Mad Blade

Clotina nodded.

“Shadow Blade... is indeed her title.”

“But in our clan... we mostly called her something else.”

She paused, her voice dropping lower.

“The Mad Blade.”

“Or... the Broken Night Shadow.”

Lin Gui muttered,

“It seems she is just like that merman...”

“...becoming a wandering spirit bound to a bead.”

“But how could her strength be so weak?”

“Before her death, Shadow Blade Lynn... was a High-tier Epic Rank expert.”

Clotina said softly,

“I know about that.”

“After death, one's former strength is completely reset to zero.”

“Whether you were Epic Rank or High Rank, everyone starts from the same line.”

“But those who have cultivated before... find it much easier to perceive soul power.”

“And it is also easier for them to retrain this 'new power'.”

She gave an example.

“Like Captain Alyia.”

“She was a High-tier Legendary Rank ranger in life.”

Lin Gui raised an eyebrow.

“A High-tier Legendary... and she was only a captain?”

Clotina gave a bitter smile.

“That was the price.”

Her voice was filled with bitterness.

“After the Night Elves were marginalized... our authority was continuously diluted.”

“The powerful members of our clan were actually suppressed in rank by those of lower strength.”

“Even though Captain Alyia was of the Legendary Rank...”

“...she had to obey the commands of a Mid-tier Transcendent 'Overseer'.”

“We were given the patrol missions, but we were the last to receive resource allocations.”

“Even the compensation for those who died in battle...”

Clotina paused, her soul light dimming slightly.

“...would be mostly embezzled.”

“It seems elves... are not as pure as the rumors outside claim,”

Lin Gui said quietly.

“Distant from the mortal world, untouched by greed and desire...”

Clotina fell silent for a long time.

Inside the bead, her soul shadow curled up slightly.

“The elves of the Golden Age...”

Her voice was very soft, as if she were recalling a distant dream.

“...were indeed just like the legends.”

“Elegant, long-lived, and close to nature.”

“Art, poetry, magic... all reached absolute perfection.”

“We believed we were the guardians of the world.”

“We did not compete with other races for profit, nor did we involve ourselves in mortal conflicts.”

She paused.

Her soul light dimmed for a moment.

“But the descent of the Demon God... shattered everything.”

“Our living space grew increasingly harsh...”

“...and our territory was continuously compressed.”

“Even for a long-lived race like us, with a small population and difficulty reproducing...”

“...we still had to plunge into...”

She gave a bitter laugh and did not continue.

But Lin Gui understood.

The struggle for resources.

The infighting for power.

And all of this stemmed from the sheer desperation to survive.

...

Days passed by.

Lin Gui looked after the unconscious Eve while waiting for the system's delivery confirmation notification.

However, the delivery confirmations from Shadowmoon City...

...were pitifully few.

Initially, when he was in Shadowmoon City, he could still receive one or two.

After that, it completely ground to a halt.

Recalling Clotina's description...

...of Shadow Blade Lynn's madness, and her brutal methods against her own kind.

If she had run into Alyia, who was delivering letters in Shadowmoon City...

Since both of them were spirits, they would be able to see each other.

Lin Gui's heart sank.

He suspected that Alyia might have already... met with an accident.

If that were truly the case...

...the Weekly Commission for Shadowmoon City was essentially a failure.

Go back and rescue her?

Don't be ridiculous.

Even Eve, with her Legendary Rank defenses fully active, had her shields easily pierced by the enemy.

The only reason he had been able to force Lynn back last time was because she had let her guard down.

Additionally, he had used his Eyes of the Netherworld to locate her soul bead.

Next time...

...the opponent would absolutely not give him the same opportunity.

Thinking of this, Lin Gui no longer hesitated.

He decided to abandon the delivery commission for Shadowmoon City.

He believed that the elves of Blackwater City and other city-states...

...would understand his predicament once they learned of Shadow Blade Lynn's appearance.

After all, even Clotina had said...

...that everyone among the elves knew how terrifying that woman was.

In his mind, Lin Gui issued a command to the system:

After a brief silence:

【Ding!】

【Shadowmoon City node Weekly Commission has been abandoned.】

【Current progress invalidated. No penalty applied.】

【Generating new Weekly Commission...】

【Destination: Gloomlight Forest.】

【Retrieving the number of letters collected by the Host...】

【Retrieval complete.】

【Valid letters for the Gloomlight Forest area: 89.】

【Sources of letters:】

【Blackwater City: 53.】

【Stonestrand Town: 9.】

【Longbridge Fort: 5.】

【.......】

【Three-Way Junction: 1.】

【Required delivery rate: ≥70%.】

【Time limit: 7 days.】

【Note: Please try to avoid the core territories of known Epic Rank spectral demons. Well, it seems the Host has already arrived at the destination. Please ignore this note.】

【May thoughts cross the mist and reach the shores of the departed.】

Lin Gui sorted out the wooden crate containing the letters for Gloomlight Forest and packed them one by one into his messenger's leather satchel.

He changed into thicker, warmer clothes and checked his belongings.

Once everything was ready, he walked over to Eve's bedside.

The Saintess, who had been thoroughly pampered with food and drink served to her hand and foot over the past few days, was currently wrapped snugly in her blanket, exposing only her purple eyes as she squinted comfortably.

Lin Gui leaned down, placing the warmed water skin and prepared rations within her easy reach.

He also adjusted the brightness of the crystal lamp hanging from the ceiling of the pit.

“I'm going out to deliver letters. I'll be back soon.”

His tone was flat, yet he detailed everything meticulously.

“The water is right beside you, and the food is in the bag. Don't move around and aggravate your wound.”

“If you hear any movement outside, call me immediately using the Transmission Stone.”

Eve blinked, a smile rippling through her eyes.

“Understood~”

Her voice was slightly drawn out, carrying a hint of playfulness.

“When you return, could you bring back some glowberries from the forest?”

“I heard they are very sweet.”

“Also, Mr. Lin Gui, you are acting more and more like an old mother.”

“So naggy~”

Lin Gui stared expressionlessly at the Saintess, who was righteously enjoying his care under the pretext of her severe injury.

Ultimately, he chose to ignore her.

Turning around, he tapped the glass bead on the table.

Clotina's soul shadow drifted out, floating obediently in the air.

“Help me deliver the letters.”

Lin Gui was concise.

“Just as we agreed before.”

Clotina nodded vigorously.

“Mhm!”

Next, Lin Gui began crafting disguise props.

From his storage space, he retrieved a highly elastic magic clay with a skin-like color.

Then, he pulled out a small vial of plant dye commonly used by Night Elves.

Clotina had guided Lin Gui in preparing it.

Following the contour of Clotina's ears, he carefully molded a pair of long, pointed, and elegantly curved elven ears.

He colored them, dried them, and trimmed the edges.

Finally, he used Soul Attachment to temporarily imbue the clay with subtle soul fluctuations, making it feel more “real” to spiritual perception.

Once finished, he fitted them onto the sides of his head.

The magic clay automatically adhered, its edges seamlessly blending with his skin.

Lin Gui turned to Clotina and Eve.

“How is it?”

he asked.

“Do I look like a pureblood elf?”

Clotina stared at his face for a full five seconds.

Then, she honestly shook her head.

“No.”

“Too ugly.”

Eve tried her best to keep a straight face nearby, but her trembling shoulders and curved purple eyes gave her away.

She nodded vigorously in agreement.

Lin Gui: “...”

He turned to Clotina, deciding to ignore the issue of his looks.

“Setting my face aside.”

“Do you think... I could pass as an elf?”

Clotina frowned, floating a bit closer to size him up from head to toe.

Her gaze focused particularly on his black hair and gray eyes.

“Yes.”

she finally judged.

“Your hair and eye color match the characteristics of my clan perfectly.”

“It's extremely rare among humans, which is an advantage.”

She paused, then offered a suggestion:

“You can claim to be from the Shadow Clan.”

“If anyone asks about your looks... just say you disfigured yourself to avoid drawing the attention of human hunting parties.”

Lin Gui's lips twitched slightly.

To be fair, by human standards, he wasn't strikingly handsome, but he was at least above average.

But compared to the elves, a race where everyone was exceptionally beautiful...

...he was indeed outstandingly “ugly.”

He sighed.

“Fine then.”