After listening to Shi Jingzhi's intermittent description while enduring the pain, Yin Ci was speechless for a long time.
The night breeze blew into the carriage, warm and dry. The night was clear as water, and a full moon was in the sky. The two of them were close together, which should have been a very reassuring moment.
And they couldn't even enjoy this last bit of peace.
"We'll talk later. Your neck wound hasn't healed yet, be careful not to tear it." Seeing that Shi Jingzhi was still struggling to speak with his wounds still unhealed, Yin Ci stretched out two fingers and pressed his lips.
Shi Jingzhi suffered a great blow, and was weak both physically and mentally. He half-lay in the cramped carriage, leaning against Yin Ci tightly, and seemed not to want to leave at all.
Yin Ci was very familiar with this state. After fourteen days, their situation seemed to be completely reversed. Now the person at the edge of the abyss was Shi Jingzhi, and he had to hold him firmly.
"I'll repeat it again, and see if you've missed anything. You just need to blink once for yes, and twice for no."
Yin Ci let the man stick to him without showing any impatience or contempt.
"There is a 'Giant Upside-Down Tree' growing underground in Dayun. It absorbs the essence of all things, mainly mortals. In order to ensure that it has sufficient essence, it relies on 'disgust' to kill the inferior and keep the superior, raising livestock like it raises humans... According to this situation, the Naruto also has 'disgust', so it is very likely that they also have such a 'demon tree'."
Shi Jing subconsciously wanted to nod, but suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his throat. He was so scared that his whole body froze and he could only blink.
"When the essence is sufficient, monsters are born. According to your situation, there are also monster materials all over the ground in Yuanxian Village. It seems that those scattered 'monsters' and 'monster materials' have obtained more essence from the monster trees by relying on their biological nature."
If all the demon materials and monsters are affected by the giant tree, then everything can be explained - if the returning essence is the "feed", then their better adaptability and exceptionally good growth are just "accidents".
Shi Jingzhi had obviously thought of this as well. His eyes dimmed and he blinked weakly.
Yin Ci laughed. He just smiled at first, then laughed more and more happily. A beautiful woman laughing under the moon is a pleasing sight. But thinking about what is hidden under the moon, Shi Jingzhi just wants to shiver.
Could it be that this person had been stimulated too much and was about to go crazy? At this time, the head of the sect almost jumped up from the spot, and hugged the person tightly as a precaution.
And Yin Ci just laughed to himself for a long time and patted Shi Jingzhi on the back.
"Master has always been a smart person, why did you make a sudden change at this time?"
But this person didn't feel desperate, instead he used a teasing tone. Shi Jingzhi let go of Yin Ci in confusion, and the other party still looked as steady as a rock. Looking at those familiar eyes, he didn't know when his despair dissipated a little.
"If that 'demon tree' had a mind, why would it let me, a troublemaker, run around? If it was any help, He Cheng'an could have just said hello to it and asked it to deal with me. Now I am still standing here in good health. There is only one possibility -"
Yin Ci said lightly.
"It is not yet intelligent."
Just like getting a glass of ice water in the hottest days of summer, Shi Jingzhi's anxiety and fever instantly dissipated.
There have been legends about demon trees and monsters thousands of years ago, but the immortal wine and lust only appeared after the Great Yun was opened. Behind the endless darkness, it may not be the demon tree itself.
It comes as no surprise that most people who raise livestock would make them do miscellaneous chores with half the effort and twice the effort.
If that thing had intelligence, why would mortals have to go to great lengths to "invite the gods"? Why would they have to wait for someone to accomplish a "great cause"? They only needed to target powerful people, put up a reward of "death", and someone would naturally rush to take care of its "livestock". If people's hearts changed, they could just replace them with someone more obedient.
That "upside-down giant tree" might really be just a giant tree.
Just like all the trees on this earth, their roots absorb nutrients and branches grow from the top. They survive according to their own principles, but they have no thoughts or emotions. If no one intervenes, they will only create "disgust" in one place and plunder the essence of other creatures.
They are no different from weeds in a field or rats in a barn.
This thought came to his mind for a moment, and Shi Jingzhi's soul fell to the ground. He fumbled in his luggage for a while and found Chen Qianfan's record book. Then he took out a charcoal stick and wrote quickly in the blank space of the record book.
Seeing that Shi Jingzhi's expression had calmed down, even revealing a hint of cruelty, Yin Ci took a closer look and kissed the corner of his lips in appreciation.
Yinxian will nourish the desire to feed it with meat, why? At this time, Jingzhi showed a trace of smile.
"According to what Yan Xiaodu said, one can become an immortal by eating meat. If becoming an immortal has the benefit of death and extinction, I would probably end up in a situation like mine... It's probably related to the demon tree."
Yin Ci pondered.
"Lustful people are extremely intelligent and clever, and they are the spirits among humans. However, most of them are arrogant and lustful, and difficult to control. I'm afraid that their flesh contains means of manipulating people's hearts."
This statement is actually reserved. Being forcibly controlled is still good, but the worst thing is that the human heart is wiped out and becomes a loyal puppet.
As for who he is loyal to and who he works for, that is hard to say.
After all, hundreds of people have raised a perfect sex animal, and the Yinxian Society has not been cautious. They didn't even play the good cop in front of Shi Jingzhi, and they didn't intend to show a hostile attitude. If they think that meat can only make people live longer, and Shi Jingzhi eats it and leaves, wouldn't the plan of hundreds of people become a joke
Thinking about it this way, Yan Yudu was unwilling to eat the meat in the first place, and he might have seen through the tricks.
Shi Jingzhi seemed to have figured out Yin Ci's thoughts. He gave a bitter smile and wrote a sentence.
I have the same idea as you. That demon tree happens to have two human flesh roots. If we speculate it is true, the person who took it might still be alive. There is no time to lose, we must find that person as soon as possible.
"Um."
Shi Jingzhi's face was still pale with serious injuries, and seeing that he was exhausted, Yin Ci wanted to call it a day for the time being.
All their sufferings, after all, came from the human world. Now that they knew that the strange demon tree had no mind, they should focus on dealing with the Immortal Guidance Society. In this way, Shi Jingzhi would not be tripped by fear.
He stroked Shi Jingzhi's back, signaling him to rest. Unexpectedly, Shi Jingzhi's eyes were hidden in the darkness, vaguely revealing a hint of coldness.
He touched the wound on his throat, then stared at Yin Ci for a while, and continued to write word by word in the notebook -
There are no trees on a barren mountain, so cut the grass and uproot it. Once the grass is disturbed, it will be easier to strike.
Yin Ci couldn't help laughing: "What are you writing? Do you think you can get everything in one go? First, let's destroy the great plan and save our lives. As for the demon tree, it won't be too late to make a long-term plan."
Shi Jingzhi pursed his lips and shook his head carefully. This time the wound didn't hurt, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Yin Ci's eyes were filled with vitality and attachment, and Shi Jingzhi knew where they came from. According to Yin Ci's personality, he probably just wanted to keep himself safe for the rest of his life and leave the matter of dealing with the demon tree to be dealt with after his death.
He dealt with them one by one.
I am greedy and want to grow old with you.
After Shi Jingzhi finished writing, he circled the four words "白跟老" (white together) tightly.
Yin Ci's expression froze for a moment when he saw that his thoughts were exposed. He was silent for a moment, and then tried to take on the aura of an elder: "You were so scared just now, but now you don't mind it? I think this is not wrong now, you should think less about unrealistic things..."
This time Shi Jingzhi did not write anything. He cleared his throat and interrupted Yin Ci directly.
"Yes, I am still scared."
His voice was small and hoarse, but full of the madness unique to desire.
"But I want to destroy it and the Yinxian Society together, and live with you without any worries... It's up to you."
In the master's house, in the shrine.
This was the first time that Qu Duanyun had stepped into this place. Compared to the brightly lit shrine outside, this place seemed much darker. The flames trembled, and the shadows swayed with them. The incense that calmed the mind was strong and had been burning for who knows how long. Qu Duanyun carefully discerned the smell of the pain-relieving prescription.
Thin clouds covered the moon, and the room became a little darker.
There was a gauze curtain in front of the altar, through which the outline of the statue could be vaguely seen. Jiang Youyue took two steps forward and pulled the curtain open. The scene behind the curtain was revealed, and Qu Duanyun immediately took two steps back.
There was no other reason, the scene behind the curtain was simply too horrifying.
As the master's best student, Qu Duanyun knew the function of the meat statue. But he had never seen such a meat statue before - this statue did not have a golden body to cover the outer shell, nor did it have the compassionate face of the Emperor's House God. Its lower half was still a perfectly shaped statue, and its upper half had a... folded humanoid monster.
The creature's head was still the size of an ordinary person, but its arms and hands were more than five times longer than those of an ordinary person. In order to curl up inside the altar, its spine was bent into a natural curve, just like a dried corpse stuffed into a box.
On that dry, hairless head, its two eyes were still blinking. Suddenly exposed to the light, its eyes narrowed and a vague, unclear gurgling sound came from its throat.
"Disciple greets Master."
Jiang Youyue only had admiration for the monster. He was usually very submissive, but at this moment he was very obedient.
"Grandmaster?!" Qu Duanyun exclaimed in surprise.
Although the immortal wine can prolong life, it cannot teach people to live longer. If this monster is really Jiang Youyue's master, this person is more than 160 years old, and it is impossible for ordinary people to live to this age.
"Come here and kneel down." Jiang Youyue reminded calmly. "Before, you only knew the great plan and knew that all this was for the greater good, but you didn't know the whys and wherefores. Today, let your master teach you a lesson, so listen carefully."
Qu Duanyun saw the monster that was twisted to the point of looking like a human, and he knelt forward. The monster stretched out a giant hand and gently covered Qu Duanyun's head. The dry and slender fingers brushed Qu Duanyun's ears, and a shudder immediately rolled down his back.
The monster paused, but still made a very vague gurgling sound from its throat. Just like last time, this time Qu Duanyun understood what it meant.
"In ancient times, there was a hanging tree that grew in the shade. When the hanging tree was grown, it had very few fruits, and people called it "looking at meat."
In his mind, the mumbling turned into the old man's vicissitudes of life tone.
"People smell it and it has a strange fragrance, while animals smell it and it has a strange stench. The meat is seen as flowing in the world, and those who are destined to eat it can eat it. After eating it, the heart is used to hang on a tree, and when you die of old age, you will become a true immortal, also known as the Emperor's House God."
This was different from what the master had said at the beginning, and Qu Duanyun was a little confused. At the beginning, the master only said that the desire to eat the meat should be carefully cultivated, and when the qualified desire to eat the meat, the Emperor House God will appear in the world. Now, after hearing this, it seems that anything can be eaten. Even a farmer digging in the soil can eat the meat.
The fruits can be left or not as they please, all depending on fate. How is this different from ordinary trees
His monster master ignored his thoughts and continued, "Thus, the Hanging Tree borrowed wisdom from the True Immortal, and the True Immortal gained strength from the Hanging Tree, and the two became one. When the next round of flesh grows, the True Immortal will take over - the elder will cut himself off from the Hanging Tree and travel far away to a foreign land. Then he will bury himself in thick soil, giving birth to a new Hanging Tree."
It is really no different from ordinary trees, Qu Duanyun thought. Just as trees attract birds to eat fruits, hanging trees attract mortals to eat fruits. In the end, you still have to plant and sow fruits.
The only difference is that ordinary birds would be distracted when they eat the fruits.
"With the help of the True Immortal, we can use the God-Summoning Formation to arrange the roots and eliminate external enemies. We can also rely on the power of the hanging wood to pray for good weather and no disasters."
"It's a pity that people are born different, but their wisdom and power vary. The heart of a true immortal is like a hanging tree, but it has mixed desires as a human being, and it is difficult to achieve immortality. In order for Dayun to unify all nations and create a prosperous era, one must be pure in desire, become a tyrant through the ages, and become a true emperor."
"Although the life of a True Immortal is limited, he can still guard my Great Promise for hundreds of days. Therefore, I will carefully select and ponder. With the power of the hanging wood, I will achieve the Great Promise... This is a great cause for hundreds of days."
As soon as he finished speaking, a picture instantly entered Qu Duanyun's mind. He saw the various territories merged one by one, and saw a huge hanging tree growing. The roots of the giant tree stretched out, blocking out the sun. The scene was difficult to describe in words.
The vast earth, with the shrine mixed with the vast earth, is like a grain of corn. And this grain of corn, in turn, forms this earth.
Qu Duanyun's heart almost stopped beating and he could not say a word.
At the moment, he could see that mortals were using gods, and gods were using mortals. If Jing Zhi had really eaten the meat and used it for the Xuanmu, that person would probably have been able to flatten all the land and take the whole land into his pocket. The Xuanmu could also get a lot of land by using human power to ask gods to expand its roots.
As a result, Dayun achieved his hegemony, and Xuanmu took advantage of this to grow its roots and leaves. If we really want to calculate the losses, the only ones who can be said to have suffered "losses" are those who died early from "disgust", the old, the weak, the sick and the disabled - those are either poor or unable to take care of themselves. They can make a living on weekdays, but they just waste food and silver.
Thanks to the saints, they have long regarded disgust as a common thing.
…
Is there anything more perfect than this
How could they have found such a powerful helper? It was a blessing for them to be able to hang a tree here. The decisiveness and righteousness involved were something he could never imagine before.
Seeing Qu Duanyun's expression change from time to time, and finally stopped in amazement, Jiang Youyue let out a long breath and said with a smile: "You... are really the same as I was back then. Very good, very good. You are afraid of the hanging wood and sit down in this seat instead."
"I am an arrogant student. I didn't know how hard you all worked."
Qu Duanyun's eyes were complicated, and it took him a while to come back to his senses.
"To be able to accomplish such a great cause that will be passed down through the ages, I, as a student, would do anything to achieve it. Unfortunately, the winners are the kings and the losers are the bandits. Shi Jingzhi is indeed much better than me... The great cause of a hundred years will surely be accomplished today."
Jiang Youyue nodded with appreciation.
"But the student has another question."
"But it doesn't hurt to ask."
"The Hanging Wood is extremely strange and difficult to control. Master, even if we have a True Immortal to communicate with, has anything gone wrong in the past few hundred years?"
Hearing this question, Jiang Youyue's expression changed. He was silent for a moment, then shook his head.
"We have dealt with this 'root of trouble'. I will tell you more after you have learned more about it."