Chapter 119: Isn

Inside the not-too-big, not-too-small Blue Tile Heart Tavern.

Cheerful voices and laughter gradually faded.

The demon hunters ordered food and drink, and began to feast heartily.

"Would you like to order something to drink? Anyway, you don't have to pay."

The young bartender approached, lowered his voice, and said.

"Black Horn Beef Bread Soup, add extra beef, simmer the broth a bit longer, make it thicker."

This is one of Ta Ke's favorite foods.

"Hehe… I understand." The young bartender winked at Ta Ke, wearing an expression that said, "I get it."

Waiting for the meal.

Footsteps sounded behind him.

Afterwards, the demon hunter squad leader, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with short blond‑brown hair and peculiar silver‑ring heterochromatic pupils, sat down beside Ta Ke.

"Andelie·Fan."

The demon hunter squad leader introduced himself.

Ta Ke glanced at this powerful demon hunter prodigy, then softly spoke.

"Ta Ni Lu."

"You also came here to hunt those herders and Darkday Abyss?" Andelie·Fan asked casually.

Ta Ke shook his head.

"For you demon hunters, hunting those herders and Darkday Abyss is part of your cultivation growth."

"Not for me."

"You can understand, I'm just passing through here."

Ta Ke responded indifferently.

"Are you returning to Shenglande?"

"Once this Grey Night Period ends, I'll return." Ta Ke nodded.

"That's still at least ten or so days." Andelie·Fan laughed.

From the other's tone, Ta Ke already sensed it.

Compared to Ta Ke wanting to meet them, this demon hunter captain obviously wanted to meet Ta Ke more.

To these demon hunters, to a certain extent, Ta Ke is a genuine 'local.'

Moreover, he is a remarkably capable local.

Nothing is more advantageous for their operations than having a capable 'local' serve as their guide, or even give them advice and suggestions.

As expected.

These rough‑and‑tumble foreign demon hunter captains quickly laid out their true intentions.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to invite you to serve as our squad's demon hunter guide before the next Grey Night Period ends."

Ta Ke turned to face this mid‑rank demon hunter adept of over forty levels, and spoke seriously.

"If you want to get some useful advice from me…"

"My advice is that the waters of Black River Valley are deep—you can't handle them!"

"But… I think you won't listen."

Ta Ke's words made demon hunter Andelie·Fan laugh.

Immediately he lowered his voice.

"As our squad's guide, you don't need to fight; you just need to use your wizardry to help us find herders, and for each herder hunted you'll receive 50 magic gold as payment."

"How about that?"

Ta Ke's eyes narrowed slightly as he pondered.

"One herder yields 50 magic gold; ten herders give 500 magic gold; a hundred herders give 5000 magic gold."

"Isn't this better than herding sheep for money?"

"Besides, it's not that dangerous, after all, this squad truly has strength."

"More importantly… you can to some extent infiltrate them, guide them, and muddy the waters of the entire Black River Valley!"

After a moment's thought, Ta Ke nodded.

"No problem, but if I'm forced into combat, I want a share of the loot."

"Sure." Andelie·Fan nodded.

"Since that's the case, let's meet here tomorrow morning and try our first cooperation." Ta Ke said, glancing at his ashen clock.

"Understood."

A small trial cooperation was quickly reached.

With Andelie·Fan's departure,

Ta Ke's deluxe Black Horn Beef Bread Soup was also brought over.

Looking at the pile of beef about to overflow, Ta Ke estimated it wouldn't take two or three silver dragons to obtain.

But even so, to those foreign demon hunters it's merely a drizzle.

After all, one magic gold is worth twenty silver dragons.

While savoring the rich‑aroma bread soup, Ta Ke also pondered his subsequent plans.

Finding herders is no difficulty for Ta Ke.

Across the river, near the Laomor Ruins, herders and Darkday Abyss abound in explosive numbers.

Moreover, the terrain there is very familiar to Ta Ke.

After all, Ta Ke himself, together with his former self, hasn't been short of tunneling there, setting traps, catching rats and the like.

Even if we don't go across the river, going to the deeper parts of the Black River Valley's High Tower City is also possible.

According to the dwarf alchemist Bajins.

There are also a considerable number of Dark Sun Fiends and herders there.

Although Ta Ke can hunt those herders alone.

That wouldn't be very meaningful.

On the contrary, moving alone makes Ta Ke easy to be spotted by the renegade strongmen of Black River Valley and the experts of the Dark Sun Church.

But following these organized, planned Demon Hunters—perhaps even belonging to a "guild"—

That's a completely different story.

When faced with a massive counter‑attack by the Dark Sun Church's experts.

As everyone scatters and flees, Ta Ke can slip away like a fish in muddy water.

That's far better than a lone person drawing all the fire.

"Put the slower teammate in the front line; that… the purpose of a team!"

After a brief reflection, Ta Ke made a serious summary.

…………

Inside the tavern.

With the conclusion of the Demon‑Hunting Sacrifice Ritual.

The corpses of those Fiends and herders were completely eradicated by the ritual's "transcendence."

After praising the ritual while observing from the side, Ta Ke also bid farewell to the Demon Hunter squad.

Soon, the Demon Hunter squad residing in the Blue Tile Heart Tavern gathered in their captain's house.

"Captain, that kid really is a Steam Wizard?"

The fiery beautiful Demon Hunter asked curiously.

"Yes."

"See, I told you, that kid does have something."

The bald Demon Hunter man shouted.

"It's just that his level is a bit low, only 21."

"No… his level isn't 21."

Captain Andre Van shook his head and said.

"Not 21?" the members turned to look.

Their levels are all considerably higher than that Steam Wizard's.

Their natural level advantage also makes it easier to discern the levels of lower‑level transcendents.

"The 21st‑level label is just a façade, if you observe closely."

"What lies behind the 21st level is his true level."

Andre Van elaborated in detail.

"Then… what level is that Steam Wizard?" the female Demon Hunter asked curiously.

"Level 23." Andre Van said seriously.

"Only 23, still a bit low."

"A lower level is safer." Andre Van said.

"But that Steam Wizard isn't safe," the silent Deputy Captain finally spoke.

He hadn't spoken, and the members almost overlooked his presence.

"When I spoke with that wizard up close, I could only confirm he hasn't been tainted by the Dark Sun."

"But even so, as you said, this Steam Wizard is not safe for us."

"You all know how powerful the Steam sequence is."

"He might lead us into a trap."

"So, I plan to cooperate with him step by step."

"Moreover… we all have Guild Magic Nets."

"This world also has things like High Tower Magic Nets."

"But they clearly haven't built a Steam High Tower Magic Net system yet."

"If that human sets a trap for us, we can also notify others via the Magic Net."

"He can't escape our guild's pursuit."

"After several collaborations, we can preliminarily assess the wizard's safety."

These seemingly big‑handed, rugged, bold exotic Demon Hunters.

Yet when it comes to Demon‑Hunter combat and their own safety, they are as delicate as a quiet spring, meticulously considering every detail.

…………

Deep within the rain curtain.

Shielded by his wizard robe, Ta Ke moved silently forward.

Meanwhile, Ta Ke was carefully pondering today's overt and covert clash with that group of Demon Hunters.

A fierce tiger in his heart, yet gently sniffing roses.

This is Ta Ke's rough summary of preparing for a group of Demon Hunters.

Dealing with dark creatures, staying alive and reaching such a high level is clearly not as casual as it appears.

Some kind of magical network inside their arms, like an arcane magical network that has been branded into them.

The thread opened with steam as the source energy links to Sheng Lan De.

They must have leased a tower in Sheng Lan De as the core source of their Steam Magical Network.

The exotic methods these guys bring are indeed something.

I hope that over the coming period I can peacefully act as a member of the Guide Party, and they can bring me some decent profit.

Also!

A fair number of demon hunters have arrived in this wave.

Equipment, weapons, and things that need repair are certainly many.

Perhaps I could give Ba Jin Si some work; after all, he's idle whether he likes it or not.

Ta Ke has no interest in middlemen or the like; mainly, Ta Ke wants to show his enthusiasm.