Chapter 70: The Great Bluff

"Phew, that was close!"

After some frantic rummaging, Xu Feng finally pulled out an intermediate healing scroll of the light element from his storage ring. It was important to note that such scrolls were extremely expensive, costing several thousand gold coins apiece—a veritable fortune. As the saying goes, 'prepare for rain on a sunny day.' Xu Feng had bought it for a rainy day, and now it had indeed paid off.

Gentle holy light washed over him. Although this intermediate healing spell wasn’t enough to fully restore Leimowus, combined with his formidable strength, it was sufficient to barely suppress the deadly poison until they could return.

"Thank you."

Leimowus nodded. The feeling of a second lease on life... being alive was truly wonderful.

Xu Feng reintroduced himself, as the other man had been severely injured earlier and might not have heard clearly.

"Lord Viscount, thank you so much. How did you end up here?"

"It’s a long story." Xu Feng sighed. "I was returning to the capital from Rotterburg when, halfway, a landslide blocked the road. Not wanting to wait, I took a detour. I never expected to encounter Your Excellency Leimowus along the way. Perhaps it was the guidance of the Goddess of Light."

"Young Master!"

Xiuer and Arola also approached. Xu Feng introduced them, making a small joke by saying they were both his... women.

Xiuer naturally remained unfazed, but the Young Princess blushed scarlet. This scoundrel, what nonsense was he spouting? Yet, for some reason, she felt only a flicker of anger, while the remaining seven parts held a faint sense of delight. A girl's heart was truly a mysterious thing.

How infuriating! She’d settle the score with him when there were no outsiders around, the Young Princess secretly vowed.

By now, the first light of dawn had arrived. The sun rose on the horizon, its warm rays dispelling the darkness and driving away the cold. It was a new day.

A small stream nearby made it easy to catch fish. Xu Feng’s superb grilling skills solved the breakfast problem. But what next? Leimowus was severely injured and could barely walk, and they were in a desolate wilderness with no villages ahead or inns behind—there was simply no one around to help.

Xu Feng frowned. The current situation was a real dilemma. He couldn’t just abandon Leimowus, but he was at a loss for what to do. Suddenly, he heard hoofbeats.

Xu Feng’s expression changed. He quickly pulled Xiuer and Arola back and shielded Leimowus behind him... Could it be that the Necromancer had companions?

"Legion Commander!"

"My Lord!"

"Your Excellency Leimowus!"

...

Shouts came from the distance. Though the voices were unfamiliar, they carried a heavy sense of urgency. Xu Feng’s heart stirred... Could it be?

He turned to look at the druid. After the treatment, Leimowus’s complexion had improved somewhat, though standing was still a struggle.

"It’s Harry and Jerry." A hint of joy appeared on Leimowus’s face. "Sir Xu Feng, they are my subordinates."

Xu Feng breathed a sigh of relief. He raised his hand and shot a water arrow into the sky. The blue spray scattered like a signal flare. Soon, the others found them.

"Legion Commander, what happened to you?"

"Good heavens, who injured you like this?"

Two young men in their twenties, bearing the emblem of the Temple of Light on their chests—also members of the Church’s Druid Legion—stood there. Behind them was an elderly man in white robes, a priest skilled in healing.

The two helped the unsteady Leimowus to his feet, then gave a hostile look at Xu Feng.

"Mind your manners. He is my savior."

Though they didn’t understand the details, their commander’s words dispelled the two young druids’ hostility. They smiled at Xu Feng.

The priest walked more slowly, but he soon arrived as well. After examining Leimowus’s injuries, his expression turned grave. The Curse of Ultimate Evil—one of the most terrifying poisons among necromantic black magic. An ordinary person would have died long ago. Leimowus truly lived up to being one of the Church’s most powerful experts.

Not daring to delay, he took out his staff and began chanting: "Merciful Goddess of Light, please bestow Your holy light to dispel the influence of evil..."

The lengthy incantation was no ordinary healing spell but an advanced light-element healing magic—the Goddess’s Blessing!

Gentle holy light, faintly accompanied by angelic singing, bathed Leimowus. The black aura seemed to meet its natural enemy, rapidly dissipating.

The entire process took several minutes.

The priest’s forehead was covered in sweat. Clearly, he had given his all. "I’m sorry, Sir Leimowus. I could only dispel about seventy percent of the deadly poison within you. The rest is beyond my ability. You must return to the Temple headquarters in the capital."

"Master Mason, don’t worry. Thank you very much."

Although some residual poison remained, with Leimowus’s strength, suppressing it was no longer an issue. His complexion looked much better, and he no longer needed support to stand.

"May the Goddess bless you, Sir Leimowus. We are relieved you are safe. Please return quickly. His Holiness the Pope is very worried about you."

"Thanks to Viscount Xu Feng." Leimowus’s eyes held gratitude. "If not for his rescue, you would not have seen me again."

After a brief account of what happened, the Church members became much friendlier toward Xu Feng. Xu Feng didn’t inquire about how Leimowus was injured. The reason was simple—it might involve Church secrets. The more one knew, the greater the danger. Curiosity could be restrained; Xu Feng didn’t want trouble.

In short, things had gone more smoothly than expected. By saving Leimowus, he had earned a favor from the Church of Light, which would undoubtedly bring great benefits in the future.

To search for Leimowus, the Temple had dispatched several small teams and prepared special carriages. One carriage was for Leimowus and the priest, while another was provided for Xu Feng. As for the two druids, they rode on horseback as escorts.

Compared to noble carriages, the Church’s carriage was more plainly decorated but extremely comfortable to ride in. The compartment was spacious, with lighting and ventilation designed very ergonomically.

"Young Princess, what’s wrong? Why are you glaring at me?"

Once inside the carriage with no outsiders around, the Snake Clan’s Young Princess glared angrily at Xu Feng, making the young man curious. It seemed he hadn’t offended her, but from another perspective... the sight of a beauty in a light rage was quite pleasing to the eye.

"Still talking! Earlier, when you introduced me, why did you say I was your, your..."

Girls were naturally more reserved, and Little Pepper was no exception. At this point, she couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.

So that was it. Xu Feng had almost forgotten—it was just a little prank. Earlier, when introducing Arola to Leimowus, he had claimed she was his woman, taking a verbal advantage.

"I had no choice." Xu Feng sighed.

"No choice?"

"Yes, Arola. You must know how precious Snake Clan girls like you, with royal bloodline and the ability to freely transform their tails into legs, are, right?"

Arola fell silent. Although beastmen civilization was relatively backward, Hailan Star was an open world. Since childhood, she had loved reading, and these matters were recorded in detail in books.

The Snake Clan was already famous for producing beauties. Additionally, girls of this clan possessed extraordinary physical flexibility, and those with royal bloodline were rare. Thus, in human slave trade, they were always in high demand but short supply. Human nobles’ pursuit of them even surpassed that of elves...

"See, Young Princess? Your identity cannot be exposed. I did it for your safety."

"But..." Arola had already forgiven Xu Feng, but she still had some doubts. "Even so, you didn’t have to say you were my..."

"Silly girl." Xu Feng glared at her. "That’s the only way to avoid suspicion. You’re so beautiful; if you were unattached, it would surely attract a lot of interest. If people looked deeper, your identity would be exposed. By saying you’re my woman, I’m acting as your shield. And you don’t even appreciate it."

At first glance, Xu Feng’s words sounded reasonable. But upon closer thought, they were pure nonsense... He was introducing Arola to Leimowus. Who was Leimowus? The Legion Commander of the Temple’s Druid Legion, a famous ascetic of the Church.

Ascetics were the most devout believers, dedicating everything to the God of Light. They did not marry and had no interest in women. No matter how beautiful Arola was, in his eyes, she was merely a fleeting illusion. He wouldn’t inquire about her background, let alone risk exposure.

Xu Feng was purely bluffing. The journey was boring, so of course he had to tease the little beauty.

Huan Yu: Brothers and sisters who still have votes, please support. I’m lacking calcium... ahem... no, lacking votes. Please support with recommendation votes.

[bid=1140692,bnme=《Hundred Refinements Immortality》]