Chapter 93: Shu Li’s idea to negotiate with the Dark Elves.

“Sperien... what did you just say? I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

For some reason, Shu Li detected a trace of bewilderment in the mother tree’s voice.

“I want to negotiate with Efit,” he repeated clearly.

“Negotiate with Efit...” The mother tree was startled at first, then murmured, “Neither of the first two times...”

“What didn’t happen?”

The latter half of her sentence had been too quiet for Shu Li to hear.

“No... it was nothing. What I meant was, aren’t you afraid of the Dark Elves? If the negotiations fail, it will hinder every attempt we make to move the fruit in the future.”

“I am afraid, but as an outstanding Little Fairy, I must overcome every obstacle.”

Shu Li clenched his fists and threw two punches at the air.

“Sperien... you must think this through. Once you expose yourself, you will be in danger.”

“Eunomysis, I’ve thought it through very carefully. I want to move as many fruits as possible, not secretly move only one every five years.”

The mother tree’s offshoot bore as many as one hundred and twenty-two fruits, each nurturing an innocent Elf cub. Through no choice of their own, they were being corrupted by darkness and transformed into Dark Elves who helped perpetuate evil.

The first generation of Dark Elves who had betrayed the Elven King deserved death, but the Dark Elf cubs born afterward had never been given a choice. They should not be forced to bear the identity of traitors.

Even the mother tree, corrupted by darkness, was searching for a way to save herself. What about the Dark Elf cubs?

They had been born children of the Light God, only to be reduced to pawns of the God of Darkness.

Shu Li’s heart ached for them. The injustice of it made him indignant on their behalf.

Originally, he and the mother tree had shared the same idea: save whatever fruit they could steal. However, after observing Efit for some time, Shu Li had discovered that there were Dark Elves who were not entirely evil and had not been completely corrupted by darkness.

Why was he so certain that Efit would be willing to negotiate?

Because he believed that a Dark Elf who cared so deeply for cubs must still possess kindness.

Shu Li had the power to purify the fruits, turn the Dark Elf cubs back into White Elves, and allow them to live happy, free lives. Why would Efit refuse?

Of course, the risk was considerable.

If Efit was fiercely loyal to the Dark Elf race and the negotiations failed, Shu Li would be placed in danger, and moving any fruit in the future would become more difficult.

But the Elven King’s words today had deeply inspired him.

What was a hero?

A hero was someone with courage, nerve, and perseverance—someone willing to take risks, unafraid of hardships and dangers, and brave enough to fight against the forces of evil.

If Shu Li wanted to become a hero, he could not merely talk about it. He had to act. The road ahead would inevitably be filled with countless thorns and challenges.

If he shrank back because of that, he would never accomplish anything.

The Elven King was willing to risk everything for the future of his people. What about Shu Li?

He had lived here for ten years since transmigrating into a Little Fairy and had gradually become part of this community. Elves and Fairies alike had cherished him and helped him grow up healthy, happy, and safe.

If he had transmigrated into a Dark Elf cub instead, the cruel reality of life might have killed him long ago!

He had been raised in comfort and surrounded by love from childhood. Having received a modern education, he could never accept the merciless indifference that existed among the Dark Elves.

Putting himself in their place, newborn Dark Elf cubs were as innocent as blank sheets of paper. Yet what awaited them after birth was not the care of their elders, but a desperate struggle for survival.

How tragic was that?

In the stillness of the late-night courtyard, the young Fairy’s clear, resolute voice echoed softly.

Shu Li explained his thoughts to the mother tree in detail.

After listening to him, the mother tree remained silent for a long time.

In the room opposite, the Elven King stood before the window. By the silver light of the moon, he gazed deeply at the tiny Fairy standing before the mother tree.

The Wood Spirit floated beside him, her willow-like hair swaying gently.

At last, the mother tree sighed with emotion.

“Sperien... you truly are a brave Little Fairy.”

Shu Li remembered the poem the Elven King had revised and waved his hands awkwardly. “There’s no time to waste. I’ll head over now.”

If he went too late, he would miss Efit’s usual arrival time.

He swiftly entered the mother tree’s trunk and disappeared.

The Wood Spirit drifted forward. Half of her elemental body passed through the window while the other half remained inside, creating a rather eerie sight.

After some time, she floated back and said to the Elven King, “Freyus, he always manages to surprise us.”

The Elven King withdrew his gaze and lowered his eyes.

“Yes...” he murmured.

Shu Li crouched on a branch of the mother tree’s offshoot, a broad, dark green leaf hanging over his head as he waited, drenched in sweat.

Efit was later than usual today. Shu Li had already completed the purification, yet there was still no sign of him.

Surely Shu Li’s luck could not be that terrible?

After finally convincing both himself and the mother tree, was the person essential to his plan going to be absent?

Courage was strongest at the first attempt, weakened at the second, and vanished by the third.

If he missed his chance today, he might not have the courage to try again tomorrow.

After another fifteen minutes, Shu Li could not suppress a yawn.

“Eunomysis, are you certain Efit is coming?”

If he waited much longer, he was going to fall asleep.

Was it easy for him to sacrifice his sleep every day and come here to work himself to the bone?

“He will be here soon... Efit took the Dark Elf cubs to train in a nearby swamp yesterday afternoon. He returned a little late today.”

“A swamp?”

Shu Li perked up and recalled the map of the continent he had seen before.

A vast swamp lay north of Vanaku. Known as Uniba Swamp, it was an extraordinarily terrifying place.

“What did he take the cubs there for?” Shu Li asked innocently.

“Tempering.”

The mother tree had lived for tens of thousands of years, and her roots stretched throughout the continent. She could be considered a living encyclopedia.

Uniba Swamp was also known as the Land of Death. Danger lurked everywhere: treacherous terrain, poisonous plants, and high-ranking magical beasts hidden underground, ready to claim lives at any moment.

Ordinary humans who entered almost never returned. Even adventuring parties had only the slimmest chance of surviving.

Because unknown rare resources were hidden within the swamp, adventuring parties and mercenary companies frequently went there to court death.

The Dark Elves and the neighboring beastmen used the swamp as a training ground where only the fittest survived. Fewer than one in ten cubs returned alive each time.

Shu Li’s heart grew heavy after hearing the mother tree’s explanation.

He remembered that fifteen Dark Elf cubs had been born two years ago. They were already being taken into the swamp for training.

What could cubs of only two or three years old possibly do? How could they survive in such a horrifying swamp?

The Dark Elves truly were a cruel people.

As Shu Li sat on the branch, grieving and seething with anger, Efit entered the gates of Darkmoon City with five filthy Dark Elf cubs trailing behind him, his heart equally heavy.

When the Dark Elf guards at the gate saw them, one jeered in a shrill voice, “Well, Efit, not bad. Five little brats actually survived.”

Like frightened rabbits, the five Dark Elf cubs huddled together and stumbled along close beside Efit.

Efit ignored the guard and continued forward with an indifferent expression.

When the first guard saw Efit ignoring him, his eyes turned vicious. He was about to make another cutting remark when the second guard caught his arm.

“Silu, let it go.” The second guard gave him a meaningful look.

Efit was a promising young Dark Elf favored by the king. Nothing good would come of offending him. More importantly, he produced the highest-grade potions and sold them at reasonable prices. If they fell out with him, they would no longer be able to take advantage of those bargains.

“Hmph!” The first guard reluctantly gave up.

Efit escorted the cubs back to their quarters. He reached out and stroked each of their heads, then silently turned to leave.

The Dark Elf cubs stared after him and could not resist calling out, “Efit—”

Efit’s steps faltered, but he did not turn around. He pulled up the badly worn hood and strode away.

He could not look back. If he saw the cubs covered in wounds, he would remember the children who had died in the swamp.

He was too powerless. He had been unable to bring every cub back safely.

As their training instructor, he had not been permitted to intervene. He could only watch helplessly as cubs trapped in the mud were devoured by magical beasts.

Every Dark Elf cub had to endure the same ordeal.

Only those who survived trial after trial were considered strong.

Efit could no longer remember how many of the Dark Elves born alongside him were still alive.

Perhaps he was the only one left.

After passing through several gates, he returned to his room. He first entered the bathroom and washed away the filth covering his body. Then he changed into clean clothes, put on a new magic cloak, and hurried without rest toward the courtyard where the mother tree stood.

He had returned late today, but he could not neglect his duty to count the fruit.

Shu Li had crawled into the little space formed by the leaves wrapped around the little fruit.

Waiting had become unbearably boring, so he might as well lie inside, talk to the little fruit, and deepen their bond.

“Fruity, listen. Tomorrow, I’m taking you back to the Elven Kingdom. The mother tree there has already recovered by half, which is more than enough for her to nurture you.”

“The Elven Kingdom has a wonderful environment, four distinct seasons, fresh air, and more fruit than you could ever eat... Once you’re born, you’ll be in for a real treat.”

“The Elven elders are all kind and gentle, and they absolutely adore cubs. You’ll have to be careful they don’t cuddle you bald—especially Ilio. He’s the best at tormenting helpless little flowers. Ahem, that might be a slight exaggeration. Aside from loving to tease cubs, he’s perfectly nice.”

Shu Li kept his voice down and prattled away, sounding like a buzzing bee.

“Sperien, Efit is here.”

The mother tree’s voice suddenly sounded in his mind.

Shu Li stopped speaking at once. With his little bottom sticking up, he crawled out of the space formed by the leaves, cautiously poked out his head, and looked down.

Sure enough, Efit stood beneath the tree in his cloak, his head raised as he counted the fruit with meticulous care.

Through a gap in the leaves, Shu Li studied his face.

There was no question that Dark Elves, like White Elves, were blessed with extraordinary beauty.

Efit had refined features, a clearly defined face, and a tall, slender build. His silver hair and blood-red eyes lent him an air of otherworldly strangeness.

Even his blue-gray skin did nothing to diminish his handsome appearance.

Perhaps because he had only just returned from the swamp, exhaustion was etched between his brows.

He truly was a responsible Dark Elf.

Even when he was this tired, he did not forget his work.

His voice was hoarser than it had been yesterday. He probably had not even taken a drink after returning.

“...Ninety-nine, one hundred, one hundred and one... one hundred and twenty-one.”

After Efit finished counting, his gaze moved to the mother tree’s upper branches, searching for the little fruit concealed beneath layer upon layer of leaves.

Shu Li sensed a piercing gaze and thought he had been discovered. He hurriedly pulled his head back.

Then he remembered why he had come. Gritting his teeth, he poked his head out once more.

Efit lowered his gaze and recorded the number of fruits. His quill traced line after line of elegant Elven script across the snow-white paper.

Indeed, even though the Dark Elves had betrayed the Elves, they could not change what was ingrained in their very bones.

Elven was also the Dark Elves’ native language.

Once Efit finished recording the count, his work for the day was over. He raised a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, preparing to return to his room and rest.

When Shu Li saw that he was about to leave, he took a gold coin from his storage ring, held it in both hands, and hurled it down with all his strength—

His aim was excellent. The gold coin flew straight toward the Dark Elf’s head.

Efit reacted instantly, reaching out and catching the “hidden weapon.”

When he saw that the “hidden weapon” in his palm was a gold coin sparkling in the sunlight, astonishment crossed his face.

Who used a gold coin as a weapon?

Did someone have so much money they had run out of ways to spend it?

And why had a gold coin fallen from the sky?

Efit closed his fingers around it and swept a keen gaze over the mother tree’s dense foliage, searching for the “assassin” who had launched it.

After searching for some time, he saw no one.

He frowned deeply, unable to imagine which money-obsessed Dark Elf would use a gold ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) coin for a prank just to mock him.

Clink—

Another gold coin dropped from the tree. Efit sprang upward and caught it swiftly.

That made two.

Landing on a thick branch, he nimbly leaped upward. Within a few breaths, he had reached the upper boughs.

The branch on which he landed was precisely the one concealing the unusual fruit.

Efit hesitated briefly before crouching down.

Since he was already here, he might as well see how the fruit was developing.

He reached out and peeled back the layers of leaves.

Hidden inside, Shu Li’s heart pounded with tension. His mind repeatedly played through every possible way the negotiations might fail and how he would escape afterward.

He could not leave the mother tree’s branch. He had to enter the spatial tunnel quickly enough to deny Efit even the slightest chance of catching him.

When the leaves were fully drawn aside, Shu Li’s tiny body was exposed before the Dark Elf’s eyes.

Efit’s hand froze in midair. His blood-red eyes widened like bells, and unprecedented shock appeared on his youthful face.

Never in his wildest dreams had he expected to uncover the leaves and find a... a delicate, beautiful creature glowing with faint green light...

A Little Fairy?

It had to be a Little Fairy, didn’t it?

Thin wings, pointed ears, a tiny body, exquisite features, and an aura filled with light.

His cheeks still held traces of baby fat. He was clearly a young, underage Little Fairy.

Why would a legendary Little Fairy appear on a branch of the Dark Elves’ mother tree?

Shu Li had been so tense that his hair had nearly stood on end, but when the moment of confrontation finally arrived and he saw the Dark Elf’s stunned expression, he instead grew calm.

After taking a deep breath, he imitated the Elves’ graceful bearing and greeted the Dark Elf with impeccable courtesy.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Efit.”

His voice was not loud, but it was clear enough for the Dark Elf to hear.

Efit stared blankly at the young Fairy greeting him, momentarily unable to think of a response.

Seeing that Efit was still reeling from the shock, Shu Li went straight to the point.

“I am Sperien of the Faerie Forest. It is a pleasure to meet you formally, Mr. Efit. You must be wondering why I am here. It’s a long story, but since our time is limited, I’ll keep it brief. Five years ago, the mother tree invited me here to purify her offshoot and help her regain her sanity. She did not want to be corrupted by darkness and reduced to a mindless tree that existed solely to bear offspring. That was also when I first became acquainted with you. Of course, you didn’t know me... but now we know each other.”

Efit: “...”

Shu Li said solemnly, “Please don’t scream, summon any other Dark Elves, or try to catch me. I have an extremely important matter to discuss with you. It concerns the Dark Elf cubs... and I believe you will be very interested.”

Efit was, after all, an exceptionally gifted Dark Elf. After recovering from his initial shock, he gradually regained his composure as he listened to the young Fairy’s clear voice.

“You purified this little fruit?”

He extended a slender finger and pointed from a distance at the tender green fruit covered in a thin membrane.

“Yes.” Shu Li wrapped his arms around the little fruit and rubbed his cheek against it affectionately. “This is Fruity Number One, the first fruit I purified. We plan to transplant it back to the mother tree’s main trunk tomorrow.”

In all his life, Efit had never encountered such a... guileless little creature. Shu Li had revealed his purpose without the slightest attempt to conceal it.

This was plainly a Little Fairy who had been raised surrounded by love and indulgence.

Brave, yet terribly naive.

Efit lowered his eyes and asked evenly, “What argument do you intend to use to persuade me to discuss the fruit’s fate with you?”

Shu Li answered with complete confidence, “Life. I can ensure that every Elf cub grows up safe and happy, surrounded by love and protection. They won’t have to suffer any harm, much less die before reaching adulthood. No one has the right to take a cub’s life away!”

Efit’s pupils contracted.

Had he heard those words before yesterday, he might have scoffed. But after traveling to the swamp and losing ten cubs, his convictions had been shaken to their core.