After several days of travel, Mo Han and his companions finally arrived at Keman City, located in the Duchy of Keman on the outskirts of the Elven Forest. The Duchy of Keman sat at the junction of the Kanya Empire and the Elven Empire, a minuscule nation comprising only two cities: Keman City and Flying Mist City. However, because of the Elven Forest, no neighboring nation dared encroach upon Keman City, lest they be mistaken for harboring ill intentions toward the forest and thus be branded as enemies by the Elven race—a price too steep to pay.

Given the duchy’s limited territory and scarce resources, it was merely an ordinary small state, offering little in the way of spoils. If any nation were to incur the wrath of the elves by attacking Keman, they would surely face swift retribution, a prospect that none, not even the Five Great Empires, dared risk by underestimating the Elven power.

The superb archery skills of the Elven archers, coupled with the prowess of the Elven mages, had always been a source of deep apprehension for the major empires. Any Elven mage possessed an aptitude equivalent to at least a human beginner-level Archmage. The only mitigating factor was the Elves' consistently low population count and their inherent love for peace, disinclined to engage in conflicts. This temperament constrained their overall strength; otherwise, the entire continent might well have been under Elven dominion.

Despite these limitations, the Elves remained the most formidable force that the major empires deeply feared.

No nation dared lightly provoke them; it would be tantamount to inviting disaster.

It was precisely due to this protection that the Duchy of Keman had enjoyed relative peace, having avoided any wars. Otherwise, with the Keman Empire's meager strength, it would long ago have been annexed by the Kanya Empire.

The day Mo Han and his group arrived in Keman City, they immediately noticed a distinct increase in the number of Elves present. Unlike other cities where one might see only an occasional Elf, here in Keman City, Elves were frequently visible walking the streets. While not numerous in absolute terms, their presence was certainly significant compared to other locales.

Moreover, in Keman City, quite a few small shops were owned and operated by Elves, selling Elven specialties like intricate jewelry and trinkets. Having reached Keman City in the late afternoon, everyone decided to rest there for the night and proceed to the Elven Forest the following day. Although Keman City bordered the forest, there was still a considerable distance to cover, making entry impossible before nightfall.

After settling in, they decided to venture out and admire Keman City’s night scenery. As they stepped out, they saw four Elves rushing past them, their expressions etched with anxiety. Out of curiosity, Mo Han instructed Daili and the others to wait for him at the inn.

He followed them alone to discover the source of the disturbance. However, just as Mo Han passed the city gate, he felt a distinct fluctuation emanating from the Bright Jade Pendant tucked inside his robe.

Though fleeting, Mo Han registered the sensation with absolute clarity.

It was the 'Nether Race.' Mo Han reacted instantly, realizing they must be close by for the Bright Jade Pendant to react so strongly.

With this thought, Mo Han hesitated, glancing toward the Elves who had already exited the city gates. He ultimately decided to prioritize locating the Nether Race first before investigating the Elves’ distress. The sudden appearance of the Nether Race near the Elven Forest sent a chill of unease through him; he had a powerful premonition that something major was about to happen. Though he couldn't articulate why, Mo Han trusted this feeling implicitly.

Having made up his mind, Mo Han immediately moved, pacing rapidly around the perimeter of the city gate, hoping the Bright Jade Pendant would sense the Nether Race’s presence again. But Mo Han was disappointed. He searched the entire area surrounding the gate without finding any trace or aura of the Nether Race; the Bright Jade Pendant remained quiet in his robe, as if it had never stirred.

Could the Bright Jade Pendant be malfunctioning? Mo Han momentarily considered, but quickly dismissed the idea. Such a high-grade artifact should not fail. This left only one possibility: the Nether Race individual had moved away, causing the pendant to fall silent. As long as they were operating near the Elven Forest, he would surely get another chance. Pressing the matter now was useless.

Considering the time, Mo Han hesitated no longer and followed in the direction the Elves had fled. Upon reaching a dense thicket, Mo Han thought he detected faint sounds drifting from within the woods. Though subtle, they were clearly audible to Mo Han with his current abilities.

Not daring to be careless, Mo Han drew his Holy Sword of Light, which immediately cast a soft sheen under the moonlight.

Mo Han channeled his battle aura and cautiously advanced into the forest. As he penetrated the woods, Mo Han froze, stunned by the sight before him. In the clearing at the heart of the thicket lay several figures—the very Elves he had seen earlier—now sprawled in pools of their own blood.

Mo Han rushed forward to examine them. He discovered terrifying wounds on each Elf, consistent with sharp-force trauma. Every body bore dozens of gashes, suggesting they had been hacked to death in a gruesome frenzy.

Just as Mo Han began to examine the bodies more closely, he heard the clamor of approaching footsteps outside the woods—a considerable number of them.

Seeing this, Mo Han frowned, intending to slip away, but then noticed several Elven Mages materializing swiftly in the air above the canopy. Those mages had spotted him, too. If he left now, he risked being immediately mistaken for the culprit. With this realization, Mo Han held his position patiently; he had no desire to be wrongly implicated and made a scapegoat.

Before long, a fully equipped Elven patrol entered the woods, comprising Elven Warriors, Mages, and Archers. Upon entering the clearing and seeing Mo Han standing next to the deceased Elves, the patrol members were initially startled. Then, seeing the corpses of their comrades, their expressions contorted into raw fury, as if they wished to devour Mo Han whole. It was clear they had instantly branded Mo Han as the murderer.

Mo Han could only shake his head with a wry, bitter smile. Blast it, he thought, I must have ignored the almanac today; how could I be so unlucky to stumble into such trouble? He forced a look of goodwill onto his face and spoke, "Please, don't misunderstand. I just arrived, and these Elves' deaths have nothing to do with me."

But how could the Elves believe his mere words? They erupted in angry shouts, speaking in the Elven tongue, which Mo Han didn't understand. Still, judging by their demeanor, he knew they would never believe him. Just then, a furious shout rang out, and all the other Elves fell silent instantly.

Mo Han looked toward the source of the voice and saw a middle-aged Elf step forward from the center of the patrol, staring coldly at Mo Han. After a long, penetrating gaze, the Elf finally spoke in the common continental language: "Who are you? Why are you here? And what happened to my kin?"

Mo Han sighed in resignation. "You’ve asked so many questions at once—which one should I answer first? As I said, I just arrived and found these Elves already dead. As for how they died, I did not witness it."

The middle-aged Elf refused to credit Mo Han’s story, retorting coldly, "Cunning human. Do you think you can kill our people and then simply offer up flimsy excuses to escape punishment? Never mind the rest—why are you here at this hour? Don't tell me you were out for a casual stroll. This place isn't exactly close to Keman City."

Mo Han offered a helpless smile. "What if I told you I happened to see your companions hurrying by, and out of curiosity, I followed to see what was happening, which is why I am here? Would you believe me?" The middle-aged Elf scoffed. "Do you take us Elves for fools? You claim you were following my kin, yet you couldn't even describe how they died? Do you truly expect me to believe that?" "There was a minor issue on the path that required urgent attention, causing me to fall behind. By the time I caught up, your kin were already dead."

Mo Han patiently explained.

"Nonsense! I say you murdered them, and now you’re inventing tales to escape justice. Do you think we'll just let you go?" the middle-aged Elf sneered at Mo Han. "Furthermore, why were you so interested in our Elven affairs that you felt the need to trail my kin? It’s clear you harbor malicious intent."

Seeing the Elf’s unreasonable insistence on pinning the crime on him, Mo Han’s own temper flared, and his tone chilled. He spoke calmly, "Instead of searching for the real culprit, you persist in harassing me and insisting I’m the murderer. Where is your proof?"