Wind Walker

In the darkest hour before dawn, a slender figure moved gracefully between the trees in the woods of Minsheng Park.

After more than an hour of testing, Lan Mu had more or less figured out the marvelous uses of the Natural Power within his body.

First came giving back to nature. Ordinary plants possessed a similar power within them, but it was fundamentally different from his. For the time being, he called it Life Force—the life energy possessed by all living things.

After being converted by the Natural Power within his body, it provided obvious benefits to plants. He had even tested it on a blade of grass that was nearly dead. He merely absorbed its negligible Life Force and then fed it back, and the grass immediately became full of vitality, lively and vibrant.

Lan Mu had even experimented on animals. Unlike plants, however, the insects he caught resisted fiercely when he drew out their Life Force. Still, the result was the same: after he fed it back to them, they became lively and energetic again.

In the forest, only plants instinctively revered his elven body. He could naturally communicate with plants. The Natural Power within his elf body obediently wrapped around him, allowing him to avoid all dust and filth. With his innate obsession with cleanliness, as long as he used hands wrapped in energy to do things, he would never get dirty.

Natural Power also made his body lighter, allowing him to move through the forest as though walking on level ground, just like the White-haired Lion. At top speed, he could probably cover a hundred meters in only eight seconds.

When he consumed Natural Power to sprint, it was as though he had become a Wind Walker, with nature helping him race like the wind.

As for resisting the pull of gravity, that only worked on plants for the time being. The miraculous adhesive properties of Natural Power failed on ordinary soil, rocks, and artificial bricks.

There was also moonlight. A hand wrapped in Natural Power could touch moonlight—or rather, it could touch the mysterious energy within moonlight. When that energy combined with Natural Power, it might have produced some kind of chemical reaction, granting it a purifying effect.

The simplest use was purifying the air, though Natural Power could already do that on its own. But the purifying power of moonlight energy was somewhat fantastical. Given enough of it, it could turn dirty things clean and foul things pure. It was extremely effective at killing bacteria and viruses.

Besides that, if he highly compressed moonlight with Natural Power, it would form a crystalline substance, a multifaceted shape similar to crystal.

As for what this crystal could do, Lan Mu had yet to find out.

Finally, Lan Mu tested his throwing ability.

Under normal circumstances, his talent for throwing was incredibly strong. It was not just because his five senses had been greatly enhanced; it was as though he had been born with an innate gift for precision.

The best way to test it would have been archery, but unfortunately, he did not have a bow. He could only throw pebbles, and his accuracy could be said to be one hundred percent. As long as he had enough strength, there would be absolutely no deviation within his range.

Unless the target dodged. He had tried striking a flying beetle with a pebble. After the beetle dodged it, Lan Mu used Natural Power to stir up a gust of wind and change the pebble's direction!

That was using Natural Power remotely after the pebble had left his hand. But if he infused Natural Power into the pebble from the start, then the pebble would be almost under Lan Mu's control. It would fly much faster and hit whatever he aimed at.

In the end, he could even detonate the Natural Power, causing the pebble to explode and scatter in all directions.

However, after his first test, Lan Mu felt that it was not very powerful. It would be better to use Natural Power to increase his firing speed and launch a barrage instead.

"I'll have to test the specifics with a real bow and arrows."

"Even if a few of these abilities are useless, they still feel far more useful than being the White-haired Lion. What could the White-haired Lion do besides hunt? Its invisibility was about the only impressive thing."

"But elves are different. First of all, this appearance is my own. Even if it has become a little feminine... with sunglasses and a hat, I can walk around in society just fine. No one would ever mistake me for a monster."

"From that perspective, transforming into an elf is simply amazing!"

Lan Mu was overjoyed, then noticed the sky. Dawn was almost here.

Thinking about how there would gradually be more pedestrians on the streets, he realized that his sharp, long ears would be quite conspicuous without a disguise.

So, while there were still few people around, he hurriedly accelerated at full speed and ran toward home.

His swift figure darted through streets and alleys. When he turned into one alley, he sped past a sanitation worker, frightening the man so badly that he nearly fell over.

"What was that?"

The man turned around and watched Lan Mu's retreating figure. "A national athlete? At that speed, he could probably break the world record, right?"

The passerby did not think much of it. Lan Mu rushed to the bottom of his apartment building at a speed of under eight seconds per hundred meters. He did not dare leap directly upstairs and enter through the window, afraid someone might see him.

After all, this was his own home. If someone saw him, it would be troublesome.

He obediently took the stairs, arrived at the door, and let himself in with the key.

The sound of the door waking Su Yue. She listened carefully and realized that Lan Mu was still in the living room.

When did Brother Mu go out?

Given Su Yue's personality, she would not ask Lan Mu. Feeling that she had rested well, she left the bedroom, intending to prepare breakfast for him.

When Lan Mu saw Su Yue, he was startled at first, then relaxed because he remembered that Su Yue could not see what he looked like right now.

"Su Yue, you're up so early? Did I wake you?"

Su Yue smiled. "I rested very well. Brother Mu, what would you like to eat?"

Out of habit, Lan Mu blurted out, "Soup dumplings."

The moment he said it, Su Yue froze. Seeing that, Lan Mu hurriedly said, "I'm not asking you to make them. Let's eat downstairs. In about half an hour, the soup dumpling shop downstairs should be open."

"Oh..." Su Yue responded softly. She truly did not know how to make buns, much less soup dumplings.

Lan Mu smiled. "Don't overthink it. I'm just used to the buns downstairs. You can try some too later."

"Mm. Go wash up first. I bought new things yesterday and put them in the bathroom."

Su Yue nodded and slowly walked into the bathroom.

As for Lan Mu, he dug out an old round winter hat from a box. It was knitted from wool and could cover his entire head, concealing his pointed ears nicely.

However, he was very unaccustomed to the feeling of having his ears covered. They felt itchy and uncomfortable.

But that little discomfort was nothing. It was better than hiding at home and being unable to go out, wasn't it?

He also prepared a pair of sunglasses—the kind of stylish accessory that made him look cool. He had gone through a phase of wearing sunglasses every day, so he had bought a trendy pair.

About ten minutes later, Su Yue had finished getting herself ready.

For a girl her age, taking only ten minutes to tidy up her appearance was shockingly fast. Usually, only tomboys could manage that.

Yet Su Yue did not feel like a tomboy at all. On the contrary, she seemed delicate and fresh. She had merely washed up normally and combed her hair, yet she looked cleaner and fresher than every other girl Lan Mu had ever seen.

She never wore makeup, and her hair was simply tied up. Combined with her closed eyes, she exuded a naturally tranquil temperament.

At that moment, even Lan Mu, with the discerning eye of an elf, approved of Su Yue. He found that he really liked this feeling.

Once Su Yue came out, it was Lan Mu's turn. Unlike Su Yue, he spent a full half hour in the bathroom before coming out.

There was not much change. Elves were already incredibly clean by nature.

He had mainly spent too long fussing with his hair. The hair he had cut himself was a complete mess, and it looked unpleasant no matter how he viewed it. He trimmed it again before finally getting rid of the awkward feeling in his heart.

When he left the bathroom and saw Su Yue quietly sitting in a chair waiting for him, Lan Mu felt a wave of warmth in his heart.

"Su Yue, let's go. I'll take you to eat soup dumplings."

Lan Mu put on his hat, carefully hiding his ears, then wore his sunglasses to conceal his pale green eyes.

The two left the apartment. Lan Mu carefully held Su Yue's cane, intending to guide her since they had to go downstairs.

Su Yue paused, then smiled. "Brother Mu, I've memorized the way out. I can go downstairs by myself."

"Alright, alright..."

Lan Mu let go of the cane and allowed her to walk on her own. Sure enough, just as she had said.

Though Su Yue walked slowly, every step was steady. If there was anything wrong ahead, she could quickly sense it through the feedback from her cane. She did not even need to hold onto the wall as she made her way downstairs.

After spending a day with her, Lan Mu had seen plenty of Su Yue's remarkable sense of space and was no longer worried. Su Yue was far more independent than he had imagined.

After going downstairs and walking only a short distance, Lan Mu brought her to Lao Xinglong Soup Dumplings. It was not yet six o'clock, and there were only a few people in the shop. Lan Mu led Su Yue to an empty table and sat down.

Su Yue sat down openly, but Lan Mu hesitated for a moment. Unable to resist in the end, he wiped the stool with a napkin before sitting.

A customer at the next table noticed that small gesture. Lan Mu opened his mouth and said, "Five soup dumplings and two cups of fresh milk."

The moment he finished speaking, he heard the customers at the next table whispering among themselves.

"Wow, she's definitely a beauty!"

"No kidding, I saw her too. Her skin is so soft and tender."

"That temperament is incredible!"

"Yeah, I like that kind of temperament."

There was nothing he could do. Lan Mu's hearing was too good. Their whispers drifted into his ears automatically; he could not avoid hearing them even if he wanted to.

Honestly, Su Yue was not breathtakingly beautiful, but her skin was fair. She could absolutely be called pretty. Especially that pure and tranquil aura of hers—Lan Mu himself liked it immensely.

He had considered that Su Yue might attract attention, but he had not expected people to gossip behind her back just from going out for breakfast. It really ruined his mood.

Still, he could not control what others said. Su Yue was beautiful, so could he really stop people from looking at her?

Besides, Su Yue's hearing was also far beyond that of ordinary people. She had surely heard what the people beside them were saying, yet her expression remained calm without the slightest reaction. Apparently, she did not care about such remarks.

But whether Su Yue cared or not, Lan Mu was here. When he heard that group going on and on, and their words eventually even became inappropriate, he still felt deeply disgusted and annoyed.

"Hey, do you think I don't exist? Can you stop talking? Do you really think no one can hear you?"

When Lan Mu heard even more excessive and lewd remarks, he finally could not hold back and snapped angrily.

Not only did one of them show no embarrassment, he craned his neck closer and said, "Miss, you're so pretty. Can't we even look at you?"

"Exactly. You're covered up so tightly. Aren't you hot?"

"Your temperament is really nice. I like this androgynous feeling. Your voice sounds nice too, like Zhou Xun."

Lan Mu felt as though he had been struck by lightning in broad daylight!

"Me? A beauty?"

He stiffly turned his head and stared wide-eyed at the group.

Unfortunately, he was wearing sunglasses, so they could not see the look in his eyes that was practically ready to devour them.

They continued laughing. "Of course you're a beauty! Don't think dressing in men's clothes can hide it. Even though you're flat-chested, anyone can tell at a glance!"

"Exactly. Your skin is so good. Even though the sunglasses cover your face, anyone can tell just by looking at that smooth chin."

"Right! Who are you trying to fool? You even wiped your stool with a napkin just now. And you say you're not a woman?"

Lan Mu had been hit on. Hearing those words, he felt his anger shoot straight to his head.

He even felt like killing someone!

"Fuck you! You're the beauty! Your whole family is beautiful!"

"I'm a man! A real man!"

"Are you blind? Can't you see my Adam's apple?"

The group froze. Looking closely, although it was not very obvious, Lan Mu really did have an Adam's apple.

"Uh..."

"This..."

The group was dumbfounded, utterly mortified.

"Sorry! Bro, you really... heh..."

After apologizing, they hurriedly shut up and continued eating breakfast.

But without a doubt, their eyes were still filled with amusement and teasing.

Lan Mu trembled with anger, but there was nothing he could say. He could only blame his own bad luck.

His elven form was simply too beautiful.