The White Tower City-state was the final stop before entering the Shadow Mountains.
This city-state was built on the west bank of a wide, deep river bend. Even when the river water was at its clearest, the water's surface took on a deep, dark green hue under the shadow of the mountains.
Fortunately, it was warm enough here that the river hadn't frozen over despite the consecutive Winter Years. If this waterway—the only passage in and out of the Shadow Mountains—were to close, it would likely cause no small amount of trouble.
Along the docks, boats of all sizes were lined up, from single-masted sailboats to three-story merchant vessels. Most of the hulls were painted with elven-style oak leaf motifs, which emitted a faint green glow in the cold wind blowing down from the Shadow Mountains.
The dockworkers were mostly elves, along with a few sailors of other races permitted to work on the ships. They carried cargo boxes back and forth across the gangplanks, their footsteps hurried.
When they spoke, they instinctively lowered their voices, as if they felt a primal awe under the gaze of that black mountain range.
For elves wishing to return home, they had to pass through here.
And this was also one of the few routes through which elves could traverse the Shadow Mountains.
Therefore, while the White Tower City-state appeared no different from other free city-states in the valley, it was in fact under the protection of the elves.
The elves set sail from the river bend, following the waterway through the eerie, pitch-black Shadow Mountains. If nothing went wrong along the way, they would arrive at the end of the river, where the land was shrouded by the towering canopy of the Sacred Oak.
That land was called the Emerald Crown.
There was no need to ask where the name came from.
Even standing on the docks of the White Tower City-state, across the entire Shadow Mountains, one could see that towering figure standing tall against the dim sky.
Chen Yu wanted to say, this was real.
His gel clone was now floating high above the White Tower City-state, disguised as the most common translucent mist patch in the sky above the Shadow Mountains.
From this height, looking southwest, the river looked like several intersecting fine threads, winding their way into the towering, pitch-black Shadow Mountains, then disappearing completely around the flank of a certain main peak.
That shadow-covered mountain range seemed alive.
Large patches of shadow on the black mountain surface would occasionally writhe and drift, twisted into various distorted shapes by the mountain winds, before being sucked back into the mountain range.
Even so, it couldn't hide the umbrella-shaped black silhouette behind the mountains.
Even from such a distance, the canopy of the Sacred Oak was still clearly visible. It covered nearly half the southwestern sky, like another moon sinking at the edge of the earth, but heavier than the moon.
To see an oak tree from such a distance, Chen Yu could hardly imagine how massive its actual form must be. No wonder the elves called it the Sacred Oak.
But this route was just something interesting to watch. The Shadow Mountains were no safe tourist trail.
What if, while his gel clone was flying, a shadow creature suddenly sprang out of the mountains and swallowed his clone whole?
However, he had already anticipated this. That was why this time, he had sent out more than just one gel clone.
Mir turned around and looked in front of him.
Two gel clones were floating right in front of him, their round bodies reflecting a translucent quality in the sunlight.
The one on the right was a bit plumper; the one on the left was a bit slimmer. They were now both saluting him seriously with their gel hands.
Those two guys reminded him of the temporary names he had given his clones when he first explored the above-ground city. For now, he would just call them Big Chubby and Nanny Brother.
"You, go scout ahead." He stretched out a small gel hand, pointing at Nanny Brother.
Nanny Brother's gel surface bubbled and gurgled. He closed his small eyes as if facing death, then his entire body contracted violently, transforming into a green rainbow-like beam of light that shot straight toward the Shadow Mountains.
As the sword-like rainbow streaked across the sky above the White Tower City-state, the residents in the city all looked up.
"Huh? Who's trying to cross the Shadow Mountains?" A young apprentice by the dock, who was tying up a rope, looked up and shielded his eyes to peer at the sky.
The old sailor next to him also looked up, squinting for a moment. "Must be some Giant Dragon trying to challenge the Shadow Mountains again, or some reckless southern mage who doesn't know his limits."
This scene piqued quite a bit of interest.
The dockworkers stopped their carts. An elven merchant on the second floor of the Tavern pushed open the window and leaned out. Even the lighthouse keeper turned his telescope toward the sky.
Everyone stared at that green light.
It flew very high, carving a conspicuous arc between the writhing darkness of the Shadow Mountains and the gray-white clouds in the sky, diving straight into the heart of the mountain range.
Then, the Shadow Mountains seemed to come alive.
The moment Nanny Brother touched the edge of the mountain range, those shadows exploded like a swarm of startled bees, then gathered together again, enveloping him in the middle.
Nanny Brother instantly realized—oh dear, he was done for.
The green light struggled and flickered a few times in the darkness, then completely disappeared.
Chen Yu regretted Nanny Brother's departure.
Alright, it seemed this layer of shadow had some real substance to it, capable of keeping the Ancient Tree Council isolated from the Western Continent for so many years.
This route wasn't one you could just fly through by turning into a sword. You had to honestly take a boat.
Chen Yu descended from the high altitude in a whoosh, followed by the round and chubby Little Chubby.
Like a gust of wind, they slipped into a cargo ship that was being loaded.
An old sailor securing cargo boxes reached up and scratched the skin on the back of his neck, grumbling to the elven crew member beside him who was checking the cargo manifest. "Where did that wind in the hold come from? There's no breeze on the river today."
The elven crew member replied without looking up, "You just drank too much last night, and your sweat hasn't dried yet."
The old sailor cursed, tightened the binding ropes, and didn't pursue it further.
To avoid being discovered, Little Chubby slipped into the storage room at the very bottom of the cargo hold and mimicked a quiet cabbage.
Chen Yu, meanwhile, found a hiding spot in a mouse hole in the same storage room.
He barged in unceremoniously, chasing a pair of mice, a husband and wife who were kissing, out of their nest.
The mice squeaked and scurried out of the hole, cursing as they fled into a bag of wheat flour stacked in the hold, completely clueless about what had just happened.
Chen Yu didn't bother with them. He spread his Divine Sense, and in an instant, the entire ship's structure and personnel distribution were laid bare before him.
Sure enough, because this was a high-end merchant ship that almost exclusively served elven customers, aside from a few humans in the bottom hold's work area, the passengers and crew were almost entirely elves.
The decor in the passenger cabin area had a strong elven aesthetic. The corridors were lit with cold-light stones that produced no smoke.
Among the passengers were many young elves in high-collared travel cloaks, probably returning home after traveling across the continent. There were also a few white-haired elves sitting quietly in the tea room, with several finely bound leather-bound books beside them—clearly not first-time travelers.
But Chen Yu was more focused on another group.
Amidst the sounds of people longing to return home, he seemed to hear some notes that weren't quite in harmony.
...
Inside the double room at the innermost end of the second-deck corridor, the curtains were drawn tightly shut, and the door was locked.
A young male elf was standing by the door, his ear pressed against the wood, listening intently to the commotion outside for a long while. Then he tiptoed back, letting out a sigh of relief.
"No unusual activity outside. They probably haven't discovered our identities yet."
"The security checks on this ship are looser than expected. That blood-testing procedure at the port really isn't accurate for detecting half-elves. But once we reach the Emerald Crown, it'll be a different story."
There were two other elves in the room.
Near the window, a petite female elf was lying on the sill, her chin resting on her crossed arms, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the river outside.
Only when she heard Orion's words did she turn around.
"Orion, we won't be making it to the Emerald Crown. We'll make our move once we're inside the Shadow Mountains."
"But we need to be careful. There are plenty of Extraordinary professionals on this ship. Why else do you think the tickets are so expensive?"
Orion nodded and sat down on a chair.
"I'm well aware. But the Leaf of No Distinction has waited too long for this day. This time, we are determined to succeed."
"Our bloodlines may not be worth a single Gold Coin in their eyes, but our anger must be worth something."
He turned to the corner of the room, looking at the silent elf who had never joined their casual conversation.
"Salemir, confirm the location and identity of that Sage's son one more time."
Salemir was sitting beside the low cabinet in the corner. A few small, thumb-sized potion bottles were scattered on the small round table in front of him.
He was mixing a potion. When he heard Orion call him, he only gave a slight nod of his chin without looking up.
"No mistake. The special potion aura clinging to that Sage's son is still on this ship."
He put down the potion bottle, picked up a notebook on the table, and flipped to the pages he had prepared earlier.
"I've also confirmed his identity. That Sage was indeed involved in forging the Root Withering curse back then."
"He disappeared for nearly three hundred years, but he was actually hiding in seclusion in Quel'Thalas. He married a full-blooded elven pharmacist and had a son."
"The information came from the Assassin's Guild, and the intelligence was verified at least twice by our people. The accuracy is trustworthy."
"Good, you've done very well."
Orion closed his eyes, then opened them again, taking a deep breath.
"It's time for these arrogant High Elves to see just how much trouble half-elves can cause."
"Our lifespans may be short—so short they can't even remember our names—but it's long enough for them to remember the name 'Leaf of No Distinction.'"
"Long enough for those compatriots still being held in their cells to hear the news from outside, to know that someone is fighting for them."
Natalis jumped down from her chair, shaking her fists.
"That's right! It's time to fight back!"
Salemir closed his notebook and looked up, his gaze calmly resting on his two companions.
"Orion, violence is not our goal. The purpose of this operation is to exchange for more detained half-elves—the more, the better, no matter the method."
"But if things escalate to the point where the Council deems it necessary to send a legion to suppress us, instead of negotiating, the consequences will be something the Leaf of No Distinction cannot bear. Those half-elf compatriots will inevitably face even more unfair treatment."
"The Ancient Tree Council is not the city hall of Elune City-state. It is far too massive."
As he finished speaking, the heated atmosphere that Natalis had stirred up with her fist-pumping just a moment ago slowly settled back down.
Orion was silent for a long while. Finally, he nodded.
"You're right, Salemir. Violence is not the goal, but subservience will never earn respect."
"Even if we can't ultimately use violence, I want the half-elves' voices to be heard by them—clearly and unmistakably. Once we exchange for those compatriots, I plan to head south."
Natalis tilted her head. "What are you going south for? To sunbathe like a bird?"
Orion smiled, walked over to the window, and looked out at the ripples on the river.
"The Dawn Council has always wanted the Elven Star Charts. They've been trying for centuries. They can't get them, but we can."
"I'm going to make a deal with them. The Star Charts in exchange for the Dawn Council's support."
Salemir looked thoughtful.
"But those Dawn Mages are always talking about stability and the Demon Calamity. Their interest in the outside world is far less than their interest in their own laboratories. I don't think they'll be willing to meddle with the Ancient Tree Council for this."
"That's why I plan to go in person." Orion gently pressed his forehead against the cold glass. "If I can convince the Council, even if just one Legendary mage steps forward, the situation for half-elves will be much better than it is now."
Natalis was lying on the bed, propping her chin up with her hands. Suddenly, she raised her other hand, eagerly jumping into the conversation like a student answering a question in class.
"Um... why not consider the Slime United Empire?"
"When I was in the White Tower City-state, I met a half-elven uncle who had come to purchase medicinal herbs. He used to do herb business in the east. He said that in the Slime Empire, all creatures are equal."
"He said on the streets of the swamp Royal Capital, you can see humans and Magical Creatures sitting on the same bench eating. Elves work as civil servants in the city hall. Talking slimes work as teachers. And a lot of half-elves have settled there."
She swung her bare feet back and forth. "I'm not saying they're definitely good people, but at least over there, half-elves won't get locked up in a conciliation court."
Orion turned from the window and looked at Natalis, who was lying on the bed swinging her feet. He thought about it seriously but ultimately shook his head.
"We're not familiar with the Slime Empire. We still don't know exactly how that Slime Emperor feels about half-elves. Still, it might be an option worth keeping."
"If we hit a complete dead end with the Dawn Council, at least we can try our luck heading north. I just hope that Emperor isn't afraid of the Ancient Tree Council."
"After all, not everyone is willing to take on the trouble of the half-elves."
From the mouse hole in the storage room, Chen Yu heard his words and couldn't help but mutter to himself.
He was afraid of the Ancient Tree Council?
He was just looking for a chance to stir up trouble for those old fossils.
Leaf of No Distinction, huh.
Good. You've piqued my interest.