When the wolf beast-people began murmuring about his fighting with a Dragon, Xu Xin quickly added more details. It seemed the wolf beast-people were misunderstanding something.
"I merely expressed it as 'fighting' when I dealt with the Dragon's ambush. I didn't mean that I contested equally with the Dragon."
"Ah... Then you're not a High Elf?"
"I am a High Elf, but my magical force..."
Xu Xin tried to explain calmly, but the wolf beast-people were impatient and interrupted him, asking repeatedly:
"I heard that High Elves are beings that rival or even surpass Dragons. Is that not true?"
"My other High Elf brothers and sisters are indeed such beings. However, I..."
"I knew it! The legend of High Elves was true!"
"..."
With a wry smile, Xu Xin simply watched as the wolf beast-people excitedly chattered among themselves. Since they wouldn't listen to his explanation and insisted on misunderstanding, there wasn't much he could do.
"I am Chief Lexil. King of Elves, would you tell us your name?"
The wolf beast-man with the thick voice asked.
"I am Xu Xin."
"Xu Xin. We truly wish to be your friends. If you wish, you may stay in our cave until your body, injured from fighting the Dragon, fully recovers."
Xu Xin thought for a moment about Chief Lexil's invitation.
'My body has already recovered, but since I don't know where I am, I can't move carelessly. I don't know where Lady Eve and Lethe are either...'
It seemed wise to stay here for the time being and observe the situation. He nodded and accepted Lexil's invitation.
"Then I'll shamelessly accept your hospitality. However, I don't want to deceive my benefactors. As I've repeatedly said, I am not the powerful being you imagine me to be."
Xu Xin said this one last time, but the wolf beast-people paid no attention and treated him with kindness.
※※※
Xu Xin practiced his Primordial Unity Breath Kung Fu out of habit.
After finishing one round of practice, he could feel that the injuries to his right hand, left forearm, and ribs had completely healed.
What would be serious injuries requiring months of recovery for ordinary people were mere minor injuries that martial arts masters who had reached the Spirit Condensation realm could shake off in a few days.
'The broken bones have mended and the torn muscles have healed, seemingly becoming even stronger in the process.'
In truth, Xu Xin's spiritual energy had just begun to condense. Moreover, his Spirit Condensation was progressing very slowly, though stably, so enjoying such recovery ability was no ordinary feat.
The reason Xu Xin could enjoy such recovery ability despite his rudimentary level of Spirit Condensation was largely due to the foundation he had steadily built over one hundred and twenty years.
Though his spiritual energy wasn't particularly robust compared to the years he had spent cultivating, after practicing Tai Chi Fist and Three Talents Energy Cultivation for over a century, his spiritual energy had undoubtedly been nurtured with exceptional depth and purity, making it difficult to find a match throughout history.
Because of this, Xu Xin's refined spiritual energy could exert power beyond its actual level and manifest equivalent recovery ability.
Knock knock.
Hearing the knock on the door, Xu Xin got up from the bed and opened it.
Outside stood a young female beast-person holding a tray.
"May I come in? Dad asked me to bring you a meal."
The beautiful woman said with a cheerful smile.
"Of course."
The woman placed the tray on the table in the room and removed the cover. The tray was full of meat that had been grilled, steamed, and boiled. There was enough to feed several people.
"I heard you got injured fighting a Dragon? When you're hurt, you should eat plenty of meat to recover quickly."
"Thank you. But from next time, I'd like to request a smaller portion. This is too much for one person."
"Huh? This? I did bring plenty, but it's not that much."
The woman tilted her head, then asked in an energetic tone:
"I haven't eaten yet either. May I join you?"
As she boldly requested to share the meal, Xu Xin gladly agreed.
Soon, they sat across from each other at the table.
The woman took out a dagger from her waist and said:
"You can use the knife on the tray to cut the meat. Elves use knives too, right?"
"Of course..."
Xu Xin was about to answer that of course elves used knives, but suddenly closed his mouth. He blinked as he picked up the palm-length knife from the tray.
'...Do elves use knives?'
He realized he hadn't seen a knife in the Platinum Tree Palace in the past hundred years. Not just knives, but any metal implements.
Almost everything in the Platinum Tree Palace was made of wood and plants. There were occasionally stones and rocks, but metal items were nowhere to be found.
"Why aren't you answering? Don't elves have knives?"
Xu Xin said somewhat awkwardly:
"Well, I'm not sure."
Having lived as an elf for one hundred and twenty years, yet not knowing about elven customs. He suddenly realized how inattentive he had been to his surroundings.
"Huh? If you don't know, who would?"
It was truly an accurate statement, and Xu Xin wore an embarrassed expression. The woman saw his expression and laughed heartily before changing the subject.
"My name is Corine. What's yours?"
"Xu Xin."
"Xu Xin, that's a unique name. If you don't know how to use a knife, should I help you?"
"No, I know how to use it."
Xu Xin placed the knife against a thick rib. As the blade touched the rib, the bone and meat separated and fell apart.
Corine watched his knife skills with wide eyes.
"W-what? How did you do that?"
"I cut along the grain."
Xu Xin had never held a knife in this life. But in his previous life, he had practiced with knives for seventy years, and that experience, along with his memories, had been carried over to this life.
'Cutting along the grain of meat isn't particularly impressive; anyone with experience handling knives could do it.'
He deboned all the meat on the tray to make it easier to eat. Corine, who had been watching his knife work with a blank face, was surprised once more when she saw the cleanly stripped bones.
"How did you do it so neatly... C-could I try using that knife?"
Xu Xin handed her the knife with a smile. When Corine tried to cut the meat with his knife, she couldn't achieve the same clean result.
Corine kept expressing her admiration.
"Xu Xin, you use a knife as naturally as a beast uses its claws."
"It's a trivial skill."
He humbly responded and ate the meat. It couldn't compare to the fruits eaten by High Elves, but it was far more delicious than Bakto.
Seeing Corine eat so heartily across from him made the food seem even more delicious.
'This girl really eats well. How does all that meat fit into such a slim waist?'