Chapter Nine, Meeting is Destiny

Lan Lan opened her mouth as if she wanted to explain, but Luo Xue had already lifted the hem of her long robe and taken out a leather pouch

Sigh. Luo Xue let out a gentle sigh, gazing at Chen Daolin with a hint of disappointment in her eyes: "Looking at your physique, you must not be on the path of martial cultivation, yet I cannot sense any fluctuations of magic power from you. I truly do not understand... Or perhaps your cultivation method is something I have never encountered before?"

Lan Lan could not help but feel puzzled, staring blankly at the falling snow.

"It is very fragrant." This fellow named Luoxue, accompanied by a smile, revealed a deep sense of emotion in his eyes

Chen Daolin hesitated for a moment, but ultimately took it. With a gentle shake, he heard the sound of water sloshing inside, which piqued his curiosity. He unscrewed the leather stopper on top, and immediately a wave of refreshing fragrance wafted towards him. The delicate aroma spread through the air, permeating his lungs, and with each breath, he couldn't help but feel a sense of tranquility and delight

"That... actually this meat is quite delicious." Lan Lan noticed that Chen Daolin's expression was not very pleasant, and instinctively said, "Although it doesn't look great, it still tastes quite good."

Chen Daolin suddenly felt as if a thousand alpacas were galloping through his mind

Upon thinking of this, as she looked at the seemingly carefree Chen Daolin before her, Luo Xue found herself unexpectedly intrigued.

The falling snow smiled as it was received, yet it was merely held in hand without being consumed; however, in those eyes, there seemed to be a hint of subtle sentiment.

Since you are not eating, what kind of meat are you coming over for

I really am. "Chen Daolin spread his hands.

"If fate allows, we shall meet again; if not, what purpose does it serve to leave behind just a name?" Chen Daolin smiled more lazily, saying, "Mr. Luoxue, I thought you were a free-spirited and unrestrained person; why must you be so coy?"

Saying this, he handed over the skin.

He laughed heartily, took the skin pouch, and took a big gulp. He laughed loudly and said: "At this moment, with the moon bright and the wind warm, there is no greater joy in life than this. With the wind, wine, meat, and friends, it is truly wonderful, truly wonderful"

Chen Daolin waved his hand and smiled, saying, "No need for courtesy and - illustrations - ..." As he spoke, he looked deeply at Luoxue, hesitating for a moment: "That ... are you really a spirit?"

Suddenly, Chen Daolin beside her flashed a glance, quickly pressed down on Lanlan's shoulder, and pulled her down to sit.

Chen Daolin scratched his head, looking at Mr. Luoxue in front of him, and gave a sheepish smile: "Well... to put it this way, you might be mistaken. I really don't have any cultivation methods. ... You are not wrong; I have never practiced martial arts, and as for the magic you mentioned, I am completely clueless—I am just an ordinary person."

Lan Lan's expression suddenly changed, her eyes widening as she stared at the falling snow: "Is this... the nectar of the Garuda flower?"

Lan Lan had already cut off a piece of venison and handed it over

The falling snow appeared calm, as she glanced at Lan Lan, offering a faint smile without speaking, yet turning her face towards Chen Daolin: "So, haven't you told your lovely companion?"

"Are you really an ordinary person?" Luo Xue couldn't help but laugh out loud, and then a slight look of surprise appeared on her face.

Lan Lan took a deep breath, her face slightly flushed—perhaps out of excitement. She solemnly bowed to Luo Xue and cautiously said: "You, you just mentioned that you have an appointment with the descendants of the Tulip family... Could it be that you are referring to the contemporary Duke of Tulip? You... you..."

Chen Daolin's eyes immediately lit up

Then Chen Daolin smiled gently and deliberately said loudly, "Lanlan, your question is quite unnecessary."

Do not eat meat

The liquid entrance here is like a sweet spring, refreshing and delightful, yet not overly sweet or cloying. It is clear and crisp, as if a bright and gentle line flows down the throat and into the stomach. Almost in the blink of an eye, that sweet aroma permeates the heart and lungs, spreading throughout the body! It makes one feel warm and tingly, so comfortable that one nearly moans in pleasure

At this point, Luo Xue shook her head, as if sighing softly: "I never expected that the members of the Tulip family would actually be together with the people from the Church of Light. Alas... the changes in this world truly leave one both amused and bewildered."

"Very well." Luo Xue immediately smiled, looking into Chen Daolin's eyes: "Then, may I ask for your name, Your Excellency?"

Lan Lan, standing nearby, caught a whiff of the scent and was taken aback, staring at Luo Xue with wide eyes: "This... this is..."

As Luo Xue observed Chen Daolin take three sips without any further action, a look of confusion appeared on his face: "Although the juice of this Garuda flower is not a sacred object, it is still a fine product for practicing magic. If you drink this flower juice and immediately meditate, using your magical power to circulate the natural energy within it throughout your body, while it may not directly lead to a promotion in rank, it is not difficult to elevate your magical cultivation by one level... Sigh, are you truly wasting it like this? Has your magical power reached a level where you no longer need to rely on external substances for enhancement?"

The falling snow paused for a moment, then sighed with a bitter smile: "The Roland Empire, huh? I haven't been there in a long time. However... my old friend from the Roland Empire indeed speaks with a standard accent of the imperial capital, so he must have influenced me quite a bit."

However, he gently set the piece of venison down beside him and let out a long sigh

Chen Daolin finally seemed to grasp some clues

The falling snow seemed to be pondering, yet Chen Daolin had already waved his hand nonchalantly and exclaimed: "The juice of your Garuda flower is worth more than a hundred deer legs, so why be so coy? If anything, I have taken advantage of you! We are merely strangers meeting by chance, so why resort to clichés? If you wish to leave, then do so quickly! If you utter another word, you shall owe me meat. My deer meat is only given to good friends, not to ordinary folk"

I did not mean it that way. The light snow smiled gently, glancing at Lanlan: "Actually... I never eat meat."

That was close

As soon as this mouthful went down, I immediately let out a long sigh

Chen Daolin was momentarily taken aback

After a pause, Luo Xue glanced at Lan Lan beside her. Lan Lan was already staring at Luo Xue, her mouth agape, unable to utter a single word. To Luo Xue, this reaction seemed to be the only thing that could be considered "normal".

Saying this, he nodded in apology to Chen Daolin and gently smiled, "I apologize, it is only because I had an appointment with an old friend here. When I arrived, I saw both of you, and your attire bore the emblem of the Tulip family, which led to my misunderstanding"

What are you talking about? Chen Daolin was completely baffled

Luo Xue deeply glanced at Chen Daolin, her gaze uncertain whether it was admiration or curiosity. She then said no more, nodded slightly, and turned to leave. In a moment, she vanished into the night.

The falling snow was merely a gentle smile, her gaze resting on Chen Daolin, and after a brief contemplation, she asked: "Did you roast this meat?"

Chen Daolin hesitated slightly in his heart, but under the smiling gaze of Luo Xue, he could not help but tilt his head back and take a sip.

He scrutinized Chen Daolin several times, unable to suppress a few chuckles, and nodded: "It seems I was the one who jumped to conclusions first"

Chen Daolin was troubled: "Why can't I just be an ordinary person?"

The snowfall has truly left one in a daze

Chen Daolin chuckled and said, "Well... I have never seen a living elf before. You have indeed satisfied a great curiosity of mine that has lasted for a long time."

After a long while, as the steaming venison in hand gradually cooled, Chen Daolin could not help but whisper from the side: "Well, this brother, the meat is meant to be eaten, not just to be looked at"

His manner of doing things brought a smile to Luo Xue's lips. As she looked at Chen Daolin, the amusement in her eyes gradually increased. Suddenly, she let out a soft sigh and gazed at Chen Daolin with a meaningful expression, saying: "The way you speak and act truly resembles the style of an old friend of mine... It is indeed surprising that someone like you is not from the Yujinxiang family."

Chen Daolin secretly glanced at this fellow named Luoxue ...? ... Uh, he should be a man, right?

What kind of magic? What advancement?

As he spoke, he had already risen to his feet, glanced at Chen Daolin, and smiled, "Meeting is fate; it is a pity that you are not the person I wish to see. However, considering this encounter, I cannot take such a fine piece of roasted meat from you for nothing..."

Yes," Chen Daolin nodded

He suddenly said this, leaving both Chen Daolin and Lan Lan somewhat bewildered. Chen Daolin, however, reacted quickly and immediately realized that the tulip totem on his chest plate was likely to cause misunderstandings again

She suddenly jumped up and snatched the pouch from Chen Daolin's hand, taking a deep breath of its scent, her expression excited: "I, I have heard this name from my teacher, but... but isn't the Garuda flower a treasure of the royal elven tribe?" At this point, Lanlan suddenly realized, looking at Luoxue and exclaimed, "Ah! You... you are an elf? You are a great elf!"

He looked deeply at Lanlan and said, "Do you realize that your question just now almost got us both killed"

What a good thing

The falling snow squinted its eyes and cast a deep glance at Lanlan, suddenly sharpening its gaze in an instant

The expression of Luo Xue instantly became serious as he fixed his gaze on Chen Daolin. The originally gentle look in his eyes suddenly turned sharp as lightning. Staring into Chen Daolin's eyes, he spoke word by word: "How could a descendant of the Tulip family possibly be an ordinary person? If you were merely an ordinary person, then why would you come here for an appointment?"

In fact, many years ago, I once knew a guy who was exceptionally skilled at barbecuing. We had known each other for a long time, fought together, and drank together. Unfortunately, I never got to taste a single bite of the meat he grilled. Although it is somewhat regrettable, I still vaguely remember the aroma of that barbecue, which was indeed quite fragrant

to attend an appointment

Luoxue looked at Chen Daolin's sincere eyes and couldn't help but smile: "You are quite an interesting human. How did an ordinary person like you end up deep in this frozen forest? Since entering the frozen forest, all the way to the shores of the Great Round Lake, magical beasts frequently appear in the forest. How did an ordinary person like you come here?"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but take another couple of sips, feeling comfortable enough to shiver a few times

Luo Xue listened, merely turned to glance at him, and smiled faintly: "Thank you for the reminder"

Lan Lan felt a chill in her heart, inevitably becoming alert. After hesitating for a moment, she replied, "Your Excellency... how did you discern that? Hmm, your Roland accent is standard imperial dialect. Could it be that you are also from the imperial capital?"

"How could you possibly be just an ordinary person?" Luo Xue frowned

Saying this, he looked at Chen Daolin: "The spices you use for the barbecue are somewhat similar to those of that guy."

When the snow finally melted away, Chen Daolin remained standing there, his originally carefree smile suddenly turning serious, with cold sweat streaming down his forehead

He looked at the falling snow and smiled awkwardly: "Um... Mr. Falling Snow, I think you might have mistaken me for someone else. I am certainly not a member of the Tulip family"

As Chen Daolin remained silent, Luoxue's gaze drifted towards Lanlan. After scrutinizing her for a moment, she gently smiled and said, "I see your attire... Could it be that you are a member of the Church of Light? A practitioner of asceticism?"

Thank you for the piece of venison. Although I have never tasted it, the aroma has evoked memories of an old friend, bringing me great comfort. He smiled with such ease: "Though this is not wine, it can still be considered a rare beverage. My old friend, who loved barbecued meat, also enjoyed it quite a bit. If you two do not mind, you may have a taste, as a way to repay for this piece of venison"

The falling snow caused another moment of surprise, and he nodded, saying: "Not bad"

As he spoke, he waved his hand towards the falling snow and surprisingly smiled, saying: "Mr. Falling Snow, there is no need to pay attention to that. It is fate that we have met here, so why bother with those mundane matters? Whether it is the Tulip family or the Elven race, they are all worldly concerns. With the bright moon overhead, let us enjoy this moonlight, feast on meat and drink... Hmm, although there is no wine, this Garuda flower juice can serve as a substitute for wine"

Chen Daolin felt disbelief in his heart—this world could never have Lao Gan Ma chili bean sauce

Tulip ... ... Tulip family