Merchant From Earth in the Magical World

Arlanda didn't quite understand what movies were. Nevertheless, she obediently followed Aunt Rapeseed Flower, heading toward the large screen. She reasoned that since Yan Xing had organized all the territory's subjects to watch a movie here, there was a high chance he would also be present. His seat would naturally be in the best spot to view the movie.

Aunt Rapeseed Flower was one of the elders who had initially followed Yan Xing to build the Eternal Domain. She possessed some special privileges within the territory and easily led Arlanda to the front.

"We'll sit here," Aunt Rapeseed Flower said to Arlanda. "Do you see that alchemical device Lord Gao Sipa is tuning? That's the contraption the Lord created to play the movie. In a while, that device will cast magic and project a story happening on the other side of the world onto that silver screen."

Arlanda, behaving very obediently, sat down close beside Aunt Rapeseed Flower. She saw Gao Sipa tuning a square alchemical machine, connecting it with very long wires to several other alchemical devices whose functions were not apparent.

Arlanda looked left and right. Not seeing Yan Xing, she asked Aunt Rapeseed Flower, "Why isn't Lord Yan Xing here?"

"The Lord must be busy with other matters. He might be somewhere in the territory, or he might have gone to Nuta City, or perhaps to the Werewolf Tribe. The Lord is a leader who accomplishes great things; he's very busy, incredibly busy," Aunt Rapeseed Flower casually replied, then turned to Gao Sipa. "Lord Gao Sipa, when can we watch the movie?"

Gao Sipa looked back at the territory's subjects waiting for the movie to start and replied to Aunt Rapeseed Flower, "Just a little longer... Many new subjects have joined us today, including human farmers and Swamp Werewolves. Some have yet to arrive. Eddie has gone to arrange the defenses around the territory, and old Hans has gone to invite the Clan Leaders of the Werewolf Tribe to watch the movie with us. We'll start once everyone is here... Or, you could sing a song for us. We all love your singing."

Gao Sipa picked up the microphone and offered it to Aunt Rapeseed Flower.

"Alright then, I'll sing a song for everyone," Aunt Rapeseed Flower said, confidently standing up. She walked over and took the microphone from Gao Sipa's hand.

Gao Sipa signaled the personnel in charge of the sound system to turn on the speakers.

"Hello, hello..." Aunt Rapeseed Flower tested the microphone, and the speakers amplified her voice, broadcasting it throughout the entire territory.

An alchemical artifact enhanced by sound amplification magic! Arlanda deduced the purpose of the speakers and was astounded that Yan Xing would entrust such precious alchemical devices to a group of farmers who couldn't even write their own names. Furthermore, judging by their proficiency, it was clear this wasn't the first or second time they had operated them.

After the sound check, Aunt Rapeseed Flower began to sing into the microphone. The "song" she sang was actually a minstrel tune, its lyrics praising all the great deeds of Lord Yan Xing.

Arlanda had heard these stories once before from Aunt Rapeseed Flower. Listening again, she still couldn't help but become immersed in the legendary wars through which the Lord had conquered this land. Her mind was also filled with thoughts about Yan Xing's attitude and approach toward the Werewolves. The human race and the Swamp Werewolves belong to two different factions. Those not of our kind are bound to have different allegiances! If someone else were in Yan Xing's position, or if I were to put myself in the situation he had been in… after capturing those ten Werewolves, I would have killed them first to reduce the defensive pressure on myself. The result, naturally, would be facing Clan Leader Duan'er's 100 Werewolf Warriors with only my combat-incapable farmers. That battle, even with a defensive advantage, would have been an undeniable loss.

What Yan Xing did, however, was to try to win over those ten Werewolves, successfully securing the loyalty of nine of them. It was these nine Werewolves who played a crucial role in the subsequent war, helping Yan Xing win the battle against the Red Mud Wetland Werewolf Tribe.

After capturing Duan'er and his pack, Yan Xing still didn't kill them; instead, he treated the wounded. Such behavior was unimaginable to me. When one's own strength is relatively weak, of course, one must kill captives they cannot manage, to reduce the defensive pressure from subsequent Werewolf Tribe attacks. Yet, Yan Xing chose to give Duan'er a fair chance for dialogue and showed his intention not to escalate the war. Ultimately, Yan Xing and Duan'er miraculously reached a ceasefire agreement, allowing the Eternal Domain to avoid continuous combat with the Werewolves and gain time and space for development.

During the assistance to the Red Mud Wetland Werewolf Tribe in their battle against the Stenchwater Forest Werewolf Tribe, if it had been me, or any Elf commander, we would certainly have led Duan'er's Red Mud Wetland Tribe to capitalize on the victory, annihilate the Stenchwater Forest Werewolf Tribe, and annex Stenchwater Forest. But Yan Xing chose to halt the battle immediately, not exterminating the Stenchwater Forest Werewolves. He even eased relations with the Stenchwater Forest Werewolf Tribe through the capture of Steeltooth.

Yan Xing fought three wars with the Swamp Werewolves and won all three. If I had fought them, I would surely have made it more devastating, forging a blood feud with the Swamp Werewolves, fighting until we were utterly exhausted, and finally dying a glorious death. But Yan Xing not only avoided fostering hatred with the Swamp Werewolves, he earned their respect instead.

What followed happened as a matter of course. The reason the Werewolf tribes from the Thunderous Swamp supported Yan Xing and his Eternal Domain certainly included the trade of food and agarwood. But the fundamental reason was that Yan Xing had never, from the very beginning, treated the Werewolves with brutality and violence. The Werewolves felt respected and treated with friendliness by Yan Xing. Their relationship had another option beyond war and suspicion. Yan Xing fulfilled his promises to the Werewolf tribes, which only increased their trust in him. It was precisely these actions that changed the Werewolves' attitude toward the Eternal Domain.

This led the Werewolf tribes, on their way to the Eternal Domain and without any formal alliance with Yan Xing, to voluntarily follow his orders and eliminate the human mercenaries and Orc Malevolent Wolf Cavalry who had come to launch a surprise attack. This was unprecedented in the regions surrounding the Thunderous Swamp. Everyone looked down on the Swamp Tribe, preferring to either tempt them with rewards or directly intimidate them with force, but with little success. The Snow Elves did just that. They wanted to cross the Thunderous Swamp, yet they viewed the swamp creatures as mere talking beasts. The proud Elves would not lower their noble heads to listen to the Swamp Tribe. They preferred to use their swords and arrows, attempting to make the Swamp Tribe bow to them. Consequently, the Snow Elves made no progress in their strategy for the Thunderous Swamp.

Now, Arlanda felt she might have found, through the Eternal Domain, a way to deal with the Swamp Tribe. She thought that since Yan Xing could mobilize tens of thousands of Werewolves to dig canals and build roads for him, the Snow Elves could use the same method to make the Thunderous Swamp open a southward passage for them.

I must survive to return to Snowland and tell my kin what I have seen and heard here. But before that, I will kill Yan Xing to avenge my sister.

Thinking of revenge, Arlanda reached into her pocket and felt the grip of her alchemical longbow.

At this moment, Aunt Rapeseed Flower finished singing the minstrel song she had sung countless times. Everyone applauded her, shouting, "Lord Yan Xing, a man of his word! Lord Yan Xing, generous and kind-hearted!"

By this time, most of the Eternal Domain's subjects had arrived. The invited Werewolf Clan Leaders were also seated on their own little stools.

Gao Sipa announced the movie was starting. He turned on the projector, and a beam of light immediately shot from the lens onto the large screen in front.

The screen displayed a sea rippling with waves, so clear it seemed as if someone had actually placed a piece of the ocean on the screen itself. Instantly, the cinematic display captured Arlanda's full attention, taking her mind off her plans to assassinate Yan Xing and return to Snowland.

This... this is truly great magic! How powerful must the person who can unleash such formidable magic be? Can I really kill him?