Insufficient balance

  "I, I don't know how I ended up here."

  The fairy maiden put down the tray in her hand and said, "It's that pretty young lady who came with you, she's having dinner with the village head now. Since you're awake, go over there too."

  I looked down at myself and found that I was only wearing my underwear, the jacket had been torn to shreds and thrown aside. The biggest drawback of being a fallen angel is ruining clothes. I hastily covered my body with the quilt and said awkwardly: "You go out first, I'll change into some clothes and then come over."

  The elf girl smiled and walked away. Watching her leave, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. This month, how did it bring me to the elf village? From the mustard bag, I took out a clean set of clothes to change into, and found that my physical strength had already recovered. The two energies in my body were naturally circulating, although not yet at their best state, but also not far from it. Feeling like I hadn't slept for long, it seemed that my recovery ability was stronger than before. After exercising my slightly stiff body, I washed up and took a look at myself in the copper mirror in the room. Except for my beard being a bit longer, there were no other changes. Satisfied, I patted my firm cheek, put the ink Ming on my back, and walked out.

  The elf girl waiting at the door was taken aback by my appearance, and I smiled: "Haven't seen a handsome guy before?"

  The fairy girl's face turned red, and she lowered her head, saying: "Follow me." As she spoke, she turned around and walked ahead. I only then realized that this was a beautiful small village, with everything around us composed of brown and green hues. The surrounding area was dense with tall trees, and in the central clearing, which wasn't very large, there were over 20 wooden houses of varying sizes. It seemed that the entire village consisted of just over 100 fairies. The ground was covered with lush green grass and wildflowers, and some small animals without any aggression ran around the village, occasionally casting curious glances my way. Fairies usually flew, rarely walking on two legs, so the green grass on the ground remained unbroken.

  I somewhat embarrassingly said: "I'm going to tread on your green land?"

  The elf girl smiled and said: "It's okay, the vitality of the Biro grass here is very strong. Even if you step on it, it will only take a little effort to recover."

  "I nodded and said, 'Then let's go.'"

  The fairy girl fluttered her wings and flew ahead, I followed closely behind, turning a few corners in the gaps of the wooden house, and came to the front of a wooden house on the edge of the village. The fairy girl stopped and bowed: "You go in yourself, they're all inside."

  I was taken aback and said: "Isn't the village chief supposed to live in a central location in the village? Why does your village chief live here?"

  The elf girl's face showed a look of reverence, saying: "Our elf tribe is different from you humans. The village chief's duty is to protect the village, and all tribal chiefs will live in the most easily attacked place, so as to discover hidden dangers at the first time. The village chief is the most respected person in our whole village."

  I thought to myself, the leader of the Elf tribe is willing to put himself in the most dangerous position, showing his concern for his people. No wonder the Elf tribe has such a strong sense of unity, which is much stronger than that of humans, demons, and beasts. Thinking of this, I couldn't help but admire Aquarius secretly. I thanked the Elf girl: "Thank you for guiding me."

  The elf girl smiled slightly and made a gesture for me to enter.

  I nodded, stepped up the two wooden steps and went upstairs. I knocked gently on the door, which creaked open. It was Water Star's daughter who opened it. She looked at me with a start, then her eyes sparkled with a wary expression, saying: "You're awake."

  I nodded slightly and said, "Is Mo Yue here? I'd like to see her."

  Before she could respond, Mo Yue, who had heard my voice from inside the house, rushed out like a whirlwind, bypassing the fairy in front of her and suddenly pounced into my arms. Holding Mo Yue's delicate body, I felt a sense of solidity in my heart and couldn't help but kiss her lovely face, causing the fairy girl beside us to blush.

  "Hubby, you're finally awake," said Mo Yue with a pout.

  I burst out laughing and said: "If I don't wake up again, who knows where you'll abduct me to."

  At this time, Shuǐ Xīng also walked out of the room and nodded at me: "Let's go inside first and talk about it later."

  Since I've come, I'll make myself at home. I wrapped my arms around Mo Yue's slender waist and walked in. Due to the low ceiling of the house, I had to lower my head to avoid hitting it. Upon entering the room, I found that compared to the one I originally lived in, this one was only slightly larger, but there wasn't much difference otherwise. Are all spirits so simple?

  Perhaps seeing through my thoughts, Mercury smiled and said: "Our spirit tribe's pursuit of material things is not high, as long as we can maintain our survival, it's enough."

  "Haha, you young fellow's bones are really sturdy, recovering so quickly. My old bones are still aching all over." Pali stood with his hands on his hips, smiling at me. Because of Shuixing blocking my view earlier, I hadn't seen him. His dark electric battle axe was placed on the ground beside him, leaning against the wooden wall.

  I smiled wryly and said, "Don't flatter me, at least you didn't faint back then." As I spoke, I found a sturdier-looking chair to sit down on, straightening my back and finally feeling some relief in my neck.

  "Let me introduce you, this is my daughter Shuǐ Yuè, Shuǐ Yuè, quickly call Léi Xiáng uncle."

  Mars' words suddenly made both me and Shuǐ Yuè feel awkward at the same time. If we're talking about age, I'm probably not much older than Shuǐ Yuè. Shuǐ Yuè called out in a somewhat unwilling low voice: "Léi Xiáng, Uncle."

  My face turned red and I hastily said: "Don't call me that, just call me by my name."

  Mercury smiled slightly and said, "How can that be? Our spirit tribe attaches great importance to seniority. You and I are of the same generation, so she is naturally your junior."

  I turned my head to Mo Yue and said: "Mo Yue, why did you bring me here?"

  Before Mo Yue could respond, Shui Xing said: "You have returned the Heart of Water to us, you are a great benefactor of our clan. We must treat you with the utmost hospitality, so we invited Mo Yue's sister to bring you here."

  I looked at her with some doubt and said, "Village Chief of Water Star, the Heart of Water was originally a treasure of your Spirit Clan, it's not like you're doing us a favor. You didn't invite us here just for that matter, did you? If there's something to say, just say it straight out, I don't like beating around the bush."

  Shuǐ xīng's face turned red for a moment, and he glanced at Pà lái before turning to his daughter and saying: "Shuǐ yuè, go get some fresh fruit to entertain Léi xiáng brothers."

  Shuǐ Yuè responded with a sound, looked at me for a moment, turned around and left. As soon as she walked away, Shuǐ Xīng stood up, took two steps forward, came to my front, and knelt down with a thud. Her action startled me, I hurriedly got up to help her up, but in the urgency, I forgot about my own height, and with a loud crash, my head hit the roof beam. Luckily, I was fine, but the roof beam almost had a hole knocked out of it.

  Mo Yue patted her mouth and smiled, saying: "Be careful. Shuixing sister, what are you doing? Get up quickly, let's talk."

  Mercury's face was filled with shame, and he lowered his head, saying: "I don't know where to start with this matter, but I'm really going to trouble you, Lei Xiang brothers, please, you must help us with this."

  Looking at her pitiful appearance, I didn't impulsively agree. I nodded to Mo Yue to help her sit down beside me. "Water Star Village Chief, what's so serious that it would make a dignified Spirit Village Chief like you humble yourself and ask an outsider for help? Tell me, if possible, I'll lend a hand."

  "Mercury's niece, what is it that you want to say? Speak up, I'll help you out. Don't worry about this young man not agreeing. Heh heh."

  Looking at this old man's wicked appearance, I couldn't help but feel a sense of absurdity. Can he really be my master?

  Mercury sighed and said, "Uncle Parley, this matter is too important for our spirit tribe. As you know, when the two-winged fallen angel was around, he mentioned that there are seven true Water Hearts, divided into one main and six secondary ones. What he said was true. To be honest, these Water Hearts were not originally ours, but they have a great benefit to our water spirit tribe, greatly enhancing our water magic. Moreover, they have another legendary function. After collecting them for thousands of years, we finally obtained four of the secondary Water Hearts, but that's still not enough. We must gather all seven to unlock the true power of this set of gemstones. Legend has it that these gemstones are the protective treasure of the Water God, and as long as we can collect all seven Water Hearts, we can communicate with the Water God in heaven and obtain his protection. Our spirit tribe is now gradually declining, and only by obtaining the Water God's protection can we redevelop ourselves."

  I looked at her with doubt and asked: "What does all this have to do with me?"

  Mercury's expression turned slightly awkward, and he said, "The relationship is too big. Before you fainted, didn't you mention that there was a gemstone called the Sea Blue Stone with one of your friends?"

  My heart skipped a beat as I realized she had noticed the Sea Blue Stone. With a hint of wariness, I said, "That's right, the Sea Blue Stone is with a friend of mine. Does it have something to do with the Heart of Water?"

  Mercury nodded unexpectedly and said, "The Sea Blue Stone is also called the Heart of the Ocean. It's the main stone among the seven Hearts of Water. Take a look at this." She took out a scroll from her bosom and handed it over to me. I hesitated for a moment before taking the seemingly precious sheepskin scroll, unfolding it with both hands in front of me. The scroll wasn't big, but it felt great in my hands, with a soft and fluffy surface that was comfortable to touch. There were patterns on the scroll, with six identical heart-shaped gemstones surrounding the edges, while in the center was the rhombus blue gemstone we had obtained from the Tianzhong family's collection - the Sea Blue Stone. Although I wasn't a good person, I still wouldn't stoop to lying, so I nodded and said, "That's right, it's indeed this Sea Blue Stone."

  Mercury was overjoyed upon hearing this, and spoke somewhat incoherently: "This is great, simply too great! The whereabouts of the Ocean's Heart have finally been revealed, our Spirit Tribe is saved!"

  I furrowed my brow and said, "Wait a minute, this Azure Stone doesn't belong to you."

  Mercury said, "That's exactly what I wanted to say. I hope you can let your friend give the Fast Sea Blue Stone to our Spirit Clan. We really need it very much. As long as there is something in our Spirit Clan, you just want it, and we can take it out to exchange."

  I rolled up the sheepskin scroll and handed it back, shaking my head. "This probably won't work, because that piece of Aquamarine doesn't belong to me. My friend treasures it a lot, and I'm afraid he won't give it up easily. The Aquamarine was hard to come by, and it has become my friend's protective charm. Village Chief of Water Star, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you with this."

  Mercury's expression changed slightly, and at this moment, Suimeng returned. She was holding a large plate of fruit in her hand, with various colors and styles. Even before eating, the refreshing fragrance had already been smelled by others. Suimeng placed the fruit on the table and said softly, "Please help yourself."

  I picked up a red fruit and took a bite, instantly, the sweet juice filled my mouth, the refreshing aroma made me feel comfortable from the bottom of my heart. I couldn't help but exclaim: "What kind of fruit is this, it's so delicious." In just three or two bites, I finished eating the whole red fruit, and I couldn't help but regret not eating more of that fruit brought by the spirit girl in the room. Seeing me start eating, Mo Yue also started eating without hesitation. However, she seemed to have eaten before, and didn't look as surprised as I did.

  Shuǐ Yuè saw her mother frowning and asked: "Mom, what's wrong? Didn't he agree?"

  Mercury sighed and said to me: "Lei Xiang brothers, is there really no room for negotiation?"

  I was eating fruit while answering: "To be honest, if I were to persuade this friend, eighty percent of the time she would agree, but I don't want to do that. I don't want her to lose something precious because of me. This friend holds a very important place in my heart."

  "But we..."

  I stopped her from continuing and said to Mo Yue: "Mo Yue, after finishing the fruit, we should also take our leave."

  Mercury cast a pleading gaze at Mo Yue, who gave her a helpless smile and said, "To be honest with you, the Azure Sea Stone is on my husband's other wife. My husband values us both equally and absolutely doesn't want either of us to be unhappy. Mercury sister, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you with this matter."

  I smiled slightly and said, "Good Moon, you really do understand my heart. In this world, there's nothing that can compare to the position you three hold in my heart."

  Pa said, "But he didn't help Mercury persuade me. Instead, he rushed to Mercury and said, 'Niece, I think it's better to give up. Those so-called divine artifacts are just illusions. You're living well in the forest, why force others? I'm telling you, Lei Xiang, you can keep the Sea Blue Stone, but you can't leave. I've been waiting for you to wake up and have a few drinks with me. That's why I came here, to wait for you to wake up and become friends with you. You won't refuse, will you?'"

  For Pali, this straightforward dwarf king, I still have a good impression of him. I smiled slightly and said: "Drinking is fine, but I hope the village chief of Water Star won't think about moving the Azure Stone again. Only then can I stay here for a few days with peace of mind."

  Mercury nodded hastily: "You can stay here for a few days, I have to go back to the clan to ask our spiritual elder how to deal with it. Don't worry, our people will absolutely not harm you in any way. And with your strength, you also have the ability to leave at any time. Shuǐ Yuè, you stay here with Pà Lái Grandfather and the two noble guests, I need to return to the spiritual clan immediately."

  Shuǐ Yuè responded with a sound, looking at her mother with some worry.

  Actually, I decided to stay here for two more days, not entirely because of Pala's enthusiastic invitation. The main reason is that I found my lovely wife Yue'er seems to be quite fond of this place, especially when we were eating fruit earlier, her expression was full of satisfaction. As long as she's happy, what's the big deal about staying for two more days? Since I've accepted Tioman Di's legacy, I find that the domineering aura within me is getting stronger and stronger, it seems like nobody can look down on me anymore. Even I myself don't know whether to be joyful or worried.

  Mercury waved goodbye and hurried off. I thought, if the Sea Blue Stone was as important as she said it was, maybe when she comes back, she'll bring the Elder Spirit with her.

  Pa Lai Dao said: "I'm asking you, Lei Xiang, how old are you this year? You actually have such strong abilities, were you born with it?"

  I smiled slightly and said: "Of course not. I'm still under twenty this year, my kung fu skills aren't innate, they're the result of unremitting hard practice."

  His eyes widened in shock, and he exclaimed: "What?! You're not even twenty years old yet? Unbelievable! Your demonic clan is too formidable! To have achieved such greatness at such a young age is unthinkable! When the Demon Emperor reached the realm of Four-Winged Fallen Angel at over fifty years old, it was already astonishing to me. But if he were to compare strength with me, he would still be inferior. And you, at just twenty-odd years old, have already reached this level? Truly impressive! Young man, do you know how old I am this year?"

  "Could you be one hundred years old?"

  Balai shook his head and said, "One hundred years? Let me tell you, I'm already 387 years old. Our dwarf tribe can generally live up to around 600 years, while the elf tribe can even live up to 800 years. But we're at a disadvantage when it comes to reproductive ability, so our power will continue to weaken. Now that our dwarf tribe has finally reached a balance and controlled our population, we can finally thrive. That's why we don't often appear on the mainland, because we're afraid of losing any of our people!"

  Three hundred and eighty-seven years old? I was shocked, my mouth wide open in surprise. I didn't expect this old monster to be so old, two hundred years older than Tianyun.

  Just now, when I learned that I was under twenty years old, Mizuki also widened her eyes at the same time. At this point, seeing me so surprised, she said with some sarcasm: "I'm already 112 years old this year, and my mother is over 200 years old. Lei Xiang, uncle." When she said the last two words "uncle", she intentionally emphasized them.

  I and Mo Yue stared at each other, these aliens really can't be measured with human eyesight. I awkwardly said: "You'd better call me by my name, I'll also address you by your names, otherwise, I really don't know how to communicate with you."

  Mo Yue chuckled and said: "Shui Yue, you're so old now, aren't you becoming my grandma's generation?"

  "What's that? If calculated according to your human method, I'm only about 15 years old now, not some grandma of yours."

  I asked Palai doubtfully: "Since you are so capable of living, why is your reproductive power still poor? Even if it takes fifty years to have a child, you should have accumulated enough strength by then."

  He let out a sigh, his expression gloomy as he said: "Perhaps you still don't know that several thousand years ago, humans, demons, and beastmen were all small tribes on the continent, while we dwarves, elves, and dragons were the true rulers of the continent. But for some unknown reason, due to natural disasters and human calamities, our three tribes' reproductive abilities suddenly plummeted, with most tribe members losing their ability to reproduce altogether. Our numbers dwindled generation after generation, until we became what we are today. The dragon tribe was the worst off; although they could live the longest, their reproductive abilities were also the weakest. Now, there are only a few hundred of them left. It was from that time on that humans, demons, and beastmen gradually took to the stage of history, relying on their rapid reproduction to replace our ancient three tribes' positions."

  As he spoke, I felt a stir in my heart, recalling the words of Tianyun from long ago. If it was indeed several thousand years ago, that would have been during the Second Great War between the Divine Realm and the Underworld. Could it be that the war between the divine and underworld realms led to the gradual decline of the three tribes? No wonder Tianyun said that the Great War would have an immeasurable impact on the Mortal Realm. If another Great War were to occur, perhaps the human, demon, and beast tribes would gradually decline like the ancient three tribes.

  Shuǐ Yuè sighed and said, "It's precisely because of the reason Uncle Pàlái mentioned that my mother hopes to gather all seven pieces of the Water Heart. She wants to see if we can appeal to the mercy of the Water God and restore our reproductive powers. Our spirit tribe is still dwindling in numbers, not even as numerous as Uncle Pàlái's dwarf tribe."

  "Hubby, they're so pitiful. If this goes on, they might become extinct. Why don't you go ask Sister Zixue to lend them the Sea Blue Stone?"

  I slightly shook my head, thinking that if the spirit tribe really regained their reproductive ability, they would become increasingly powerful and eventually become another major force outside of the current three major forces. At that time, the original balance would be broken, and it might be even more chaotic than the current situation. Although the spirits were pitiful, I couldn't easily lend them the Azure Stone either. If there was an opportunity, I wanted to ask Tianyun about it; perhaps he would have a solution.

  Seeing me shake my head, Shuǐ Yuè said discontentedly: "You're also too stingy, can't even lend it to us for a bit? We're not asking for it for free."

  I smiled slightly and said: "All these, let's wait for your mother to invite the elder of the spirits back before we talk about it. Palai old man, aren't you going to drink? Let's start now."

  As soon as he heard about drinking, Pa Lai swept away the depression on his face and smiled: "Good, let's have a good drink today. At home, that old tigress has been controlling me for a long time, I haven't had a good drink in a long time."

  "Alright, Pa Lai Grandpa, you're speaking ill of Wu Kui Grandma. Just watch me tell her."

  As soon as Shuǐ Yuè mentioned his wife, Pà Lái's arrogant demeanor immediately dissipated by half, and he smiled apologetically: "Shuǐ Yuè, good niece, Pà Lái Grandfather knows you're the most well-behaved. Don't tell your mother, Wú Kuí, okay? Next time Grandfather comes back, I'll definitely have the dwarf blacksmith make a good weapon for you."

  "This is what you said, remember your words."

  "Come on, come on! Hurry up and get some wine ready for me. I want to have a good drink with Lei Xiang!"

  Although in terms of strength, I am superior to Palai, but when it comes to drinking, I'm no match for him. Originally, I was considered a heavy drinker in Shanghai, but compared to Palai, I'm just a faint spark. This guy isn't even drinking, he's pouring wine down his throat! After three jars, except for his belly slightly bulging out, there's no sign of intoxication. And I've only had half a jar of this clear and refreshing mountain spring brew, but I already feel the world spinning around me.

  "No, no more, I really can't drink anymore, Old Pa is coming, I'm really impressed by you."

  "Haha, young man, you can't handle it anymore? My old self has been practicing drinking for hundreds of years. Have another drink, or else I won't let you go back to sleep."

  Mo Yue said: "Don't let him drink anymore, look at him, he can't even tell the directions apart."

  Indeed, the Parai and Mokugetsu in front of me have already become two. I struggled to open my eyes and leaned on Mokugetsu's body. Amidst Parai's crazy laughter, Mokugetsu helped me back into the room, lying on the wooden bed, I only felt a dizzying spin.

  Mo Yue handed me a cold towel to wipe my face, and I felt refreshed, but the fire in my chest seemed to be bursting out of control.

  Mo Yue helped me take off my outer clothes and got into bed with me, sticking close to my body. Her small hands kept rubbing my chest and abdomen, trying to make me feel more comfortable. I indeed felt much better, gently wrapping my arms around Mo Yue and kissing her face. At the same time, my hands became less restrained.

  Mo Yue lightly patted me on the face and said, "You're annoying, getting drunk like this and still trying to cause trouble."

  I suddenly felt that Mo Yue was even more beautiful, like a goddess lying beside me. I couldn't help but say: "Yue Er, you're so beautiful, you're my goddess, I love you so much, Yue Er. I really love you, Yue Er." Upon hearing my words, Mo Yue, who had been somewhat resistant, instantly softened and leaned into my chest, panting sweetly: "Husband, I also love you very much."

  I found that even when drunk, my skill at undressing hadn't diminished in the slightest. In just a moment, all obstacles on our bodies had been dispelled by me. Amidst Mo Yue's soft moans, two bodies ignited with primal passion merged into one, and this moment was so wonderful. I felt like the flame in my chest had found an outlet, throbbing incessantly. Mo Yue responded tenderly, and instantly, the wooden house was filled with endless springtime...

  The next day, I woke up from my drunkenness without any discomfort, thanks to the Dark Magic's effect. Parana, that old guy, was afraid of being away for too long and not being able to explain himself to his wife, so he left early in the morning. Before leaving, he gave me a map of their dwarven settlement, inviting me to visit him sometime. The water spirits here seem to have some hostility towards me, but they're very friendly with Mo Yue. Maybe it's because I was too domineering that day? From them, I learned that as long as there are dense primeval forests, there will be spirit dwellings. In this forest, there are also several other spirit villages. Spirits only eat fruits and have no aggressive intentions whatsoever. The spirit villages are completely communist, with all resources belonging to everyone, and anyone can take what they need at any time. However, over the past few days, I've observed that not a single spirit is willing to waste anything. I couldn't help but think, why do other races have better quality than humans, demons, and beasts? The Spirit Tribe is indeed a natural tribe, revering nature's power. Water Moon told us that forests are the mothers of all spirits; without them, spirits would've gone extinct long ago. Therefore, they cherish everything around them and have developed a habit of not wasting anything.

  Three days later, I was strolling in the village with Mo Yue when Mercury returned, accompanied by five elderly elves who belonged to the five tribes of elves. If I'm not mistaken, they should be the Elf Elders. I pulled Mo Yue along to greet them.

  Mercury saw me and didn't leave, a joyful expression on his face, saying: "Lei Xiang brother, you haven't left yet, that's great."

  I smiled slightly and said: "You mustn't call me that, I'm only twenty years old, you're over two hundred years old, if we were to consider our generations..."

  Mars' face turned red and said, "It must be that little girl Shuǐ Yuè who has been talking nonsense in front of you. It can't be calculated like that. According to the proportion, I am only 27 or 28 years old as a human being. It's not a big deal for people of the same generation to interact with each other. Let me introduce you, these five are our respected elders in the spirit tribe." As she spoke, she pointed to the five elderly spirits behind her.

  The five elderly elves did not have a hint of arrogance due to their age, each face had a kind smile. The Water Elf Elder and the Wood Elf Elder were female, while the other three were male, and it was clear that they could be distinguished by the colors on their bodies. When they heard Sirius' words, they nodded in unison towards me. Seeing how polite they were, I didn't want to be rude either, so I hurriedly paid my respects: "Greetings, five Elders."

  "This is the Lei Xiang I was talking about, the Heart of the Ocean is with his friend."

  The five elders returned my courtesy one by one. Shuixing said, "Let's go inside and talk." She led us into her home. After everyone sat down, I was offered the seat of honor along with Mo Yue, and had no choice but to sit down. I wondered what methods these five elders would use to persuade me, and waited for them to speak with a mindset of just listening.