111: Positive ghost woman

Chapter 110: A Proactive Hagra

Old Joe never would have imagined that one day he would be traveling through the deep swamp with two crocodiles.

Flora held the punting pole, pushing the raft close behind the crocodiles.

The raft wasn't large, barely able to accommodate the four of them.

Arthur was on the side, examining the items they had scavenged from the camp.

Old Joe had found a box of valuable wine behind the shack in a small pit, which included a bottle of high-quality Red Fern Wine.

However, this wine reminded Arthur of Henry; the Black Marsh where he was located was a place that produced fern wine.

Besides these wines, they also found a longbow, a bag of coins, and some other daily necessities.

It was clear that the bootleggers had left in an extreme hurry, so much so that they didn't even have time to take their goods and money.

After checking the spoils, Arthur then looked at the intelligence report.

[Purple Intelligence] Follow the giant crocodile to Goggada’s Cabin. Goggada is a kind Hagra.

She is skilled in alchemy and can create various potions.

If you offer her good wine or other valuable items, she will be happy to share information about the Dark Lord.

"My Lord, what should we do about our carriage?" Old Joe asked at this point.

Arthur pondered for a moment and replied, "We've already taken everything we need to take.

"The carriage won't have any problems, but those two horses, I'm afraid—

"However, nothing ventured, nothing gained; there's always a give and take."

"Then where are we going?" Old Joe asked again.

"To see a Hagra."

Arthur's answer once again left everyone looking confused.

Flora, who was poling the boat, interjected, "Aren't Hagras all evil creatures?"

"Normally, yes, but this one seems to prefer helping others," Arthur replied.

The surrounding trees became increasingly dense, obscuring even the sky.

The gnarled roots in the muddy swamp entangled the raft, slowing their progress.

The task of poling the boat was therefore handed over to the stronger Drax.

The giant crocodile did not follow them into the depths of the swamp but went along the stream.

Only the small crocodile remained to lead the way.

The raft moved slowly, with the pointed branches of the trees on both sides occasionally brushing against them.

The night wind blew through the branches, creating an eerie and hollow sound.

This journey was truly grueling.

No wonder Airo said that many people who ventured into Qingfeng Valley would go mad within a few days.

Everything in this twisted land seemed to lure people towards madness.

When Flora pushed aside a dense clump of branches, they saw a light in the distance.

That light was a relief to everyone; at that moment, it appeared so warm.

Arthur felt that their group was like moths drawn to a flame, recklessly approaching the light source on their raft.

As the water body gradually widened, the raft's speed also increased.

Before long, they saw the wooden cabin situated on an isolated island.

Flora took the punting pole from Drax and paddled towards the small pier.

To Arthur, the cabin before him looked as if it had stepped out of a fairy tale.

It had a strange appearance, with an unsettling twisted sense of disproportion throughout the entire house.

Especially the long chimney, which looked exactly like a cat's tail.

The cabin door was open, and an orange glow emanated from within.

Arthur was the first to enter the house, followed closely by Drax, who was carrying the wine.

Old Joe was the last to enter, having given himself a good pep talk before stepping inside.

The house was quite spacious, by no means as small as it appeared from the outside.

A smiling old woman sat in the center of the room and greeted, "Come in, children.

"Sit down, sit down quickly. I've stewed some broth, it'll be ready soon."

Except for Arthur, no one else sat down.

Flora carefully observed her surroundings.

This house was truly peculiar, much larger than it appeared from the outside.

It had two floors, and was also divided into inner and outer rooms.

The outer layer was the dining room and kitchen, with various herbs and spices hanging from the rafters.

The aroma of stewed meat wafted continuously from the kitchen.

After a quick scan, Flora's gaze fell upon the kind-faced old woman.

She looked like a human, but her expression and movements revealed an indescribable stiffness.

"That's great," Arthur said, "We happen to be hungry too. Oh, by the way, we brought wine."

With that, Arthur nodded towards Drax as a signal.

The Orc stepped forward and placed the box of red wine on the wooden dining table.

The old woman's eyes sparkled, and she asked cheerfully, "Where are you from?

"What are you doing here? Qingfeng Valley isn't safe."

Arthur stated his identity, introduced the others to her, and gestured for everyone to sit down.

"Baron of Qingfeng Valley?" The old woman smiled even more broadly, "Young man, don't go around telling people that.

"You'll be targeted by those annoying vampires; they'll take your life.

"Of course, even if you don't say anything, they'll probably still take your life."

"Then what about you? Will you take our lives?" Flora asked.

Even though Arthur had said this Hagra wasn't a bad person, Flora was still full of worry.

As mountain folk, they occasionally had to deal with the green hagras that dwelled in the deep mountains and old forests.

At least in her understanding, hagras were never kind creatures.

They were cunning, evil, and malicious, synonymous with wickedness and cruelty.

She and her people had never encountered a good Hagra.

"Don't be nervous, little girl. I mean no harm," the old woman said softly, "I just want to repay you, after all, you saved my little pet."

Arthur explained, "My companions find it difficult to accept your true identity. To be honest, I also found it hard to accept at first."

The old woman's eyes darted around, "Then what made you change your mind?"

"If your pet hadn't intervened in time, we would have probably faced a tough battle."

"Young man, you are truly interesting. Since you've seen through my identity, why did you still come here?"

Arthur took out the bottle of Red Fern Wine and replied, "You helped us out of kindness, so I must reciprocate."

The old woman let out a sharp laugh.

She snapped her fingers, revealing her true form—a Night Hagra.

She had a thick, unruly mass of hair, a twisted and ugly face, dark purple skin, and sharp teeth and nails.

The moment she revealed herself, everyone except Arthur stood up from their seats.

"Don't worry, everyone, if she wanted our lives, we'd already be dead," Arthur reassured his companions.

"The broth is ready," the Hagra said with a smile, "I'll bring it out.

"I hope you like bean cakes; the land here doesn't grow good crops, only beans can grow reasonably well."

Arthur shrugged, softly beckoned his companions to sit, and replied, "I don't mind."

"That's good, Hale, come out, these folks aren't bad people," the Hagra called out.

Everyone looked towards the inner room, only to see a beautiful young woman with fair skin and dark hair emerge from within.