After buying the map, Lin Yun found an inn and checked in.
Inside the inn.
Lin Yun first spread out the map and studied it, confirming his current location within the elven territory.
“With this map in hand, finding the way back to human lands would no longer be difficult,” Lin Yun murmured as he looked at the map laid across the table.
Having a map meant he would no longer be wandering blindly among the elves. The knowledge eased a good deal of the pressure he felt.
“Although returning to human territory is now entirely feasible, if I just go back like this, what will happen to An Yun?” Lin Yun fell into deep thought.
He now faced a critical decision about what to do next.
Should he return directly to human lands, or try to rescue An Yun first?
The former was obviously far safer. Once he reached the Ancestral Heart Realm, he would be out of danger.
Yet in his heart, Lin Yun was firmly inclined towards the second choice: save An Yun.
Saving An Yun, however, was easier said than done. At present, he had no clue where to even begin.
Look for the female elf Zi Tong whom he had once saved?
Quite apart from the fact that he had no idea whether Zi Tong’s status would allow her to help, Lin Yun did not even know where she lived. The elven realm was vast, and he had no idea where to start searching for her.
“The only possible lead is this jade pendant.” Lin Yun turned his palm and revealed the pendant Zi Tong had given him.
The problem was how to use this pendant to find her. That, too, seemed an insurmountable difficulty.
After pondering for a while, Lin Yun produced a manual.
The manual was titled Silver Moon Seal, the very one he had bought earlier in the shop.
Lin Yun decided to study it first. Regardless of how powerful Silver Moon Seal actually was, having at least one divine-sense skill to use in future battles would be helpful.
After all, within elven territory he could only rely on divine sense, so mastering a divine-sense technique was essential.
He poured his divine sense into Silver Moon Seal and activated it.
The technique consisted of six seals. Lin Yun spent a full week and successfully mastered the first three, which would be sufficient for the time being.
When his training ended, Lin Yun left the inn.
He decided to start by locating an information broker in the city and see whether he could learn anything about Zi Tong.
If Zi Tong truly held some special status, an information broker might have records of her.
Conversely, if nothing could be found, it probably meant her background was not particularly influential.
After asking locals for directions, Lin Yun arrived at a shop called the Endless Gate.
It was said that the Endless Gate was an extremely capable intelligence organisation among the elves, with branches in every elven city.
Lin Yun entered and directly stated that he wished to purchase information on a female elf named Zi Tong.
“Please wait a moment, sir. I’ll look it up for you right away,” the clerk replied with a smile.
With that, the clerk hurried off.
In the rear courtyard of the Endless Gate branch.
The branch master was resting when the clerk rushed in.
“Branch Master, there is an urgent matter I must report to you personally.”
The clerk leaned close and whispered, “A customer in the shop wants information on Miss Zi Tong.
“Oh?” The branch master showed mild surprise.
“Branch Master, should we sell it to him?” the clerk asked.
“I’ll handle it myself.” The branch master rose to his feet.
…
Back in the main hall.
After waiting a short while, a middle-aged male elf approached Lin Yun.
“Sir, here is the information you requested. The price is five hundred thousand Haoyue crystals.” The middle-aged elf placed a dossier in front of Lin Yun.
“Very well.”
Lin Yun paid the five hundred thousand Haoyue crystals, picked up the dossier, and walked out of the shop.
He had not expected to actually obtain information on Zi Tong, and at such a steep price. This only heightened his anticipation about its contents.
Inside the shop.
The branch master of the Endless Gate watched Lin Yun leave.
The moment Lin Yun’s figure vanished beyond the door, the smile on the branch master had worn disappeared completely.
In its place was a grave expression.
“Hurry! Go to the City Lord’s residence at once and inform the City Lord that a human has infiltrated the city!” the branch master ordered the nearby clerk, his face heavy with urgency.
“What? A human? You mean the customer who just left? Branch Master, are you sure there’s no mistake?” The clerk beside him was utterly shocked.
He had not detected the slightest trace of anything human about that customer.
