Global Coming: Farming with my sister-in-law in the end times

Chapter 700 The Past of the Orchid Kingdom, Heading to the Black Market
"I wonder... if Lord Cao Xing is interested in participating?" Queen Youlan inquired.

Cao Xing hadn't spoken yet.

Elisa's eyes lit up.

Wow! A flower festival? That sounds really interesting!

She exclaimed excitedly, "My lord, I want to participate! I want to participate!"

Cao Xing's face darkened. "You haven't even planted a single blade of grass in your territory. What are you going to use to participate?"

Elisa seemed to have remembered this as well, and nodded dejectedly, saying, "Okay..."

She looked very disappointed, while Xiao Chuchu comforted her understandingly.

The demon dragon Bingbing was also rubbing its head against her clothes.

Queen Youlan smiled slightly and said, "It doesn't matter if there are no plants. I can have Lord Cao Xing serve as a judge."

It's clear that the Queen genuinely wanted them to visit the main city of Linglan.

Upon hearing this, Elisa's eyes lit up with hope once again.

Cao Xing smiled and shook his head, saying, "That won't be necessary, Your Majesty."

"We're also rushing to the black market before heading to that ancient ruin."

"We'll visit the Orchid Kingdom again after we've finished exploring."

Hearing Cao Xing say this, Queen Youlan did not insist and nodded, saying, "Alright, then Lord Cao Xing, please proceed."

Cao Xing nodded, then remembered something and asked, "By the way, Your Majesty."

"Do you know where Rosie from Chuanhai Fort is now?"

After all, he had accepted the old king's commission this time, and if possible, he could just complete it along the way.

Upon hearing this question, a look of reminiscence appeared in Queen Youlan's eyes.

After a moment, she said softly, "Rosie... she did stay in our Linglan main city for a period of time before."

"I had some communication with her."

"She is a remarkable woman; in many ways, even I am not as insightful as she is."

"I've talked a lot with Rosie, about spiritual practice, governing a country, and life in general."

"That's why we became good friends."

"However, she left Linglan City many years ago, and I don't know where she went."

After a pause, Queen Youlan continued:

"If Lord Cao Xing needs her, I can send people to find her."

Upon hearing this, Cao Xing smiled gratefully: "Then thank you very much, Your Majesty!"

"I do have something to discuss with Ms. Rosie."

The Queen nodded slightly and said casually, "You're welcome. Let's not talk about your victory over the Blood Legion."

"Just the fact that you saved my daughter Fran and my sister Marita is enough to make me help you."

Upon hearing the name Marita, Cao Xing suddenly felt a little guilty.

I wonder if Queen Youlan knows about his relationship with Marita...

Cao Xing looked up at her.

The queen appeared to have no reaction whatsoever.

Cao Xing breathed a slight sigh of relief.

After a moment, Queen Youlan spoke slowly.

"Then please make yourselves at home. I won't disturb you any longer. I'll arrange for someone to search for Rosie's whereabouts in a bit."

"If you need anything, you can come to the center of the palace to find me."

Cao Xing nodded and said, "Okay."

At the same time, Queen Youlan slowly turned around.

The surrounding vines began to move again, and orchids bloomed out of thin air.

She stepped on these orchids and left this place step by step.

Even after Queen Youlan left, a faint fragrance lingered in everyone's nostrils.

Only Bai Zhi, Lord Oran, and Cao Xing and his group remained on the spot.

A moment later, Cao Xing waved his hand and released the Griffin King from the Necromancer's Bag.

Then he said, "Lord Oran, Bai Zhi, neither of you can fly, so I'll have Old Wang take you."

"The rest of you, do you want to stay in the necromancy bag, or do you want to go outside for some fresh air?"

Everyone looked at each other.

Ilena spoke first: "My lord, please put my sister and me into the necromancy bag. We don't like to show ourselves in front of too many people."

The minotaur chieftain, Kane Burstbody, standing nearby, also said, "My lord, the minotaurs are too big, and they will cause you some trouble."

"Put me in your bag, and release me when there is a battle."

Newcomers including the priestess Fainaz and the dragon shaman Vimne have all expressed their opinions.

They all wanted to stay in the sack of the dead.

Cao Xing glanced at everyone and laughed, "Alright, then I'll take you all in first, and release you when there's a battle."

After saying that, he waved his hand again, and all the master-level experts on the field disappeared.

Four legends and four heroes remained in the original location, along with Cao Xing and the Griffin King.

However, at Elisa's insistence, Cao Xing also released the little girl, Tong Chuchu, and the demon dragon Bingbing.

After confirming the personnel, Cao Xing jumped directly onto Lao Wang's back.

Then he said, "Let's go, let's set off."

Upon hearing this, everyone jumped up as well.

At the same time, Old Wang flapped his wings, his massive body creating a gust of air, and instantly soared into the sky thousands of meters high.

The blue energy shield that enveloped the entire main city did not hinder them, allowing them to pass through.

"Huhu——!"

The wind whistled in their ears as they sped off into the distance.

In the blink of an eye, they left the main city of the Youlan Kingdom.

I don't know if it's because this country has existed for longer than the Ice Crystal Kingdom, or because the Orchid Kingdom has a special geographical location.

The living environment here seems to be much better than in the Ice Crystal Kingdom.

The most obvious difference is that the vegetation here is much denser.

Looking out, vast expanses of white forests resemble works of art sculpted from ice and snow, covering the expansive land.

These trees are all very tall and straight, with branches and leaves as white as silver and as white as snow, swaying gently in the cold wind.

On the snowfield, you can also see some white plants that you don't know the names of.

They still grow tenaciously in extremely cold weather.

Occasionally, you can see unique blue accents, which are the national flower of the Orchid Kingdom.

Although the air was still filled with a biting chill, the scene before me gave me a sense of tranquility and vitality.

Elisa lay on the back of the Griffin King, her eyes wide as she watched the scenery along the way.

She couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow...this country...is so beautiful!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Lord Oran said from the side, "The Kingdom of Youlan is also a relatively ancient kingdom in the Western Continent."

"Throughout its thousands of years of history, this country has experienced the rule of more than a dozen queens, with their reigns changing hands."

"It has also experienced several coups and even crises of national extinction, but the country has persevered."

"Just like the bloody chaos a thousand years ago, the even more powerful kingdoms of Ascalon and Kelix were destroyed."

"But the relatively weaker Youlan Kingdom survived."

"Just like the name of this country, Youlan—it may seem delicate, but it has a tenacious vitality."

A hint of curiosity flashed in Cao Xing's eyes as he asked, "Was the Youlan Kingdom ruled by women from the very beginning?"

"Yes."

The Lord of Oran nodded slightly, his tone tinged with emotion: "The history of this country can be traced back thousands of years."

"Initially, the Kingdom of Yulan was founded by a group of powerful women who were extremely hostile to men, believing them to be symbols of violence and chaos."

"However, because women make up more than 90% of the country, they have to face a real problem—how to continue the country's population."

At this point, the Lord of Oran's tone became somewhat complicated.

"During that period, both the first and second generation of Queen Yulan issued a series of new policies."

"For example, purchasing large numbers of strong male slaves from all over the world and using them as breeding tools."

"They are confined in a specific area all day long, becoming seed-producing machines, solely to complete their reproductive tasks."

"There are also cases where the state funds the invitation of powerful entities from other kingdoms to come to their countries..."

Hearing this, Elisa, who was standing nearby, quickly covered Xiao Chuchu's ears.

Meanwhile, the people on the griffin king's back were intrigued and pricked up their ears, listening with even greater attention.

Lord Oran continued, "But despite this, the country's birth rate is declining year by year, and it looks like it's about to reach the point where there are no more sons to carry on the family line."

"A population crisis is looming, and the entire country is on the verge of collapse."

"Then, a famous coup occurred in the Kingdom of Youlan."

"The third Queen of the Orchids—Wenna Xiaou—led her followers into the palace, overthrew the rule of the second Queen of the Orchids, and took over the power of the entire kingdom."

"Queen Winna immediately implemented a series of reform policies after taking the throne."

"She gave the men of this country enough social status to enjoy preferential treatment."

"They even publicly announced a series of attractive benefits to the various kingdoms." "These include, but are not limited to, the fact that each man can legally marry several wives in the Kingdom of Youlan, and the country will even provide monthly subsidies to these families so that they can live a life free from worries about food and clothing."

"This has attracted a large influx of men into the country."

"The purpose of everything is to save this country from extinction."

"Thanks to her efforts, the Kingdom of Youlan finally stabilized its birth rate and its population gradually recovered."

"Then, Queen Wenna began to implement the next step of the plan, to achieve true equality between men and women in the country."

"True equality?" A hint of doubt flashed in Cao Xing's eyes.

Lord Oran nodded, his tone firm: "Yes, whether you are a woman or a man, you will be treated equally here."

"Equality here is not just a simple slogan, but a real social transformation."

"The most obvious one is the Moon Goddess Merchant Guild."

"In the Kingdom of Youlan, women can also engage in commerce and even become leaders of merchant guilds."

"And in the Moon Goddess Merchant Guild, there are also a large number of men holding important positions."

"Through mutual cooperation, the two sides gradually expanded the Moon Goddess Chamber of Commerce, making it one of the three major chambers of commerce."

"She also forbids the women of the kingdom from asking men for any favors; men and women are both independent beings and must have their own means of survival."

"Queen Wenna's reforms have completely changed the social structure of the Kingdom of Yulan and have also revitalized the country."

"Although the Kingdom of Youlan is still ruled by the Queen, the concept of gender equality has taken root in people's hearts and become the cornerstone of this country."

After listening, Cao Xing's eyes also showed a hint of appreciation.

No wonder the Orchid Kingdom has stood for thousands of years; its philosophy was truly ahead of its time!
The group continued chatting while admiring the view below.

They traveled thousands of kilometers.

The rolling mountains, where ice and snow blend with forests, create a unique landscape.

Along the way, we also saw many giant cities nestled in snowfields and canyons, as well as scattered villages and towns in the surrounding area.

It must be said that the Kingdom of Youlan is indeed much more prosperous and has a much larger population than the Kingdom of Bingjing.

The roads between towns crisscross, and occasionally caravans can be seen moving slowly, adding a touch of life to this icy world.

However, like all countries, the closer to the border, the more desolate the area becomes.

As they continued their journey, the bustling towns gradually disappeared, leaving only occasional sparse villages and watchtowers standing in the wind and snow.

About two hours later, they finally reached the border.

This is a vast snowfield, and the borders of the Orchid Kingdom are also heavily guarded.

The large war fortresses were covered with large cannons and war machines.

You can also see many patrolling soldiers up there.

They were wearing heavy fur coats and constantly surveyed their surroundings.

Lord Oran said, "Lord Cao Xing, I'll go and give him a heads-up to avoid causing any unnecessary trouble."

Cao Xing nodded slightly. "Go ahead."

Then, the city lord leaped off Old Wang's back and landed steadily in the snow below.

He entered a fortress at an extremely fast speed.

After waiting for about five minutes, Lord Oran quickly returned and jumped back onto the Griffin King's back.

"Lord Cao Xing, we've already given the order, so we can go directly there now."

"it is good."

After saying that, Cao Xing patted Old Wang on the ground.

"Wow—"

Old Wang let out a clear cry and led everyone across the border without any hindrance.

……

Beyond the border lies a desolate and silent landscape.

Beyond this point lies vast uninhabited areas.

On the snow-covered land, there was almost no trace of life, only the howling wind echoing in my ears.

It felt like stepping into another world all of a sudden.

After flying for about five kilometers, Lord Oran suddenly spoke up: "Lord Cao Xing, let's change direction now."

"Why?" Cao Xing asked, somewhat puzzled.

The city lord explained, "Before we head to the Lost Royal City, aren't we planning to visit the black market first?"

"That black market is some distance from the Lost Royal City; it's also located in an underground city."

Cao Xing asked with some surprise, "You mean, in this wilderness area, there is an underground city that exists specifically as a black market?"

"Yes."

Lord Oran nodded and continued to explain, "That underground city was once occupied by a group of powerful undead who claimed to be followers of the god of war."

"Later, the Giant Axe Mercenary Group discovered the city."

"By the way, here's something to add: the Giant Axe Mercenary Group is one of the most powerful mercenary groups in the surrounding kingdoms, and their leader is a legendary-level expert."

"The Giant Axe Mercenary Group engaged in a fierce battle with the undead and eventually drove them out."

"From then on, it became a gathering place for mercenaries, adventurers, and gold prospectors."

"Over time, it developed into the largest black market in the surrounding kingdoms."

Upon hearing this, Cao Xing's eyes once again showed a look of realization.

The city sounded very familiar, almost identical to the underground city near his territory.

Cao Xing also subdued an army of over 100,000 undead beneath that city, obtained a legendary shield, and accepted an SS-level mission.

I wonder... if there are any treasures hidden in this underground city?
However, Cao Xing quickly shook his head: "Even if there is treasure, it has probably already been discovered by the Giant Axe Mercenary Group and taken away."

Thinking of this, Cao Xing once again commanded, "Old Wang, turn northwest and continue forward."

"Wow—!"

Old Wang let out a low cry, his huge wings tilted slightly, and his body drew a graceful arc in the air as he sped away.

They traversed vast uninhabited areas and crossed numerous mountain ranges.

The further they went from the Kingdom of Youlan, the more desolate the surrounding scenery became; the snow-covered land was completely devoid of human habitation.

Only occasionally do wild animals roam the snowfield.

About an hour later, they had traveled nearly a thousand kilometers after crossing the border.

The Griffin King led everyone to a stop above a vast white forest.

This white forest is vast, stretching as far as the eye can see.

Its diameter is approximately several hundred kilometers, equivalent to the size of an entire snowfield.

At the same time, the voice of the Lord of Oran City rang in my ears.

"We've arrived, Lord Cao Xing."

"Beneath this forest lies the underground black market."

Cao Xing nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the forest below.

He keenly sensed that beneath this dense forest lay many different kinds of energy.

Clearly, many gold prospectors or adventurers from the surrounding area have already arrived here.

"How do we get in?" Cao Xing asked.

Lord Oran replied, "There are many entrances to this underground black market. We can just go down into the forest and choose any one to enter."

"Okay," Cao Xing replied, then controlled Old Wang to descend slowly.

"Wow..."

The Griffin King's massive wings tore through the treetops, carrying everyone to a safe landing in the forest.

Led by the Lord of Oran, they traveled through the dense forest.

They slowed down after a short while.

The group saw a dark entrance to a passageway not far ahead.

Below the passageway is a long staircase that winds downwards, seemingly leading straight to the ground.

"This terrain... looks similar to the entrance to the Ascalon Palace."

Cao Xing felt a sense of familiarity with the scene before him.

When he took Ji Xinyue to the underground palace where the demon was, there seemed to be a similar passage.

He continued, "Old Wang, put us down."

"Wow..."

The Griffin King responded softly, then slowly descended to the ground.

Everyone jumped off Old Wang's back.

They went to the edge of the passage together to take a look.

The entrance to the passage was only a meter wide, and inside it was dark and deep, with no way of knowing how deep it was.

Elisa and Tong Chuchu, along with the demon dragon Bingbing, poked their heads out, curiously peering inside.

Given the griffin king's enormous size, it certainly couldn't fit through such a narrow opening.

Fortunately, Cao Xing has the [Necromancer's Bag].

So, with a casual wave of his hand, he switched Old Wang into necromancy and put him away.

Lord Oran said, "Lord Cao Xing, we can go in now."

Cao Xing nodded slightly, "Okay."

……

(End of this chapter)