Chapter 161: Make a Friend

Chapter 161: Make a Friend

Wu Heng squinted slightly, carefully observing the other person.

In his hand, he had four artifacts.

'Shroud of Corpses,' 'Ritual Staff,' 'Veil of Illusion,' and 'Blood Chalice.'

Among them, the Shroud of Corpses and Veil of Illusion were bought with his own money.

The Blood Chalice was loot from defeating the Blood Worship Sect.

The people of Rentam City might have deduced that the Blood Chalice was in his possession.

But very few knew about the Ritual Staff.

This item was the artifact that Yazde had used in an attempt to possess him, with the power to communicate with the evil gods.

Since arriving in Rentam City, he had kept it in his space ring without ever taking it out.

The fact that the man could mention this artifact.

Wu Heng recalled Yazde's other identity mentioned earlier.

The [Tianyan Secret Society].

An organization about which he had no intelligence.

Moreover, judging from yesterday's probing, the other party had most likely seen through his identity.

To dare to come back again today, their intentions were very clear, and they were well prepared.

Since both sides had laid their cards on the table.

Wu Heng had no interest in acting with him any further and asked directly, "How do you plan to retrieve these two artifacts?"

The Ritual Staff and the Blood Chalice.

Both items, it turned out, were theirs.

Thinking carefully, these two artifacts did share some similarities.

The Ritual Staff allowed for possession and rebirth, and the Blood Chalice could also affect life.

Both were related to one's life essence.

"As long as you return them, you will become our friend, an eternal friend remembered in our hearts," the fat man continued smiling.

Damn it, trying to get free stuff!

Wu Heng glanced at him and continued, "Artifacts are never cheap. Even among friends, they're not given away so easily, let alone when this is only our second meeting. We are hardly friends."

The man squinted his eyes, "These two artifacts belong to us."

"They're in my hands, how could they be yours? If everyone who came to me said an item was theirs, do I have to return everything?" Wu Heng laughed and countered.

Although nothing had happened to him, Yazde had made extensive preparations back then.

This secret society of theirs was essentially Yazde's accomplice.

They failed to kill him, and now they shamelessly wanted the murder weapon back.

If they were talking money, he could listen to their offer; after all, the two items hadn't been of much use to him.

But asking for them outright? That was just too brazen.

The fat man twisted the ring on his index finger, thought for a moment, and said, "We could buy them back."

"What's your offer?"

"The Ritual Staff, 2000 silver coins. The Blood Chalice, 1500 silver coins. How does that sound?"

"Too low!"

The Shroud of Corpses was 1500 silver, and the Veil of Illusion was 2500.

The Shroud of Corpses had strong side effects, causing a living body to rot when used, which lowered its price.

The Veil of Illusion didn't have any particularly rare effects either, priced at 2500.

But these two items, both connected to life itself, were clearly more valued by the other party, and there was no way he'd let them go for such a low price.

"Then, what price does Captain Wu Heng have in mind?"

Wu Heng thought carefully and said, "50 gold for the staff, 30 gold for the chalice."

The fat man's smile instantly disappeared, replaced with an expression of barely concealed fury. He took a deep breath and said, "That is a ridiculous price."

"No, no, life is priceless. And I haven't even factored in emotional damage. After all, you were Yazde's accomplices."

The man looked Wu Heng up and down, "I came here with goodwill, Captain Wu Heng. Aren't you afraid of bringing trouble upon yourself with such an attitude?"

Wu Heng laughed as well.

"A secret society threatening a guild captain? You really dare to say that out loud."

The man took a deep breath, glanced at the two round-helmeted figures beside him, and then smiled again.

"I can't make the decision on this. I'll need to discuss it, but we might meet again, Captain Wu Heng."

"Fine. I'm not always here. You can leave a message with the guild."

"Alright! Then I won't disturb you further, Captain." The man stood up and walked out.

Once outside the door, the man's face instantly darkened.

Without saying a word, he left with his guards and climbed into the carriage.

Wu Heng stood at the door, waving goodbye to him.

At the same time, he released a wraith to follow the carriage from a distance.

...

After they had gone far enough, Wu Heng closed the door.

He sat on the couch, reflecting on the entire process since he came from Blackstone Town.

This meant that Yazde didn't just choose a city with fewer restrictions on necromancers.

He had some prior arrangement with the secret society.

They had already agreed to come here.

As soon as Wu Heng arrived, he was immediately noticed.

Perhaps they had tried contacting him through various means, but he hadn't paid attention.

Until last night, when they came directly to probe him, confirming that he hadn't been possessed by Yazde.

"Tricky guys."

He had named an outrageous price.

And yet they still wanted to go back and discuss it.

This proved how important those two artifacts were to them, and it was likely they needed them urgently, or losing them would cause them significant damage.

He didn't really believe they dared to act against him.

But he still needed to be careful.

Just in case they tried something behind his back.

After sitting downstairs for a while, Wu Heng went up to the third-floor study, took out paper and pen, and wrote a letter to Slater in Blackstone Town, asking about the Tianyan Secret Society.

Slater was a Whisperer for the guild and a Steward holding a high position.

She should know some intelligence.

Ever since they had confirmed their relationship last time, she had become even more trustworthy.

After finishing the letter, he sealed it with wax.

After sitting for a while, the wraith he had sent out, 'Granda,' floated back in.

"The carriage went to a building in the north. I didn't go inside; it might have been dangerous," Granda said, floating in the air.

"Hmm, it's good that you remember the building," Wu Heng stood up, took the sealed letter from the table, "Come on, let's go out and send this letter."

Wu Heng left the house and went to the guild.

He handed the newly written letter to the receptionist.

He could only hope that Madam Slater would respond quickly with some information.

This world lacked phones, which was not nearly as convenient as the modern world.

...

Upon returning home.

Minnie and Andeville, the two young maids, had already returned.

They were in the kitchen together, laughing and chatting as they cooked.

Over the past few days, they had relaxed, no longer nervous and reserved like when they had first been bought.

After all, Wu Heng didn't really manage them strictly, leaving them plenty of freedom.

Dinner was served.

The three sat together to eat.

Wu Heng said, "Minnie, Veil, when you go out these days, take a guard with you. Close the shop early if you can, and try to be back before dark."

The two looked up, their eyes filled with some confusion.

"I am a guild captain, after all. I've caught a lot of wanted criminals and potential enemies, so it's best you stay careful to avoid getting involved."

"Oh, understood, master," Minnie replied.

Veil nodded as well.

The chance of the secret society acting directly was small.

If they were truly so extreme, they wouldn't have come a second time to retrieve the items.

But this situation had also served as a reminder.

One thing often led to another.

The criminals he had killed or the gangs he had offended might lead to further complications later on.

It was best to remain cautious.

Especially regarding Minnie, who wasn't even an adventurer.

Veil, at least, was a Level 7 Ranger, and if she encountered danger, she could still escape if she couldn't win.

But Minnie, with her long legs, probably wouldn't be able to outrun an adventurer.

Soon, the three of them finished dinner.

After Minnie collected the dishes.

Wu Heng took out a scroll and said, " Minnie, this is a job scroll for the Brawler class. You should practice hard to improve your constitution. It'll be safer for you when you go out."

"Wow, thank you, master! You're so kind." Minnie took it joyfully.

Her eyes were filled with gratitude as she looked at him.

"Mm!"

Minnie used the class-change scroll.

As the light flickered, her entire demeanor seemed to change.

Wu Heng said, "Bagdong, teach her."

Bagdong stepped in front of her and began demonstrating nearby, while Minnie practiced on the side.

Although Minnie was young, she had a tall and slender frame. Bagdong's movements were filled with powerful energy, each punch and kick causing the air to crackle.

But when it came to Minnie, her shouts were loud, yet her moves seemed more like elegant gestures than real combat techniques.

There was even a certain charm in the way she moved.

After watching Minnie practice for a while.

The sky darkened, and everyone went upstairs to rest.

...

The next day.

Wu Heng added six more tall orc skeletons to guard his residence.

To improve the security of the place.

Then, he headed to the zombie world.

On the roadside, the convoy from the auto repair shop had already been waiting for a while.

There were five trucks in total, one bus, and three vans.

The smaller cars had also been modified, with steel bars and iron plates welded onto them, and they were positioned between the trucks.

Wu Heng boarded the bus in the middle, ordered the skeletons to get on the trucks.

The convoy started and headed toward the prison.

The roads were clear, with no obstacles.

By the afternoon.

The convoy arrived outside the prison.

On the city walls stood skeletal soldiers holding rifles, standing motionless like statues.

From a distance, they looked quite imposing.

"Open the gate!" Wu Heng ordered the big-headed skeleton beside him.

There was no need to notify anyone inside.

Once close to the walls, the big-headed skeleton could relay commands remotely.

The skeletons inside the prison immediately opened the gates.

The convoy drove in.

At the same time, the survivors inside the prison ran out from a workshop.

They began helping to unload the trucks.

Their movements were quite practiced.

Wu Heng walked directly to the area where the skeletons were stationed.

The entire prison was divided into two zones.

Wu Heng and the skeletons occupied a separate building in the administrative office area.

The remaining survivors stayed in the rest of the area, including the dormitory and workshop.

Since they weren't prisoners, and Wu Heng wasn't always here, he still had to provide them with decent living conditions.

Wu Heng looked around near the office building.

He selected a suitable spot.

He took out the components for the 'Burial Ground' from storage.

First, there were three giant stone tablets, each three meters tall and half a meter wide, engraved with dense symbols and patterns.

Then, there were four divided oval stone slabs, also covered with inscriptions.

These stones exuded an ancient and heavy aura.

They had cost him quite a few gold coins.

He glanced at the surrounding skeletons.

Pointing to a spot nearby, he gave the order.

"Come, break up this concrete floor, reveal the earth below."