February 11, 2025 — 10:26 pm

"Ahhh—look, look, the one with curly hair on the left, he's just like an angel, so handsome, so elegant, I feel like I'm dreaming," a long-haired waitress with chestnut hair said, her face flushed with excitement.

"But the one with long hair on the right is also very handsome, and look, his gaze is as sharp as a sword, so cold and piercing, it feels like it’s pierced my heart," another short-haired girl said, her eyes sparkling.

"Mmm, the two of them sitting across from each other in the sunset, it's just like a painting, ahhh, I like both of them, what should I do..."

The giggling girls hid behind the bar, whispering among themselves. Fortunately, there were hardly any customers at this time, so the owner turned a blind eye. As for the only two guests in the bar at the moment, even the well-traveled owner had to admit that these two "young men" were indeed exceptionally handsome and dashing.

Of course, neither the owner nor the waitresses knew that the two white-haired young men sitting just a dozen meters away were, in fact, the very individuals who had plunged the entire commercial alliance into chaos and panic over the past half month. If their true identities were revealed, it would undoubtedly cause even greater panic than before.

The "Golden Armor Sword Emperor" and the "Dark Eagle"—if the people in the bar knew that the bearers of these two infamous titles were right in front of them, half of them would probably faint on the spot.

Of course, Chen Xuanfeng was not wearing his notorious adamantine armor at the moment, nor did he have the magic orb that altered his hair and eye color. Now, he had fully reverted to his original form, with silver hair cascading down his back, dressed in a simple yet elegant white robe. Those who were familiar with the "Holy Grail Knight Xuanfeng," like Xi Luo, would immediately recognize him as the werewolf lord. However, ordinary people would not recognize him, so compared to his forms as "Du Xifa" or "the werewolf lord," his current appearance allowed him to move freely through human towns without causing panic or disturbance.

As for Jin Luosha and the other girls, they were not with Chen Xuanfeng; they had other tasks.

As for Griffith, who sat across from Chen Xuanfeng, his situation was much better. Although his reputation was even greater, he had been a figure from over two hundred years ago. Moreover, the Light Sanctuary had destroyed almost all civilian records related to him in order to conceal the truth of his transformation into an undead. Nowadays, most people's knowledge of him came from legends and illustrations in novels, which had been so heavily embellished that even the "Dark Eagle" himself might look at them and think, "Huh? Who is this?" Therefore, he could confidently appear in his true form, dressed in ancient noble attire, and sit in this bar drinking with Chen Xuanfeng. As long as no core members of the Light Sanctuary suddenly appeared, there was absolutely no need to worry.

For individuals of their caliber, even the slightest movement within a radius of several hundred meters could not escape their perception, so they naturally overheard the chatter. However, such trivial matters were of no concern to them. Instead, their own conversation was completely enveloped by an exceptionally delicate force field, not a single word leaking out.

Only within a five-meter radius could their conversation be heard.

"Alright, tell me, what brings the infamous 'Dark Eagle' here?" Chen Xuanfeng stared at the elegant and handsome "young man" across from him for a moment before finally asking.

Griffith smiled slightly and replied, "I believe my purpose is quite clear—it's still about those elf sisters."

Chen Xuanfeng frowned. "I thought I made myself quite clear last time. Or are you just looking for an excuse to fight me again?"

Chen Xuanfeng was naturally a bit frustrated. After their last parting, he hadn't expected to encounter the "Dark Eagle" again. The southern continent is vast, and how could an undead so easily find him?

However, plans often change. According to Chen Xuanfeng's original plan, his slaying of the forbidden spell casters would shake the entire southern continent, but his true identity would not be revealed so quickly. During the time when the commercial alliance's higher-ups were still guessing the identity and motives of the perpetrator, he would have already entered the elven territories with the help of the merchant guilds that leaned toward him. However, Xi Luo and Morova’s interference disrupted this plan. Although the threat of the forbidden spells was still resolved, his identity was exposed to the world, and the merchant guilds that favored him were closely monitored, unable to provide any assistance. In the end, he had no choice but to unleash a massacre, risking the wrath of all the Holy Domain experts, to issue the harshest warning to the commercial alliance, hoping to force the more timid members to consider compromising with him. After all, the foundation of the commercial alliance lay in commerce, not territory. Even if the elves counterattacked the southern continent, it would not truly shake the foundations of most merchant guilds. Therefore, the possibility of compromise and the chance of steadfast resistance were roughly equal.

As a result, this desperate plan had, even more unfortunately, attracted the infamous death knight now sitting before him.

The "Dark Eagle" set down his crystal wine glass and shook his head. "Although I too would very much like to fight Lord Xuanfeng again, my primary goal for this trip remains the elf sisters. I believe you must have already realized that our identities are now different from what they were during the 'Golden City' incident, aren't they? Back then, I thought I was dealing with a human, so I couldn't reveal my true identity. But now, I know that Lord Xuanfeng is a high-ranking figure among the orcs, and you know that I am an undead. Therefore, many things we couldn’t discuss before are now open for discussion. I believe you are also quite interested in cooperating with me, aren't you?"

"..." Chen Xuanfeng pondered for a moment before finally nodding. "Very well, but those elf sisters are of great use to me. If your goal is to take their lives or have them leave my side for an extended period, then there's no need to speak further."

"Haha, I understand. If it were such a rude request, I’d hesitate to bring it up," Griffith said with a smile, waving his hand. "However, I must also admire Lord Xuanfeng's strategy. For those stubborn high elves who rigidly adhere to rules and customs from tens of thousands of years ago, the best approach is indeed to use those very customs to restrain them... 'The Dreaming Star Crown'... It's truly impressive that you managed to find such an ancient artifact."