Chapter 80: Water Elementals
Mo Yue and I, hidden to the side, were also extremely surprised. The Elf Race was exceedingly rare on the continent—how could they appear here?
Mo Yue said, “These are Water Elf people. I’ve seen information about them in Father Emperor’s study. It’s said that the Elf Race has always been friendly with humans. They’re the most proficient in all elemental magic. An elf who specializes in a certain type of magic belongs to that tribe. Although their numbers are very small now, they’re still a force on Jinyuan Continent that can’t be ignored. But they’ve rarely appeared on the continent anymore. The reason isn’t very clear.”
Seeing a race like this for the first time, I couldn’t help feeling excited. I smiled. “Looks like your cousin Su Shun stole their stuff. No wonder he hired the Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group—so his enemy is the Water Elf people.”
The leader of the Elf Race was a young female elf. A faint blue glow flickered over her body as she said calmly, “No matter who you are, as long as you leave immediately, we won’t pursue it. Otherwise, you will follow the thief back to the Elf Race and accept the Elders Council’s judgment.”
Su Shun had already stepped down from the wagon. He smoothed the wrinkles in his clothes at ease and smiled. “Humans and the Elf Race have always been friendly. Did you mistake me for someone else?”
When the female elf saw Su Shun, thick hatred flooded her eyes. She pointed at him and said, “Even if you turned to ash, I would still recognize you. It was you who stole our tribe’s supreme treasure—the Heart of Water. Today, you must come with us back to the Elf Race to accept the Elders Council’s punishment. Otherwise…”
Su Shun looked unconcerned. “Otherwise what? You little brats think you can stop us?”
The elves were instantly enraged. They flapped their wings and were about to rush forward, but the leading female elf stopped her clansmen and said proudly, “Although you displayed superior strength when you stole it, the Elf Race is not something you can bully at will. Brothers and sisters—come out.”
As soon as she spoke, large numbers of elves flew out of the forest they came from. They were yellow, green, red, and cyan. Their total number exceeded a hundred.
The five-colored mass looked dazzling. They flapped their transparent wings and floated a foot above the ground. Their small bodies looked extremely cute. They didn’t seem very old—if compared to humans, about sixteen or seventeen. Every one of them wore a dark face, filled with fury.
Mo Yue exclaimed, “Looks like the Heart of Water is really important. People from all five major elf tribes came.”
I asked in confusion, “What are the five major tribes?” I knew very little about the Elf Race, so I could only ask Mo Yue.
Mo Yue said, “Elves are divided into five major tribes: water, fire, earth, wind, and wood. Now I understand why those watchers last night were so good at hiding. They were probably Wood Elf people. They can borrow the forest’s power to conceal themselves.”
After seeing all five elf tribes appear, Su Shun’s expression changed slightly. “I didn’t expect a mere Heart of Water would mobilize all five elf tribes. I’m honored. But with just this many people, you probably still can’t take it back. Want to fight? Be my guest.”
Although more than a hundred elves appeared, each with noticeable energy fluctuations, they were far weaker than I expected. Not a single one stood out as overwhelmingly strong. They might not even be a match for the Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group.
Could the entire Elf Race really have only this much strength? That didn’t seem like a major race at all.
The female Water Elf said, “Hand over the Heart of Water from our Kama Village right now. In front of the elders, I can still plead for you. Otherwise, we will kill you with all our strength.”
Captain Li of the Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group moved close to Su Shun and asked in a low voice, “You offended the Elf Race?”
Su Shun nodded slightly. “Yes. I paid a high price to hire you this time precisely to resist them. Prepare to act. I believe you can handle these elves.”
Captain Li looked troubled. He clearly didn’t want to oppose the Elf Race, but he couldn’t betray his employer either. He could only say loudly, “Friends of the Elf Race, our Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group accepted this employer’s request to escort him to a place. Could you wait until we complete the task before reclaiming your item?”
The female elf didn’t relent at all. “Final warning. If you don’t leave immediately, we will launch an attack.”
Captain Li said helplessly, “When you take someone’s money, you eliminate their disaster. Sorry, friends of the Elf Race. Entire group—prepare for battle. No killing.”
At his command, every member of the Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group drew their weapons and gathered in front of the wagons. Su Shun shook the box in his hand, wearing a provocative expression.
The elves could finally no longer endure their fury. Led by the Water Elf, they began their attack. The water, fire, earth, and wind tribes unleashed the magic they specialized in. Waves of low-level spells poured down like a blanket over the sky. The Wood Elf people drew green shortbows from behind their backs. One green long arrow after another shot out.
You could tell they were kind. They aimed at nonlethal spots.
The Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group displayed their strength at this moment. Under the vice-captain’s lead, eleven mages released defensive barriers. I was shocked to discover that all of them were at least at the level of a Great Mage. Their barriers were heavy and tough, instantly blocking the elves’ magic.
The Wood Elf archery was extremely accurate, but lacked power. The arrows were knocked away by level-one mercenaries’ broad swords. Only a few arrows from tricky angles got through the defense, and even those were shaken off by the mercenaries’ battle energy. The number that caused real harm was extremely small.
Under Captain Li and the four Great Elders’ lead, the level-one mercenaries began to counterattack. The greatest trait of elf mages was fast casting speed, but these young elves seemed not to have grasped the essence of elf magic. Their power couldn’t hurt these mercenaries at all. Once the mercenaries got close enough to display their martial skill advantage, the elves—whose martial skills were very poor—panicked. In no time, more than a dozen elves were knocked down, and the situation turned unfavorable.
Fortunately, the mercenaries held back. They struck only with the flat of the blade, not causing real injury—only temporarily taking away their ability to fight.
I asked Mo Yue, “Yue’er, should we act?”
Mo Yue shook her head. “Let them fight first. We’ll act at the end. You have to help me snatch that Heart of Water.”
I frowned. “That’s not good. It’s the Elf Race’s item. I think we should just watch and see.”
Mo Yue tugged my hand and said coquettishly, “No. I want it. Help me get it, okay?”
Her spoiled look reminded me of Jin and Yin, who were curious about everything. If they were here, they might have joined the robbery too. I wondered how they were now. Thinking of Jin and Yin, then seeing Mo Yue pleading, I subconsciously agreed.
On the field, the elves retreated step by step. Over thirty elves were already down, while the Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group had only a few with minor injuries. With their strength, they could probably rank in the top ten in the Dragon God Empire.
So how could they be so financially strained that they had to take a job without even knowing their target?
Just as the Elf Race was about to collapse, a gentle voice sounded. “You little brats are too disobedient.”
With the voice, a watery blue curtain of light appeared in front of the five elf tribes. The energy was so great it shoved more than ten charging level-one mercenaries back over ten steps. More than ten Water Elves flew out of the woods. Unlike the earlier ones, these looked middle-aged. The energy they radiated was far stronger than the young elves’ earlier.
The young Water Elf who led earlier flew to a middle-aged female Water Elf among them, lowered her head, and said, “Mother, why are you here?”
The middle-aged female elf frowned. “You girl—who allowed you to come seeking revenge? Didn’t I tell you I would handle this? If I didn’t rush over, who knows what trouble you would’ve caused. Your strength is far too weak. Go treat the injured. I’ll handle this.”
“Yes, Mother.”
After scolding her daughter, the female elf led the dozen or so elves who came with her and flew to the front of the Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group, stopping there. She bowed slightly. “Thank you for showing restraint and not harming these children.”
Captain Li hurriedly returned the salute. “There’s no need to thank us. There’s no hatred between us. Of course we wouldn’t kill.”
The female Water Elf pointed at Su Shun. “I am the village chief of Kama Village among the Elf Race. My name is Water Star. A few days ago, the Heart of Water preserved in our village was stolen by this man. The Heart of Water is extremely important to us Water Elves. Every Water Elf tribe keeps its own Heart of Water. So I came here hoping to take it back. Please do not block us.”
Captain Li said with difficulty, “He is our employer. We must keep our promise and protect him to Stru Fortress. Please don’t make things hard for us.”
Water Star smiled slightly. “Those who came with me are all elites of the Water Elf tribe—thirteen people in total. All of them have the ability of an Elf Envoy. Perhaps you don’t know what an Elf Envoy is. By your terms, it should correspond to a Mid-Rank Magus. You likely still cannot stop us. To avoid damaging our relations, leave immediately. We must take back the Heart of Water.”
Captain Li said helplessly, “Then we can only settle it with our hands.”
When these dozen Elf Envoys appeared, Su Shun’s expression already turned unnatural. He stuffed the brocade box into his clothes and drew his narrow sword from his back.
Water Star waved her hand. The thirteen Elf Envoys immediately formed a formation: seven in front, six behind. The front seven—including Water Star—extended their right hands. Blue light gathered in their palms, forming a sharp ice sword in the blink of an eye. The six behind pressed their hands together before their chests and continuously recited spells.
The Iron Shoulder vice-captain cried out, “Captain, act now! Don’t let them finish their magic!”
His worry was correct. Even from far away, Mo Yue and I could feel the water elements in the air gradually boiling. A spell jointly cast by six Magus-level mages would be no small matter.
Captain Li clenched his teeth and charged forward with the four mercenary elders. Battle energy of various colors flickered in the air as they unleashed strong attacks. Water Star calmly swung her ice sword, and together with the other six Elf Envoys, blocked their assault.
Water Star’s opponent was Captain Li.
Captain Li’s broad sword flared with a three-chi sword aura. Battle energy erupted from his whole body, displaying strength above the rest. Several consecutive strikes forced Water Star back, but she was immediately covered by another Elf Envoy stepping in. The formation of seven Elf Envoys was extremely tight. Although their coordination was a bit crude, they completely blocked the five attackers.
The level-one mercenaries, being far weaker, couldn’t help much even if they charged in. Meanwhile, the earlier young elves desperately cast magic to block the Iron Shoulder mages’ attacks. For a time, the two sides fell into a stalemate.
The rear six Elf Envoys finally completed their magic. Wave-like water elements appeared in the air, surging in rings toward the mercenary group. The powerful magic force locked many level-one mercenaries in place. Even Captain Li and the four elders had to split their focus to resist this wide-area water spell, and under Water Star’s pressure they retreated steadily. It looked like victory was tipping toward the elves.
Su Shun gave a sinister smile. He pulled the brocade box out again and chanted in a low voice, “Respected Heart of Water, please devour the water elements before you as the foundation for your growth.”
As he chanted, he lifted the lid. Blue light exploded, instantly dyeing a radius of dozens of meters into a pure, clean blue. The water magic released by the six Elf Envoys immediately surged madly toward the blue light, no longer under the Envoys’ control. As the water elements poured in, the blue light from the box grew brighter and brighter. Its energy fluctuations even reached the realm of a Magic Mentor.
This strange scene made everyone stop attacking and look at Su Shun. The blue light radiating from the box carried a gentle energy. The invisible pressure made everyone feel as if they could barely breathe.
Water Star’s face turned pale. She said in shock, “Y-you… how do you know the incantation to activate the Heart of Water? Only people from the Elders Council know that!”
Su Shun laughed proudly. “Not only do I know how to use the Heart of Water, I also know there are seven Hearts of Water on the continent—one main, and six auxiliary.”
“Among the twenty-plus Water Elf villages of the Elf Race, there are four auxiliary Hearts of Water. We already collected two other auxiliary Hearts of Water. With this one, that should make three. Water Star, we won’t stop here. Once we have all the Hearts of Water, we can pray to the Water God and obtain his power. Then the continent will have no opponents left for us. Hahahaha!”
Seeing how smug and arrogant he was, irritation rose in me. I said to Mo Yue, “Yue’er, wait here. I’m going to snatch that Heart of Water.”
Mo Yue said, “Look how disgusting Su Shun is. Help me hit him twice to vent.”
“Fine.”
I shot out like an arrow, heading straight for the smug Su Shun. He seemed to sense danger and abruptly turned. His lips moved. The blue energy from the Heart of Water condensed into a stream and shot at me. Those tricks might work against Water Elves, but against me, they wouldn’t.
I smiled with contempt. Mad God Battle Energy erupted across my body as golden radiance flared and crashed forward. Just as I was about to meet the blue light, I brought my hands together. The golden radiance I released became like a sharp blade and cleaved outward, splitting the Heart of Water’s energy down the middle. It flowed past me like water on both sides.
I rushed straight to Su Shun. I didn’t immediately grab the Heart of Water. My right fist swung, and a streak of golden radiance slammed into Su Shun’s forehead.
At the brink of life and death, Su Shun no longer dared to hide his strength. Black radiance flared across his body. His narrow sword quivered rapidly as he stabbed at my golden radiance. With his strength, even transforming wouldn’t make him my match—let alone in a hurried exchange. My Mad God Battle Energy detonated right in front of him, blasting him and his sword flying.
The brocade box holding the Heart of Water flew out of his hands. Only then did I see: the so-called Heart of Water was a heart-shaped blue gemstone. Once it left Su Shun, its glow immediately dimmed quite a bit. With a pull of my left hand, I grabbed the brocade box. Gentle water elements kept pressing against me, but my protective Mad God Battle Energy blocked them.
To my surprise, this brocade box was also a treasure—neither gold nor iron, yet extremely heavy. I flicked my hand and shut the lid. The Heart of Water’s energy instantly vanished from the air.
Captain Li saw my face clearly and cried out, “It’s you!”
I sneered. “That’s right. It’s me.”
Su Shun had been blasted more than ten meters away. He rolled several times on the ground before shedding the force. A thread of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. I knew exactly how much strength I used. He was only lightly injured. Su Shun no longer had any arrogance left, staring at me without a word.
I stood between both sides, golden radiance flickering over me, filled with overbearing dominance. I swept my gaze around. “What’s there to fight over? It’s just a gemstone. It’s mine.”
Only then did Su Shun react and shout, “Captain Li! Move!”
Captain Li said to me, “Friend, no matter who you are, please return what you’re holding to us.”
I snorted. “And if I don’t? Yue’er, come here. I’m giving this to you.”
At my call, Mo Yue—wearing the bamboo hat—leaped over and caught the brocade box. She giggled. “Husband, you’re amazing. Thank you.”
Seeing her happy, I said gently, “As long as you’re happy, no matter what it is, I’ll snatch it for you.”
Captain Li saw I treated him as nothing. He flew into rage and raised his broad sword to hack at me. Orange-yellow battle energy descended in a blink. I watched with contempt and roared, “Scram.”
Protective Mad God Battle Energy burst out and withdrew at once, flinging him and his sword away.
The four Great Elders hurriedly caught their captain. One of them said in a deep voice, “Friend, even a lone man fights nine and doesn’t fight ten—you’re robbing by force like this. Don’t you think you’ve gone too far?”
I looked at him disdainfully. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.” I pointed at Su Shun. “Didn’t he steal the Heart of Water too? What’s the difference between stealing and robbing? Since he can steal, why can’t we rob? In this world, strength is everything. If you can beat me, you can naturally take it back.”
The Elder was furious. “You—”
I cut in, “Me? What about me? I’m just stating the facts. Even if someone should have it, it won’t be you. Today I’m in a good mood and don’t want to kill. If you know what’s good for you, get lost.”
I truly didn’t intend to kill them. Ever since leaving the Saint Dragon Knights Corps, I told myself I would never kill easily again.
Captain Li struggled back to his feet and shouted, “Elders, together—kill him!” The five of them, five broad swords, and five streams of different-colored battle energy slashed at me at the same time. Their strength was even greater than before—they clearly didn’t use full strength against the Water Elves earlier.
The five striking together gave me a trace of pressure. I stepped forward, drew Mo Ming from behind, and drove Mad God Battle Energy fully as I swung upward, bellowing, “Open!”
Even without any transformation, my current strength was already close to a Dragon General. This full-power strike made golden radiance explode. The six sword energies collided in midair. With a thunderous boom, Captain Li and the four elders rebounded back just as fast as they charged, each tumbling across the ground.
I stroked Mo Ming lightly and said coldly, “If you still refuse to take the hint, don’t blame me for killing.”
Water Star had been stunned ever since I appeared. Seeing me drive back Captain Li and the others with one strike, she flew forward two steps and said gently, “Sir, could you return our clan’s item to us?”
To be honest, I felt some goodwill toward this beautiful Water Elf. Her soft words were more powerful than Captain Li’s attacks earlier. I turned to look at Mo Yue and saw her playing with the brocade box with interest. I said politely, “Sorry. I didn’t obtain this item from your hands, and I already gave it to my wife. Please forgive me—I can’t return it.”
A resolute look appeared on Water Star’s face. “In that case, we have no choice but to offend you. Even if we know we aren’t your match, even if we die, we Water Elves will not give up the Heart of Water. All Elf Race members, hear my command—form the Myriad Phenomena Elf Grand Formation.”
She drifted backward. The elves who could still fight gathered together. Centered on the thirteen Elf Envoys, they began moving quickly, each chanting something. From their look, they wouldn’t pose a threat right away.
Captain Li and the others had already climbed back up. At the last moment I held back and didn’t seriously injure them. Strangely, Captain Li didn’t attack again. He grabbed the elders who still wanted to charge, stopped the vice-captain who wanted to use magic on me, and with a sorrowful look, walked toward Su Shun.
Su Shun roared in rage, “Captain Li! Why aren’t you continuing? You have to take the Heart of Water back for me!”
Captain Li’s expression gradually settled. He bowed to Su Shun and said flatly, “Sorry, Mister Su. I must consider my members. This enemy is too strong. It isn’t something we can fight. We’ve decided to abandon this mission.”
He took out a white card from his clothes and handed it over. “This is the five thousand gold coins deposit you paid us. We’re returning it. Once again, our apologies.”
All the mercenaries crowded around, faces full of grief and indignation.
“Captain, let’s fight him! If we don’t finish the mission, the group won’t have expenses.”
“Captain, we know you’re doing it for us. All these years following you, brothers never had personnel losses. But we can’t keep retreating this time!”
“Yes, Captain. Let’s fight. If this keeps up, our Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group will disband.”
Captain Li roared, “All of you shut up!”
He swept his gaze over his members and said in a deep voice, “Listen carefully. Even if Iron Shoulder disbands, right now you’re still Iron Shoulder members, so you must obey my orders. Yes, mercenaries take jobs to earn money. But is money more precious than life? A person only lives once. Since you followed me, I must be responsible to you and your families. I cannot let you die casually. Assemble—prepare to withdraw.”
Hearing this, I couldn’t help admiring Captain Li. A man who took responsibility for his brothers like that had to be upright. I sighed inwardly. He was far better than me. Back then, my brothers died tragically because of me.
I glanced at Mo Yue. Back then, it was her order, but at that time the two races were hostile, and I already killed the true culprits who murdered my brothers. Consider the vengeance done. I was just finding myself an excuse. Mo Yue was mine now—how could I still seek revenge on her?
Su Shun trembled with rage and shouted, “No wonder you can’t enter the top ten mercenary groups. You’re all a bunch of cowards afraid of death!”
Captain Li said calmly, “Cowardly or dishonorable—it doesn’t matter. I’ve decided. Sorry.”
I called out to the elves, “Please wait a moment before acting. Let me settle this side first.”
Water Star, in the middle of forming the formation, froze, then nodded. “All right.”
I pulled Mo Yue and flashed to Su Shun’s front. “Don’t make things hard for them anymore. Captain Li, I can give you the best reason for not completing this mission.”
Captain Li froze. “What?”
I smiled faintly and pointed at Su Shun. “Because this man is Demon Race.”
My words instantly caused an uproar among the mercenaries. Everyone stared at Su Shun with the same look.
Su Shun’s face turned white. “Y-you’re talking nonsense. I’m human.”
I sneered. “Human? If you’re a human of the Dragon God Empire, how do you have Demon Race dark magic? Mercenary friends, you should have seen my exchange with him. Human dark magic and Demon Race dark magic are fundamentally different.”
“Dark magic is a technique that fuses magic and battle energy, while human dark magic is only magic. When he took my attack just now, he used battle-energy-form dark magic. So I’m certain he is Demon Race—and a Fallen Angel at that.”
Su Shun was left speechless. He staggered back several steps, staring at me in shock.
Mo Yue, altering her voice, shouted, “Why aren’t you running? Waiting to die?”
I knew Su Shun was part of the Fallen Angel Legion and a backbone of Demon Race strength. She didn’t want him to die here.
Su Shun clenched his teeth and chanted, “Darkness gathered the soul. Only falling brought freedom. Awaken, endless magic sleeping in my blood.”
He transformed into a Fallen Angel. From the dark energy he released, I knew his Heavenly Demon Art had only just entered the fifth level—nothing to fear. Su Shun was able to bend when he had to. He glared at me hatefully, then shot upward, grabbed his trembling assistant, and flapped his wings into the sky. With my threat present, the elves didn’t pursue him. They stayed in place, gathering power.
I ignored him and said to Captain Li, “Now your employment relationship is over. Captain Li, as the leader of a mercenary group, you consider your subordinates. I admire that very much. Can I hire you now?”
Captain Li paused. The hostility from before was gone. “Thank you for helping us see his true nature. You want to hire us? For what?”
I smiled. “My task is simple in one sense, difficult in another. I don’t know if you dare accept it.”
Captain Li frowned. “I have to hear the task first. If it’s within our ability, I’ll consider taking it.”
I took out a Mo Crystal Card loaded with ten million gold coins. “My task is to have you deliver this Mo Crystal Card to the capital of the Dragon God Empire, and give it to Duke Zi Feng’s eldest daughter, Zi Yan. And tell her: Lei Xiang is safe, and will return as soon as possible to see her.”
Captain Li clearly had never seen a Mo Crystal Card before and didn’t know its value. He said blankly, “That’s it?”
I nodded. “That’s it. I’ll explain first: this is also a bank card, with a lot of money in it, but it needs a special method to use. Even if someone else gets it, it’s useless. The reward for this task is one hundred thousand gold coins. Once you deliver it, miss Zi Yan will pay you.”
All the mercenaries cried out together, “One hundred thousand gold coins?!”
I nodded. “Correct. One hundred thousand gold coins. Are you taking it or not?”
Captain Li asked cautiously, “Will that duke’s daughter really pay us that much? Our rules are that half the deposit is paid first.”
I was both amused and annoyed. After helping them this much, they still doubted me. But it made sense. Once bitten, twice shy. Fine—help them all the way.
In front of all the mercenaries, I pulled paper and a pen from the Jiezi Pouch and wrote:
“Zi Yan, Zi Xue, I don’t know how you are now. I miss you very much. I am having the Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group deliver this letter and the Mo Crystal Card to you. Don’t save money for me—buy whatever you need. I have already found Mo Yue and obtained her forgiveness. After I finish handling the other matters, I will hurry to the Dragon God Empire to meet you. At that time, I will never be separated from you again. Finally, please give the Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group one hundred thousand gold coins as their reward for delivering this.”
Signed: “Lei Xiang, who will always love you.”
Mo Yue leaned over to look and laughed. “So cheesy.”
I pinched her thigh and said, “What’s cheesy? I love you too.” Then I showed the letter to Captain Li. “With this letter, Zi Yan will definitely pay you. Maybe if she’s happy, she’ll even pay more. As for the deposit…”
I thought for a moment and took out the last diamond from the Jiezi Pouch. I had almost given away all the gemstones I got. Only a few were left.
“This is a diamond. Only the Demon Race produces them. I bought it at a high price. I won’t talk about its value, but it definitely exceeds fifty thousand gold coins. Take it to Zi Yan and exchange it for the one hundred thousand gold coins.”