The bad value system is measuring values.

Chapter 137 Water Mage

Qiao Xiao turned her head slightly and quickly glanced at Asdor beside her out of the corner of her eye. Then she knelt on one knee, lowered her head, and said respectfully and sincerely, "Holy Maiden, I have long admired your name and have come from afar to ask for a bowl of precious holy water."

Standing on the high place, the saintess's face was ashen, and her gaze was cold as she looked at Qiao Xiao kneeling below. She slowly said, "Do you know that obtaining this holy water is not easy? It requires certain conditions to be met."

Qiao Xiao raised her head, a resolute glint in her eyes, and quickly replied, "I am willing to pay a thousand gold pieces to obtain the holy water!"

As soon as she said it, she realized she had made a mistake: "I'm sorry, I spoke too hastily just now, I don't have that much money."

Astor, who had been silent all along, suddenly stepped forward and said, "If that's not enough, I can even give you ten thousand taels of gold."

Qiao Xiao's eyes lit up upon hearing this, her face full of admiration: "Sir, you are indeed powerful and generous!"

Astor simply snorted and said nothing more.

The saintess gently shook her head, her face showing difficulty, and said, "I'm very sorry, miss, you are not from this place, so I cannot grant your request."

Qiao Xiao nodded obediently, indicating her understanding: "Since that's the case, there's nothing we can do about it. Thank you for informing me, Holy Maiden."

Astor frowned deeply upon seeing this, and asked with a hint of doubt, "Are we just going to give up on saving those poor creatures like this?"

Qiao Xiao sighed helplessly and replied with a gloomy expression, "We are indeed powerless. If we really want to get the holy water, we would have to openly seize it, sir."

Astair said with a serious expression, "I will absolutely not participate in such despicable acts that damage my image and reputation!"

Qiao Xiao: "I don't plan to forcibly take it. Is it possible to secretly get my hands on the holy water? This way, I can avoid a violent conflict with others."

Astor looked at Qiao Xiao in disbelief and asked disdainfully, "Could it be that you are a princess who travels around by stealing and robbing?"

Qiao Xiao: "Your words of admonition are extremely apt. I was too presumptuous. I have the power but not the will, which is the most foolish thing I could have done."

Asdor looked at her coldly, "Hmph, you know that much."

Qiao Xiao: "Then, sir, since we can't save them, are we going to release them all back into the wild?"

Astor turned his head towards her, "Do you have some other method?"

Qiao Xiao: "Why not slaughter them? If we release a bunch of dead things back to the mountains, how will they survive?"

Astor's gaze was fixed on her unfocused eyes, and he coldly reprimanded her, "Don't speak so arrogantly. No matter what, I bought them, and their life and death should be in my hands."

Qiao Xiao: "Your words are correct."

Astor: "I'm curious, if the holy water were used on you, would it remove the death aura from you? I'm really tired of it!"

Qiao Xiao chuckled to herself, "An innate quality, an adult."

Astor: "Holy water isn't only found in the Holy City; water mages also have it."

Qiao Xiao: "Water Mage, was there something you were worried about when you didn't pay attention to her before?"

Astor: "In any case, your insight is not bad. The mages of the five elements are quite powerful and have a long-standing feud with the dragons."

Qiao Xiao: "The adults are not much stronger than them, and they don't want a direct confrontation, right?"

Astor looked at Qiao Xiao with appreciation and nodded in satisfaction, "That's right."

Qiao Xiao: "Lord Xie is willing to grant my request and go with me to find the Water Mage."

Water City is the former residence of the Water Mage.

“He is always elusive and ever-changing. Water City is where I first met him.”

Qiao Xiao touched the water droplets floating in the air, "Does the water mage have a name?"

Asdalen fell silent for a moment, his dark pupils reflecting his pain. "...Yes."

Seeing that he was not in a good mood, Qiao Xiao immediately spoke up: "Sir, there is no need to force yourself. If you don't want to talk, then don't."

Astor rubbed his forehead, a few drops of water glistening on his thick, dark hair. "His name is..."

"My name is Haihai."

Qiao Xiao: "Uh..."

Astol looked embarrassed when a magician surrounded by water droplets suddenly appeared beside him.

Qiao Xiao looked closely and saw that even the hair was made of water. Her lips twitched slightly. "Haihai?"

Are you serious?

She saw that he was just like Erran, unkempt and looking old, and it was really unbelievable that he had such a contrasting name.

Haihai: "Oh my god, Asdor, you've come back to see me!"

Qiao Xiao was sorting through the information in her mind when she couldn't help but ask, "May I ask, magician, if I may be so bold as to ask whether you are male or female?"

His voice was so deceptive, like a siren's, that it was impossible to tell if he was male or female.

Astor spoke first: "A man."

Seeing his face turn red, Qiao Xiao thought to herself: There must be something fishy going on here.

Haihai pinched Asdor's cheek and said aggrievedly, "You're so cruel, Asdor. Is this how you treat the people who used to feed you? You have no conscience."

Qiao Xiao looked puzzled: "Huh? Have you lived for hundreds of years?"

Astor: "He's a magician, a living fossil, or, as you humans would say, an old monster."

Haihai's sapphire-blue eyes suddenly turned to Qiao Xiao, and she asked curiously, "Have you made a friend, Asdor? Who is she?"

Qiao Xiao calmly replied, "I am Lord Asdor's sacrificer, destined to die in Asdor's place."

Haihai said expressionlessly, "Is that so?" He smiled gently, "Truly brave humans, there isn't a trace of fear in your eyes. I heard you all have silver hair, may I take off your cloak?"

Qiao Xiao: "Of course."

Haihai looked Qiao Xiao up and down carefully and couldn't help but exclaim, "So beautiful!"

Astor looked at Haihai's erratic expression and coughed heavily a few times.

Qiao Xiao's eyes darted around, but she smiled and asked curiously, "Thank you for the compliment. But you just said you've fed Astolfo?"

Haihai nodded, recalling the past: "Yes, he was very naughty when he was a child. Every time I cooked human food for him, he would not want to touch it and would always look at me with disgust."

Qiao Xiao nodded: "So that's how it was when I was little..." She looked at Asdor, "But sir, were you adopted?"

Asdor replied angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about? When I was a child, I was foraging for food when this guy kidnapped me and inexplicably adopted me!"

Haihai immediately retorted: "It's because you looked so miserable back then that I mistakenly thought you were homeless and all alone, which is why I took you in. Who knew you would leave without saying goodbye and only come back after so long?"

Astor: "Water mage, do not speak to me in the tone of an elder. You are no match for me now."

Seeing that the two had begun to use their magic and the surrounding aura was fluctuating more intensely, Qiao Xiao hurriedly interrupted, "Mage Haihai, we came to ask you for something, but we didn't expect a conflict to occur."

Haihai squinted, the corners of his mouth curving into a mysterious arc. "Human girl, don't worry, how could I bear to lay a hand on my own child?"

Astor was furious when he heard this address. "How dare you address me like that!" he shouted, the words seemingly bursting from his throat.

His gaze was like thunder, his dark pupils blazing with hellish flames. How could he, an extremely proud man, allow others to treat him like this? He couldn't stand it!

Seeing the situation, Qiao Xiao realized she couldn't resolve it anyway, so she simply found a hiding place and waited for them to calm down before making any further plans.

She hid in what she considered a safe corner, watching the two people gathering magical power, and sighed silently, "It seems there's no hope of getting holy water from the water mage."

Haihai: "Are you here to find holy water?" he suddenly asked.

Astor: "Yes, I originally wanted to make a deal with you peacefully, but now I have no choice but to take it from you."

Qiao Xiao: Having high combat power is so arrogant. If I had known this would happen, I would have just stolen it directly in the Holy Capital. What kind of holy water is it that is only provided to the people of the Holy Capital and is produced and consumed by the people of the Holy Capital? People outside know about this and don't have any designs on it.