Before his eyes stretched an open clearing centered around a modest lake. Along its shores lay lush green grass, enclosed further out by dense woods. Exquisite wooden cabins were built either beside the water or nestled in the shade of the trees.
Several young female elves were bathing in the lake, their hair flowing loosely over skin as smooth and lustrous as milk. Their fair, tender chests were so dazzling that a single glance was enough to send a man's hormones surging.
Their facial features were refined and delicate, brimming with captivating charm in every subtle smile or frown, like woodland spirits of the mountains.
Young girls chased one another and played along the lakeside, their silvery laughter ringing out in cheerful waves.
Wisps of cooking smoke curled from the chimneys of the wooden cabins. Even from a distance, Zhang Yuanqing could smell an appetizing aroma of meat.
The young girl, Teliya, caught two little girls who were chasing butterflies. Straightening her face, she reprimanded them in the posture of an elder,
"Don't just play and fool around all day! How many techniques for seducing men have you learned? If you don't work hard when you're young, you won't even know how to entice a man when you grow up, and then you'll be completely useless!"
The two little elves hung their heads in shame, looking just like students scolded by a teacher for poor grades.
Standing nearby, Zhang Yuanqing felt his worldview shatter. He thought to himself that not even the evil professions had such bizarre and outlandish norms—the Desire profession had to be the most wicked profession in the entire world.
Yet, considering the nature of ancient practitioners, he suddenly understood. The abilities of the Desire profession relied on charm, flirtation, and seduction to bring the opposite sex to their knees beneath their skirts.
Through these means, they controlled and enslaved the opposite sex. Even when facing men far stronger than themselves, they could subdue them through their grand draining arts.
They might seem like loose women, but in truth, they were queens.
These elves were ancient practitioners. Seduction, charm, and intercourse techniques all had to be practiced and honed. Unlike Spirit Realm walkers, whose abilities and skills were directly infused by the Spirit Realm, they had to cultivate everything themselves.
Looking at these elves from the perspective of ancient cultivators immediately made the logic behind their behavior clear.
Having finished lecturing the two children, Teliya patted her flat stomach and gave a playful giggle. "I'm starving, Alice! I'm heading home to eat…"
Just as she was about to say goodbye, Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly said, "Teliya, why don't you come over to my place?"
Though he had turned into a character within the scenario, he had received no memories whatsoever and had no idea which house was his.
Teliya paused for a moment. "Alright…"
The two walked side by side along the lake for a short while before stopping in front of a two-story wooden cabin enclosed by a fenced yard.
Wisps of cooking smoke rose from a chimney slanting out from the cabin's wall.
*Is this my home?* Zhang Yuanqing pushed open the wooden gate and led Teliya inside. Directly facing the entrance stood a simple, long wooden table set with plates and a pitcher, all made of pottery and wood.
There were no bowls, chopsticks, knives, or forks—only a crude wooden spoon.
Zhang Yuanqing swept his gaze across the room. Piled on the left were bows, arrows, spears, bear traps, hoes, and other tools. On the right was a hearth, where a woman wearing a beast-hide apron stood stirring a pot of meat stew.
Hanging on the wall beside the hearth was meat from animals such as deer, wild boars, and rabbits.
The woman's back presented an alluring silhouette—rounded shoulders, a slender waist, and plump buttocks. It was the sort of voluptuous figure that could effortlessly ignite a man's lust.
Compared to the youthful Teliya, this woman's figure was fuller and more mature, clearly marking her as an "older elf."
Hearing footsteps behind her, the woman glanced back over her shoulder. She had a radiant, mature face, free of wrinkles yet devoid of adolescent innocence, exuding the rich charm of a married woman.
Seeing Alice and Teliya return, the woman's face darkened, her tone laced with reproach and disappointment.
"You failed to find a man again? Absolutely useless! If you can't even seduce a man, what will you ever amount to in the future?"
To Zhang Yuanqing's ears, it sounded just like a mother berating her daughter: *You failed your exams again?! You have no future at all—stop going to school!*
Teliya stuck out her tongue and said, "Oh, come on, the surrounding villages are practically out of men! Only a few old, weak, sick, and disabled ones are left, and they can't handle our enthusiasm. And the men from villages further away don't come hunting over here—plus, they're afraid of us…"
Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing's mind stirred. Feigning innocence, he asked, "We're so beautiful, men should love us more than anything. Why would they be afraid?"
Teliya rapped Zhang Yuanqing on the head with a wooden spoon. "Dummy, did you forget how many men have died on our bellies? Men from outside used to yearn for the forest. But ever since our bodies started heating up at night, they grew terrified of us, because every man who came into the forest to copulate died here from sheer exhaustion of excessive pleasure."
*Just as I expected. The aphrodisiac gas turns the elves insatiable. Any man entering the forest faces nine deaths to one life!* Zhang Yuanqing said, "Why do our bodies always heat up at night?"
He looked toward the alluring woman.
The woman's expression instantly changed, and she snapped harshly, "Stupid girl, how many times have I told you not to pry into matters concerning the night?! Do you want to be banished from the forest by the Elders, or thrown into the valley to feed the demonic wolves?"
*The Elders of the Elf Tribe are even more secretive about the source of the aphrodisiac gas than I thought. Just what secret is hidden in this forest?* Lowering his head, Zhang Yuanqing adopted an apologetic, aggrieved stance. "I know I was wrong!"
At the same time, he felt rather pleased with himself: *I'm actually pretty good at playing a young girl.*
The woman's expression immediately softened. She took three wooden bowls from a cupboard and said, "Teliya, stay for dinner. You and Alice are companions. Remember, when you find a man, you must share him with each other."
Teliya answered sweetly, accepted the wooden bowl handed to her, and scooped up the meat stew with a wooden spoon, savoring it with delight.
Zhang Yuanqing took a tentative sip as well. The stew was slightly salty and seasoned with some kind of spice that gave it a mild kick. He couldn't tell what animal the meat came from, but it had been simmered until tender, melting the moment it touched his tongue.
He couldn't resist gulping down two large mouthfuls.
The alluring woman ate her stew in delicate sips, occasionally nibbling on a red wild berry. Her finely sculpted brows were slightly furrowed, as though she were in a sour mood.
Suddenly, an uproar drifted in from outside, mixed with cheers.
Hearing the sound, the woman's eyes flickered, her brow smoothed, and she immediately put down her spoon and rushed out of the cabin in haste.
The two young girls ran out after her. In the fading twilight, a group of sturdy men led by two young elf maidens emerged from the woods and arrived on the grassy shores of the lake.
Alerted by the commotion, women from the tribe rushed out in increasing numbers, gathering by the water, their eyes glowing with anticipation as they scanned the men.
Alice was the sole anomaly, not looking at the sturdy men at all, but instead gazing all over the female elves.
*So gorgeous, every type imaginable…* Looking at the elves—some petite and delicate, some tall and sultry, some voluptuous and enticing—Zhang Yuanqing felt as if he had stepped into the Land of Women.
Alas, the Lord Tianzun had been turned from a plug into a socket. Even if his mind was willing, the infrastructure simply wasn't equipped for it.
With a sigh, he finally shifted his attention to the men. There was a fair number of them, sixteen in total. They wore knee-length leggings and loose linen tunics that covered their thighs, tied at the waist with hemp rope, from which hung daggers, with wooden bows slung over their backs.
This attire made it impossible for Zhang Yuanqing to pinpoint the exact era of the scenario, though it was certainly ancient.
The men had messy hair and full, untrimmed beards, looking far from handsome. Yet in the eyes of the female elves, they were the most tantalizing prey.
*If they saw my true body, wouldn't they go completely wild?* Zhang Yuanqing mused inwardly, hearing the mother ahead remark with delight:
"Finally, men have arrived. Tonight, we won't have to endure the agony of going without…"
*Not have to endure the agony of going without?* Zhang Yuanqing's gaze shifted slightly. *If the effects of the aphrodisiac gas are so agonizing, why not leave the forest?*
With the elves' beauty, if they ventured out into the outside world, a simple crook of a finger would bring swarms of men rushing toward them, guaranteeing a steady supply of rods.
Why stay in the forest and suffer?
Considering the Clan Leader's and Elders' tight-lipped secrecy regarding the aphrodisiac gas, Zhang Yuanqing formed a faint suspicion.
At that moment, a woman stepped out from the most exquisite, luminous wooden cabin by the lake. Her attire differed little from that of the other elves: an animal-hide tube top, an animal-hide miniskirt, and animal-hide boots.
The difference lay in a finely crafted silk skirt wrapped around her waist, slit high up to her thigh, revealing glimpses of fair, shapely legs as she walked.
She had lake-blue hair and wore a crown woven from fresh flowers. Her beauty was breathtaking beyond description, her blue eyes gleaming like precious gems, her nose slender and straight, and her fair face accented by crimson, alluring lips.
The moment she appeared, the surrounding elves tore their eyes away from the men and stared at her in utter fascination.
Likewise, the men showed expressions of astonishment and obsession, their leggings noticeably tightening…
"The Clan Leader is so beautiful…" Teliya murmured.
*She really is stunning. Her charm has reached the Dominator stage. The last time I slept with a woman this alluring was Catherine. Speaking of which, Catherine hasn't shown up once since her true identity was exposed; who knows where she's hiding…* Zhang Yuanqing let his thoughts wander aimlessly, deliberately distracting himself to resist the Elf Clan Leader's charm.
The Elf Clan Leader, with her flowing azure hair and exquisite floral wreath, spoke in a soft, alluring voice:
"Warriors from beyond the forest, whence do you hail? For what reason have you ventured into the realm of elves?"
The lead man stared blankly in awe, bowing low as he said, "Beautiful Elf Leader, we are a group of homeless wretches. Our lord seized our grain and gold, and usurped our lands.
"We were forced to wander, surviving only by hunting and gathering wild berries."
The Elf Clan Leader nodded gently, a smile gracing her lips.
"O homeless ones, you have arrived in this bountiful and beautiful forest. From this day forward, you may dwell here in peace, wandering no more. The Elf Tribe is willing to take you in, build families with you, and bear your offspring."
The scruffy, bearded men grew emotional, weeping tears of joy as they showered the merciful Elf Leader with gratitude.
Some even began appraising the female elves around them, picking out the women who suited their fancy.
In the distance, Zhang Yuanqing quietly narrowed his eyes.
That man was lying!
Expressions and words could be fabricated, but emotions never lied. Emotions were the true reflection of the mind.
Chapter 924