“Strategist Hero, do you know Lord Nongli?”
On the way to the Sacred Land of the Deepwood District, a wood elf at the back of the group asked a nearby foxkin.
The foxkin glanced at the wood elf, but said nothing, carrying an air of pride.
Not getting an answer, the wood elf looked a bit sullen.
At the front, however, the elder was eagerly conversing with Nongli, though Nongli was clearly distracted, her gaze fixed on the massive, arching vine structure up ahead.
A foxkin beside Nongli exchanged a look with the elder, and the elder immediately fell silent.
“Aoki…”
At the gate of the Sacred Land in the Deepwood District, the elder dismissed the guards. Nongli entered the courtyard, her face alight with joy. She sniffed at the air, her body trembling with excitement.
This only made the elder more curious. Just how did this Nongli, a figure from a land so far from the Rose Kingdom, become acquainted with the Strategist Hero?
He had heard rumors of the Strategist Hero colluding with foreign powers, but clearly, it was not the same country.
But that wasn’t his concern. Right now, Aoki was vital to Nongli, and that was a bargaining chip for their Deepwood District.
Perhaps, with Aoki, they could gain Nongli’s support—and even that of her nation—allowing Deepwood District to break away from the Rose Kingdom and human control.
Whether it was dwarves or beastkin or anyone else, they were all more trustworthy than humans.
“Please come with me, Lord Nongli.”
After stopping the others at the gate, the elder led Nongli and a few trusted aides from both sides to the entrance of the Sacred Land’s inner chambers.
“Huh? Cuihua? Cuihua!”
Normally, Cuihua should be at the Sacred Land at this hour—why was she nowhere to be seen?
The elder grew suspicious.
Cuihua hadn’t been present to welcome Nongli earlier, and now she was missing from the Sacred Land as well.
“Cuihua?”
Nongli glanced at the elder, who immediately shook his head, then used the method he’d once forced Cuihua to teach him to unseal the barrier.
He cast spells and chanted incantations, yet Cuihua and Aoki were still separated by a barrier.
“Elder, what’s going on?”
Nongli was growing impatient, her puzzled gaze fixed on the elder.
Her two-meter height, beastkin traits, and formidable reputation all put tremendous pressure on the elder, who couldn’t understand why the method Cuihua had taught him for lifting the seal was wrong.
“Elder! We’ve found Cuihua!”
Just as the elder was at a loss for how to explain things to Nongli, Cuihua suddenly appeared in the Sacred Land’s courtyard, looking as if she had been taken captive.
“Ah, Elder?”
Cuihua was held between two fellow wood elves, her neck shrinking as she looked at them.
“Cuihua, why can’t I break the Sacred Land’s seal?”
The elder frowned at Cuihua. Nongli’s attention shifted, her eyes scrutinizing Cuihua.
Seeing this, Cuihua immediately broke out in a cold sweat and stammered, “Um… I-I forgot how…”
“Nonsense! How could you possibly forget?”
The elder was baffled—why did Cuihua seem like she was deliberately avoiding this?
“You— You smell like Aoki.”
Cuihua had just tried to argue when Nongli suddenly flashed before her, her massive presence and aura robbing Cuihua of any further denial.
This giant woman was clearly just like that Lin Qiyou and the Holy Maiden Yue Lan.
Are they all lunatics?
“Not talking?”
“N-no, I—”
“If you don’t speak, I’ll kill everyone here.”
Though Nongli spoke softly, the two wood elves holding Cuihua still heard her words. Their eyes widened in shock, but Nongli didn’t shy away; her gaze radiated an icy, oppressive aura.
“I—I’ll open it for you…”
Cuihua cursed her bad luck. First, she ran into that Lin Qiyou, and now this Nongli.
“Are you the one who’s been caring for Aoki all this time?”
As Cuihua moved, Nongli followed behind.
“Yes.”
Cuihua performed the spell slowly, and the elder fumed from the side—this was clearly not the way Cuihua had taught him.
He realized now the real reason he’d never been able to get in: the Holy Maiden Yue Lan.
“Vmm—”
The barrier spell faded. The Sacred Land’s jade bed was empty, making Cuihua shrink her neck and squint her eyes.
The elder and the others were stunned, but Nongli didn’t look surprised at all. Instead, she smiled and asked Cuihua, “Where is he? He’s awake, isn’t he?”
“H-how do you know?”
“Tell me. Where is he?”
“I…”
Cuihua stammered, unable to answer.
“What do you think?”
A female voice suddenly sounded at the entrance of the Sacred Land. Nongli’s expression shifted subtly as she slowly turned her head and laughed, “Lin Qiyou?”
“So you do know me.”
Lin Qiyou, who had suddenly appeared at the doorway, eyed Nongli warily, sizing her up.
“You’re the one who forgot about me.”
Nongli’s lips curled into a mocking smile.
“I forgot about you…”
Lin Qiyou muttered, gracefully dodging the attacks of nearby wood elves and foxkin. With a few swipes of her longsword, her assailants fell to the ground, clutching their necks.
“Wh-who is this?! Enemy attack!”
The elder cast a spell, and Deepwood District’s soldiers immediately received the alert, swarming toward the Sacred Land.
“Where did you hide Aoki?”
“What exactly do you know?”
Nongli and Lin Qiyou spoke at the same time. Lin Qiyou was stunned for a moment, then thought, This is my only chance to get what I want.
The next moment, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox and the swordswoman blew up the Deepwood District Sacred Land.
*****
“Pant… pant… pant…”
In the border forest of the Deepwood District, Xiao Ya was carrying the much taller Aoki on her back. Though he was much heavier and larger, her Lightfoot Technique allowed her to serve as the “Aoki porter.”
Cuihua had gone to draw attention, Lin Qiyou to hold off Nongli, and her own job was to get Aoki to the designated spot.
There, she would wait for Lin Qiyou. If Lin didn’t show, she’d move on.
“Aren’t you tired, Xiao Ya?”
Aoki was tied up in a curled position on Xiao Ya’s back.
“Strategist Hero…”
Xiao Ya was a bit intimidated speaking with Aoki. To her, Aoki was as much of a big shot as Holy Maiden Yue Lan. Even before she became a priest, she’d admired him. Even now, having kidnapped him, being addressed by name by him filled her with a sense of honor.
And just as the rumors said, the Strategist Hero Aoki was a laid-back sort. Even after being kidnapped, his attitude was so relaxed.
“If everything Lin said is true, then I guess this is my redemption! Redemption!”
“Redemption? What do you mean?”
It looked as if Aoki had been beaten by Lin Qiyou and taken hostage, and Xiao Ya’s words struck him as a bit odd.
After all, Lin Qiyou had become a butcher in the Rose Capital—was working with her really redemption?
But it didn’t seem like Xiao Ya had any better choices.
She didn’t seem like a villain, just someone unlucky, swept up by circumstances.
I just hope Cuihua can hold on under the pressure…
Thinking this, Aoki’s hand grasped at the ropes binding him, just about to act when suddenly Xiao Ya let out a shriek.
“Holy—Holy Maiden?!”
Xiao Ya stopped in her tracks. Aoki craned his neck to look: a nun was blocking their path.
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