On the vast and boundless elf plains, several cities are scattered sporadically, along with a multitude of villages and post stations that seem as if they might vanish at any moment. Among those cities, the most famous is probably Windrock City, ruled by Lord Kevin. It is located at a key point on the northeastern border, and Lord Kevin also holds nearly half of the elf plains as his fief.
However, if one were to speak of the most prosperous place among these cities, it would by no means fall to Windrock City. Qu尔斯 City, adjacent to the Warmwater River, is renowned as the wealthiest city-state north of the Warmwater River. This is an ancient city said to have existed since the era of the gods. Nearby lies one of the world’s most famous gem mines: the Gaborei Joy Great Mine, which produces a type of white gem known as snow gems. These gems are exported across the entire Castro continent, and Qu尔斯 City is thus called the City of Snow Gems.
Yet, the ownership of the Gaborei Joy Great Mine does not belong to the lord of Qu尔斯 City, but rather to a prestigious great family in the Star Empire: the Stael family.
The Stael family rose to prominence through the gem trade, controlling several gem mines. There is a proverb that goes like this: the best gems on the Castro continent are all moon-shaped. Moon-shaped refers to the Stael family, because the family crest of the Stael family is a blue full moon. For this reason, the Stael family is also known as the Moon Gem family.
Although the lord of Qu尔斯 City has no blood ties to the Moon Gem family, every resident of Qu尔斯 City understands that this city is in fact the Moon Gem family’s city. There is no doubt about this.
Qu尔斯 City is located over a hundred miles west of Greenleaf Village.
In the early morning hours, when the city guards of Qu尔斯 City yawned and opened the city gates, vegetable farmers and peddlers began streaming in endlessly. Among these people was a raggedly dressed boy dressed as a swordsman. If Ye Chui and his group were standing here right now, they would certainly recognise that this person was one of those mountain stronghold wolf bandits.
He appeared to be sixteen or seventeen years old, with a skinny body and nimble eyes that gave him an extremely cunning impression. This little wolf bandit had come to the city to buy medicine. Yesterday in Greenleaf Village, their group had been thoroughly thrashed and driven back to their lair. That poor fellow who had been smashed flying by Gunny’s sword and severely injured had not survived the night. He had died in the middle of the night amid groans. The others had also suffered considerable injuries, so early in the morning, the leader of the wolf bandits, who was actually the little wolf bandit’s father, had sent the little wolf bandit to Qu尔斯 City to buy some medicine for treating wounds.
The little wolf bandit had set off before dawn and arrived here when the city gates opened. Walking on the already gradually bustling main street, the little wolf bandit looked around alertly with his nimble eyes. He rarely had the chance to come to the city, so he seemed unusually excited. His hands under the tattered leather clothes were constantly rubbing together. Moments later, his eyes lit up as he spotted a tall girl in luxurious clothes.
Oh, what a beautiful girl. She appeared to be eighteen or nineteen years old, with a head of light blue long hair and skin as fair and tender as if it could drip water. She wore a white velvet long robe. In this cold weather, it was neither bulky nor failed to keep the body warm. Such a piece of clothing could sell for at least a dozen gold coins, right?
The little wolf bandit pretended to indifferently look away, pondering inwardly. His interest in this young lady was not because she was beautiful, but because he had seen the money pouch tied to her waist.
An exquisite silk pouch, adorned with sparkling tiny diamonds. It looked bulging inside, certainly holding quite a few gold coins, right? Even just that pouch alone would be invaluable.
The little wolf bandit flexed his finger joints, preparing to make his move.
He had come to the city to buy medicine but had not brought any money. Fortunately, his speciality was precisely this method of turning others’ money pouches into his own…
Moments later, the little wolf bandit brushed past that beautiful young lady. The little wolf bandit reached his hand into his bosom. His palm felt heavy. The money pouch was in hand. After walking a few steps further, the little wolf bandit vigilantly scanned his surroundings and found that no one had noticed his actions. A slight smile appeared on his face.
But his smile suddenly stiffened. On the other side of the main street, a pair of somewhat cold eyes was staring at him.
That was a beggar. This was the little wolf bandit’s first impression upon seeing the other party.
It was currently the cold season, yet that person wore only a tattered long robe, exposing a red chest and thighs. His age did not seem too great, but his full beard and dishevelled hair gave him a very weathered appearance. In one hand, he clutched a wine jug, while the other hand gripped a sword that looked utterly dilapidated, with a dirty sheath.
The little wolf bandit had seen too many such people: wandering swordsmen. The main streets of Qu尔斯 City were full of them. He waved his fist at that wandering swordsman, signalling the other not to meddle in his affairs, then prepared to leave without pause.
However, when he had twisted and turned through several streets, and looked back upon turning, he was surprised to see that beggar-like swordsman following from afar.
Could it be that he wanted to rob him in turn?
A fierce glint appeared in the little wolf bandit’s eyes. He drew a dagger from his waist that had been sharpened to an incredibly keen edge. With agile movements, he suddenly rushed in front of the wandering warrior, pointing the sharp end of the dagger at the wandering warrior’s chest.
“Buddy, did you take the wrong road?” he asked viciously.
The wandering swordsman let out a wine burp from his mouth, lowered his head to glance at the dagger pressed against his chest, and said in a somewhat hoarse voice, “You just took Miss Xueyi’s wallet. Hurry and return it to her.”
“Xueyi?” The little wolf bandit knew this referred to that beautiful young lady. But the name Xueyi seemed familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before?
“Once something falls into my hands, it becomes mine.” The little wolf bandit said with a cold laugh. He took the money pouch from his bosom and lightly tossed it up and down. Only then did he realise that the tactile sensation from the money pouch did not feel like gold coins. His movements stiffened slightly. He brought his eyes close to the opening of the pouch and peered inside.
Upon seeing what was inside, an expression of utter terror suddenly appeared on the little wolf bandit’s face.
The pouch did not contain gold coins, but rather gems that were even more valuable than gold… one after another!
Carrying so many gems on her person, a girl named Xueyi…
This made the little wolf bandit suddenly understand the young lady’s identity. It also made him realise what an extraordinary figure he had just stolen from: Xueyi Stael, the second daughter of the Moon Gem family!
No one in Qu尔斯 City was unaware of the Moon Gem family.
The little wolf bandit also knew that Miss Xueyi’s elder sister was a royal consort, the mother of the twelfth prince.
Having stolen Miss Xueyi’s gems, there would surely be no one in Qu尔斯 City daring to help him fence them, and he might even invite calamity upon himself!
The little wolf bandit’s body trembled. With a mix of fear, he looked at the wandering swordsman before him, “I, I will return the gems to her right now…”
“Too late.” The wandering swordsman said this.
The wandering swordsman’s body seemed to move slightly.
But the little wolf bandit did not see what he did. Then, in the next moment, the arm that had been pressing the dagger against the wandering swordsman’s chest vanished into thin air. Blood sprayed out. The little wolf bandit let out waves of agonised screams and collapsed to the ground.
Many people gathered on the main street.
In the distance, the second daughter of the Moon Gem family, the beautiful girl named Xueyi, was walking over gracefully.
The wandering swordsman had already picked up the gem pouch. The pouch was stained with some blood. With a fawning expression, he held the money pouch before Xueyi, “Xueyi, I helped you retrieve your things.”
Xueyi looked at the money pouch, then at the little wolf bandit collapsed on the ground. Her brows furrowed slightly. She shook her head, “I do not want things that are already dirty.”
A pouch of gems, invaluable, yet simply because it was stained with some blood, she did not want it?
Across the entire Castro continent, probably only someone from the Moon Gem family would have the qualification to say such words.
“Exactly, exactly. This bastard’s blood dirtied your gems.” The wandering swordsman said with heartfelt pain.
“Blood can make gems even more captivating.” Xueyi said with a face full of sarcasm, “It is merely things that you have touched that I do not want.”
So the dirtiness referred to the wandering swordsman having touched the money pouch?
An expression of slight embarrassment immediately appeared on the wandering swordsman’s face. But his expression quickly turned to anger, because he saw Xueyi walk straight to the side of that little wolf bandit. She bent down and lifted the dirty, blood-soaked little wolf bandit who was constantly screaming in agony into her arms. Her fair and tender hand pressed against the stump of the little wolf bandit’s severed arm, helping to staunch the bleeding. The white figure and the bloodied wolf bandit created a scene filled with dissonant eeriness.
The wandering swordsman was so angry that his entire body trembled. He knew Xueyi was deliberately provoking him, but he did not dare to make any accusations. He could only grip the hilt of that broken sword tightly, his eyes blazing with fire as he stared at the little wolf bandit lying in Miss Xueyi’s embrace. This lucky little bastard. If losing an arm could allow such intimacy with Miss Xueyi, he would rather chop off his own arm…
The little wolf bandit was on the verge of death, but his consciousness was exceptionally clear. He could smell the alluring fragrance on Miss Xueyi’s body, and feel that warm embrace. This sensation was something he had never experienced. In this moment, the pain from his severed arm seemed no longer to matter. He was willing to give everything he had to repay this young lady. But what did he have that could repay this noble young lady?
In his mind, the piece of information said to be worth one hundred thousand gold coins suddenly came to him. So he struggled to open his mouth, “Ye, Ye Chui…”
Xueyi’s movements stiffened slightly. Her eyes widened as she looked at the little wolf bandit.
The wandering swordsman also froze.
“Greenleaf Village, Whatever Name, Magic Guild. They are now there…” After saying this, it was as if he had used up his last bit of strength. The massive loss of blood left the little wolf bandit nearly exhausted. Miss Xueyi appeared to be tending to his wounds, but in reality, she was only putting on a show. However, being able to convey this information to Miss Xueyi in the last moments of his life made him feel content.
However…
In the next moment, Miss Xueyi’s hand suddenly gripped his neck!
He stared in astonishment, his body writhing powerlessly. In his vision, Miss Xueyi’s gentle face became utterly ferocious. He wanted to speak, but could only make “gurgle, gurgle” sounds. “Crack, crack.” That was the sound of his neck being completely crushed…
Soon, the little wolf bandit thus ended his life a few minutes early.
Xueyi stood up with an indifferent expression and walked towards the direction of the city lord’s mansion, without glancing at the little wolf bandit again.
The surrounding onlookers parted to make way for her.
“Miss Xueyi…” The wandering swordsman was stunned for a moment, casually tossed aside the gems in his hand, and hurriedly chased after her.
The scattered gems fell to the ground. The surrounding people stiffened for a moment, then immediately began scrambling for them. The little wolf bandit’s corpse was also trampled several times in the process.
The wandering swordsman sidled up to Xueyi’s side. The little wolf bandit’s voice just now had been very faint, heard only by Xueyi and the wandering swordsman. He said, “Greenleaf Village? So my little royal uncle has been hiding in Greenleaf Village on the eastern side.”
Little royal uncle!
Ye Chui was now regarded as the old emperor’s illegitimate son. If speaking in terms of seniority, the fourth prince would have to address Ye Chui as little royal uncle. Of course, if counting from Debbie’s generation, it should be grandfather.
And for the wandering swordsman to call Ye Chui little royal uncle, that meant…
“Sixth prince, I hear the old emperor is highly likely to pass the throne to that illegitimate son. Do you not want to go and deal with him?” Xueyi asked the wandering swordsman coldly.
This wandering swordsman was actually the empire’s sixth prince!
Among the empire’s twelve princes, almost every one had their own nickname. For example, the eldest prince was called the Benevolent Governance Prince, the second prince the Rice Bucket Prince… The fourth prince was originally called the Cold and Arrogant Prince, but in the past half month, the title “Green Hair Prince” had already supplanted Cold and Arrogant Prince.
And among all the princes, the most unique had to be the sixth prince: the Beggar Prince.
He was the prince with the least interest in vying for the throne. In his early years, he had most loved listening to chivalrous tales of wandering swordsmen and admired their free-spirited style, so he became increasingly unkempt. A proper prince yet always dressed like a beggar. Of course, this beggar attire of his was also sewn by the royal capital’s master tailors, and was actually quite expensive.
At the same time, he possessed extremely proficient swordsmanship skills and was one of the top sword geniuses in the Star Empire.
However, what people gossiped about most regarding him was neither his beggar attire nor his genius swordsmanship, but rather his unwavering, or one might say doggedly persistent, infatuation with Miss Xueyi of the Moon Gem family. Princes and noble young ladies were supposed to be a perfect match. Yet because he did not want to contend for the throne, Miss Xueyi had always rejected his courtship. He, however, persisted tirelessly and could be called the epitome of the ultimate spare.
Now, with Xueyi having come to Qu尔斯 City because of the illegitimate son matter, he had eagerly followed along…
“I am least interested in the throne. Xueyi, let us not bother with that so-called illegitimate son. It is too boring.” The Beggar Prince said with a fawning smile.
Xueyi shook her head. The sixth prince himself was actually quite good, but unfortunately, he had absolutely no interest in the throne. This point disappointed her immensely. All the family’s resources could only be used to support the twelfth prince, born to her elder sister.
“Miss Xueyi.” Upon just returning to the lord’s mansion, an old guard hurriedly came forward to greet her.
“Bring my snow shadow beast. I have already learned the whereabouts of Ye Chui and his group!” Xueyi quickly instructed, heading towards her room while directing the maids to prepare clothes for her to change into.
“You know that illegitimate son’s whereabouts? I will notify the others right away.” The old attendant said hastily.
“No, no need for others.” Xueyi shook her head instead. She looked at the Beggar Prince, and a slight smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, “The sixth prince and I will go. But if we have not returned by nightfall, then spread the news of Ye Chui…”
