Chapter 168: Dark Iron

Stepping outside, Ye Tian discovered a small wooden staircase right in front of him. "It looks quite quaint," he murmured, walking down gently to take in his surroundings. The sun was bright, birds were singing, flowers were blooming, and the air carried a pleasant, sweet fragrance.

"This is rather fun." Ye Tian looked back at the palace. The entire structure seemed to grow right out of the trees—in fact, most of the houses around here appeared to be built into the trees, though the palace was significantly larger. Several winding pathways made of pieced-together wooden planks extended downward, looking quite comfortable.

"They say elves are the messengers of nature, and it certainly seems true." Ye Tian gazed around. The entire City of Elves resembled a vast forest; he honestly wondered if the elves ever found going up and down troublesome.

"Lord Geer!" Two guards were stationed at the end of the path. Upon seeing Ye Tian, they bowed respectfully in unison. "Oh, hello there. I came down for a stroll, I hope that's all right?" Ye Tian asked.

"Of course. My lord, you are a benefactor of our elven race and naturally treated as an honored guest," the guard replied respectfully. "However, your health still seems a bit frail. Would you like me to summon a handmaiden to accompany you?"

"If it's no trouble, please do. Having someone around makes things more convenient, doesn't it?" Ye Tian smiled. "Very well, please wait a moment." With that, one of the guards leaped up the stairs in two or three bounds and entered the palace.

"Such agility," Ye Tian chuckled. "We elves have lived in the forest since childhood, and we excel at moving through the treetops," the remaining guard said with a smile. "Though compared to you, my lord, we fall far short."

"Not at all," Ye Tian laughed. "Everyone has things they are good at and things they aren't. When I encounter something outside my expertise, I'm just as lost."

"You are too modest, my lord." The guard looked at Ye Tian with a hint of fervent admiration in his eyes. "To be able to defeat the masters of our elven race—your strength is truly admirable."

"Pure coincidence, sheer coincidence," Ye Tian smiled. At that moment, the guard who had left returned in a hurry, accompanied by an elven maid.

"Lord Geer, I am the dedicated handmaiden assigned to you by the Queen. You may call me Leixia," the elven maid said respectfully.

"I'd like to look around a bit. Staying in bed so long has left my bones aching," Ye Tian smiled. "Sorry to trouble you."

"You flatter me, my lord. Taking care of our guests is our bounden duty," Leixia smiled. "This way, please. Watch your step, my lord."

"From the outside, it looked huge, but coming in, it's even vaster than I imagined," Ye Tian said curiously as he looked around.

"Yes, the domain of the ancient Tree of Wisdom was originally even larger than this," Leixia introduced with a smile. "Our City of Elves actually grew and multiplied out from the ancient Tree of Wisdom."

"A single tree, a whole city—things previously limited to legends," Ye Tian chuckled.

"You jest, my lord," Leixia smiled. "Our elven race practically never leaves the forest, so the legends of the outside world have nearly faded from memory."

"Some memories are never forgotten," Ye Tian said softly. "The glory of the elven race was like a guiding star. Even if the continent were to shatter and civilization vanish, that light would never be erased. That is what memory is."

"We elves originally wished to live peacefully on this continent alongside all races, but greedy humans always bring us disaster," Leixia sighed, then quickly added, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean you."

"It's fine," Ye Tian shook his head. "By the way, when I arrived, I saw a lot of patrols outside, as well as the elves I rescued. Why were they being loaded onto carriages?"

"It's those detestable mercenaries!" Leixia said with a look of pain.

"Mercenaries?" Ye Tian frowned.

"Yes, they are a group of mercenaries who specialize in trafficking elves. Every month, several of our kin are abducted, which is why the Queen has never wanted young elves to wander outside casually," Leixia sighed.

"Trafficking elves?" Ye Tian frowned deeper.

"Yes. Actually, not just elves—other races are trafficked as well, mostly beast-kin."

"Beast-kin? Don't humans dislike beast-kin?" Ye Tian asked.

"Indeed, humans dislike ugly beast-kin, but they adore the beautiful ones—such as the Fox tribe, the Cat tribe, and the Rabbit tribe. In the eyes of humans, they are priceless playthings," Leixia sighed.

"Human trafficking is wrong," Ye Tian sighed. "It seems money is always the root of the problem!"

Leixia fell silent.

"I'm sorry," Ye Tian quickly apologized.

"It's nothing. Actually, we should be thanking you. If not for you, several more of our people would have been sold into slavery."

"Isn't there any way to stop them?" Ye Tian asked.

"No, unless our people stop going outside altogether. Ordinary people cannot enter the City of Elves anyway," Leixia replied.

"So you dispatch patrols partly to drive away mercenaries, and partly to keep an eye on the elves within, is that it?" Ye Tian asked.

"Yes. But many young elves still sneak out anyway."

"What people can't have is always what they desire most," Ye Tian chuckled. "Do you harbor such thoughts?"

"No!" Leixia immediately grew nervous.

"Relax, I don't have a habit of gossiping," Ye Tian laughed. "I'm no chatterbox."

"Well... maybe just a tiny bit," Leixia admitted, looking embarrassed.

"Actually, I'm all for you going out to see the world. Flowers that never weather wind and rain wither easily," Ye Tian smiled. "Come on, show me around some of the sights here."

The City of Elves was enormous, and it contained all sorts of things, making it feel remarkably like a city in human society.

"Well-stocked, aren't they?" Ye Tian looked from side to side, acting like a curious child.

"Of course! The artworks crafted by our elven race are priceless treasures in the human world, used by nobles as capital to show off. And the fine wine brewed by our elves is something even nobles rarely get to taste."

"Oh? Since I'm here, I'll definitely have to taste it properly," Ye Tian licked his lips.

"Rest assured, the fine wine of the elven race will certainly not disappoint you," Leixia smiled.

"There are quite a few people around," Ye Tian observed, looking at the bustling street.

"Yes. Although we elves prefer living in tree houses, many still choose to live on the ground for the convenience of doing business," Leixia explained.

"What is this?" Ye Tian stopped beside a stall and curiously pointed at a small bottle. The stall owner was a middle-aged uncle intently carving something. Hearing Ye Tian's question, he paused his work and said, "This is the sap of the bitter tree. It clears the vision and refreshes the mind."

"Oh? May I take a look?" Ye Tian asked.

"Certainly." The stall owner handed the bottle to Ye Tian, then stared unblinkingly at him. In fact, it wasn't just him—ever since Ye Tian had come down, the number of heads turning to look at him along the way had reached a thousand percent! There was no helping it; humans were simply too rare here!

With a thick skin, Ye Tian didn't mind. Let them look; he wasn't planning on charging admission anyway. Besides, they couldn't entirely be blamed—no human had ever entered the City of Elves before, and many young elves were seeing a human for the very first time, so staring was only natural. Not starting a crowd to surround him was already considered good behavior.

"This scent... oh, peppermint!" Ye Tian chuckled, then gently licked a drop.

"Sir, you mustn't eat that!" the stall owner cried out in alarm, startled.

"Oh, it's fine, this is edible. Though, what did you mix into it?" Ye Tian capped the bottle back up with a smile. "How much is it?"

"Ten copper coins will do," the stall owner said, casting a glance at Leixia.

"So cheap? This bottle looks like it's made of crystal, too," Ye Tian noted.

"It should actually cost fifteen copper coins, but since this is my first time dealing with a human, I'll sell it to you cheaper."

"Deal. Do you have any more? I'll take three," Ye Tian smiled. "By the way, do you have any pure peppermint sap without anything added?"

"I do. But what do you want that for?" the stall owner asked, puzzled.

"It's edible. I can make pastries out of it," Ye Tian laughed.

The stall owner looked ready to faint. Since when could bitter tree sap be used to make pastries?

"You wouldn't understand. Just sell it to me," Ye Tian said, pulling out a silver coin and handing it over. "Three of these, and for the rest, give me pure peppermint sap!"

"Wait, my lord, what on earth do you want bitter tree sap for?" Leixia asked, looking helpless. "It's very cheap, it's just a bit troublesome to produce."

"Didn't I say? To make pastries," Ye Tian laughed. "This stuff refreshes the mind. I'll make some for you to taste later."

"I think I'll pass," Leixia shook her head. "Oh, by the way, where is the weapons shop around here? I'd like to take a look," Ye Tian said.

"It should be in this direction, though I'm not entirely familiar with it myself," Leixia apologized, looking a bit sheepish.

"No worries, we can search slowly. By the way, let me treat you to something to eat."

"This is quite good," Ye Tian said, biting into a skewer of roasted mushrooms. "These must have been freshly picked."

"Yes. We elves don't care much for meat; we mostly eat vegetables. These kinds of fungi are our absolute favorite food," Leixia said, nibbling on a slightly hot mushroom.

"Ah, back when I was with Taya, I noticed she didn't like meat either. I thought she was the only one, but it turns out none of you like it," Ye Tian said, sucking in air as the mushroom burned his tongue slightly.

"Actually, I truly admire you, my lord. To dare charge into the City of Elves all for the sake of a dwarf," Leixia sighed.

"You've got it wrong. Taya and I aren't lovers, just friends," Ye Tian said without looking up.

*Thump!* The food in Leixia's hand dropped to the ground. "What's wrong?" Ye Tian asked.

"You don't like Taya?"

"No—well, I like her the way one likes a younger sister," Ye Tian chuckled. "What, is that so strange?"

Leixia looked at Ye Tian earnestly, then sighed. "You really are a strange person."

"Alright, I'm already immune to that phrase by now," Ye Tian resignedly said.

"I suppose even the Queen never expected that," Leixia sighed.

"Taya is a really good person, actually," Leixia added suddenly.

"Yeah, she's a good girl," Ye Tian agreed.

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Sigh," Leixia sighed again. It seemed Ye Tian meant every word.

"Here, here," Ye Tian said with a smile, pointing at a shop with a sword hanging above the entrance. "It must be this one."

"Indeed, let's go in," Leixia said.

Though called a weapons shop, the variety of weapons inside was quite limited, consisting only of swords, bows, and daggers. Ye Tian already possessed a dagger and had no interest in them; he disliked bows and simply ignored them. However, he felt some curiosity toward the longswords crafted by the elven race, so he picked one up and began to inspect it carefully.

It was very light, and very pretty. Ye Tian swung it a few times—it was feather-light and not suited to his style. However, the craftsmanship was gorgeous. Without any embedded jewels or ornaments, the simple engraved patterns alone told Ye Tian that the maker had poured genuine care into it.

"A sword is inherently a weapon of violence, yet in your hands, it has become a delicate work of art. I honestly don't know whether to sigh or marvel," Ye Tian gently stroked the blade. It was forged in one piece, but its artistic value far outweighed its practicality.

"Young man, do you look down on the swords I forge?" At that moment, a handsome middle-aged elf emerged from the back.

"Ah, greetings. My name is Geer. I don't look down on your swords at all; they simply aren't suited for me, that's all," Ye Tian smiled.

"Oh? Is that so? Then what kind of sword *is* suited for you?" The elf gently picked up the longsword Ye Tian had just put down, flicked it with a finger, and a crisp, clear chime carried far away.

"Too light," Ye Tian laughed.

"You prefer heavy swords?" The elf frowned.

"Not necessarily, but this sword is simply too lightweight for me," Ye Tian chuckled.

"Oh? Then please wait a moment."

The elf turned and went back inside. After a moment, he emerged carrying a long, narrow box. Coming before Ye Tian, he opened it to reveal a dark, somber longsword resting inside.

To call it a longsword was a stretch; it looked more like a crude sword blank—pitch black and rather ugly.

"Dark Iron?" Ye Tian looked at the sword in surprise, reached out, and picked it up. "Good grief, this is heavy!" With his limited inner energy, lifting this dark iron longsword, which easily weighed two hundred catties, felt somewhat strenuous.

"Young man, this is an iron-essence sword. Though it hasn't been fully finished yet, does the material meet your expectations?" the elf asked.

"Not bad, I like it." Ye Tian had seen fine ores at Bruyer's place before, but he had never laid eyes on dark iron like this. As the saying went, the best material isn't necessarily the most suitable, but the most suitable is always the best! This was precisely what Ye Tian had been looking for.

"Does the guest confirm he wants this one?" the elf asked.

"Yes, sorry to trouble you." Ye Tian handed the dark iron sword blank back to the elf. "May I ask how much deposit I need to pay?"

"You are truly fortunate. The master rarely crafts weapons specifically for anyone," Leixia said with a hint of envy.

"Is that so? My luck seems pretty good then. But speaking of which, I never expected outside gold coins to be universally accepted here, that saves me a lot of trouble," Ye Tian laughed.

"Actually, currencies are generally interchangeable, only the designs differ. The weights are identical, a standard established long ago," Leixia smiled. "Though we elves don't have much concept of money, business is business."

"Oh, come off it, you guys are plenty ruthless when it comes to charging!" Ye Tian curled his lip. Leixia just smiled and said nothing.

"Let's look around a bit longer. I have to say, seeing so many good things makes me not want to leave," Ye Tian chuckled.