Chapter 154: Taking a Bath with the Elf King.

After his initial excitement subsided, Shu Li listened to the splashing water and suddenly considered a serious question.

If the king was bathing, should he go over now or wait until he finished?

Approaching him directly seemed rather intrusive, but there was no telling how long Shu Li would have to wait for him to come out.

Shu Li clutched his head, torn by indecision.

He really had come at the worst possible time!

What should he do?

Just as he was caught in the dilemma, a familiar, gentle voice came from the hot spring pool.

“Is that you, Sperien?”

“Uh...yes. It’s me,” Shu Li stammered.

The king’s perception extended over a vast area. He had probably known who had arrived from the moment Shu Li entered the hot springs.

“I came to bathe!” Shu Li blurted out, instantly producing a reasonable excuse.

Everyone who visited the hot springs came to bathe. He could not possibly find a better explanation.

“Um...I didn’t know Your Majesty was bathing too. Hehehe—”

He emerged from behind the pillar, attempting to dissolve the awkwardness with laughter. Looking toward the indistinct figure in the pool, he apologized respectfully.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you.”

“It’s all right.”

Water splashed as the Elven King took several steps toward him. The mist seemed to thin, revealing the contours of his body.

“The pool is large. We can bathe together.”

His tone was as gentle as ever as he extended the invitation to the Little Fairy.

Shu Li froze.

Bathing had been nothing more than an excuse. How could he have known the king would take him seriously?

Boohoohoo—

In the past, he had usually visited the hot springs during the Midsummer Festival, when Elves and Fairies came together in a vast, lively crowd. The Little Fairies loved playing as they soaked. It was wonderful fun.

But this was not the Midsummer Festival. The other pools were completely silent. Would it not seem strange for only him and the Elven King to bathe together in the palace pool?

Still, he had searched everywhere for the Elven King because he needed to ask him questions. How could he give up now?

Shu Li clenched his fists and encouraged himself before walking toward the pool.

“Then...I hope you don’t mind.”

He approached with resolute steps.

The hot spring pool was comparable in size to a swimming pool and could accommodate two or three hundred people. Steps around its perimeter provided easy access to the water.

After a moment’s thought, Shu Li withdrew his core power and instantly shrank into his tiny form. Then he took a pile of bathing supplies from his storage ring.

He changed into a bathing robe suitable for the water, balanced a square-folded towel on his head, and gripped a wooden basin that could float on the water with both hands. Flapping his wings, he flew toward the pool.

The closer he came, the clearer his view became. The mist seemed to disperse completely, opening the scene before him.

The instant Shu Li saw the Elven King, he froze in midair.

The golden-haired Elf stood elegantly in the hot spring, the water reaching his waist. He wore a bathing robe as thin as gauze. Once wet, the fabric had turned translucent and clung closely to his skin, perfectly outlining his body.

Elves had tall, slender builds. No matter how strong they became, they never looked bulky. Their body fat was low, and their muscles were evenly defined—the sort of figures that appeared lean beneath clothing but revealed unmistakable strength once undressed.

Simply looking at the broad chest beneath the wet fabric was enough for Shu Li to imagine how firm it must be.

As if that magnificent physique were not enough, it was paired with a strikingly handsome face, making it impossible to look away.

The smooth golden hair that ordinarily fell neatly around him now clung damply to his forehead, shoulders, and chest. Its disarray lent him a trace of sensuality. He resembled a work of art, so beautiful that the sight was intoxicating.

Shu Li stared blankly and nearly forgot to keep flapping his wings.

He had bathed with the Elven King before, but other Elves had always been present then. With an entire pool full of handsome men and beautiful women, there had been nothing particularly remarkable about it.

Now the Elven King was alone in the pool, making him exceptionally conspicuous. The visual impact was overwhelming, and Shu Li’s little heart suddenly began pounding wildly.

He gripped the wooden basin, unsure how to react.

The Elven King seemed entirely unaware of his own beauty. Seeing the Little Fairy with a towel on his head and a basin in his hands, he smiled and beckoned to him.

Shu Li hurriedly lowered his head. The square-folded towel fell into the pool, and he quickly flew down toward the surface. After tossing the wooden basin onto the water, he retrieved the soaked towel and placed it inside.

Swallowing, he avoided looking at the Elven King. Gripping the rim of the basin, he slowly lowered his little body into the water.

Warmth enveloped him, opening every pore. He released a contented sigh and fluttered his wings beneath the surface, creating a layer of gentle ripples.

Shu Li splashed water over his face until he was thoroughly wet. Then he lightly wrung out the towel, folded it into a square again, and placed it back on his head. The warmth soaking into his scalp eased his nervousness, allowing his entire body to relax.

Soaking in a hot spring felt wonderful!

His eyes narrowed contentedly like a cat’s. He stole a glance at the Elven King, filled with sincere envy.

The king’s body was incredible!

When would Shu Li possess such a perfect figure?

He would have to keep growing and exercise every day.

The Elven King descended the submerged steps and sat with elegant composure, allowing the water to rise to his chest.

After hesitating briefly, Shu Li dragged his wooden basin along, kicking both legs as he laboriously swam closer to the Elven King. Then he pressed down on the basin, filling it halfway with warm water, climbed inside, and sat comfortably to enjoy his bath.

Whenever the water in the basin cooled, he could replace it with warm water using a simple water spell.

Thus, the Elf and the Little Fairy soaked quietly half a meter apart.

The warm vapor made Shu Li drowsy, and his eyelids gradually began to droop. Suddenly, his body jerked. He woke with a start and shook his head vigorously, forcing himself to become alert.

He had come here to ask questions, not to bathe.

The surroundings were pleasant, and no one else was present. This was the perfect place for a private conversation.

Shu Li shifted until he was sitting cross-legged in the wooden basin. He removed the cooled towel from his head, soaked it in the warm water, wrung it out, and placed it back on his head.

“Your Majesty...um...may I ask you a few questions?”

He cautiously looked at the Elven King, whose eyes were closed in repose.

The Elven King opened his emerald-green eyes and looked down at the Little Fairy in the basin.

“You may.”

Having received permission, Shu Li stopped hesitating and went straight to the point.

“You know that I stole the fruits hanging from the mother tree’s branches, don’t you?”

His fingers unconsciously picked at the rim of the basin as he anxiously awaited the answer.

“I do,” the Elven King said. “Once you formed a contract with Eunomysis, I knew she would take you to her branch in Vanaku.”

Shu Li looked up in astonishment. The towel covering his head slipped off and fell into the wooden basin.

He had not expected the Elven King to answer so readily.

“Y-You didn’t try to stop us?”

Ten years ago, Shu Li had been only a five-year-old Fairy cub when the confused mother tree sent him into Dark Elf territory, where danger lurked everywhere. If anything had gone wrong, he might never have returned.

Yet the king had allowed the mother tree to take him into enemy territory.

The Elven King lowered his brows and asked, “If I had tried to stop you, would you have abandoned your plans?”

Shu Li paused, then shook his head.

“No.”

Once he made up his mind, he did not change it easily.

According to the mother tree, only his purification spell was effective on her. No other Elf or Fairy could help. That had left him feeling that he bore an enormous responsibility.

The results had proven his decision correct.

The mother tree had regained her vitality and produced new fruits. The Elves would soon welcome new cubs.

“Rather than stopping you, it was better to let matters follow their natural course,” the Elven King said in a low voice.

Shu Li heard a trace of respect in his words.

“Weren’t you afraid that I might encounter danger?” he asked curiously.

“I was,” the Elven King murmured. “But I will do everything within my power to protect you.”

Shu Li removed the silver hair clip from his head and recited a restoration spell. It transformed back into the little flower crown set with emeralds.

His expression solemn, he asked, “So—to protect me, did you bind your soul to mine?”

The Elven King did not answer immediately. He merely regarded the Little Fairy in silence.

Shu Li continued, “Over the past several days, I used the mother tree’s roots to travel to the Golga Desert in search of the fire spirit. Last night, I finally discovered the Temple of Edas buried deep underground. While I was there, I accidentally crossed through time and saw the Fire God from ten thousand years ago. I thought I had entered another illusion, just like before, but the Fire God told me that everything I experienced truly happened in the past.”

The Elven King’s expression did not change in the slightest. He showed none of the panic one might expect from someone whose lie was about to be exposed.

“Your Majesty, you told me before that you had no memories involving me.” Shu Li pressed his lips together and stared at him intently. “Were you lying?”

When the Fire God revealed the truth, Shu Li had struggled to believe it. How could the Elven King, whom he respected so deeply, deceive him?

Yet once a seed of doubt was planted, it inevitably took root and sprouted.

He wanted to hear the Elven King’s explanation personally.

If it truly had been a lie, then there must have been a reason. As the person directly involved, Shu Li had a right to know. He no longer wanted to remain in the dark, ignorant of the truth behind his own experiences.

The Elven King shifted, sending ripples through the water and causing Shu Li’s wooden basin to drift away.

Seeing it float into the distance, Shu Li hurriedly paddled with his hands, struggling to return to his former position.

“Yes. I possess many memories involving you.”

While Shu Li was still trying to steady the basin, the Elven King finally spoke and admitted his earlier deception.

“Just as the Fire God told you, what you experienced was not an illusion. For certain reasons, time and space intersected, allowing us to meet.”

Shu Li’s mouth fell slightly open in astonishment.

The Elven King reached out and lifted the Little Fairy together with his wooden basin.

The sudden change in position caught Shu Li off guard, and his fingers involuntarily tightened around the little flower crown.

The Elven King gently stroked his small head and smiled.

“Thirty thousand years ago, I was performing for the gods in the Hall of the Gods when I saw a tiny winged creature land on my harp and make faces at me.”

Shu Li stared at him in shock.

At the time, Shu Li had believed himself trapped in an illusion. Assuming that the young Elf could not see him, he had deliberately made faces, flown around without restraint, and clumsily attempted to imitate the gods’ dancing.

Now that the truth had been confirmed, Shu Li realized that the Elven King really had witnessed his every movement. The embarrassment made his scalp prickle.

He could only blame the Elven King for behaving too naturally at the time. His gaze had not shifted even once, thoroughly convincing Shu Li that none of it was real.

“In truth, even I could not determine whether you truly existed then,” the Elven King said. “In the entire Hall of the Gods, I was the only one who could see you. Not even the gods sensed your presence.”

Shu Li blinked.

So at the time, both he and the Elven King had believed the other was an illusion?

“You appeared again during a Midsummer Festival twenty-five thousand years ago. Not only did you sit on my harp and listen to the music, but you also used my hair as a swing.”

Shu Li covered his face, no longer daring to meet the Elven King’s eyes.

Having the person involved recount all the foolish things he had done was unbearably humiliating!

The corners of the Elven King’s lips lifted slightly.

“I found the little winged creature fascinating, so I suggested to the Light God that he create a new race of Light.”

Shu Li parted his fingers and peeked at the Elven King through the gap.

The Fire God’s claims were being confirmed one by one. The Fairy Clan really had been created because of him!

No wonder that during the Midsummer Festival, when the Elven King’s poetry had drawn him into the past, the hall had contained only Elves and not a single Fairy.

The Fairies had not yet been created!

There was still one thing he could not understand.

“Why did time and space intersect?” Shu Li lowered his hands and asked softly. “The Fire God said that I don’t possess the ability to travel through time.”

He had been a little disappointed to learn that.

If he did not possess the power to cross through time and space, how could he ever return home?

“The god who governed time and space, Ronnos Clotho, once prophesied that darkness would engulf the entire Austin Continent,” the Elven King explained. “The gods would fall, the light would vanish, and all living creatures would become slaves of the God of Darkness. To change that future, he sacrificed himself.”

Shu Li was stunned.

“Sacrificed himself?”

He had memorized the names of many gods, but the God of Time and Space had not been among them.

So such a god had once existed, but had sacrificed himself?

The Elven King inclined his head.

“Yes. He divided his soul among three soul vessels: Paud, Noldi, and Skert. Once the person chosen by fate obtains all three vessels, he will be able to interfere with the past, command time, and change the future.”