An open spear is easy to dodge, but a hidden arrow is hard to defend against!

  Since Yang Ling had made up his mind to deal with Stoff, he was preparing to win at the smallest cost. He didn't want to kill a thousand enemies and lose eight hundred himself. When Stoff proposed sealing off a piece of land for himself, he readily went along with it, first stabilizing him before launching a fatal blow when the Bantu people's defenses were weakest.

  Yang Ling believed that after losing a large sum of money, Stov would rely on his own strength before the arrival of reinforcements and would definitely be suspicious for a short time. This gave him a great opportunity. As long as he planned carefully, Visen Town would be the burial ground for Stov, this airborne lord.

  After seeing off Stov and his party, Yang Ling smiled mysteriously at the puzzled Kassy and the barbarian Garuk, without saying anything more, and strode towards his own residence. During this period, whether it was witchcraft or spiritual magic, it seemed to have entered a bottleneck, he must break through as soon as possible. In this world where the weak are preyed upon by the strong, only increasing one's own strength is the royal way.

  As soon as Yang Ling left, the conference hall erupted into chaos. Gu De and Hai Er Bei Li, who were wise, smiled but didn't speak. Kasi and Garuk, who were foolish, argued for half a day but still couldn't understand Yang Ling's meaning. However, after leaving the great hall, everyone tightly closed their mouths, including the several servants pouring tea and water. They all understood what could be said and what should not be spoken carelessly.

  Three days later...

  Yang Ling slowly opened his eyes, the red witch power and green life energy inside him became more dense, automatically operating along a mysterious trajectory. Wherever it passed, muscles and bones contracted, expanded, and then contracted again, circulating in this way. His entire body was filled with explosive power.

  He believed that as long as he persisted in his cultivation, one day he would break through the bottleneck and bring about a qualitative change. As long as he smoothly advanced to the Earth Witch stage, condensed the witch's elixir, he could delve into the Trasen Forest for cultivation. Absorbing the life energy of thousand-year-old ancient trees was secondary, what was important was that he could tame powerful high-level magical beasts and build a truly formidable magical beast army.

  Compared to having many guards, Yang Ling hoped to strengthen the power of the demon beast army. In the face of sufficient benefits, let alone human warriors and barbarians, even forest elves would turn their guns against themselves. But demons wouldn't, once tamed, even if they were facing a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, after receiving an order to advance, they would never hesitate.

  There is no eternal friend in the world, only eternal interests!

  Yang Ling was well aware that the mysterious sorcery and powerful demon army were his greatest assets in this strange world. Without sufficient strength, he couldn't even enjoy life, let alone beg for food, and might be trampled to death like an ant at any moment.

  He dusts off his buttocks and strides towards Shangri-La. John's reputation as a royal mixologist is not blown out of proportion. Anyone who has had a drink mixed by him will naturally get hooked, which is also the reason why the small bar inside Shangri-La is booming with business.

  Although it was still early in the Qing dynasty, the small tavern was packed with people. Of course, Yang Ling's exclusive high-backed chair was empty and spotless. Even if Yang Ling hadn't come for several days, no one dared to take a liking to this high-backed chair, this was the greatest respect that mercenaries and adventurers had for a strong person.

  After exchanging greetings with some familiar mercenaries and waiters, Yang Ling plopped down in a high-backed chair, "John, the usual. A cup of rum, two plates of Alpine peanuts."

  "Boss, I still have a bottle of Hundred-Year-Old Monkey Wine here, want to try some?" John pulled out a pale green bottle from the wine cabinet. "Others would sell it for 200,000 Purple Crystal Coins, but boss, I'll give you a 50% discount, take it for 100,000 Purple Crystal Coins, don't miss out!"

  Hundred Year Old Monkey Wine?

  Looking at John's smiling face, Yang Ling shook his head and smiled. Last time he fooled Stoff with a silly scam, didn't expect this guy to make fun of himself so quickly, and said with a smile: "Hehe, John, such precious wine, why not drink a few cups together? Just deduct the wine money from our wages!"

  Deducting wine money from wages?

  One million amethyst coins, deduct one hundred years, or one thousand years?

  John almost fainted, shook his head and pretended to be pitiful, poured a full cup of wine for Yang Ling, saying: "Forget it, such good wine, I don't dare to waste. Don't mention 1 million purple crystal coins, now I don't even have one black crystal coin on me. Nowadays, the young ladies are too much, just touching them costs 100 crystal coins, they're more expensive than the noble girls in the Imperial City, it's really lawless! Boss, you should come out and manage this!"

  Shouldn't prostitutes also take care of themselves?

  Yang Ling almost spat out the Monkey Wine, which was worth 100,000 purple crystal coins per bottle. This guy John, his bartending skills were unmatched, but he was also a womanizer. It seemed that they had to find him a strong and capable wife soon, to drain and flatten him every day, so that he wouldn't get into some kind of trouble someday.

  "Sir, why are you coming so late today?" Merileis had walked over at some point, wearing a low-cut black dress and smiling brightly at Yang Ling, "Would sir be willing to take a walk and chat for a bit?"

  Merrils walked slowly to a window seat, swaying with each step, her undulations sending the surrounding mercenaries and adventurers swallowing hard.

  Just like Yang Ling's high-backed chair, no matter how many people there are, nobody dares to occupy this position. During this period of time, the mercenaries in the bar have two pleasures: one is drinking and boasting, and the other is looking at Meriel, this stunning beauty.

  A few days ago, a newcomer who didn't know the rules sat down in Merrill's reserved seat with great fanfare. As a result, before his butt had even warmed up, he was beaten to a pulp by everyone and turned into a pig head.

  Seeing the crowd staring at him with envy, Yang Ling shook his head and slowly followed. But for safety's sake, he still quietly took out a talisman, Meiris this woman was really unpredictable, can't be too careful.

  Merrill was dressed in black, with a black tulip pinned to her chest, and her tall, slender figure and faint fragrance made her a devil-like beauty. Not to mention the charming mercenaries and adventurers, even Yang Ling couldn't help but take a few more glances.

  "Beautiful, it's really too beautiful!" Taking a sip of the cold cocktail, Yang Ling smiled and stared at Meryl's chest.

  Looking at Yang Ling's naked gaze, Meryl didn't get angry but instead felt happy, and on the surface, she pretended to be shy. "Lord Yang, thank you for your compliment..."

  Looking at the triumphant Meryl, Yang Ling's smile was even more brilliant. "Miss Meryl, I mean, the tulip on your chest is really too beautiful, don't get me wrong!"

  Tulip?

  "You..."

  After the unexpected event, Meryl gritted her teeth, her full chest heaving up and down, furious to the point of being beside herself.

  That scoundrel Yang Ling is really too detestable!

  If it weren't for the sake of smoothly completing the task of pulling him into the Dark Magician's Guild, if it weren't to avenge herself fiercely, Meriel would have turned Yang Ling into a skull with one black magic spell.

  "Lord Yang Ling. Am I, Merilees, so ugly that I'm not worthy to be seen?" After taking a few deep breaths, Merilees forced herself to calm down and put on a pitiful expression.

  Suppressing a smile, Yang Ling said sincerely: "No, Miss Meryl, in my eyes, you are as beautiful as a dinosaur!"

  Dinosaur?

  Merrill looked at Yang Ling in confusion. For a moment, she didn't know what he meant. She had heard of the Holy Dragon and the Ancient Dragon, but never anything about dinosaurs.

  "Dinosaurs are a beautiful small animal in my hometown. They have a devilish figure and an angelic face, often used to describe a beautiful girl. For men, being able to get a dinosaur-like beauty as their wife would be absolutely sensational!" Yang Ling said while glancing at Merilees back and forth.

  ******

  Often used to describe a beautiful young girl?

  After listening to Yang Ling, Meryl's anger subsided a bit. But looking at Yang Ling's smiling face, she felt that something was not quite right, but for the time being, she couldn't think of what it was.

  Take a big gulp of cold rum. Meryl forced herself to calm down again, preparing to get straight to the point and directly reveal her identity and status, "Some time ago, Lord Stoff was attacked by several black-clad men, does the lord have any leads?"

  Hehe, it's finally here!

  Looking at Meryl, who seemed to have a hidden meaning in her words, Yang Ling's heart moved and decided to remain unchanged amidst all changes.

  "What, Lord Stoff has been attacked?" He shook his head in feigned surprise. "Which son of a bitch did this? Attacking our respected lord, it's like they're asking to die! When we catch the culprit, if it's a man, he'll be sent to dig mines, and if it's a woman... Hehe!"

  "What about women?"

  Looking at Yang Ling, who was pretending to be stupid on purpose, Meryl's lungs were about to explode with anger. She had seen treacherous traitors and despicable pimps, but she had never seen anyone as detestable as Yang Ling.

  The men were taken away to dig mines, and the women had no good end in sight. Judging from his expression, it was easy to imagine what would happen next. It was outrageous that he dared to say such things right in front of me.

  Kill him?

  In a fit of rage, Meryl unconsciously pulled out the slender black needle. If hit, even Stoff's guardian warrior, known as the Sword Saint, would be powerless to resist, let alone Yang Ling.

  Merrill's face was ashen, motionless, seemingly gathering momentum, and Yang Ling didn't dare to slack off either. With all his might, he operated the protective charm, grasping a handful of talismans with his left hand and pinching an incantation with his right, ready to summon the demon army at any moment.

  "Two gentlemen, come, try this new wine and see how it tastes?" Just as the big fight was about to break out, John walked over with two cups of pale yellow cocktail.

  "Thanks, big brother John!"

  Merrill quickly came back to her senses after being interrupted by John, realizing that it was not yet time to take action. Otherwise, everything they had done before would have lost its meaning.

  What's more important is that the situation in Visen Town is extremely delicate at present. According to reliable intelligence, after Tras Forest discovered the remains of the sacred giant dragon Elpazino sealing the Wraith God artifact, many high-ranking warriors and mages have rushed over.

  Although most of the millennium-old monsters are not interested in intervening in the fierce battle between the Bantu people and the Ros people, the killing of a major force like Yang Ling will definitely attract their attention. If this exposes one's own tracks and strength too much, attracts the attention of all parties, and disrupts the plan to find a master, it would be a loss.

  Last time she attacked Storv, Merills was severely punished by the master. This time in Visen Town, the main purpose is to obtain the treasure sealed by the sacred giant dragon Elpasyano, and everything else is secondary. If she accidentally destroys the plan that the union has been planning for many years, Merills knows what punishment she will receive.

  Merrill called John "ge" in a coquettish tone, and Yang Ling shook his head after looking at the infatuated John and the ugly mercenaries and adventurers around him. A beauty is always a beauty, wherever she goes, she receives unexpected preferential treatment.

  Yang Ling disagreed, but John hit the snake with a stick. "Miss Merills, I don't know if you have time tonight, I'd like to invite you to drink the best cocktail, its taste is absolutely unparalleled in the world!"

  "Oh, I'm so sorry, but I have a date tonight!" Meryl smiled coyly, handling John's flirtation with ease.

  Do you have plans for tonight?

  Look at the charming Meryl, and then look at Yang Ling who is leaning lazily on the big chair. John tactfully retreated. In front of Yang Ling, he was clear about his own worth and weight.

  Taking a sip of the fine wine John had sent over, Yang Ling smacked his lips and said, "Ah, Miss Meryl, I was just thinking of asking you out for a night on the town. What a pity, it seems like that's not going to happen now!"

  Pressing down on the road?

  In an unexpected moment, Meryl suddenly understood the meaning of Yang Ling's words and her face turned slightly red. Her fair skin and firm chest... stunned the surrounding mercenaries in an instant. In a short moment, Yang Ling heard the crisp sound of more than a dozen wine cups shattering on the ground.

  "Miss Meryl, you must compensate me for my losses!" Looking at the mercenaries around him who were all exposing their ugly sides, Yang Ling shook his head and thought of an idea.

  "Oh, what's going on?" Meriel was a bit nervous, unsure of what Yang Ling was up to again. She told herself in her heart, calm down, must stay calm!

  "That's a long story!" Yang Ling shook his head, "Firstly, because of your beauty, the mercenaries smashed so many wine cups. These cups were brought from the distant Ros Empire, each worth at least 100 crystal coins, and some can't even be bought with money. Consider me unlucky, you pay half, and the mercenaries pay half!"

  "Oh, so it's also my fault that I look a bit pretty?" Merile forced out a few smiles and continued: "If there is a first, then there must be a second, what's the other reason?"

  "You look good, but showing off like that is not right. Besides, I came to the bar to relax and have a drink, but when you appeared, those thugs started making fools of themselves, which ruined my mood for drinking. The wine has a price, but the loss of dignity is priceless, so what do you think I should be compensated with?"

  Dressing revealingly and showing off, is it a spiritual loss?

  Merrill didn't expect Yang Ling to say that. Looking at Yang Ling's smiling face, she felt that if this continued, she would either go crazy or faint. After gritting her teeth, she decided to directly reveal her identity and status. But looking around at the mercenaries and adventurers staring at her, she felt it wasn't suitable, so after a moment of contemplation, she wrote a few lines on her handkerchief and handed it to Yang Ling.

  "Sir, if you want to know the identity of the black-clad man who attacked Stov, just remember to be on time for our appointment tonight. At that time, you can ask me to compensate you in any way you like!" After whispering a few words into Yang Ling's ear, Meriles quickly left.

  "Tonight at midnight, Lado Valley, if we don't meet, Meryl."

  Looking at the elegant line of words on the handkerchief, and thinking about what Meryl said before she left, Yang Ling understood that this fox spirit had finally lost patience and was ready to reveal its true intentions. However, it was also possible that this was a trap, a gentle but deadly trap.

  Pitfall?

  Yang Ling suddenly had an epiphany, thinking of the infatuated Stov, and after a moment's contemplation, he came up with a bold plan. Meryl's invitation was a challenge, but also a great opportunity, a rare chance in a thousand years.