68. Enchanted Arrow

Mo Fei took a golden arrow from his quiver and drew out the small dagger he hadn’t used in a long time. He began carving into the shaft of the arrow. In no time at all, he finished and looked up, saying, “Let’s go outside and test this arrow.”

Taking the arrow Mo Fei handed her, Irene noticed strange symbols carved into the shaft. The group hurried out of the palace and beyond the city walls. Mo Fei turned to the elven guards beside him. “Go and get everyone away from under that tree over there, quickly.”

“Brother…”

“No more questions for now. Once they’ve cleared the area, try shooting that tree with this arrow.”

Irene loaded the arrow into her small crossbow, aimed at the tree, and squeezed the trigger. A sharp, piercing sound split the air, chilling to the bone. With a dull thud, the golden arrow buried itself completely in the tree. Irene was just wondering about the tremendous noise when, in an instant, a vast black cloud blanketed the treetop. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. In a matter of moments, a hundred meters around the tree was engulfed in a storm of lightning. As the black clouds dispersed, everyone stared in astonishment at the charred earth. The ground was pitted with countless craters, large and small.

Irene was stunned. “Brother, this…”

“Is this an enchanted arrow, child?” The Elven Queen had just arrived and witnessed the scene.

“I’m not sure if it counts as an enchanted arrow. I just carved some magic I know onto the shaft, that’s all. The trigger point is inscribed on the arrowhead—once the arrow is fired, the friction at the point of impact triggers the magic attack. I didn’t expect it to work this well.”

In truth, it was not exactly magic inscribed, but rather Mo Fei had adapted the technique for drawing talismans, carving the Lightning Command into the arrow as an array. It functioned just like a magical talisman. Moreover, this so-called enchanted arrow had a far greater range than a talisman and was much easier to use. Talismans required spiritual artifacts to activate them, but anyone could use these enchanted arrows.

“I’ve seen our elven archers and crossbowmen enchant arrows, but not like this. They usually chant an incantation over the arrow before firing, which produces the magical effect. But your method is new to me,” the Elven Queen laughed. “And, child, before you leave, be sure to find the city guards and inscribe all the bolts for the siege ballistae. Only then can you go.”

The Elven Queen recognized the terrifying power of Mo Fei’s skill. No matter how far a mage could cast a spell, it didn’t compare to the range of an arrow! Especially for the siege ballistae—their destructive power might not match a mage’s, but their range was several times greater. If all the siege ballistae used such arrows, what army could ever breach this city?

Mo Fei smiled. “Honestly, Mother, I would have done so even if you hadn’t asked. After all, this is my home, too. When Irene and I are married, I want to live here as well. The Death Empire doesn’t have such beautiful places; Elder Oufu and the others can manage things there. Then we can come back here often.”

Hearing that Mo Fei planned to return and live here, the Elven Queen could not help but smile. Her greatest fear had been that her daughter would live in the capital of the Death Empire after marrying him. Now that Mo Fei wanted to return, how could she not be delighted?

“Brother, is it true? We can come back often and stay with Mother?” Irene was ecstatic.

“Of course. The Death Forest doesn’t compare to our beautiful homeland. There’s even the plain—truly the most beautiful place. Don’t you all love playing there? Once I’ve finished my business, we’ll move back.”

The Elven Queen’s spirits visibly improved. With her daughter and son-in-law by her side, how could she not be overjoyed?

“Congratulations, Your Majesty!” At this, several elven elders standing behind the queen offered their congratulations with smiles. The princess was the next in line for the throne, and it would not do for her to reside always in the Death Empire. Yet Mo Fei’s help to the Elven Kingdom was so significant that no one knew how to raise the issue. Now that Mo Fei himself had said he would live here in the future, nothing could be better.

Mo Fei had, without realizing it, solved a major problem for the elves. In the days that followed, he sent people from the City of Death back to the Death Empire with messages and stayed in the elven capital, carving enchanted arrows. The massive bolts for the ballistae were even easier to carve than Irene’s golden arrows.

Within the Death Forest, the capital of the Elven Kingdom might now be a city that would never fall.

Meanwhile, after receiving Mo Fei’s message, the Death Empire’s four great leaders convened and decided to conduct the most thorough search ever across the empire. They also tightened inspections of merchants, and undertook a comprehensive investigation of the wealthy and noble families who had stayed behind, to guard against unforeseen threats.

Thus, all over the Death Empire, garrison troops, under the pretense of training, divided into squads and searched the most remote and unfrequented areas. Around the capital, camps of the berserker Death Cavalry—urgently recalled—were established everywhere.

When inspections of the capital’s wealthy and noble families began, the Death Knights sealed off a hundred-mile radius around the city with the strictest security. Announced as a military exercise to defend the capital, the general populace was understanding and, at the officials’ request, fully cooperated with the empire’s elite cavalry, exuding an aura of ferocity and death.

Elder Oufu finally relaxed after reviewing reports from every corner of the empire. No suspicious people or places had been found, and the blockade around the capital had yielded the following results: On the first day, 120 black-clad warriors were wiped out at the foot of two mountains forty kilometers from the city. On the second day, guided by locals, the Death Cavalry eradicated eighty-one black-clad warriors hiding in a forest behind a small village. On the third day, Death Cavalry at key checkpoints completely destroyed a medium-sized caravan of seventy-eight that tried to break through without submitting to inspection. On the fourth day, 166 black-clad warriors who attacked a city guard outpost were eliminated, with twenty-one defending guards lost. On the fifth day, the Empire’s intelligence service, investigating wealthy newcomers, found three merchants’ entourages highly suspicious. When questioned and about to be detained, they resisted with force—six guards were lost on the empire’s side, but all the merchants’ followers were killed on the spot and the three merchants arrested.

On the sixth day…

On the seventh day…

After that, no more significant intelligence was received—it seemed all those who had planned to sabotage the capital had been destroyed.

The Death Empire finally announced the end of the military exercise. After fifteen days, the imperial mobilization officially concluded. All troops, except for the heavily armored Death Cavalry around the capital, returned to their stations. The blockades around the capital and important routes were lifted and roadblocks cleared.

Peace returned to the Death Empire. Since most operations had been conducted in secret, and the city’s residents were asked to remain at home during the lockdown, no one realized the scale of the measures taken. They only noticed that more guards were stationed at the city gates, patrols had increased, and elite Death Cavalry squads—once garrisoned far away—were now patrolling the capital.

On the ramparts of the imperial palace, berserker infantry were visibly increased, and the gigantic ballistae were now guarded by berserkers as well.

The capital had changed in many ways, but the residents, seeing these measures, felt only safer.

…

“It’s a good thing the city lord sent word in time. If not, the capital might have been thrown into chaos. It seems we haven’t done enough in the past,” Elder Oufu said, settling comfortably onto the sofa. “This chair is much more comfortable—the city lord’s seat is far too hard. No wonder he never wants to sit in it.” Elder Oufu glanced up at Mo Fei’s chair and chuckled.

“If that chair were too comfortable, that fellow would fall asleep as soon as he sat down—we can’t have that,” Elder Woden laughed.

Mo Fei could never stand sitting up there with a crowd of people talking below him. More than once, he’d simply dozed off on the spot, leaving the imperial ministers both amused and exasperated.

“Hahaha…”

Remembering Mo Fei’s antics, everyone burst out laughing.