Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

After leaving Baiya City, Lin Gui switched to a flying boat.

The flying boat, charred black and cracked by the demon's pillar of fire.

The surface was severely damaged, but the internal core components, such as the wind pressure cannon, were undamaged.

It can still travel at high speeds.

In the darkness of night, the flying boat transformed into a blurry black shadow, silently gliding across the sky.

Below is Wind Whisper Canyon.

The valley is narrow and long, with towering rock walls on both sides.

The wind rushed in from the mouth of the canyon, crashing and swirling between the rock walls, making a whooshing sound.

It was as if countless people were whispering.

This is also the origin of the name "Wind Whisper Canyon".

The demons in this terrain are quite active.

But the airship was too fast.

Before the demons could even look up, the dark shadows had already swept across the sky.

They disappeared into the distant night.

In a short time, they covered tens of kilometers.

Lin Gui slowed down and, referring to the golden route map, searched for a safe base at the end of the canyon terrain.

It's clearly marked on the map.

Each stronghold was marked by the team that pioneered the route, based on the level of activity of demons in the vicinity.

In theory, such a stronghold location can guarantee safety for a certain period of time.

The speed of the airship slowed down to normal.

Lin Gui reached out and took four wooden boxes out of the storage space.

Free up storage space.

Then they took the entire flying boat inside.

He stepped onto his oak staff and reached out to catch the bewildered Elvia.

"I'm gone."

The staff floated up and flew towards the stronghold marked on the map.

Flying along, they finally arrived at a corner of a cliff.

It was a green meadow, covered with short wild grass, which shimmered faintly in the moonlight.

There is a huge rock that fell from the cliff and leans against the cliff face at an angle.

Lin Gui looked at the terrain and nodded.

He waved.

Basic magic: Loosening Soil.

The soil began to loosen and sink.

The stones were pushed aside, and the turf was overturned.

Under the continuous output of magic power from Lin Gui, an underground pit was quickly formed.

It is six meters deep and ten meters wide.

enough.

Four huge wooden crates were the first to be stuffed in.

Lin Gui carried Elvia and flew in.

Then he raised his hand and used the herb-growth technique.

The soil at the entrance of the hole began to solidify again, and the turf spread, completely covering the traces.

The dim light effect is activated.

Soft white light illuminated the entire cave.

After getting everything ready, Lin Gui looked around and began taking things out of the storage space.

bed.

Two.

Soft blankets and pillows.

Pots, pans, and dishes were neatly stacked in the corner.

Toiletries, towels, soap, and wooden combs.

Fold the tables and chairs, unfold them, and place them in the middle.

For aesthetic purposes, he even allowed grass to grow inside the cave, covering the mud walls.

Tender green blades of grass peeked out from the wall, swaying gently in the dim light.

Lin Gui snapped his fingers.

Basic magic: Flower Blooming Technique.

A few unnamed wildflowers bloomed from among the grass.

White, yellow, purple.

The stars are scattered across the green background.

The cave suddenly took on a wilder, more natural feel.

Elvia stood to the side, dumbfounded.

She had seen Lin Gui use this technique before.

In the Muran Hills, the other side artificially created a cave shelter in this way.

but……

She looked around.

Bed, blankets, tables and chairs, pots and pans, toiletries.

The walls are covered with grass, dotted with tiny wildflowers.

There were also two neatly folded quilts, and a small bunch of dried flowers was even placed next to the pillow.

Back then, the other party wasn't exaggerating like that.

It's almost as luxurious as those aristocratic love hotels that offer an immersive lifestyle experience.

Wilderness Hotel?

Elvia's lips twitched.

I recall the journey I took with that tomboyish adventurer's group from Dragonbone City to White Cliff City.

I walked the whole way on my own two feet.

Carrying a heavy burden, his shoulders were chafed and bleeding.

To avoid the demon, they deliberately took detours.

A distance that is no more than a kilometer in a straight line was stretched to more than a hundred times the distance.

They walk during the day and they walk at night.

When they were sleepy, they would lean against a tree and take a nap; when they were hungry, they would gnaw on black bread that was so hard it could kill a dog.

There was nowhere to hide from the rain, so we just got soaked.

When the demon comes, there's nowhere to hide; you can only run.

And Lin Gui...

In one night, in just three hours, they traversed a place that would normally take them a week to reach.

Moreover, they flew over on an airship.

When we arrived, there was a bed to sleep in, a blanket to cover us, and hot food to eat.

Elvia was extremely unbalanced, yet also very fortunate.

I've finally chosen the right person to follow; I won't have to go through that torturous time-travel experience anymore.

Lin Gui sat cross-legged on the bed, closing his eyes to recover his magic power.

He opened his eyes and glanced at Elvia, who was secretly shedding tears:

"I need to recover my magic power."

"If you're tired, just rest."

He paused.

"By the way, if you're bored..."

"There are storybooks on the shelf."

"There are other books as well."

"You can use them to pass the time."

He pointed to the low cabinet that had appeared out of nowhere in the corner.

A row of books was neatly stacked on the shelf.

There are novels, travelogues, essays, and thick books about magic.

Thick and thin volumes, a dozen or so books.

Elvia secretly gave Lin Gui a thumbs up.

Even a boring process of crossing boundaries can be enjoyed while reading.

It seems I'll have to buy more things to enjoy myself when I arrive at the next city-state.

Elvia chuckled and found her own supply crate.

The box contained neatly folded clothes that she had Lin Gui buy for her in Baiya City.

She pulled out the silk nightgown from inside.

Under the moonlight, the silk fabric shimmered with a faint pearlescent sheen.

Carrying the ghost on her back, Elvia smiled alluringly.

They changed their clothes with a rustling sound.

The movements were very light, but in the quiet cave, every subtle sound could be heard clearly.

The sound of fabric rubbing against skin.

The sound of the strap being gently tightened.

She turned around.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the straw curtain above her head, falling upon her.

The silk nightgown clung to her body, outlining her slender waist and soft curves.

The neckline was very low, revealing a delicate expanse of white skin below the collarbone.

Her long, golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, shimmering softly in the dim light.

Her face appeared exceptionally delicate in the moonlight, with a languid charm in her eyes and brows.

Elvia walked to the other bed and pulled back the covers.

She bought the quilt at a high price.

The best tailor shop in White Cliff City, hand-sewn, filled with goose down from the North.

One quilt, three thousand gold coins.

The pillows are even more expensive, costing five thousand for a pair.

The mattress was filled with horsehair and covered with soft cotton cloth; lying on it felt like sinking into a cloud.

She used this kind when she was in the capital, Carter.

got used to.

The bedding on Lin Gui's bed was of ordinary quality.

It's made of rough, stiff cloth, and it's uncomfortable to lie on.

The quilt was so thin you could see through it, and the pillow was as flat as a pancake.

Elvia couldn't understand why Lin Gui was unwilling to improve his living conditions.

Many of his things are very old.

That rough robe, washed countless times, had frayed edges on the cuffs.

The oak staff, which had been used for who knows how many years, was worn smooth and shiny.

She went through Lin Gui's clothes.

Most of them are incredibly old.

He doesn't seem like a high-ranking mage at all.

After she had a relationship with Lin Gui in Baiya City, she also suggested buying him some comfortable clothes.

Lin Gui refused.

What was the reason again?

"I'm used to wearing it."

Just this one sentence.

Elvia didn't understand.

She guessed that this might be some kind of psychological disorder on the other party's part.

Like those who climb up from the bottom, they always have some obsessions that others cannot understand.

Elvia lay comfortably on the bed for a while.

He then got out of his bed.

Now, being in the wilderness, there's no one around for kilometers.

It was time to ask him some of the questions she had kept hidden in her heart.

Barefoot, stepping on the soft grass.

Elvia walked to the side of the ghost's bed.

Lin Gui sat cross-legged, eyes closed, meditating.

My breathing was steady, and my chest rose and fell slowly.

Elvia climbed onto the bed and lay on his crossed legs.

Her head rested on his knees.

The movements were very natural, as if they had done it many times before.

Lin Gui did not open his eyes.

They didn't hide.

The cave fell silent.

Only the buzzing sound of the shimmering light spell and the faint sound of wind coming from the distant Wind Whisper Canyon could be heard.

Elvia looked up.

A few rays of moonlight shone through the gaps in the straw curtain.

Thin and silvery-white.

She stared at those few rays of moonlight for a long time.

Then she spoke, her voice very soft:

"Lin Gui"

"Um?"

"We're in the wilderness now, no one can hear us talking."

She paused.

"So, can you tell me about it?"

"Your objective is our plan to destroy the Alliance..."

"And your... crutch."

Her voice was calm.

But with a kind of cautious seriousness.

She kept these questions hidden for a very long time.

The act of sending the message from Lin Gui in Karan City was particularly strange.

She has met many people with strange personalities and outlandish hobbies.

But this is the first time I've seen someone like Lin Gui who is so dedicated to delivering messages.

He took a huge risk to deliver messages to the powerless underprivileged.

What exactly is the purpose?

If it's a message to a merchant, or even an adventurer...

She would always find a motive for Lin Gui's actions: "to win over lower-level forces".

Just like she did in Carter's capital.

but……

Lin Gui's target is the refugees, the common people.

It is the true bottom layer.

During the process of receiving the letters, she could tell that Lin Gui valued them highly.

To put it bluntly...

This guy treats those people much better than he treats her.

Can……

She knew all too well the status of refugees and commoners in the post-apocalyptic city-state.

Their current limited range of activity means their output is completely insufficient to meet the city-state's food consumption.

The nobles called them "parasites of the city-state" and "trash."

Although exaggerated, and although insulting.

But if we disregard human ethics and only talk about interests...

This is true.

They consume food but produce no equivalent value.

They occupy space, but cannot provide sufficient protection for the city-state.

They are alive, but they are just alive.

They have no power, no energy.

Being alive is the greatest mercy of the city-state.

Why would Lin Gui take such a big risk for these people?

Elvia couldn't understand it.

She had far too many questions.

So much so that even though she joined Lin Gui's team, intending to assist him in his career...

Even now, she still doesn't know what Lin Gui's plan is.

She buried her face in Lin Gui's knees, her voice muffled:

"I have given my body to you."

"I've entrusted my life to you."

"so……"

She looked up at Lin Gui's profile.

The moonlight fell into her golden eyes, casting a small, blurry shadow.

"Lin Gui"

"I want to hear your honest answer."

The cave remained quiet for a long time.

The light from the dim light technique flickered gently in the corner.

The sound of the wind outside the straw curtain sometimes came from afar, sometimes from near.

Lin Gui opened his eyes.

He looked at the top of the cave, where grass covered the soil.

Those few little flowers were still swaying gently.

He didn't look at Elvia.

There was a long silence.

Elvia thought he wouldn't answer.

Then he spoke.

The sound was very soft and calm.

He did not answer Elvia directly.

Instead, he asked a seemingly unrelated question:

"What do you think...?"

Why did the Spark Revolution fail?

Elvia paused for a moment.

Then he laughed.

That smile carried a sense of self-righteous contempt:

Why did it fail?

"An organization without even a single legend..."

"How could they possibly withstand such a massive alliance?"

She later researched the revolution that had shaken the entire alliance.

She was surprised to find that the Spark Organization was weak.

They were only slightly stronger than Caesar's rebel army.

Elvia exclaimed:

"I have no idea why the Alliance would deploy the Black Dragon Army for this..."

She only said half of what she said.

Suddenly stunned.

Yes.

Why?

Since the enemy is so weak.

Why resort to such a drastic measure as hunting a rabbit?

In order to destroy it, a massive war was launched, activating the alliance's strongest military force... the Black Dragon Army.

Then they purged wave after wave of people.

Even three years later, they continue to be pursued and destroyed.

It's like a lion dealing with a rabbit.

Kill him with all your might.

Then they crushed his bones and scattered them to ashes.

They also had to throw all the scraps of flesh into the lava to disappear without a trace.

For a lion to go to this extent...

There is only one possibility.

The lion sensed a threat from the rabbit?!

Elvia's eyes widened suddenly.

She sat up abruptly, her voice trembling:

"You mean...?"

"The Alliance in the Spark Revolution..."

"Did you see the risk of your own demise?"

Her voice was cracking.

Looking at Elvia's shocked face, Lin Gui smiled coldly:

"yes."

"They noticed."

"I noticed it too."

"Only the one who started that revolution..."

"I didn't notice."

Lin Gui's eyes held a hint of melancholy that was hard to detect.

Elvia swallowed hard.

"What...what is that?"

Lin Gui bent down.

He leaned close to Elvia's ear.

His lips were almost touching her earlobe.

He whispered something.

The sound was very soft.

As Lin Gui recounted his story, he learned about the things the Alliance truly feared.

Elvia's pupils dilated violently.

She froze completely.

Not moving at all.

It was as if I had been frozen in place.

After Lin Gui finished speaking, he stepped back.

I leaned against the headboard and looked at her.

Elvia sat there, her whole body pale.

Cold sweat seeped from his forehead and trickled down his cheeks.

Her fingers were trembling as she gripped the corner of the blanket until her knuckles turned white.

She looked at Lin Gui.

That look in his eyes was as if he were looking at a monster, at a madman.

Lin Gui smiled faintly:

"So, Elvia..."

Do you know why I opened a post office?