AEKMEM chapter 34

An Qiao’s first reaction was to turn and look at Chu Heng inside the hut. He was probably focused on simmering the meat soup and hadn’t noticed or heard the shout.

However, their gazes met when Chu Heng suddenly looked up toward the door and toward An Qiao.

Clearly, Chu Heng had heard it, too.

Moreover, he seemed quite affected emotionally.

An Qiao: “!!!”

Oh no! Could the façade he’d painstakingly maintained in front of Chu Heng be about to crumble?

However, after a moment’s thought, a glimmer of hope arose within him.

Maybe Chu Heng heard the shout but didn’t realize the “Lord Elf” was addressed to him.

Even if he knew it was him, he could simply deny it!

Lacking confidence, An Qiao withdrew his gaze, avoiding Chu Heng’s eyes.

“Lord Elf, it’s wonderful! You’re finally back!” The dozen or so local natives in the group quickly arrived at the hut. Their emotions surged with surprise and excitement. They almost wept with joy as they shouted.

An Qiao: “…”

Are these people blind? He was certain he had never been there before.

Perhaps another elf had appeared here. However, assuming he was the same elf who had appeared before based solely on similar attire—a snow-white robe and long silver hair—was a bit far-fetched, wasn’t it?

He glanced at them coldly and denied it. “I am not the elf you are looking for.”

“You’ve mistaken him for someone else!” Chu Heng strode out of the small wooden house at that moment.

He frowned, his cold, dangerous gaze sweeping over the excited natives who were almost about to surround him.

“This is my partner. Although Qiaoqiao is handsome—even more so than other elves—that’s no reason for you to mistake him for one.”

His gaze was like a sharp, icy sword, carrying a strong warning: anyone who crossed a certain line would be annihilated by his strong territorial instincts and possessive nature.

Those who had been overwhelmed with excitement froze instantly under Chu Heng’s chilling stare, feeling as if they had been targeted by a ferocious giant. They desperately wanted to run but were unable to move.

However, this glance calmed them down slightly.

This elf did indeed resemble the one they remembered, though their attire and demeanor were somewhat similar.

“I apologize, sir. We mistook you for someone else. So you’re not the elf who left.”

An Qiao: “…”

Upon hearing the “apology,” An Qiao thought these people had finally stopped being so blind. However, he hadn’t expected them to still be so convinced that he was an elf!

—Although he was indeed an elf, he didn’t want to be exposed!

Especially not so suddenly in front of Chu Heng!

An Qiao took a deep breath.

Before he could say anything, Chu Heng spoke up, even more eagerly than An Qiao, who was unwilling to reveal his identity. “You should apologize! My Qiao Qiao is so handsome—a hundred times, a thousand times more handsome than anyone else! Handsome beyond compare! How could you mistake him for someone else?”

An Qiao: “… ”

He felt a strange sense of shame. Although he often considered himself the most handsome elf, hearing Chu Heng lavishly praise him with his eyes closed made his cheeks burn.

Of course, being praised was still pleasant.

Chu Heng continued, “Although my Qiaoqiao is prettier than other elves, it’s normal for people to mistake him for one. But, in reality, he’s an elf-human. Isn’t it incredibly impolite of you to assume he’s an elf?”

“But an elf lord is an elf lord, not some kind of elf-human…”

“Are you deaf?!” His brows furrowed even more, and his tone was tinged with barely suppressed irritation and ferocity. “I said he’s not…”

An Qiao interrupted him. “I said I’m not an elf-lord.”

An Qiao felt that if Chu Heng continued talking to these stubborn natives, he might explode with anger.

He was actually somewhat puzzled. It was somewhat understandable that Chu Heng was angry about being mistaken for “some kind of elf” or someone else.

However, being mistaken for an elf seemed to make him very dissatisfied and angry. An Qiao rarely saw Chu Heng so agitated and furious. The last time was at the New Year’s Eve banquet when his identity was questioned. Chu Heng was also unable to control his emotions then.

But given the empire’s fanatical worship of elves, being mistaken for one could be considered a form of praise, right? Was it necessary for Chu Heng to be so angry about it?

A momentary doubt flashed through An Qiao’s mind.

However, this doubt was fleeting, and An Qiao didn’t dwell on it.

The most important thing right now is to avoid being exposed!

“But…” The group exchanged glances.

“Ignore them,” said Chu Heng to An Qiao, his expression softening slightly. His gentle, patient tone was a stark contrast to his previous demeanor. “After breakfast, we’ll leave as we agreed last night.”

“You’ve been the one arguing with them,” An Qiao thought, rolling his eyes inwardly.

He was quite nervous about his disguise being exposed. However, Chu Heng seemed even more concerned and emotionally agitated than he was. Therefore, he wasn’t as nervous.

Chu Heng: “…”

He suddenly realized that he had acted impulsively in his haste.

He stole a glance at An Qiao’s expression.

Thankfully, An Qiao shouldn’t suspect anything.

When he heard Chu Heng say, “Leave,” and An Qiao seemingly agree to leave, the natives immediately panicked. “Lord Elf…”

“No, no…” Remembering An Qiao’s attitude about being called “Lord Elf,” they quickly changed their tune: “Honored one, may we invite you to our annual ‘Elf Celebration Day’ in the Burial Snowfield?”

“The Elf Celebration Day is held at our ‘Elf Palace’ in the Burial Snowfield…”

“No, thank you for the invitation, but we’re not interested,” An Qiao said.

An Qiao had a headache.

Today was both “Elf Celebration Day” and the opening of the “Elf Palace.” The fanaticism of the locals of the Burial Snowfield toward elves was evident!

Even though he had already denied it, these people seemed unable to understand him. They superficially changed their address but not completely, still calling him “Honored one” and stubbornly insisting that he was an elf.

He didn’t want to be surrounded by such fanaticism.

He didn’t want his identity exposed now!

Seeing An Qiao’s refusal, Chu Heng couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

If An Qiao wanted to go, he couldn’t stop him. However, if An Qiao went to this so-called “Elf Celebration Day,” Chu Heng was worried that An Qiao’s elf identity would be exposed.

Although these people stubbornly believe that An Qiao is an elf, it’s only a belief. An Qiao hasn’t admitted it, and there’s no evidence proving he’s an elf, so it wouldn’t count as a “reveal.”

“Alright then.” The expectant expressions on their faces dimmed, seemingly filled with regret and disappointment.

“Oh, right!” The leader of the local natives suddenly remembered something and took out a magnificent silk bundle from a basket on his back.

He unfolded the beautiful silk fabric layer by layer, revealing a pure white—or rather, colorless—crystal.

The moment An Qiao saw the crystal, his pupils contracted sharply.

A magic crystal?

This world actually has magic crystals?

Magic crystals are perfect for restoring magic power. However, since arriving in this world, he had only seen energy crystals with similar functions, not magic crystals.

He had thought that magic crystals didn’t exist in this world.

Unexpectedly, he found one in the Burial Snowfield!

The person handed An Qiao the crystal along with the silk in which it was wrapped. “The departed elf lord greatly admired this beautiful crystal. If you like it, it’s a gift for you.”

Such crystals were originally treasured in the Elf Palace. However, recently, many outsiders have infiltrated the Burial Snowfield.

These outsiders were different from previous intruders. They seemed to know something, and with shameless greed, they had set their sights on the Elf Palace of the Burial Snowfield. Their sole aim was the treasures within.

Despicable and ruthless, these invaders were vicious and cunning. They wounded many of the Burial Snowfield’s warriors and even seduced a young tribe member yearning for the outside world. They tricked him into stealing some of the most precious treasures from the Elf Palace.

This crystal was one of the treasures that the young man had stolen, but it was intercepted before he could hand it over.

Their team of about a dozen was preparing to escort the precious crystal back to the Elf Palace when they were fortunate enough to encounter an elf while resting at a small wooden hut!

Their devout worship must have moved the elves.

An Qiao had no idea what they were thinking.

If he knew their thoughts, he would deny it coldly: They were overthinking it. His journey to this world and landing in the Spirit Burial Snowfield was purely accidental!

An Qiao refused the silk package containing the crystals.

After all, he shouldn’t accept something for nothing.

Still, he couldn’t help but ask, “Where did you find these crystals?”

He hadn’t seen a trace of magic crystals even in the Star Beast Forest, from which he had crossed over from the elf world.

Magic crystals could only appear in places where magical elements were extremely abundant.

An Qiao had previously suspected that he might be able to return to his original world through the Star Beast Forest. However, during the Empire’s First Military Academy’s freshman final assessment in the Star Beast Forest, he paid close attention but didn’t find anything particularly special.

Even the magical elements were as sparse as anywhere else; they were almost nonexistent.

The way back wasn’t easy to find. He thought perhaps he hadn’t found the key in the forest.

Now, he had discovered magic crystals in this world.

An Qiao had a premonition that the place where the crystals appeared was inextricably linked to his original world.

It was even possible that the place where the magic crystals appeared could lead back to his original elven world.

“Does Qiaoqiao like this kind of crystal?”

Chu Heng was puzzled by An Qiao’s interest in the crystals, but since An Qiao wanted them, he offered them up like a peacock displaying its feathers. “If you want it, I’ll find you a bunch so you can play with them.”

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