Chapter 199: Assassination (part 2)

The nightlife of the elves far exceeded Wu Qingsong’s imagination. When the banquet finally ended and the elemental golems cleared the tables and food, they brought in more wine and snacks, various fruits Wu Qingsong had never seen before, delicacies crafted like works of art, carefully prepared roasted meats, and soups. The elves cautiously presented what looked like a chimney-shaped device, and after Marquis Riniconia took a deep inhale from it, he immediately seemed invigorated and euphoric.

“Let’s get moving!” he shouted, standing up and waving his arms.

A group of half-elf musicians began to play lively music, and the ball began.

Unlike the carefree and joyous bonfires of the wolf people, the elves’ ball was more like a social event for the nobility, a hierarchical game with strict unwritten rules. The scene appeared lively, but in fact, everyone was cautiously observing a few elves, all efforts directed at making them happier.

Feeling extremely suffocated in such an environment, Wu Qingsong and Xeila slipped onto a nearby balcony, only to stumble upon a young elf pressing a female half-elf beneath him. This half-elf and her husband had been sitting right next to Wu Qingsong and Xeila earlier.

Confronted by Wu Qingsong’s astonishment, the involved parties were remarkably nonchalant and unbothered. The female half-elf, upon seeing them, even deliberately clung tighter to the young elf, emitting more enticing and alluring moans.

Wu Qingsong awkwardly fled back from the balcony, only to see her husband eagerly chatting with another half-elf, showing no intention of looking for his wife.

“Do you think he doesn’t know what’s happening?” Xeila asked quietly. “This is part of their life. These half-elves, their only value is to please the elves. Their lifelong dream is to gain the favor of an elven noble and secure a lucrative position. If my mother hadn’t taken me back to the tribe, I might have been just one of those social butterflies.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Wu Qingsong said, holding her hand.

Xeila shook her head and then said, “Let’s start our operation.”

No one paid attention to them, so they quietly slipped out of the hall. The corridor was lined with elemental golems every few meters, acting as both servants and guards. However, because outsiders couldn’t enter the floating city and hostile actions among the elves were rare, the golems didn’t seem particularly vigilant.

The two quietly returned to their room. Wu Qingsong began arranging the bed to look like two people were sleeping in it, while Xeila took off her elegant dress, revealing the black tight-fitting suit she wore underneath. In that instant, the unique and resolute assassin reappeared before Wu Qingsong.

“First and foremost, stay safe,” Wu Qingsong said to her. “Opportunities will come, don’t force yourself into danger.”

He gently placed his hand on her chest, and in the next instant, a faint stream of air erupted from the center of her body.

“Wu?” Xeila’s expression turned slightly odd.

“What’s wrong?” Wu Qingsong asked quickly.

Xeila furrowed her brow slightly as if she had just woken from a dream. 

“I don’t know.” She slowly shook her head, but moments later, her resolute expression returned.

Just as Wu Qingsong was about to remind her of something else, she suddenly walked over and began kissing him passionately.

“Xeila~” 

Her kiss set Wu Qingsong’s entire body on fire and threw his mind into chaos, but he knew this wasn’t the time for such things.

“Even if it’s just for you, I will come back alive.” 

Her body suddenly turned transparent, and the next moment, the warm sensation vanished.

Her actions left Wu Qingsong puzzled, but at this moment, all he could do was wait.

The floating city at night was still breathtakingly beautiful. Under the soft moonlight, numerous fireflies of various colors fluttered in the air, and blue and pink glowing moths flitted among the trees. Flowers on a tree emitted a faint luminescence, making the night in the floating city resemble a dreamlike light show.

From the hall came the faint sound of music, but Wu Qingsong’s mind was completely elsewhere. He sat by the window, staring at the floating island Xeila had pointed out to him earlier. An hour passed, and nothing happened there.

‘No news is the best news,’ Wu Qingsong told himself, but he couldn’t calm down.

Maybe Baron Nicholas wasn’t home and had gone to attend another noble’s banquet? Maybe there were always people around him, so Xeila couldn’t find an opportunity?

Such waiting was extremely unsettling and torturous.

After who knew how long, a distant large island suddenly became brightly lit. A dark red, semi-transparent shield appeared above it, encompassing the entire island. Then, several extremely bright lights began flying around the island at high speed.

‘What’s happening?!’

Wu Qingsong couldn’t help but stand up.

It wasn’t the floating island Xeila had shown him but a much larger and farther one.

How could this be?

The music outside stopped, and Wu Qingsong even heard the buzz of people talking. Some even walked out onto the lawn, looking at the island where the anomaly was occurring.

“…Sentalus…” he vaguely heard someone mention the name.

What on earth had Xeila done?

The range of those light spots grew larger, and soon, the surfaces of several nearby large islands also displayed massive transparent shields. At that moment, Wu Qingsong finally heard a faint sound behind him.

“Xeila… you…” 

He turned around with a sigh of relief, only to see Xeila covered in blood, collapsing to the floor.

Wu Qingsong hurriedly caught her. Though there were no visible wounds on her body, blood stained her lips. As he moved her slightly, she groaned in pain.

“My ribs are broken…” she whispered through gritted teeth.

Her tight-fitting clothes were soaked. The immense pain she had endured fleeing from afar to this place.

What should he do now?

Wu Qingsong didn’t know how to set bones or treat such injuries, but it was evident that in Xeila’s current state, it was impossible to conceal her condition from others.

More and more islands lit up brightly, and more light spots began flying through the air at high speed. Wu Qingsong could guess that these must be powerful elves searching for the assassin.

The sound of a female half-elf’s exclamation came from outside, giving Wu Qingsong a bold idea.

“Hang in there!” he told Xeila, then began helping her remove the blood-soaked tight-fitting clothes.