The dining room.

The last pot of vegetable soup was placed on the dining table. The silver covers over the other dishes were gradually lifted, revealing the steaming exquisite delicacies.

As a professor of the Giant Tree Academy, Professor Hagrid's family didn't have to worry about food contamination and scarcity, especially with honored guests visiting.

Professor Hagrid uncorked his prized red wine, pouring equally for Lu Li, his wife, and even Xisone, then raised his swaying glass of wine: "To His Excellency Lu Li."

"To Mr. Luli," Mim said graciously.

"To the fragrant Lu Li!" Xisone chimed in childishly.

After sealing the perfume potion, Lu Li's scent once again spread around him.

Setting down his lightly sipped wine glass, the warm family luncheon officially began.

Professor Hagrid began recounting to Lu Li the various shops in the neighborhood, suggesting leisure strolls without needing to mask his scent, though some might inquire about the perfume Lu Li was using—

As a wife fitting the era, Mim asked Lu Li if there was someone he liked.

"I'm still looking for her."

Professor Hagrid happened to be one of those in the know: "Your Excellency Lu Li, I invited you over for another matter... about Paradise Valley, which you asked me to keep an eye on."

Professor Hagrid had a clue; he found vague fragments of "Paradise Valley" in an unnamed, tattered page.

[She is surrounded by an endless forest, far from disputes. Animals gather here, plants still grow, rivers flow like honey, and those who shun the world migrate here, like a paradise]

The tattered page couldn't confirm if it pointed to Paradise Valley or its location, merely Professor Hagrid's speculation.

"Is the page gone?" Lu Li asked.

If it still existed, Professor Hagrid would have taken it out.

"Yes... the page was too fragile, it blew away when I tried to pick it up." Professor Hagrid said guiltily.

An ambiguous clue was better than nothing.

Endless forest, far from disputes, rivers.

Combining these keywords, Lu Li first thought of the Eternal Forest in the west of the Main Affinity Continent—that was the vastest forest known to mankind. Centuries of logging hadn't reduced it much, and because explorers focused more on the sea, little was known about the Eternal Forest.

Lu Li temporarily set down his knife and fork, went upstairs, and took out a map. The western part of the creased, yellowing sheepskin map of the Main Affinity Continent showed the outline of the Eternal Forest—almost larger than the Lennon Islands.

Several rivers flowed into the Eternal Forest, exiting from the southern bottom.

The town nearest to the Eternal Forest was Vig Town, the endpoint of human influence and the railway.

But with the fall of Vena Ice-Free Port, their ties with the railway towns became intermittent, and the later railway towns completely lost contact.

It's only possible to assume that their situation isn't too good.

Fortunately, the Flowing Cat was still there, perhaps able to shelter Vig Town.

Noting down the outline of the Eternal Forest, Lu Li returned to the dining room downstairs.

At the moment of sitting down, Lu Li suddenly felt a wave of fatigue and weakness rising from his heart.

Tiredness surged like an unstoppable storm, destroying the ship of rationality, making him drowsy.

Before losing consciousness and falling into a coma, the last image Lu Li saw was Professor Hagrid suddenly standing up, then collapsing and knocking over the dining table.

Also, the expressionless Mim and the still-smiling Xisone.

...

A carriage slowly moved from the inner city streets towards the outer city.

The unsteady "cargo" lightly bumped against the compartment walls.

Amid the swaying and cold touches, Lu Li gradually awoke.

Slices of changing light filtered through the carriage door gaps, the carriage was moving.

Darker than the dim compartment was his deep black eyes scanning the surroundings, Lu Li lowered his gaze.

He leaned against the carriage wall, body bound by hemp ropes, waist gun holster and belt bag all gone. Professor Hagrid was on the other side, in the same predicament, still unconscious.

"Professor Hagrid..."

Perhaps due to Lu Li's calling or the carriage's jolt hitting a forehead bump, Professor Hagrid slowly awakened.

"Your Excellency Luli..."

He saw Lu Li looking on calmly, instinctively moved, then realized he was tied up in hemp ropes, and the fact of being knocked out by his wife and son flooded into his muddled mind.

"How could this be... What is Mim doing?!" Professor Hagrid couldn't come to terms with his wife's betrayal.

"Stay quiet, don't let them know we're awake."

Lu Li signaled Professor Hagrid to be silent, but it was a moment too late.

Suddenly the compartment door opened, blinding light flooded the dim carriage.

Pupils dilated, then contracted, Lu Li vaguely saw Xisone framed in the light.

"Father, fragrant Lu Li, you're awake?" a naive voice sounded.

"Xisone? Quickly, let us out!" Professor Hagrid still hoped, yelling out of control.

"Mother said... no can do!"

Xisone stubbornly refused, and as Lu Li adjusted to the light, he also saw Mim driving the carriage.

"No...!"

In Professor Hagrid's agonized cry, Xisone closed the compartment door.

Unable to comprehend the betrayal, with gritted teeth, Professor Hagrid began struggling and shouting, but the carriage barely swayed, and no passersby heard the shouts.

The struggle lasted a few minutes, then a panting Professor Hagrid, marked with abrasions, stopped; the hemp ropes were thick and sturdy enough, tied so tightly that blood circulation was nearly impossible.

"I never imagined... Mim and my child would betray me."

The dark, stuffy carriage echoed with Professor Hagrid's hoarse, low voice.

"Sorry, Your Excellency Lu Li... I shouldn't have invited you as a guest."

Professor Hagrid was full of guilt and regret.

His wife Mim had long been problematic... long ago, due to some conspiracy, she came to Professor Hagrid's side, becoming one of the schemes against the Giant Tree Academy. But because Professor Hagrid invited Lu Li, the nearly decade-long lie was exposed, revealing the ugly truth—

A few minutes later, the sound of hooves slowed, and the carriage grew still.

The carriage stopped, and voices were heard outside.

"I am the wife of Professor Spiter Hagrid of the Giant Tree Academy, and I need to get to the surface."

"It's the inner city guard..." Professor Hagrid suddenly raised his head, yelling outside: "He's lying!"

"As per protocol, we need to inspect the carriage." The city guard's voice sounded.

"Of course."

A dubious conversation took place, then Xisone opened the compartment door, Lu Li and Professor Hagrid saw the city guard under the light symbolizing hope.

"I am Professor Hagrid, and beside me is Exorcist Lu Li, they have kidnapped us!" Professor Hagrid shouted to him, his voice no longer hoarse and grating.

Lu Li leaned against the carriage's rear, quietly watching the city guard scan the inside, finding nothing before stepping back.

"Nothing amiss, Madame Hagrid, I wish you a safe journey, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

"What are you doing?! That is Lu Li! He's the legendary Exorcist! You can't do this!?" Professor Hagrid madly screamed hysterically, but the narrow compartment was like a world apart.

"They even bribed the city guard..."

Professor Hagrid muttered, as if caught in the web spun by a god system, falling deeper and deeper.

"Maybe not."

Lu Li recalled the guard's focus never landed on them.

"The city guard can't hear us, see us."

With trembling, the carriage moved again, carrying the despairing, regretful Professor Hagrid and the calm Lu Li, crushing the tender grass growing between the cobblestones—

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