Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
After a long night of travel, everyone found their lodging and went straight to rest. They slept soundly, and as a result, they woke up quite late, only stirring in the evening.
The village was small and not wealthy, but relatively speaking, it was manageable. However, there wasn't a single place that could accommodate all five of them at once.
Thus, they split into pairs: Cold Moon and Yun'er stayed at a cleaner farmhouse in the east of the village, while Ye Tian, Duan Liu, and Wine Kid took shelter at the home of a middle-aged man in the western part of the village.
The village was small, with no more than thirty households. Although referred to as east and west, it was merely separated by a small hillock and a stream, just a few miles apart.
By evening, smoke began to rise from the village again as farmers returned from their labor. Despite their hard day's work, their faces showed no signs of fatigue but rather a sense of peace from returning home.
The weather was pleasant today—windless and cloudless. In the countryside, wisps of smoke rose straight up into the calm air.
Ye Tian was the first to wake up. After he got up, he didn't wake the others; he intended to go out for a stroll to clear his mind. However, he accidentally startled Duan Liu and Wine Kid awake due to his misjudgment of the farmhouse door.
Creak!
The door let out a harsh, creaky sound. Wine Kid and Duan Liu rubbed their sleepy eyes and took a moment to fully wake up.
"What are you doing?" Wine Kid asked with confusion as he looked at Ye Tian, who was already dressed and standing at the door with a gloomy expression.
"Just going for a walk," Ye Tian replied helplessly. He didn't want to wake them because they tended to chatter too much; if he were alone, it would be hard for him to maintain his calm.
"I'll go too," Duan Liu said as she got out of bed and vigorously rubbed her face with her hands, seemingly deciding against washing up.
"You guys go ahead; I need to sleep a bit longer," Wine Kid hesitated but ultimately found his eyelids too heavy.
"Then sleep on; we'll come back for you later. Let's all go eat with Sister Ningyue," Ye Tian thought to himself how fortunate it was that Duan Liu was manageable while Wine Kid was truly noisy.
The Wine Kid had already collapsed, responding with a vague grunt after hearing Ye Tian's words, then pulling the blanket over his head and continuing to sleep soundly.
In just a moment, snoring could be heard. Ye Tian and Duan Liu exchanged glances and smiled.
"Truly a sleeping god," Duan Liu said with a smirk.
"Indeed..." Ye Tian nodded repeatedly, but inwardly thought, "You're not much better off."
Sure enough, as soon as Ye Tianxin woke up, Duan Liu let out a big yawn. Then he laughed heartily and said, "I'm going to wash my face to freshen up."
A moment later, Duan Liu was ready, and the two headed towards the eastern part of the village where Cold Moon and the others lived.
Traveling from the west to the east of the village required passing over a small hillock. The hillock was bare, with only a large Elm Tree growing at its peak.
Ye Tian looked up and saw that the Elm Tree was quite thick, with lush branches and leaves that cast a large shadow over the area.
"Let's go take a look. Old trees, especially this kind of Elm Tree, can live long enough to become spirits and be worshipped as gods! Hey, what's with that expression? Let me tell you, when I was young..." Duan Liu noticed Ye Tian's disbelief and began recounting his childhood experiences.
Duan Liu spoke with great focus, not wanting to leave just yet. He pulled Ye Tian along and animatedly talked for quite some time. Finally, he pointed ahead and led the way up the hillock.
Originally, they planned to go around the hillock, but Duan Liu's story sounded so convincing that even though Ye Tian didn't believe in old trees becoming spirits, he felt a spark of curiosity.
The hillock was simply too small; for those skilled in Skyward Martial Arts like them, it was merely a slightly larger mound of dirt.
With a quick movement, they were already atop the hillock.
At that moment, the sun was setting in the west, gradually disappearing behind the clouds on the mountainside. The clouds glowed red, revealing some lingering light.
The thick Elm Tree had numerous red ribbons tied around its trunk and branches. At its roots stood a stone altar that had been constructed by someone, on which rested an incense burner along with several offerings of fruit that still looked relatively fresh.
"Did you see that? It's really effective!" Duan Liu pointed at the offerings on the Altar, a proud expression on his face. He then clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and began to mumble his wishes.
What Duan Liu meant earlier was that the fruits on the Altar were still fresh, indicating that offerings were often replaced. If it weren't effective, who would bother to offer food to an old tree for no reason?
But that didn't matter; whether the Old Elm Tree was effective or not was none of Ye Tian's business. He glanced at him, and although Ye Tian didn't speak, his face was filled with a look of disappointment.
Just by looking at Duan Liu's sincere expression, it was clear that he was making wishes related to Luo Shanshan...
After a moment, Duan Liu finished making his wish and a smile spread across his face.
"Done?" Ye Tian asked.
"Done," Duan Liu nodded, his smile growing even brighter.
"Does it really work?" Ye Tian asked again.
"Of course it works!" Duan Liu replied firmly. He had just asked the Tree God for blessings, hoping that the Tree God would help him reconcile with Luo Shanshan. So he naturally hoped the old tree would be reliable.
Ye Tian stared at Duan Liu for a while. Just as Duan Liu was about to speak, Ye Tian turned away and mimicked Duan Liu's earlier actions, sincerely making a wish to the Old Elm Tree.
Moments later, Ye Tian bowed deeply, having completed his wish.
Seeing this, Duan Liu burst into laughter and said, "Aren't you the one who didn't believe? Why are you being more respectful than I am?"
"I believe now; you said it definitely works, how could I not believe?" Ye Tian replied with a smile as he turned to leave.
Duan Liu quickly caught up with him and asked eagerly, "What did you wish for?"
"What did you wish for?" Ye Tian countered.
"You tell me first, then I'll tell you," Duan Liu said, rolling his eyes and quickly adding, "Don't worry, this time what I say is definitely true. I won't lie or play tricks."
Ye Tian smiled again and said, "I believe you, but if I tell you, it won't matter whether you say anything or not."
"How could that be? Are you really that boring?" Duan Liu dismissed the idea; Ye Tian was not a boring person and had never done anything dull.
"Then should I say it?" Ye Tian looked at Duan Liu, his smile taking on a mischievous tone.
"Come on, just say it. What's with that expression..." Duan Liu sensed something was off.
"My wish just now was..." Ye Tian elongated his words and said, "Your wish just now cannot be taken seriously."
"What nonsense, you're just rambling..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Duan Liu realized what was happening. He looked at Ye Tian, who had already flashed away to thirty feet away.
"Stop right there! I'll tear your mouth apart!" Duan Liu pretended to be furious and rushed over.
Ye Tian whistled as he walked ahead leisurely, letting Duan Liu pounce on him like a hungry tiger, while still chuckling away.
Duan Liu caught Ye Tian and gave him a flurry of punches. After venting his frustration, he sighed and said, "It can't be taken seriously..."
"But you just said it was very serious. How come it's not serious anymore?" Ye Tian teased.
"Serious my foot!" Duan Liu shot Ye Tian a glare and sighed again. "Why is she like that?"
"Like what?" Ye Tian pressed on. This mental block of Duan Liu's had to be resolved; otherwise, Luo Shanshan would forever affect his mindset, which would have negative implications for his future marriage and even cultivation.
To untangle this mental block, it had to be done by Duan Liu himself.
"What exactly is she like?" Ye Tian asked Duan Liu, who remained silent, pressing for an answer.
"I can't say, I don't know," Duan Liu replied dismissively, unwilling to face the truth.
"What do you mean you don't know?!" Ye Tian pressed again.
"I said I don't know!" Duan Liu retorted, pausing before adding, "If I knew, she wouldn't have left me."
"That's nonsense. You know. Deep down, you are fully aware, even if you've known for a long time," Ye Tian challenged him aggressively. Since the topic had reached this point, he was even prepared to shake Duan Liu awake if necessary.
"I really don't know!" Duan Liu shouted, quickening his pace in an attempt to shake off Ye Tian.
"Stop right there! Are you still a man or not?" Ye Tian stepped in front of Duan Liu, his eyes filled with disdain.
Duan Liu glanced up, anger flashing in his eyes but quickly fading. He knew that Ye Tian was truly a brother who cared for him.
"She used me," Duan Liu finally spoke after a moment of silence.
"Since you know that, why do you still..."
"You don't understand," Duan Liu interrupted Ye Tian, his tone filled with helplessness and desolation.
"I may not understand, but I want to tell you this: someone who uses you never deserves your love," Ye Tian said, frowning as he looked at Duan Liu. He wasn't good at comforting others, but he believed this statement would resonate with Duan Liu's heart.
After a while, Duan Liu sighed and shook his head, ultimately letting out a bitter laugh.
Ye Tian reached out and patted Duan Liu's shoulder. He had said all he could; what Duan Liu chose to do next was beyond his control.
"What are you going to do about Bai Kuo?" Duan Liu changed the subject. Compared to Luo Shanshan, Bai Kuo was equally concerning for him.
Hearing this, Ye Tian's expression tightened noticeably. This matter was not easy to handle. Given Bai Kuo and Wine Kid's personalities, it seemed that the only outcome would be a falling out.
"I will talk to him when I get back. As for what happens next, let's just go with the flow..." Ye Tian looked up at the sky, where the setting sun had completely sunk behind the western mountains, and the red clouds were gradually dispersing.
"Ye Tian, we haven't known each other for long, but you should have some understanding of what kind of person I, Duan Liu, am. I want to ask you for a favor."
Ye Tian looked at Duan Liu in surprise. The latter had said something like this in such a desolate tone, which left Ye Tian puzzled and astonished.
"I guarantee with my character that Bai Kuo will not do anything harmful to everyone. If one day he and Wine Kid reach an irreconcilable point, I hope you can..." Duan Liu did not continue. There was no point in saying more; Ye Tian already understood.
Ye Tian remained silent and simply patted Duan Liu on the shoulder, his mind filled with deep conflict.
At that moment, someone suddenly appeared from another part of the hillside. The figure looked familiar, and after a moment, Ye Tian realized it was the owner of the house.
"Brother Hu, don't rush. What happened?"
"Something has happened! It's serious!"
Comment 0 Comment Count