Final Lord

Chapter 289 Using one tiger to devour another (1)

His gaze swept over the blind cat's back, which was tense with anticipation. After a moment of contemplation, an elusive smile flickered across the corner of his mouth.

“The plan is good, but not comprehensive enough.” Wang Bufu’s voice was low and calm, like an undercurrent seeping into a crevice in the rock. “Although the main force of the Minotaur has gone out to fight, there are still defensive forces deep in the labyrinth. We need more accurate intelligence—especially about the Medusa tribe.”

He raised his hand to signal the guards behind him to step back, leaving only Wei Yi and Heska.

“Let’s go and meet ‘Wolf Steel’ again. This old chief guarding the gate must know a lot of information we need.”

ten minutes later……

At the damp pass, the minotaur Wolfgang leaned against a stone pillar, his rough fingers fiddling with the skull ornament on his nose ring.

When he saw Wang Bufu's figure clearly, his copper bell-like eyes widened instantly, and his scarred nostrils twitched involuntarily.

"Honorable guest!" Wolf Steel greeted him with a fawning smile, his thick tail thumping the ground nervously. "Is there anything else you need? I, Wolf Steel, have some influence in the labyrinth. Just tell me, and I'll do it to your satisfaction."

Wang Bufu casually tossed out a heavy bag of gold coins, and Wolfgang immediately tore open the bag with its teeth, greedily licking the opening. The faint glow of the gold coins illuminated its suddenly dilated pupils, and a satisfied gurgle escaped its throat.

Great! Generous! No wonder he's a big spender who bought up the slave market!

"I want to ask you something." With the added boost of the gold coins, Wang Bufu's voice carried an air of undeniable authority.

"Regarding the Medusa tribe, I've heard that you minotaurs often fight with the Medusas and have even sold Medusa slaves."

I'm quite interested in the Medusa unit. Who's stronger, you Tauren or the Medusa? Did you suffer heavy losses when you campaigned against the Medusa tribe?

Wolf Steel's horns twitched slightly, a corner of its brownish-yellow front tooth was chipped, and it grinned with a ferocious smile: "Ha! Those long-tailed women? Not worth mentioning!"

It braced itself on the ground with the handle of an axe; its three-meter-tall body was hunched over in a somewhat comical manner, but its tone was full of disdain:
"They are indeed quite skilled; they are accurate with their bows and arrows, and their eyes can petrify enemies. But so what?"

Wolf Steel patted his heavy breastplate, the clanging of metal echoing through the tunnel. "Our armor is specifically designed to counter their arrows, and the antidote runes on our nose rings render their petrifying eyes useless! They are no match for us."

Wang Bufu's fingertips unconsciously rubbed the dagger at his waist, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. He asked thoughtfully, "So... you always win every time you go to war?"

Wolf Steel's single eye narrowed into a slit, and his voice suddenly lowered, carrying a hint of malice: "Of course not. Those Medusas are very cunning. Relying on their immunity to toxins, they always like to hide in the poisonous fog swamps filled with toxic gas, where we really can't do anything to them."

But unless it's in the poisonous fog swamp, if our warriors encounter Medusa, they'll have a hard time even escaping. Our chances of fighting them are about 90/10. We're 90% of the time, they're 10%."

Wang Bufu's lips curled up slightly, like a hunter who had caught the trail of his prey. He casually tossed out a small bag of gold coins, which Wolfgang caught hastily, almost prostrating himself on the ground in obsequiousness.

"Thank you for the news." Wang Bufu wanted to pat Wolfgang on the shoulder, but Wolfgang was too tall and he couldn't reach him.

Just then, Wolfgang very considerately bent down and offered his shoulder to Wang Bufu.

"Heh." Wang Bufu chuckled and asked, "Brother, I'd like to meet the chief of the Minotaur Labyrinth. Do you have any connections?"

"Oh!" Wolfgang chuckled. "Then I've got connections! What do you want to see the chief for?" Wang Bufu made an exaggerated circle with his outstretched hands: "To discuss a big business deal!"

"Wow! This looks huge!" Wolfgang's eyes gleamed with greed. "No problem, I'll arrange for you to meet tonight!"

……

That night, the bright magic lamps cast shimmering shadows on the stone walls of the Tauren Chieftain's Hall, their brightness far surpassing that of fluorescent plants.

Wang Bufu wore a magnificent cloak embroidered with dark patterns, and the gold coin pouch at his waist made a pleasant clinking sound with each step.

Wolf Steel diligently led the way, its thick tail occasionally sweeping across the ground, brushing the scattered dust to both sides.

"Lord Keynes!" Wolfgang's booming voice echoed through the stone hall, "This is the wealthy human merchant who bought up the slave market today!"

The Tauren chieftain, seated on his obsidian throne, slowly raised his head, his golden nose ring, inlaid with rubies, gleaming in the firelight.

His more than three-meter-tall body stood as immovable as an iron tower, with crisscrossing scars on his chest faintly visible between the gaps in his scales.

"I've long admired your name." Wang Bufu gave a slight bow, his fingertips subtly touching the gold coin pouch at his waist. "It is my honor to meet the ruler of the Minotaur Labyrinth."

Keynes' rough fingers rubbed the armrests of the throne, the bronze horns scraping against the stone with a harsh sound.

He asked calmly:

"I heard you spent over 300,000 gold coins in one go?" His voice was like two pieces of flint rubbing together. "I'm curious, what kind of merchant would be so fascinated by weak races like cavemen, dwarves, and lizardmen?"

Wang Bufu calmly accepted the crystal glass from the attendant, the amber liquid swirling within. "I come from the Winter Empire, a place shrouded in ice and frost, located in the far north."

In our land, skilled craftsmen and savvy scouts are always in high demand.

He took a small sip, letting the wine bloom on his tongue. "Moreover, the price of these slaves is less than the monthly salary of a mid-level craftsman in our country."

Three hundred thousand gold coins is nothing to me, not even a hair on the head.

Keynes' nostrils flared slightly, and the smell of sulfur wafted onto Wang Bufu's cloak. He suddenly burst into laughter, making the stalactites on the ceiling rattle. "Interesting! I love dealing with generous merchants!"

While pouring wine, Wang Bufu lightly tapped his fingertip on the rim of the cup. "Speaking of which," he said, "I learned from the slaves I bought that you used to sell Medusa."

His voice carried a perfect touch of regret, "I still really like the Medusa race. It's a pity I didn't encounter one this time."

"Ha! Those snake women?" Keynes grabbed the barrel and downed it in one gulp, the amber liquid dripping down his mane. "We just sold a batch of top-quality goods last month! You should have come a little earlier. What do you want to do with them?"

“Of course it’s for resale,” Wang Bufu said with a smile. “Where we come from, these exotic girls with forked tongues and flexible bodies, who can be posed in any position, are very popular with nobles.”

(End of this chapter)