The Kingdom of Qing Jiang existed during the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. During that era, people had already begun to use paper for records and even possessed rudimentary printing technology. Consequently, a vast number of historical documents and various books were preserved for later generations.
Because of this, finding the origin of the Divine Tree was not an impossible task. If it had ever existed, it would surely have left some trace in history.
For the past half month, Yan Shouyi had tasked his knowledgeable storytellers with diligently searching for information on the Divine Tree, preferably uncovering its entire background.
If they could prevent the Divine Tree from expanding its deathly aura, everyone would no longer be threatened by time.
The Divine Tree had taken only eight days to engulf the entirety of Daqing Mountain. Although its expansion slowed afterward, it showed no signs of stopping.
Countless scientists had also rushed to Xichuan for sampling and investigation, but all their efforts were in vain. This was because they were dealing with metaphysics, which ran contrary to science, and it was impossible to conduct research with the current scientific standards.
Professional tasks required professional individuals. Yan Shouyi and his companions were the only hope in dealing with the Divine Tree.
Regarding the origin of the Divine Tree, Yan Shouyi had interrogated Wei Wuxin, but this useless disciple knew nothing about its secrets.
The book Lin Zhitong was studying was written by a scholar who lived in Xichuan during the late Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
The times were tumultuous, but fortunately, the place where he lived was unaffected. After the wars subsided, he began to travel throughout Xichuan, and his book recorded all his observations during his journeys.
Yan Shouyi read diligently. Although he hadn't yet found any mention of the Divine Tree, the travelogue was quite interesting, and he read it with great absorption.
After about the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Yan Shouyi suddenly sat up straight.
The book recorded that the scholar, while traveling, reached the vicinity of a mountain called Daqing Mountain. Seeing its lush greenery and pleasant scenery, he intended to hire a guide from a nearby village to enter the mountain. However, after asking everyone in the village, no one dared to take him into the mountain.
The villagers were very familiar with the situation in Daqing Mountain. They said that there was once a prosperous city within Daqing Mountain, but it was later destroyed by a powerful northern kingdom. Now, only ruins remained, and countless wronged souls roamed the mountain, making it very dangerous. The villagers had long considered it a forbidden zone, and no one dared to enter.
"Daqing Mountain... Daqingshan, it should be the same place. The scholar didn't ask further at the time, merely recording it casually based on the pronunciation."
Yan Shouyi's spirits lifted. This was the first time he had found information related to the Kingdom of Qing Jiang. He quickly continued reading with great care.
The scholar was very curious about the vanished kingdom and gathered much information from the villagers.
According to the villagers, some man-eating monsters often emerged from Daqing Mountain. These monsters were ugly, resembling giant ginseng roots. Although they had limbs and heads, they lacked facial features. Their movements were as fast as wolves, and they feared fire.
Black miasma also frequently emerged from Daqing Mountain. Any life that came into contact with it would instantly lose its life, but the monsters in Daqing Mountain were unaffected by this black miasma.
It was worth noting that the scholar saw the true form of the monsters from Daqing Mountain in the home of a hunter in the village. According to the scholar's description, the dead monsters resembled rotten wood.
Later, because no villagers were willing to guide him, the scholar ultimately did not manage to enter Daqing Mountain.
The story ended there, still without any mention of the Divine Tree. It was likely that Daqing Mountain had already become a forbidden zone for life, and no one could enter, thus no one knew about the Divine Tree anymore.
However, Yan Shouyi still gained some clues from the story.
"The monsters in Daqing Mountain are likely tree spirits in nature, and they are not afraid of the Divine Tree's deathly aura..."
Yan Shouyi pondered, "If I used the corpses of those monsters to create a wooden puppet dharma body, could I then enter the current Daqing Mountain and directly circle the Divine Tree to look for clues?"
Just as he was about to further consider the feasibility of this idea, Lin Zhitong suddenly woke up with a frown.
"Why are you awake?"
Yan Shouyi immediately put down the book and gently stroked Lin Zhitong's face.
Lin Zhitong pushed herself up and said dejectedly, "Your son kicked me again."
"How can you be sure it was your brother and not your sister?" Yan Shouyi asked, confused.
Lin Zhitong patted Yan Shouyi with annoyance, "It must be the brother. Only boys are that mischievous."
Do you want to see who among us likes to use their hands more...
Yan Shouyi muttered internally, then pretended to be angry and placed his hand on Lin Zhitong's belly, scolding, "Don't bully my wife anymore, or I'll bully you too!"
Lin Zhitong was immediately amused, "Go away! You're just causing trouble!"
Yan Shouyi chuckled and waved the ancient book in his hand, saying, "I've finished reading this book for you. I've found some clues, so you don't need to read it again."
"What clues did you find?"
"It's not certain if they're useful yet. I'll tell you after I verify them."
"Hmph, then I'll definitely read it again."
"Your task now is to rest well. You have only half a month left, and then you'll be free!"
Lin Zhitong pouted, "I don't know if 'pregnancy makes you foolish for three years' is true, but during my pregnancy, I feel like I haven't been able to help you much."
Recalling the first few months of her pregnancy, Lin Zhitong had shone brightly in the Luotian Grand Ceremony, advancing all the way to the top four and becoming an idol for countless young boys and girls.
However, in recent battles, Lin Zhitong could only stay home to nurture her pregnancy, which made her somewhat unhappy.
Yan Shouyi quickly took Lin Zhitong's hand and comforted her, "How have you not helped? You are the sect leader of the Lushhan Sect, and the Lushhan Sect is becoming increasingly powerful. Moreover, you've always been working behind the scenes when dealing with the relationships between the two sects. Now, the Xuanmen are united, and you've been diligently helping me manage affairs. Without your help, I fear I would die from exhaustion from various matters before I even get to the decisive battle with Jiang Wuya!"
"I don't want to help in this kind of way, you know that," Lin Zhitong said, lowering her head.
"You want to...?"
"I want to brandish my Red God Umbrella, stab bloody holes in my enemies, then shake the soul-summoning bell, summon tens of thousands of ghost kings to sweep through the enemy ranks! If anyone dares to curse you, I'll fight back; if anyone dares to hit you, I'll fight back!" Lin Zhitong became more excited as she spoke, almost wanting to stand up and perform a flourish.
Yan Shouyi was somewhat embarrassed, "I finally understand. It's not that you want to fight alongside me; you just want to protect me like a kept man."
"Of course, who else would I protect if not my man!" Lin Zhitong raised her chin, a hint of pride on her face.
"Alright, alright, I'm the kept man, and you're the Queen!"
Yan Shouyi raised his hands in surrender, then a small brocade pouch suddenly appeared in his hand. "Here, this is for you."
Lin Zhitong took the brocade pouch in surprise. "What's inside?"
"The names I've chosen for the children."