Chapter 010: The Evil Dragon and the Princess

Zhou Qingfeng was also astonished. Last night, the beastman was locked in the prison cart for an entire night, and he did not hear the tall, thin bandit say a single word to him. Unexpectedly, the two actually knew each other

Zhou Qingfeng stared at the tall, thin bandit leader, realizing that this guy was named "Maiken." The bandit leader also stared back at Zhou Qingfeng. The two had encountered each other on the road earlier, where the man in black had asked about the location of Razor Village as a test, and Zhou Qingfeng had replied, "I don't know."

The crowd was in an uproar

Waiting for Zhou Qingfeng to appear, over a hundred grotesque figures in the village blocked the road. A fat man with a face full of flesh stepped forward and shouted: "Victor Hugo, you bad boy, weren't you supposed to be feeding the dragon on the cliff? Who are these people you brought?"

Upon seeing Zhou Qingfeng, Todd, and the cavalry team appear together, the tall and thin bandit leader was evidently very surprised. He could not figure out exactly what had happened, but he proactively shouted at the orc, "Todd, I heard that you were captured by a group of goblins"

I do not understand what you are saying? Zhou Qingfeng broke free from Maiken's hand, still wearing a cold expression.

The old knight, upon realizing the situation had been exposed, could only step forward and emphasize: "No, we do not slay dragons. We only need to find that damned large lizard and fulfill a contract"

The old knight had never considered engaging in a battle with the evil dragon. He said with a serious expression: "Our first priority is to rescue the princess, and we are willing to pay a reasonable fee for this. However, if a dispute can be avoided, it should be avoided, and the safety of Her Highness the Princess must be guaranteed"

Todd exclaimed urgently: "Of course, Victor saw the dragon, right at the nearby Razor Cliff"

At this moment, the old knight Nasser, fully aware that it was a trap, could only brace himself and proceed. He faced a group of unscrupulous rogues and shouted loudly: "Please help us, we need to go to the cliff behind your village to find that dragon. As long as you are willing to let us pass, I can offer a reward."

Todd once again acted as a loudspeaker, "This is Sir Nasser from the Duchy of Os, and he is going to the cliff cave behind your village to seek that dragon. By the way, is it true that you have a dragon here?"

"Do you know where that dragon is?" the tall, thin bandit asked again

That fool Todd listens to you quite well. Why not collaborate with me and have Todd deliberately get lost and take a detour? I will immediately bring someone over. As long as we seize the gem, I can give you a ten percent share, which is definitely more than what you earn in Razor Village

"Are you going to slay the dragon?" The surprise of the tall, thin bandit was entirely genuine

"Young man, does your Razor Village have any arrangements?" McKen wore an expression of 'I have seen through it all', "Knight Nasser is a follower of the war god Tampus, and he is not easy to deal with. His patience towards you is not a sign of weakness; it is solely because he wishes to save Princess Inessa"

The tall, thin bandit leader, with a face full of astonishment, was rendered speechless by the surprise. He had been watching the old knight's group for quite some time, aware of the origins of this dozen or so individuals and the rumors of the 'princess and the dragon.' He also knew that the gems worth millions were in the carts of the knight's convoy

Zhou Qingfeng was originally following the old knight. However, before long, the tall and thin Maikenyin approached with a sneer, grabbing his hand and dragging him to the back of the line. Zhou Qingfeng was quite displeased to be seized by his 'enemy' and coldly shouted, "What do you want to do?"

Except for Todd, those with insight felt that there must be some conspiracy involved. However, no one spoke of it, and everyone pretended to be unaware. The cavalry took out food to heat by the fire pit, eating in silence, and then proceeded to sharpen their swords and tighten their armor, ready for battle at any moment

Stop pretending, your scheme has been exposed and is of no significance. I just don't understand why you would save that fool Todd. But it doesn't matter, I am here to discuss cooperation

"Todd, we do not slay dragons." The old knight reiterated.

However, it is hard for Zhou Qingfeng to agree with the orc's boastful claim of wanting to slay dragons. He stepped aside and said to the equally astonished old knight: "This orc must have had too much to drink; he was just locked in a cage by a group of goblins. I felt sorry for him and let him out, but I don't actually know him well."

As soon as Todd mentioned the matter of being captured by the goblins, he became furious and cursed incessantly. The tall, thin bandit then followed up with the question: "Where are you all headed?"

The team continued to advance with torches held high, and ahead in the mountains and fields, several flickers of light appeared. As they drew closer, they could see that it was a number of wooden cabins nestled among the trees, with people lighting bonfires outside the haphazardly arranged cabins, their figures appearing indistinctly.

Something bad has happened

I have no interest in your proposal" Zhou Qingfeng immediately rejected it and quickly walked a few steps back to the old knight's side. However, when Knight Nasser saw him appear again, his expression was even colder. This made him realize that he had made a grave mistake

This is exactly what Victor said. I also know that there is a road nearby that can quickly lead to that village, and from the village to the Dragon's Nest, it will take at most one hour. Then we can go dragon slaying. McKen, will you join us

The lean and tall bandit leader never expected that just as he was gathering a group of jackals and rogues to set an ambush for tonight's robbery, Zhou Qingfeng intervened to save Todd and also informed Knight Nasser of the exact location of the evil dragon

"Victor Hugo, you rascal, you finally did something good for us by bringing such a large fat sheep here." The corpulent man laughed the loudest, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he stared fixedly at Sir Nasser and his companions

A group of people reached an agreement and the riders set off once again. With hope in sight, the morale of the old knights and others was high. After a short journey, the dozen or so individuals arrived at the campsite by the riverbank, where the tall, thin bandit leader in black had already lit the fire pit and was waiting for some time.

After Todd spoke at length, everyone present had already concluded that Zhou Qingfeng came from Razor Village—Mackin in black was sneering, the old knight heightened his vigilance, and all the members of the cavalry cast sidelong glances at Zhou Qingfeng

The villagers all have unappealing appearances, with bald heads, buck teeth, and upturned noses being quite common, and some even appear to be non-human. Todd strode into the village as if he were returning home, cheerfully greeting everyone he encountered.

I can hardly believe it, you are Nasser of the Duchy of Os. The entire Black Forest is buzzing with news of you and the gem worth a million gold coins. You want to seek that dragon? My answer is..." He turned with a sinister grin, "No!"

The old knight inquired a few questions, and Todd, this big mouth, revealed the incident of Zhou Qingfeng being robbed by goblins. The members of the cavalry could hardly contain their laughter, as being 'robbed by goblins' and 'being imprisoned by goblins while drunk' were clearly two sides of the same coin.

I must say that the story of 'The Evil Dragon at Razor Cliff' is quite well-crafted, and leading the 'Fat Sheep' directly into the trap is even better. I also have a group of people ready to seize the gems in Nasser's hands, and all personnel are prepared.

Moreover, there may be interests involved here, which require Zhou Qingfeng to meticulously uncover like peeling layers of an onion. 'Yesterday' he fell victim to the sinister hand of the tall, thin bandit, which serves as a small warning—danger lurks everywhere in the world, and there is no escaping it

The villagers erupted in thunderous laughter

The wooden cabins in the forest are crooked and uneven, and the paths between the houses are winding and meandering, thus forming a settlement. Many fierce and menacing individuals wander among the buildings, either shouting and cursing, or drunkenly fighting, or sneaking about.

Todd is still shouting, "There is a Razor Village nearby, inhabited by a group of rogues, scoundrels, and bandits. It is a notorious den of thieves in the Black Forest. Near Razor Village, there is a Razor Cliff, which has a large cave at its summit

The narrow path could not accommodate the horse-drawn carriage, so the old knight had someone take down a small box from the cart. Everyone proceeded on foot, holding torches. Todd led the way in front, with the others following one by one.

Zhou Qingfeng sensed that something was amiss, and the old knight quickly turned his attention, but he could not stop the orc's large mouth from speaking, "We are going to slay the dragon"

Zhou Qingfeng can naturally choose to ignore the matter of 'the princess and the evil dragon.' However, after experiencing the numerous hardships of fleeing from the dragon's lair, he has come to understand that mere avoidance is meaningless. The more one tries to escape, the quicker one meets their demise. Only by actively intervening can one seize a glimmer of opportunity

The attention of the villagers was entirely focused on the fully armored Knight Nasser and his companions, completely disregarding Todd. The local bandits were extremely tense in the presence of these outsiders, with many of them grabbing their weapons.

Only Todd is heartless; having already eaten two wolves, he still devoured half a bag of rations. After satisfying his hunger and thirst, he clapped his hands and beckoned the old knight to take the small path to Razorback Village, saying, "I guarantee you will see that damned dragon by midnight"

Zhou Qingfeng received some food from the riding team, but he clearly felt that everyone had become much colder towards him. His encounter along the way was evidently 'deliberate', no longer a passerby providing information, but rather a bait luring others into a trap

Upon seeing the orc point at himself, Zhou Qingfeng could only sigh inwardly. This big mouth cannot keep any secrets. No wonder he was sold to the goblins after getting drunk. He really wanted to stuff him back into the cage and also seal his mouth shut.