The moss emitted a fresh scent mixed with soil and grass.
The soil underfoot was soft and elastic, covered with a thick layer of moss.
However, this extreme beauty did not allow Qiansitelin to let her guard down even a little.
She gently placed Muxuan beside a large rock covered with soft moss, letting her lean against it.
Herself, she knelt on one knee, one hand tightly gripping the folded “Lyrasel,” while the other lightly traced two lines on the ground.
It was too quiet.
No insect chirps, no bird calls, not even the rustle of wind brushing through leaves.
Only an absolute, hair-raising stillness.
Qiansitelin wasn’t sure about the situation inside the Elven Forest.
Even though she had made disguises and preparations on the way here, she was still very hesitant about whether to enter the Elven Forest directly now.
And just as Qiansitelin was hesitating, a faint sound came from somewhere, instantly putting her on high alert.
She stared fixedly at the source of the sound.
It had been so quiet…
Suddenly hearing noise—definitely not a good sign!
However, as the sound drew closer, Qiansitelin was taken aback instead.
The danger she had anticipated did not come.
What came was an elven maiden, carrying a basket on her arm, filled with various plants.
It seemed… normal?
Yet Qiansitelin still watched the other with a trace of wariness.
This elven maiden seemed young in stature, with smooth chestnut hair casually draped over her shoulders, a few strands stuck to her smooth forehead by fine sweat.
Her attire was indeed as refreshing as Qiansitelin saw.
On top, she wore a tube top cleverly woven from tough leaves and soft vines, revealing her slender waist and gracefully lined arms; below, she wore a knee-length skirt of the same color.
The maiden clearly hadn’t expected to encounter strangers at the edge of the forest, especially ones who were obviously on guard.
When she saw Qiansitelin’s appearance—full of vigilance, even icy—she paused visibly, her steps faltering for a moment.
A flash of surprise and hesitation flickered in her clear, emerald-green eyes.
She noticed Muxuan leaning against the large rock behind Qiansitelin, apparently unconscious.
After a brief hesitation, the maiden mustered a bit of courage.
She cautiously stepped forward half a step, not getting too close, keeping a safe distance.
With a hint of timid softness, she tentatively began to ask:
“Um… hello? Did something… happen?”
Her gaze flitted worriedly between the unconscious Muxuan and the tense Qiansitelin, and then she continued:
“She… your companion doesn’t look well?”
However, this kindness appeared especially suspicious in light of Qiansitelin’s current wariness.
The “normal” inside the Elven Forest already seemed strange.
The timing of this maiden’s appearance and the absolute silence of the forest made Qiansitelin unable to relax her guard.
Moreover, Her Highness was currently unconscious and weak.
The “Corruption” disguise covering her body might fool the forest, but who knew if real elves would notice something off?
Qiansitelin’s eyes were icy as she looked at the maiden, not relaxing in the slightest.
She did not answer any of the maiden’s questions, but instead spat out three words in an even colder tone:
“Not needed.”
There was no warmth in that voice, only a strong sense of alienation.
The elven maiden was choked by the blunt refusal.
The concern and goodwill on her face instantly froze, then turned into awkwardness and confusion.
Clutching her vine basket full of gathered items, she stood there somewhat at a loss.
Her gaze wandered uncertainly between Qiansitelin’s cold profile and the unconscious Muxuan, as if debating whether to persist or just silently leave.
In this suffocating silence, Qiansitelin’s keen body suddenly stiffened.
She didn’t turn around, but all her senses instantly focused on Muxuan, who was leaning against the rock behind her.
Muxuan, who had just been unconscious and breathing steadily, now suddenly had rapid breaths, fine cold sweat beading on her forehead, and her brows furrowed in pain.
“Your Highness!”
Qiansitelin could no longer spare a thought for the suspicious elven maiden.
She swiftly turned and knelt beside Muxuan, her voice filled with barely suppressed worry.
She knelt on one knee, unhesitatingly taking out the bottle containing the dark green liquid again.
The cork was pulled off quickly.
A rich, indescribable fragrance of grass and trees mixed with a strange blood-like scent instantly spread.
The powerful life energy it contained even made the silent forest around them tremble slightly.
Qiansitelin moved swiftly yet extremely gently.
With one hand, she carefully supported Muxuan’s pale face; with the fingers of her other hand, she gently parted Muxuan’s soft but cold lips.
She tilted the bottle, and two drops of thick, crystal-clear green liquid accurately fell into Muxuan’s mouth.
“Gulp…”
In her coma, Muxuan instinctively swallowed.
Almost immediately, the immense vitality contained in those two drops diffused within her body.
Muxuan’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and her rapid breathing steadied.
Qiansitelin let out a long sigh, the tension in her nerves slightly relieved.
Only then did she notice that the rich medicinal fragrance had already enveloped this small area.
The anticipated shock or questioning did not come.
She almost subconsciously glanced at the elven maiden not far away.
However, the moment the medicinal fragrance spread, the maiden’s small nose twitched in disbelief.
Her emerald-green eyes widened abruptly, a flash of extreme shock and incredulous light in the depths of her pupils, staring directly at the bottle still in Qiansitelin’s hand and the dark green liquid inside.
“That… that is…”
The maiden involuntarily swallowed, her eyes filled with shock.
She never thought she would see this one day!
But this also instantly made the maiden understand the origin of the other’s previous aloof attitude.
Someone who could possess this…
Their status within the Elven race must be unimaginably noble.
How could such a person deign to care about a low-level elf like her, who collected at the periphery?
Great awe and a hint of relief at finally finding an explanation replaced the previous grievance and confusion.
The maiden’s hands holding the vine basket trembled slightly from nervousness.
She instinctively took half a step back, bowed her head deeply, her posture humble, and even her voice carried a subtle, fearful tremor.
“S-s-so it’s the Honorable Lord gracing us with their presence…”
She didn’t even dare to meet Qiansitelin’s eyes directly.
“I… I just happened to pass by… I meant no offense…”
The maiden’s reaction instead made Qiansitelin pause.
Honorable Lord? What’s this about?
Looking at the potion in her hand made from the Elf Sacred Tree Leaf Vein, Qiansitelin roughly understood what was going on.
Finding it somewhat amusing, Qiansitelin shook her head.
“We are no big shots.”
She could also tell that this elven maiden seemed to have no ill intentions.