Chen Daolin secretly glanced at the guy called Luoxue... Uh, he should be a man, right?
Lanlan had already cut a piece of venison and passed it over.
Luoxue took it with a smile but only held it in his hands without eating it, his eyes seemingly revealing a faint trace of melancholy.
For a long time, until the steaming venison in his hands gradually cooled, Chen Daolin couldn't help but whisper, "Hey, brother, meat is for eating, not for looking at."
Luoxue only turned to look at him and smiled faintly, "Thank you for the reminder."
But then he gently placed the venison aside and sighed deeply.
"Hey... Actually, this meat is quite delicious." Seeing Chen Daolin's expression turn sour, Lanlan subconsciously said, "It may not look good, but it's really quite fragrant when you eat it."
"I didn't mean that." Luoxue smiled lightly, looking at Lanlan, "Actually... I never eat meat."
Chen Daolin felt as if ten thousand grass mud horses were galloping through his heart.
If you don't eat it, why did you come over for the meat!
Lanlan was also puzzled, staring blankly at Luoxue.
Luoxue just smiled lightly, his gaze falling on Chen Daolin, and after a moment's thought, he asked, "Did you roast this meat?"
"Yes." Chen Daolin nodded.
"It's very fragrant." This guy called Luoxue, with his smile, his eyes revealed deep emotion.
"Actually... many, many years ago, I once knew a guy who was also very good at roasting meat. We knew each other for a long time, fought together, and drank together. Unfortunately, every time he roasted meat, I never got to taste it. Although it was a bit regretful, I remember the smell of the roasted meat, which was also this fragrant."
As he spoke, he looked at Chen Daolin, "The spices you used for roasting the meat are somewhat similar to that guy's."
Chen Daolin didn't believe itâthere couldn't be Laoganma bean paste in this world, right?
Seeing Chen Daolin not speaking, Luoxue's gaze shifted to Lanlan, and after a careful look, he smiled lightly, "I see your attire... Are you from the Light Church? A monk?"
Lanlan was startled! She couldn't help but become cautious, hesitated for a moment, and then replied, "Sir... How did you know? Yes, your Roland accent is standard Imperial Mandarin. Could you be from the capital?"
Luoxue was taken aback, then smiled bitterly, "The Roland Empire, I haven't been there for a long time. However... my old friend from the Roland Empire did speak standard Imperial Mandarin, probably influenced by him."
Saying this, Luoxue shook his head, as if sighing softly, "I didn't expect that someone from the Tulip family would be with someone from the Light Church. Sigh... the changes in the world are truly laughable and tearful."
He suddenly said this, leaving Chen Daolin and Lanlan both puzzled. Chen Daolin quickly realized that the tulip emblem on his chest armor might have caused a misunderstanding.
Lanlan opened her mouth, as if wanting to explain, but Luoxue had already lifted the hem of his robe and took out a leather pouch.
"Thank you for the venison. Although I didn't eat it, the smell brought back memories of my old friend, which made me very happy." He smiled freely, "This isn't wine, but it's a rare drink. My old friend who liked roasting meat also enjoyed it. If you don't mind, you can taste it, as compensation for the venison."
Saying this, he handed the leather pouch over.
Chen Daolin hesitated for a moment, finally took it. He gently shook it, hearing the sound of water inside. Curious, he unscrewed the leather stopper, and immediately a fragrant aroma filled the air, refreshing and invigorating, making him feel refreshed and relaxed!
Lanlan, smelling the scent, was also shocked, staring at Luoxue with wide eyes, "This... this is..."
Chen Daolin hesitated slightly, but under Luoxue's smiling gaze, he couldn't resist taking a sip.
Just that one sip, and he let out a long breath!
The liquid in his mouth was like sweet spring water, refreshing and sweet without being cloying, clear and crisp, flowing smoothly down his throat into his stomach. In just a few breaths, the sweet fragrance spread through his heart and lungs, throughout his body, making him shiver with warmth and comfort, almost moaning with pleasure!
Chen Daolin's eyes lit up.
Saying this, he couldn't resist taking two more sips, shivering with pleasure.
Seeing Chen Daolin take three sips without any other action, Luoxue couldn't help but look puzzled, "Although this juice of the Garuda flower isn't a holy object, it's a good aid for magic practice. If you drink this juice and immediately meditate, using your magic to circulate the natural power in the juice throughout your body, you might not advance directly, but improving your magic level shouldn't be difficult... Sigh, are you wasting it because your magic is already at a level where external aids are unnecessary?"
What magic? What advancement?
Lanlan's face suddenly changed, staring at Luoxue with wide eyes, "Garuda flower? You said this is the juice of the Garuda flower?!!"
She suddenly jumped up, snatched the leather pouch from Chen Daolin's hand, and took a deep sniff, her face excited, "I've heard my teacher mention this name, but... the Garuda flower is a treasure of the royal elf tribe of the elf race, isn't it?" At this point, Lanlan suddenly realized, looking at Luoxue and exclaiming, "You... you're an elf? You're a high elf!"
Luoxue remained calm, looked at Lanlan, and smiled faintly without speaking, then turned to Chen Daolin, "Why didn't you tell your cute female companion?"
"Tell what?" Chen Daolin was confused.
"Sigh." Luoxue sighed lightly, his gaze on Chen Daolin revealing a hint of disappointment, "Looking at your physique, you're clearly not a martial practitioner, but I can't sense any magic power from you. I really don't understand... or is your cultivation method something I've never seen before?"
Chen Daolin scratched his head, looking at Mr. Luoxue, and smiled awkwardly, "Well... you might be mistaken. I don't have any cultivation method... you're right, I haven't practiced martial arts, and I know nothing about magicâI'm just an ordinary person."
"An ordinary person?" Luoxue couldn't help but laugh out loud, then his face showed a hint of surprise, "You're really an ordinary person?"
"I really am." Chen Daolin spread his hands.
"How can you just be an ordinary person?" Luoxue frowned.
Chen Daolin was at a loss, "Why can't I be an ordinary person?"
Luoxue's expression suddenly became serious, staring at Chen Daolin, his originally gentle gaze suddenly sharp and piercing, "How can a descendant of the Tulip family be an ordinary person? If you're just an ordinary person, why did you come here for the meeting?"
Chen Daolin finally seemed to catch on.
He looked at Luoxue and smiled awkwardly, "Well... Mr. Luoxue, I think you might have the wrong person. I'm not from the Tulip family."
This time, Luoxue was really stunned.
He carefully examined Chen Daolin several times, couldn't help but laugh, and nodded, "I was too hasty."
Saying this, he nodded to Chen Daolin in apology, smiling lightly, "Sorry, I came here to meet the descendant of an old friend. When I saw you two, and the Tulip family emblem on your attire, I misunderstood."
Chen Daolin waved his hand and smiled, "No need to be polite..." He looked deeply at Luoxue, hesitated for a moment, "Well... are you really an elf?"
Luoxue was taken aback again and nodded, "Yes."
Chen Daolin chuckled, "Well... I've never seen a live elf before. You've satisfied a long-standing curiosity of mine."
Luoxue, seeing Chen Daolin's sincere gaze, couldn't help but smile, "You're an interesting human. How did an ordinary person like you end up in the depths of the Ice Forest? From entering the Ice Forest to the Great Round Lake, the forest is full of magical beasts. How did you, an ordinary person, get here?"
Pausing, Luoxue glanced at Lanlan, who was staring at him with her mouth wide open, unable to say a wordâthis reaction seemed "normal" to Luoxue.
Thinking about this, looking at the carefree Chen Daolin, Luoxue found himself intrigued.
Lanlan took a deep breath, her face flushedâprobably from excitement. She solemnly bowed to Luoxue and asked cautiously, "You... you mentioned meeting the descendant of the Tulip family... Could you be referring to the current Duke of Tulip? You... you..."
Luoxue narrowed his eyes, looking deeply at Lanlan, his gaze suddenly becoming sharp.
Beside him, Chen Daolin's eyes flashed, and he quickly pressed Lanlan's shoulder, pulling her down to sit.
Then Chen Daolin smiled calmly and loudly said, "Lanlan, that's a superfluous question."
Saying this, he waved at Luoxue and smiled, "Mr. Luoxue, no need to worry. Meeting here is a matter of fate. Why bother with trivialities? Whether it's the Tulip family or the elf race, they're all worldly matters. With the moon in the sky, let's enjoy the moon, eat meat, and drink... well, although there's no wine, this Garuda flower juice can serve as a substitute."
He laughed heartily, took another big sip from the leather pouch, and said loudly, "The moon is bright, the wind is warm, and life is good. With the wind, the drink, the meat, and friends, it's perfect, perfect!"
Seeing this, Luoxue's lips curled into a smile, looking at Chen Daolin, his eyes gradually filled with amusement, and he sighed softly, "The way you speak and act is somewhat like my old friend... It's truly surprising that you're not from the Tulip family."
Saying this, he stood up, looked at Chen Daolin, and smiled, "Meeting is a matter of fate, but unfortunately, you're not the person I'm looking for. However, since we met, I can't just take your excellent roasted meat for nothing..."
Luoxue seemed to be thinking, but Chen Daolin waved his hand freely and said loudly, "Your Garuda flower juice is worth more than a hundred deer legs. No need to be so formal. If anything, I'm the one who benefited! We met by chance, no need for formalities. If you need to go, go quickly! If you say another word, I'll ask for the meat back. My venison is only for good friends, not for ordinary people!"
"Alright." Luoxue smiled, looking into Chen Daolin's eyes, "Then, may I know your name?"
"If we're fated to meet again, we will. If not, what's the point of leaving a name?" Chen Daolin smiled more lazily, "Mr. Luoxue, I thought you were a free-spirited person, no need to be so formal."
Luoxue looked deeply at Chen Daolin, his gaze indescribable, then nodded and turned to leave, disappearing into the night.
After Luoxue left, Chen Daolin stood there, his originally carefree smile suddenly turning serious, cold sweat trickling down his forehead!
He looked deeply at Lanlan, "Do you know, your question almost got us killed."
A new week has started! Last week, chapters only began on Thursday, so this week is the official start of the ranking push! Please help by voting with your recommendation tickets!
Additionally, the promised photo will be posted on my **Weibo** on Monday noon. My Weibo name is "Dancing Xiao Wu," search for it yourself.
In the new week, if this book ranks first in weekly recommendations, I'll post even more exciting photos!