It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

As soon as he came up, the old man gave him a series of misunderstandings and compliments. Bai Lin pondered for a moment and shook his head.

"I am not a dark knight, I merely wear black armor. Old sir, we have sufficient forces. If you are not speaking to me of your own free will, you may speak so."

Bai Lin's words weren't entirely sincere, but they carried a certain degree of confidence. Her trials at the Noliel Crown Palace hadn't been in vain; her rhetoric had indeed improved considerably. The old man, upon hearing Bai Lin's words, burst into laughter, leaving her stunned. She was a little bewildered. Was she truly mistaken?

"Since you're not a Dark Knight, there's no way the human race's official army would be dressed like you. You're an adventurer, right, young man? Tell your companions to come out. We really don't need to be rescued."

Bai Lin hesitated for a moment. Although the old fox with narrowed eyes and a smile seemed to have seen through her lack of sufficient troops, she still didn't think she should call out her companions. At this time, the old man saw Bai Lin's hesitation and asked again,

"I don't know how you determined that we needed to be saved. If you have any doubts, feel free to ask me. I believe you will get a perfect answer."

Chapter 223 Cat Girl

Seeing the old man so confident, Bai Lin also began to ask without hesitation,

"What's the situation with your clothes? Why are they so shabby and are you wearing collars?"

"Hahaha, so that's why." The old man stroked his beard and pointed to the iron ring on his collar.

"These two iron rings are symbols of the cat spirits' identities. If you look closely, you'll find that almost everyone's rings are different. Some are job titles, while others are passed down through the family."

Having said that, Bai Lin glanced at the cat spirits behind him. It was indeed as the old man said, except that the shapes were quite interesting. There were hearts, five-pointed stars, and even some with small bells hanging on them.

The old man continued to explain, "As for clothing, it's mainly because our body temperature is lower than that of humans. You must be very hot walking in this deep forest wearing armor, right?"

Bai Lin nodded. Indeed, a large part of the challenge of this mountain range was its unconventional climate. Mud, rain, and intense heat. Despite being paved, the mountain paths remained rugged, and much of the terrain remained unexplored.

However, Bai Lin had long since gotten used to the climate over the past few days. Compared to the snowy plains, the weather here could only be described as mild, not hot.

"So as we were moving forward, most people stripped down to just their underwear. But that was too revealing, so we chose this grass fabric, which is breathable but thin."

The old man's explanation was reasonable, but Bai Lin was not sure whether the grass cloth was breathable or not. She could only reluctantly believe it, and then she continued to ask,

"Then how do you explain these orcs? Why did you, the cat spirits, bring them here?"

After Bai Lin forcefully posed this crucial question, the old man's smile remained undimmed. He said, "Explain this yourself, Xiaobai?"

"Okay." A tall, majestically dressed white tiger-man stepped out. It spoke in human language, "We have always been hired as guards by the cat spirits. With such a large group of cat spirits traveling this time, we naturally have to protect them to the end."

Are the orcs the guards of the cat spirits? Bai Lin was completely skeptical of this statement. According to Andel and Grayer, the orcs were mostly bandits or something.

Rather than looking for trouble, Bai Lin asked directly, "Isn't it said that many of you orcs like to bully the weak and rob others? How come there are still some as honest as you?"

The tall and majestic white tiger moved its arms, which were almost as thick as tree trunks, and then put the gun on the ground and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner,

"The places where we orcs live are very different from yours, but since there are so many of us, you will still see some. However, who else would appear before you humans except bandits? We don't need human currency."

"Just like you humans have those who engage in dirty deeds, orcs have them too. Of course, there are also those like us who pursue a peaceful life. What, do you still have doubts?"

Bai Lin hesitated for a moment, thinking. Her closest contact with the alien race was with Chrissie. She was a Chaos Good or perhaps Neutral type, and Bai Lin had a decent impression of her. As long as Bai Lin was willing to pay the price, Chrissie would help. Although she didn't want to admit it, their relationship was quite good.

Then there were Meng Zheng's group of minotaurs. That time, Bai Lin and the others had been the first to attack, leading to a misunderstanding. Even though they had accidentally and severely injured one of their people, they were still willing to cooperate with Bai Lin and the others for the common good, making them quite honest people.

Trust has always been Bai Lin's secret to making friends with other races. After weighing the pros and cons, Bai Lin decided to trust these cat spirits and orcs once again. She removed the helmet and said,

"I believe you. You, the Cat Spirits, are not in danger. What happened just now was our fault. If you need any compensation, please let me know."

The moment she took off her helmet, it seemed to cause another commotion among the cat spirits below. The beastmen, on the other hand, were quite reserved, with no major outward changes. Bai Lin seemed accustomed to this situation. Although she had taken off her helmet only to be more honest, this effect was also expected.

Seeing that Bai Lin finally agreed, the old man smiled even brighter. "Well, that's no problem. We just built a small settlement casually. A door like that will only take two or three minutes to build."

"But won't you call your companions out?"

Bai Lin shook his head. "We are a team of adventurers. If they all died here, I wouldn't have the face to comfort their families. Please understand."

The old man wasn't dissatisfied with Bai Lin's decision. "Young people are very steady and courageous. Your team will definitely go a long way." With that, he waved his cane, and the crowd automatically made way. The two cat girls immediately walked diagonally in front of the old man, and behind them followed the two orcs.

The tents here weren't much different from Bai Lin's previous stays; in other words, the cat spirits lived much like humans. Bai Lin observed that, aside from their generally shorter height, the cat spirits looked similar to humans, minus the ears and tails. The only differences were small canine fangs and vertical pupils.

The room was brightly lit and plainly decorated. There was a large wooden table, three small wooden stools placed outside, and a comfortable-looking high chair inside. The old man naturally sat on the high chair, while Bai Lin sat on the small stool in the middle, with the cat girls sitting on either side of her.

…What does this mean? Why did they specially arrange two beauties to be next to me? I saw two black and white cat girls, one on the left and one on the right. The white one was cute, playful, lively and active. At first glance, she looked like Yue Lingluo, but she was probably more innocent, or maybe a little dumber.

The black-haired cat girl has a more queenly look. Unlike the white cat girl's large eyes, her gaze is more profound. While she doesn't have the slightly drawn smiley lips, her slightly stern expression still captivates.

Even through the straw cloth, Bai Lin could fully feel their hot bodies. And all this was just the result of Bai Lin taking a quick glance and recording. After all, she didn't dare to look any further, and there was no reason to look any further.

The point isn't about beauty or anything like that. I'm already a superior, but the problem is...

This is a cat girl, a real cat girl!!!

Chapter 224 Ceremony

Bai Lin suppressed her excitement, which was difficult to conceal, and sat up straight, although there was nothing for her to be serious about.

The old man smiled, seemingly not at all surprised by Bai Lin's actions. He asked in a serious tone, "Human warrior, my name is Smirno Xinke L. You can call me Elder Xinke. How should I address you?"

Bai Lin paused, clearly needing to introduce herself. "My name is Bai Lin. I'm here to discuss cooperation between humans and the Cat Spirits. Our team has accepted the mission. Some adventurers heard about you but weren't sure, so our highest mission goal is communication and cooperation."

Obviously, Bai Lin couldn't just keep asking questions. Although the other party seemed to be quite nice to him, this table was a negotiation table connecting the two races. The old man nodded with satisfaction. Obviously, Bai Lin had said what he wanted to ask. He also slowly opened his mouth and said,

"If any adventurers had spotted us before, that would be strange... Logically, we rarely leave the settlement. Even if we did, human adventurers should have been able to easily approach us, and wouldn't have received such confusing information."

"After all, we're here to cooperate with humans. If we make contact with them, they'll definitely be able to return with this news."

The old man's words pointed out his attitude. Judging from his current behavior, Bai Lin did not think that what he said was strange, but rather thought it was quite normal. Bai Lin nodded and said,

"Maybe they found some hair or something and returned with the news. I'm not sure. So, regarding the cooperation, what kind of collaboration do you want to pursue?"

Although Bai Lin's question was quite direct, he was also testing the other party's intentions. The old man did not complain and replied frankly,

"Fighting is impossible. The Cat Spirits are very different from humans in number and are already quite rare. We don't want to provoke tough guys like the Demons. As for technology, we learned a lot from humans... so there's probably no value in cooperation."

The old man spread his hands, and two oval pieces of dark red metal with strange emblems carved on them appeared in his palms. The metal looked somewhat translucent, like crystal. If you turned it slightly, you could see the luster of liquid flowing inside, which looked very strange. The old man slowly explained,

"This is a specialty metal from the original settlement of the Cat Spirit Tribe. We call it Red Ear Gold because its color is similar to the tips of the ears of our red-haired people. Its hardness is equivalent to that of purified human steel, but its melting point is higher and its yield is also higher."

"The same hardness as steel?!" Although Bai Lin's physical chemistry was poor, in this era, Bai Lin completely understood what this meant. While its higher melting point made forging more difficult, it also allowed for widespread use in infrastructure. It was a truly revolutionary metal, a true catalyst for human development.

Bai Lin swallowed and asked, "What do you need from the human side?"

The old man smiled but said nothing. He shook his head slightly, placed the token on the table, and said,

"Hundreds of years ago, humans befriended the cat spirits. Back then, we were homeless, our population was extremely fragile, and our culture was very primitive. It was humans who helped us, taught us how to resist, and gave us language and wisdom."

"Back then, the catastrophe left us with no choice but to be cowardly. Instead of helping humanity, we fled, struggling to survive. Today's communication is simply to tell humanity that we haven't forgotten the kindness shown us centuries ago."

The old man's words were sincere, but Bai Lin was a little confused. "But, I can't just ask you to give it away for free. If you are so kind, there is no guarantee that there won't be some evil-minded people among humans..."

"Of course it's not free," the old man said calmly. "According to our ancestral teachings, humans who come to cooperate must undergo a life-or-death test. Only those with integrity who have the courage to walk through that dangerous situation are recognized as human beings by us."

His tone was very firm, as if he had no intention of giving in. Bai Lin was slightly surprised.

"What kind of test is that?"

"Hundreds of years ago, humans first helped the cat spirits fight the monster Gelulu. Today, we have also preserved a living Gelulu. As long as a warrior can defeat it, they will pass the test."

"This isn't just a test; it's more like a ritual, a sacred ritual that will restore cooperation between our two tribes. Do you want to try it, Bai Lin?"

The old man's words were a little bit excited, as if he was trying to provoke Bai Lin to give it a try, but Bai Lin felt that his words were full of loopholes, and she refused repeatedly.

"No, no, no. Fighting monsters is a matter of combat prowess. Just because they fight, you'll recognize someone's integrity?"

The old man leaned forward slightly. "This is a powerful enough opponent. This is a battle of life and death. Anyone who is willing to risk his life for the future of both clans must be a man of integrity."

"..." Perhaps this is the talent of their race. Bai Lin seemed reluctant to give up and asked again,

"If we inform the human leader, will you acknowledge our achievements?"

The old man shook his head grimly. "If that happens, it won't be you guys who'll be collaborating, but other challengers. Since you said this is the mission objective, you should give others some leeway."

Bai Lin was a little hesitant. She scratched her hair frantically, then slammed the table and confirmed,

"One on one?"

"Yes." The old man affirmed.

Bai Lin stood up with a resolute look in his eyes, looked at the old man firmly and determinedly, and then said,

"I'll go inform my teammates. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll come back to accept this challenge."

"Oh?" The old man slightly questioned Bai Lin's words, "Although you are a very strong warrior, fighting that monster may still be a bit difficult. This is a battle of life and death, are you sure?"

I was so sure I could be resurrected. It would be a shame if I didn't try. Although dying once was truly painful, the pain was indescribable, but ultimately, dying in battle and then being resurrected was better than dying in poverty with Katie.

Moreover, as long as she was fighting alone, Bai Lin had no scruples. So she was determined to carry out this ritual.

Chapter 225 Teammates' Recognition

"...That's about it. Anyway, I've decided to participate in this ceremony. You can rest for a while in the Cat Spirit settlement. If they wanted to kill us, there would be no need for them to bring up so many traditions."

Bai Lin brought back Fei'er, who had been hanging up in the corner the entire time, and after gathering the team members, he explained this. Each teammate had a complicated expression. Nowen spoke first.

"This is too dangerous, Captain. I would rather go back and get the lowest pay than see anything happen to you..."

Bai Lin interrupted with a smile, "Don't worry, you have seen my strength."

Grayer crossed his arms and said skeptically, "Although you're very capable, Captain, taking such a risk is another matter. Besides, as a team member, we absolutely don't approve of you showing off like that alone."

What he said was indeed right. Bai Lin and his team were a team. They absolutely disagreed with letting one person risk his life for the whole team in exchange for a higher reward. But there was only one person who held a skeptical attitude.

Andel looked at Bai Lin and asked, "Are you sure you can use that ability to escape from a long distance?"

Bai Lin nodded, and Andel sighed slightly, turning to the crowd and saying, "I agree to let the captain go. The reason is simple: she has the means to come back alive. Besides, it's her own choice. At worst, we can all take less pay and leave the reward for those who truly contribute."

Hearing Andel say this, Nowen and Greer both agreed to it. After thinking about it, they nodded slightly, as if they agreed to Bai Lin's request. Now, only Fei'er did not express her opinion. When Bai Lin turned around to ask for her opinion, Fei'er slowly said,

"I don't want you to go. Let me do it."

It was rare for Fei'er to speak such a long sentence in front of everyone, but Bai Lin couldn't laugh at all. She replied,

"I know you're very capable and worried about me. But I can assure you that I will come back alive."

Fei'er raised her head slightly, her strange eyes flashing with questioning and clarity, "Really?"

Bai Lin nodded seriously, "Of course it's true. Have you ever seen me break my oath? Come on, hold out your little finger."

Fei'er seemed a little confused and hesitated for a moment, but still did as Bai Lin said, and Bai Lin also hooked his finger and put it close to Fei'er's little finger.

"In my hometown, this is called a finger-swearing oath. I wonder if there's such a thing in Camitran. Some places say those who break the oath must swallow a thousand silver needles, while others say they'll never be happy again in their lifetime."

Bai Lin looked at Fei'er with a smile, shook Fei'er's fingers twice, and then released his own fingers.

"In short, I will definitely come back, you have to believe me."

"Ah... well." Fei'er glanced away and didn't look at Bai Lin again. She didn't know what she was thinking, but Bai Lin just thought she was a little girl, so he didn't care anymore. Instead, he led everyone to the settlement of the cat spirit tribe. On the way, Andel walked beside Bai Lin and said,

"Katie would be jealous if she knew you were like this."

"You're the only one who talks too much." Bai Lin simply didn't want to acknowledge this established fact. As Andel had said, if people knew about it, they'd be jealous, but if they didn't know about it, wouldn't there be no problem? If you don't say anything, I won't say anything, and you, Andel, are still going to make a big fuss, asking for a scolding, aren't you?

"Tsk, you only know how to tease little girls like these. Look at you, you're not really interested in women, are you?"

Andel walked beside Bai Lin, with her hands behind her back. It was a rare opportunity for her to walk side by side with Bai Lin, and she looked a little happy. Bai Lin said a few words in a calm voice,

"Personal privacy, please do not pry!"

Soon, everyone met up with Elder Xinke again. After warmly entertaining Bai Lin's teammates, he looked at Bai Lin with a sharp look that was completely different from before and said,

"Are you ready for the trial, Bai Lin?"

"Ready." Bai Lin's answer was brief and efficient.

Xin Ke nodded approvingly, "Very good, then let's set off immediately!"

Bai Lin and her teammates, several orcs, and the black and white catgirls she had met earlier, set out together. It wasn't long before they reached another chasm. This chasm was circular, with traces of human polishing.

Along the edge of the valley where sand and stone meet, there are stone pillars with sculptures on them. Some of them are pictures of winged human figures, probably some kind of ancient murals of gods.

"Originally, this was a protective magic circle built by humans. Later, we cat spirits re-carved and maintained it. Although hundreds of years have passed, the magic circle's effects have long since dissipated. But I believe this ancient watch can bring you a little blessing, what do you think, Bai Lin?"

Xin Kede's words were filled with vicissitudes of life, as if he had experienced everything that had happened before. Although Bai Lin did not have any ambitions or yearnings for the past humans, she could not help but feel a slight resonance when she saw this amazing stone sculpture.

"It's really nice to complete this battle under the witness of our ancestors."

"Oh? Aren't you nervous at all?" Xin saw that Bai Lin's answer was quite relaxed, and asked with interest.

Bai Lin shook his head. "How could I not be nervous? Being nervous is an integral part of combat. Only by keeping your nerves tense can you make as few mistakes as possible."

"However, there's a limit to nervousness. If you're startled even by the mere act of speaking before even facing the enemy, then your enemy will become this insurmountable fear before you. Such a person will be in very poor combat condition."

Bai Lin's words were very frank. After all, these were all her heartfelt words, and this was her understanding of combat. Only by controlling the tension at a certain level could one be in the most suitable state for combat. Xin Ke nodded thoughtfully.

"As expected of a human warrior, then, let's begin preparing for battle. Lingluo, you will introduce the monster's information to Bai Lin."

Following Xinke's call, the black, cool and aloof cat girl nodded, then walked to Bai Lin and looked at Bai Lin.

"Hey—why didn't you choose me? I want to chat with the human warriors more, too." The white-haired cat girl immediately expressed her displeasure, a tone that matched her appearance and demeanor.