Chapter 123: The Jackdaws’ Secret Crossing

Chapter 123: Cold Raven’s Silent Crossing

Ye Ran decapitated Jim at the gates of the Elven castle.

The cunning leader of the Blood Gnomes had become increasingly violent since his defeat at Ye Ran’s hands, frequently slaughtering dwarves and elves, and occasionally ambushing humans as well. Last night, he had attacked the Elven castle again; although he failed to breach the interior, two elves guarding the perimeter were unfortunately captured. Despite Robin and Ophelia’s desperate pursuit, they were unable to stop Jim.

Elves were agile and skilled archers, but they were helpless against the hulking Blood Gnome leader, who possessed immense strength and wore heavy iron armor. At the critical moment, Ye Ran arrived in time. This time, he did not hold back; he decisively pierced the Blood Gnome leader’s throat and severed its head.

Ye Ran spent the night in a thatched cottage and did not return to the Minotaur encampment until the following morning. When he arrived carrying that giant troll war spear wrapped in silk, everyone’s jaws dropped.

"Brother Ye... is this the weapon Dodoro gave you?" Meng Qi stared in astonishment at the troll spear. It stood a head taller than Ye Ran, and the shaft was as thick as a man’s arm. He had never seen such a strange weapon.

Sinclair added, "Ye Ran, isn’t this a bit too exaggerated?"

Shali and the others were equally shocked, and several Minotaurs watched from a distance. They had all heard that the dwarves were gifting Ye Ran a weapon, and they had expected a spiritual artifact or a divine blade, not such a massive implement.

"Brother Ye, is this a spiritual weapon? Or perhaps a divine artifact that enhances one’s inherent power?" Meng Qi asked.

Ye Ran shook his head. "Neither. This is the weapon used by King Clifor, the most powerful troll leader in history. After Clifor was killed by the demons, this spear fell into the hands of the dwarves, who modified it into its current form. I call it the Great Clifor Spear. I named it myself."

"Uh... isn't that the same as not naming it at all?" everyone thought to themselves.

Meng Qi sighed. "Brother Ye, I truly cannot imagine how that dwarf sage tricked you. To turn down a spiritual weapon or divine blade for this hunk of iron..." The spear was truly an eyesore.

Ye Ran chuckled. "Little Meng, what is my inherent power?"

"Force, of course," Meng Qi replied.

"Then is there any weapon more suitable for me than the Great Clifor Spear? One force can overcome ten techniques; with this great spear, I fear no magic or martial arts from those of my level. Besides, because of this great spear, Dodoro made certain concessions on the price of iron ore."

Ye Ran’s stay at the cottage the previous night had been to negotiate the iron ore prices with Dodoro. A divine artifact would have been an exaggeration—the dwarves possessed no such thing—but by choosing the Great Clifor Spear over a precious spiritual weapon, Ye Ran had clearly signaled that he would not take advantage of the dwarven clan. Coupled with his slaying of their nemesis, Jim, Ye Ran’s stature had grown significantly in the eyes of the dwarves.

Dodoro, grateful for the favor, promised to purchase iron ore exclusively from Ye Ran for the next year at prices higher than the current market rate. After reviewing the agreement between Ye Ran and Dodoro, Meng Qi and the others exchanged satisfied looks. Meng Qi shook his head and smiled; perhaps this was simply Ye Ran’s own brand of wisdom.

The Minotaur Bannar said, "Cecil sent five thousand gold coins and some treasures as a token of gratitude. I also have three thousand gold coins in my warehouse, and if we sell some precious animal furs, we should be able to scrape together ten thousand gold coins. Dodoro will certainly send money as well; that should be enough to build the temple, right?"

Ten thousand gold.

Hearing this figure, Ye Ran felt a spark of excitement. He had never seen so much money in his life. Yet, the waves in his heart quickly calmed. "Build it according to a budget of ten thousand gold coins. If it’s not enough, we will borrow more." He did not seem particularly worried about the money.

Meng Qi asked curiously, "Brother Ye, surely you haven't forgotten the agreement you signed with Dodoro? We still need a sum of money to purchase raw iron materials."

Ye Ran turned back and gave him a sly look. "With Freya here, do we still need money?"

"Shali, wouldn't you agree?"

...

After some deliberation, the group quickly divided the tasks. Shali went to negotiate with Ronin regarding the procurement of metal materials. Labrador set off toward the border between the Hunter’s Pit and the Green Demon Forest to deliver Ye Ran’s letter to Andrei and Andoru. By evening, Labrador returned to the Minotaur encampment. As expected, his negotiations were futile in the face of profit; both Andoru and Andrei refused to stop their capture and trafficking of forest creatures.

This was within Ye Ran’s expectations, but one piece of news was unexpectedly surprising.

"Grusburg has a new master."

This news had only arrived from the west that afternoon. The people of Ibo Xiedi did not seem concerned, but Ye Ran was startled. He immediately went to the Midnight Tavern to consult Dilith, and after paying fifty gold coins, the news was confirmed.

Grusburg truly had a new master. The old lord, Laud, had been assassinated. The second-in-command, Bei Yucheng—father of Bei Yuming and a grand schemer—had arrested the cowardly assassin, a member of the God-Hunter tribe, and subsequently seized control of the situation. Since this news had spread, it meant the situation in Grusburg was settled, and Bei Yucheng was firmly seated in the lord’s chair.

"This matter is indeed suspicious, but at the end of the day, it is just a coup in Grusburg and has little to do with Ibo Xiedi," Meng Qi comforted him.

Ye Ran shook his head. "Little Meng, Grusburg is very mysterious. Apart from some hearsay, we know nothing about it. But one thing is certain: this coup happened about three days ago. What happened on the night of three days ago?"

Meng Qi’s heart skipped a beat. "You mean the night when all parties were fighting over the Vampire Relic?"

Ye Ran nodded. "The fake Vampire Relic, the sudden appearance of the God-Hunter tribe, the arrival of various experts, the conflicts between clans, the coup in Grusburg... these events must be connected. Grusburg cannot be uninvolved in the matter of the Vampire Relic."

"Bei Yuming must have been involved," he said.

Meng Qi laughed. "If he really did it, there’s nothing we can do; he has already achieved his goal. Besides, these are just our guesses; there is no evidence to prove it was him. Brother Ye, I don’t want to go and probe him again." Meng Qi laughed at himself; after the lesson with Ronin, he had no desire to deal with Bei Yuming again.

Ye Ran thought for a moment and shook his head. "Although there is no evidence, I know he is definitely involved. Furthermore, he hasn’t achieved his goal yet."

He changed into a black cloth tunic, fastened the buttons, and slung the Great Clifor Spear onto his back. His entire demeanor became filled with killing intent.

Meng Qi hurriedly grabbed him. "Brother Ye, don't be impulsive. Grusburg is not a place you can just barge into."

"Who said I was going to Grusburg? I’m going to find my old friend first."

"Old friend?"

"Hmph, Fatty Andoru, that unrepentant bastard."