Chapter 978: Chapter 53 Second Golden Body_3
"Brother Yan Shi, how is the apprentice whose leg I broke a few days ago? Is she doing any better?" Ah Dai still felt guilty about breaking Yi Yi’s leg that day.
Yan Shi said, "Recovery isn’t that easy, muscle and bone injuries need a hundred days to heal. That girl will need at least three months of rest to recover. Yi Yi is quite a mischief-maker, breaking her leg might actually make her calm down a bit, preventing further disturbances in the Sword Sect."
Ah Dai murmured, "If Yue Yue were here, her recovery magic might have healed Yi Yi’s leg faster." Holding the Elf Bracelet that Xuan Yue had given him, a strong longing for Xuan Yue surged in his heart. Although he understood that a relationship with Xuan Yue was almost impossible, he still couldn’t make himself forget everything that had happened when they were together.
Seeing Ah Dai’s expression, Yan Shi sighed lightly and said, "Missing Yue Yue, aren’t you? We miss her too. Who would have thought that she’s actually the daughter of the Red Robe Priest of the Holy Church? Why don’t we go find her at the Church?"
Yan Shi’s suggestion sparked a sudden desire in Ah Dai, but he quickly dismissed the thought. "No, I can’t go find her. We are from two different worlds. It’s better not to see each other. Otherwise, it would only bring her more trouble. Perhaps she has already forgotten about me." The thought that Xuan Yue might have already forgotten him caused Ah Dai’s heart to ache, as if a huge stone were pressing on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. Though he had always tried to avoid his feelings for Xuan Yue, his heart wouldn’t lie to him.
As Yan Shi watched the pained expression on Ah Dai’s face, he sadly thought of his own wife who had died tragically. "At least you’re better off than me. At least you know where your beloved is. As for me, when Yun Er died, she took my heart with her."
Yan Li, watching the two grieving men, frowned and said, "Enough, stop thinking about it. If you keep this up, you’ll drive yourselves mad. Let’s hurry on, see who can run the fastest." Finishing his sentence, he sped down the mountain, taking the lead. Ah Dai and Yan Shi exchanged a glance, sharing a look that comforted each other, and with a loud cry, they chased after Yan Li.
In the spring of 995 of the Holy calendar, having received all the skills of the Sword Saint of the Tian Gang, Ah Dai and his brothers Yan Shi left Tian Gang Mountain and embarked on a journey to avert catastrophe.
All three men’s skills had greatly improved. After rushing for a day, they finally left the Tian Gang mountain range. Looking back at the continuous mountains, they all felt as if they were in a different world.
"It’s getting dark," said Yan Shi. "Let’s rest here for now. Tomorrow morning, we’ll head west from here. It should take us about three or four days to cross through the Province of Light in the Empire of Washington and reach the territory of the Empire of Sunset City. Then we can start searching every city, and we’ll definitely find the whereabouts of the Elf Kindred."
All of a sudden, a change came over Ah Dai’s face as if he sensed something. He noticed several barely perceptible energies surrounding them. Being cautious, he stood up, and a faint white glow emanated from his body as he searched everything around them. The sounds of insects and birds were all that he heard, with no other special discoveries.
"Ah Dai, what’s wrong?" Yan Shi asked.
Ah Dai sat back down, frowning and said, "Just now, I thought there were people around, but when I listened carefully, there was no sound."
Yan Li laughed, "There are seldom any human traces around Tian Gang Mountain Range. Why are you so nervous? Even if there are people, they have nothing to do with us."
Yan Li was wrong. The hidden figures were actually following them from the base of Tian Gang Mountain. Four figures lurked a hundred meters away from them, all surprised by Ah Dai’s spiritual sense and more careful to conceal their own presences. They were indeed four Holy Judges from the Holy Church sent to covertly protect Ah Dai.
Two days later, the three men passed through Tian Gang Province and entered the territory of the Province of Light.
"Wow, what tall city walls!" exclaimed Yan Li. Before them was a huge city with walls over thirty meters high, built entirely from giant stones. There was a moat about twenty meters wide in front of the city. The drawbridge was lowered, connecting both sides and bustling with a constant flow of people crossing back and forth, making it extraordinarily lively. Yan Shi and Yan Li, who had grown up in Pu Yan Clan, were naturally amazed as it was their first time seeing a city.
Above the broad city gates at the center of the city wall hung a high stone plaque with three large characters written in the script of the Holy Church—City of Light.
Yan Shi unfolded a map and took a close look, then said, "This should be the provincial capital, City of Light, of the Province of Light in the Empire of Washington. In the Empire of Washington, this is one of the big cities, truly magnificent! I heard that in recent years, the Empire of Washington based its operations here for several small-scale battles with the Empire of Sunset City, with both sides suffering damages but neither able to best the other."
Ah Dai agreed with Yan Shi’s words. From the outside, the City of Light seemed much larger than the smaller cities of the Red Hurricane Clan. Looking at the wide city walls which stretched as far as the eye could see, he said, "Brother Yan Shi, let’s go in and find a place to rest. Then we can continue on our journey tomorrow. Moreover, since this city is so large, there must be nobles, perhaps we could even find traces of the Elf Kindred."
Yan Shi shook his head and said, "I doubt it. The Empire of Washington has always prided itself on its righteousness, acting openly and honestly in all matters. It’s the only country among the three empires, apart from the Federation, that doesn’t have brothels or casinos. It wouldn’t have received the support of the Tian Gang Sword Sect if it weren’t for their upright dealings. It’s unlikely that nobles here would pay high prices to buy Elf Kindred as slaves. The suspicion that the nobles of the Empire of Sunset City were the most likely to capture Elves made a lot of sense. The Empire of Sunset City is the opposite of the Empire of Washington—it’s the darkest nation on the continent. There, not only do brothels and casinos proliferate, but many dark forces have their strongholds there, including the Assassin’s Guild, your sworn enemy."
