Sultry Red Lips

"How old was he?"

Li Ziran did not agree to Nicole right away. Instead, he asked an irrelevant question.

He did not ask how she had acquired an Elf more precious than any gem.

None of that was his business. The moment Nicole made her request, Li Ziran had to figure out how to complete the job.

Because she was a high-level VIP, and every high-level VIP represented resources indispensable to Li Ziran's survival.

When dealing with such special customers, Li Ziran would satisfy their demands as much as possible.

That was professional ethics, the law of survival.

The reason he had asked that question was entirely to regulate his emotions.

Though Li Ziran's rules of survival told him that Elves were merely part of the food chain.

Appearing here at this moment could only be called his misfortune.

Yet his conscience told him that this was a life, a living being in this world.

And he possessed a talent no other living creature could match.

He needed a little time to throw himself back into the laws of survival.

All right!

He had adjusted himself well enough and began considering what he needed to do.

There was no doubt about it—this was dangerous.

The thing before him was no ordinary one: an Ancient Elf, a bloodline that the Elven race could not afford to lose.

And according to what Nicole said, he was Jon's son. That titled Magus who intimidated the entire Red Soil Continent would hardly let his bloodline be taken for nothing.

Li Ziran was not afraid of the Elves' formidable spells. The only thing he worried about was the most mysterious kind of person among the Elves.

The White Tiger Priest!

They usually presided over Elven sacrificial rites, an occupation everyone overlooked.

But Li Ziran knew how terrifying such people were. They had abandoned the magic they excelled at most and explored transcendent powers beyond the Elemental Tide.

Priests!

That power rivaled curses, prophecies, and divination. It could not be seen or touched, yet it could obtain mysterious information.

He had to be more careful, and it would be best to finish quickly.

Nicole said uncertainly, "I don't know the specifics either. More or less, I guess. Is there a problem, or are you scared?"

Li Ziran shook his head. He was not afraid of anything, but he felt Nicole had concealed something extremely important from him.

Why was she able to obtain an Ancient Elf?

But that was unimportant, and not something he should concern himself with.

"How are you planning to perform the operation? Right here?" Li Ziran surveyed Madinger Town. What he meant was that this place was not safe enough. At this critical moment of the Elves' pilgrimage, even without the White Tiger Priests' mysterious powers, the Elves themselves could probably sense one another and discover them.

Li Ziran needed an absolutely quiet environment. Whether it was a kidney transplant or a blood replacement, both were delicate work that could not tolerate the slightest disturbance.

"I think this place is perfect. Think about it—would those Elves ever imagine that their precious Ancient descendant was in a little town like this? They'd definitely think it was Brando, or one of the other slave cities." Nicole pointed at the turning windmill nearby and smiled. "How about we do the transplant there? I had the Dwarf prepare the room, high-proof rum, and three days' worth of food. I imagine that as long as they have a shred of sense, no one would disturb a pair of lovers madly in love, right?"

Li Ziran glanced at the turning windmill. Behind it, the glow of Sunstones could vaguely be seen. The scent of alcohol mingled with the travelers' clamor and drifted wantonly through the air.

That was the windmill inn's finest private room.

Not a bad idea!

Li Ziran had to praise Nicole. After two years apart, the girl had matured considerably.

Great concealment lay hidden within the marketplace.

Even he would never have thought to transplant an Ancient Elf here.

Seeing that Li Ziran did not object, Nicole wrapped the Ancient Elf in the Life Leaf again and hid him against her chest. Hooking an arm around Li Ziran, she said with a grin, "Hurry up and get started. Carrying this Elf around has had me on tenterhooks for days."

On tenterhooks?

Li Ziran wanted to laugh. This little girl really had nerve, wandering the streets with such a treasure and dressing up like a blossoming branch as she came and went from the windmill.

There were plenty of lechers here. If a few drunken men started harassing her, this precious treasure might well be ruined.

But that was only a passing thought. Nicole was more mature than he had imagined, handling matters appropriately and planning with care. She had something of a lady lord's bearing.

It seemed she had suffered quite a bit in Anduin City these past two years. Since she dared do this, she must have been confident.

Li Ziran put an arm around Nicole's shoulders and entered the windmill inn again.

Walking in with such a stunning beauty in his arms naturally drew plenty of attention. Several ill-mannered men even rose to cause trouble.

But they were quickly stopped by those beside them, who pointed at the frog hanging from Li Ziran's waist and whispered a few warnings into their ears. Apparently, they were talking about how Li Ziran had casually turned someone into a frog and tossed him into the bathhouse pool that afternoon.

More importantly, there was still that frog pinned to the neighboring table by a dagger, not yet cleaned up.

Everyone knew that this young lady was absolutely even more ruthless than Li Ziran.

The moment Nicole entered, the Horse Dwarf hurried over and handed her a key. He said respectfully, "Miss, the room has been booked, and everything you asked for has been prepared."

Nicole accepted the key, spun it around on her finger, then tossed it lightly. It landed neatly in Li Ziran's pocket.

Li Ziran could not help laughing. This girl had clearly used the technique for throwing concealed weapons. Transplanting the Wind Elf's heart had not allowed her to master wind magic, but it had given her a remarkable talent for sensing wind currents.

Using that special perception of the wind, she had trained herself into a skilled wielder of concealed weapons.

She did not refuse. Spending a tiny bit of time showing off their affection would keep ignorant fools from disturbing her operation, and let them stay in the room for three days without raising suspicion.

"Buddy, bring me a cup of Red Lips!" Li Ziran leaned against a large millstone and found an empty seat.

Red Lips was a high-proof blended liquor. Aside from its potency, which could knock someone down after three cups, it was famous among travelers for its ability to keep men vigorous and enduring.

It was a man's secret.

When that cup of crimson blended liquor was brought over, everyone sent envious looks toward Li Ziran.

Though none of them were priests, they all seemed proficient in prophecy, as if they foresaw that this young lady would have a very fortunate night.

Nicole did not stand on ceremony at all. With a small leap, she sat directly on Li Ziran's lap. Her tight leather skirt stretched apart, exposing her snowy thighs in an instant.

Gulp!

The sound of people swallowing saliva filled the room.

Li Ziran smiled inwardly. This little girl was definitely not doing this for the first time.

Two years apart, and she had really learned some skills.

Being able to use one's beauty—especially a man's desire—was absolutely the best trick for a woman's survival on the Wasteland.

With such provocation, someone was bound to lose control.

Even with his friends' warnings, someone still could not restrain himself. Carrying a drink, he walked over, his rough hand attempting to settle on Nicole's fragrant, tender shoulder.

"Little lady, have a drink with me?"

But his hand would never fall. In an instant, it was covered in a green membrane and transformed into a frog.

Nicole casually kicked it, sending the frog flying into the wall in a beautiful arc.

Smack!

Blood and bile splattered across the wall.

Li Ziran needed to defend his girl. Naturally, this method of defense was enough to sober up a few drunkards.

The scarlet Red Lips sat quietly on the broad round tray like a ruby. Li Ziran picked it up, gave it a gentle swirl, then drained it in one gulp.

One hand slid beneath Nicole's tender knees, the other wrapped around her slender waist. He straightened his back and rose upright with the girl in his arms.

"Excuse me! Make way!"

Li Ziran was polite, but his tone allowed no refusal.

The travelers consciously cleared a path. When Li Ziran passed through the crowd and reached the Horse Dwarf, he glanced at his own pocket. "Open the door for me!"

The Horse Dwarf jumped up, took the key from his pocket, and hurriedly scrambled up the stairs.

"You really know what you're doing!" Nicole whispered into Li Ziran's ear, her soft tongue licking at it and nearly making him tumble down the stairs.

"Stop messing around!"

Li Ziran tightened his hold on Nicole. He desperately wanted to be free of this at once. This feeling was truly not as pleasant as he had imagined; being the center of everyone's attention was not something his temperament could enjoy.

He climbed the stairs step by step, as orderly as if walking down a red carpet. Passing the spiral staircase on the second floor, he went straight to the top-floor room on the third.

There were two rooms here. One was beside the windmill, where one could look through its blades and see the scenery of Madinger Town. The other faced away from the windmill and was almost completely shrouded in darkness, but the innkeeper had thoughtfully embedded Starlight Stones in the ceiling, making it feel as if one stood beneath the night sky.

A down carpet covered the floor, surrounding a large round bed set right inside a tent like a vaulted dome.

There were no unnecessary furnishings here, only a simple heart-shaped table.

This place was called Love-Filled Room. It had quite the gimmick, though naturally it was not cheap—fifty copper coins for one night, equivalent to the price of four corpses he sold.

At the moment, two bottles of red wine, a small bag of mare's milk, two packets of hard bread, three steaming roast chickens, and an unknown number of slices of buffalo steak had already been placed in the room. Everything seemed to tell everyone that they intended to shut themselves in here for three days.

It was extravagance taken a little too far. Compared to the love suites he had experienced, it was so crude it could hardly be called anything, but in the eyes of ordinary travelers, it was already the stuff of dreams.

Those who had followed up to watch the excitement all sighed in admiration, their eyes full of envy.

"Shoo, shoo!" The Horse Dwarf suddenly spotted a rat gnawing wildly at the bag of bread and hurried over to drive it away.

Startled, the rat ran two circles before everyone's eyes, then darted beneath the bed.

Nicole's expression darkened slightly. Clearly, that ill-timed rat had ruined the wonderful atmosphere, but Li Ziran did not care.

The windmill inn itself was a place for travelers to seek amusement. Those wandering the Wasteland had little money, so naturally, the inn that served such poor people could not be very upscale.

Though this Love-Filled Room had been painstakingly created by the innkeeper, it was still part of the cheap lodging area. There was no way to completely drive out things like rats.

"All right, stop chasing it. Wait outside for the next few days. I'll have something for you to do once I come out." As he spoke, Li Ziran took out two copper coins and tossed them over.

He was not as generous as Nicole.

After driving the Horse Dwarf out of the room, he slammed the door shut.

At last, it was quiet.