Chapter 147: The Great Serpent Waterfall

Joann was never naturally eloquent. Conjuring up those few short, polite sentences of refusal had exhausted his wits, proving far more strenuous than studying profound arcane spells. Apart from his initial reservations, the primary reason he declined Liana's blessing was that he had once heard Condie speak of the peculiar ways and customs of the fey race, leaving him to suspect that Liana's so-called "blessing" might conceal a curse. Condie had emphasized to him more than once that the more beautiful and gentle a female fairy appeared on the surface, the more likely she was to employ such insidious, honeyed-dagger tactics, and one must always be on guard!

Joann felt his reply was beyond reproach, yet for some reason, Liana acted as though she had been gravely offended. Her expression darkened instantly; she dropped the lightning blade and, without a single word of farewell, turned and strode into the woods.

Joann stood dazedly in place, feeling entirely at a loss as he watched the fairy lady's slender figure rapidly recede into the distance. He suspected he must have said something wrong, though he could not fathom where he had erred. At moments like this, he deeply envied those with gifted eloquence and superior communication skills. If only he possessed Roger Dindall’s ability to adapt and communicate smoothly on the spot, he surely wouldn't be left completely bewildered and clueless after inadvertently offending someone.

Watching Liana depart in a huff, Joann sighed with mixed emotions. He returned to the side of the black colt, stroked the creature's smooth mane, and thought to himself that his horse was truly the best—free from such complicated thoughts and incapable of putting on a sullen face for no reason. No wonder the books said, "The longer one spends among people, the more one comes to appreciate animals..."

Raising his head to glance at the westward-tilting sun, he realized half the day had slipped away in the blink of an eye. Since he had yet to complete his scheduled itinerary, he had to push aside his distracting thoughts, leap back onto the saddle, and cover as much ground as possible before nightfall.

Riding through the woods where Liana lived in seclusion, Joann finally returned to the banks of the Yifin River. Following the river eastward, he entered a canyon as dusk approached. The roaring current lashed against the rocks on both banks, churning up white foam.

The terrain within the canyon dropped precipitously. The river surged from high above like ten thousand charging horses, carrying the overwhelming momentum of thunder and lightning as it plunged a hundred feet down the cliffside, crashing against the waters below with a thunderous roar and kicking up spectacular plumes of spray.

Leading his horse carefully along a boulder-strewn mountain path, Joann finally managed to wind his way down to the side of the cliff. The valley beneath the waterfall was thick with mist. Feeling his way forward step by step along the riverbank, sinking deep into the mud and sand, Joann felt as though he were wading through a dense fog and had to exercise extreme caution lest he slip and fall into the water.

Having groped his way forward for about half a mile, a crisp and melodious song suddenly reached his ears from ahead, as if a young maiden were chanting within the river.

Surprised, Joann looked toward the source of the singing. Through the hazy mist, he vaguely discerned a naked, graceful figure with her back to the riverbank, her lower body submerged in the water as she bathed and hummed to herself in leisurely contentment.

Joann stopped in his tracks, various thoughts flashing through his mind. His first reaction was of the legendary tales penned by bards. Whenever a hero in those stories traveled alone through remote mountains, if he happened to pass by an isolated stream or lake, there would invariably be a beautiful maiden bathing in the water. The protagonist of the tale would then invariably hide the maiden's garments so she could not fly away transformed into a swan or crane, thereby sparking a romantic encounter...

Joann had never taken such legends seriously, and now that the scene from the myth had materialized before him, what it stirred within his heart was not lust, but vigilance and unease.

In this desolate wilderness where human footprints were scarce, what proper maiden would be bathing alone? As if deliberately waiting here to be spied upon by travelers, could there possibly be a lazier, more obvious trap in the entire world?

Joann had no desire to court trouble with the mysterious woman singing and bathing in the pool, yet this was the only route he had to take to reach Leyton Port. He had no choice but to bite the bullet, lead his horse forward, and keep his gaze rigidly straight ahead, hoping to mind his own business while the mysterious woman minded hers—she could bathe in peace while he walked his path, neither disturbing the other.

Unfortunately, things did not go as he wished. He had not walked far when a cry of alarm echoed from the pool beside him. The woman who had been singing joyfully just moments before seemed startled and let out an urgent cry for help in the Elven language.

Joann wanted to mind his own business, but an irrepressible curiosity compelled him to glance toward the pool. Through the thin mist, he saw a naked maiden swimming frantically toward the shore. Her wet skin was fair, tender, and smooth, radiating a soft, porcelain-like luster. Her long, dark hair covered her swelling breasts, and the temples of her hair revealed the characteristic pointed ears of an elf. Her delicate face was full of terror, and as she stroked the water, she continuously looked back over her shoulder.

What was she running from?

The question arose naturally in Joann's mind. Looking past the elven maiden to what lay behind her, the bushes on the opposite bank of the pool were shaking violently. A python as thick as a water barrel raised its head, darting out its forked tongue while its emerald eyes glared like two gloomy ghost fires with malicious intent at the maiden in the water. Suddenly, it lunged forward, sliding into the pool and twisting its body with practiced agility to swim at high speed, rapidly closing in on the elven maiden.

Terrified, the elven maiden shrieked aloud. Seemingly noticing Joann by the riverbank just then, she hastily cast a pleading look in his direction and shouted "Help!" in Elven. Perceiving that Joann was continuing on his way with his horse and turning a deaf ear to her cries, the elven maiden quickly changed her tune and began shouting for help in the Common tongue.

Joann’s footsteps hesitated slightly, but the moment he recalled the various suspicious points surrounding the elven maiden—especially what had befallen him after rescuing the brownie yesterday—his heart hardened once more, and he quickened his pace without a word.

By now, the elven maiden had swum close to the shore. Strangely enough, she was in no hurry to climb out of the water. Raising her delicate face, she shot a venomous glare at Joann's retreating back, parted her lips to chant an incantation, and projected a beam of blue magic toward Joann through her gaze.

While hurrying on his way, Joann had also maintained a state of high mental alertness. Hearing the rhythmic chanting from behind, he instantly realized that the woman was casting a spell—and it was one he knew extremely well and recognized as deeply malicious: Charm Person!

At the exact moment he became the target of the elven maiden's spell, Joann felt a slight vibration at the back of his neck and brushed his cloak's hood back behind him. The eyeball at the nape of his neck automatically opened, gazing coldly at the maiden in the water to dispel the charm spell she had unleashed.

Joann was not surprised by this turn of events.

On the surface, he appeared to be an ordinary human youth, but his physical structure was not entirely identical to that of a human. When he opened the eyeball at the back of his neck and activated the dormant "aberrant" bloodline power within his body, spells like Charm Person—which were effective only against humans and humanoid creatures such as goblins, orcs, lizardmen, and the like—lost their efficacy against him entirely.