Currently, Cao Xing still doesn't know what the use of [Advanced Painting Mastery] is.

However, there is no harm in bringing this kind of talent into the territory first.

After hearing this, the young man asked tentatively, "What do I need to do after joining your territory?"

Cao Xing smiled and said, "Just do what you are good at, painting. My territory can guarantee your safety and provide you with warm shelter and food."

“This way, you can also have a better creative environment.”

After hearing the latter sentence, the young man's eyes lit up!

As a poor painter, he was exhausted from living a precarious life with hunger every day.

Like all ordinary people in this world, their greatest wish is to have a stable home.

The young man was about to agree, but he seemed to have something to hide.

"Do you have anything to say?" Cao Xing asked.

He hesitated for a moment, then said slowly: "My Lord, I am very glad that you invited me, and I am also honored to be recognized by you..."

"But there is one thing I must tell you first. I have a mental problem..."

Cao Xing asked in confusion: "Something is wrong with my mind. What is it?"

The young man looked uncomfortable, as if he had recalled something.

He took a deep breath and summoned up his courage and said:

"Since half a year ago, all kinds of monsters have appeared in my dreams whenever I fall asleep..."

"Those monsters looked grotesque, some were covered in intestines, and blood was all over the ground!"

"Some have eyeballs and scales all over their bodies, and are still oozing pus!"

"They even said in my dreams that they wanted to get into my body!"

"At first I thought it was just because I didn't get enough rest and that I could get better with more sleep, but as time went by, the symptoms became more and more serious."

"Even now, as soon as I start closing my eyes, I can see those monsters!"

"I can no longer think, and I can't calm down to paint. I can only paint all the images of these monsters in my mind!"

At this point, his voice began to tremble.

Even Cao Xing and others found it a little weird.

After all, it's a bit too scary to see those monsters as soon as you close your eyes.

"But this is not the worst!"

The young man said excitedly: "In the past two months, my temper has become more and more irritable, and I can't control my anger from time to time!"

"Even when I'm sleepwalking, I'll go crazy and attack others!"

"So I was driven out of my original village and have been living a wandering life ever since."

Cao Xing frowned and asked, "Have you seen those doctors?"

"I've seen it."

The young man said helplessly, "I have seen many famous doctors and taken many medicines, but they are all helpless against my symptoms!"

"Later, a doctor told me that I might not be sick, but have another more bizarre symptom and I needed to see the clergy."

"So I went to the priests, and they told me that I was being targeted by the devil!"

"They said that any demon is extremely rare and difficult to deal with. Apart from going to big cities to find famous exorcists, ordinary methods are simply not enough to deal with demons."

"Even if they do, there is nothing they can do..."

At this point, his tone became somewhat desperate.

After listening to this, Cao Xing seemed to be thinking about something.

Are you being targeted by the devil?

That's really tragic.

Come to think of it, he had dealt with a demon before.

That is in the crypt of Ascalon.

And after killing it, I obtained the powerful skill [Devil Transformation].

In addition, there is a [Demon-Devouring Box] in his backpack, which contains a demon.

This monster is indeed very strange. Not only does it know some strange tricks, it is also good at misleading people.

They even have the ability to be immortal.

According to this world, only the devil can completely kill the devil!

However, Cao Xing is not afraid of these monsters.

After all, he had killed a demon before, and every time they were killed, they could not be resurrected with full health, but would be reduced by 5 levels, greatly reducing their strength.

If this demon wasn't too powerful, Cao Xing could even catch it and study it carefully.

He said directly: "It doesn't matter. I have hundreds of strong soldiers in my territory. If you sleepwalk or go crazy, the soldiers will subdue you."

"As for what you said, that a demon has possessed you..."

"It would be fine if it didn't come out, but if it dared to come out..."

At this moment, Assam and Renis beside them suddenly burst out with the aura of a fourth-level leader!

This is the first time they have shown their full strength in front of a crowd!

Under their full-strength outburst, the faces of the villagers in the entire [Annuohe Village] changed!

It was as if some terrifying existence had descended. Under this momentum, ordinary people were as small as ants!

The young man in front of him was shocked and delighted at the momentum he saw when facing the crowd!

What’s surprising is that this lord’s men are so powerful!

What makes me happy is that I live under such a powerful lord. It seems that I really don’t have to be afraid of any demons?

At this moment, Assam and Renis had already restrained their aura.

Cao Xing chuckled and said, "Now, are you still worried?"

The young man shook his head excitedly and said, "Don't worry, Lord. Your subordinates have a powerful force that will make people tremble!"

"Edward Degas, it is an honor to join your territory!"

Cao Xing also smiled, "Lord Cao Xing, welcome to join us."

Then he threw him a recruitment invitation.

[Recruitment successful: Edward Degas has joined your territory, territory population +1...]

…

The corners of Cao Xing's mouth curved up again.

"Not bad, not bad."

"This time, not only did I successfully complete a generosity test, but I also gained a talent with advanced life skills!"

Cao Xing was in a good mood, and then he looked at Yaskin beside him and said, "Take our new member to the tavern and wait for a while."

"After the fishing tournament is over, we'll take him back to our territory."

After hearing this, Yaskin said respectfully, "As you command, Lord."

After saying that, the painter Edward, with an excited look on his face, was taken to the tavern by Yaskin.

…

Next, Cao Xing led everyone to continue searching in the village to see if they could encounter any incidents.

However, Annuohe Village has a large population and a mixed crowd.

Cao Xing also tried to help a few people, but did not receive any notification from the system that he had completed the task.

Half an hour later, they had almost finished touring the entire Annohe Village.

There was a look of doubt in his eyes.

"That's strange. How do I complete the last trial?"

"Do we need to try our luck in another village?"

At this moment, Cao Xing suddenly saw four villagers walking towards him from the street ahead.

They were divided into four groups, carrying a simple wooden stretcher that seemed to be carrying something.

When the villagers on the road saw the things carried by the four men, their expressions suddenly changed and they retreated as if avoiding snakes and scorpions.

However, Cao Xing faintly smelled the stench of a rotting corpse coming from the front...

Before he could go forward and check.

Among the four villagers who were carrying the stretcher, an old man with gray hair and a hunched body seemed to be exhausted. The stretcher on his shoulders slipped and he fell down instantly.

At the same time, the stretcher turned sideways.

"Blah!"

A man, whose entire body was pale and swollen, as if he had been soaked in water for a long time, rolled down.

In an instant, the surrounding villagers seemed to have seen something terrifying and quickly retreated ten meters!

The other three middle-aged men looked at the old man with resentment in their eyes.

"Old Oulu, what are you doing?"

"We told you that if you were not feeling well, you should send your son over, but you refused to listen!"

"Are you okay now?"

Facing the accusations, the old man kept apologizing with apology in his eyes.

Another middle-aged man next to him said, "Okay, stop talking and get down to business. Take the body away."

After saying this, the four men moved the body back onto the stretcher.

Cao Xing led his men straight over.

The three middle-aged men were about to drive away, but they noticed the tall Assam next to them and stopped where they were for a moment.

"My Lords, what can I do for you?"

Cao Xing asked directly: "I want to ask what happened to this corpse?"

One of the younger beings said, "My Lord, this is an internal matter of our Annohe Village. It is not convenient to tell you..."

After hearing this, Cao Xing thought for a moment and took out 400 crowns from his backpack.

Seeing so many crowns at once, the three middle-aged men's eyes lit up!

If the four of them divided it equally, they would each get 100 kronor, which was almost half a month's salary for them.

Cao Xing saw their excitement and directly stuffed the crown into their hands, then chuckled and said, "Please do me a favor. I am very interested in this matter."

The villagers looked at each other, and one of the middle-aged men said.

"That's right, sir."

"The deceased is a child of the Caesar family."

"Two nights ago, after drinking at the Lavia Tavern, this guy wanted to prove his bravery and broke into the forbidden area in the middle of the night."

"We had already issued a notice in our village that no one should enter that forbidden area, but he refused to listen."

"He drowned there... His body was only found today lying on the roadside..."

Cao Xing noticed a word: "forbidden area".

He asked, "Is there anything in the forbidden area of ​​Annuohe Village that you mentioned?"

The three middle-aged men in front of him showed hesitation in their eyes again.

It seems that some secret about that forbidden area has been touched upon.

Cao Xing smiled and took out another 400 kronor from his backpack.

He has a huge amount of money now and doesn't need these few hundred kronor at all!

No matter in which world, money plays a big role.

Then he stuffed it directly into their hands.

After receiving the crown, the three young men were moved again.

The younger middle-aged man looked around and spoke in a low voice.

"It is said that there is a demon in that forbidden area..."

"Demon spirit?" Cao Xing wondered.

"Yes, that evil spirit has existed for many years and is extremely resentful. She will kill anyone who approaches that place and drag them into the ancient well to drown them!"

"It will not be until a few days later that their bodies are dumped out of the ancient well..."

"Over the years, the number of villagers who have died at the hands of that evil spirit has reached hundreds!"

"It's so powerful that we spent a lot of money to hire a witcher to come here."

"However, when this witcher approached the forbidden area, he ran away in fear without even asking for a reward!"

"After that, none of us dared to go near there anymore."

Hearing this, Cao Xing's eyes showed a thoughtful look.

A powerful demon spirit that has existed for hundreds of years.

Could this also be some kind of special event?

At this time, the hunchbacked old man next to him sighed and said, "The demon in the ancient well is not killing innocent people."

"She is also a poor person..."

Hearing this, the faces of several middle-aged men nearby changed.

"Old Oulu, don't say anything you shouldn't say!"

However, when Cao Xing heard the old man's words, his eyes lit up.

"Let him talk."

The faces of these middle-aged men froze, and they seemed very unwilling.

However, facing the powerful aura emanating from Cao Xing and others, they all kept their mouths shut.

The old man looked at Cao Xing, then at the corpse on the ground, and seemed to have made up his mind.

He said slowly: "When I was very young, there were several hundred families living in Annuohe Village."

"Back then, everyone was simple. Hunters went to the mountains to hunt, and fishermen fished in the river. Life was manageable."

"Among them, the kind and beautiful Jenny and her daughter Jenna also live here."

"Sister Jenna is very nice to me. I often play with her."

"That year, there was heavy snow, which lasted for several months..."

"Hundreds of people in the village are trapped at home, unable to go out, and every household is running out of food!"

"Some of the villagers were so hungry that they took advantage of the fact that Jenny's family had no man and rushed into their house."

"Not only did this group of people steal all their food, they also humiliated the wife and daughter!"

At this point, the old man's eyes contained some anger and a hint of regret!

"Mrs. Jenny couldn't stand the humiliation and committed suicide at home."

"Afterwards, Mrs. Jenny's daughter Jenna held the cold body at home and waited for her father to come back..."

"But she kept waiting... until the fire in the stove went out and all the food in the house was gone..."

"With nowhere else to turn, Sister Jenna jumped into the ancient well..."

"I was too young at the time and watched it all happen, but I couldn't do anything!"

"If I could go back in time, I would never let Jenna go through this, even if it cost me my life!"

The old man's tone became more and more excited.

The three middle-aged men next to them had stiff expressions.

Cao Xing listened thoughtfully.

He continued to ask, "What happened next, this old man?"

After hearing this, the old man calmed down.

"Later, because of the great resentment before her death, Jenna turned into a vengeful spirit and began to seek revenge on those who had hurt her and her mother!"

"During those years, we could hear screams coming from a villager's home almost every once in a while. When we went to check, we found that the whole family had died suddenly. Their deaths were extremely tragic."

"For a while, the whole village was in a panic..."

"It was not until she killed all the dozens of families who bullied her and her daughter that her anger gradually subsided."

"Almost a hundred years have passed by now..."

"Janna's vengeful spirit still remains in that ancient well. Over the years, her resentment has only grown stronger..."

"Whoever approaches that area will be attacked by Jenna."

After listening to the old man, the villagers of Annuohe Village all lowered their heads.

This is a scandal in their village.

Even though almost a hundred years have passed, no one on the scene seems willing to face it.

Moreover, the vengeful spirit still kills some people from time to time, constantly reminding those people of the evil things they did in the past!

The old man in front of him bent over and suddenly came in front of Cao Xing.

Then he knelt heavily on his knees.

"Sir, if you are able..."

"Please help Ms. Jenna and free her vengeful spirit!"

"She's so pitiful..."

"To experience such cruel things while alive, and to carry hatred with you after death, staying in the same place for so many years!"

"This is too cruel for a little girl who is only a few years old!"

When the old man said this, his eyes were already filled with tears, and then he put his forehead against Cao Xing's boots.

Cao Xing seemed to be thinking about something.

Obviously, this is a special event.

Although I don't know if it has anything to do with the Trial of Generosity, events like this usually have some unexpected rewards.

So Cao Xing helped the old man up and said solemnly, "I understand, old man."

"I will go to that forbidden place you mentioned and take a look."

Hearing this, the old man in front of him burst into tears of gratitude and thanked Cao Xing profusely.

Under the gaze of everyone.

The four of them put the swollen male body back on the stretcher and quickly left.

…

…

When the crowd dispersed.

Liu Muxue asked softly, "Are we going to that forbidden area?"

Cao Xing nodded, "Well, let's go and take a look."

"But... the old man said that the vengeful spirit has existed for hundreds of years and is becoming increasingly powerful. Is there any danger?"

I have to say that Liu Muxue's analysis does make sense.

Although Cao Xing is confident in his own abilities, he prefers to be more stable.

"You're right. I'll call Braun and the others over."

After hearing this, Liu Muxue showed a faint smile.

He pressed the communicator on his ear and said, "Bron, call Andrew and Rune over. There is a move."

There was a noisy sound on the other end of the line.

“Gurgle…Gurgle…”

"Okay...Okay Lord, Bronn will come over here right away!"

Cao Xing told Bron his location.

soon.

Several big guys including Braum, Andrew, and Rune all came over.

The three of them were as strong as a door panel, walking side by side, occupying an entire street.

When the nearby villagers saw them, they kept away from them.

He feels like a village bully.

"Lord, we are here!"

"Bron didn't drink much, I really only had one drink!"

He blew on his mustache and smiled proudly.

Andrew next to him also said: "My Lord, Mr. Bron really only drank one glass."

Hearing this, Cao Xing also laughed.

"Come with me, I'll take you somewhere."

After saying this, he led Assam, Rune and others forward.

The so-called forbidden area of ​​Annuohe Village is actually very easy to find.

After all, this is just a village and the area is not that big.

As long as you see those deserted places, they are basically the so-called "forbidden areas".

Cao Xing and others walked directly along a deserted street. The further they went in, the fewer people there were.

Soon, they came to a desolate area.

There are only a few simple wooden houses here, and the roads are lined with weeds.

Compared with the bustling Annohe Village, this area seems extremely desolate.

At this time, Cao Xing noticed that among the small houses, there seemed to be a smaller house that was cleaner.

There was no grass left around the house, as if even plants were afraid to get close.

In front of the house, there is an abandoned courtyard surrounded by a simple wooden fence.

There is also a well in the middle of the courtyard.

Liu Muxue pointed to the entrance of the courtyard and said, "Ah Xing, there seems to be some words on that wooden board."

After hearing this, Cao Xing also looked over.

The font above reads.

[There is a demon ahead, please do not approach...]

…

When Cao Xing saw the above content, he knew that he had found the location.

Instead of going in right away, he called out, "Sarah."

A shadow emerged, "My Lord, I am here."

Cao Xing breathed a sigh of relief.

Sarah has been in stealth mode since she left the territory, and her presence is completely undetectable.

But as long as Sarah is there, he has confidence.

Then, Cao Xing said, "Let's go in and take a look."

As everyone stepped into the courtyard, Cao Xing clearly felt an extremely cold aura coming.

This aura was so strange that even the heat from the colorful yak clothes on his body could not dispel it.

It seems to be drilling into my body.

If an ordinary person comes in, even if nothing happens, he will get seriously ill when he goes back.

Fortunately, they all had strong enough physiques to ignore this cold aura.

After Cao Xing came in, he did not go to explore the ancient well in the middle of the courtyard first.

Instead, he went into the abandoned house next door to investigate.

“Crack!”

As the old wooden door was pushed open, a rotten smell of wood immediately wafted from inside.

The house had been abandoned for a long time and the roof beams had collapsed.

The room was filled with dust.

Cao Xing looked around but found no clues.

Then he went to the kitchen area and opened the cupboard.

There was nothing inside, not even a jar.

Then he went to the bedroom area.

The scene inside immediately brightened his eyes!

On the bedroom wall, he saw a dark portrait.

Due to the invasion of time, the portrait has become very blurred.

But from the outline above, you can vaguely see that this is a family portrait.

A man with two women, with a forest in the background.

This is almost exactly the same as the family portrait he saw in the witch castle!

…

…

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