Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

One of the elves simply gave a faint "Oh" after hearing this.

"That was all divine punishment that Elune brought upon them."

His tone was as calm as if he were talking about the weather.

Another elderly elf snorted coldly, his soul light rippled slightly:

"He reaped what he sowed."

A few very low murmurs of agreement rang out from the surroundings.

There was no anger, no grief.

There is only one kind of almost unsettling... alienation and irony.

This reaction surprised Lin Gui.

This was even more unbelievable to Claudia.

She leaned forward slightly, her voice trembling:

"Why...why would you say that?"

"The Elf Forest...isn't that the home of all elves?"

The scene of Shadowmoon City flashed through her mind.

The blood bag in Shadowblade Lin's hand contained the heads that appeared to be those of Highborne elves.

A terrible suspicion began to surface in my mind.

"What exactly has happened over the years?"

"To make you so interested in the Elf Forest..."

She couldn't continue.

The surrounding elves fell into an even deeper silence.

Only the faint glow of the fluorescent moss flowed silently through their souls.

Claudina's friend.

The spirit of the girl named Leah gently floated to her side.

He reached out and lightly grasped her wrist.

"Clautina..."

Leah's voice was soft, but it carried a weariness that seemed out of place for her age.

"Stop talking about the 'Elf Forest'."

"That was never...our home."

Another boy's spirit leaned closer and whispered:

"You are Elune's child, Claudia."

"But it has never been... a child of the World Tree."

Lin Gui listened, his heart stirred slightly.

Night elves worship the moon goddess Elune and the night elves.

The darkness offers tranquility, reflection, shelter, and protection.

This aligns with the belief in the World Tree, which reveres nature, light, and growth...

There are fundamental differences between them.

In the past, however, this difference was barely concealed by the bond of the "Elf Community".

Now, the cracks are so deep that the bone is visible.

An elderly elf slowly floated closer, his gaze landing on Lin Gui.

There was a last glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"child……"

His voice was hoarse.

"How are my fellow Nightborne brethren outside...?"

"How many people... are still alive?"

In an instant, all the elves' eyes were focused on it.

In those indifferent, cold eyes, a long-suppressed expectation finally welled up.

Lin Gui remained silent for a moment.

He needs to give an answer that is both truthful and will not arouse suspicion.

"...I'm not quite sure either."

He lowered his head slightly, his voice carrying an appropriate heaviness.

"I was sent to the human city-states to purchase supplies."

"I'm quite fortunate... my city-state didn't experience the 'End of Silence'."

So... I survived.

He paused, then continued:

"But my hometown... Shenlinshao, has been swallowed up."

"Fortunately... my family members all survived in this state."

A low sigh rose from the surroundings.

There is sympathy, and also the sorrow of feeling sorry for one's own kind.

Lin Gui raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the spirits.

"As for the other night elves..."

He paused for a moment.

"I've only heard that... Shadow Blade Lin seems to have become their clan leader."

"But the specifics..."

He shook his head gently.

"I've been hiding near Bounty City and rarely come into contact with my own kind."

The moment the words fell.

The entire area fell into a deathly silence.

"Mad Blade...became the clan leader? That sinner!"

Clotina's spirit trembled violently, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Are you... are you lying to me?"

Lin Gui shrugged.

"No, that is indeed true."

He did know a little about what Shadow Blade Lin was doing outside.

The source is mainly Shia.

When Shadowblade Lin returned to the Elf Forest, it caused quite a stir.

Xia also went to join in the fun and witnessed the scene from afar.

Later, during a casual conversation, she mentioned it to Lin Gui.

"I will never forget that scene."

Shea was biting into jerky at the time, her eyes unusually serious.

"She stood in the center of the World Tree Plaza, surrounded by countless elves."

"Gloomy, indifferent, and exuding an aura of... suppressed anger."

"Even though he didn't use any strength, he made all the elves present gasp for breath."

Shea remembers hearing the elves' suppressed whispers all around her.

From those fragmented pieces of information, she pieced together Shadow Blade Lin's background:

Her tribe was almost completely wiped out in the "End of Silence".

This return is to gather those who escaped for various reasons...

Remnants of the fallen dynasty.

Lin Gui recalled Xia's description and slowly said:

"After the 'Silent End', Shadow Blade Lin rejoined the Elf Forest."

"He was then announced to the public... as the new chieftain of the night elves."

He paused, then slowed his voice further.

"But a year later, she disappeared again."

"When it reappeared, it was in Bounty City."

"Together with Hunter, the indomitable spear of humanity, and Woodlow, the bloodthirsty barbarian, we'll form a pioneering team."

"Attempting to complete the commission issued by the dwarves."

"To open a route through the Wall of Sighs."

The surroundings were eerily quiet.

All the elves listened with bated breath.

Lin Gui raised his eyes and looked at Claudia.

The voice was calm, yet it was like a stone thrown into a deep pool.

"at last……"

"She died inside."

The elder was silent for a moment, then asked in a hoarse voice:

"When...did she die?"

Lin Gui: "Ten years ago."

The surrounding night elves fell into an even deeper silence.

The fireflies danced across their souls, illuminating complex and indescribable faces.

The elder slowly closed his eyes, his soul light pulsating faintly.

"It's because... Shadowblade died..."

"So that's why they dare to act so recklessly...?"

Claudia could no longer hold back; her spirit floated forward, her voice trembling:

"What on earth happened?!"

"What...what did you see?!"

Her friend Leah remained silent for a long time.

Then, in a very soft voice, yet clearly audible to all the souls, he said:

"We see..."

"The Highborne have seized our kin who are not yet dead."

"Sell them...to human hunters."

Claudia's soul trembled violently.

She remembered the conversations of the hunters in Shadowmoon City, and the brand on the foreheads of her kin in the cage.

"This...how is this possible..."

"How could they?"

Another middle-aged elven warrior chimed in, his voice laced with suppressed, icy rage:

"We've seen the same thing more than once in the past decade."

"Elven warriors wearing the crest of the Moonlight Royal Family escorted their kin, who were bound in shackles."

"Trading with human hunters at the edge of the ruins."

"We want to stop..."

He gave a bitter laugh, his soul light dimming.

"But those who remained in the dark forest were mostly the elderly, women, and children."

"Elite soldiers were dispatched to outposts in the deep forests and other border cities."

"We...can't even control our soul power."

"We can only watch helplessly..."

The surrounding spirits shimmered silently with their light.

Anger, helplessness, despair.

Like an invisible tide, it permeated this desolate little town.

Lin Gui listened quietly, then suddenly spoke:

"That's not hard to understand."

All eyes turned to him.

Lin Gui spoke calmly, as if analyzing a mystery unrelated to himself:

"The defeat ten years ago caused the Elf Forest to lose its core grain-producing city-state."

"There is a huge resource gap."

"For survival, and to maintain a stable political order."

"Either completely surrender to the alliance."

"Or, turn to the black market, just like you were sent to the humans to purchase resources, buy food and resources from the black market."

"And that requires a lot of money."

He paused.

"Elf slaves command exorbitant prices in the human market."

"That's enough to fill that gap."

"And the Wailing Wall..."

Lin Gui looked around.

"This place is almost a dead zone. No civilians will come here, and no elves will discover what they have done."

"It is the 'safest' black market exchange."

He looked at the elder, his eyes devoid of emotion.

"As for why I chose the Night Elves..."

"I think you know the specific reasons better than I do."