Chapter 1090: Chapter 697, Bai Xuan’s Cooperation
System prompts echoed in his ear.
Stella’s Loyalty had reached 100 points.
At this point, there could be no betrayal.
Fang Hao hadn’t expected that the final three points would jump up during this instance.
But it was worthwhile, considering the support he had given her.
Stella had always done well.
The only issue was that her rank advancement was too slow.
For other races, this might be less of an issue, but for the Troll race, power was the standard by which authority was measured.
If Stella continued to be weak, it would definitely cause problems over time.
Stella lay prostrate on the ground.
Underneath the loose folds of fabric was the deformed shape of something huge.
Fang Hao’s gaze shifted as he said, “Stella, get up!”
“Yes, my lord.” Stella rose and sat back in her place.
“Try on the crown and see if it fits. If not, I’ll take it back to the goldsmith for adjustments,” Fang Hao continued.
Stella, somewhat embarrassed, still picked up the golden crown and placed it on her head.
It looked large, but the size was just right when she put it on.
Instantly, her entire demeanor changed from that of a tribal leader to a queen with real power.
She gained an extra touch of nobility.
“Not bad! It looks pretty good on you. Wear it tomorrow, and focus on your magic studies. Don’t teach it to anyone until you have mastered it,” Fang Hao praised, with a reminder.
Naturally, he prioritized support for Stella, who now had 100 Loyalty points.
“I understand, my lord.”
Afterward, Fang Hao listened to her report on the Trolls’ situation and the merchant convoy’s future plans.
Once there was nothing left to discuss, he returned to the main city with Demitrija.
…
Two days later.
A light rain drizzled from the sky.
The maids had suspended their training as well.
Inside the room.
Fang Hao lay with his head on Eira’s pale and slender thighs, browsing the contents of the Book of Lords and killing time by reading the channel discussions.
“Holy shit, the ‘Aspiring Cloud Society’ started raiding and got a purple equipment Blueprint. They’re now gathering materials to start production.”
“Damn, that would at least require a golden chest to get a purple Blueprint, right?”
“Look who’s talking smart!”
“Now the Aspiring Cloud Society is gonna rise. Selling equipment and gathering materials could snowball into wealth.”
“Aspiring Cloud Society is awesome, not virtual at all!”
“Real deal indeed!”
“Real deal indeed!”
“…”
Ah, Fang Hao stared blankly at the chat spamming in the channel.
All this fuss for a purple equipment Blueprint? Seriously?
But thinking about it, it seemed normal.
Currently, green and blue equipment were the main items in circulation on the channel.
Sets of equipment were rare commodities.
Purple ones are indeed considered high-end equipment.
No wonder they were hyped up.
He could actually sell some purple equipment in his shop to attract some traffic.
It would increase the shop’s activity.
Looking at the regional channel, it was all spam.
Fang Hao switched to the world channel to see what everyone was talking about.
As soon as he opened it, he saw various advertisements for buying equipment and Alliance recruitment.
The messages were continuously rolling upwards.
“For sale: Bone Powder of Undead heroes, containing powerful immortal energy, can treat most internal diseases, and can delay human aging. Purchased directly from the store.”
What the hell?
People actually sell this?
If we talk valuable, I can mass produce it on my side, enough to stuff two big tubes.
Fang Hao clicked on the seller’s store; indeed, there was a product called Bone Powder, but obviously no one was buying.
Anyone who would believe this stuff probably got eliminated in the early stages.
“Buying Precision Parts in bulk, contact with a price in private chat.”
“For sale: Dwarf royal cutlery, pure gold and silver ‘non-attribute’ products, perfect to showcase status.”
“For sale: Elf Clan fruit wine, minimum order of two large barrels, available for direct purchase in the store.”
Information in the world channel was still quite mixed.
Various styles of props, goods, and even some strange and curious items could be seen for sale.
His scrolling hand paused slightly.
“(Magic book), for sale, magic manuscript, can be studied to gain the skills recorded on it, one book in exchange for a purple equipment, available for direct purchase in the store.”
Magic book? A manuscript?
This… Mages could indeed spend time to study and learn.
But the ones Fang Hao knew about were complete books.
Manuscripts probably meant personal copies, and it was uncertain whether they could be learned.
Curiosity piqued, he opened the seller’s shop.
The shop had a decent number of items scattered about, including pens, paper, and various gold and silver book markers.
It was unclear where these had come from.
There were only two magic manuscripts.
One was for “[Defensive Earth Elemental Magic Usage]” and the other was “[Maintaining Alertness].”
One appeared to be earth elemental magic, the other a mental magic.
Both had the condition of trading for a purple item.
Because nobody could be sure what the manuscripts contained,
Perhaps you could exchange for them only to find insults written inside!
That wouldn’t just mean a financial loss but would also cause frustration.
And purple equipment, at this time, was top-tier. Who would gamble their purple gear to test whether someone was a fraud?
Therefore, not a single copy of these two manuscripts had been sold in the shop’s transaction record.
Fang Hao thought for a moment.
From the equipment warehouse, he chose a battle-worn, retired purple piece of equipment and exchanged it for a copy of “[Defensive Earth Elemental Magic Usage].”
It was a gamble, but he wanted to verify if a handwritten copy could indeed acquire skills.
If effective, he could have the magic books in his possession copied as well.
After a successful exchange,
he had a new book in his hands, bound with thread.
The craftsmanship was rather rough.
He opened it and took a glance.
Phew—!
He breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, the contents recorded within were normal.
Whether or not the manuscript could be used to learn, at least the content was authentic.
After flipping through, he caught a few glimpses.
He roughly knew what type of magic was inside.
‘Stone Skin,’ a type of Earth Elemental Magic that could enhance one’s defense.
Actually, it wasn’t too bad.
It just remained to be seen if he could learn it.
Just as he began to look carefully, Anjia hurried into the room, bounced onto the bed, and snuggled into his arms, lying on his chest.
She poked out her little tongue and licked.
“A new novel?”
“What novel? It’s a magic book,” Fang Hao embraced her with one arm.
“Who uses this kind of paper for a magic book? You’re just reading a novel,” Anjia insisted firmly.
At that moment, Little White also ran in and squirmed into his arms from the other side.
“A new novel? What type is it?”
“It’s not a novel, it’s a handwritten copy of a magic book, copied directly from the original,” Fang Hao continued to explain.
“Oh, when will you switch to a novel for a change?” Little White asked again.
Fang Hao suddenly remembered the comic book he had exchanged for last time.
He said, “I got a comic book; it’s in the study’s drawer. Did you see it?”
“Nope!”
Little White and Anjia both replied, then hastily got out of bed.
They ran towards the study.
…
In the afternoon, the light rain gradually stopped.
The air in the town was cool and refreshing after the rain.
For the construction of the amusement park, the maids went to the training ground for training under Anjia’s lead.
Fang Hao lay on the bed, no longer with a knee pillow, and had no choice but to lean against the headboard.
Ding!
The private chat notification sounded.
Fang Hao saw that it was a message from Ma Tianyi.
“Boss, Bai Xuan of the Straw Hat Nautical Group has contacted me again. She wants to meet with you to discuss something.”
“Discuss what? Did she mention the matter?” Fang Hao asked.
Lately, on the regional channels, the Straw Hat Nautical Group could always be seen recruiting.
It seemed they were developing well.
She wasn’t trying to get him to join the Alliance, was she!
“Not sure, by the sounds of it, it’s something to do with a treasure. It might be that she wants to exchange an item with you,” Ma Tianyi speculated.
An exchange?
She still hadn’t returned the money she owed him last time.
And now she wanted to do an exchange.
“Alright, I’ll go and see,” Fang Hao eventually agreed.
Bai Xuan was a very capable and daring woman.
She managed to lead an Alliance and even built a fleet to battle enemies.
Going to see what the matter was, even if it was just to exchange some items, was no big deal.
He got ready and, bringing Demitrija with him, headed to the Trade Alliance’s tavern.
In a private room on the second floor,
Fang Hao saw Bai Xuan, who had already prepared food and drinks.
She wore a leather armor that was embedded with wood chips and marked with scratches.
She looked as if she’d just returned from the battlefield.
“Captain Bai Xuan,” Fang Hao greeted with a smile, taking his seat directly.
Demitrija also sat down beside him.
Bai Xuan stared at Demitrija, her eyes filled with surprise and disbelief.
An orange-ranked hero!
She was no stranger to orange-ranked heroes—after all, the Federation’s generals stationed along the coastal borders were but purple-ranked heroes, and they were the highest-ranked heroes she had encountered.
Fang Hao himself actually had an orange-guard.
It was somewhat terrifying.
“Captain Bai Xuan, what is it that you wanted to discuss by calling me here?” Fang Hao asked with a smile.
Bai Xuan shifted her gaze, squeezed out a smile, and said, “I’ve asked Fang Hao here because I want to propose a collaboration with you.”
A collaboration?
Not an item exchange, but a collaboration?
“Oh? What kind of collaboration?” Fang Hao grew even more curious.
Bai Xuan took out a somewhat tattered leather map from her bosom and said, “A treasure map. Do you still remember the ‘Day of Grace’ challenge mission from last time? Our alliance cleared the monsters and didn’t get equipment or props but this treasure map instead.”
Fang Hao frowned slightly.
During the Day of Grace, everyone was discussing various rewards.
They mainly consisted of three types: props, equipment, and recruitment scrolls.
Directly receiving a treasure map was unheard of.
“Can’t your group handle the treasure hunt?” Fang Hao asked.
But he immediately realized something.
The Straw Hat Nautical Group had been desperate to buy muskets and cannons, likely because of this map.
Clearly, this treasure map was more than the Alliance could handle.
Bai Xuan sighed and said, “No hiding it from you, the location on this map is a spot out at sea. Not only did we find a clue to the treasure, but those Japanese also found out about it.”
She paused, then continued, “We’ve had several battles, lots of people died, and we sank quite a few ships. Meanwhile, the enemy has the support of the Sea Tribe. We really don’t have any cards left to play.”
Fang Hao nodded, understanding the other party’s situation.
“What kind of treasure?”
“Initially suspected to be a huge galleon.”