When Emperor Qin and Mo Yang locked eyes, it was easy to discern the mutual hostility and disdain in their gazes.
Mo Yang pondered for a moment, considering the likelihood of directly splashing corrosive potion onto Emperor Qin’s face here. Ultimately, he realized this was someone else’s turf. Until he convinced the Tree Queen, Emperor Qin might even be protected by her. So, he smirked and glanced at the Tree Queen.
The Tree Queen posed a question that intrigued all the plant-like beings present: “I believe my people are eager to know: how did this gentleman in white determine the situation of the guards and find that purple grass? Do you mind if I seek an answer?”
The Tree Queen had long, cascading golden hair resembling a waterfall, a beauty that Mo Yang had never seen before. Her charm, paired with an innate friendliness and an enigmatic gaze that seemed to comprehend all worldly matters, exuded an astonishing allure.
Mo Yang sighed inwardly. Such a level of beauty surely didn’t exist on Earth. Otherwise, countless would go crazy for her.
However, facing this top-tier beauty, the Great Demon King was as if devoid of perception, unmoved for six months. He politely and dismissively replied, “From your accessories, I could discern your plant-based race. I happened to have studied the same type of plants as that guard.”
Beyond that, he didn’t utter another word.
To Mo Yang, this attitude seemed infuriatingly punchable. For a moment, he worried that the Captain of the Queen’s Guard might just unsheathe a knife and strike him down. Surprisingly, the Queen and her guards all displayed understanding expressions. Even the Guard Captain, a man with deep brown hair, standing tall like the most majestic tree, revealed a look of “Ah, so that’s the kind of person I thought he was.”
Mo Yang thought, inexplicably understanding the Queen and the guards’ thought processes. Perhaps, they all considered Wan Mei a researcher? And there might be researchers within their clan who shared Wan Mei’s personality entirely.
As he pondered, the Queen’s voice echoed, “So, Mr. Yang Heigou.”
Mo Yang looked up, meeting the Queen’s profound gaze. He had a momentary daze but quickly regained composure. He heard the Queen ask, “Do you know how important the information you had Xis transmitted to us is? If you deceive us, the entire plant race will become your enemies, and you will face endless pursuit.”
Mo Yang smiled, “Rest assured, Xis is my friend. I never lie to friends.”
The Queen quietly observed Mo Yang for a moment before smiling. “Then, you are now our friend as well.”
At that moment, Emperor Qin, who had been silent, spoke up suddenly, “Your Majesty, your trust shouldn’t be given so easily to him. I happen to know him, but unfortunately, he’s not an honest person. He’s very adept at lying and manipulating people. So, I hope you’ll reconsider carefully to avoid substantial losses after being deceived by him.”
Mo Yang chuckled, “Who really is the one here with impure intentions, deceit, and malice? Don’t you have a clue?”
Emperor Qin didn’t respond to Mo Yang, merely looking up at the Tree Queen, seemingly indicating his disdain at being compared to Mo Yang.
The Queen remained silent for a moment, “Verbal debates hold no real significance. Now, with the arrival of the Heavenly Fire, this world is constantly in a state of despair and destruction. Whoever can pull the Tree-People out of this despair will be our most esteemed guest. You two, follow me to the temple without further ado.”
Mo Yang furrowed his brow slightly, and Emperor Qin interjected, “I refuse to enter the temple with him. I suspect he might act destructively when I’m in action.”
“Your Majesty, I also don’t wish to be in the same space as him. In that case, let us enter the temple separately. We have plenty of time; a little delay won’t matter,” added Mo Yang.
The Tree Queen seemed puzzled at the extreme opposition between Mo Yang and Emperor Qin. However, she could feel her power rapidly diminishing every passing moment. Time didn’t permit her to dwell on matters any longer; as long as she could swiftly replenish the life barrier’s energy, she no longer had the strength to concern herself with much else.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Emperor Qin followed the Tree Queen into the temple.
Zb Tjcu jcv Qjc Zfl wegwegfv delfais bc atf rlvf, ‘Gb sbe atlcx tf’r eq ab rbwfatlcu? Pa’r gfjiis jccbslcu atja j wjrx mbnfgr tlr ojmlji fzqgfrrlbcr. Yatfgklrf, pera ys tlr ujhf jcv fzqgfrrlbc, P mbeiv tjnf oluegfv bea rbwfatlcu. Lf vbfrc’a qbrrfrr atf tfjga bo atf agff qfbqif, rb ktja wfatbv vb sbe atlcx tf’ii erf ab gfnlnf atf Kgff bo Olof?’
Wan Mei, with keen interest, continued to ‘observe’ the guards within the grand hall while calmly responding to his black dog, “Revival is an intriguing subject. From a research perspective, there are never two identical things in the world. Even in replication and cloning, there are subtle differences. Revival, in a literal sense, is reshaping and restoring something or someone that has died or been destroyed.”
“However…” Wan Mei chuckled softly twice, “Why hasn’t anyone considered whether those successfully ‘revived’ individuals or things are still the same ‘people’ or ‘things’ they once were?”
“Every time I see or hear someone start researching in these fields, I feel… well. Instead of studying how to ‘revive,’ it might be more worthwhile to study how to ‘not die.’ ‘Revival,’ fundamentally, implies that it has experienced failure and death.”
“Ahem, alright, stop looking at me like that. Let me get back on track. As far as I know, reviving something always comes with a price. Precious and rare materials are usually essential. But to truly make that revived entity ‘live’ again, sacrifices are likely necessary.”
Mo Yang frowned, “Sacrifices?”
“You make a reasonable point. So, is Emperor Qin planning for the Tree Queen to sacrifice something to revive the Tree of Life? The conditions seem such that the Queen wouldn’t agree to it, right?” He said but then hesitated, remembering the depth in the Queen’s eyes, feeling less certain.
Wan Mei chuckled lightly and patted his beloved dog’s head.
“If it weren’t for you, she would definitely agree.” The thoughts of those in power are always absolutely calm, even cold. To Mo Yang, the Queen’s eyes might appear gentle and approachable, but to him, the Tree Queen was merely a representative of survival for tens of thousands of years without understanding emotions, representing power and order.
Of course, if he hadn’t encountered Mo Yang, his perspective on the existence of emotions might have been different.
Mo Yang felt as if his intelligence was being scorned by someone. Before he could say anything, the Tree Queen and Emperor Qin emerged from the temple. Mo Yang carefully observed the Queen’s expression and noticed that while she seemed as gentle and beautiful as ever, he also detected a hint of subtle joy in her eyes.
At this moment, Emperor Qin walked over to Mo Yang’s side, his tone icy, “No matter what you’re plotting, you’ve already failed. The Queen has agreed to my method.”
Mo Yang rolled his eyes to the sky, “Before, you thought you’d definitely get the King’s scepter, but in the end, wasn’t it me who intercepted it?”
This statement directly hit a sore spot for Emperor Qin. He seemed like he was about to act the next second. The Tree Queen’s voice rang out, “Mr. Yang Heigou, please follow me.”
Mo Yang dashed over, leaving Emperor Qin and Wan Mei standing outside the temple, locking eyes.
Emperor Qin looked at Wan Mei, who was staring at him, and gradually furrowed his brow tightly. This man made him feel more uncomfortable than Yang Heigou. Facing Yang Heigou, he felt like that was an opponent he must eliminate blocking his path. But this man seemed like a black hole quietly standing in his way; he just wanted to go around him instead of eradicating him. Or rather, his subconscious mind refused to make an enemy of this person.
For Emperor Qin, who believed he had abandoned everything and feared nothing, this was an impossible occurrence.
However, the longer he stared at Wan Mei, the heavier he felt.
“I have a question that I’ve always wanted you to answer,” suddenly, Emperor Qin heard the man’s voice. How should I put it, from the tone alone, it wasn’t unpleasant, even somewhat pleasant. But within it lay an uncomfortable emotion.
Emperor Qin looked solemnly at Wan Mei. “What?”
“Since the world isn’t so beautiful, why do you still want to create a new one?” Wan Mei tilted her head slightly. “Wouldn’t it be better for the entire world to just disappear?”
Emperor Qin frowned. He hadn’t expected this person to have such a destructive and nihilistic character.
“No. I don’t need the world to be destroyed outright. I just need everyone to listen to me and then create a fairer and stronger world. The current world isn’t worth hoping for.” This was Emperor Qin’s most steadfast belief, so he felt fearless, even if he died before creating such a world. At least he would have worked towards a better world.
However, he heard Wan Mei’s voice, dripping with sarcasm.
“So, in reality, you still fear death and covet power and pleasure.”
Emperor Qin was about to retort when Wan Mei continued, one sentence after another. “You simply attribute all the injustice and failures you’ve faced to this world. Fundamentally, you haven’t understood yourself or this world.”
“How boring. Someone like you is just thoroughly uninteresting, better off dead sooner rather than later.” Wan Mei shook her head, having initially thought Emperor Qin might be intriguing, only to find he was just an ordinary person who fancied himself as crazy.
Emperor Qin’s sword had unsheathed at some point, a blade gleaming with cold light, aimed directly at Wan Mei’s neck.
His strike was too fast, a speed that an ordinary person couldn’t possibly evade.
However, when he thought he had surely pierced Wan Mei, he merely took a step back, easily dodging his sword.
Then, Emperor Qin felt a terrifying pressure and hostility surging from all directions. It was as if in that moment, everything around him, including the air, became his enemies.
In disbelief, he looked at Wan Mei, who still seemed nonchalant.
Meanwhile, in the temple.
Mo Yang gazed at the charred remains of three life trees, reduced to broken trunks and roots, feeling a pang of sorrow.
The Tree Queen turned to him. “Now, there are only the two of us here. Without my permission, no one can enter this temple. So, you can show me the Heart of the Treefolk now. Does it resemble a heart?”
Mo Yang looked at the Tree Queen, his eyebrow raised slightly. “No. It’s a tree.”
The Tree Queen’s eyes sparked with intensity. Perhaps, Mo Yang thought, only now did the Tree Queen truly believe that he had seen the Heart of the Treefolk?
“May I ask what method that person was planning to use to resurrect these three life trees?”
The Tree Queen didn’t understand why he asked such a question, but Mo Yang continued, “Whom were you planning to sacrifice to revive these three life trees?”
Seeing the genuine disapproval in Mo Yang’s eyes, the Tree Queen paused for a moment before smiling. “Ah, you’re a kind child.”
“I do not intend to sacrifice my people,” said the Tree Queen softly. “The current life barrier is upheld by my strength alone. But even my power is insufficient to sustain me until the final days of the Cataclysm. Despite giving my all, on the last day of the Cataclysm, I would grow weak from exhaustion to the point of needing a thousand years of deep slumber. Yet, I cannot fathom what state my people would be in when I awaken after such a long sleep.”
“I am the longest-lived among all the plant race,” the Tree Queen smiled. “My duty is to ensure the ember of life endures.”
Mo Yang understood the Tree Queen’s words.
Precisely because he understood, he disagreed even more.
“Sometimes, there are few ways to achieve a win-win situation. We can only choose the path that inflicts the least harm. However, at least for now, you haven’t reached that point.”
Mo Yang spoke, boldly reaching out to hold the Tree Queen’s hand. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, but soon she grasped Mo Yang’s hand with delight.
“Um, that little sapling is something I obtained from the Golden Apple Prince. After I obtained it, it automatically settled in my heart. I can summon it in another world, but here, no matter what I do…”
Before Mo Yang could finish speaking, the dormant sapling of the Tree Heart in his heart floated directly between the Tree Queen and him.
As the Tree Queen saw the Tree Heart, a single tear escaped her beautiful emerald eyes. As it fell, it transformed into a verdant crystal, held tightly in the Tree Queen’s palm.
Seeing the Tree Queen’s excitement, Mo Yang felt joy too. “Does this mean you won’t have to sacrifice yourself?”
However, the Tree Queen shook her head more resolutely. “No, to let the Tree Heart grow better, I must revive the Tree of Life.”
Mo Yang’s eyes widened in shock.
The Tree Queen lightly tapped the Tree Heart, and the sapling returned once more into Mo Yang’s body. Then, she winked at Mo Yang.
“Before that happens, please take good care of it.”
She placed the crystalline tear in Mo Yang’s hand. “You are our most honored guest.”
Mo Yang: “…But I’m not pleased at all!!!”
Author’s Note –
Next chapter, unveiling the truth, facing it head-on.
Emperor Qin didn’t die in this chapter. Damn it.
that’s a true leader of a race.
The Earth should thank the professors who taught and raised Wan Mei and Mo Yang that Wan Mei didn’t end up being crooked (well more crooked than he already was). Or else if it’s Wan Mei in Emperor Qin’s place they should just lie down and wait for death. It’s also not out of the realm of possibilities that after invading Earth, Wan Mei would find a way to counter-invade the dream world.