Chapter 33: Seizing Opportunities
A Thank-you?
What kind of thank-you was she talking about? When it came to this, Hua Mi was visibly excited.
The Jade Court sounded like an elegant and upscale place, probably the homeland of the mainstream Elves before them. A highly civilized and powerful race like them wouldn't offer a meager thank-you gift. Even without the reward, establishing friendly relations with the Elven faction was a great opportunity. Who knows, this could be the first step to opening up a new market for interdimensional honey.
"Calm down, don't let your greed cloud your judgment. Always consider the hidden dangers behind the benefits."
The only problem now was...
Gift or friendship, these were all secondary concerns. What he had to think about was the real and present issues.
Even if he didn't care for himself, he had to consider the Feathered Blossoms here. They couldn't withstand another battle.
In just a few seconds, Hua Mi figured out the intricacies of the situation. He pretended to scrutinize the image carefully, shook his head, and said, "I've been fishing here all this time, and I haven't seen this person."
The Elf glanced at the bucket filled with fat fish, now lifeless. She seemed to believe his words. She put away the wanted poster but didn't leave immediately.
She faced the lake, gazing expressionlessly into the distance. The seven tiny Pseudo-Flower Spirits had stopped their singing and dancing but remained in the distance, not approaching. While the Pseudo-Flower Spirits were a friendly and kind race, they were cautious when it came to interacting with strangers. They often observed from the shadows and occasionally set up pranks to see how their targets reacted. Only when the target had passed their tests would they approach.
While Hua Mi appeared calm as he looked out at the lake, his heart was pounding. What if she discovered the wanted fugitive hidden in the water? Would she consider him an accomplice? The consequences might be worse than if he had just told her the truth. He had no desire to get involved in the enmity between these two races.
"Seize opportunities and make profits." Hua Mi held his fishing rod steady, even though his mind was racing.
"Do you live in the Black Forest?" the Elf suddenly turned to him and asked.
"Yes. The cabin in the woods, you've been there."
"It's not common to open a shop in the Black Forest, and humans are even rarer."
"Selling things is secondary; I mainly enjoy the atmosphere here."
The Elf looked deeply at him and asked, "Sindra, from the Jade Court, how should I address you?"
Hua Mi pondered for a moment. "You can call me the Bee Whisperer."
"The Bee Whisperer…" Sindra struggled to pronounce the name, as there were no bees or the word 'bee' in this world. To the indigenous inhabitants of this world, it sounded quite strange.
"Those Pseudo-Flower Spirits seem to trust you a lot," Sindra noted, glancing in their direction. She likely remembered the purple Pseudo-Flower Spirit she had seen in the wooden cabin earlier, which had a close connection with Hua Mi. Based on their trust in him and the current situation, she made this judgment.
"More or less," Hua Mi replied.
"As far as I know, Pseudo-Flower Spirits don't easily approach humans. Gaining their trust is proof of your honesty and reliability."
Hua Mi found it amusing that she didn't doubt him because of this. The seven little ones were willing to approach him not because of his noble character, but because of honey. Of course, he considered himself to have a decent character.
The Elf's erroneous judgment was likely due to her pride and a belief that the red-skinned Elf represented evil and couldn't be tolerated. However, from Hua Mi's and the little ones' perspective, the red-skinned Elf hadn't displayed any evil tendencies; in fact, she had even "enthusiastically" helped him catch a big fish. So, there was no way she could be considered evil. It was her arrogance that misled her.
"If you or your seven friends find any clues, shoot this arrow into the sky. I will sense it immediately," Sindra said as she retrieved an arrow from her quiver. She held it tightly, and several white lights emanated from her hand, attaching themselves to the arrow.
"I've marked the arrow so that it will resonate with my soul when shot. It will remain effective for ten days. As I mentioned earlier, if this succeeds, you will gain the friendship and gratitude of the Jade Court."
Hua Mi accepted the arrow; it felt like wood but was incredibly light and harder than ironwood, almost like metal. He placed it next to his composite bow and said, "I can't guarantee anything; after all, I'm just a small merchant. If you want to buy my honey, I can guarantee your satisfaction."
"Then, farewell," Sindra said and left the lakeside without looking back.
This person, not even asking what honey is. She was prepared with a whole marketing spiel. What a waste of effort.
After Sindra left, Hua Mi continued to sit calmly on his stool, fishing. The lake remained tranquil, with no signs of disturbance. The seven Pseudo-Flower Spirits flew over to him.
"Why didn't she come out?" one of them asked.
"Could she have drowned in there?" another wondered.
"That would be so sad," a third one chimed in.
Hua Mi didn't think she would drown so easily. She wouldn't suffocate herself, would she? If she couldn't hold her breath any longer, she would likely come out and confront the pale-skinned Elf, maybe even escape. The red-skinned Elf was probably just waiting in the water to avoid falling for Sindra's deceit and wanted to stay underwater a little longer to be cautious.
She didn't come out, and Hua Mi didn't make a move, continuing to fish without a fuss. Several more minutes passed, and ripples finally appeared on the lake's surface. With a gurgling sound, a round water sphere emerged, and then, with a splash, a transparent humanoid figure made entirely of water broke the surface. Riding the current, she slowly made her way to the shore, using both her hands and feet to crawl up. A layer of water receded, revealing the fiery red skin underneath. She was soaked and looked even more disheveled than before. Her once neatly combed-back black hair was now a mess, hanging down like a water spirit's.
She suddenly looked up, her yellow vertical pupils piercing through her wet hair, staring intensely at Hua Mi. In that instant, he felt as if he was staring into the eyes of a top predator. His heart tightened, and he immediately sent his two combat bees to protect him. To be honest, he didn't expect her to offer any rewards at this point; she had clearly seen better days. But if she wanted to seek revenge, he wouldn't just sit idly by.
Thankfully, the red-skinned Elf showed no intention of attacking him. After giving him a brief glance, she rolled over and lay on the ground, gasping for breath.
After resting on the ground for a while, the red-skinned Elf spoke, though not in a language Hua Mi could understand. She spoke in a series of strange, guttural sounds with many rolling and trilling sounds, a language he couldn't comprehend.
Language barriers were where the Pseudo-Flower Spirits came in handy. Telepathy was a natural ability of their kind, something they were born with, requiring no materials or rituals, and no need for learning after birth. This made them excellent translators.
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