Chapter 83: Telling the Elf King a little something and the Elf King’s fingers dancing...

“I don’t know.”

Ilio answered immediately.

Shu Li froze, then clenched his tiny fists, a vein bulging on his forehead. If he had stood any chance against Ilio, he would have launched himself at the Elf and punched him a few times.

Seeing the Little Fairy’s cheeks puff up with anger, Ilio chuckled. “I may not know, but at least I gave you a new idea.”

Shu Li took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Sitting cross-legged on the vine, he stared at the black-haired Elf and asked, “I haven’t obtained the essence of light, so why was I able to cast purification with silent magic?”

Ilio replied, “We are a race of light. We have a natural affinity with light, so summoning light elements is easier for us than summoning other elements. Besides—”

He touched his own forehead, then pointed toward Shu Li’s head with a smile. “Have you forgotten? You and I have both received the king’s blessing.”

Shu Li paused and instinctively touched the little green crown on his head, which had transformed into a circlet.

The Elven King was the first Elf created by the Light God and was hailed throughout the world as the Son of Light. Much like the essence of light itself, receiving his blessing was equivalent to receiving the essence of light’s acknowledgment. That was why Shu Li had been able to cast purification successfully with silent magic.

So that was it!

No wonder he learned light magic especially quickly and why it was more powerful than his other elemental magic.

Sayah had once marveled that he was a Little Fairy favored by the Light God. At the time, he had thought she was simply praising him!

Only after hearing Ilio’s explanation did he realize her words had held another meaning.

The divine tree must have known this too. Was that why she had been so certain he could successfully cast silent purification?

Shu Li was extremely tempted. He wanted to obtain the essences of the other natural elements.

For a mage prone to stumbling over his words, silent magic was simply irresistible.

He gazed intently at the black-haired Elf leisurely playing his harp, gritted his teeth, and made a decision. With a solemn expression, he asked, “Ilio, if I let you pinch my cheek once, will you tell me about the elemental essences?”

Ilio stared at the blond Little Fairy’s expression of grim resolve and almost burst out laughing. He forcibly held it back, however, lest he wound the little fellow’s pride.

Shu Li regretted his offer the instant it left his mouth.

Looking at Ilio’s bright, eager eyes, he worried the Elf might rub his skin right off.

Boo-hoo... Please have mercy on me.

Ilio sighed inwardly.

Little Fairies truly were the cutest creatures in the world.

He certainly wanted to pinch the little fellow’s tender cheeks, but unfortunately...

Ilio leisurely put away his harp and brushed the dust from the hem of his robe. Under Shu Li’s nervous gaze, he bent down and said with a smile, “You can ask the king about the elemental essences, or search through the ancient texts in the library.”

“Huh?” Shu Li tipped his head back to stare at him.

Ilio straightened and stretched. “Well, I’d better get to work.”

Before Shu Li could react, he leaped away, darting from branch to branch until he vanished into the distance.

Shu Li cupped his cheeks, which had escaped disaster, utterly baffled.

Clop, clop, clop—

The sound of a unicorn’s hooves drew steadily closer.

Shu Li beat his wings and flew into the air. He saw the Elven King making his way toward the orchard.

The bright afternoon sunlight fell across him, making his smooth golden hair gleam even more brilliantly. His silver crown reflected a dazzling radiance, while the collar and cuffs of his magnificent white robes were embroidered with classically elegant patterns. His entire being radiated an aura of sanctity and nobility that looked completely out of place in the orchard.

“Your Majesty!” Shu Li flew over to greet him delightedly.

The Elven King dismounted from the unicorn with effortless grace and stepped onto the muddy ground without the slightest concern. His robe and cloak trailed behind him as he walked, yet miraculously remained spotless and pristine.

“Good afternoon, Sperien.” The Elven King smiled, his gaze passing over the baskets filled with fruit.

Following his gaze, Shu Li honestly confessed, “Ilio picked all this fruit while showing off his silent magic to me.”

The Elven King caught the key phrase at once. “Showing off?”

“Yes.” Shu Li covered his cheeks as he tattled on Ilio. “He wanted to pinch my face.”

The Elven King frowned. “I will remind him to mind his words and conduct.”

Shu Li secretly stuck out his tongue and wisely stopped there. “But he told me that the essences of the five major elements could help me cast silent magic successfully. Your Majesty, do you know how to obtain the elemental essences?”

“The elemental essences?” The Elven King pondered for a moment. “During the War of the Gods, the elemental essences once lent me their aid. They dispersed one after another afterward, and I have not seen them for ten thousand years.”

“What?” Disappointment immediately appeared on Shu Li’s face. He had thought the king would know where the elemental essences were!

Seeing the Little Fairy’s ears droop, the Elven King gently comforted him. “More precisely, the elemental essences are elemental spirits. They possess consciousness of their own and favor places where their respective elements are most concentrated.”

Hope rekindled in Shu Li’s heart. “Then where are the elements most concentrated?”

The Austin Continent was so vast that searching for five elemental essences would be like looking for needles in an ocean.

“That is something you must determine for yourself,” the Elven King said.

“All right!” Shu Li clenched a tiny fist and declared resolutely, “I’ll definitely find the elemental essences.”

Even with a Fairy’s extraordinary aptitude, it would take him at least four or five hundred years of cultivation to become a God of Magic.

Four or five hundred years was far too long for him.

He wanted to become a powerful hero as soon as possible, eliminate the forces of darkness, and find a way home.

The elemental spirits could help him like miraculous elixirs, so of course he had to do everything in his power to get his hands on them.

The Elven King looked down at his spirited young disciple and encouraged him. “You will find them.”

Shu Li flashed him a toothy grin, brimming with confidence.

He diligently harvested ripe fruit in the orchard for the entire afternoon. After chanting until his mouth was dry, he inevitably stumbled over his incantation.

Shu Li decisively called it a day and returned to the Crystal Castle with the Elven King. He bathed, ate dinner, and joined the Elves in their evening entertainment.

The Elves’ amusements were fairly simple, consisting of little more than playing instruments, singing, and dancing. By joining them, Shu Li had learned quite a few skills.

At the Fairy school, lessons followed a fixed progression, with different poems and music taught at each age. The Elven Kingdom was different.

The Elves did as they pleased. They sang when they wanted to sing and danced when they wanted to dance, never minding that a single underage Fairy was present.

The first time Shu Li watched a couple perform a duet dance, he had felt a little embarrassed.

Their movements were not intimate, but their lingering gazes were so full of affection, desire, and teasing allure that he could not help breaking out in goose bumps.

Elven couples were not limited to partners of the opposite sex. Once two Elves fell for each other, they could remain together for eternity regardless of gender.

They were extraordinarily faithful to their partners. Once they chose each other, they married and formed a bond with the blessing of their people. If one partner died, the other would often choose to remain alone for the rest of their life.

As far as Shu Li knew, there were many widowed Elves. Most of their partners had been killed in the War of the Gods ten thousand years ago.

Though left entirely alone, they willingly honored the promises they had once made for the remainder of their lives.

Elves, however, were a long-lived race.

For them, the remainder of their lives meant eternity.

Shu Li had no idea how they endured the loneliness throughout those endless years.

One day, he quietly asked an unattached Elf that very question.

“Lonely?” The Elf blinked and told the Little Fairy, “Perhaps you should ask the king.”

The Elven King had been single for tens of thousands of years. No one was more qualified to answer.

Shu Li gave an awkward laugh.

How could he possibly dare ask such a personal question?

And so, the matter was dropped.

By now, Shu Li had long since grown accustomed to watching couples dance.

He stood on a nearby table and copied the Elves’ movements in time with the beautiful music.

Every time he visited the Elven Kingdom, he skipped not only his academic classes but also his music and dance lessons. His good friends could copy the academic notes for him, but he could only rely on his own efforts to catch up in music and dance.

Shu Li studied with utmost seriousness, striving to master the essence of every movement so he could earn a good score when he returned.

That was right. After graduating from the beginner class and entering the youth class, they were assessed once a month. Anyone who failed was punished with unpleasant chores, such as cleaning the training grounds or learning how to collect “nutrients” for the divine tree.

“Sperien, would you like to dance with me?” Sayah, dressed in magnificent clothes, gracefully invited the little fellow standing on the table.

Duet dancing was also a required lesson.

Shu Li looked a little troubled. “Can we... really dance together?”

Their difference in size was far too great for them to interact properly!

Sayah smiled. “It’s all right. I’ll accommodate you.”

Shu Li spread his wings and flew into the air, giving her a gentlemanly bow. “Then I’ll be counting on you.”

Sayah extended one slender finger. After a moment’s hesitation, Shu Li grabbed hold of it. He did not even need to fly—she simply led him straight onto the dance floor.

The sight of a Little Fairy dancing with an Elf drew everyone’s attention. The surrounding Elves retreated in unspoken agreement, leaving them room to dance.

Suddenly finding himself the center of attention, Shu Li grew nervous. He desperately tried to recall the movements of the duet dance, not daring to make even the slightest mistake.

Unfortunately, no matter how precisely he danced, their difference in size remained insurmountable. Some movements simply could not be performed.

For example, there was no possible way for him to put his arm around his female partner’s waist.

“Hahaha! Little Sperien, hurry up and grow!”

The watching Elves laughed good-naturedly.

“Sperien is still an Intermediate Mage, isn’t he?”

“A Fairy can only release the restraints on their innate power and change their size after becoming a Senior Mage.”

“If Sperien works hard, he should be able to advance to Senior.”

“A ten-year-old Senior Mage would be unprecedented.”

“Oh, stop putting pressure on the child.”

“Happiness is what matters most while growing up.”

“Perhaps Little Sperien and Sayah would have better luck switching roles.”

Switching roles?

Sayah’s eyes lit up. She said to Shu Li, “You dance the woman’s steps, and I’ll dance the man’s.”

“Squawk?” Shu Li hovered in midair, utterly dumbfounded.

Wasn’t asking a boy like him to dance the woman’s steps just a little unreasonable?

He had only focused on learning the man’s steps. He had never learned the woman’s!

“You don’t know them? That’s all right. I’ll teach you.” Sayah was plainly eager to try, her golden eyes sparkling with excitement.

Shu Li involuntarily backed away, waving his hands frantically. “No, no, no... Let’s not...”

He retreated too quickly and accidentally collided with a solid wall. Hurriedly turning around, he was startled to discover that the “wall” was the Elven King’s chest.

“Your Majesty... I’m sorry...” Shu Li apologized.

The Elven King regarded him gently. “Are you learning the duet dance?”

“Uh, y-yes.” Shu Li’s little face reddened as he answered self-consciously.

The Elven King glanced at Sayah as she bowed to him, then reached out, gathered Shu Li into his hand, and carried him to the table.

Shu Li was placed on its surface, completely bewildered.

The Elven King pressed the index and middle fingers of his right hand together and set them against the tabletop like a person’s two legs. In his deep voice, he said, “I’ll teach you.”

Shu Li stared at the fingers, which were nearly as tall as he was, and swallowed.

Was this... a finger dance?

Was he supposed to dance with two of the Elven King’s fingers?

While Shu Li was still staring blankly, Ilio, who had come over to join the fun, plucked the strings of his harp, and beautiful music filled the air.

The Elven King’s fingers were long and nimble. Like a real person, they walked gracefully toward Shu Li and made a gesture of invitation.

With no way to back out now, Shu Li followed his fingers and began the duet dance.

As the dance continued, he gradually lost himself in it.

He had never known that fingers could perform so many difficult movements. Every step was remarkably lifelike, perfectly matched to the music, and combined strength with grace.

Guided by the Elven King’s fingers, Shu Li somehow managed to dance the woman’s steps.

When the song ended, enthusiastic applause erupted all around them.

“That was wonderful!” Sayah exclaimed.

Shu Li emerged from the spell of the music, wiped the thin sheen of sweat from his forehead, and panted softly. The Elves’ praise left him embarrassed, but also just a tiny bit pleased with himself.

Once the evening’s entertainment ended, the Elves dispersed, and Shu Li returned to his room with a yawn.

After stretching, he took an exquisite miniature table and chair from his storage ring and arranged them on the long table against the wall. He pulled out the little chair, sat down, took out a notebook, and began writing in his diary.

For ten years, Shu Li had remained true to his original purpose, faithfully recording his life in the other world without missing a day.

“Dear Dad, Mom, eldest brother, second brother, third brother... I miss you so much...”

The same opening as always, filled with longing for his family.

His face had lost its childish softness and gained a trace of resolve. The young Fairy concentrated fully as he filled an entire page with neat Chinese characters, faithfully recording everything that had happened that day.

He hoped that when he finally returned home, his family could learn everything about his life here through his diaries. He also wanted them to know that he had been safe and well.

After finishing the entry, he put everything away, flew onto the bed, sat cross-legged, and entered meditation.

Only in meditation could he “see” the family in his memories clearly and relive every smile and expression they had ever shown him.

After an unknown length of time, he slowly opened his eyes.

Midnight moonlight poured through the window like water, bathing the room in brilliant silver.

Shu Li turned to look outside. Without hesitation, he extinguished the magic-stone lamp, spread his wings, and flew into the courtyard. Landing before the Elven mother tree, he studied her by the moonlight.

The mother tree before him was no longer entirely bare. Verdant leaves now covered a portion of her branches.

His five years of painstaking purification had not been in vain.

That was right. In the end, he had still ventured into the Dark Elves’ territory to purify the mother tree’s offshoot.

He had originally been adamantly opposed to risking himself again, but when he saw newborn chicks break free of their shells, he suddenly changed his mind.

After that, he and the mother tree had become partners in crime—no, that was wrong. They had joined forces and begun their grand fruit-stealing operation.