Chapter 1553 - 19: Witch Hunting Journey

Chapter 1553: Chapter 19: Witch Hunting Journey

After leaving the Holy Healing Church Headquarters, Su Xiao returned to Locke Inn. Meilodi hadn’t dared run. First was because of the "bomb" in her body, second because A Mu was guarding her.

Su Xiao had just stepped into the room at the inn when he saw Meilodi cowering and shivering in a corner. The bed and wardrobe had already vanished without a trace; A Mu was holding half a wooden bench in his hand. Judging by the situation, if Su Xiao had come back any later, A Mu would have started prying up the floorboards to eat.

"H-help, help me..."

Meilodi was clearly terrified by A Mu in feeding mode. If Su Xiao didn’t return, A Mu might actually eat the entire inn.

Su Xiao looked like he’d predicted this already. He tossed A Mu a tarpaulin-wrapped bundle filled with all kinds of food he’d bought—meat, vegetables, everything.

"You really became a Witch Hunter?" ℯℯ𝑙.

Meilodi saw the Ring on Su Xiao’s little finger and immediately recognized where it came from.

"That’s right. From now on, you’re hunting witches with me. As payment, you get one quarter of any Bounty Order reward."

The cut Su Xiao offered wasn’t low. Witch Hunters under the Holy Healing Church get bounties for killing witches too, but only 50%. That ties into benefits, base pay, access to equipment, and so on.

Even if Witch Hunters only get 50% of the bounty, overall the gains are still better than what outsiders get for killing witches. They don’t have to pay weapon and armor maintenance costs, and travel, food, and lodging are reimbursed by the Holy Healing Church. Plus they have base salary and benefits. Bounty Order income is more like a bonus.

Witch Hunters really are living with their blades at their lips, but you don’t see Witch Hunters living in poverty.

"Two quarters."

Meilodi tried to open like a lion. Su Xiao flicked a Bounty Order to the floor in front of her. Meilodi unfolded it, and her pupils suddenly constricted—because it was her Bounty Order.

"T-th... three silver coins."

Meilodi stared blankly at the Wanted Order in her hands. She looked genuinely shaken. You have to understand, First Stage witches’ bounties are usually between 20–40 Gold Coins, more if they’re strong in combat.

Su Xiao had a Wanted Order with the highest bounty: 7000 Gold Coins, dead or alive. Because the amount was so huge, even Witch Hunters under the Holy Healing Church could claim the full bounty instead of just 50%.

What can you do with 7000 Gold Coins? The answer: recruit several thousand militiamen, buy weapons, build a castle, and slowly carve out a small territory as a Lord.

That kind of bounty, of course, is on that Fifth Stage Witch. Her movements are unknown; her rough location is in the west.

Every commission Su Xiao picked up was in the Central Plains Region and the west. Those two areas were The Church’s turf. Obviously, the Holy Healing Church wanted to clear the witches out of their own territory first. As for the Southern part—that’s witch territory. Once you’re there, Witch Hunters become the hunted.

"Why am I even on a bounty list, and why am I only worth 3 silver coins...?"

Meilodi muttered under her breath. No matter what, she was a Third Stage witch, and being worth 3 silver coins was humiliating. She’d be the laughingstock among her peers.

"You’re only getting a quarter. As for your bounty—if you want to be worth 1000 Gold Coins, I can help make that happen."

"I don’t want that at all. Three silver coins is fine."

"Is that so. Then we move out."

"Right now?"

"Yes. Right now."

Su Xiao took Bubu Wang and A Mu and headed out of the inn. Meilodi hesitated for a moment, but could only choose to follow.

Just outside the inn, Meilodi saw a carriage. The carriage body was entirely made of Metal, several sizes larger than a normal carriage. The draft animals weren’t ordinary horses either, but creatures that looked very much like rhinos. These three Giant Beasts were called "Dokuns." Once tamed by Humans, each Dokens cost 150 Gold Coins, and they only need a handful of grass per hundred kilometers.

The carriage had been custom-built by the Holy Healing Church. Witch Hunters could rest inside, and the back-side compartment was meant for Weapons storage.

Su Xiao opened the compartment at the rear of the carriage. Both sides of the compartment were lined with Hook Locks, and below were three shotguns of various calibers. In an iron box beside them were Diamond and gunpowder.

And not just those—the carriage was stocked with kerosene, strong tear-gas Smoke (large amounts of pepper powder + acidic liquid + chili extract), and all kinds of other gear.

Su Xiao picked up a Diamond and, under Meilodi’s helpless gaze, stuffed the Diamond into her mouth.

"What’s it feel like?"

"Weird taste."

"..."

Experimental proof: oral Diamond had no immediate effect on a witch. It probably reacts with witch Blood and then interferes with their use of Avatars.

Clang. Su Xiao shut the rear compartment, then entered the carriage from the side. Inside, the carriage was about two meters wide and three meters long. With the Seats laid flat, you could easily lie down to rest.

A Mu sat up front as coachman. In truth, it didn’t need to drive the Dokuns at all. With Meilodi, a witch with Beast Language Level MAX, all it took was an order for these three docile Dokuns to move steadily in the set direction.

Sitting inside the carriage, Su Xiao picked up a stack of Wanted Orders from the seat beside him. Yes, a whole stack—at least dozens of sheets by conservative estimate. These were all the recent Wanted Orders.

On top of that, Su Xiao had gotten a map from the Holy Healing Church. This thing was definitely strategic-grade material. The Church had an explicit rule: even if a Witch Hunter dies, they must destroy this map before death.

This map covered 60% of Dark Raven Continent. Even more valuable, it was updated six years ago. Don’t think that’s too long. For this world’s level of technology, that’s already an impressive update cycle.

The carriage rolled on and soon reached the city gates. Seeing the crest on the carriage, the City Guards waved them through, even though the sensing crystal stone in their hands was warning that there was a witch inside the carriage.

Meilodi stuck her head out the window and smiled at the squad leader who’d grabbed her when she tried to enter the city earlier. The next instant, a hand seized the back of her collar and yanked her back inside. Seeing this, the squad leader’s lips curled up.

Su Xiao’s destination this time was the Burning Furnace Human Gathering Place 30 kilometers away. That was territory under a White Witch’s control. Of course, that White Witch had to pay a hefty tax to the Holy Healing Church every year. According to the local Intelligence Organization, there was a Black Witch inside the Burning Furnace Gathering Place.

Su Xiao handed Meilodi a Bounty Order.

"This witch. Recognize her?"

"Of course. Feast Witch Keith. No witch hasn’t heard of her infamy. That old monster has a habit of eating people. They say she especially likes White Witches’ flesh and blood."

"Good. She’s our target this time."

"You’re not planning to..."

Meilodi swallowed, already guessing what he meant.

Su Xiao’s witch-hunting journey had begun. Right now, he was only a White Level Witch Hunter—and White Level hunters were contemptuously called "rabbits" by witches.