Chapter 125: The Little Sprite

Andolu had heard the sounds of fighting outside for a while, though at first, he paid them no mind. Guarding the perimeter was the Tiger Tooth Legion, an elite force of forty-six battle-hardened mercenaries. Unless someone was a master of the eighth rank or higher, provoking them was simply asking for trouble.

However, the sounds outside soon shifted. The mercenaries' wails grew frequent, and a chilling, murderous aura began to draw near. Andolu, accustomed to a life of luxury, might have been clever with schemes, but he was utterly helpless when it came to blade and spear. Without hesitation, he donned his clothes, grabbed two seductive women he had brought from the Red Lantern Street in Stormflow City, and prepared to escape through the back door.

He had taken only two steps when someone pushed aside the tent flap and walked in.

"Andolu, leaving so soon after we've met?"

A familiar voice sounded from behind him. Andolu’s heart skipped a beat, and he turned to see that well-known figure. In just one month, the aura about him had become even colder and more severe; he carried a heavy spear, radiating a lethal intent. The two women, pale with fright, stole glances at him, finding the cold, stern youth inexplicably intriguing.

"Oh! Old Ye, it’s you! Those damned, blind mercenaries..." Seeing that it was Ye Ran, Andolu felt as though he had been granted a reprieve. He ran over with a forced smile and gestured to the two women. "Why aren't you pouring drinks? This is my brother!"

Ye Ran knew the nature of the women's trade and, feeling a surge of disgust, waved them away. He glanced around the tent, noticing several cages containing rare beasts and dwarves. In the northern corner stood a golden mobile cabin. Ye Ran headed straight for it.

"Old Ye, have something to eat first. Tomorrow, I'll take you hunting in the Green Demon Forest. Come, come!" Seeing Ye Ran’s gaze fixed on the cabin, Andolu sensed danger and tried to change the subject.

Ye Ran cast a cold look at him, strode to the cabin, and used his spear to pry open the small door.

*Thud.*

As the door opened, a porcelain bowl flew out. Ye Ran caught it, and as he looked inside, his brows knit together.

In the cabin sat a small white bed and two tables. A girl of about fourteen or fifteen glared at him with fury. She wore a snow-white dress; her skin was smooth and fair, her face round with a slightly pointed chin, and two nearly transparent wings fluttered behind her.

One of her hands was chained to the headboard, yet she was fierce. Seeing her bowl caught, she flew into a rage and began hurling every bottle and jar on the table at Ye Ran. Ye Ran deflected them all with his spear and turned to look at Andolu, who was wringing his hands nearby.

"Andolu," Ye Ran growled, "who is she?"

"This... Old Ye, let me explain." Under Ye Ran’s predatory gaze, Andolu’s fat face turned crimson. "Old Ye, I haven't laid a finger on her. I’m only responsible for transporting her to Stormflow City for the old man of the Tyrell family. It’s just business, strictly business..."

Ye Ran stepped forward and thrust his spear at the golden cabin. The sprite let out a startled cry and covered her eyes, but a moment later, a *clink* rang out—the cold youth had shattered the iron chain on her wrist with a single strike. She stared at him, stunned, before smoothing her pretty face and flying out. Only then did Ye Ran notice that her transparent wings were shaped like those of a butterfly.

Hovering in the air, hands on her hips, the sprite looked down at Ye Ran and Andolu, fuming. "Don't think I’ll thank you, you despicable human! I’m leaving now. Hmph, you fat pig-head, I will definitely take my revenge on you—I will!" She flapped her wings, ready to dart out of the tent.

"There are two more legions outside," Ye Ran said. "You can choose whether to be captured by them again or let me escort you."

The sprite froze. She looked back at Ye Ran with lingering resentment but felt compelled to stay in the tent.

"Old Ye, sit, sit. I’ll explain everything to you slowly."

Ye Ran sat down, placing his Cliffor spear aside. "No need to explain. I already know." He did not fly into a rage, but said calmly, "Andolu, we’ve known each other for seven or eight years. I wouldn't call our friendship profound, but I remember certain things. Getting the steward to help Freya out of Stormflow City—that was a favor you did for me."

"Old Ye, why bring that up between brothers? Come, let's drink." Seeing no signs of an outburst, Andolu began to settle down.

But Ye Ran changed his tone.

"Andolu, I thought you were just vain, lecherous, and jealous—that you had some minor flaws but were generally a decent person. I never expected you to become just like your uncle." His voice turned sharp as he looked at Andolu. "Tell me, Andolu, have you really fallen so low that you’re trading in forest species to line your pockets?"

Andolu kept his smiling face. "Old Ye, you don't understand. To the masters in the upper echelons, this is mere child's play. For money, they’d sell their own mothers or wives, let alone forest races. This isn't even worth mentioning compared to what they do."

"Hmph! Despicable, shameless, disgraceful!" the sprite spat, gesturing wildly.

Ye Ran remained silent for a long time before saying, "Perhaps. I don't understand their ways. Andolu, you continue to align yourself with them, and one day we will be strangers. Since that is the case, let us make a clean break of it now. I am here under the orders of the Divine Envoy to demand that you cease all capturing and trafficking activities."

If this were the Ye Ran of the past, he would have been furious, but the current Ye Ran no longer wasted his energy on such things. No matter how many Ye Rans there were, they could not change those corrupt nobles, nor could they disperse the darkness hanging over the Sheep Horn. He pulled a letter from Xia Li from his robes and handed it to Andolu.

"The Divine Envoy..." Andolu’s expression shifted instantly.

"No matter who is backing you, the personal letter of the Divine Envoy should be enough."

"Old Ye..."

"I’m leaving. I still have to settle things with your uncle. You are a smart man; you shouldn't want to meet me on the battlefield." He stood up and said to the sprite hovering in the air, "Let's go. I'll take you home."

The sound of hooves echoed from outside. As Ye Ran stepped out of the tent, a troop of men surrounded them from all sides. The riders wore loose combat gear and held torches, illuminating the area for miles. The leader, a man with a hooked nose and a sinister, pale face, wore a brown tunic. A man and a woman rode behind him. The man looked to be about fifty, his brown eyes cold and piercing. The woman was older, with prominent crow's feet and a face that seemed covered in a layer of frost. Both exerted a pressure far greater than Bato of the Tiger Tooth Legion.

The three horses trotted into Andolu’s camp, coming face-to-face with Ye Ran.

"Isn't this the rising star, Ye Ran? Hahaha! Are you here to reminisce with my little Andolu?" Andrei rode forward, a malicious smile on his face.