The Card Cultivation System
CCS-174

In the presence of the entire citizens, Xika and the others disappeared behind the black hole. Other than the children, it was Zheng Wei who stood closest to the hole. His eyes were filled with doubt.

"Anu....."

His mouth made a sound, but no reply was heard. Doubt filled his eyes. He turned around and looked at the Village Chief nodding steadily even though his eyes also contained doubts.

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Xika arrived not far from where she first came when Heiliao took her. When breathing the fresh air that was so thick with nature, Xika really missed this place.

A wolf passed by while he was enjoying the view.

"Xika?"

"Lang Hu?"

"XICA!"

"Y!!!!"

Lang Hu ran over to Xika while the one who was approached instead ran away.

"Why are you staying away?!"

"Because you look like you want to eat me!"

After a short chase, Xika finally stopped and she exchanged greetings with Lang Hu. They talked a little about what had happened over the past year. Then Lang Hu's gaze landed on the foreign youth next to Heiliao.

"Xika....Who is that young man? Is he your friend?"

Unfortunately Huo Bing heard Lang Hu's words. He immediately jumped flying and spread his two-colored wings.

"Well, don't you remember me?!"

"Eh... that voice...I think I've heard it, but I forgot where....."

"You still don't remember seeing my wings?"

"Wings? Wing.....UH! Huo Bing's! You're Huo Bing, right? Aren't you just a spirit before? How did you get that body? Are you......"

Lang Hu's initial sentence was countered with a nod of pride, but behind him Huo Bing looked like he wanted to skin Lang Hu alive.

"I am this"

"Come on." cut Heiliao.

The wolf stepped towards the direction Lang Yan was in after a brief nod at Lang Hu. Huo Bing gave a plot once again that said 'Don't think things through!' then followed Heiliao away. Xika waved her hand and left as well.

Lang Hu stared at the departure of the three just before darting away also telling the other wolves that Xika had returned.

It didn't take long for Heiliao to arrive in front of Lang Yan. Look at his face seriously, just like Heiliao's. Next to Lang Yan, the wolf that Xika saw earlier, Lang Shan, was also there while giving Lang Yan an explanation of what had happened.

"Ehh...because you guys look like you want to talk seriously, I should just go so as not to disturb" said Xika who was actually lazy to follow the conversation.

"No. This time you stay here, Xika. You need to hear this too."

Unfortunately, Heiliao did not allow him to escape. But seeing Heiliao's other than usual gaze, Xika undoes her intention to leave. He also became curious about what kind of thing Heiliao and Lang Yan would talk about.

"Lang Shan, tell me once again what you know of the creature" said Heiliao, who was met with a nod of respect from Lang Shan.

Vaguely Xika guessed that the creature meant the leader of the captured snake.

"We know that there is a party other than the serpents who are behind this attack, but regarding his identity, we still do not know. But what the serpents and others want to achieve in this attack is quite different.

The party only wants to ravage the village without knowing or covet what is in the village, and only based on personal desires. In contrast, the snakes had other motives in their attack. There was something they wanted in that nameless village. As to what it is, we are still finding out.

Furthermore, the snake side only brought a small army because it was sure there was no danger in the village and the existence of the Lord and his brother was not expected at all. In fact, they brought quite a number of young snakes this time around to provide the experience.

The advanced serpents who were his generals in the attack this time were participating just for the sake of it. From the space sealing formation they created earlier, I suspect that the thing they were after was a living being."

Lang Shan stopped when all the information had been conveyed. He waited in silence while watching the faces of the two wolf leaders who were equally difficult to guess.

"good job. You can get out now. I'll discuss the matter further with Heiliao."

Lang Shan lowered his head once at Lang Yan, and once again at Heiliao before leaving. But the look he had was different. When he looked at Lang Yan, the gaze he had was only a subordinate respect for the leader. While looking at Heiliao, his gaze was in the form of deep adoration and admiration.

The room was silent after Lang Shan left. There was only the sound of wind sweeping through the leaves occasionally. Neither Heiliao nor Lang Yan spoke.

"You think......what are they looking for?" said the first Lang Yan breaking the silence.

"I'm not sure. I have some conjectures but......"

Lang Yan nodded. Then his gaze locked onto Huo Bing.

"Who is he? Is he the one the serpents are looking for? Did you get it?"

"He-"

"Yes, I'm the one the serpents are looking for. Why?"

Lang Yan frowned at Huo Bing's response which seemed impolite.

"I don't know what you're and where you're from, but all I know is you have to be polite to me."

"yeah. I was even being disrespectful to her," Huo Bing pointed at Heiliao with her head, "why should I be polite to you?"

SRPR!!!!

"Huo Bing, stop. You're just-there. Lao Yan, don't be fooled by him. Then as to what the serpents are looking for I think I know."

Xika was sure once she saw Lang Yan's eyeballs almost pop out of place when she heard the first sentence he said. However, the wolf tried to direct its focus on Xika's last sentence.

"You know what the serpents are after?"

"Yes. You could even say...I got it? Or Huo Bing....?"

Once again, Lang Yan's eyes looked like they wanted to jump out. But the wolf said nothing. He waited for Xika to explain.

And Xika began to briefly explain their battle, how he flew until he arrived in front of the suddenly shining stone monument, his conversation with the ball of light claiming to be spiritual consciousness, the, and how Huo Bing got his body.

"So so.." Lang Yan's gaze implied that many of the questions in his head were answered all by Xika's story.

"If they did know that there was spiritual awareness in the village, then it was only natural that they brought some snakes to set up a space sealing formation. But it seems like they are too careless to be dragged by you. Hahahaha......." Lang Yan laughed with satisfaction. He sounded very happy when Xika managed to surpass the snakes.

"Then this is the case, for a while this matter is over. Continue to find out the identity of the other party who worked alongside the snakes and what his goal was to destroy the village. I'll go again. Our trip this time should be safe because no one knows where we are."

"Not necessarily." said Huo Bing.

"Why?"

"Where is the snake being held? Did he see us? The snakes had changed their dantian structure somehow so that what the snakes witnessed would be visible to their higher-ups. I don't know if what I saw was just a few moments before death or more, but we can't be off guard.

Before, the leader of the snake had seen us. Thus, they know our existence and our strength roughly. That's what we need to be aware of. I'm sure they won't stop asking the snakes to find out where we are."

Before it managed to get a response, it sounded a growl not far from them. From Lang Yan's eyebrows that raised one and as if saying 'Why?' Xika guessed the growl meant something like 'Report!' and others.

"Why?"

Just as Xika had expected. He looked around and found a familiar human figure.

"Zheng Wei?"

"Xika! Thank goodness! They didn't believe me when I said I knew you."

"What's wrong? Why are you here?"

"Anu....."

Xika could clearly see the doubt and nervousness in her eyes. He still glanced at the occasional wolf who showed himself still afraid of the wolves.

"Speak." Lang Yan's tone sounded extremely displeased as the weak human interrupted his conversation.

"A-anu...can......the hole that leads to our village to this place is not in.....closed?" tanyanya.

Xika furrowed her brows in confusion while Lang Yan raised next to her eyebrows. Xika must be wondering why she and her village who are so afraid of spiritual animals asked for a hole that connects her village with the land of wolves that are spiritual animals are not closed.

"I....."

Seeing Lang Yan's increasingly irritated face Xika hurriedly approached and whispered an explanation in her ear. Hearing Xika's explanation made Lang Yan better but he still raised his eyebrows.

"So, let me be clear, you're asking that the portal that connects my land to your village not be closed so that your residents can come and come here as they please to overcome their trauma?"

Zheng Wei looked somewhat doubtful and wanted to correct some of the words Lang Yan said but when his eyes met Lang Yan's eyes, Zheng Wei immediately lowered his head and nodded slowly.

"No. I refuse." said Lang Yan directly without considering. Neither Xika, Heiliao, nor Huo Bing looked surprised or tried to persuade Lang Yan.

Heiliao was just like Lang Yan, a wolf leader. So their position is the same. If Heiliao agrees there may still be hope but Heiliao has no intention of helping the village to kill him. Just once is enough. It also got a lot of unpleasant looks.

Huo Bing, although he was part of the wolf, but he was unwilling and had no standing. Even if he has it, it won't help either. All that remained was Xika.

Xika could see the pleading gaze in Zheng Wei's eyes, but Xika also shook her head. He has saved them. He owes them nothing. Instead, they are the ones who owe him. He is not obligated to help her.

Finally, all Zheng Wei could rely on was himself.

"To-please! We are willing to give anything"

"What do you have? What can you give us?"

"We can clean the garden, take care of the trees and take care of nature. We can fish-"

"I asked you what you could give us, not what you could do."

"We're willing to do anything in exchange. We can work, cook, mine, dig the ground, plant trees, please! Anything!"

Lang Yan's gaze changed when he heard what Zheng Wei could do.

"How many inhabitants is your village?"

"E-uh? Around....several tens, maybe....?"

"More details. How many?"

"Around.four to fifty....."

"good. Every day, send twelve people who can mine to this place. They will help us mine and all the mines must be handed over to us. If anyone is caught stealing then this agreement will be void and the person caught stealing will be killed instantly. Instead, we will send the wolves to patrol your village. About your trauma, you take care of yourself."

There was a long pause before Lang Yan spoke again.

"Do you agree?"

"......Yeah." yeah."