed in orange firelight.

Fried Chicken flew over the outer walls and went directly to the Inner City District, landing slowly in an open area.

Four figures jumped off its back one after another.

West looked around, his gaze falling on the rows of Arrow Towers and the high city walls. The shock in his eyes grew more and more intense.

"Incredible... Lord Shen Xing, the scale of your territory is beyond imagination. It’s even more prosperous than some of the Expert Level territories I’ve visited."

"Now I believe what you said earlier."