Elvia walked over to Lin Gui.
She tilted her head up, raising her chin slightly.
Her blood-stained face bore an unhidden provocation—along with a trace of burning passion.
"Clean me up, quickly.
"Having this blood spattered all over is uncomfortable."
Her tone remained that same imperious, princess-like manner.
Lin Gui glanced at her.
With a wave of his hand, several Novice cleansing spells bloomed over her.
Water vapor wrapped in fine bubbles swept away the bloodstains and dust.
A pale-green breeze brushed past, drying her damp golden hair.
Before long, Elvia returned to her beautiful state, her golden hair shimmering softly under the sunlight.
Lin Gui couldn't help but banter, "With the way you strutted over just now like a rooster, I thought you were about to challenge me."
Elvia chuckled softly.
"I know full well how formidable my own man is.
"Right now... it's not the time yet."
She straddled the staff, wrapping her arms around Lin Gui's waist.
Resting her chin on his shoulder, she leaned her lips close to his ear.
Her voice was very soft.
"Though, it won't be long.
"Soon, I'll be able to pin you down...
"and give you a thorough beating."
"..."
Controlling the staff, he rose into the air, speeding toward Withered Wood Town.
With Elvia's strength increased, Lin Gui loosened his restriction on mana slightly.
The staff traveled much faster than before.
Last time, traveling from Withered Wood Town to Coppergate City across the Withered Wood Wasteland required dodging demons and making frequent stops, taking five whole days.
This time, however, it took only three.
The outline of Withered Wood Town soon appeared at the edge of his vision—dusty gray walls, low buildings, and that towering magic tower.
Lin Gui controlled the staff to hover two meters off the ground as they drifted inside.
Familiar streets, familiar shops, and familiar signboards met his eyes, but a strange atmosphere hung in the air.
It felt as if some major event had taken place.
Pedestrians on the street walked in a hurry, their expressions gloomy.
A few vendors at roadside stalls whispered to each other in hushed voices, their glances darting toward the corner of the street from time to time.
Elvia sat behind Lin Gui.
Her golden eyes narrowed as she carefully observed her surroundings.
Soon, she picked up on the anomaly.
Leaning into Lin Gui's ear, she said, "A lot of mages have arrived.
"And registered mages at that."
She lifted her chin slightly toward the corner of the street.
Lin Gui followed her gaze.
A few mages in exquisite robes were walking out of an inn.
Badges of the Mage Guild were pinned to their chests, their pale-gold stars glinting in the sunlight.
Their expressions were cold, their eyes carrying a condescending scrutiny.
The surrounding residents cast subtle glances at them, none daring to look them dead in the eye.
As the mages walked past, the townsfolk instinctively stepped back to yield a wider path.
Elvia lowered her voice.
"Everyone's eyes are on them. I only noticed by following their gazes."
Lin Gui frowned.
Without saying anything, he simply maneuvered the staff forward.
Passing through the familiar street and through the back door, they returned to the post office they had left nearly half a month ago.
In the backyard, those four massive wooden crates still sat completely intact.
The wood grain shimmered darkly under the sunlight, and the magic protection remained active.
Nothing had changed.
Elvia hopped off the staff.
Although they had flown the whole way, the rapid journey had still been exhausting for her.
Spending nights in a Forbidden Zone in the wilderness meant staying constantly on guard, especially with only the two of them.
Exhausted in body and mind, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in her luxurious, high-end bed for a beauty sleep.
Yawning, she reached out to push open the back door, but her wrist was caught.
Startled, she turned around.
Lin Gui stood behind her, expressionless.
He released her wrist and squatted down to check the gap under the door.
Then he inspected several extremely subtle physical alarms around the area: an almost invisible spider silk on the window frame, the arrangement of a few grains of sand beneath the door hinge, and the placement of a dead leaf in the corner.
His fingers brushed over each one, his frown deepening by the second.
"Someone was here," he said softly.
Elvia froze briefly, then nonchalantly dismissed it. "Probably just some petty thief looking to steal something."
Lin Gui stood up.
"More than one."
He paused.
"At least ten."
Elvia's expression grew solemn.
After pondering for a moment, she subconsciously lowered her voice to ask, "Is it that Inspector who's been tailing us since Whitecliff City?"
Lin Gui narrowed his eyes.
"It couldn't be him.
"Even at top speed, he's probably still on his way here and hasn't reached Withered Wood Town yet."
Elvia's lips twitched.
What was supposed to be a high-pressure pursuit had turned into a joke—they had traveled back and forth and even spent two weeks in Coppergate City, yet their pursuer still hadn't arrived in Withered Wood Town.
By the time they reached the City of a Thousand Towers, that guy would probably only just find the letter they had delivered long ago.
She shook her head, putting the topic aside.
"If it's not that guy, then who could it be?"
Lin Gui frowned.
The post office held nothing noteworthy—no wealth, no treasure, no secret documents.
There were only stacks of stationery and a few messenger bags.
There was no reason for it to draw attention.
After a moment of thought, his gaze slowly shifted toward the backyard—toward those four massive wooden crates standing silently.
Elvia followed his gaze.
"The people picking up the cargo?"
She walked over and circled the wooden crates.
The magic protection was intact, with no signs of tampering on the surfaces.
The seals remained in place, and the faint fluctuation of mana was still running smoothly.
"They haven't been touched."
Her finger lightly knocked on the side of a crate, producing dull thuds.
A hint of curiosity welled up in her eyes.
A family from a border city-state, the Daltons of Whitecliff City, had requested anonymous transport with an unknown recipient and destination, only specifying that someone in Withered Wood Town would use magic tracking to pick up the cargo.
No matter how one looked at it, it was suspicious.
Squatting down, she leaned in close to the seal.
The faint wave of mana brushed against her fingertips.
"What could be inside?" she murmured to herself.
"Smuggled magic materials? Forbidden dark magic grimoires? Or..."
She looked up at Lin Gui.
"Some taboo cargo, like a plague demon?"
Lin Gui stood beside the wooden crates without saying a word.
Elvia stood up.
"Are you going to open them now?"
She knew Lin Gui's goal in returning was for that commission.
Yet she couldn't understand it.
A commission worth millions of gold coins was indeed vast, but with Coppergate City's wealth, Lin Gui could easily amass that amount within a day if he wished.
She looked suspiciously at Lin Gui.
Besides being a bleeding heart, did this guy actually possess a knightly spirit of honoring contracts, like a knight from the Golden Age?
That was one trait she wasn't particularly fond of.
Rate on N.U.
