“Are you everyone’s leader?” The lamb girl asked, looking at Li Qiuchen.
“I wouldn’t call myself a leader, but you can tell me if you have any questions,” Li Qiuchen replied.
“Where are my clansmen? We were originally planning to go to the city-state to handle our residency, but then a man in a black robe came and said he could process our resident identities, and then everyone seemed to get sleepy. What happened after that?”
The lamb girl cut straight to the point.
“He then took control of you. Your clansmen are all dead. Originally, you all would have been used as food for the Magical Beasts. We saved you. And those Magical Beasts are currently on their way here,” Li Qiuchen told her truthfully. Behind him, those Orcs with ox horns began to wail one after another, and a mist also rose in the eyes of the “lead lamb” before him.
However, she did not shed tears. Instead, she made a serious request: “My name is Ruby. I want to go see the bodies of my clansmen. Is that okay?”
“My name is Li Qiuchen. Sister Co’er will take you over there in a bit. My condolences,” Li Qiuchen nodded toward Jocelyn at the side.
“They aren’t going. I can go by myself,” Ruby emphasized.
Li Qiuchen glanced at her with some surprise.
After nodding, he turned and walked downstairs.
He needed to keep an eye on the situation with the Magic Array.
On the other side, Aili came to Kairui’s side. Looking at Kairui, who was honestly injecting Mana into the Key Node, she said with some disbelief: “Kairui, you actually believe that guy so much?”
“He is my Master,” Kairui responded flatly.
“You’re not this kind of person. Don’t you remember? When you were little and awakened your Source of Mana, you casually summoned a gust of Wind in front of me?”
Aili pressed further.
She always remembered that proud young boy who came to the Castle as a guest, displaying the power of Magic in front of her and her friends.
That was also the reason why she ultimately determined to embark on the path of Magic.
“I trust Master, not just because he is skilled in Magic, but because he is actually a very good person,” Kairui took a heavy breath.
Feeling the exhaustion of the Mana in his body, he once again drew upon the power of his Source of Mana.
Li Qiuchen was a very good person, not only because he stopped his mistake that day, but even more so because he purified his parents’ Souls in the Castle that day.
He could feel his parents’ pain, especially the distortion and agony of his Mother’s Soul.
The Magic Array arranged by Li Qiuchen allowed them to find liberation.
That feeling was very mysterious—it wasn’t a direct experience, but a slight resonance due to the connection of his parents’ bloodline.
They had found liberation and thanked Master.
But Master said nothing.
Even after he became an apprentice and Master promised to do his best to solve his Magic Corruption problem, he did not demand anything in return.
Nothing at all.
Why shouldn’t he trust such a person?
Aili simply found it impossible to understand.
She sat beside Kairui, sulking.
Was it because Li Qiuchen didn’t trust her that he didn’t assign her a task?
Or was it because of her status?
Whichever it was, it made her feel uncomfortable.
“You’re doing well. Come and rest for a while, then continue after your Mana has recovered,” Li Qiuchen patted his shoulder and said.
“Master, why does this Magic Array need to be connected to the Swamp over there? The Magical Beasts shouldn’t be attacking from that direction, right?”
Kairui asked in confusion.
“There are good things in the Swamp that can make our Magic Array achieve twice the result with half the effort,” Li Qiuchen explained vaguely.
He patted his shoulder and said, “I’ll explain it to you in detail once we get to Phoenix City.”
It was as if the threat they were about to face was nothing at all in his eyes.
Kairui nodded.
“What should I do?”
Aili couldn’t help but ask.
There were clattering sounds all around, and she really couldn’t sit quietly by herself.
“You keep your strength up and fill this thing with Mana. If you have nothing else to do, review the Rain Spike Technique properly. As a wide-range damage Magic, it can cause effective damage to the Demon King’s Army,” Li Qiuchen handed the Copper Mirror to Aili.
Aili took the Copper Mirror and said with some disdain: “If I had known this thing was for you, I wouldn’t have brought it out.”
“Uncle Wright paid one Gold Tack. By the way, who taught you this Magic Array? Was it Lumin?”
Li Qiuchen asked while looking at the Magic Array engraved on the Copper Mirror.
Although this Magic Array was immature, the thinking behind it was very clear, showing that the designer was very clever.
It was just a pity that even with a Magic Array engraved on it, such a Mirror could only store one-third of the Mana from a Blue Crystal.
And the Yellow Crystal that Kaili had left with him would take at least five more days before it could be used again.
“Hmph, I’m not telling you,” Aili injected Mana into the Mirror bit by bit.
“You believe I know the Rain Spike Technique? What if I don’t?”
“It’s fine, I know it,” Li Qiuchen shrugged and said.
“Hmph, you guy who brags all day, you’re from the Light and Shadow Magicians’ Alliance, right?”
Aili was dismissive, but the fear in her heart had dissipated quite a bit at this moment.
***
A strange fragrance wafted from Uncle Wright’s food.
Just as it was set on the table, Jocelyn had already rushed down from the second floor, ready to dine.
“Ruby has started helping to reinforce the doors and windows on the second floor with that group of little Orcs. They want some weapons for self-defense.”
Ruby and a few small Orc companions sat uneasily at the opposite table, waiting.
“Are they reliable?”
Li Qiuchen whispered to Jocelyn for her opinion.
“They’re okay, I think it’s fine. Ruby is very smart,” Jocelyn winked and lowered her head to start drinking soup.
If they were smart, they wouldn’t look for trouble because they were all in the same boat now.
“Then take some spears and follow Sister Co’er to guard the back door,” Li Qiuchen suggested.
The small Orcs at the opposite table became happy.
He turned to look at the people around him and found that everyone had gloomy faces and poor appetites.
After all, they had just seen those horrific scenes, and a massive threat was right before them.
The sky was gradually darkening, and dusk was approaching.
Wright and Jocelyn were eating very seriously, and Kaili was also trying her best to eat some food.
At this moment, saying things like they wouldn’t have the strength to face the Magical Beast army if they didn’t eat would only increase the pressure in everyone’s hearts.
He changed the subject and spoke up, “When Co’er and I were fleeing for our lives from the Northlands, we were in a sorry state the whole way. Your Sister Co’er was lucky; one day, she was actually noticed by an Elf youth we happened to meet.”
The people who were originally frowning immediately raised their heads.
In particular, the several Orc children stared at him intently with their wide eyes.
Only Jocelyn was still diligently finishing her meal.
“That Elf youth didn’t act with the arrogance or stupidity from the legends. He walked with us for a while with a refined and gentle manner, and even helped us quite a bit,” Li Qiuchen was indeed a good storyteller, and he quickly drew everyone’s attention.
“As it turned out, he was an Elf Prince, and he liked Miss Co’er very much. He promised Jocelyn that he would pray to the Holy Tree for a blessing. After that, they would no longer need food, she would never experience hunger again, and Co’er would obtain a lifespan of five hundred years to live with him.”
“Did Sister Co’er not agree?”
A boy with ox horns asked blankly.
Li Qiuchen paused intentionally, and everyone looked at Jocelyn together.
Jocelyn noticed everyone’s gaze, looked up, and gave everyone a grin. She secretly punched Li Qiuchen and whispered: “Hurry up and say it, an Elf Prince?”
“Sister Co’er rejected him,” Li Qiuchen answered after taking a bite of beef.
“Why? Five hundred years is a very, very long time. You can do so many things, right?” the ox-horned boy asked persistently, and the others also looked at him curiously.
Aili also looked over.
Li Qiuchen continued: “Sister Co’er said, ‘What?! Not eating anything and living for five hundred years? Isn’t that torture? And here I thought we were friends.’”
Like the finale of a farce, everyone was amused, and the unease lingering in their hearts was immediately dispersed quite a bit.
Li Qiuchen filled a spoon with meat soup and said to everyone: “So, delicious food is a necessity for a beautiful life. Eat quickly while it’s hot. Don’t let Uncle Wright’s kind intentions go to waste.”
The group then lowered their heads and began to eat.
***
Nightfall had completely descended.
All the tables and chairs had been dismantled to reinforce the building.
The rest were placed around the perimeter, where Li Qiuchen personally lit bonfires to illuminate the situation outside.
Aili, Li Qiuchen, and Kaili were guarding the front door. Uncle Wright was in the center, ready to provide support at any time.
The rest of the group gathered at the back door.
Everyone’s weapon had been given an Enchantment by Kaili, shimmering with golden light.
Aili looked at the pitch-black sky outside the door.
A strange feeling welled up in her heart—perhaps there was no Magical Beast army at all, and everything was just Li Qiuchen’s hallucination.
She didn’t dare to shout it out, but she hoped for it in her heart.
She knew perfectly well that she thought this way because of her cowardice, but she couldn’t suppress it no matter what.
“Why didn’t we seal the back door and have everyone guard the front door?”
Aili asked, looking for conversation.
“We need to divert the enemies. If they all gather at the front door, it means a head-on collision,” Li Qiuchen didn’t show any signs of impatience this time.
Instead, he carefully explained to this young lady, “A brick and stone structure is sturdy enough. If the enemy attacks through the doorway, the space is narrow. They can only come in batches, giving us the advantage.”
He continued: “If we only left one door, they would find a way to ram through the side walls of brick and stone, and that would be dangerous. Leaving two doors can greatly reduce the pressure. Moreover, the doorway is narrow. If a dozen people are all crowded in front of one door, we won’t be able to utilize our advantage either.”
This tactic was something he had discussed carefully with Wright and Kemel; it was the best solution they could come up with for now.
“They’re here,” Kaili, who had been staring out the door, suddenly spoke up.
Li Qiuchen looked out the door but could only see a sea of pure darkness.
It was a deathly silence.
The usual night sounds of the Forest—the chirping of crickets, the whispers of owls, even the rustle of the Wind through the leaves—all vanished in an instant.
It was as if the entire world had its throat seized by an invisible hand.
A breeze blew across the wilderness, bringing a scent that arrived first.
It was a thick, nauseating smell of rotting meat, surging over like an invisible tide.
The smell itself seemed to have weight, pressing against the base of the tongue and making one want to retch.
“Thump, thump…”
Low and uniform footsteps came from the darkness outside the house, neither fast nor slow, carrying a certain cold rhythm.
That wasn’t the chaotic running of wild beasts, but a well-trained army advancing steadily.
Through the frosted window glass, one could vaguely see pairs of ghostly green points of light lighting up in the darkness.
Like floating will-o’-the-wisps, they were densely packed, completely surrounding the inn.
They stepped out from the shadows at the edge.
They were Magic Wolves, each about the size of a calf.
Muscles coiled and rolled under their gray fur, revealing fangs as pale as daggers.
Saliva, carrying the acidic scent of corrosion, dripped to the ground with a faint “sizzling” sound.
They had no pupils, only two clusters of green light burning with the fires of Hell, locked onto the inn—the only prey in this area.
They were silent.
Aside from those heavy footsteps, there wasn’t even a single howl characteristic of wolves.
It was precisely this disciplined silence that was more terrifying than any roar.
Just then, the wolf pack parted to both sides like a tide, making way for a path.
The Alpha Wolf stepped out.
It was a massive creature that far surpassed its kin.
Its shoulder height was almost level with the inn’s ground-floor windows.
With every step it took, the ground seemed to tremble slightly.
It walked forward alone and stopped at the edge of the clearing in front of the inn.
The firelight illuminated its appearance.
It was also pitch black all over, but its body was covered in crisscrossing scars.
Its left eye had been pierced through, and another horrific scar tore from the corner of its mouth to its left shoulder.
The flesh was turned outward, and the pale bone could be vaguely seen beneath the wound.
It had lost its left eye, but its remaining right eye was a vertical pupil burning with a molten reddish-gold light, revealing a certain sense of antiquity and cunning.
“I seem to have seen you before.”
The Alpha Wolf’s voice was as raspy as the sound of rocks cracking open.
“Kellman died at your hands, didn’t he?”
“If you’re talking about that guy who was impersonating a Sanctuary Priest, then yes,” Li Qiuchen responded.
Feeling the pressure from the opponent, he tightened his grip on the Mirror in his hand.
The Zhesi Gem’s response was very swift.
Under the [Perception] state, he could clearly see the golden Thunder Law Track at the Alpha Wolf’s shoulder that was still continuously causing damage.
It was a Thunder Law Track.
What a pure power of the thunder element.
He wondered who had heavily injured it.
“You needn’t worry. That guy who is skilled in Illusion Magic sensed the danger keenly and has already left.”
The Alpha Wolf seemed to see through everyone’s worries and instead showed goodwill.
Aili unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
“You are too dangerous. I didn’t really want to come over either, but the children need food. You should be able to tell that my body can’t hold out for much longer. Hand over the food, and we’ll leave after we’ve eaten. How about it?” the Alpha Wolf asked in a negotiating tone.
Aili almost wanted to agree immediately.
She looked at Li Qiuchen, and the group guarding the back door also looked over one after another.
“Not happening,” Li Qiuchen replied calmly.
“What do you mean?”
The Alpha Wolf was somewhat puzzled.
“You have no credibility to speak of. You are trying to use so-called false promises to shake my team. You could perfectly well attack after you’re full, or attack while we’re in the middle of turning around to transport things. That Illusion Magic friend of yours might also be hiding in a corner, ready to launch an attack at any time,” Li Qiuchen pointed out the other party’s loopholes without any politeness.
Behind him, the people who were originally tempted became vigilant once again.
“I just want to make a deal, and then we’ll each leave without incident,” the Alpha Wolf requested again.
“I don’t make deals with Magical Beasts.”
Li Qiuchen’s tone was categorical.
After speaking, as if worried the other party hadn’t understood, he continued to add: “You won’t get any food—the bodies of my kind will receive a decent burial, not be given to you as food. It’s also impossible for us to leave without incident.”
“Even if you were to leave right now, I would find a way to hunt you down until I’ve killed every last one of you. I’m going to kill you all, not because I am cruel. But because the things you have done remind me at every moment. You don’t deserve to live.”