by Zhuang Bifan
Lin Li did not avoid the question, and instead nodded calmly before coldly saying, "That's right. I happened to see the poisoned Moonsaber Panther when I was trying to put my potion to test. Hence, I decided to use it on the Moonsaber Panther that was poisoned with viper's poison when I saw it."
"Viper's poison!" Chief Elder Randy's heart wrenched up—he finally heard the name of the poison. Although he had never seen nor experienced the effects of the poison before, he did hear some legendary tales about it. It was said that when the High Elves had just begun ruling Anril, the remaining magical beasts on the mainland, which were poisonous snakes, released a terrible poison which brought great damage to the High Elves.
Is it really that poison, or is this human mage just spouting nonsense? Chief Elder Randy wondered. However, after giving it some thought, he realized that the type of poison didn't matter. Since his Natural Rejuvenation technique did not work at all, it should be a rare poison. Yet, Lin Li could provide an antidote for it. Hence, it did not matter if it were the viper's or not, because the most important thing to do now was to convince Lin Li to help.
Frankly speaking, Chief Elder Randy was old in his years, and he could be considered to have experienced plenty of things… except begging someone for help. But so what if he had not done it before? After thinking about the gravity of the matter, Chief Elder Randy decided that his only choice was to swallow his pride.
"Mage Felic, so you actually have an antidote for the most difficult poison to deal with, the viper's poison. Seems like you have extraordinary knowledge and accomplishments in magic," said Chief Elder Randy, who had an unnatural expression on his face even though he was giving Lin Li a compliment. Well, he had gotten used to receiving compliments, and had rarely ever given them.
No one had ever had the honor to be complimented by the eighth elder of the elves, yet Lin Li was unfazed, and instead stared at Chief Elder Randy without saying a single word.
Despite appearing awkward as he did not get an answer, Chief Elder Randy decided that he had to continue because there was no turning back now. "The Moonsaber Panther is my race's sacred beast and Princess Elune's ride. If you didn't rescue it, I'm afraid its life would have ended here. I'm very grateful for that."
Lin Li waved his hands, and said, "I just needed something to experiment on and test the antidote for the Viper's poison, and simply happened to run into it."
"However, the Moonsaber Panther didn't go out alone this time. It went together with Princess Elune and several other elves. Due to the fact that the magical beasts that they encountered were too powerful, Moonsaber Panther got poisoned together with the rest. Hence, I'd like to invite you to help give them an antidote…" Chief Elder Randy finally revealed his agenda awkwardly after feeling conflicted for a long time.
"Oh!" Lin Li said, appearing extremely enlightened. He seemed to be trying to say: "Why didn't you tell me earlier?". However, just as a tinge of happiness appeared on Chief Elder Randy's face, Lin Li shook his head again, and said, "I truly sympathize with Princess Elune and the other elves who got poisoned, but you should know that so far, I've only treated a beast. I have no experience in treating an elf. Besides, if anything were to go awry, I wouldn't be able to bear the consequences."
Lin Li's words made the joy on Elder Randy's face just now disappear without a trace. He had now turned as red as a tomato, secretly regretting his decision. He regretted despising the humans and belittling their power after the latter arrived. Although it was obviously an adventurer team composed of three parties, Elder Randy had actually thought that it would be enough to know the intelligence on the Dark Blade. Had he known earlier that Lin Li had the ability to remove the viper's poison, he wouldn't have mistreated him at all.
Actually, if it weren't for the poisoned elves and Princess Elune, the prideful and haughty elves would not have bothered to take Lin Li seriously even if they knew that Lin Li had the ability to detoxify the viper's poison. Their arrogance could never be changed. After all, even Chief Elder Randy did not know the Dark Blade well at all.
However, despite feeling regretful, he still had to try his best to persuade Lin Li. Chief Elder Randy now had no choice but to persevere and continue to convince Lin Li. "Mage Felic, you're being too modest. The toxins in Moonsaber Panther have been eliminated in a short period of time. I believe it should work on us elves too."
"No, no, Moonsaber Panther may be a sacred beast, but it is still a magical beast. That's different from elves. My abilities are limited and there really isn't anything I can do." Lin Li waved at Chief Elder Randy while appearing to be put in a spot.
Chief Elder Randy was incredibly exasperated. Having lived to such an old age, he had never once begged anyone for help before, yet Lin Li had the cheek to turn him down time and time again by saying that he was not skilled enough to perform the treatment. Although Chief Elder Randy did not have a mastery in pharmacy, he was not clueless about it. He could tell from the fact that Lin Li had an antidote for the viper's poison that Lin Li was definitely experienced in pharmaceutics, and that he might even be a Master.
After all, Chief Elder Randy was the eighth elder of the Emerald Council. Seeing that it was no longer possible to persuade Lin Li because of the previous incident, he resolutely changed his approach, and said, "Mage Felic, Princess Elune and other poisoned elves are of great significance to us. If you can remove the poison in their bodies, you will surely get our friendship. In the tripartite cooperation with the other adventurers, the Tower of Dusk doesn't seem to be the dominant party. I believe you cannot deny this, but if you have the full support of us elves, the situation will be very different."
Chief Elder Randy then paused for a while and glanced at Lin Li in hopes of seeing a tinge of him changing his mind.
However, to Chief Elder Randy's disappointment, Lin Li did not seem to care about the offer at all, and instead stared at him coldly.
It seems that the conditions are still not attractive enough, he thought. Chief Elder Randy gritted his teeth subtly, and said, "We elves have explored the Haiga Mountain Range for thousands of years, and have sacrificed plenty of ours to come up with the Haiga Mountain Range's map. I can share it with you too. Moreover, since you're so accomplished, you must know how famous the herbs of our Emerald Forest are in Anril. If you're interested, we can sell the herbs to you at the lowest price."
"No, I know where my limits are. How can the elves and magical beasts be the same? That can't work. I can't take the risk. If I don't manage to treat them, won't I be a great sinner?" Lin Li continued to shake his head continuously despite the elven elder offering great conditions.
Seeing that Lin Li seemed to be slowly giving in, Chief Elder Randy frantically said, "Mage Felic, as long as you've tried your best, we won't blame you even if… you don't manage to rescue them."
"Ah, how can that do? They're lives." Lin Li sighed and looked at himself. He suddenly pulled his Robe of the Void and muttered as if he were talking to himself, "It seems that this robe on me hasn't been washed for a long time, and I don't know if it will be too late to dry it by today… By the way, Elder Randy, I seem to have heard that there are many star robes in the Elven Kingdom. Could you lend me two of them?"
Hearing this, Elder Randy almost vomited blood. The elves did own some star-scarred robes from the High Elves, but they did not have many. They only had a total of three. This damned human is really greedy. He asked for two in one go!
Those robes were not only a scarcity among the elves, they had also been precious to the High Elves in the Dark Age. Only the royal High Elves had been eligible to wear them. The materials used were precious and rare, but that was not the reason for their high value. Instead, the value lay in the six perfectly arranged mageweaths that would guarantee that the person wearing it would not be harmed by any magic below level-15.
Chapter 622 - Star-scarred Robe
However, the protective properties were just one of the advantages. The six mageweaths were far more v
aluable than that.
Everyone knew that mages had to rely on meditation to continuously acc.u.mulate their mana, and there were environmental and emotional conditions that had to be fulfilled in order for meditation to work. It was not possible to practice meditation anytime and anywhere. If a mage was not in a safe environment during meditation, he would likely have no ability to put up any resistance in an emergency.
Therefore, another great benefit of the Star-scarred Robe was that when a mage wore it, he could automatically absorb the power of the stars to maintain a high recovery speed even without meditation. Mana was the root for mages. If they were to face a shortage of mana during the battle, it would undoubtedly prove deadly. Hence, this absorption could help during battles.
Elemental Wyrms had infinite mana, thus obtaining a terrifying image in legends. Due to the fact that they could use their mana freely to destroy any strong magic or opponent, they were extremely daunting opponents. The Star-scarred Robe was much less formidable, though its mana recovery abilities and the help that it could give to mages were not to be belittled.
There were now only three Star-scarred Robes belonging to the elves, one of which was owned by the elven queen, the others owned by the descendants of the Star Sage and stored in the treasure vault of the Queldana Family, respectively. Even in the Elven Kingdom, only a few elves knew about the robe. How did Lin Li, a human mage, find out?
Elder Randy was stuck in a dilemma, but the current circ.u.mstances did not allow him to hesitate any longer. The Star-scarred Robe was nothing compared to the life of Princess Elune. Of course, the elves were not pushovers, either. Must I give it to him just because he asks for it? Elder Randy thought.
"Please rest assured, Mage Felic. The Star-scarred Robes are not here at the moment, but I can get others to bring them here as soon as possible. However, can you go and see the poisoned elves first? I am afraid that their bodies will not last long." Elder Randy decided to pull a scheming trick in a bid to get Lin Li to treat the poisoned elves and Princess Elune first. He reckoned that it would take at most one or two days for the toxins to be removed completely. By then, he could probably reconsider giving Lin Li the Star-scarred Robes.
Lin Li appeared to be stuck in a dilemma as if he did not see through the scheming tricks of the elven elder. However, he still ended up agreeing to take a look at the poisoned elves, though he did not promise that he could get rid of the poison.
Elder Randy was exhilarated. He felt that everything would be worth it as long as he could rescue Princess Elune, be it swallowing his pride or making hefty promises.
Soon, under the guidance of Elder Randy, Lin Li arrived at the tent that Princess Elune was in. The high-level elves had all been waiting there, and they seemed to have instantly heaved a sigh of relief when they saw the human mage.
In the opinion of the high-level elves, Randy really deserved to be the eighth elder of the Emerald Council—Lin Li who had been feigning ignorance had finally come forth after Randy stepped in.
However, when Lin Li was about to enter the tent, he turned to look at the elven elder, and said, "Let me first look at the condition of the poisoned elves. You don't have to follow me. You'd better arrange the matters regarding the Star-scarred Robes."
"Don't worry, I'll arrange it right now," Elder Randy said while nodding smilingly.
Lin Li walked into the tent, while Elder Randy stayed outside where he got surrounded by several high-level elves who had all heard Lin Li mention the Star-scarred Robes1. As the senior executives of the Queldana Family, they naturally knew about the Star-scarred Robes. All of them knew how important the Star-scarred Robe was to the Queldana Family. However, after hearing the conversation between Lin Li and their Elder Randy…
Although he was the eighth elder, they found his decision to be a little too rash. Princess Elune was the princess of the Elven Kingdom, not the princess of the Queldana Family. They felt that it was unfair for them to give away their Star-scarred Robe for the sake of saving her life.
It was not that they could not figure out which was more important, Princess Elune or the Star-scarred Robe, but rather that they could not tolerate giving the Star-scarred Robe away to a lowly human mage.
It was true that Princess Elune and the poisoned elves needed the antidote from Lin Li, but that did not change their impression or opinion of him. Although the high-level elves were extremely polite when they faced Lin Li now, they still thought of him as a disgusting human mage who often hung around dirty Undead creatures.
Only noble beings like the elven queen and the Seven Sages were qualified to wear the Star-scarred Robes. The human mage Lin Li only happened to discover an antidote for the poison by chance, yet he had the audacity to covet their Star-scarred Robes. They found it to be absurd and unacceptable.
Although the high-level elves did not dare to directly blame Elder Randy, they still had some complaints, and did blame him to a certain extent deep down in their hearts. It wasn't a big deal to give Lin Li some benefits, but they felt that Elder Randy should have just given him some herbs, and not offer to give him the Star-scarred Robe. Besides, the Star-scarred Robe was regarded as a secret in the family. How could Elder Randy give it to him voluntarily?
Elder Randy glanced at the high-level elves sternly, and said, "I will not investigate to find out who told him about the Star-scarred Robe for now. Everything will be alright as long as Princess Elune is safe and sound. However, in the future, please remain tight-lipped and think twice before saying anything."
The high-level elves thought that Elder Randy was the one who had voluntarily offered to give the Star-scarred Robe to Lin Li, while Elder Randy suspected that one of them had leaked the secret, especially suspecting those two who'd gone to persuade Lin Li.
However, they couldn't just constantly suspect each other. No matter what, the Star-scarred Robe could never be given away just like that. Elder Randy had long made up his mind. He beckoned a high-level elf over and instructed him to go home and get the Star-scarred Robe. At the same time, he also told him to take his time.
Everyone instantly understood his intentions. The antidote would require at most one night to remove the poison, and once the poisoned elves recovered, there would be no need to give the Star-scarred Robe to Lin Li.
With such an idea settled, the emotions of Elder Randy and several high-level elves were much more stable than before, and in fact, they were even a little bit proud of their brilliant scheme. Elder Randy and the high-level elves did not feel guilty about breaching the agreement, because they knew that humans were experts at going back on their word. In that case, there would be nothing wrong to feed them with their own medicine, the elves thought.
At this moment, Lin Li also exited from the tent with a frown. He continuously shook his head and seemed to be mumbling something.
The hearts of Elder Randy and a few high-level elves sank. They wondered, Is there really no chance of recovery? Elder Randy strode towards him quickly and probed, "Mage Felic, how's their condition? Can the poison be removed?"
Before Lin Li had come to Anril, he had got plenty of experience watching doctors do their work. Hence, he could easily fool the elves. Appearing like he was put in a spot, he said, "It's difficult. It's not impossible to remove the toxic substances in their bodies, but I need you to make a decision."
"What's the matter? Feel free to speak, Mage Felic," Elder Randy frantically said.
"After all, these elves and the Moonsaber Panther are still different. If you want to remove the toxins in their body, I'm afraid there'll be a great reduction in their power after the removal of toxins. If you're not in a hurry, I can slowly remove the toxins for them. That would reduce the damage done by a great amount. It would ensure that their strength is preserved," Lin Li said while staring at the elven elder.
Hearing this, Elder Randy could not help but feel his blood gushing up to the top of his head. He thought, Could this human mage have already realized my plan?
&nbs
p; However, it concerned the safety of these elves, and even if he was the prestigious eighth elder, he dared not put their lives at risk, especially not Princess Elune's. She was the only heir to the elven queen, and if all her power was eradicated, what would be the point of her living?
"No, no, we're not in a hurry. You may take your time, Mage Felic. We have plenty of time. How long do you need, then?" Elder Randy asked resignedly, thinking to himself that there had to be a fixed duration regardless of how long it might be.
Lin Li pretended to calculate the time, and then shook his head before saying, "Well, that would depend on the details of the situation. After all, the Viper's poison is different from others. There are plenty of factors that have to be considered."
Lin Li did not answer the question about the treatment's time, and Elder Randy felt too awkward to continue asking. What could he do? He could only follow Lin Li's instructions now. After all, no one except Lin Li could provide an antidote for the poison.
Lin Li then began treatment for the few poisoned elves. Of course, he greatly reduced the potion's volume because he knew that the elves couldn't tell any difference anyway.
After the first round of treatment, Elder Randy sent Lin Li away, and immediately returned to check the condition of the elves in person. It was obvious that the vitality in the elves' bodies had stopped deteriorating so quickly, thus making Elder Randy feel rather relieved. Although he did not know when Princess Elune would be cured, at least Lin Li's treatment was indeed effective.
The treatment lasted for a few days. After each round of treatment, everyone could see an obvious improvement in the condition of the elves. However, Elder Randy and the high-level elves were feeling nervous, and not just relieved. They were all looking forward to seeing the end of the treatment. Otherwise, they wouldn't have an excuse not to give Lin Li the Star-scarred Robes.
