Chapter 170: Taya's Past

Taya opened her eyes and saw a few people chatting nearby.

"You're awake," a boy quickly stepped forward and asked.

Taya smiled. "Long time no see, Ger."

"It really has been a long time. I've been waiting for you guys for over half a year, so I'm angry!" Ye Tian pretended to bare his teeth and said.

"I'm sorry," Taya smiled gently. "And thank you."

"What are you thanking me for? It's only right." Ye Tian curled his lip. "By the way, what do you want to eat later? I'll make it for you."

"Beggar's Chicken," Taya said with a cheeky smile.

"No, that's too greasy. I'll make you something light," Ye Tian said.

"Mm, I'll eat anything you make," Taya smiled.

"Then I really need to show off my skills, or you might start looking down on me after not seeing you for a while." Ye Tian rolled up his sleeves upon hearing this.

"Hehe, you're still as glib as ever."

"Taya, do you feel any discomfort anywhere?" Alansa bounced over, grabbed Taya's wrist, and asked.

"I'm fine, just a little low on energy."

"Get real, who are you trying to fool?" Ye Tian curled his lip. "In your condition, it'll be hard to recover even in half a year."

"Fine, fine. I know you're amazing, alright?" Taya said, annoyed. "Since you're so amazing, why take half a year? Why don't you cure me tomorrow?"

"I really don't have that kind of ability," Ye Tian shook his head. "What you've lost is your vital essence, the source of life. That's not something you can replenish overnight. Saying half a year is a conservative estimate. To truly heal, it will take at least two years."

"That short?" Taya exclaimed.

"Two years is considered short?" Ye Tian asked in surprise. "Oh right, I forgot Elves can live for several centuries. Two years is indeed way too short for you."

Then, Ye Tian asked with a mischievous grin, "Taya, tell me how old you are?"

"Older than you, anyway!" Taya immediately blushed. Blessed by the Goddess, elves possessed exceptionally long lifespans. Generally speaking, living five or six hundred years was not a problem, and those with higher cultivation could reach seven or eight hundred years. There had even been elves who lived to be fifteen hundred years old! Aside from the Dragon race, this was the race with the longest lifespan.

"Hehe, you guys have it good," Alansa said with envy. A human's lifespan was around seventy years. Of course, that was for ordinary people. A magician's lifespan was typically about one hundred and fifty years. The higher their cultivation, the longer they lived, but very few could surpass three hundred years.

Because warriors tempered their physical bodies, they lived slightly longer than magicians, around two hundred years. Even a Sword Saint would struggle to surpass four hundred years. Therefore, many people came up with various methods to survive. For instance, magicians would practice dark magic or necromancy, turning themselves into undead creatures such as skeleton kings or liches, trading their physical bodies for prolonged lifespans.

The price was that they could never live under the sunlight again, which was why the Church of Light proclaimed that only by serving the gods could one attain eternal life. As for whether you believed it or not, that was your own business.

"By the way, I just checked your pulse and noticed there seems to be a little baby inside your body. What's going on here?" Ye Tian said with a deadpan expression.

"Get lost!" Taya's face instantly turned as red as the stellar fruit Alansa had brought over. She grabbed the pillow from beneath her and hurled it at him. "Go to hell!"

"Don't get angry, don't get angry, I was just teasing you!" Ye Tian quickly caught the pillow and said with a cheeky smile to the fuming Taya, "Anger hurts your health. I'll go check the kitchen and make you some nourishing meat porridge." With that, he tossed the pillow to Rolola and quickly bolted.

"Hmph, hateful Ger!" The flush on Taya's face slowly faded as she angrily waved her hands a few times. Seeing the others giggling nearby, the flush that had just receded rushed right back up.

"He was just teasing you, don't be mad," Mina hurriedly persuaded.

"I know, but can you just say things like that?" Taya's face grew even redder.

"Then I'm going to go teach him a lesson!" Alansa bounced up, ready to chase after Ye Tian.

"You better stay put and stop making a mess in the kitchen!" Rolola grabbed Alansa by the collar.

At dinnertime, it wasn't just Ye Tian and the others; there was an extra guest—the Elven Queen. As for Rhesia, well, she had to stand aside.

"You had a fun day today, didn't you?" The Elven Queen sat down gracefully without any hesitation.

"Uh, respected Your Majesty the Queen, what are you doing?" Ye Tian asked with a frown.

"Eating dinner, isn't that obvious?" The Elven Queen reached up to remove the veil from her face, then used a spoon to scoop up a mouthful of soup. "This is delicious!"

Clatter! Alansa's fork dropped to the floor. The Queen glanced at them and asked strangely, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," Ye Tian coughed a few times before Alansa and the others snapped back to their senses.

"Your Majesty, you are very pretty!" Alansa said sincerely.

"Thank you." The Elven Queen gracefully put down her spoon, turned to Ye Tian, and asked, "Why aren't you eating?"

"Um, you're sitting in my seat, you know?" Ye Tian said, feeling depressed. The dining table was a bit small, just enough for four people. Ye Tian had originally planned to just squeeze in, but the Elven Queen had plumped herself right down in his spot, leaving him nowhere to sit. Mina gently pulled Ye Tian's sleeve, and he just smiled and shook his head.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" The Elven Queen gave a radiant smile, though she showed not the slightest intention of moving. She continued wielding her knife and fork, happily enjoying the food before her. "This is so good, how did you make it?"

"Sorry, I don't take apprentices!" Ye Tian curled his lip, picked up a large drumstick, and walked over to the window, tearing off strips of meat to feed the little hawk that was playing in the breeze.

"Your pet seems to be a Sky Behemoth. I truly wonder where you managed to get it."

"A Sky Behemoth? You mean this hawk?" Ye Tian asked.

"A hawk? Is that the name you gave it? How unique," the Elven Queen said. "The Sky Behemoth is said to be the mount of the Wind God. With a single flap of its wings, it blocks the sun and sky; with a casual sweep, it stirs up sand and stone. It's a magical beast capable of fighting dragons."

"No way it's that exaggerated. I remember an adult hawk can grow to at most around two zhang, oh, that's six meters," Ye Tian mused.

"Six meters? You underestimate the Sky Behemoth. The mount of the Wind God—how could it possibly be small!" the Elven Queen argued.

"Who knows? Maybe this is just a little fellow that won't grow up." Ye Tian tore off a piece of roasted meat and waved it over the little hawk's head. The hawk kept screeching anxiously, then leaped forward with force, snatching the meat from Ye Tian's hand and eating it happily.

"Ah!" Alansa suddenly let out a yelp, frantically dropping her knife and fork as she reached into her bosom to grope around.

"What's wrong?" Ye Tian asked.

"It's moving!" With that, Alansa carefully pulled out Roasted Meat.

"A Gale Beast!" the Elven Queen cried out in shock.

"What? You mean Roasted Meat?" Alansa asked, bewildered.

"What? Roasted Meat?" The Elven Queen stared at the snow-white Gale Beast, feeling as though she might faint.

"Yeah, this guy used to always steal my roasted meat, so I gave it that name," Ye Tian said, teasing the little hawk.

"That's a horrible name! No way, change it. How about Gene? Gene? Carlisle!"

"No, I'm not used to it. Roasted Meat sounds better." Ye Tian curled his lip, immediately vetoing the suggestion.

"You!" The Elven Queen instantly trembled with anger all over. "By the way, you said it's a Gale Beast, right?"

"Of course! It is the messenger of the Wind God, the fastest magical beast on land. Once it reaches adulthood, even a dragon spreading its wings will be no match for it!" the Elven Queen huffed. "Right, can you let me hold it?"

"Sure." Alansa gently handed Roasted Meat over to the Elven Queen.

"This is a species long believed to be extinct. I never expected I'd get to see one." She gently stroked Roasted Meat's snow-white fur. The little beast nuzzled comfortably twice, then buried its body right into the Queen's ample bosom.

"Pervert," Ye Tian said with a hint of jealousy.

"What did you say?" the Elven Queen asked.

"Nothing. You said Roasted Meat is extinct—what did you mean?" Ye Tian asked.

"The Gale Beast is the messenger of the Wind God, appearing in the continent's history books with matchless speed. However, with the twilight of the Age of Gods, this species that once thrived on the continent vanished as well. Many people believe it has died out," the Elven Queen explained.

"Oh!"

"You aren't surprised?" the Elven Queen asked.

"I am surprised," Ye Tian said.

"Liar," the Elven Queen retorted.

"Hehe, honestly, no matter what it is or how noble its past was, none of that matters to me. I only know it's my partner, and that's enough," Ye Tian smiled.

"I really envy you." The Elven Queen gently stroked Roasted Meat's fur. "By the way, Roasted Meat has been sleeping for over half a month—is that okay?" Ye Tian asked.

"Has it been eating a lot of magic cores?" the Elven Queen asked.

"Yeah, it ate a few dozen." Ye Tian thought about it.

"That explains it. Having ingested too much energy, it needs to properly digest it. As expected of a magical beast from the Age of Gods; it ate so many magic cores yet suffered no adverse effects. There are very few magical beasts on the continent today that are this formidable," the Elven Queen sighed.

"Don't praise it like that, or I'll be crying if it eats that much again next time!" Ye Tian curled his lip.

"You'd better prepare yourself. If the Gale Beast relies solely on its own growth to reach adulthood, it will probably take several centuries," the Elven Queen smiled.

"Then it can just keep sleeping," Ye Tian said, startled.

"Mm, later I'll take it to the Ancient Tree. Rest assured, I'm not going to covet it. Using the power of the Ancient Tree to harmonize the energy inside the Gale Beast's body might help it wake up sooner," the Elven Queen said.

"Really? That's great!" Ye Tian jumped up in joy. "What do you want to eat? Tell me, I'll go make it for you right now."

"No need. You just need to agree to one condition," the Elven Queen said seriously.

"Speak."

"Stop stirring up trouble with other elves. The trouble you've caused in the past two days exceeds everything that's happened in the Elven Clan for a thousand years," the Elven Queen sighed.

"When did I stir up trouble?" Ye Tian curled his lip.

"Fine, I won't pursue what's in the past, but you must promise not to bother other elves from now on. I know you can do it." The Elven Queen stared at Ye Tian, who curled his lip.

"Fine, as long as they don't provoke me."

"Alright, with your word, I can rest easy. Also, Rhesia will stay with you all the time. If anything comes up, have her contact me. I'll be very busy these next couple of days," the Elven Queen said.

"Understood. By the way, you said you're busy because of outside?" Ye Tian recalled that when he was wandering around the streets today, many shops had started hanging up lanterns, making it look like the Lantern Festival in Central Province.

"Mm, the New Moon Festival is coming soon, so we need to make preparations." After saying this, the Elven Queen gently handed Roasted Meat over to Rhesia standing beside her and picked up her knife and fork once more. "Such delicious food—I'm starting to worry."

"Relax, you're very skinny," Ye Tian said.

"Saying that to a lady is very impolite, but thank you anyway." The Elven Queen ignored Ye Tian further, tapping her lips with her fork. "What should I eat next?"

"Fairy!" Ye Tian quickly averted his gaze. The杀伤力 (killing power/charm) of the Elven Queen's gesture was too immense; even Ye Tian found it hard to resist. Alansa's mouth was open so wide in exaggeration that she was practically drooling.

"Ahem! Ahem!" Ye Tian coughed a few times, and the girls finally snapped back to their senses.

After dinner, having sent Alansa and the others off to rest, Ye Tian carried Taya on his back to her room.

"You ate so little today!" Ye Tian remarked.

"No way, that was a lot!" Taya blushed, then buried her face gently into Ye Tian's back. "Ger, how long do you plan to stay here?"

"Once you're fully healed, we'll head to Feoply Academy. Haven't you always wanted to go there?" Ye Tian asked in confusion.

"I have always wanted to go, but the Elven Clan has a rule that members are not allowed to leave the City of Elves at will. I've already broken that rule once; I can't break it again," Taya said softly.

"Then let's change the rules!" Ye Tian smiled. "Rules should be judged by whether they're good or bad. Rules that bind everyone should be abolished sooner rather than later!"

"But—" Taya panicked.

"There are no 'buts'. As long as you're willing, I'll help you," Ye Tian smiled.

Taya froze, silent for a long time. Ye Tian entered the room, gently laid Taya down on her bed, and said, "Get some good rest, I'll come over tomorrow."

"Ger, can you stay with me for a bit?" Taya suddenly spoke up.

"What's wrong?" Ye Tian asked. "Is something uncomfortable?"

"No, I just can't sleep. Can you keep me company?" Taya said softly.

"Mm, alright." Ye Tian smiled, pulled over a chair, and sat down beside Taya.

"Actually, it's not that I must go to the academy. I just want to find an answer—an answer that might no longer be findable," Taya sighed.

"In truth, many things don't have answers, or the answer isn't the one you wanted," Ye Tian said gently.

"I know, but I still want to go look for it." Taya paused. "Ger, haven't you noticed I'm different from other elves?"

"Well, the others aren't as pretty as you," Ye Tian smiled.

"Flatterer!" Taya blushed. "The skin of other elves is snow-white and their pupils are green, but my skin has a slight bronze tint, and my pupils are gray."

"What are you trying to say?" Ye Tian asked.

"Actually, I'm a half-elf. My mother was an elf, and my father was a human," Taya sighed.

"Half-elf, a mix," Ye Tian said in surprise.

"Surprising, isn't it? But it's true." Taya leaned gently against the head of the bed. "From as far back as I can remember, I never saw my father. Whenever I asked my mother, she would only cry in secret. Later on, I found out that my mother had violated a taboo by falling in love with a human."

"I don't know how they fell in love, nor do I know why they parted ways. I only knew that my mother always silently endured everything." Taya's gaze drifted outside the window. "Because Mother violated the taboo, we were ostracized. Even when she fell ill in the end, no one was willing to help us."

"That's why I wanted to leave this place, to search for my father. Even though I knew he might have been dead for a long time, I still wanted to go and see—to see the face I never knew."

"I'll help you," Ye Tian said seriously.

"No need. Actually, what happened this time made me realize that things aren't always the way you imagine them to be. Since that's the case, I might as well stay in the City of Elves. Thank you, Ger. Thank you, I will never forget our journey together."