328: Chapter 329 Siar Learns the Truth

The heavy atmosphere in the council hall did not fully dissipate as the representatives of the other four Elven Tribes departed one after another. Instead, it settled into a more complex undercurrent. Elandir watched calmly as the last representative from Thorn Valley, his retreating figure somewhat hurried, disappeared beyond the grand doors. Only then did he wave his hand lightly. The Elven guards standing by understood the signal, retreating silently and gently closing the heavy ancient wooden doors.

Now, the hall held only the core members of the Sunlight Elf Clan's royal family, a few absolutely trusted elders, and the sole remaining representative from another clan: the clan leader of the Wind Whisper Elves, Xiyier.

Xiyier sat upright in the guest seat, a trace of fatigue and worry she could not quite conceal on her face. Supporting the Sunlight Elf Clan was a decision she had made based on Elven dignity and her judgment of the Canglan Empire's true nature. However, this did not mean she felt no fear towards the impending storm. On the contrary, precisely because she understood the Empire's terror, her decision felt all the more weighty.

"In truth, Clan Leader Xiyier," Elandir said, withdrawing his gaze from the doorway and turning to her, a wry, apologetic smile appearing on his face, "you must have found the earlier situation rather unseemly. It surely put you in an awkward position."

Xiyier shook her head gently, her voice clear but carrying a hint of hoarseness. "It is of no consequence. As clan leader, I bear responsibility for my people and must make the choices I believe are right. However..." She paused, lifting her eyes to meet Elandir's, her gaze sharp. "Clan Leader Elandir, forgive my bluntness. Not everyone within the Wind Whisper Elves shares my views."

"Within the Elder Council, more than half believe we should not involve ourselves in this matter. It is not that they do not resent humans, but they view the nature of this crisis as different, believing it was actively provoked by the Sunlight Elf Clan. A Canglan Empire fighting for revenge, versus an Empire fighting for plunder, will differ vastly in both determination and methods. If we participate, it could very well spell the doom of our entire clan."

She spoke candidly, laying out the internal divisions and the worst-case scenarios before Elandir. This was not a complaint, but a statement of cold, hard fact. Without the death of the Third Prince, an invasion by the Canglan Empire might have resulted in a temporary retreat or a shift to softer targets if they encountered stiff resistance and losses exceeding expectations.

But to avenge a Dragon Rider prince, the Empire's fury would burn away all reason. The war would likely be fought to the bitter end. This was a consequence that the Wind Whisper Elves... or indeed, any Elven Tribe still in possession of its senses, would find difficult to bear.

Elandir listened quietly, his expression showing not offense at her bluntness, but understanding. He sighed softly, his gaze sweeping over the other clan members in the hall, who wore similarly grave expressions. Queen Yiselah's eyes held heartache, Laigong clenched his fists, and the few elders present had deeply furrowed brows.

"I understand," Elandir began slowly, his tone calm. "The principle that 'when the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold' is understood by all. But when the cold blade is truly at one's throat, how many can remember this principle and are willing to stake the lives of their entire clan to act upon it? Seeking advantage and avoiding harm is the instinct of all living beings. The choices made by the other four clans today, while disheartening, are also within reason."

He paused, looking at Xiyier, a flicker of sincere gratitude in his eyes. "Therefore, Clan Leader Xiyier, your support, and that of the Wind Whisper Elves, is all the more precious. This friendship will be remembered by the Sunlight Elf Clan."

Xiyier pressed her lips together, about to say something, when she noticed the heavy expression on Elandir's face suddenly melt away as if touched by the spring sun. It was replaced by an almost peculiar lightness. The corners of his mouth even turned up uncontrollably, finally erupting into a low, relieved, and somewhat mischievous—

"Hah... hahaha!"

This sudden laughter seemed jarring, even eerie, in the council hall that had just been steeped in pessimism and a sense of impending doom.

???

Xiyier was utterly stunned, her emerald-green eyes filled with bewilderment and confusion. She looked at Elandir, who was laughing heartily, then at her surroundings. Queen Yiselah was covering her mouth with a light chuckle, her eyes holding a mix of helplessness and fondness. Laigong was also grinning, his shoulders shaking. Even those typically stern and rigid elders now wore relieved, even somewhat teasing smiles.

What... is going on? A formidable enemy is at the gates, a crisis threatening their very extinction looms, and they're laughing? Xiyier felt as if she had stumbled into an absurd play, the only actor without a script.

"Clan Leader Elandir? What are you all laughing about?" Xiyier couldn't help but ask, a trace of tension in her voice she hadn't intended. Had the pressure driven the Sunlight Elf Clan collectively mad? Or was there something she didn't know?

"Apologies, Xiyier, you must think us quite strange," Elandir said, finally managing to stop laughing and wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. He looked at Xiyier, his expression apologetic yet filled with the excitement of sharing a secret. "We are not laughing at you, nor have we gone mad with despair. We are simply relieved that we no longer have to keep up the act."

"The act?" Xiyier was even more confused.

"That's right, the act," Laigong took over, his young, handsome face now radiant with an energy completely different from his earlier gravity. He walked up to Xiyier, his tone brimming with barely suppressed excitement. "Aunt Xiyier, do you know why Lilia has been so elusive these past few months, to the point where even we often couldn't find her?"

Xiyier nodded. This was indeed a mystery that had puzzled all Elves who cared for Lilia.

Laigong took a deep breath, as if about to announce a monumental secret. "She wasn't missing, nor was she in any danger. She was summoned! By a human youth from another world named Lin Muyang, through a summoning contract, taken to his world—a place called Blue Star!"

"Summoned? Another world? Blue Star? A human youth?" Xiyier murmured the words, each one a shock to her understanding. A cross-world summoning? It sounded like the wildest epic legend!

"Yes!" Laigong nodded emphatically, a strange light sparkling in his eyes. "That world's power system is completely different from ours, but without a doubt, it is far more powerful! Lilia didn't suffer there; on the contrary, she became unimaginably strong! Now, Lilia alone possesses terrifying power enough to easily destroy the entire imperial capital of the Canglan Empire! And that's not even counting the reinforcements she brought back from that world—Sir Lin Muyang himself, and his other companions!"

The sheer volume of information was too much for Xiyier to process immediately. Lilia had become strong enough to single-handedly destroy an imperial capital? And there were reinforcements from another world? It sounded more far-fetched than the ramblings of a drunken bard!

"You're saying a human youth from another world summoned Lilia, and is now on our side?" Xiyier struggled to organize her thoughts, grasping the most crucial point, but doubts immediately arose. "But he is still human! 'Different races, different hearts.' How can you be sure this Sir Lin Muyang will genuinely help us, and not have ulterior motives? Could he not be like the Canglan Empire, viewing us as resources to be plundered?"

This was the core issue. Trusting a strange human, especially one from an unknown world possessing terrifying power, might carry even greater risks than facing the Canglan Empire.

"That question is simple," Elandir took back the conversation, a complex smile—a mixture of paternal pride, helplessness, and a hint of 'our cabbage got eaten by a pig'—appearing on his face. He cleared his throat, adopting the tone of someone announcing momentous news.

"Because, my daughter Lilia and that human youth named Lin Muyang are now in a romantic relationship."

He spread his hands, wearing an expression that said, 'Now you understand.' "In other words, our Sunlight Elf Clan can now, somewhat loosely, be considered Sir Lin Muyang's future in-laws. Do you think he would stand by and watch his future in-laws be wiped out, leaving his little girlfriend heartbroken?"

"A... romantic relationship?!" This time, Xiyier was genuinely shocked. That child Lilia was in a relationship with a human youth? The development was too swift! But seeing Elandir's expression—though slightly pained, it held no opposition—and the gentle, 'daughter grown and gone' look in Queen Yiselah's eyes, she knew it was likely true.

After the shock subsided, an indescribable sense of absurdity washed over her. So, the extinction crisis facing the Sunlight Elf Clan might be resolved simply because the princess had... brought back a boyfriend from another world?

"In fact," Elandir's voice pulled Xiyier back from her chaotic thoughts, "Sir Lin Muyang, along with Lilia and his two other companions, are no longer with the clan."

"Not with the clan? Where have they gone?" Xiyier asked instinctively.

Elandir and Laigong exchanged a glance, father and son simultaneously wearing identical 'you-know-what-I-mean' smiles.

"Them?" Laigong said lightly, as if discussing a trivial matter. "They've already used some spatial teleportation method beyond our comprehension to travel to the imperial capital of the Canglan Empire. Calculating the time, they might already be... having a friendly exchange with the Canglan imperial family."

"What?!" Xiyier nearly jumped from her seat, her emerald eyes wide. "They've already gone to Canglan City? Just... the four of them? To face the Empire's core military might directly?"

"That's correct," Elandir nodded, his tone carrying absolute trust in this son-in-law he had yet to meet. "This was also Sir Lin Muyang's idea. Rather than passively waiting for the enemy army to press down upon us, it's better to take the initiative, strike at the heart, and solve the problem at its root."

Xiyier felt her worldview was being thoroughly trampled. Four people dared to teleport directly into the heart of a human empire's power to solve a problem? This wasn't confidence; it was madness! But seeing the matter-of-fact, even somewhat expectant expressions on the faces of Elandir and his family, she suddenly realized that perhaps, for them, this truly wasn't a difficult task?

"So that's how it is..." Xiyier let out a long sigh, leaning back in her chair, a look of mingled amusement and exasperation on her face. "So, earlier, when you gathered the other tribes, holding that solemn meeting, watching them argue, complain, even consider surrender... you were all just acting? Just to gauge their true stance?"