IRM Chapter 134

The elven attendants arranged comfortable rooms for Ji Chi and his group. Seeing that they had no immediate intention to rest, they very thoughtfully brought them to the palace’s reception room.

The spacious and bright reception room was filled with the fresh fragrance of grass and wood. On the smooth long table polished from special crystals, an array of exquisite pastries unique to the elven race was laid out.

They sat bewildered beside the long table nibbling on pastries, not knowing what to do next.

Help Dominic? They didn’t dare rashly interfere in elven affairs. Go do missions? But they were afraid Dominic wouldn’t be able to find them when he needed help.

So now things were a bit awkward.

Evan set down his teacup, cleared his throat lightly, and spoke hesitantly, “How about we split into two teams? One team stays with the elven race, one team goes to do missions?”

He remembered something and turned to ask Ji Chi, “By the way, where do you need to go to complete your own matter?”

Ji Chi touched his nose. “Right here, maybe it’s similar to Dominic’s matter.”

Evan oh-ed and immediately overturned his previous suggestion, stating decisively, “Then let’s all wait here.”

Ji Chi: “???”

The other companions silently nodded. They had already accepted by default that wherever Ji Chi was, something big was bound to happen.

“Bang!” The reception room door was suddenly pushed open forcefully. They were startled and simultaneously jumped up from their seats.

Dominic came running in somewhat disheveled. The braid tied at the back of his head had come loose, and his already messy long hair now looked like someone had pressed it to the ground and rubbed it around.

However, he normally didn’t care about his appearance, and at this moment he had no mind to bother with such things. He rushed to Brandon’s face, gripped the young master’s shoulders, and shook him wildly while looking at his dumbfounded expression.

“Brandon! You have to help me!”

Brandon reflexively hesitated, “Ah… huh? Tell me what it is first…”

The young master was originally a warm-hearted young man, but unfortunately all the companions he’d encountered were pitch-black inside, causing him to now be extremely vigilant and not easily fooled.

But this time it wasn’t Dominic being lazy and shirking tasks—he was truly anxious. “Can you contact the manager of Interlet?”

Brandon breathed a sigh of relief at this. He lowered his head to draw Shelley’s magic crest on the messaging array while casually asking, “Of course, but which potion do you want to ask him for? Many potions at Interlet need to be pre-ordered.”

Dominic said with furrowed brows. “Not a potion… I want to ask him about the whereabouts of the Eastern Saint Alchemist.”

Brandon’s hand movements paused. He raised his eyes in surprise, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally sweeping over Ji Chi. “You want to find… him?”

Dominic nodded. “I know he’s been in seclusion for a long time, and finding him is very difficult, but I just want the manager to help convey a message—”

“As long as he’s willing to help the elven race, he will be the most honored guest of the Elven Forest. We can provide him with any herb that grows in the Elven Forest.”

The weight of this promise was truly enormous. The Elven Forest was practically the place of origin for all potion materials. This promise was like a mage having unlimited magical power—for any alchemist, it was an incomparable temptation.

But Brandon still hesitated. He even set down the messaging array and said with lowered eyes, “I think he should be very willing to help you, but the matter you’re facing—can it really be solved with potions?”

Dominic furrowed his brows. He couldn’t understand what Brandon was saying. “What does that mean?”

“He means that if this matter only required potions, I would have already given them to you by now.” A light voice came from behind him—it was Ji Chi’s.

Dominic turned around to meet a pair of calm black eyes. It was Ji Chi nodding at him. “I’m right here.”

Dominic stared blankly with parted lips. He suddenly recalled a certain person the companions had described between the lines before, and reminisced softly, “Eastern… proficient in four professions…all-element genius?”

Ji Chi smiled helplessly. “I thought these matters had long been forgotten.”

He didn’t wait for Dominic to recover from his shock and said with a serious expression, “I also chose to come to the Elven Forest for missions for this reason. Listen to me, Dominic. You must already know this isn’t your sister’s problem, but rather that the Elven Mother Tree’s power is declining. And while legendary potions can restore the Mother Tree’s health, the effect will likely only be temporary. More severe consequences will appear in the future. I need more clues.”

Dominic gradually put away the surprised expression on his face. When his muddled thoughts became clear, the surprise slowly transformed into vigilance. “How do you know these things? What else do you know? Why is this happening?”

Ji Chi sighed inwardly, understanding that he had been too hasty. He fell silent for a moment, organized his words and said, “I truly don’t know the reason for the weakening. But I know the consequences—the Elven Mother Tree will shed its leaves and wither until it can no longer give birth to a single elf. The forest will be shrouded in darkness, creatures will either flee or die, and the elves will have no choice but to abandon their homeland and become displaced refugees.”

Dominic stared at him intently, his gaze trembling. He remembered the sharp wails that had come from the forest and said with difficulty, “I believe the consequences you describe, but I want to know—what role are you playing in this matter?”

Ji Chi smiled bitterly. “I don’t want to describe myself as too righteous. I can only say I have goals I’m pursuing, but I can also save the elven race.”

Dominic pondered silently. The companions looked back and forth between them with worry, but wisely didn’t speak, leaving them space to think quietly.

Dominic raised his face and said, “Then what are you going to do next?”

Ji Chi: “I want to touch the Elven Mother Tree and communicate with her.”

Dominic’s expression grew stern. “The Mother Tree is where life is nurtured. Outsiders absolutely cannot be allowed to approach… or rather, how should I trust you?”

Ji Chi asked him back. “Then what would I need to do for you to trust me?”

Ji Chi understood his concerns. They hadn’t known each other long. Although they were nominally teammates, they were only held together by the other few people.

Before this, Dominic had even always thought Ji Chi was someone who’d been parachuted in to mooch points.

Dominic struggled with lowered eyes for a long time. He raised his eyes, a trace of determination appearing between his brows. “Alright, I’ll take you there.”

Ji Chi was stunned.

Dominic turned and walked back to the door, his back to Ji Chi as he said softly, “I don’t trust you yet, but I trust them.”

The companions were stunned for a moment, then exchanged glances and smiled.

By the Elven Spring, elven guards carried heavy bows and arrows. Their quivers were stuffed full of sharp arrows. They kept their eyes forward, guarding the Elven Spring and preventing anyone from approaching.

When Dominic brought Ji Chi near the spring water, it attracted quite a few gazes. When the elves saw them approaching the Mother Tree step by step, they couldn’t help becoming anxious.

“Who is he? Why let a human approach the Mother Tree?”

“What is Lord Dominic doing? The Elven Mother Tree is the elven race’s most important treasure. How can he let a human…”

“Lord Dominic just knocked out the Queen. Could he be…”

“Shut up.” Amanda appeared behind them, sternly stopping the elves’ wild speculations. She cast her gaze distantly upon Dominic and said severely, “The Queen is unwell. The Twin King temporarily obtains the King’s authority. Does anyone object?”

The elves were very afraid of the stern and solemn Amanda and immediately closed their mouths.

However, what Amanda said wasn’t wrong either. Their king had been determined from the moment of conception. Either of the twins was the elven race’s undisputed king.

Dominic led Ji Chi across the Elven Spring, carefully stepping over the precious medicinal herbs covering the ground. He stroked the Elven Mother Tree’s trunk and turned his head to Ji Chi. “This is fine, right?”

Ji Chi nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

Dominic blinked lightly. “If you can restore them, I should be the one thanking you.”

Ji Chi didn’t respond to him and raised his head to look up at this colossal tree reaching to the heavens.

Standing beside the Mother Tree, any life seemed exceptionally small. She was as huge as a green mountain, covered with the fruits of life.

Ji Chi gently placed his hand on its smooth, lustrous trunk and said to Dominic, “Please give me some time.”

After he finished speaking, he closed his eyes. In a place no one could see, a strangely-shaped crystal with multiple colors floated out and tapped against the bark of the Elven Mother Tree, as if politely knocking on a door.

A wave of pale green light emerged from the trunk beneath Ji Chi’s hand and suddenly absorbed the crystal.

This was the first time Ji Chi felt himself split in two. Half of him stood with closed eyes beneath the Mother Tree, while the other half floated lightly in midair, seeping into the Mother Tree’s bizarre interior.

“You are… a person from another world?” While shuttling through countless points of light, an ancient and distant voice rang out from all around, speaking in an unhurried tone like a free wind blowing across the softest corners of the heart.

Ji Chi tried to speak. “Are you the Elven Mother Tree?”

As he spoke, he froze for a moment, because his voice was no longer a clear male voice but a soft and adorable baby voice—that was the voice belonging uniquely to Yuan Yuan.

The Mother Tree also seemed to react, then laughed. “A cute little girl?”

The light before Ji Chi’s eyes suddenly brightened intensely. When he came back to his senses, he was already inside a warm and comfortable tree house. A figure with flowing golden hair sat upright in a walnut wood chair, leisurely sipping a cup of steaming elven flower tea.

He raised his eyes, and when his verdant eyes noticed Ji Chi’s appearance, he couldn’t help but freeze. “What is this…?”

Ji Chi lifelessly controlled Yuan Yuan’s body, floated to another chair opposite Him, looked at the other cup of tea on the table, and said weakly, “Thank you for preparing the tea, but I’m not in a position to drink it right now…”

The Elven God nodded blankly. “I can see that, indeed not convenient…”

He also set down his teacup and examined Ji Chi with curiosity several times. “This is the first time I’ve seen such a soul. Hmm… quite beautiful…”

If you can’t think of a compliment, you don’t have to force it, thanks. I know it’s a bit ugly right now… Ji Chi listlessly flashed his light twice to express gratitude.

“So then, person from another world, what is your purpose in seeking me out?” the Elven God asked gently.

“I’m here to help you.” Ji Chi repeated what he’d said to Dominic. “And at the same time, I’ve come to ask you for something.”

The Elven God was neither surprised nor anxious. He lowered his eyes, his slender fingers lightly tapping beside the teacup. “Perhaps I could first understand what price must be paid?”

Ji Chi turned Yuan Yuan’s flat side toward Him and said calmly, “I want your other half of the divine authority.”