449: Chapter 434 contains no orders.

Zhang Mu wandered around the Elf Clan's territory.

In two days, he had traversed almost every inch of the land, except for a few forbidden areas.

Following Gezhe's warning that "getting close to the Elf King and the Nineteen Elders will be detected," Zhang Mu kept his distance from the palace and the elders' residences. Over the two days, he hid his tracks well, and no one noticed him.

The third day.

Having searched in vain for a way to save the life tree, he climbed to the top of a giant tree. Facing the dawn that pierced the horizon, he wondered if his line of thinking had gone astray.

Zhang Mu never believed the claim that "the life tree's withering stems from the gods' methods."

It was undeniable that the gods were the true rulers of the Saul Continent and held dominion over it, but they were also subject to many restrictions. Otherwise, Zhang Mu's life would have been taken by the gods two years ago at Lake.

From this, one could conclude that the gods cannot directly interfere with the Saul Continent or the normal functioning of the creatures upon it.

The culprit behind the life tree's withering was definitely "someone else."

However, after much thought, Zhang Mu still had no clue about the identity of this "someone else."

That tree was the life source of the Elf Clan and their only fatal weakness. It was surely strictly protected. Any foreign enemy daring to covet it would be killed—Gezhe had successfully sneaked into the territory but didn't dare to strike at the life tree directly.

The suspicion of sabotage by an external enemy could be ruled out; the cause could only come from within.

But what reason would an elf have to harm their own "mother"?

It couldn't be for profit. If the life tree withered and died, the entire Elf Clan would perish with it. If one's life is gone, what's the point of seeking profit? Would they spend it in hell?

Zhang Mu sat cross-legged on a branch. A breeze blew, causing the branches near his face to sway continuously, their leaves brushing against his cheeks.

He plucked a mischievous leaf and tucked it between his teeth. Biting it gently, he muttered, "If it's not for profit, could it be bullying?"

As those last two words surfaced in his mind, Zhang Mu instantly imagined a grand drama.

A certain elf, being eccentric, had been isolated by peers since childhood and played with by the clansmen upon reaching adulthood. Resentment accumulated day by day, finally exploding not long ago.

He decided to drag the entire Elf Clan down with him and thus devised a plan—to murder the life tree.

A revenge plot felt quite eye-catching, but unfortunately, it wasn't very realistic.

Zhang Mu smacked his lips.

Even if an ordinary elf was familiar with the territory, they wouldn't have the ability to harm the life tree. If someone did, it would at least be an elder. But would an elf who reached the upper echelons be bullied?

Saint-levels wouldn't be that bored, would they? Why would they spend time bullying instead of practicing?

The sun climbed higher, and the air temperature rose. Feeling a bit hot, Zhang Mu jumped down and leaned against the trunk to continue thinking.

"Am I looking in the wrong direction?"

"Besides being harmed by someone, what else could cause a tree to wither... Hmm?"

A flash of inspiration hit him. Zhang Mu felt as if an electric current had surged through his body, and his eyes lit up.

When trees planted by humans are about to die, what causes it?

Nothing more than pests, lack of nutrients, too little water, too much water, temperature changes, and so on.

Could it be that there is no "culprit" at all, but rather one of these possibilities?

Zhang Mu grew excited and stood up straight, ready to start the next round of investigation.

But just as he was about to leave the tree, a cry for help suddenly came from the open space in the distance where elves gathered daily.

He looked over.

An elf covered in blood stumbled a few steps and fell to the ground.

Huh?

Such a heavy injury? Has someone broken into the Magic Array?

Isn't that nonsense? Who has the ability to break the Magic Array?

Curious, Zhang Mu felt an urge to get closer and watch the commotion, but he was immediately deterred by the elves rushing from all directions upon hearing the cry for help.

An elf being severely injured within the territory was an emergency of emergencies. An elder might show up at any moment. It wasn't worth the risk of exposing himself just to watch a scene.

Zhang Mu didn't plan to leave either; he stayed where he was to observe. Currently, anomalies were frequent within the Elf Clan's territory, and what was happening before him might be connected to the withering of the life tree.

The elves who came to help gathered around him. One elf knelt down to hold his upper body, lips moving rapidly and expression agitated, seemingly asking about how he was injured.

However, he only managed to say a single broken sentence before his head tilted, and he lost consciousness.

Zhang Mu hesitated about whether to approach, but before he could decide, the elves in the clearing moved.

Two elves carried the injured elf and sped off somewhere. Those remaining in the clearing stood dazed for a moment before splitting into two groups and running in different directions.

The situation changed abruptly. Zhang Mu looked left and right, troubled over which side to follow.

A few seconds later, the elves' backs grew distant. Seeing them about to disappear at the end of the garden path, he knew he couldn't hesitate any longer.

The distance was too great, and he hadn't heard what the elf said earlier, so he naturally didn't know where they were going. If he didn't chase them now, he wouldn't be able to catch up once they left his line of sight.

Zhang Mu's head turned quickly from side to side, and he randomly chose a direction to follow. Worried that an elder might arrive, he didn't dare follow too closely, keeping a distance where he could just see the elves.

After running for half an hour, the elves came to a halt. Zhang Mu wanted to hear what they were saying, so he approached slightly and hid behind a tree, only poking his head out to watch from afar.

But none of the elves spoke. Most of them scattered around, scanning alertly to prevent the "culprit" from launching a surprise attack to silence them.

The remaining ones—one was drawing water from a well, and three were surrounding the injured elf. As soon as the water was drawn, they immediately used their hands to scoop some and feed it into the injured elf's mouth.

This scene lasted for a while until the injured elf's wounds healed and he woke up, then suddenly jumped up.

Zhang Mu was greatly amazed: "Whoa, what amazing well water. I'll steal some after they leave."

The revived elf hopped and jumped, shouting.

"Your Highness!

Her Highness Frederica has deceived us!"

The other elves obviously couldn't understand this cryptic statement, and confusion filled their faces.

He seemed very anxious, his chest heaving violently. For a long time, he couldn't speak, so his clansmen hurried to comfort him. It seemed to work; after several deep breaths, his emotions stabilized, and he lowered his voice to say something.

Afterward, as if the elves had learned their wives had eloped with lovers, they ran back the way they came with towering rage.

Zhang Mu was startled and quickly pulled his head back. Only after the elves sped past the path by the tree did he scratch his head and walk out from behind it.

"Frederica deceived... Oh no!"

The Nineteen Elders have started their move. Those elves are going to corner Frederica!

Zhang Mu started to give chase but stopped after a few steps, his brow furrowed.

The Nineteen Elders were inciting the elves by claiming the life tree's withering was due to Frederica saving the heretic. To resolve this, there were only two ways.

Either prove that the life tree matter had nothing to do with Frederica.

This was very difficult. On the Saul Continent, defying the gods meant being a heretic. The crime of heresy was unforgivable, punishable only by death, and those who harbored or helped a heretic shared the same guilt.

Frederica had led a legion across thousands of miles to reinforce Zhang Mu. It was perfectly logical for the gods to bring down punishment for this; there was no way to argue against it.

The other way was to revive the life tree.

In the eyes of the elves who had once suffered divine punishment, the gods were incomparably powerful, and no one could oppose them.

Based on this perception, as long as the life tree was healed, the reason of "divine punishment" would fall apart.

It was straightforward logic. If the life tree's withering was due to "divine punishment," how could a mortal save it?

Having cleared his thoughts, Zhang Mu clenched his fist, gave up on following the elves, and turned to run in the opposite direction—toward the life tree.

Going to save Frederica now was pure delusion. Or rather, if he showed up, the Elven Crown Prince wouldn't be saved, and he would certainly get dragged down too.

Only by finding a way to heal the life tree could Frederica's crisis be resolved.

As for the root cause of the life tree's continuous energy loss, he already had a lead.

While running, Zhang Mu glanced back at the retreating elves.

Judging a Crown Prince was a major matter for both humans and elves. Even if not every elf had to be present, high-ranking figures like the Nineteen Elders and the Elf King certainly couldn't be absent.

Therefore, except for the place where the verdict was announced, other places were currently deserted.

Zhang Mu no longer hid his strength. His magic power erupted, and his figure disappeared from the air.

It wasn't invisibility; his speed had increased to a point that it surpassed the limits of dynamic vision, making it impossible for the eyes to capture his presence. In common terms, he became invisible.

...

The elves who left the Moon Well did not head to corner Frederica as Zhang Mu had expected.

Learning from yesterday's lesson, the elves were worried about another misunderstanding, so they first gathered in front of Elder Anna's residence, intending to clarify the situation before making a judgment.

Elder Anna held a high status within the Elf Clan, but compared to the King, there was still a vast gap.

The elves weren't as reverent as they were in front of the palace gates. There, they had knelt for a day without seeing the King and still didn't dare knock on the door to disturb him. This time, they simply and decisively knocked on Anna's door.

However, judging by the volume of the "thump—thump—thump," replacing "knock" with "pound" might be more appropriate.

It was unusually quiet inside. Not only were there no voices, but not even the sound of footsteps could be heard.

Being shut out again, and only a day after the last time, the elves were infuriated.

Of course, the low-level elves didn't dare to act out; Anna was, after all, a Saint-level. But the Peak Sky Knight elves, who were half a step away from Saint-level, wouldn't hold back.

A young-looking Sky Knight elf walked to the door with a cold face—age was inversely proportional to strength; the greater the ratio, the more it highlighted the person's talent.

"Elder Anna," the Sky Knight elf issued a final ultimatum, "I hope you open the door. The clansmen have many doubts that you must answer."

After waiting for a moment, the house remained silent. His patience ran out, and he raised his right fist as magic power surged upon it.

"Creak—" Just as the fist was about to strike, the door was pulled open from the inside.

The door stopped halfway. Anna walked out, her gaze scanning the clansmen gathered at the door, finally resting on the face of the Sky Knight elf who was about to break the door down.

"How, are you going to smash my door?"

"I wouldn't dare." Having achieved his goal, he withdrew his magic power and aura, retreating behind the crowd before asking, "Elder Anna, the clansmen and I want to know if Her Highness Frederica has issued any orders to you and the other eighteen elders."

Anna's head hung low, and everyone watched her in silence.

After a long time, as if a century had passed, she raised her head.

"No."

The denial didn't calm the clansmen; instead, it further enraged them.

It must be said that Anna's acting was superb. If she denied it too decisively, the slow-witted elves might take it as truth. If she looked troubled and hesitated, it would seem too intentional, exposing the act.

Only silence was the best choice—I don't speak, and they will fill in the details themselves, even imagining the entire process.

Smoothly, the clansmen saw Anna's cold expression and her silence before speaking, and they instantly associated it with her being forced by some helplessness, only able to express herself in a roundabout way.

The Sky Knight who had retreated into the crowd stepped out again, his face grim: "Elder Anna, is that truly so?"

Anna once again displayed her extraordinary acting skills. A hint of struggle appeared on her face but was quickly suppressed: "You should love and respect your King, as well as the King's offspring."

It was still a circular answer, but it was enough for the clansmen to understand.

The Sky Knight laughed mockingly: "Love and respect our King?

Of course we love and respect our King.

The Elf Clan is currently facing a crisis comparable to that of the ancient era. Elder Anna, the life tree continues to wither, and the harvest from the orchards decreases day by day, no longer enough to fill the clansmen's bellies.

Adult elves have repeatedly squeezed their own fruit rations. The fruit saved barely ensures that the young elves don't starve to death.

Because of the lack of food, the bodies and Mental Energy of adult elves are weakening daily, yet we never complain, firmly believing the King can lead us out of this predicament.

But what has the King done?!"

As the Sky Knight roared, a Magister followed out of the crowd and took over: "The King allows the Crown Prince to act willfully and recklessly, regardless of the safety of the clansmen!"

The clansmen behind them raised their arms in support, roaring for the King to come out and explain.

At this moment, the elves were unafraid of death, for if the withering of the life tree was irreversible, death would eventually come anyway.

The elves' shouts grew louder, spreading throughout almost the entire territory, yet no one ever stepped forward to direct the next move.

It wasn't that they didn't know what to do next; on the contrary, every elf knew—question the King.

But here was the problem: who had the courage?

The King was a Gods Blessing, an invincible existence who could slaughter Nineteen Elders with one hand. The elves understood well that they were powerless to punish the King, and questioning him was meaningless; it was impossible to remove him from the throne.

On the contrary, if they didn't know when to retreat and provoked the King, they would die a miserable death.

The elves probably realized this. Their shouts didn't fade, but their faces showed unwillingness. Why should they be dragged down to death by someone else's mistake when they had done nothing wrong, and the one who made the mistake remained unharmed?

They were lost, not knowing which direction they should head.

Fortunately, Anna had already considered it for them long ago.

The corners of her mouth curled up imperceptibly: "Clansmen."

All the elves present looked at her. She paused for a few seconds and said, "Whoever made the mistake should be punished."

The Sky Knight and the Magister standing at the front of the crowd were stunned for a moment, then felt a surge of joy in their hearts.

Yes!

The King's majesty is not to be offended, but the Crown Prince has no such privilege.

Besides... if the culprit is sacrificed, perhaps the gods will forgive the elves?