Chapter 18

This ancient tree, having withstood countless years of vicissitudes, had a trunk so thick that two people couldn't even encircle it. Looking up, one could see a giant canopy of lush branches and leaves. Such a massive tree was extremely rare, and it must have taken at least a few hundred years to grow to this size.

Seeing everyone staring at the tree, Yu Xiaohu said, "This ancient tree has been around since the Tang Dynasty, for many years. It's almost become a spirit. When Cangmei Temple still had incense offerings, this tree was even worshipped."

As they approached, Tang Sanli looked around and said, "Let's rest here tonight. The surroundings offer a wide view, and this place is quite nice."

Chu Nan noticed a hollow in the middle of the ancient tree, with a diagonal crack on it, as if someone had used immense strength and an extremely sharp blade to slash it.

Yu Xiaotian sat down, rubbing his legs, and said, "I'm so tired. I wish there was a bed right now so I could have a good sleep."

The others were also exhausted. Yin Yiping said, "We can take turns keeping watch, and the rest can get some sleep."

"Let's eat something to fill our stomachs first." The seven of them sat down under the tree. Each person had brought some food, and they assigned the night watch in pairs, with one person left over. Chu Nan decided to take the extra shift alone.

Everyone knew his capabilities and agreed. This way, there would be four shifts, each lasting three hours, and by the time the last shift ended, it would be almost dawn.

Chu Nan had his reasons for wanting to take a shift alone. He planned to use the magnifying glass to fill the thirty-one withered gene cores he possessed with primal energy, then absorb and assimilate them, seeking further evolution of his gene core.

The events of the day had deeply affected him, and he felt a strong sense of crisis. The world was becoming increasingly unusual and terrifying. To survive, the most important thing was to become stronger.

"Tang Sanli and Yu Xiaohu for the first shift, Gan Yueyue and Yin Yiping for the second, Gong Lin and I for the third, and Chu Nan for the fourth," Yu Xiaotian said. "That's settled. Who will take the first shift?"

Tang Sanli said, "Yu Xiaohu and I will take the first shift."

Yu Xiaotian nodded and stretched, saying, "This night will be hard to get through."

The sky turned completely dark, and they didn't dare start a fire, fearing it might attract trouble. They sat together under the ancient tree.

"Hey, let's talk about something. It's so uncomfortable just sitting here in silence," Yu Xiaotian said. "Why don't we introduce ourselves in more detail?"

Seeing that everyone was reluctant, Yu Xiaotian pouted and looked at the ancient tree behind him. "How about we guess how old this ancient tree is?"

Tang Sanli smiled wryly. "Yu Xiaotian, you really love to talk."

Yu Xiaotian, a bit unhappy, said, "I just want everyone to chat so it's not so silent and oppressive. Don't you think it's too stifling?"

Yin Yiping said, "That's true. Talking makes time pass faster."

Yu Xiaohu chimed in, "Since that's the case, why don't I tell you a story about this ancient tree?"

Yu Xiaotian perked up. "Really? This ancient tree has a story?"

Yu Xiaohu nodded. "Of course. The prophecy 'Huang Chao killed eight million, and even one more could not escape' comes from this tree."

"Huang Chao? I know him. He's a historical figure. Tell us, how is he related to this tree?" Yu Xiaotian was immediately excited.

Yu Xiaohu cleared his throat and said, "Legend has it that during the Tang Dynasty, Huang Chao gathered a rebellion here. He and the monk Bian Lu from Cangmei Temple became brothers. At that time, he was hiding in Cangmei Temple, but now it's in ruins."

Yu Xiaohu glanced at the ruins of Cangmei Temple in the distance.

"Tell us more, what happened next?" Yu Xiaotian urged.

"On the day of the rebellion, Huang Chao said to Monk Bian Lu, 'Brother, to ensure the success of the rebellion, I need to consecrate my sword today.' Monk Bian Lu replied, 'I don't know why, but I feel afraid when you consecrate your sword.' Huang Chao said, 'Brother, why are you afraid of my consecration?' Monk Bian Lu answered, 'I feel a sense of impending doom, as if a great calamity is coming.' Seeing this, Huang Chao told Monk Bian Lu to hide and come out after the consecration."

Yu Xiaohu had a natural talent for storytelling, and not just Yu Xiaotian, but the others were also captivated. Yu Xiaotian, eager, asked, "Then what happened?"

"Monk Bian Lu, following Huang Chao's advice, went to hide. But he felt unsafe wherever he went. Finally, he saw a large tree in front of the temple, which is the ancient tree you see now."

Everyone looked at the ancient tree behind them.

"Monk Bian Lu saw that there was a hollow in the tree and hid inside, feeling safe. Huang Chao, preparing to consecrate his sword, couldn't find a suitable person to sacrifice. When he returned to the temple, he saw the tree and decided to use it as a substitute. He slashed the tree, and a scream came from inside. To his shock, he found that Monk Bian Lu had been cut in half and died inside the tree."

"This is the origin of the prophecy 'Huang Chao killed eight million, and even one more could not escape.' Monk Bian Lu was destined to face this calamity, and no matter where he hid, he couldn't escape."

"People say that Huang Chao was the celestial star Wuqu, who was sent down by the Jade Emperor for mistakenly releasing the devils from hell. There were eight million devils in hell, and Monk Bian Lu was the official guarding the gate, so he had to go first. For every person Huang Chao killed, Monk Bian Lu would send one to hell, ensuring no one was killed unjustly."

After Yu Xiaohu finished, everyone looked at the ancient tree. Tang Sanli said, "Look at the crack on the tree. It looks like it was made by a sword. Could this legend be true?"

"The elders have always told it this way," Yu Xiaohu said, shaking his head. As for whether it was true, he didn't know.

Yu Xiaotian whistled. "So, someone really died in this tree."

Everyone felt a bit uneasy at this.

"Alright, the story is over. Let's get some rest. We need to be well-rested for the journey tomorrow," Tang Sanli said, his tone taking on a slightly paternal tone as the oldest among them.

The others were indeed tired. Yin Yiping handed his phone to Tang Sanli. "Wake us when it's time for the next shift."

"I know. Get some sleep. We'll wake you if anything happens."

Except for Tang Sanli and Yu Xiaohu, who were on watch, the other five rested on the spot.

Chu Nan, listening to Yu Xiaohu's story and looking at the towering ancient tree, felt a strange sensation. When he rested, he instinctively kept a bit of distance from the tree.

He was extremely tired, having used adrenaline to boost his physical abilities during the day. Chu Nan was more exhausted than anyone else. Once he lay down, he fell asleep quickly.

He really couldn't stay awake any longer, as he hadn't slept for a day and a night.

He didn't know how long he had slept when he woke up, not because someone had woken him, but because he felt something dripping on his forehead. In this environment, his alertness was high, so he woke up.

Looking up, he saw the dense canopy of the ancient tree, with water dripping onto his forehead.

Chu Nan wiped the water from his forehead and suddenly realized his hand was covered in blood.

"What's happening?" Chu Nan was startled, almost jumping up. The drops on his forehead were not water but blood?

At that moment, Chu Nan felt a chill run down his spine.

"Chu Nan? You're awake? It's not your turn yet," came Gan Yueyue's voice from the other side.

Gan Yueyue and Yin Yiping had taken over the second shift from Tang Sanli and Yu Xiaohu. It was now her and Gong Lin's turn to keep watch, while the others were sleeping, especially Tang Sanli, whose snoring was like thunder.

Chu Nan stood up, looking at the blood on his hand, then up at the dense branches, and finally at the trunk. In the dim light of the night, he saw that the trunk of the ancient tree was oozing blood.

"What's that?" Chu Nan pointed, and Gan Yueyue and Yin Yiping, confused, also cried out, "Blood?"

"What's going on?" Yu Xiaohu, who had been sleeping, rubbed his eyes and woke up, pushing Tang Sanli, who was snoring beside him. "Wake up, wake up, something's wrong."

Chu Nan slowly looked down and saw Yu Xiaotian and Gong Lin, who had been sleeping closest to the tree, lying at the base of the trunk, their eyes open, faces twisted in a strange, stiff smile, their skin wrinkled and bodies withered, as if they had aged fifty years in an instant.

Chu Nan took three large steps back.

Gan Yueyue couldn't control her screams, her face filled with fear.

Yu Xiaotian and Gong Lin had been sleeping closest to the tree since they went to bed, and there had been no movement, so even when it was Gan Yueyue and Yin Yiping's turn to keep watch, they hadn't noticed anything unusual about Yu Xiaotian and Gong Lin in the darkness.

It wasn't until now that they realized something was wrong.

Tang Sanli and Yu Xiaohu were also completely shocked, almost crawling away from the motionless bodies of Yu Xiaotian and Gong Lin.

"What... what... is happening..." Yu Xiaohu, his face full of terror.

Everyone saw the blood-like liquid oozing from the trunk, dripping slowly.

Yu Xiaotian and Gong Lin, lying motionless at the base of the tree, were clearly dead. But what had they experienced in their final moments, and why did their faces show such a strange, eerie smile? Combined with their suddenly aged, wrinkled faces, they looked unspeakably ugly and terrifying, like demons from hell.