Chapter 885: 78. Mother and Daughter
Lina’s Tree doesn’t recall many things.
Memories of being human remain just a few. Like Lu Li, like the oracle.
Lina’s Tree doesn’t mind telling Lu Li about their deity, the secrets of the Ancestral Spirits. It says the Ancestral Spirits foresaw Lu Li’s arrival, assigned him the role of guide, and recognized the peculiar seed in Lu Li’s pocket.
The Ancestral Spirits are the mother of all trees.
The sorrow of trees dying en masse awakened Her on the earth, but she still lost her power, and could only use a last resort to preserve the lineage, send down an oracle to have Lina’s Tree and others leave the doomed Luo Lei Castle, and establish the Tranquil Forest here.
They became pioneers, following the Ancestral Spirits’ guidance to establish a birthplace where children would be born.
The Tree People seen by Lu Li were born in the birthplace. They grow to adult appearance in three years, then gradually transform into trees. Those with thin bloodline become guardians of the forest outskirts, those with rich bloodline guard the Tranquil Forest.
Yet speaking of the birthplace, Lina’s Tree halts its slow and lengthy words, showing a hint of conflict on its aged face, seemingly unwilling to continue on the Ancestral Spirits’ command.
Lu Li remains noncommittal.
Lina’s Tree also mentions that other pioneer acquaintances in the forest gather have heard of Lu Li’s arrival and want to meet him. It mentioned some names, but Lu Li did not recognize them.
After consideration, Lu Li declined, as he would leave the forest in the morning to rendezvous with the caravan at Storm Corner.
Perhaps too long without communicating with someone outside the forest, Lina’s Tree wishes to say more but clumsily fails, only bizarrely manifesting on the wall like a mural, staring at Lu Li.
Plant Habitat did not stitch up the big sister, but fortunately, such a tear was not troublesome for a doll as long as the black cotton inside didn’t show.
Adding wood to the fire pit, Lu Li lay down on the low bed formed by tree roots, telling the big sister to wake him if needed, and sank into a deep sleep.
On the treehouse wall, the face of Lina’s Tree lingered, as if watching over Lu Li’s entry into dreams.
The Tranquil Forest is quieter than other places.
No noise from streets and alleys outside the windows, nor strange shrieks in the wilderness.
The night passes, morning thin mist spreads through the forest.
Fires timidly burn, with the flame flickering dimmer than an oil lamp. At some point, the flame extinguishes, a curl of blue smoke spirals upward.
Lu Li slowly awakens.
Outside the treehouse, he sees young men and women peeking in with childlike pure curiosity.
Hard to imagine they’re all under three years old.
“Big sister.”
Lu Li didn’t find its figure. As the voice fell, it groggily climbed onto Lu Li’s shoulder, rubbing its eyes beneath a twisted mask: “Daybreak…”
Sitting up, Lu Li startled the young Tree People peeking in, though soon a middle-aged woman nearly becoming a tree entered, crisscrossed branch-like hands cradling some fruits.
Plant Habitat has some fruit trees, which is also the food for Tree People.
In Weird Times, fruits are evidently rare food.
If only not to think about the source of the fruits.
“Lu Li, are you leaving…”
Having finished the fruits, Lina’s Tree’s face appeared on the wall.
Through time spent communicating, its words grow smoother.
“Mm.”
Though still needing to wait a bit, as morning has just arrived, and the Mist of Strangeness in the wilderness hasn’t dispersed.
Lina’s Tree again asks Lu Li about his humanity. Plant Habitat requires some help, if Lu Li’s aura returns to its former state, it could aid them.
“I recover by killing strangeness.”
Facing Plant Habitat’s friendliness, Lu Li divulges some information.
“You could kill that leader…” Lina’s Tree suggested.
It sounds enticing, but Lu Li calmly declines: “That’s your prey.”
“We only need nutrients… it has no strength to resist…”
This time Lu Li did not refuse.
Strangeness is hard to gauge by strength, only compared horizontally with displayed capability.
The leader strangeness is akin to an evil spirit, killing the model mother, Lu Li could gain more than five increments of humanity.
Increased humanity boosts Lu Li’s resistance to pollution and enhances the damage of his left hand’s Redemption Fragments, though he must also bear its cost—the cost of humanity.
Even the Old Era was filled with coveting, all the more so now.
Branch-horned figures appear, guiding Lu Li back to the perimeter where they entered Plant Habitat the previous day.
In the forest, meters deep, Lu Li sees the model mother bound by branches.
Collapsed trees stretch behind it, tens of thousands of branches piercing the model mother, leaf-like paper strips threading through its flesh.
Its head droops, unmoving, apparently dead.
“It’s not dead yet…” Big sister quietly remarks.
Lu Li steps before the model mother, his left hand pressing against its forehead.
Szzzz—
The model mother’s body suddenly quivers, branches snap with a “crack”, yet more branches stretch forth, wrapping it.
Oppressed by guardians, the model mother trembles, turning its bloodshot eyeballs toward Lu Li, filled with hatred and malice.
Suddenly, whisper-like malicious words abruptly surface in Lu Li’s mind.
[Bloodstained]
[You are drenched in blood, both yours and your enemy’s. Blood extends beneath your feet, making you fierce, and attracting more coveting. They fear your blood, yet greed for it.]
[Your damage to strangeness increases]
[—Now, you are “equals”]
The model mother delivered a Cursed Title to Lu Li at its dying breath.
The description of the Cursed Title is clearer than [Lighthouse], and more negative—it’s an unequivocal curse.
Human harm to strangeness was negligible.
In some regards, it’s suitable for Lu Li.
He could harm strangeness.
He was coveted by strangeness too.
Having bestowed the curse, the model mother ceases its struggle, and in sporadic laughter-like howls, its life force slowly drains away.
In the next instant, Lu Li is pulled into the model mother’s Death Retrace.
A little girl sleeps soundly on a bed, with resonating chimes slowly fading.
A woman quietly sets aside the half-woven basket and approaches the bedside.
Lu Li stands silently watching.
They are true mother and daughter.
The girl vanishes from the bed, while tears fall from the woman’s eyes.
Lu Li now tilts his head slightly.
The vanished girl stands beside him, gently lifting his hand.
Lu Li doesn’t resist, allowing the girl to hold his hand, tiptoe, and cover the grieving woman’s mouth, preventing the imminent call.
In the dim, sorrow-filled room, the girl holding the hand seems to embrace her mother.
…
Lu Li opens his eyes.
The hatred in the model mother’s scarlet pupil recedes, with tears as big as fruits swelling in its eyes.
Its body collapses into a mud-like slush, luminescent flesh illuminating the ink-green dusky woods, the surrounding trees thriving.
“I’m sorry…”
Sorrowful whispers fade in the forest.
Unknown whether apologizing for the child it couldn’t protect, or for the malice thrust upon Lu Li.