Chapter 1122: Chapter 83: Preserve the Bloodline_2
"Ah Dai, what are you planning?" Yan Shi gazed at the mist over the lake and asked softly.
Ah Dai glanced at Yan Shi, placed his hands on his knees, and said, "Once Xing Er has recovered, I want to leave here and go to the Empire of Tian Jing to find teacher Goris. It’s been seven years since I left, and I don’t know how he is now. After meeting teacher, I want to learn magic from him and not wander the continent anymore. I’m so tired of the human intrigue; I just want to live a peaceful life with teacher Goris. Perhaps only the Illusive Forest is a true sanctuary for me."
Yan Shi turned his head towards Ah Dai and said, "What about Yue Yue? Don’t you miss her? And what about your uncle’s revenge? Aren’t you going to seek it anymore?"
When Yue Yue and Owen were mentioned, Ah Dai felt a pang in his heart and sighed, "Big brother, let’s not talk about Yue Yue anymore. She and I are simply not the same kind of people. It’s impossible between us. As for my uncle’s revenge, of course, I will pursue it. From now on, I’ll spend three months each year looking for traces of the Assassin’s Guild, and someday, I’ll find their hideout and completely eradicate them."
Yan Shi put his arm around Ah Dai’s shoulder and smiled, "Brother, don’t be so hard on yourself. In my eyes, you are the best. Happiness has to be fought for. Yue Yue is a good girl; don’t give up on her so easily."
Ah Dai gently shook his head, suddenly recalling the time in Nino Small Town. He still clearly remembered the words of the girl when she left, wondering how she was now. Perhaps, after seeing teacher Goris, he should go find her. Only they, who both came from a thieves’ background, could possibly come together—at the very least, there was no disparity in their status. The girl had once said she wanted to be his wife when she grew up; he wondered if she still remembered that. But then again, what’s the use in thinking about this now? Better to wait until he had seen teacher Goris.
Yan Li slapped Yan Shi’s thigh, chuckled, and said, "Big brother, you’re always talking about Ah Dai. What about yourself? You and Zhuo Yun are always making eyes at each other, what’s the situation there?"
Hearing Yan Li’s words, Yan Shi’s face reddened, grateful it was night so neither Yan Li nor Ah Dai could see his blush. Yan Shi awkwardly said, "There’s really nothing between Zhuo Yun and me. Don’t talk nonsense."
Yan Li snorted in disbelief, "Nothing? Do you think we are blind? Ah Dai, tell me, isn’t the relationship between Big Brother and Zhuo Yun unusual?"
Ah Dai smiled faintly and said, "Big brother Yan Shi, I really can’t help you this time. It’s obvious that you and sister have feelings for each other; even I can see it."
Yan Shi lowered his head, murmuring, "Is it that obvious? Indeed, I do like Zhuo Yun. After rescuing her, the gentleness and kindness she showed when she comforted you made me feel as if I was seeing Yun Er, who had died. Zhuo Yun is a good girl; people have emotions. Having been with her for so long, to say I don’t like her would be lying to you both. But I can’t get over Yun Er’s death yet, how could I pursue Zhuo Yun? Moreover, her lover just died not long ago. How could I..."
Ah Dai said, "Big brother, don’t overthink it. I can see that Sister Zhuo Yun has feelings for you. If you like each other, why cling to the past? You just told me that happiness has to be fought for. Sister is truly wonderful, and I would fully support her as my sister-in-law."
Yan Li laughed heartily, "I support it too, Big Brother. Go for it."
Yan Shi suddenly fell silent, staring blankly at the mist over Elf Lake for a long while before saying, "Ah Dai, answer a question for me."
"What question?"
Yan Shi took a deep breath, seemingly gathering courage before asking, "Tell me, how long do Elves generally live?"
Ah Dai, not yet grasping the implication of Yan Shi’s words, answered, "Several hundred years at least, I guess. Look, Sister Zhuo Yun is over a hundred years old and still so young."
A shadow of melancholy flashed across Yan Shi’s eyes, "Yes! When she’s over two hundred, at most, she’ll look like a middle-aged Elf, like the Elf Queen. But what about me? I’m twenty-eight now, and we might look well-matched. But what about when I turn fifty-eight? What will I look like then? Have you thought about that? At that time, Zhuo Yun will still be youthful, and I will be old and feeble. Even if I can keep looking young, under normal circumstances, a human life spans only about a hundred years, whereas Elves can live for several centuries, even a millennium. I can’t pursue her on a whim and ruin her future happiness because of it. She once told me that Elves marry only once in their lives, and that spouse is their lifelong partner, untouchable even by death. I cannot ruin her future happiness! Only someone from her race, given her beauty and gentleness, could find a much stronger Elf to be her husband." At this point, Yan Shi bowed his head in agony. Voicing these thoughts pained him deeply, as he had grown profoundly in love with Zhuo Yun over the past year, and the issue of their age difference had always been his deepest concern.
