Chapter 103: Meeting

Adolf was momentarily taken aback, but quickly regained his composure and replied with a smile, “So that’s who you’re looking for. His name is Sun Licheng, currently the chieftain of the Flower Tribe. He is also the only hero of our Moon Alliance.”

Seeing that things were progressing, Sippus’s smile grew even brighter. He nodded and said, “Then it must be him. Would it be possible for the Great Chief to send someone to escort me to see him? I believe our Majesty will be very pleased.”

“Of course. After the meal, I’ll have my son Martin take you to the Flower Tribe. Here, try this—this pickled fish is produced by the Flower Tribe, it tastes quite good, and we all enjoy it,” Adolf replied heartily and began to host Sippus through the meal.

After they finished eating, Martin entered. He greeted Sippus and, following his father’s instructions, began to help him prepare for the journey.

Before departure, taking advantage of Sippus’s absence, Martin returned to Adolf’s side.

“Keep a close eye on this divine envoy. Report to me immediately if anything happens,” Adolf murmured quietly to Martin, his eyes sharp and penetrating. Martin nodded in understanding and left.

After spending most of the day preparing, Martin set out with his team. This time, they were headed to the Flower Tribe, escorting Sippus, and also transporting a group of goblin prisoners for trade.

Observing the slaves bound together with vines, Sippus asked Martin with interest, “Sir Martin, does the Flower Tribe always purchase slaves on such a large scale?”

Martin thought for a moment, then nodded, “It seems so. They aren’t lacking in other goods. If you want to trade for their bronze wares, pickled fish, or mercury, you need to exchange slaves, or provide them with valuable intelligence—news about strange happenings in certain places. Sun Licheng has always been collecting such information.”

“Oh? News about strange occurrences, that is quite unusual,” Sippus’s brows rose, excitement flickering in his eyes.

“It is unusual. That fellow even investigates those places himself. He’s quite capable, and he has found many valuable things,” Martin replied with a laugh.

“Then I must meet this chieftain Sun Licheng properly,” Sippus said.

His smile grew even brighter.

Three days later, the caravan from the Star Moon Tribe arrived at the valley outside the Flower Tribe.

At the entrance, a magnificent wooden fortress gate had already been erected. Several Flower Tribe warriors stood guard, spears in hand and bows slung over their backs, patrolling the walls.

“We’re almost there,” Martin said with a grin, pointing to the ramparts with his riding crop. “That Sun Licheng fellow is quite impressive. In such a short time, he not only cleared the mercury mines but also built these walls. Remarkable, really.”

Sippus nodded in agreement and followed Martin into the valley.

With trade expanding, Sun Licheng had marked out a section outside the encampment within the valley and built a cluster of wooden sheds to provide resting places for visiting traders from other tribes. Gradually, a market had sprung up here.

Stone was in charge of all affairs in the market, leading a handful of aides.

Hearing that Martin, the notorious young lord of the Star Moon Tribe, had arrived, Stone quickly put aside his work and came forward to greet him.

“Sir Martin, I didn’t expect you to come in person. Please rest for a moment; our chieftain will see you as soon as he is free,” Stone welcomed Martin warmly.

Martin tapped the mud from his riding boots with his crop and replied haughtily, “Go report to your chieftain. Tell him that the divine envoy of the God of Conspiracy has arrived and is requesting an audience.”

“Ah, I’ll report immediately. Please, you and the divine envoy, wait just a moment,” Stone said, his expression suddenly serious upon hearing that a divine envoy had come. He glanced at the tall half-elf, instructed his aides to settle Martin’s party, and hurried back to the tribe’s encampment.

Watching the steady flow of caravans in and out of the valley and hearing the calls of elk, Sippus exclaimed, “I never expected such a bustling marketplace in a place like this.”

“Indeed. Although everyone can produce the goods made by the Flower Tribe, the quality and appearance are far inferior. Especially their pickled fish—we’ve tried to make it for a long time but never quite mastered it. The taste is always odd. Their prices aren’t high, so all the tribes are eager to come and trade,” Martin agreed, walking up to Sippus.

“It’s not just their goods; Sun Licheng’s market is even better. Here, you can exchange for anything you want. I don’t know how he thought of such a clever idea. Our tribe plans to learn from him and set up a place for long-term trading as well. I imagine it will turn a good profit,” Martin explained further.

When Sun Licheng arrived, Sippus and Martin were enthusiastically watching the various goods being traded in the marketplace. Here, the goblins had never seen such a tall man, and a crowd quickly gathered around Sippus.

Yet Sippus was unfazed by the attention, his demeanor as natural as ever.

It was the first time Sun Licheng had seen a half-elf. He stood above one meter eighty, with long reddish-brown hair and pointed ears, bearing a striking resemblance to an elf at first glance. Though Sippus’s features were handsome, they were robust and masculine, quite distinct from the delicate beauty of elves. Moreover, Sippus’s physique was powerfully built, exuding strength from every limb, with a curved blade fastened at his waist.

For this unexpected visitor, Sun Licheng was extremely cautious. Having spent considerable time in the Moon Alliance, he was no longer a newcomer ignorant of its ways.

The Moon Alliance was in fact quite primitive and isolated, waging constant war against the goblins and rarely interacting with outsiders. Now, suddenly, a half-elf had appeared—a divine envoy, no less—and had specifically requested to see him. Everything about this was odd.

Not to mention, the divine envoy of the God of Conspiracy—the very title made Sun Licheng’s spine tingle.

Soon, Sippus spotted Sun Licheng among the goblins and immediately recognized him.

Sun Licheng’s presence was uniquely distinguished. Though his clothing was not much different from those around him, it was exceptionally clean and neat. Most striking of all was the gentle smile that always graced his face, in stark contrast to the goblins, who were prone to glaring.

“This is a born noble. Such composure—even the king of the Goblin Kingdom would struggle to match it,” Sippus thought in admiration, though he added wryly, “This fellow is certainly handsomer than the ugly ones nearby, but he’s still ugly.”

“Hello, welcome to the Flower Tribe. I am Sun Licheng, the chieftain,” Sun Licheng said, approaching Sippus with a habitual outstretched right hand.

Sippus was momentarily puzzled, unfamiliar with the gesture. But he quickly caught on and, smiling, extended his own right hand.

“Greetings, Chieftain Sun Licheng. I am Sippus, divine envoy of the God of Conspiracy.”