Chapter 21 Entering Elven Territory
The wagon jolted along through the forest.
A faint, barely perceptible smile tugged at the corner of Lan Chi's mouth. Far from being nervous, he actually seemed eager. The scorpion-tailed bee had just reported through their mental link that an Elf patrol was nearby. Elves from stories... he was finally going to encounter them. He was curious to see if these legendary long-lived beings were really as elegant and aloof as the tales described.
Nightshade did not share Lan Chi's relaxed mood. His face was expressionless, his eyes vigilantly scanning the forest.
Suddenly, an arrow flew out from the trees, striking the ground precisely half a step in front of the Flame Hoof. The arrow's shaft trembled, its tip buried half an inch into the soil. Nightshade quickly pulled the reins and stopped the wagon.
Here they come! The two exchanged a glance, communicating rapidly with their eyes.
"Halt! This is the territory of the Emerald Feather Rangers. Who are you?" A clear, cold male voice came from above, carrying a sense of detachment.
Lan Chi scanned the woods but saw no one. Nightshade called out toward the direction of the voice: "We're traveling merchants. We want to go to the open market ahead to sell our goods."
As soon as he finished speaking, a lithe figure leaped down from a branch on a tall tree to their right front, landing almost silently.
It was a tall male Elf. He wore a form-fitting emerald green leather armor suited for moving through the forest, with silver leaf-vein patterns decorating his wrist guards and shoulder plates. His features were handsome, his expression cold. A pair of light golden eyes scrutinized Lan Chi and Nightshade, then vigilantly scanned the surrounding area.
"Show me your merchant pass."
Nightshade took out the extra merchant pass and handed it to the Elf.
The Elf took the pass and quickly inspected it. His gaze lingered briefly on the blood seal and signature. The corner of his mouth curled down almost imperceptibly as he muttered quietly, "Another one from the Merchant Confederation..." He then returned the pass to Nightshade and said in an unquestionable tone, "Please step down. We need to inspect the carriage for contraband."
"Alright." Nightshade signaled Lan Chi with his eyes to get down.
The Elf boarded the carriage and swept his gaze over the goods inside. His mouth curled in disdain. He pressed a hand to the decorative gem on his wrist guard. A formation's light radiated around him. After waiting a moment with no change in the formation, he stepped down from the carriage and said, "Inspection complete. You may go."
"Alright, thank you." Lan Chi smiled as he thanked him. He and Nightshade boarded the wagon and continued on their way.
The wagon traveled for about another half hour. Lan Chi noticed a change in the forest ahead. Compared to other places, the trees here grew exceptionally tall and lush. The trunk diameters were at least two to three meters.
"Almost there," Nightshade suddenly said, pointing to the dense forest ahead. "This area has been transformed by the Elves. See how those trees are particularly thick and lush, much taller than ordinary trees? The Elves here use magic source cultivation methods to make the trees grow according to their aesthetic and needs. Eventually, they become part of the Elven architecture—both dwellings and defensive fortifications."
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"Elves really do live in trees." Lan Chi strained to see if any Elves were up there. The male Elf from earlier had indeed been handsome. He wanted to see what the female Elves looked like.
"Don't bother looking. This is the outer area. The Elves are hidden in the forest. They won't let you see them. If you really want to see, there will be some at the market." Nightshade saw through Lan Chi's thoughts and warned him, "But I advise you not to be too obvious about sneaking glances. Elves, though proud, have relatively tolerable tempers. At least they won't hit you. With other races, it might not be so certain."
"Alright." Lan Chi rubbed his nose and withdrew his curiosity.
The wagon quickly entered the dense forest. A massive half-open wooden door appeared at the end of the road. Several Elves and a few unfamiliar races stood in front of the gate, with guards also stationed in the watchtower beside the wooden door.
Upon seeing the approaching wagon, an Elf immediately called out, "Stop! What is your business here?"
"We are traveling merchants. My name is Nightshade, and this is my young companion, Lan Chi. We've come to sell goods and also purchase some of the Elves' specialty plants." Nightshade replied, handing over their documents to the leading male Elf.
"No surname? Commoners?" The male Elf looked up and down at Lan Chi and Nightshade. Seeing them nod, he didn't press further. He took the pass and inspected it while asking, "How many days do you plan to stay here?"
"If the purchasing goes smoothly, we expect to stay here for three days," Nightshade said. "We want to purchase Moon Dew Grass and Starfall Flowers. If we could get some Spirit Cloud Flowers, that would be even better."
The male Elf glanced up at Nightshade and chuckled lightly. "You know your goods. Alright, I understand. Someone will take you to your stall. Ten Phosphorus Crystals per day. Don't cause trouble, or I'll have you thrown out."
He returned the documents to Nightshade and said to the others nearby, "Firn, take them to the trading area."
"Yes, Captain." A slightly shorter Elf stepped forward and said to Lan Chi and Nightshade, "Follow me."
With that, he led the wagon into the market.
Lan Chi looked around curiously. Towering trees blocked out the sky. Between the thick branches, spiraling wooden staircases led up to exquisite tree houses. Looking up from below, he could see figures moving among the leaves.
On the ground, the camp was a stall area made up of tents of various sizes. The crowd wasn't too dense—around seventy or eighty stalls. The races running the stalls were diverse, but Elves were the majority. Their tables were covered with all kinds of exotic plants, emitting faint fragrances.
As the wagon passed a stall, Lan Chi saw a humanoid creature less than a meter tall with remarkably large ears. In front of it were arranged various bottles and jars glowing with different colors of light. Further ahead, a muscular green-skinned warrior was hawking his wares, his stall piled high with claws and teeth from various fierce beasts.
Lan Chi looked left and right, feeling like he couldn't take it all in. Everything here was novel to him. The air was filled with the noise of bargaining and the calls of vendors in different languages.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out ahead. A figure dashed out from the front, rushing toward their direction. The Elf Firn brushed his hand over his wrist guard, and an emerald green whip appeared in his hand. He swung it, directly lashing the charging figure and sending him flying.
Just then, a group of green-skinned brutes pushed through the crowd, rushing over anxiously. The leading brute ran while shouting, "Sorry, sorry! He got away from us accidentally."
Firn put away his whip. Seeing who it was, his face immediately showed disgust. "Watch yourselves. Don't let it happen again."
"Yes, yes, of course." The brute nodded and bowed ingratiatingly. He turned to his subordinates and said, "Tie him up tight. Don't let him escape again."
The several brutes tied up the person and hurriedly left. Firn looked at the now-cleared street, turned back to Lan Chi and Nightshade, and said, "Let's go. Your stall is just ahead."
Lan Chi looked curiously at the departing green-skinned creatures and asked through mental thought, "What was that about?"
"That group is Thornskin Half-breeds—hybrids of goblins and other races. They don't look quite like goblins or the other races. They form their own communities. That group is probably in the slave trade. The person they caught was likely a local native." Nightshade explained. There seemed to be a very faint disdain in his mental voice. "Capture natives, sell them as slaves, or directly hand them over to certain factions to be 'dealt with'—that's the rule in the trial ground. To the trial participants, these natives are like unowned property. Being made a slave is already the best outcome for them."
"I see." Lan Chi withdrew his gaze. He needed to be even more careful. His own identity couldn't withstand scrutiny.
