After the Immortal Disappeared

Hee Lingchuan had already seen seven stages on his way here. Some market entrances were so wide they had two set up. ”With so many plays being performed all over the city, can the King of Treasure Tree even enjoy them all?”

The sound of the opera was so loud that even though Hee Lingchuan was right next to him, Shi the Second couldn’t make out what he was saying.

Only the black cat, with its twitching, pointed ears, understood. It leaped onto his shoulder to explain:

”It can. Every single tree in Fufeng City is an eye and ear for the King of Treasure Tree. It knows everything that is said or performed near them.” 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Hee Lingchuan gave a thumbs-up. ’Impressive!’

But then again, many Marsh Wardens seemed to have similar abilities. The King of Treasure Tree was the Monarch of a kingdom and possessed its own innate talents, so this was probably nothing special for it.

”I heard that the Treasure Tree Kingdom is the most peaceful and populous nation in the Beiga Kingdom?”

”Excluding the prefectures and commanderies under the Emperor’s direct rule, you could say that.” This time, it was Shi the Second who answered. ”Among all the Demon Kingdoms, the Treasure Tree Kingdom has existed the longest—for over five hundred years—and ironically has had the fewest wars. Less than thirty... times?”

The black cat corrected him, ”Thirty-two times.”

”That’s a war every seventeen or eighteen years on average.” Hee Lingchuan calculated on his fingers. ”Is that supposed to be a small number?”

It seemed his definition of ”small” was quite different from that of the people of Beiga.

”Compared to the other Demon Kingdoms, that’s pitifully few. Look at the Shanyu Kingdom; it’s still in the middle of a civil war,” the black cat explained. ”If the Beiga Emperor declares war on an external foe, the Treasure Tree Kingdom must also send troops, and that gets counted too. It’s peaceful here, so there are more residents. I myself moved here from the Shanyu Kingdom.”

”What’s happening in the Shanyu Kingdom?” Hee Lingchuan had heard that the Shanyu Kingdom was famous for its birds of prey and was considered the cradle of the Beiga Kingdom’s air force.

”The Junior Marquis was arrested and imprisoned. Everyone thought he was a good official and must have been framed. But then he died violently in prison—the rumors say it was a gruesome death. Many high-ranking officials couldn’t stand for it and wanted the Monarch to punish the murderer, but the Royal Court just offered up a scapegoat. The people wouldn’t accept it.”

”All because of one Junior Marquis?”

The black cat licked its paw. ”Ah, there’s a lot more to it. It would take a year to tell the whole story.”

Hee Lingchuan was very curious. ”With the Shanyu Kingdom in turmoil, doesn’t Lingxu City intervene?” After all, it was happening within their own country.

The black cat was taken aback. ”The kingdoms are autonomous. Why would Lingxu City get involved?”

”Aren’t they afraid the civil unrest will spread?”

Shi the Second sighed. ”No matter how chaotic the kingdoms of Beiga get, things always calm down eventually. It’s been like this for so many years. Lingxu City has probably seen it all and isn’t surprised anymore.”

’Lingxu City doesn’t even intervene when there’s local chaos. What a strange system. No wonder other countries use it as a case study.’

Soon, the two of them regrouped with the merchant caravan.

After more than a double-hour of jostling and squeezing through Fufeng City, the group finally exited through the north gate.

The road ahead opened up at once, and their mounts could break into a trot.

The path was lined with endless flowers.

It was nearly the sixth month, a time when a hundred flowers would naturally be in bloom. The road from Fufeng City’s north gate to White Cloud Mountain was a riot of brilliant purples and reds, with blossoms vying to display their splendor.

Even the most humble little weed put forth delicate white flowers for the occasion. From a distance, it looked as if a layer of white snow had fallen upon the green fields.

The mountain path had become a path of flowers, and the waterfalls nearly became waterfalls of flowers.

A single glance was enough to know that spring filled the Mortal World.

The scene drew gasps of amazement from passersby. Hee Lingchuan overheard a mother and daughter ahead of him exclaim, ”We took this same road back to the city yesterday, and we didn’t see nearly this many flowers!”

”They must have bloomed today to celebrate the King of Treasure Tree’s birthday.”

Hee Lingchuan was genuinely surprised. ”At a time when Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is waning, can the King of Treasure Tree’s power still extend this far?”

The Heart-Protecting Mirror’s voice chimed in. ”That would be nothing in the Early Middle Ages. But to still be able to command all the flowers to bloom now? That shows it’s genuinely skilled.”

”However, it also depends on the King of Treasure Tree’s true form. It has lived for eight hundred years, so its influence over this city could have expanded gradually. Even if it only gained an inch a day, the accumulation over several centuries would be considerable.”

The King of Treasure Tree had managed its territory for so many years, and Fufeng City was its core. Of course, it would have been permeated by the King’s influence from every angle, with no blind spots.

Following the stream of traffic, Hee Lingchuan arrived at White Cloud Mountain in the northern suburbs.

The mountain wasn’t very high, only about three hundred meters in elevation, and its slopes were so gentle that even the elderly could climb it.

Of course, today White Cloud Mountain should have been renamed Flower Mountain. Wildflowers of every color competed in beauty, surrounded by dancing bees and butterflies.

After climbing over the ridge and looking down, Hee Lingchuan couldn’t help but let out a long breath.

The long, south-facing slope was still gradual and gentle; one could even ride a horse down it at a walking pace.

The long slope ended at the shore of a lake.

He was stunned to realize that the summit of White Cloud Mountain was actually a volcanic crater.

It must have been dormant for a very long time, as the crater had collected into a large crater lake, also known as a Celestial Pool. The water’s surface was as smooth as a mirror, without the slightest ripple.

In the center of the lake stood one, and only one, great tree. Its branches reached for the heavens, forming a magnificent, umbrella-like canopy.

The crown of the tree spanned at least one hundred and fifty zhang (five hundred meters). Even from such a distance, Hee Lingchuan could sense its unparalleled size.

Its trunk was unbelievably thick. It had aerial roots that grew down into the water, effortlessly creating a forest from a single tree.

From a distance, it looked like dozens of king-sized trunks were holding up the enormous crown together.

”To think I can still see a colossus of this magnitude today!” the Heart-Protecting Mirror exclaimed in admiration. ”It must be deeply loved by its people to receive such a rich nourishment of Primordial Power!”

When Spiritual Qi is insufficient, Primordial Power makes up for it.

Shi the Second didn’t dare point. He just turned his head to Hee Lingchuan and said, ”That is the King of Treasure Tree, the guest of honor for today’s celebration!”

And the Demon King who ruled this vast territory.

Hee Lingchuan asked, ”What species is its true form?”

Shi the Second chuckled. ”I heard it’s a ’Seafloor Wood’? Just what I heard.”

”Hmph, a half-baked understanding.” The erudite Heart-Protecting Mirror took over the conversation. ”That is a Juluo Tree!”

”So is it a Juluo Tree or a Seafloor Wood?”

”Seafloor Wood has many varieties, and the Juluo Tree is the most precious and rarest among them,” the Heart-Protecting Mirror said proudly. ”It was a rare sight even in Ancient Times.”

’What’s there to be so proud of knowing that?’ Hee Lingchuan asked it, ”Seafloor Wood... is that the same Seafloor Wood I know of, the kind that can shelter souls?”

”Every type of Seafloor Wood can do that,” the Heart-Protecting Mirror explained. ”Legend says they grow in the space between the Mortal World and the Cyan Netherworld, which is what allows souls to reside within them. Of course, they also grow in the physical world at the same time.”

Hee Lingchuan could now see clearly that there was no soil at the base of the King of Treasure Tree. It was rooted directly at the bottom of the lake. It truly deserved the name ”Seafloor Wood.”

Considering that, its true height, measured from the roots, was even more terrifying.

The Heart-Protecting Mirror’s voice was full of longing. ”If only I could get my hands on a branch. Even just one.”

”What for?”

”To comprehend the Law of liminality between the Cyan Netherworld and the real world! It’s just like how I perceive the existence of the City of the Dead every day,” the Mirror said. ”Seafloor Wood inherently has that characteristic. This old tree has lived for eight hundred years, so it should have a deeper understanding of it. I want to learn from its example, just learn a little.”

Hee Lingchuan hadn’t expected a mirror to be so studious.

At this point, most of the commoners had stopped on the long slope, finding an open spot to kneel and sit. The more pious among them performed a full prostration toward the King of Treasure Tree, silently reciting prayers.

Hee Lingchuan happened to pass by one such devout believer and heard his prayer begin with ”To the Lingxu Saint Venerable of immeasurable merit, who established the era and pacifies the ancient...” He recited the honorific titles of about six or seven Deities, followed by the Beiga Demon Emperor, and only then came today’s guest of honor, the King of Treasure Tree.

But judging by the man’s solemn expression, dignified face, and extremely practiced recitation, this was clearly not a slight, but rather a standard opening to a prayer.

That made sense. The Northern Demon Kingdom revered Deities, so it wasn’t strange that they taught commoners to pray day and night.

Of course, most people treated this trip to White Cloud Mountain as a family outing. After kneeling, bowing, and reciting prayers with the old and young, they began to chat and laugh, letting their wild children and Little Demons run all over the mountain. It looked just like a spring picnic.

The black cat on the saddle was staring intently at two litters of plump, white hamsters. Its two white ”gloves” were desperately kneading the sheep’s back, its eyes fixed and unblinking.

Hee Lingchuan had to remind it, ”Hey, you’re drooling on the saddle.”

If not for the fact that this was the King of Treasure Tree’s dwelling place, someone might have even started flying a kite.

What Hee Lingchuan saw, however, was the King of Treasure Tree’s tolerance for the people of Fufeng City.

’It’s a tree, after all. It probably also believes that it’s better to share happiness than to enjoy it alone.’

Of course, there were also many trees on the gentle slope, and it was said they were all the King of Treasure Tree’s eyes and ears, so no one dared to cause trouble here.

A clear spring gurgled through the mountains, forming more than ten small waterfalls up and down the slope. Hee Lingchuan and Shi the Second followed the spring down, slowly approaching the lakeside.

Two Ape Guards came up to inspect them, but let them pass after Hee Lingchuan showed them the invitation.

The commoners could only sit on the slope to watch the ceremony, but Hee Lingchuan, with an invitation from the Grand Tutor’s Mansion, received the VIP treatment of a seat in the gallery. As for Shi the Second and the black cat, they were simply snuck in with him.

Directly ahead, a row of buildings stretched along the lake. It was called the White Cloud Residence. The central building was five stories tall, flanked by long, covered walkways. But there were too many people today. The open space in front of the walkways was covered with red carpets, an area the size of a sports field, and it was also packed with people.

Viewed on its own, the White Cloud Residence was grand and magnificent, but against the backdrop of the colossal tree behind it, it was instead made to look delicate and elegant.

The VIP seats were on the covered walkways, and guests were escorted by attendants. They weren’t allowed to wander around on their own.

At this moment, officials of the Treasure Tree Kingdom stood both inside and outside the White Cloud Residence, all engaged in lively conversation.

The Treasure Tree Kingdom was vast, larger than three or four Fu Kingdoms combined. Its officials came from all corners of the country, and they took advantage of this grand festival to socialize.

Shi the Second sighed in amazement. ”If we only count the officials from the Treasure Tree Kingdom in attendance today, there must be over seven thousand... no, no, more than nine thousand. It’s a clear sign of the kingdom’s prosperity.”

And he was just talking about the officials.

There were also guards, attendants, chefs, and all sorts of service staff, making the total number of people even more immense.

Hee Lingchuan was reminded of the banquet Zhu Xiyan had held for Zhu Xiu’er in Shihuan. He had thought it grand at the time, but the number of dignitaries who attended was less than ten percent of the spectacle today.

Of course, the pomp for a young lady of the Zhu Family couldn’t be mentioned in the same breath as the King of Treasure Tree’s celebration, but according to Hee Chunhua, seven or eight-tenths of Shihuan City’s nobility had been there.