Chapter 014: A Thousand-Year Love

“If the women among us humans were as beautiful as you, Great Sage, I believe men would be willing to marry just one of them.” Du Fan said to Lan Ling with a smile, his face once again bearing an expression of purity.

“That little rascal talks nonsense, yet still wears such a pure expression on his face. Oh, could this be the so-called charlatan among humans?” Lan Ling thought as she looked at Du Fan.

Though she thought so, Lan Ling didn’t dare say it out loud.

“Legend has it that many years ago, during the last great war against the demons, a husband went missing on a distant expedition. Yet his wife refused to believe he was gone. She stood by the ancient elf tree every day, hoping to suddenly see him appear. Day after day, year after year—over a thousand years passed—yet her husband never reappeared. Eventually, that devoted wife sat beneath the ancient elf tree and transformed into a beautiful white flower. That beautiful white flower is called ‘A Thousand-Year Love’,” Lan Ling explained the origin of the flower.

“Is that true? Elves can turn into flowers?” Du Fan said with a laugh. “The Great Sage wouldn’t lie just for fun, would you? If that’s the case, be careful sleeping at night— I’ll come to find you with that white flower,” he said playfully.

“It’s impossible to verify whether it’s true or not, but ‘A Thousand-Year Love’ does bloom once every thousand years. Moreover, it has another effect: it preserves one’s beauty. Anyone who consumes it remains looking as they did when they first took it, even until death,” Lan Ling said seriously.

“No wonder, no wonder. Women always want to stay beautiful forever. It seems even elves can’t escape this,” Du Fan mused. “To keep one’s beauty at their most beautiful age forever—which woman wouldn’t like that?”

“Elven women are still women after all,” Lan Ling said with a slight smile.

“If you like it, Great Sage, how about I pick that ‘A Thousand-Year Love’ flower for you?” Du Fan suddenly said to Lan Ling, a smile playing on his lips.

Hearing this, both Lan Ling and Nai Xiu shuddered.

“Lord Du Fan, I couldn’t possibly accept such a thing. According to our elf customs, during this Thousand-Year Festival, the man who picks ‘A Thousand-Year Love’ gains the right to propose to any unmarried woman, and she cannot refuse—because it is the will of the Goddess of Nature,” Lan Ling said, her face turning red for the first time.

“Haha, I’m not married, and you, the Great Sage, aren’t married either—perfect match, right?” Du Fan said with a smirk.
“Do you really not understand or are you pretending not to?” Nai Xiu finally spoke up. “Our elves’ sages dedicate their entire lives to the Goddess of Life. As sages, we cannot get married.”
“Well, how about I pick it and give it to you, the clan leader?” Hearing Nai Xiu’s words, Du Fan spoke to her again with a half-smile.
“I’d love that. Which elf woman wouldn’t want the Thousand-Year Love? But sadly, honorable Du Fan, you’re not an elf,” Nai Xiu said coldly.
“Uh, I guess I really am not an elf,” Du Fan said, touching his nose.
Not being an elf meant he couldn’t participate in the Thousand-Year Love event—of course, that’s what Du Fan thought.
“Alright, brave young men, follow me to the Land of a Thousand Years. Let’s see who will be our bravest warrior tonight, and which lady will ultimately receive our Thousand-Year Love!” Saito’s voice echoed through the magic of sound transmission above the elves.
As Saito’s voice faded, the elves began to head toward the Land of a Thousand Years.
After about ten minutes, on the bark of an ancient elf tree about five kilometers above the ground, a white flower bloomed. The white flower stood alone on the bare tree bark, looking utterly lonely and desolate. It seemed to truly reflect what Lan Ling had said—a woman who had waited for a thousand years, longing for her husband’s return.
“Now, let me announce the rules again. During the competition for the Thousand-Year Love, flying magic is forbidden, and deliberately harming others is also prohibited. I now declare the Thousand-Year Love competition to begin!” At Saito’s command, countless elf men climbed toward the flower on the tree.
On the ancient elf tree, there were countless cracks in the bark, perfect for the elves to use as footholds. It must be said that elves were physically weak, but their agility was remarkable. Shortly after Saito gave the order, some elves had already climbed over a hundred meters high.

Not long after climbing began, the scene turned chaotic and bloody. Perched on the Ancient Elf Tree, the elves who were close to each other started fighting. Even those elves on the ground shot Elf Arrows at those who were higher up! Fortunately, Saito had established rules beforehand prohibiting intentional harm to life, so those Elf Arrows were headless. Still, though they couldn’t kill, the pain was inevitable.

After climbing for a long time, few elves had managed to reach over 200 meters.

While Du Fan watched this scene, which seemed like a farce, Moses walked over to him.

“Elder Du Fan, my father would like you to come and sit with us,” Moses said after greeting Du Fan, stating his purpose right away.

“It’s an honor to be invited by the chief of the clan,” Du Fan replied promptly, returning the greeting.

In front of the group of elves, a few simple tables were set up, surrounded by a crowd of elves—men and women, old and young. Of course, among them was Moses’s father, Saito.

Upon seeing Du Fan arrive, Saito stood up, and the elves sitting around the tables also stood up one after another.

A guest of the Goddess of Nature surely deserved such respect.

“Please, sit down, sit down!” Du Fan said hurriedly when he saw the elves standing.

It was obvious that these elves here must be powerful figures among their kind. Such people needed to be treated with courtesy—after all, they might need help in the future. Du Fan began to think to himself.

“Elder Du Fan, please sit here,” Saito said quickly as Du Fan approached, inviting him to sit beside himself.

Only after sitting down beside Saito could Du Fan clearly see the face of the chief of the Elf clan.

As Moses’s father, Saito resembled Moses’s older brother more—they looked very similar. Moreover, since elves had extremely long lifespans, their appearances remained remarkably consistent. The only slight difference might be that Saito’s eyes carried a bit more weariness than Moses’s. Moses, in turn, was slightly thinner than his father.

“Where are you from, Elder Du Fan?” Saito asked as soon as Du Fan sat down.

“I’m from the Gavin Empire,” Du Fan replied.

“The Gavin Empire, one of the two major human empires. Judging from your skills, you must hold a high position in the Gavin Empire,” Saito said. Although elves rarely went outside, as the chief of the Ancient Elf Tree clan, he was somewhat aware of the political landscape of the continent.

“I’m a hereditary duke, with my fief in the Siluo Province,” Du Fan replied.

“It’s a duke, indeed. As a duke, you shouldn’t appear alone in our elf territory,” said Saito doubtfully.
It seemed the elven chief didn’t know about the war between the Gavin Empire and the Lani Empire.
“We’re at war with the Lani Empire. I was pursued by their soldiers, and in the end, my companions had to use a space magic that randomly transported me to your territory,” Du Fan replied.
“I see. Then surely the duke must return to the Gavin Empire. To get from here to the Gavin Empire, one has to cross the Twilight Mountains, which are the domain of the dwarves. It won’t be easy for the duke to pass through there,” Saito said gravely.
“That’s not urgent. After the Millennium Love Festival, I’ll need your help again regarding my return to the Gavin Empire,” Du Fan quickly tried to preempt Saito’s concerns.
“We’ll do our best. The Goddess of Nature has ordered us to assist the duke wholeheartedly, so please rest assured,” Saito said. Yet deep down, he felt uneasy—could the disaster the goddess spoke of for the elves really befall Duke Du Fan? Oh, since it was an order from the goddess herself, there must be no mistake. Perhaps he should start flattering this human duke right away, Saito thought, shaking his head.
By now, some elves had climbed over 200 meters, and the competition for the Millennium Love grew even fiercer.
Suddenly, Saito asked, “Has the duke gotten married?”
“Not yet,” Du Fan replied.
“Then, what do you think of our elf women?” A smile appeared on Saito’s face upon hearing this.
“They’re very beautiful. Compared to us humans, they’re truly exquisite,” Du Fan exclaimed.
“Then why not join the Millennium Love Festival? That way, you can choose any elf woman you like. For example, our chief, Nayshu, would be an excellent choice,” Saito said, staring at Du Fan with a meaningful look in his eyes—like that of a starving person suddenly faced with a sumptuous meal.
Flustered by such a gaze, the elven chief wondered if Saito had any strange preferences, like Nicholas’s. Du Fan was shocked.
“But I’m human. Can I still participate in your Millennium Love Festival?” Realizing Saito was implying he should compete for the prize, Du Fan dismissed his earlier thoughts.

“The rules don’t say humans can’t participate, so if I say they can, then they can,” Saito replied immediately, seeing an opportunity.
“But would you elves be willing to marry humans?” Du Fan asked the final question.
“Of course. Our legendary elf ranger became a partner with a human woman, didn’t he?” Saito said with a slight smile.