Chapter 895: Chapter 36: The Battle of the Sorcerers_4
Tian Ying was taken aback and quickly said, "Earlier, I sent Ah Dai and Xuan Yue out of the Elven Territory. It seems they intend to cross the Tian Gang Mountains and then go to the Empire of Sunset City to search for our people. Ah Dai and Yan Shi seem to have some connections with the Tian Gang Sword Sect; they will probably head there first."
Xuan Ye’s expression changed, "The Tian Gang Sword Sect, that’s good. Your Majesty, I won’t stay long. I need to catch up to that lass quickly; otherwise, if we lose track of her, it’ll be hard to find her again. I apologize again for the earlier incident, and if there’s a chance in the future, Xuan Ye will bring Yue Yue to personally apologize." Having said this, he bowed deeply to the Elf Queen.
The Elf Queen responded, "Please don’t be too formal; I should be thanking you for your help."
Xuan Ye nodded, "Rest assured, I will fulfill what I’ve promised."
The Elf Queen said, "Please, don’t be too hard on Ah Dai! And if you find our folks, please help bring them back."
Xuan Ye acknowledged, and with Audie’s escort, left the Elf ancient tree, leading his subordinates hurriedly toward the direction of the Tian Gang Mountains in the Empire of Huasheng.
After Ah Dai and others left the Elf Forest, they used most of the day to cross a hilly area and entered the territory of the Yan Li Clan. During this time, they had not encountered any other alien races from the Tian Yuan Clan.
Finally back on flat land, the group’s speed increased significantly. While crossing the hills, Xuan Yue, claiming she was too exhausted, insisted that Ah Dai carry her. Her weight was nothing for Ah Dai, but carrying her on his back always felt a bit like a thorn in his side. The faint fragrance emanating from Xuan Yue’s delicate body often left Ah Dai flustered, and the physical contact made him even more embarrassed. Yan Li had offered to carry Xuan Yue instead, but for some reason, the usually generous Ah Dai had inexplicably refused, as if he felt he would be at a loss if Yan Li carried her.
"Yue Yue, it’s flat ground now, you should walk on your own," Ah Dai suggested for what must have been the umpteenth time.
Xuan Yue giggled and shook her head, "No, I want you to carry me. You all walk so fast. I’m just a girl who knows no martial arts; how can I keep up?!" After having Ah Dai carry her for almost a day, Xuan Yue had grown accustomed to it, especially lying on Ah Dai’s broad back to sleep—it truly felt like bliss.
With a helpless shake of his head, Ah Dai continued walking.
Yan Li laughed heartily, "Brother, you might as well accept it. You both seem willing participants in this!"
Ah Dai replied with a wry smile, "Yan Li, please stop teasing me."
Seeing Ah Dai’s "suffering" look, Yan Shi couldn’t help but smile and said, "We’ve been walking for such a long time; I’m a bit tired. Let’s find a place to rest."
Xuan Yue responded, "Yes, yes! Let’s rest here. This Yan Li Clan really, doesn’t even have a single tree here, just vast grasslands everywhere."
Hearing Xuan Yue agree to rest, Ah Dai hurriedly put her down. Xuan Yue shot him a dissatisfied look and sat on the grass, shielding her bright eyes from the sun with her hand. Yan Shi and Yan Li also stopped, lying comfortably on the ground. Yan Shi said, "The Yan Li Clan is like this, they are nomadic and usually live in robust tents. The Yan Li Clan’s light cavalry is very famous on the continent; they are one of the biggest races in the Federation. When we come across a Yan Li Clan tribe, let’s buy a few horses. That way, we can travel much faster."
Xuan Yue said, "Buy horses? Do you have any money? Ah Dai and I have almost spent all our money." Indeed, the previous purchase of that luxurious carriage had taken most of their immediate funds, not to mention future expenses for food and lodging. Buying horses would mean no money left.
Yan Shi blinked and turned to Yan Li, "Brother, did you bring any money?"
Yan Li shook his head, "When have we ever used money in our clan? I’ve never used that stuff."
Ah Dai said, "It looks like we’ll still have to walk. If we can find a city, perhaps Yue Yue and I can draw some salary from the Mage Guild. Then we’ll have money to spend." To be honest, he didn’t really want to ride; he still vividly remembered the painful experience from his first time riding a horse.
Yan Li laughed and said, "No need, a path will appear when we reach the mountain. Although we don’t have money, we’ve got strength. Let’s see if we can do some work when we get to the Yan Li Clan tribe and earn some money. Without horses, travel would be painfully slow."
Yan Shi smiled, "I never thought I’d see the day when I’d need to sell my strength for money."
Xuan Yue giggled, "You guys are really going to sell your strength? That sounds fun! Actually, we should have stayed longer in the Tian Yuan Clan territory; I’ve not met other races yet. Yan Li, do you think the dwarves will be shorter than you?"
Yan Li suddenly sat up indignantly and proudly said, "Of course they’ll be shorter than me. To a dwarf, I must seem like a giant." His declaration immediately made everyone burst into hearty laughter.
The fruit brought from the Elf Clan had been finished long ago, and the group could only eat the steamed buns stored in Xuan Yue’s Phoenix’s Blood to stave off hunger. The storage capability of the Phoenix’s Blood was indeed commendable; despite the time, the steamed buns had not dried out or spoiled.
