Exploring Night Lotus Valley

Starlight and the others naturally had no objections to Lian’s arrangements.

After settling into the comfortable environment of the Night Elf guesthouse, the four of them couldn’t suppress their curiosity about Night Lotus Valley and set out together to explore the streets of this mysterious city.

Starlight learned from Xia Duo that the Night Elves were a very insular group who rarely stepped foot outside their land.

This isolation wasn’t just geographical; it was also reflected in their attitude toward the outside world. Even among the other elves of the Star-Song Forest, few had ever truly ventured deep into Night Lotus Valley to witness its true character.

The scenery here was entirely different from the view under the World Tree. Even the goods and food sold in the streets and alleys were vastly different from those outside.

The buildings on both sides of the streets were primarily made of dark stone, adorned with intricate runes and ancient script.

In the shop windows, one could see all sorts of items related to magic. From glowing gemstones to exquisite runic tools, everything exuded a mysterious aura.

“I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like it’s always foggy here. I don’t hate the atmosphere, but something feels off,” Po Kong remarked as he looked up at the thin mist after they had been wandering for some time.

From the moment they entered Night Lotus Valley, it felt as though they had stepped into a completely different world. The sunlight behind the thick clouds and mist became exceptionally thin and soft, as if covered by a veil.

Under such light, the passage of time seemed to blur, making it difficult to keep track of.

As soon as Po Kong finished speaking, Noah’s voice drifted from Starlight’s waist. After two days of deep sleep, his soul power had finally returned to normal levels, and he no longer felt like maintaining a constant soul link in this situation.

“You’ve been wandering the streets for four hours and thirty-seven minutes. If I remember correctly, it’s already night.”

“Has it really been that long? Let’s buy some food and head back. We can talk more once we’re back at the guesthouse,” Starlight said, somewhat stunned by Noah’s reminder.

The two sisters, Moen and Xia Duo, had no objections. While wandering the streets of Night Lotus Valley, the two had shown very different temperaments.

Xia Duo’s gaze remained sharp and keen as she moved through the crowds and buildings, as if conducting a silent reconnaissance.

She wasn’t just admiring the scenery; she was also silently noting the city’s conditions, from the layout of the buildings to the patrol routes of the guards, missing not a single detail.

She was rapidly constructing a mental map of this unfamiliar city, attempting to analyze any useful intelligence.

In those few hours of exploration, she had already memorized the general layout of most of the city.

Moen, on the other hand, was more casual. Unlike her sister, she focused on the culture, scenery, and local specialties. She occasionally stopped to chat with street vendors, appearing deeply interested in everything.

However, she was also observing everything in her own way.

When Moen rose from a small stall, Starlight caught a glimpse of her subtly leaving a green seed under the table.

Sensing his gaze, Moen turned her head gracefully, gave him a faint smile, and made a “shh” gesture.

Once the group returned to their room at the guesthouse, Xia Duo immediately closed the door softly and signaled to her sister.

Moen extended her right hand, and a gentle breeze drifted from her sleeve, enveloping the entire room.

This was a small trick she had learned from Eventador; by filling the space with wind elements at a specific frequency, she could prevent eavesdropping.

While her elemental magic was nowhere near as powerful as Starlight’s in terms of offense, she could achieve breathtaking results in tasks requiring delicate manipulation.

She could use elemental power for subtle and precise control, whether it was healing wounds, strengthening defenses, or scouting the surroundings.

“Alright, now no one can overhear our conversation. I’ll start with what I’ve discovered,” Xia Duo said, clearing her throat and speaking with a solemn tone once her sister finished.

“Barring any surprises, we are still being monitored. However, this tracker is extraordinary; even I can’t pinpoint their exact location.” She glanced back out the window, a sharp light flashing in her blue eyes.

“Are you sure?” Starlight asked in a low voice. He looked out the guesthouse window, but the street outside remained quiet and peaceful, as if nothing were amiss.

“Yes, I can sense a presence that flickers in and out. I believe Moen found something too, right?” Xia Duo turned to Moen.

“Mhm... quite a few of the seeds I scattered along the way have been moved. It means someone has already noticed my little trick.”

Moen’s voice carried a hint of helplessness. She hadn’t expected her specially placed measures to be detected so quickly.

“Then what should we do? We’re on their home turf, after all,” Po Kong asked, his brow furrowed in thought.

“First, we mustn’t panic. Since the other party hasn’t taken any other action, it means they might still be observing us.”

Xia Duo analyzed calmly, her blue eyes shimmering with thought.

“If I’m not mistaken, the Dark Tribe is definitely hiding something from us. For now, we wait patiently and see if any news comes from Lian.”

...

Over the next few days, Starlight’s group continued to act like curious tourists, wandering around Night Lotus Valley.

However, alongside this leisure was that ever-present, faint aura—the mysterious tracker.

Even though they had long been aware of this tracker’s existence and had taken various measures to counter it, the presence was like a ghost, neither appearing nor moving away, always maintaining a subtle distance.

Whenever they tried to find the other party’s trail, the aura would quietly vanish as if it had never existed.

Faced with this shadow-like presence, even Xia Duo, who was an expert in stealth, couldn’t help but feel an unprecedented sense of frustration. She had to admit that the tracker’s concealment skills were far superior to her own.

Meanwhile, Lian, whom they had been waiting for, failed to appear. Since their initial parting, they hadn't received a single word from her. This left Starlight’s group feeling both worried and confused.

“Could something have happened to Lian?”

That evening, after finishing their day’s tour and returning to their room, Starlight muttered irritably.

“Probably not, right? She’s the Princess of the entire tribe! Maybe she just ran into some trouble and can’t get away,” Po Kong replied, leaning back on the sofa with his hands behind his head.

Po Kong took a more relaxed view of the situation. After all, it was clear from the two Saints’ behavior that the Night Elves valued Lian highly. If she were truly in trouble, they would have stepped in to solve it.

At that moment, Xia Duo suddenly stood up from the table and held out a piece of paper for the three of them to see.

Starlight took one look, and his eyes filled with surprise and admiration. The paper was nothing less than a map of the central area of Night Lotus Valley, drawn in elegant handwriting.