Chapter 22: Undercurrents
In the farmland a few kilometers ahead of the Elven Capital, Pandalan.
From a distance, the Elven Capital appeared beautiful, like a paradise on earth, but upon closer approach, it carried a touch of worldly "yanhuoqi" (the hustle and bustle of daily life). For example, the cooking smoke drifting up from among the buildings, the farmland on the open ground before the city, and the flop-eared dogs in the fields.
These flop-eared dogs weren't particularly large, only medium-to-large sized. Some crouched in the fields, while others gathered in small groups.
Don't underestimate them because of their docile nature and dull expressions. They were only friendly toward humanoid creatures and were mainly responsible for guarding the fields, working 24 hours a day. Once a large herd of herbivores approached, they never fought alone. A few barks would summon their companions from the area, and they would swarm in, completely disregarding martial ethics.
Even when facing some large-scale supernaturally enhanced wild boars, they dared to confront them head-on. And because they were medium-to-large dogs, their food intake wasn't too large. Being omnivores, they ate anything.
Aside from the fixed daily feeding by the farmers, these flop-eared dogs would catch field mice and even non-toxic insects, greatly alleviating the threat rodents posed to the grain.
In this endless expanse of fields, never provoke a flop-eared dog. After you beat one until it whimpered and fled, within two minutes, it would bring back over a hundred brothers and chase your shoes off.
The Elven race in this world engaged in both farming and hunting, along with fishing at the port, to meet the food consumption demands of a population of 50 million.
For hunting, hounds were necessary. For farming, due to the proximity of hot jungles, they had to prevent herbivore herds from damaging the crops. Thus, the relationship between the Elven race and flop-eared dogs was one of domestication and raising that had lasted for a thousand years.
Flop-eared dogs ate the least food, did the most work, and were loyal to their masters. Anyone would like such hounds.
Su Xiao walked along the path between the wheat fields. Not far away, a flop-eared dog had its lower body hidden by the golden wheat, only its dog head visible. Its expression was exceptionally serious as it periodically scanned its surroundings. The harvest season was approaching, and it had been under some pressure lately.
"Bubu, look how seriously that guy works."
Baha teased.
"Woof."
Bubu called out to the flop-eared dog in the field. The flop-eared dog looked over: "Woof. Woof."
"Woof woof woof..."
Bubu started communicating with the flop-eared dog. The content was probably something like, "Hello, I'm a dog," and the other replied, "Hello, I am too."
Su Xiao signaled Bubu to act freely. In the near future, there likely wouldn't be a direct conflict with the Elven race.
When Su Xiao walked out of the wheat field, he looked back toward Bubu. Several flop-eared dogs had already gathered around Bubu. It looked like Bubu was holding a meeting for those dogs.
"This..."
Aiduoer wanted to complain but didn't know what to say for a moment.
Under the guidance of the local, Laigo, Su Xiao smoothly entered the Elven Capital. Although there were quite a few Elven guards at several checkpoints, they didn't stop anyone as long as they were humanoid intelligent beings.
The hot temperature in the southern region made the Elven women on the streets dress lightly. The humid climate made their skin fair and delicate.
The Elven women passing by on the street restored confidence in the Elven race's appearance. After all, the first impression of Long-Face Laigo made one think, "Damn, is this what Elves really look like?"
The exotic architectural styles on both sides of the street showed the Elven race's pursuit of beauty and refinement.
Su Xiao stopped at a street stall and tasted a few Elven snacks. He found that these snacks had a light flavor, rarely using spices. Spicy or pungent flavors were not accepted by the Elven race.
The yellow square stones on the street were very neat. There were bookstores, restaurants, tailor shops, etc., along the street. In the center of the street, which was over 8 meters wide, there was a steel rail. Two horned rhinos pulled a three-carriage train that stopped. This was a public train, stopping at fixed points, and passengers couldn't get on or off midway, similar to a bus.
Although the Elven race's technology wasn't advanced, it wasn't backward either. Electricity had been developed, mostly used for lighting. In a world with supernatural power, electricity didn't develop well because there were too many superior energy sources.
When Su Xiao passed a narrow alley, rapid breathing came from inside. He looked sideways. The openness of the Elven race exceeded his expectations.
Baha asked, "Are all you Elves this open?"
"Of course. But I heard it wasn't like this before. Welcome, everyone, to the Elven Capital, Pandalan."
Laigo was used to the scene in the alley.
After a while, Su Xiao stopped in front of a signpost. After waiting a moment, Baha returned, holding a money bag in his claw.
Opening the money bag, Su Xiao estimated there were about a hundred coins inside. These coins were called "Ser," essentially silver coins, a few sizes larger than a one-yuan coin, and felt a bit heavier than silver of the same volume, likely containing other value-preserving materials.
Compared to precious metals like gold and blue tin, the Elven race preferred silver, which represented lightness and purity.
"Ser," the silver coin, had high purchasing power. Below it were "Buma" and "Nashiya," which were crystal and iron coins respectively, with purchasing power determined by size, pattern, and the numbers on them.
Paper currency also existed but wasn't as commonly used as imagined. Many facilities in the Elven Capital required coins to use, such as the public train Su Xiao was waiting for.
Ding-a-ling~
The public train stopped, and the bell rang due to the shaking caused by the carriage stopping. Su Xiao took out two "Nashiya" coins with a face value of 5 from the money bag and dropped them into the coin box.
Boarding the public train, it departed after about ten seconds. Su Xiao looked at the city map posted on the interior of the opposite carriage. He was heading to the Central Park, where the Initial Tree was located. From here, it was three stops to the Central Park.
In the adjacent seat, a young Elven couple was kissing. Opposite them was a homeless man with vacant eyes. The homeless man pulled off his threadbare hood, revealing keratinized skin on his face, like ugly crocodile hide.
Su Xiao noticed that Laigo nearby no longer dared to look at the homeless man across from him. The young couple who had been kissing also quieted down, sitting there without a word.
"Out-of-town friend, welcome to Pandalan."
The homeless man smiled without sincerity. Since Su Xiao had restrained his aura, it was normal for someone to strike up a conversation.
"..."
Su Xiao took out a bottle of wine and tossed it to the homeless man across from him.
"Generous traveler, I'll give you a piece of advice: don't drink the city's groundwater, unless you want to end up like me."
The homeless man popped open the bottle with a *pop* and gulped down the wine. This was a man with not long to live.
When the public carriage stopped at the station, the homeless man stood up with some difficulty. After taking a few steps, he spoke again, "Outsider, another piece of advice: I didn't end up like this because I 'ate' too much red crystal fat. It's because a valve in my brain won't close. Hehehe, haha~"
The homeless man laughed strangely as he got off the train. Seeing this, Laigo and the young couple both breathed a sigh of relief.
"Red crystal fat is?"
Hearing Su Xiao's question, Laigo replied, "Red crystal fat is a contraband."
"Hallucinogen?"
"Yes."
At this point, Laigo's gaze briefly wandered.
Su Xiao began to close his eyes and rest. What he had seen and heard after entering the Elven Capital gave him a slight sense of dissonance.
In terms of cultural heritage, the Elven race hadn't been so open before. While it wasn't to the point where a touch on the hand meant impurity, scenes like three people in an alley or kissing on someone's lap in a public train would never have occurred.
As Su Xiao pondered, the public train arrived at another stop. There was still one stop to the Central Park, but Su Xiao chose to get off early.
Soon, a bookstore came into view. Su Xiao walked in. When he came out, Laigo and Aiduoer behind him were both carrying a large pile of books.
Finding a bench by the street, Su Xiao began flipping through the books in his hands at a rapid pace. These were books on humanities, history, and personal biographies. He wanted to understand the era's background.
After quickly browsing through dozens of books, Su Xiao learned quite a bit of information. First, the Elven race hadn't been this open originally. About 150 years ago, they still maintained a lifelong marriage system.
The so-called lifelong marriage system meant that if either spouse died, the surviving spouse could not remarry. Monogamy had been a legal regulation for over 700 years. Anyone daring to practice polygyny or polyandry would face execution by fire for men and by water for women.
All this began to collapse gradually over 700 years ago. The Elven race first abandoned chastity, followed by changes in views on love and weddings. Nowadays, many Elves even advocated for temporary marriage, meaning marriage with a set term.
A more direct manifestation was that in the last decade or so, the number of people engaged in the sex trade within the Elven Capital had skyrocketed. Some did it not even for money but just for fun.
Moreover, various alcoholic beverages, especially intoxicating spirits, had become increasingly popular among the Elven race in recent years.
In the last two years, a hallucinogen called red crystal fat had become fashionable. Long-term inhalation of this artificial extract would cause the skin to develop crocodile-like keratin, as seen in the homeless man earlier.
The Elven race's lifestyle was becoming increasingly luxurious and decadent, a qualitative change from their proud and elegant ancestors.
It felt as if, with each generation, the Elven race's willpower grew weaker, and desires, alcohol, and hallucinogens began to be valued by them.
As a supernatural race capable of occupying such a large territory in the south, this was clearly abnormal. Su Xiao estimated that this might be one of the adverse consequences the Elven race suffered from using soul power to activate the "Talent Awakening Device."
Putting down the last book in his hand, Su Xiao walked along the sidewalk. Aiduoer, following behind him, was full of confusion. If she were entering a new place, she would first try to contact the local official institutions, such as the government or royal family.
In Aiduoer's view, Su Xiao seemed to be wasting time. After arriving at the Elven Capital, he acted like a tourist, tasting snacks, experiencing local transportation, and even buying a bunch of biographies. This left Aiduoer feeling very puzzled.
In reality, Aiduoer overlooked one issue: for an outsider arriving at the Elven Capital, doing these things was normal. Someone who immediately tried to curry favor with the powerful would be met with suspicion and vigilance.
Aiduoer had a flaw in her thinking. Throughout her promotion to the Eighth Rank, when entering unfamiliar territory, her instinct was to first become a "worker" for the local elite and then cause trouble.
What Su Xiao did was completely different. He never actively approached those in power. Instead, he made them come to him and try to win him over by any means necessary.
This was the difference between being a "worker" and a "wild father." A "worker" would be suspected, tested, guarded against, and ordered around. A "wild father" could only be appeased, and when the "wild father" spoke, they had to be polite.
After walking two blocks on foot, the crowd ahead grew larger, almost to the point of being packed. Inquiring with a vendor, Su Xiao learned that there was a protest gathering ahead. It wasn't against the royal family but against a private water delivery company, protesting that their water prices were too high.
Along the way, Su Xiao heard several times that in recent months, the city's groundwater had problems. In response, the water delivery company's business was booming. With demand exceeding supply, prices had skyrocketed.
Groundwater issues were a big deal. Logically, the royal family and the major clans would have reacted immediately, but they hadn't.
One piece of news caught Su Xiao's attention. The first to discover the groundwater problem in the "Elven Capital," or "Bei City," wasn't an individual but the official royal family. More incredibly, the royal family announced the news without taking any measures. This was also the trigger for the water delivery company's "fengkuang" (frenzied) profiteering.
When something terrible was about to happen, the best way to cover it up wasn't to suppress the news but to release something that concerned everyone.
The groundwater incident in "Bei City" had been going on for months. The royal family's attitude was to tell the public not to drink the groundwater first, and they would solve the water problem as soon as possible.
Some city residents didn't believe it at all. The result was that they drank the groundwater for months without any problems. Rumors circulated among the populace that the royal family was secretly colluding with the water delivery company.
Now, the crowd surrounding the water delivery company was protesting both the high prices and the feeling of being cheated, demanding a refund.
Boom!
A loud noise came from the neighboring block, followed by screams and children's cries. The already somewhat chaotic scene became even more disorderly.
Su Xiao stopped to watch for a moment before heading toward the Central Park. There was excitement in the "Blue Leaf District," but the Central Park had few people. A few minutes later, Su Xiao arrived under the Initial Tree.
This Initial Tree was also over a kilometer tall, with a trunk diameter of over 90 meters. It looked very tall and straight, its massive canopy nearly covering the entire Central Park.
Su Xiao leaped onto a raised exposed root, took out the [Ancient Divine Statue], and pressed it against the rough bark of the Initial Tree.
Waves~
A faint wave spread. On the back of the statue in Su Xiao's hand, a total of three eyes opened, indicating that three Initial Trees had been recorded.
Su Xiao took out a [Dark Stone]. The Dark Stone quickly melted and merged into the Initial Tree.
On the trunk of the Initial Tree, a small area of bark receded, revealing a key-shaped groove.
Su Xiao reached out and pressed his hand onto it. He immediately felt his soul energy gradually being consumed. After consuming a small portion, his soul energy formed a key within the groove on the trunk. Taking out this translucent key, a prompt appeared.
[Prompt: You have obtained the Soul Arena Key (for personal use only).]
[This item can exist for 15 natural days and will dissipate on its own after 15 natural days.]
The "Soul Arena" wasn't far from the current "Bei City." Su Xiao wasn't planning to go there for now. Finding the "Talent Awakening Device" was more important.
Su Xiao put away the key. A aura swooped down from above. His hand, which was reaching for his sword hilt, paused, and instead, he raised his arm horizontally.
A crow bird landed on Su Xiao's forearm. This crow bird was made of black smoke, with ghostly flames for eyes.
The crow bird opened its mouth wide. A small hand with six fingers, all pinkies on both sides and no thumb, reached out from the crow bird's mouth. The palm of this small hand split open, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth, making incomprehensible strange sounds.
To others, it was strange noise, but to Su Xiao's ears, it vaguely conveyed Wood's voice.
'Found... Shenfu, Xianji, Crow Woman... they're also... in Bei City... this reconnaissance... cost a lot... pay more...'
Pop~!
Su Xiao crushed the crow bird. Paying more was out of the question.
Shenfu, Xianji, and Crow Woman had all come. This was very troublesome. What was worse was that these people had arrived in Bei City before him. If Xianji was leading the team, it would be fine. Given Xianji's style, she would definitely find a suitable place to ambush him.
Now, it was likely Shenfu leading the team. Analyzing this, there was a over 70% chance that Shenfu had already contacted the Elven royal family, the High Elves.
Given Shenfu's personal abilities, Su Xiao wouldn't be surprised if he had already contacted the Elven King, Cromwell.
This was a very dangerous situation. Su Xiao had used similar methods to kill many powerful enemies, the typical example being Feishi.
It had taken Su Xiao nearly two days to travel from the "Edge Forest" to "Bei City." On the other hand, if Shenfu and his group had used teleportation items to get here, they had an extra two days to contact the Elven royal family.
No, given how cunning Huishenshi and Shenfu were, they might have contacted the Elven royal family even earlier, perhaps even establishing a cooperative or alliance relationship.
What needed to be done now was a powerful and forceful counterattack. Su Xiao pulled his hood lower, only showing the lower half of his face to outsiders.
Checking the time, Su Xiao sat on a park bench, took two silver coins from the money bag, and tossed them to Laigo.
Laigo was stunned for a moment after catching them, then tucked the silver coins into his bosom. He said sincerely, "Thank you for saving my life."
"I'm an alchemist myself. I happened to need a guide at the time. Don't thank me; you were just lucky."
Hearing this, Laigo thanked him repeatedly before reluctantly leaving.
Laigo's reluctance wasn't because Su Xiao had personal charisma or had shaken his body to recruit him as a subordinate. Instead, Laigo sensed that Su Xiao, Wood, and Zuiyasi were not ordinary people. He wanted to follow them for a while to see if he could get some benefits and find a way out.
In truth, Su Xiao did need a local, but Laigo was too ordinary in every aspect. The kind of thing where you save someone and it turns out to be the Elven prince only happens in stories.
As for killing Laigo to silence him, that would be a loss. If handled well, Laigo could even become the key to victory. He was indeed just an ordinary Elf, with no advantages or background, but he was an Elf who had lived in a city near "Bei City" for 29 years. If this was used well, many things would fall into place.
In the park, Su Xiao sat on the bench and took out his terminal to start playing the DLC of a puzzle game. This DLC was so difficult that he had wanted to go find Fatty Pi a few times to "visit" him.
The park under the setting sun was very peaceful. This peace lasted for over half an hour before Aiduoer couldn't sit still anymore. She hesitated several times but finally couldn't help saying:
"Bai Ye, we should do something."
Aiduoer's attitude was completely different from before. Presumably, if everything went smoothly, she would eventually get [Angel's Will] as a reward.
If Su Xiao failed, let alone [Angel's Will], Aiduoer estimated that she would likely become 100 points of slaughter merit. This made her even more anxious than Su Xiao, desperately hoping he would do something.
"Aiduoer, I have bad news."
Baha sighed, his expression showing some "despondency."
"Tell me."
Aiduoer had a bad feeling.
"Based on my observations, Shenfu and his group arrived earlier than us and have already contacted the Elven King, Cromwell."
"Then we..."
Aiduoer was starting to panic.
"Now this is their territory. The Elven King, Cromwell, might have already deployed the city guard to blockade this place. If I'm not mistaken, they're already monitoring spatial fluctuations. Once a spatial reaction occurs, the space here will be sealed. So, it won't be long before we're surrounded by the city guard."
Having said this, Baha sighed again.
Aiduoer was completely panicked. She noticed that the surroundings were too quiet.
How could it not be quiet? It was past five in the evening. Who would still be in the park? Plus, someone had blown up the water delivery company in the neighboring block, so everyone had gone to watch the excitement.
"At this point, there's only one plan, and only you can do it. Shenfu and his group won't pay attention to you."
"H-how?"
"See that Initial Tree over there? That might be the only safe place. Climb up there. Hurry, there's not much time. Run."
Baha was full of mischief. With nothing better to do, he started fooling Aiduoer.
Aiduoer initially believed him, but after hearing the last four words, "Run," she was speechless.
Meanwhile, in a luxurious mansion with an independent courtyard in the front garden of the royal palace, Shenfu, Xianji, Crow Woman, and others were temporarily staying there.
At the moment, only Shenfu, Xianji, and Bee were in the living room. Crow Woman and the others weren't there.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock came. Shenfu didn't open the door but just said, "Speak."
"They've arrived. They're in the Central Park."
The man's voice outside was hoarse. He was a local subordinate Shenfu had developed.
"Is the Elven King, Cromwell, in the royal hall?"
"Yes."
"Lead the way."
Shenfu stood up. Xianji, sitting on a single sofa nearby, snorted lightly, as if saying, "You old yinbis are all rotten to the core."
"It's not as easy to solve as you think. The Elven King, Cromwell, will only believe what he sees. To get rid of Bai Ye through him, we still have some work to do."
Shenfu finished speaking and pushed the door open to leave. Xianji didn't go. She stayed to watch Bee, to prevent this Eighth Rank contractor from getting lost if she went out. She was a "chaoji lulu" (super directionally challenged person).
"Bee, why are you willing to help Huishenshi?"
Xianji looked at Bee, who was eating dinner with a spoon. Bee looked confused.
"(⊙?⊙)"
...
Central Park. The sky was getting dark, and it was almost 7 PM.
Aiduoer sat on a stone sculpture opposite Su Xiao, staring at him without blinking, as if urging him with mental energy to stop indulging in games and take action quickly.
The sound of armor clashing came from a distance. As the sound drew closer, a six-person city guard patrol team approached. They wore standard silver armor and carried beautifully sheathed Elven curved blades at their waists.
"Sir, you don't look like an Elf? Are you a half-blood?"
The patrol captain spoke in a half-questioning, half-investigative tone.
"No."
Su Xiao put away his terminal and took out his pocket watch to check the time.
"So, you don't have a residence permit for Bei City? If so, come with me."
"..."
Su Xiao glanced at the patrol captain and then ignored him.
"Sir, you need to cooperate. This is..."
"I'm not a resident of this world. I don't know your rules. I was invited here."
Hearing this, the patrol captain and the other five city guards exchanged glances and began to surround Su Xiao.
"Invited here? By whom?"
"The Mushroom Prophet."
Hearing the name of the Mushroom Prophet, the patrol captain's attitude clearly hesitated, and his expression unconsciously became a bit more polite.
"I'm an alchemist. The Mushroom Prophet said I could make a lot of money here, so I came. If I purchase property here, can I get temporary residency?"
"Well..."
The patrol captain raised his hand to signal his subordinates to stop surrounding Su Xiao. He pondered for a moment and then asked, "May I ask, Alchemist Sir, what areas are you skilled in treating?"
"Bloodline aberrations, life force depletion. I'm skilled in many areas."
"Understood. May I ask your name?"
"Bai Ye."
"Doctor Bai Ye, welcome to Bei City. I'm the patrol captain of the Central District, Arler. If you need to purchase property nearby, I might be able to help."
The patrol captain, Arler's attitude suddenly became enthusiastic. This was very unusual.
Why had Su Xiao been waiting here all along? This was the central area of Bei City. If a large army were to be mobilized to surround him, the Elven royal family would have many concerns.
Secondly, if Shenfu's side really succeeded in their persuasion, leading the Elven royal family to fully assist them, Su Xiao's current position would allow the Elven race to taste deep bone pain. A Blazing Sun's Wrath: Apollo detonating in the center of their capital would be a pain imaginable.
Aside from this, Su Xiao was waiting for two people. First was Kaisa, who had already made contact. Through formal procedures, he was purchasing property and all kinds of equipment needed for a private clinic. Under the power of silver coins, Kaisa had almost finished setting things up. The clinic Su Xiao was opening would be operational tomorrow morning.
The second person he was waiting for was the patrol captain, Arler. Su Xiao wasn't sure who would come, but after Arler appeared, Su Xiao confirmed one thing: the Elven King, Cromwell, lived up to his reputation and hadn't been fooled by Shenfu.
What could be confirmed now was that Shenfu's side had already approached the Elven King, Cromwell. Su Xiao didn't know what excuse they would use to frame him, but Shenfu would never use the identity of a Law Destroyer.
Although this method was very effective and would make the Elven King, Cromwell, "quanli weisha" (mobilize all forces to kill) Su Xiao, if Shenfu said Su Xiao was a Law Destroyer, and the Elven King, Cromwell, asked back, "How do you know about Law Destroyers? How do you know the Elven race is afraid of Law Destroyers coming? Do you know about the 'Talent Awakening Device'? Do you know the Elven race's biggest secret?"
Shenfu naturally wouldn't engage in such self-destructive behavior, especially without evidence.
Now that the patrol captain, Arler, had come, it meant one thing: Shenfu's side had started to exert pressure. The Elven King, Cromwell, hadn't fully agreed to cooperate with Shenfu, so he sent the patrol captain, Arler, to find out who Su Xiao was and what his purpose was here.
Su Xiao's response was to directly state that he wasn't from this world but an alchemist here to make a profit. His guarantor was the Mushroom Prophet.
This wasn't a matter of whether the Mushroom Prophet was willing or not. He had to confirm Su Xiao's statement. Given how afraid of death that old guy was, this aspect was very stable.
The fact that the Mushroom Prophet could leave the Treeborn World was no secret in the outside world, which was also why his status was high. And if the Mushroom Prophet had met Su Xiao in another world and told him about the Elven race's situation, Su Xiao coming here to open a clinic would be perfectly reasonable, no matter how you looked at it.
Su Xiao was sure the Elven race needed a skilled alchemist or doctor because the [Blood Purification Secret Medicine (Potion Formula)] the Mushroom Prophet had sold earlier was a hint.
Besides that, after entering "Bei City," one thing confirmed for Su Xiao that the Elven race indeed had problems. The royal family's announcement months ago that the groundwater in Bei City was problematic looked like a preemptive measure. If a bloodline-related disease broke out, they could blame it on the groundwater.
Su Xiao had known for a long time that mastering a skill or knowledge that others couldn't match would earn respect wherever you went.
Under the enthusiastic invitation of the patrol captain, Arler, Su Xiao decided to have dinner with this middle-aged man.
The dinner was at a nearby small restaurant. After Su Xiao sat down, the patrol captain, Arler, immediately stood up, poured Su Xiao a glass of wine, and then sat down with a smile.
The food on the table was quite sumptuous. On several nearby tables, there were half-eaten meals, obviously left by diners who had been chased away by Arler's men. It was true what they said: small devils are hard to deal with. These minor bosses were even more arrogant and unreasonable than the big shots.
The patrol captain, Arler's enthusiasm wasn't without reason. After eating and drinking his fill, Su Xiao took a sip of hot tea and looked at Arler across from him. "Speak."
"Haha," Arler laughed heartily, then frowned and said, "I have a youngest son. He's 17 this year. He... he's a bit... precocious~ If Doctor Bai Ye has time, come to my house now. Don't worry, the compensation won't be small."
The patrol captain, Arler, stated his purpose. There was no such thing as kindness without reason in this world, nor malice without cause. Su Xiao had felt something was off earlier. The other party's attitude had changed rapidly upon hearing he was an alchemist and doctor.
"Alright."
Su Xiao stood up. The group left the restaurant. They didn't go to Arler's house but headed to the apartment district in the east of the city. This was also a relatively stable slum.
Upon arriving here, the patrol captain, Arler's expression changed. It felt like a gambler whose eyes inadvertently showed a fierce glint.
"Arler, has your royal family already started taking action? After swapping in your youngest son's condition, 'dealing with' them uniformly?"
Hearing this question, the burly Arler stopped. He stopped pretending to smile and revealed his usual brutal and violent demeanor.
"Yeah, the royal family is using every method to prevent this from being exposed. They don't care whether we live or die. Besides you, a suspicious outsider, I don't dare to seek out other doctors."
The patrol captain, Arler, finished speaking and continued leading the way.
Half an hour later, on the second floor of an apartment building, Arler used his key to open the old door. A beautiful woman sitting in the foyer stood up. She had severe dark circles and a gaunt face.
Without much trouble, Su Xiao met the patrol captain, Arler's son. This was a young man with white hair, the kind of white hair an old person would have. Not only that, but the young man's skin was loose and wrinkled, and the corners of his mouth drooped. He exuded a decaying, aged aura.
Seeing this young man, Su Xiao confirmed one thing: the Elven race had used the "Talent Awakening Device" incorrectly. They hadn't just one group but an entire generation had used the "Talent Awakening Device" to awaken their talents.
The young man before him had a kind of distorted Abyss power within him, causing him to age to this extent.
This was very confusing. No matter what, the "Talent Awakening Device" was created to enhance the user. Even if there were adverse effects, most of them would affect the user themselves, at most causing bloodline problems, like what Su Xiao had observed earlier: each generation of Elves had weaker willpower.
The young man's condition seemed more like the result of Abyss power. But what Su Xiao couldn't understand was how the Abyss power could have eroded the bloodline to such a depth.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Su Xiao. Could the first Elven King, Beray Aronde, have used the "Talent Awakening Device" to catalyze Abyss power and then absorb that distorted Abyss power?
The erosion of Abyss power was troublesome enough. If the "Talent Awakening Device" was used to enhance the bloodline erosion of Abyss power, the resulting product, after initial absorption, might awaken a powerful talent. But the consequences...
Su Xiao admitted he had underestimated the Elven race. These Elves hadn't realized that they should have entered the "Talent Awakening Device" themselves and activated it, rather than putting the collected Abyss power inside, activating the "Talent Awakening Device," and then absorbing the catalyzed Abyss power.
The young man before him wasn't sick. Due to bloodline issues, his primordial life force had completely drained away, coupled with the slow erosion of trace amounts of "Alien Abyss Power," leading to his current condition.
Ordinary doctors would be helpless in this situation, but Su Xiao had been in contact with Abyss power for a long time.
"Doctor Bai Ye? Can my son be saved?"
"He can be saved."
As Su Xiao spoke, he looked at the moonlight outside the window. Things were developing smoothly. At the latest by tomorrow morning, he would send a "big gift" to Shenfu, Xianji, Crow Woman, and the others.