Qimeng raised a finger.
Several pure white roots erupted from the ground, lifting the lid of the first chest.
Inside was a bounty of rare spiritual fruits and Hundred-Fruit Brew. Alongside them lay stacks of refined sea salt—which was as precious as gold in this world—and secret spices that exuded an elegant aroma.
Next was the second chest. It was filled to the brim with gorgeous garments woven from silver-white spider silk and plant fibers, adorned with radiant, shimmering natural ornaments.
The Wood Elves certainly knew how to please.
Qimeng's mood improved slightly, and she turned her gaze toward the largest chest, which was occasionally shaking.
As her roots lifted the lid, a disheveled humanoid bee girl suddenly popped out. She was wrapped in a massive bow, packaged like a gift.
“Waaah! Lady Qimeng! Xiaomi thought she would never see you again! These lolis are so terrifying, waaah!”
Her foolish vassal, Xiaomi, immediately went into leg-clinging mode the moment she regained her freedom.
Seeing Xiaomi alive and kicking, Qimeng let out a sigh of relief.
She had originally fabricated the Reincarnation story to slip away without bloodshed while giving the Wood Elves a subtle warning.
According to her original plan, she intended to extend her roots into the Wood Elf valley first. When the lizardmen invaded three days later, she would assess the situation and decide whether to intervene, using the opportunity to rescue Xiaomi.
As long as the Wood Elves showed some spine and there was a chance of victory, she wouldn't mind lending a hand and then helping them look for the Great Spirit.
But if the situation was utterly hopeless, she wouldn't throw her life away for nothing; she would simply wash her hands of them and leave.
But now, it seemed all her little schemes had fallen through.
Not only had these old lolis played her into accepting the crown, but they had even smoothly returned Xiaomi to her.
At this moment, Qimeng suddenly understood the complex, love-hate relationship that the red-haired demon sister had with the Wood Elves.
No wonder she had gone to the lengths of disguising herself as a Wood Elf just to steal their secret treasure and spite them. It turned out that red-haired sister was actually on her side!
Qimeng cast her gaze once more upon the prostrate Wood Elves.
With her keeping silent, the Tree Court was so quiet that a falling leaf could be heard. Everyone, including Yinzhi, remained kneeling on the ground, not daring to move an inch.
She studied these petite, lovely figures.
And suddenly recalled the death flag she had raised back in the spider cave.
【Even if some bizarre creature pops out of this cocoon later, there's absolutely no way anything could go wrong...】
“Well, look at that. It was waiting for me all along, wasn't it?”
Rumors said the Wood Elves were an intelligent race. Sure enough, extreme intelligence bred cunning. For them to survive to this day after losing their Mother Tree, they definitely had some serious tricks up their sleeves.
A heavy, low pressure hung over the Tree Court.
Qimeng stared at the Grand Elder with a superficial, cold smile.
“Grand Elder, you certainly know how to play. They say an elder in the family is like a treasure, and you are indeed a 'treasure.' I actually failed to see through your acting. All those so-called conspiracies during your meeting—you were intentionally speaking loudly so I would overhear them, weren't you?”
Hearing this resentment-filled tease, the Grand Elder's delicate body trembled. She pressed her forehead even tighter to the ground and cried out, tears streaming down her face.
“Please forgive us, Sacred Spirit Lord! We only did it for the survival of our race!”
“Hmph, since you like playing games so much, then as a return gesture, I shall play a highly enjoyable game with you all.”
A cold smile spread across Qimeng's face as she opened her pale palm.
Mass Shadow Entangle, activate.
A massive shadow bound all the prostrated elders on the ground.
“Back in your village, weren't you all very eager to feed me Hundred-Fruit Brew? Now that you're on my turf, I'll let you have a good taste of our local specialty.”
Qimeng controlled her roots to grab a large handful of Blood-Sucking Vine seedlings and tossed them onto the old lolis.
The Grand Elder, in particular, received special treatment!
Although these newly cultivated seedlings wouldn't cause any actual harm, the backflow of mana caused by having their magic drained would plunge their bodies into a state of tingling soreness.
“Ah! S-Stop, stop it!”
“Sacred Spirit Lord, the mana is... it's about to overflow...”
In an instant, the Tree Court descended into chaos.
The normally proud elders completely lost their composure. Clutching their stomachs, their faces flushing red and white, they let out a series of strange, incoherent whimpers, turning the scene into what looked like a massive, forced training session.
“????”
Is it really that bad?
She had only wanted to teach these black-hearted old lolis a lesson. But looking at the Wood Elf leaders rolling around embarrassingly on the ground, her cold, imposing aura as a high-ranking magical beast instantly shattered.
This is way too absurd!
She rubbed her temples and shouted in sheer exasperation.
“I say, you guys... You're high-ranking leaders who have lived for hundreds of years, so stop screaming so dramatically! Anyone who doesn't know better would think I'm abusing the elderly! You're going to ruin my reputation! Fine, that's enough!”
With a single thought, the Blood-Sucking Vines and Shadow Entangle instantly dissipated.
The suffocating pressure vanished.
The Wood Elf leaders collapsed onto the ground, utterly drained as if they had just finished a grueling physical drill, panting heavily.
The Grand Elder finally caught her breath. Wiping away her sweat, she repeatedly bowed in terror.
“T-Thank you for your mercy, Sacred Spirit Lord...”
“Hmph, don't get ahead of yourself. This isn't over yet; I'm just putting it on your tab. Now, let's talk business.”
Qimeng shifted her posture, reclaiming the dignified bearing of a ruler.
“The demons only sent three Intermediate Ranks this time. They're nothing but blustering small fry. The real main force of the invasion is the thick-skinned lizardmen.”
She looked down at them, her eyes filled with an inscrutable, playful glint.
“Since you went to such lengths to drag me into your mess, let's make sure none of those lizardmen make it back alive.”
The kneeling Wood Elf leaders felt a shiver run down their spines.
Even as they felt the reassuring warmth of their Sacred Spirit's protection, an ominous foreboding quietly crept into their hearts.
“Now, Grand Elder.”
Qimeng shifted her gaze to her.
“Tell me, what exactly are you Wood Elves good at on the battlefield? No lying.”
The Grand Elder quickly raised her head respectfully.
“To answer the Sacred Spirit Lord, we excel in long-range natural spells and Falling Leaf Archery. As long as we keep our distance, our firepower can strike terror into any enemy.”
“Oh? Mobile long-range artillery, then.”
Qimeng raised an eyebrow noncommittally.
“And your weaknesses?”
“This...”
The Grand Elder's expression stiffened slightly.
“Due to our petite stature, we lack the physical strength to contend with those brutish lizardmen. Once they close the distance...”
“You're just squishy mages that shatter at a single touch.”
It was so brutally honest that it left no room for rebuttal.
“Since your melee capabilities are lacking, do not engage the enemy head-on. If you want to win, your only way out is to kite them to death. Since you've fallen into my hands, steel yourselves.”
“Throw out your old combat styles. From now on, everything goes according to my word!”
Rate on N.U.
