Xia Duo's Plan

It was common knowledge that as a long-lived race, the average lifespan of an elf was around a thousand years. Some powerhouses among them could live to over two thousand, which was already considered a staggering age.

The news Po Kong had just heard from Moen’s lips truly gave him a fright. After all, recorded human Saint Ranks lived to be three to five hundred years old at most.

Furthermore, the Demons instigated large-scale wars on the continent every few decades. The number of Saint Ranks who actually lived long enough to die of natural causes was remarkably small.

“She’s over four thousand years older than you... and you still call her Aunt?” Starlight smiled, unable to wrap his head around it.

“Stop! Stop right there! Weren't we discussing information about the disappearance case? How did we get so off-topic?”

Seeing that the two of them intended to keep pressing for details, Xia Duo quickly slapped the table to cut off their thoughts. Her tone carried a hint of helplessness; she was clearly getting a headache from how much the conversation had drifted.

“Since we can’t go to Aunt Angela’s, we’ll just have to investigate in our own way...” Xia Duo bit her lip lightly, her gaze sweeping between Starlight and Po Kong as if she were weighing something.

“Your own way? Sister, you’re not thinking of... I suggest you’d better not.” Moen raised a delicate eyebrow, her tone carrying a note of warning. “Things aren't like they used to be. You need to watch your words and actions.”

“Don't worry, little sister~ I’m a member of the Ranger Force, after all. I’m not going to do anything that breaks the law. Alright, alright~ let’s eat first! The breakfast Wuka prepared is going to get cold!” Xia Duo didn't directly answer Moen’s question. Instead, she laughed it off and picked up a golden, sphere-shaped food item, beginning to eat on her own.

Since she had her own ideas, the other three didn't feel right asking more. They could only lower their heads and enjoy breakfast. As it turned out, this elven breakfast was a real eye-opener for Starlight and Po Kong.

It wasn't until Starlight bit into the golden-brown roasted food in his hand that he realized it wasn't bread at all, but a type of fruit he had never seen before.

This fruit only needed a light roasting to release a burst of exotic fragrance. Its flesh was soft and delicate, almost as smooth as cream. With one bite, a rich sweetness exploded in his mouth.

The other side dishes were also entirely composed of fruits and vegetables. Although the varieties seemed common, the flavors were so incredible they left the two of them marveling.

Take the citrus-like fruit in Po Kong’s hand, for instance. Its bright red juice was unbelievably abundant, the ratio of sweet to sour reaching a near-perfect balance, and there wasn't a single trace of pulp or fiber.

The dark green cucumber in Starlight’s hand surprised him even more. One bite revealed a crisp, juicy texture that felt like eating a pear, leaving a refreshing aftertaste that lingered.

To say nothing of Starlight, even Po Kong, who had grown up in a noble family in the Royal Capital, had never tasted such delicious fruit.

“What kind of miraculous varieties are these!? If we could sell these in the Royal Capital, they’d go for a fortune!” Po Kong exclaimed through a mouthful of food as he wolfed it down. “I finally understand why most of you elves are vegetarians. With stuff this good, I could eat like this every day too!”

Starlight didn't act as exaggeratedly as Po Kong, but he couldn't help nodding repeatedly, thinking the idea was actually quite good.

If these fruits could be transported to human cities for sale, they would definitely rake in a massive profit. After all, a mage’s cultivation was a bottomless pit that required a huge amount of financial support. His storage space with its staggering capacity would be perfect for the job.

“You two!” Xia Duo’s fork clanged against her plate, startling two Colorful-Feathered Finches outside the window. She looked at the pair’s money-grubbing expressions, feeling both annoyed and amused. “At least thirty caravans have tried that idea over the years. In the end, they all lost every bit of their investment.”

Once they left the range of the World Tree, the spiritual energy within these fruits would rapidly dissipate. The flavor would gradually become ordinary, eventually turning into nothing more than common fruit.

Those merchants who had set their sights on the fruit trade found that the fruits they had bought for high prices lost their flavor before they even reached the Violet City-State.

Unless one could transport these fruits across the continent within a single day, the effort was pointless. Furthermore, even storage magic, which provided a near-static environment, could not stop the leakage of spiritual energy.

Hearing Xia Duo’s explanation, Starlight could only helplessly abandon the idea of making money. However, he didn't give up entirely. He quietly slipped a fresh apple into his storage space, wanting to see if he could find a way to slow the loss of spiritual energy.

Before Starlight and Po Kong could fully savor the delicious fruits, Xia Duo hurriedly pulled the three of them out the door, seemingly having something important to do.

Since neither Xia Duo nor Moen had signed a contract with a monstrous beast like Flora had, they couldn't travel quickly by flight. However, none of them were weak, and with the aid of magic, traveling on foot didn't take much time.

“So, Little Shadow, where exactly are you taking us?” After the four of them had been running through the forest for nearly half an hour, Po Kong finally couldn't help but ask.

“Sigh, although I have to admit Starlight’s earlier points made some sense, I’m still inclined to believe there are outsiders behind all of this.” Running at the front, Xia Duo lightly dodged a hanging branch and turned her head to speak to them. “Those people from the Dark Tribe are my primary suspects.”

“So we’re back to the Dark Elves? Well, it wouldn't hurt to investigate them.” Starlight nodded, expressing his understanding of Xia Duo’s thought process.

“Sister, you’re planning to look for internal data in the Ranger Force records, aren't you? But I don't think the other side would be stupid enough to leave their tracks exposed.” Moen expressed a different view. She didn't think this trip would easily yield useful clues.

“Regardless, we won't know until we try, right?”

Xia Duo answered dismissively, her pace quickening. “After all, I am still a Captain Candidate of the Ranger Force. I can still access some confidential files that ordinary people can't. It’s just that this time, what we’re going to do is a bit different.”

The work of the elven Ranger Force was actually quite similar to the duties of a police agency or security force in human kingdoms.

Their main tasks involved not only the daily security of the Star-Song Forest but also keeping records of travelers and specific targets.

However, thanks to the peaceful and indifferent nature of the elves, the security in the Star-Song Forest had always been excellent. Consequently, the Ranger Force was rarely fully staffed at any given time. Instead, they used a rotation system, changing shifts at set intervals.

For instance, the Fourth Ranger Squad to which Xia Duo belonged had been on leave for the past year, which was why she had so much time to accompany Moen on her travels.

Xia Duo had previously won first place in a Ranger Force competition, earning her the status of Captain Candidate. In certain situations, she could exercise authority equivalent to a Ranger Force captain.

It wasn't that her strength was insufficient for the role of captain; rather, her few decades of life experience were considered far too brief by elven standards. Even the most talented members required a certain amount of time to accumulate experience and maturity.

Xia Duo herself felt a bit uncertain about the job, so naturally, she hadn't given much thought to taking the position. One could say that from the moment she received the title until now, she had never actually used this power.

If not for this incident, someone with Xia Duo’s personality probably wouldn't have even remembered she had such authority.