A Night Banquet Under the Moon

Although the purchase of elves caused some commotion in Dragon Cry City, it was quickly quelled thanks to Li Lin's skillful handling. After the fat merchant intervened, many believed that this large-scale purchase of elves was simply the work of some nouveau riche from the north, trying to resell some elves like newly arrived bumpkins. After all, unlike Dark Elf, elves are considered "valuable commodities" in the human world. Indeed, some nobles do buy elves to show off, just as wealthy women buy priceless jewels to satisfy their desire for self-expression. Elves have become a tool for many nouveau riche to display their wealth and power.

Therefore, the large-scale purchase of elven slaves not only failed to arouse suspicion, but some slave traders even went to the fat merchant to promote their goods. In desperation, the fat merchant sought help from Li Lin, but after quietly observing the situation and realizing that he was not involved, Li Lin stopped interfering and dismissed the fat merchant with a simple "You figure it out yourself." The poor fat merchant was on the verge of tears, but in the end, he could only find a solution on his own.

During this time, the news from the Dark Elf came very smoothly. In fact, the king had already mobilized his army. Everything was ready except for the final push. And since Li Lin had provided that final push, the king naturally wouldn't hesitate any longer. Within just a few days, two combat legions entered the Black Road, advancing with the assistance and guidance of the Dark Elf. According to Maya's report, the Kudel army was progressing well underground; apart from the occasional encounter with subterranean creatures, they hadn't encountered any attacks. Guided by the Dark Elf, they were advancing at a very rapid pace, and everything was going smoothly.

It's about time to get started.

As reports from Maya arrived, Li Lin grew increasingly nervous. He had subtly instructed the fat merchant to handle the current affairs as quickly as possible, then sail west, making it appear as if he were heading to a third country to avoid arousing the king's suspicion. Although the fat merchant still didn't understand Li Lin's intentions, the three old mages in the City of a Thousand Towers had already warned him to obey Li Lin's orders throughout. Moreover, he now understood that he and Li Lin were bound together, so even with doubts, he had no choice but to follow Li Lin's instructions.

Meanwhile, Li Lin noticed the old mage was watching him more closely. Although the old mage had kept his identity hidden due to Li Lin's threats, as a court archmage, he possessed a network of connections that Li Lin couldn't match. If the old mage wanted to, he could easily learn about everything happening around Li Lin through his entourage. Li Lin, on the other hand, was waiting, waiting for the most opportune moment. He didn't intend to wait until the army had completely passed through before leaving, as that would be too dangerous. Maya also reported that as the legion drew closer to the surface, the Dark Elf had noticed the increasingly intense fighting among the humans. The will, it seemed, wasn't just directed at their own kind, but also at the Dark Elf. Furthermore, Maya suspected that although King Kudel had stated he would disperse the five legions to traverse the Black Road in batches, the latter three might actually be a decoy, a veil to conceal their true purpose. She feared that the moment those two legions set foot on the ground, they would immediately begin fighting. While this was a very daring tactic, the soldiers were elite troops, and perhaps they could accomplish the mission. Therefore, Maya cautioned Li Lin against placing too much faith in King Kudel's promises.

Even without the Dark Elf Matriarch's reminder, Li Lin sensed the changing atmosphere in the palace. He didn't intend to stay indefinitely; he planned to leave only after everything was over, though he had the strength and confidence to escape. However, immediately provoking Five-Nation Alliance was not part of Li Lin's plan. He positioned himself as a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, learning from the devil's methods to sow seeds of malice in his daily life. These seeds, nurtured by the rains of time, would take root, sprout, and eventually mature, bringing unparalleled and terrifying consequences.

With the help of the Caseli Magic Core and Weijia, a woman driven mad by extremes, Li Lin and Angela successfully planted their first seed in Lalia. However, in Kudel, they clearly hadn't found a good target yet. But a chance encounter Angela had previously given them new inspiration.

"Call..."

The woman put down her pen and pressed her forehead in distress.

"Still not going smoothly..."

She murmured to herself, then looked up and gazed at the lights on the tower outside the window.

"Grandpa hasn't rested yet... it's so late..."

She murmured to herself, a hint of worry creeping in. Since that day, her grandfather—the Grand Mage of the Palace—had locked himself in his room in the magic tower, no longer venturing out as freely as usual. Although she, as his granddaughter, was very worried and had tried to visit him several times, her grandfather was clearly in a bad mood, or perhaps he had very important matters to attend to and simply didn't have time to care for his granddaughter. So, after being turned away several times, she had no choice but to give up on her idea.

"What should I do about the books? What exactly happened?"

"Miss, please have some tea."

Just as the woman was deep in thought, she suddenly heard a very familiar voice. She looked up and quickly spotted her familiar little maid.

"Thank you... I'm so sorry to have kept you company so late..."

"Nothing."

The young maid kept her head down, her face slightly flushed. The woman, however, did not notice. She reached for the teacup, and soon, the refreshing aroma of tea wafted out. After taking a deep breath of the sweet fragrance, the woman drank the steaming hot tea in one gulp.

"Call..."

The warm, fragrant tea entered her body, causing the woman to breathe a sigh of relief. The warmth emanating from within not only dispelled the chill of the night but also gradually brought on feelings of fatigue and drowsiness. Her body seemed unable to withstand the exhaustion of the past few days any longer. Without even thinking too much, the woman slowly closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

"Bang!!"

The teacup slipped from the woman's fingers and shattered on the floor, but even the sound of it breaking did not wake her. Instead, her maidservant gazed at her sleeping mistress with joy and eagerness, then hurried to the window and opened it.

Darkness congealed.

The almost tangible shadows began to twist and change. Li Lin stepped out of the shadows with a serious expression. Just then, along with the appearance of bats, Angela also appeared with a cold, evil smile.

"Ah, Master... Master..."

Upon seeing Angela appear, the little maid excitedly knelt before her. Facing this fanatical, Manipulator subject, Angela chuckled softly and extended her right hand. The little maid, as if receiving a gift from the king, cherished that hand and kissed it reverently.

"Well done, truly worthy of being my slave."

"Is this all you've got?"

Li Lin glanced at the little guy who had almost completely knelt down at Angela's feet.

"You're planning to turn her into something like Mina and Fina?"

"How is this possible, Master?"

Angela looked at the little maid kneeling at her feet with a smug and satisfied smile, and let out a light, bell-like laugh.

"Being a direct bloodline is extremely taxing on my power. Such a nobody is not worthy of my favor at all... I merely told her about the pleasure of being sucked blood."

As she spoke, Angela withdrew her right hand, and the little maid, who had lost her support, hurriedly raised her head, looking at her pitifully like a puppy whose food had been taken away.

"Master. Master~~~~"

"You've done very well, so I should reward you... Do you know how?"

"Of course!"

The little maid nodded vigorously, not even paying attention to Li Lin standing right next to her, and wildly tore open her clothes, revealing her snow-white neck and petite, adorable breasts.

"Please, please taste my blood, take everything from me!"

"Good boy."

Angela chuckled and stroked the little maid's cheek. Under her touch, the little maid slowly stood up. She closed her eyes, feeling Angela lower her head and bite her neck, while simultaneously letting out a joyful moan. Soon, the maid's petite body began to tremble. She clung tightly to Angela, her breathing becoming rapid and erratic. Then, as if struck by lightning, the little maid's body arched violently, shaking back and forth several times before finally returning to calm.

"Whew, what a delicious midnight snack!"

Angela casually released the maid, leaving her unconscious on the ground. Then, she looked curiously at Li Lin, who had been standing silently beside her since the beginning.

"Master? What are you thinking about?"

"No, I was just thinking, what would have happened if I hadn't resisted like that when I met you?"

Looking at the little girl who had fainted with a satisfied expression, slowly bleeding, Li Lin couldn't help but feel a chill of fear. Including this time, he and Angela had only met twice at most, yet she had already willingly become Angela's slave. According to Angela, they weren't Vampire Species like Mina and Fina; they were still human. However, their minds had been completely brainwashed. Although there are many spells that can achieve the same effect, magic has its limits and can be dispelled. But in Li Lin's view, the charm spell used by Angela seemed like a terrifying source of corruption; even a tiny bit of it would likely prevent one from returning to their original state.

"If there's no resistance... then you're right..."

Hearing Li Lin say this, Angela was also stunned for a moment, then she became immersed in her memories again.

"If you hadn't resisted then, Master, you would have at most become my slave, drained of my blood and turned into a dried-up corpse. Anyway, there are plenty of humans on Earth, and delicious food is everywhere. Of course, before that, I might turn you into a puppet who only knows how to obey my orders, raised like a pig or a cow to be exploited. But, the blood of domesticated animals generally doesn't taste very good."

"... For the first time, I felt incredibly lucky to have regained my strength."

"That's exactly right, Master."

Hearing Li Lin's half-joking, half-serious words, Angela narrowed her bright red, slender eyes, revealing a cold smile that was both alluring and dangerous.

"I hope you can keep up your efforts! If you fail to meet my expectations, then you might have another enemy, Master."

"I will try my best to prevent things from turning out that way. As Arcane Mage, I have no interest in being someone else's slave."

Li Lin gave a clear answer. He naturally knew that Angela wasn't just joking, but it was indeed one of the driving forces that motivated him to move forward.

However, there has been far too much gossip. Although Angela manipulated the maid to put the drug in the tea, it's hard to say how useful it actually would be for a mage.

Li Lin slowly walked to the woman lying on the chair, fast asleep. He then silently recited an incantation, casually stretching out his hands. Under the magical light, the woman slowly opened her eyes. Affected by the mysterious external power, she stared blankly at the man before her.

"Hello, beautiful lady."

Li Lin maintained the operation of the spell while speaking in a low voice.

"Although I'd love to say nice to meet you, it's not the right time yet... Don't worry, I just hope you can do me a small favor."