Chapter 8: First Encounter with Elves

But no matter what, the Blade-Armored Tiger was dead, and the danger was eliminated. Everyone, including the mercenary captain Nate, looked at Xu Feng with awe and reverence. On Hailan, the strong were respected. The site was swiftly cleared, and people began setting up camp; they would spend the night here.

Unlike before, this time, many people rushed to help Xu Feng set up his tent. The caravan leader glanced at Xu Feng but ultimately did not approach him. To be honest, he very much wanted to curry favor with this mysterious powerhouse, or at least express his gratitude. However, the young man had kept a low profile throughout the journey, indicating he did not wish to be disturbed.

As a merchant, Yasen had traveled far and wide and was worldly-wise and socially adept. Many powerful individuals had their own taboos, so it was better for him not to approach the young man. Of course, he did not forget to remind his subordinates to take care of Xu Feng during the rest of the journey, treating him as the most honored guest.

The spring chill was biting, and the night was already deep. Xu Feng lay in his tent, too excited to sleep. Memories from after his crossing into this world flowed before his eyes like a movie. Having overcome the initial frustration and confusion, he was now determined.

"It seems the heavens have not treated me poorly," Xu Feng thought, examining his hands by the firelight. First, he had easily mastered the language of this planet, and today he had inexplicably killed that terrifying magic beast. All of this indicated that during the crossing, he had gained some kind of extraordinary power. But what exactly was it?

Xu Feng was eager to find out, but no matter how much he pondered, he still had no clue. He shook his head. Forget it, he should sleep first. He believed that with time, he would surely master the abilities he had gained.

Sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, spreading warmth across the land, and all things regained their vitality. It was the start of a new day. Smoke rose from the forest as the caravan began preparing breakfast. Emerging from his tent, Xu Feng could clearly sense the change in people's attitudes toward him. After yesterday's events, everyone regarded him as a powerhouse hiding his true identity.

The caravan even specially set aside a carriage for him. Xu Feng did not decline, as he also hoped for a more comfortable journey. In the following days, they encountered no further dangers, and half a month later, they finally reached their destination.

The capital of the Taige Empire!

On the beautiful Hailan, many advanced intelligent beings lived, with humans, elves, and beastmen being the most powerful.

Arthas City, as the capital of the human empire, was unimaginably prosperous. Nearly five million people lived here. Although it still lagged behind Earth's international metropolises, one must not forget that Hailan was still in the Middle Ages. A city of this scale was already remarkable.

With numerous intelligent races, conflicts were inevitable. However, over the past decade or so, Hailan had enjoyed a rare period of peace. The favorable environment promoted thriving trade. In Arthas City, besides humans, one could also see elves from the Green Sea and beastmen from the northern wastelands.

Gazing at the magnificent city before him, Xu Feng felt a surge of ambition from the depths of his heart. Since fate had brought him to this world, he was going to make his mark. Arthas City would be the starting point for all of this.

After entering the city with the caravan, Xu Feng prepared to part ways with them. He was now bidding farewell to everyone. The caravan leader, Yasen, and the mercenary captain, Nate, both wore respectful expressions. Ever since Xu Feng had killed the Blade-Armored Tiger, they had regarded this young man as a great figure concealing his power. Before parting, Yasen even left the address of his shop in the capital, inviting Xu Feng to visit whenever he had time.

Xu Feng smiled and agreed.

Walking through the capital's streets, Xu Feng couldn't help but marvel at its prosperity. The streets were bustling with pedestrians, and many of the buildings on both sides were constructed from massive stones. Such houses had two major advantages: first, they stayed warm in winter and cool in summer during daily living; second, during wartime, they could easily be converted into fortresses.

Although Xu Feng had been on Hailan for over a month, this was the first time he had seen such a large city. Many things seemed incredibly novel to him, after all, this was a beautiful world of magic.

Suddenly, the crowd stirred, and people surged forward. Xu Feng was taken aback. Was something going on? Since he had nothing better to do, he squeezed forward with the flow of people.

"Wow, an elf!"

"So beautiful!"

...

Exclamations rose and fell. Xu Feng looked up and saw a young, beautiful girl. Her pointed ears indicated she had elven blood. Her delicate features seemed as if carved by an artist. As a fan of fantasy novels, Xu Feng had long wanted to see an elf maiden with his own eyes. He never expected to have the pleasure so soon after entering the capital.

Truth be told, his luck was really quite good. Although due to thriving trade, the capital was never short of elven merchants, compared to humans, elves were still a relatively conservative race. Most elven merchants were male, and elven girls rarely appeared in public.

Whistles occasionally came from the crowd, but no one overstepped. Firstly, the empire and the Nature Alliance were currently in a honeymoon period, and elven merchants enjoyed the same treatment as humans in the empire. Secondly, as the capital, Arthas maintained very good security. In such a bustling market, no one dared to cause trouble recklessly.

However, exceptions existed in everything. Hailan was still in the Middle Ages, and besides ordinary commoners, there existed the noble class.

Nobles, as the name implied, possessed privileges. Although in theory, they were not above the empire's laws, in reality, powerful and influential aristocratic families paid no heed to the statutes.

Baron Carl was one such figure. Although in terms of noble rank, the empire was divided into six levels: duke, marquis, earl, viscount, baron, and knight, with baron being the second lowest and not particularly prominent, he was born into the Bitsos Family. His ancestors were founding heroes of the empire, and his father controlled the empire's finances. Carl was one of the most notorious playboys in Arthas City.

He was neither accomplished in literature nor martial arts, yet he excelled in indulgence, gambling, and debauchery. He spent his days causing trouble with a group of unscrupulous friends. At that moment, he was also among the crowd watching the excitement. Since the empire and the Nature Alliance had signed a friendly treaty a century ago, the slave trade involving elves had been strictly prohibited. This was the first time Carl had seen an elven woman.