[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring":3,"chapter-starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-chapter-123":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Starting at Hogwarts, Logging into Elden Ring",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1496297,1944,"Chapter 123: Parting with Melina, and an Encounter with a Taoist","starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-chapter-123",123,"\u003Cp>Turning right from the shattered section of Leyndell's wall, Arthur entered an interior hall — and there, conveniently, lay another Site of Grace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He activated it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Melina appeared again, her spirit form shimmering in the golden glow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you,\" she said softly. \"For bringing me to the foot of the Erdtree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here… I am finally able to move freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, our agreement has now come to an end.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She paused, and her voice grew even gentler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Truly… I am grateful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long ago, I noticed that even without converting runes into strength, you continued to grow stronger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And now that you stand as a Empyrean, I can no longer assist you in any meaningful way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end… our agreement was nothing but your one-sided effort.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We shall part here, for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the method to convert runes into power — perhaps it will still be useful to you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also… please take care of Torrent for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Farewell. I must go confirm my own purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hope you achieve yours as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have fought through countless trials already — surely you can become a lord… an Elden Lord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first time Melina had ever spoken so many words at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur could hear it — a faint touch of reluctance buried beneath her calm tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two full years together…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the wooden-faced maiden wasn't without feelings after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well then…\" Arthur smiled faintly. \"Let's say our goodbyes here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have a feeling we'll meet again soon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached out and gently touched Melina's cheek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first time he had ever made physical contact with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike other spirits, whose bodies felt cold and insubstantial, Melina's face carried a subtle warmth — the warmth of the flame she harbored within her, the flame meant to burn the Erdtree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Melina froze at his touch, then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first time Arthur had ever seen her smile — a beautiful expression blooming on a face that was usually calm to the point of lifelessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Arthur was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still holding that faint smile… her body dissolved into motes of light and vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, she did not linger in secret to watch him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She truly left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord… are you quite done losing yourself?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small voice grumbled from Arthur's arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ranni, tiny and pouty, glared up at him — her tone brimming with displeasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Moon Princess was annoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lord was perfect in every way… except for being hopelessly soft when it came to women.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He already had her, the dignified Princess of the Moon — and still had the nerve to admire another woman's smile?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And worse, her lord had a face that attracted trouble all on its own — a face no woman could easily refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing Ranni was grateful for…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>was that her lord's standards were extremely high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn't someone who picked up every pretty girl he saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still — jealousy was a princess's right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bit of vinegar now and then kept his attention where it belonged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur snapped back to himself and quickly apologized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry. I drifted off for a moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course he didn't explain why he had drifted off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Telling his fiancée that he was stunned by another woman's smile was no better than suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ranni saw through him easily, but didn't press the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She understood her lord's nature far too well by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, she shifted the topic smoothly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord, you haven't cooked in some time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur instantly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ranni wanted his cooking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"'Some time'\" was an excuse — he had cooked just two days ago — but he wasn't about to expose her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one decisive motion, he logged out of the System realm and took Ranni by the hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where are we going?\" she asked, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To buy ingredients,\" Arthur said with enthusiasm. \"Tonight, I'll make a feast for my princess.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Morgott?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leyndell?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The capital?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All irrelevant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If his wife was hungry, everything else could wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ranni's lips curved into a soft smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now she understood why her lord was so irresistible — not just his looks, but the way he treated those he acknowledged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Arthur accepted someone…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he gave them everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was how she had fallen too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of that, Ranni slipped her hand into his elbow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur looked down; Ranni smiled up at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lead the way, my lord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur chuckled, nodded, and walked out with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur said they were going out for ingredients, but in truth he didn't intend to buy much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vegetables?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Zen Garden produced more than enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meats?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liurnia's wildlife offered every kind imaginable — sheep, boars, bears, and even the enormous crabs and lobsters whose claws alone could feed a family for days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real purpose of this outing was simple:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take Ranni around the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enjoy a date.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pick up a few spices for Eastern dishes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after combing through the markets around the city, Arthur found none of the specific seasonings he needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he smacked his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chinatown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern enclave in London — the home of ingredients he needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He brought Ranni to Soho, Westminster, where Chinatown stood proudly behind an ornate Chinese gate inscribed in traditional characters:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>London Chinatown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking through the entrance, Arthur felt a sudden rush of nostalgia as Chinese characters filled the storefronts around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stepping into a Chinese supermarket, the feeling intensified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ranni sensed the shift in his mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord… what troubles you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing,\" Arthur said, shaking his head. \"Just… missing home a little.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your homeland… the East?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there is ever a chance, I will accompany you there,\" she said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur's lips curved — but before he could speak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gentle, elderly voice spoke behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young people should return home whenever they can.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur and Ranni turned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An old Chinese grandmother stood there, kind-faced and warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur immediately switched to Mandarin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"奶奶您好.我叫亚瑟.请问您的姓氏是什么?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(\"Hello, Grandma. My name is Arthur. May I ask your surname?\")\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old woman blinked with mild surprise, then chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need for formalities, child. Call me Grandma Zhao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strange though — I've never seen you on this street before.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur explained his living situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not bad,\" Grandma Zhao said approvingly. \"You speak Mandarin beautifully, even without growing up among Chinese folk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur smiled faintly. \"One shouldn't forget their roots.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hahaha! Good child! For that alone, everything you buy today gets a twenty percent discount.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur hadn't expected the grandmother to be the owner of the supermarket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't refuse her kindness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, Grandma.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes drifted to Ranni.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And this young lady is…?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My fiancée, Ranni,\" Arthur introduced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grandma Zhao sighed dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, foreign girls also like arranging engagements young, it seems. I was thinking of introducing my granddaughter to you!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But looks like she wasn't meant for such a handsome boy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur almost choked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This grandmother's imagination was too strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quick to steer the topic away from matchmaking, he asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grandma Zhao, do you manage such a large store alone? Is it safe?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had heard that Chinatown here mixed many nationalities — not always peacefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grandma Zhao waved her hand dismissively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to worry. Chinese communities stay close and help each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And besides — we have Xiao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He's a real Taoist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever something big happens, we call him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh?\" Arthur raised a brow. \"A real Eastern cultivator?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Grandma Zhao opened her mouth to explain, the entrance bell chimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Speak of the devil — here's Xiao now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur followed her gaze — and froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A burly man walked in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not in Daoist robes, but casual clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wore his long hair tied into a topknot with a simple hairpin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His beard was thick — almost too familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zhao-auntie!\" the man boomed in a heavy Northeastern accent. \"Came to check in on you! How've you been?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grandma Zhao answered with a smile, then gestured toward Arthur and Ranni.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was just telling this young man about you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The burly man turned — and grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh! New faces! Handsome lad and pretty lass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Name's Li Xuanjian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And you two?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur's mouth twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuanjian?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That name screamed \"Xianxia protagonist senior brother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that beard, Arthur half-expected him to announce he was actually Yan Chixia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm Arthur Qi, and this is my fiancée, Ranni.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuanjian gave Arthur a thumbs-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good lad! Already engaged at your age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And your fiancée's a beauty!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah — don't call me uncle. I'm not that old. Just a little over thirty. Call me big brother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I'm not even fourteen yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuanjian choked on his own saliva.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze ran over Arthur again — tall, mature, composed — absolutely unlike a boy his age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be fair, after absorbing the powers of Mohg and Miquella, Arthur's height had shot up past 1.7 meters, and his presence felt far older than his appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cough— well, calling me uncle is fine too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly changed the topic. \"So what were you saying about me earlier?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grandma Zhao said you're a real Taoist practitioner,\" Arthur replied. \"I've never met someone from the Eastern mystical side. I wanted to learn a little.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuanjian paused, eyes narrowing slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're… a sorcerer from this side, then?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I study at Hogwarts,\" Arthur said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah! That explains it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought you'd come looking for me specifically.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur shook his head, raising the seasoning packet in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No — we came to buy ingredients.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We only heard about you by coincidence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuanjian coughed again, embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young people these days didn't follow conversational etiquette — leaving old cultivators like him floundering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This isn't the place to talk about such things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you want to see Eastern magic, follow me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait,\" Arthur said, lifting his basket. \"I still need to finish buying things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuanjian stared at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself was here to shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After paying for their items, Arthur took Ranni and followed Li Xuanjian to an apartment building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He unlocked a door on the first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here we are — my place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur entered with Ranni and looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A very typical Eastern-style apartment —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bulky television,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>an altar with a statue of the Grand Supreme Elder Lord,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and a desk covered in talismans and brushes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I thought you'd at least have a Taoist temple,\" Arthur remarked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuanjian waved dismissively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm nowhere near good enough to open a sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My master said opening a Daoist temple without enough skill only shames the lineage.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur's interest sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then… may I ask, what kind of factions exist in the Eastern mystical world?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been curious about this for a long, long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Li Xuanjian grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now this was a question worth answering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To read 30+ future chapters, head over to Patreon:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>patreon.com\u002FWhiteDevil7554\u003C\u002Fp>",1807,"2026-06-06T04:19:46.381Z",1,"novelbin.me","7761e2930e2610012efee7a3a5c5a3e440b87e00387e7abefc2c7b619909d2ca","starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-chapter-124","starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-chapter-122",281,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-cover.jpg"]