Chapter Thirty-Two: Delving Deeper

“What a troublesome bunch!” Zhou Tian muttered under his breath. Only when he saw the elves had fled far into the distance did he finally stow away the Serpent Basin, turn, and leave the battlefield.

This time, the orcs made no move to stop him. For one, they had come with the elves as their target, not Zhou Tian. Now that the elves had escaped, their mission had already ended in failure—there was no reason to tangle with Zhou Tian any further. Moreover, before Zhou Tian’s departure, they had been given a harsh demonstration of the Serpent Basin’s power. Though they had managed to kill plenty of venomous snakes, their own casualties had been considerable as well. From any perspective, trading the lives of their clansmen for the snakes pouring out of the basin was a losing bargain. Even if the orcs had no mind for business, they surely knew ‘bad deals’ like this were to be avoided.

“That was close. Good thing they didn’t give chase—otherwise I really don’t know if I could have held on much longer.” Though Zhou Tian had appeared unscathed in the clash with the orcs, the truth was their deaths were not without cost to him.

The Serpent Basin held many snakes, but they were far from inexhaustible. For cultivation-type treasures like the Serpent Basin, their full power would only manifest as they matured over time. Zhou Tian had only recently acquired the basin; it had yet to nurture any truly formidable serpents, and even the ordinary venomous snakes inside were not many. In the battle just now, more than half had perished. Had the fight dragged on, while the orcs would have suffered greatly, Zhou Tian’s own supply of snakes could just as easily have been depleted.

So, though Zhou Tian looked calm and composed on the surface, inwardly he was more anxious than anyone. Fortunately, his display had bluffed the orcs into backing off; had it not, Zhou Tian truly would not have known what to do next.

Just as Zhou Tian was inwardly relieved the orcs had not pursued, to his surprise, the elves who should have already fled suddenly came running back toward him.

“Are you alright?”

“I thought you’d already left. Why did you come back?” Zhou Tian had to admit, being cared for felt rather good. Seeing the elves brave danger to check on his safety after escaping the orc encirclement gave him a warm feeling inside. Still, though he was pleased, he made no show of it, instead feigning indifference, as if annoyed they had returned to seek him out.

Zhou Tian was being petulant, but the elves didn’t mind at all. If Zhou Tian had spoken to them like this in the past, they might have fallen out with him or at least given him the cold shoulder. But now, after his performance, the elves saw him as a comrade in whom they could entrust their lives. However poor his attitude, they didn’t hold it against him.

“It’s such a relief you’re unharmed. Come on! While the orcs haven’t caught up, we need to leave quickly.” As if she hadn’t heard his comment at all, one of the elves glanced over Zhou Tian’s shoulder—seeing no orcs in pursuit, she hastily scooped him up and placed him on her own body, then hurried off with the others.

“What a sensation!” The elf only meant to help Zhou Tian escape, not realizing that within the body of this snake resided the soul of a human man. As she carried him, Zhou Tian’s serpentine form inevitably brushed against certain sensitive parts. Thus, enjoying the unexpected intimacy, Zhou Tian temporarily forgot his earlier decision that, after breaking through, he should not linger with the elves.

* * *

After observing the direction the elves were running, Zhou Tian suddenly asked, “Where exactly are you headed?”

“Back home, of course!” The elf carrying Zhou Tian gave him a puzzled look, answering without a second thought.

“Stop right there!” Zhou Tian’s sharp command brought the elves to a halt. Seeing their confused expressions, he snapped, “If you want to die, don’t drag me with you! You really think the orcs won’t anticipate you trying to return? By hurrying back now, you’re walking straight into a trap. Before you even reach your own territory, you’ll likely be surrounded and captured. I don’t know the orcs’ exact plans, but unless their commanders are absolute fools, there’s no way they’d simply let you go.”

Zhou Tian might not have been a famed commander, but his recent actions had earned him a measure of authority in the elves’ eyes. Now, hearing his words, they didn’t doubt his logic at all. Instead, they anxiously asked, “Then what should we do?”

After a brief silence, Zhou Tian finally spoke under their nervous gazes: “We press deeper into the Orc Empire!”

“What did you say?” Though they trusted his abilities, the elves couldn’t help questioning him. “Isn’t that suicide?”

“You think heading deeper into the Empire is suicide, and the orcs will think the same. That’s why, though it seems dangerous, it’s actually safer than turning back—the chance of running into an orc ambush is much lower.”

“But…” Zhou Tian’s reasoning was persuasive enough that, after hearing him out, the elves no longer objected as before. Still, regardless of how logical he sounded, they simply didn’t have the courage to venture deeper into enemy territory with their modest strength.

Seeing their hesitation, Zhou Tian knew that getting them to follow his lead wouldn’t be easy. After a moment’s thought, he abruptly asked, “Do you want to help your army win this war?”

Almost without hesitation, the elves replied, “Yes!”

“Good. If you truly want to help your kingdom, then plunging deeper into the Orc Empire is your best choice.” Seeing their puzzled looks, Zhou Tian explained further, “With your abilities, your presence or absence on the front lines won’t sway the fate of the battle. No matter how hard you fight, you can’t really change the outcome. But if you don’t return—instead wreak havoc inside the Orc Empire itself—then the orcs will have no choice but to hunt you down, lest you threaten their very foundation. As long as you remain at large, they’ll be forced to divert troops from the front to deal with you. That will do far more good for your army than if you stayed at the front yourselves.”

“Well…alright. We’ll do as you say.” Though still apprehensive, their sense of duty to their homeland finally overcame their fear. Having found Zhou Tian’s words convincing, the elves hesitated only a moment before biting their lips and agreeing to his plan.

(A heartfelt thanks to the magnanimous Wu Shi Jian Tong Hui for your generous reward. My deepest gratitude.)