126. Laur the Village Head

POV: Laur

“My name Laur, 4TH generation leader since the founding of Cheaneya Village Brotherhood comprising of 4 midsized neighboring villages. Unlike other villages who have thousands of years of legacy, ours are part of nomadic Elves who have eventually settled on the northern part of Anongus Kingdom. The spiritual Qi within our environment is not as great compared to other places and on top of that, we are situated near the neutral zone between two kingdoms.

Around 800 years ago, due to occasional beasts and bandit attacks, our ancestors came to form an alliance with three nearby villages. We are poor as individual village but with our combined efforts, we have been able to accumulate enough resources to nurture outstanding villagers.

However 90 years ago, a group of bandits formed a lair up north. At first they were weak but since it is a neutral zone, even our elders have to control themselves.

But who would have thought that in mere few years, powerful human fugitives came to join their group. And with the growth of their strength, the range of their atrocities widened as well.

I lost count as to how many times we sought help and with the death of our previous leader, I can only pray for salvation.

I have devised a plan and that is to migrate. There are many good places we can relocate to but to avoid confrontation with other settlements, I had selected a mountain with the same environment we currently have. The problem is that, the lands needed to be cultivated. I estimate it needs less than thirty years before crops can properly thrive.

In an attempt to buy time, I have contacted the nearest sect for their protection. The first time the sect sent a disciple, we gained a temporary peace but the bandits are no fools. They figured out we have no real affiliation. I remember when the second disciple the sect sent out almost lost his head.

The extortion of the bandits have not change but the presence of the sect’s disciples had still mitigated the death count.

I don’t really understand whey these sects and the nearby guilds do not want to kill these madmen. They always say things about neutral zone and avoiding conflicts with the neighboring kingdom.

Every year, I would sent out a few villagers to the new settlement however today, I think I will have to recall those people and tell them to come back.

It all started eleven months ago.

Every six years, the disciple the sect is sending out changes and this is the fourth time we get to see another disciple. Initially, when I met this disciple, I thought the sect was making fun of us. The bandits who have been ravaging our lands and extorting and kidnaping our women are humans but the sect actually dared to send out a human.

I was infuriated but I can only swallow my emotions. As a leader, the lives of these four villages lies in my hands and my ability to make rational decision must never be compromised.

In the name of protecting everyone, I looked like a clown kneeling before the very race that which caused everyone’s misery.

I turned a blind eye towards his disciple’s race, but I just can’t fathom what the sect were thinking to have had sent a normal human. No matter how I observed, he looked ordinary. If not because of his uniform, we would have had kicked him out.

However everything changed that evening after he arrived. That time I could not sleep as the following day would be the visitation of the bandits. I was worried every second as our scouts have reported that the bandits will be accompanied by a Core Formation expert.

While I was trying to calm my mind, I felt a strong fluctuations of Qi and when I looked where it was coming from, I was surprised it was coming from the human disciple who levitated and flew towards the sky. I did not realize that the supposedly weak and ordinary looking human is actually capable of flight. As a Foundation Establishment myself, I can levitate but not to such degree of control.

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Before the human disappeared, he said, “I’m going out for a stroll.”

When I saw the direction of where he is headed, I became anxious and my anger almost burst out. When I said earlier that the second disciple the sect sent out 12 years ago, that disciple was so blinded by his arrogance he thought he could chase away the bandits and it was a miracle he was spared.

I thought this human was another foolish cultivator courting his death however when I had a view where this human went to, it was then I realized that I was the foolish and ignorant one. All along, this innocent and powerless looking human is actually the devil himself.

Forty bandits all killed like they were nothing, not even a chance to resist. Even their Core Formation leader was not even given a chance to fight back and it is not because he is weak but this human disciple is the reaper himself.

My feet were frozen as I watched from afar and witnessed how those bandits were killed. It was a one sided massacre. Never had I thought that one day I would witness how terrifying Dao powers can be.

When everyone died, this human disciple flew again. Even without asking, I can tell he went to uproot the bandits’ lair.

That following day, no bandits came and a week later, news about those bandits’ disappearance was celebrated. I should be celebrating as well however I can’t bring myself to make a toast.

Occasionally, images of those bandits’ head being pierced by that terrifying aura would give me unrest especially that this human disciple just stays inside the residence. He doesn’t talk nor make any demands .He just stays in the house unnoticed. Unlike those predictable bandits, at least I know what they want and while it pains me to sacrifice a few of our villagers, but at the very least I know what to expect while I save the majority.

Then around four months ago during the village yearly festival, I gained the courage to ask him to partake in this celebration but similar to last time, he said he had no interest in our affairs.

However a month after the festival, for the first time the human disciple needed something. I was expecting this human to actually demand a few of young maidens which I’m very much happy to obliged with in return for his help exterminating those bandits but when I get to hear what he wanted, my mind almost gone crazy.

He wanted to know where he could find Peletin Piranha Eels. I don’t know what he needed it for but I did tell him that the water sources of any Elven settlements have them as they purify and enrich the water flowing out similar to Mammoth Fireflies.

I wanted to look useful so I told him I would bring those eels for him.

Later that afternoon, one of the villagers managing our water source, together with his grandkid brought three pales each containing those eels.

Just when I thought I would get a clue of what he needed those eels for, for some reason, this human suddenly got curious and gotten interested with the caretaker’s grandkid that he said he wanted to nurture him. I thought this human was making a joke but when he handed me more than sixty spatial rings, my curiosity towards this human even grew larger.

Those rings contained the wealth of those bandits whom he killed and he wanted me to use it to improve our training grounds and our herb gardens then build a temple.

Today, we have just finished the temple. I wanted to seek help from outside but I did not want anyone meddling in this human’s plan. This human did not care about how the temple would look like but he was very specific at the center of the interior. I’m not well versed in Formation but the arrays carved within the pillars and their arrangement is familiar to me.

I still don’t know what this human is after. All I know is that he is not ordinary and has an unfathomable strength. He calls himself Clay, an inner disciple of Crescent Moon Sect.

I have fifty more years to live and I will try to detail everything that transpires with this human’s presence in our village.”

Laur closed his biography and placed the pen beside the book then looked at the young Elf meditating behind him.

“How’s your progress Rimar?”

“Elder, I think I can now summon ten flames at the same time. Unfortunately I cannot maintain it that long.”

The young Elven manifested his Essence Flame and created ten little wiggling flames and after a minute, he dispersed them and tried to catch his breath.

*Pant

*Pant

“That is my limit for now.”

Laur smiled and tried to contain his excitement. It has already been three months and Rimar managed to accomplish the task given to him by Clay. Their village alliance does not have an Alchemist and none of them knows anything about controlling flames. They have an idea how difficult this profession is as not everyone can become an Alchemist.

He still does not understand why Clay would like to nurture Rimar. They may not have an Alchemist but they at least know the qualifications and what it takes to become one yet Rimar whose Elemental Affinity is average was actually chosen.

Regardless of that reason, as long as they will have an Alchemist, then the future of their village alliance is secured.