Chapter 142: The Shame of the Divine Envoy Realm

In the early morning, sunlight filtered through the clouds, yet the forest remained shrouded in a dim, lingering gloom.

An old man walked barefoot along the forest path, leaning heavily on a cane. He had a benevolent and kindly face, though he appeared quite aged, his skin etched with deep wrinkles and his back bent with the weight of years.

A bear-hunting scout, busy checking his traps nearby, rubbed his eyes, convinced he was hallucinating. How could such an elderly man navigate the treacherous Green Demon Forest alone?

Soon, a luxurious carriage pulled up behind him. It was drawn by four horses abreast, the curtains trimmed with silver. A charming woman pulled back the curtain. She must have been nearing thirty, yet her face was impeccably maintained, possessing both the fresh, fair complexion of a young girl and the alluring maturity of a woman.

The woman glanced at the old man, whose feet were stained with mud, and smiled. "Zhero, get in. I’ll give you a lift."

"Splendid," the old man replied, his face lighting up with joy, showing no pretense of modesty.

The woman tossed a pair of straw sandals toward him. "Put these on, you unhygienic old man."

The coachman stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded. Zhero—was that not the name of the illustrious and highly respected Herald of the Bright Moon?

After slipping on the sandals, Zhero discarded his cane and hopped into the carriage with surprising agility. The coachman was stunned once more; it seemed this old man was not frail in the slightest. With a shake of his head, he cracked his whip over the horses' backs.

Once settled inside, Zhero looked around and clicked his tongue. "Nyx, being extravagant is a very bad habit for a Herald."

Nyx, the Herald of Starlight who walked the northern lands, examined her bright red fingernails and chuckled. "Zhero, posturing for fame and pretending to be an ascetic while leading a chaotic private life is hardly the behavior of a Herald, either."

Zhero’s old face flushed, and he laughed. "Those are just personal habits, nothing of consequence. Nothing of consequence at all. By comparison, that child Sharly... alas..."

The mere mention of Sharly irritated Nyx. She huffed, "Young people are so headstrong. Sharly is being utterly ridiculous. She has actually been living in the Ipo Evil Lands for an entire month, and now she has us traveling thousands of miles for a mere nine-year-old second-generation divinity. That brat."

Zhero added, "She was even held hostage by a young man named Ye Ran. It is truly a disgrace to our circle of Heralds."

Before the carriage even reached the Minotaur encampment, Zhero took off his sandals and stepped out, resuming his guise as a weary ascetic. Nyx cast a look of disdain his way and signaled the coachman to follow slowly behind him.

At the entrance to the Minotaur encampment, Ye Ran and his companions were already waiting for the arrival of the two Heralds. Ye Ran, Sharly, Freya, Meng Qi, Sinclair, and Banner had all gathered early. They waited for nearly two hours before finally catching sight of the carriage and the stooped, barefoot old man at the end of the road.

Seeing the bare-footed elder, the group couldn't help but marvel.

"Is that the renowned Herald of the Bright Moon, Lord Zhero?" Meng Qi asked, gesturing toward the old man.

Sharly nodded, giving him a confirming answer.

Meng Qi sighed with deep emotion. "To walk barefoot at such an advanced age—what high integrity and steadfast character. He is truly a role model for us all."

"Indeed," Sinclair chimed in. "No wonder he is such a respected Herald of the Bright Moon. By comparison, the Herald of Starlight is..."

Sharly didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If this group knew that the Herald of the Bright Moon was a lecherous old man and the other was an arrogant shrew, she wondered what their expressions would be.

As they spoke, the carriage and the old man drew near. Ye Ran and the others hurried forward.

"Lord Zhero, you have had a difficult journey."

"Sister Nyx, we have arrived at the Minotaur encampment. Let me help you down."

Meng Qi and Sinclair assisted the venerable Zhero, while Sharly went to help Nyx.

Nyx glanced at her, pulled back the curtain, and remarked, "Oh, Sharly, it’s been a few years; you’ve become quite polite. And your tongue has grown much sweeter." She stepped off the carriage and looked at Ye Ran. "This must be the Ye Ran who held you hostage, correct?"

The moment the words left her lips, silence fell. No one had expected the Herald to be so aggressive upon arrival. Meng Qi and Sinclair exchanged uneasy looks, sensing trouble. If she decided to press the issue, not only would their plans for the temple be ruined, but they might also suffer as collateral damage.

They expected Ye Ran, given his temperament, to retaliate immediately, and they feared the situation would spiral out of control.

However, Ye Ran did not lash out. Instead, he glanced at Sharly. "I did not hold her hostage. If you don't believe me, ask her. Both you and Lord Zhero are here; she won't lie to you."

He kicked the ball back to Sharly.

For a split second, Sharly burned with rage; she wanted nothing more than to lunge forward and bite the bastard. But under the meaningful gazes of Zhero and Nyx, she took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Sister Nyx, he did not hold me hostage. You must have misunderstood."

"Oh," Nyx replied distractedly, though her disdain for Ye Ran deepened. A boy who would lie to the faces of Heralds could not be a good person.

They had only walked a few steps into the encampment when they spotted a small, beautiful house. To the north, the thatched huts of Ye Ran’s group were crude and simple, but this little house was painted in a vibrant pink, flanked by two small gardens, with a cart full of snacks sitting right at the entrance. Yes, an entire cart of snacks sent by the Elves.

The luxury of the little house felt completely out of place against the squalor of the Minotaur encampment.

"The aura of a Sprite," Nyx noted, eyeing the pink house. She and Zhero exchanged a look and headed toward it.

Ye Ran looked back, and Sharly gave him a helpless shrug. Nyx and Zhero were powerful Heralds; he was merely a novice, and there was no comparison between them.

"Don't bother me! Get out!"

As expected, the moment Nyx opened the door, a bag of dried yams was hurled out. The Sprite, Mandy, was as ill-tempered as ever.

But Nyx did not get angry. Without moving an inch, the object Mandy threw collided with a shimmer of blue light, causing sparks of starlight to flicker and vanish before her.

"Heh, truly a Sprite," she said with certainty after seeing the tiny winged creature inside. Yet, she felt a strange suspicion and cast a meaningful glance at Sharly.

Sharly gave a dry cough and averted her eyes from Nyx’s inquisitive gaze.

Mandy the Sprite huffed, "Human Heralds aren't allowed to disturb me! Get out, get out now!"

"Very well, we shall leave. Let us not disturb the noble Sprite." The usually hot-tempered Nyx bowed to the Sprite’s wishes, smiled faintly, and closed the door for her.

Turning her head, she noticed Zhero hadn't even approached the door. She whispered to herself, "Old fox."

"Lord Zhero, Lady Nyx, this way please. The feast has already been prepared for you," Banner said, walking ahead enthusiastically.

Nyx nodded and added, "Ye Ran."

"Yes?" Ye Ran looked at her.

"Perhaps we should find a time to have a proper talk."