"Uh… am I a walking treasure trove?"Mocking himself, Yu Zi Yu looked at the ethereal girl clutching the black root, feeling a mix of emotions.
The concept of trees nurturing souls wasn't foreign to him.
In his memories, there were tales of a divine tree — the Soul-Nourishing Tree. Its branches alone, when worn on the body, could strengthen the mind and soul over time.
Yu Zi Yu's roots might not possess such legendary effects, but they still held some degree of soul-nurturing power.Even so, the current situation was far beyond his expectations — and placed him in a troubling position.
He had just made the hard decision to eliminate the two sisters… yet one of them had returned to him after death.
[Wait… after death?]A realization struck him like lightning.
[There is only one soul here. And they were two sisters. That means… the other one must still be alive.]
This conclusion unsettled him. And with good reason.
His Hallucinogen ability could alter memories, but not permanently.With enough stimulation, the lost memories could resurface anytime.
Haaa…Taking a long, deep breath, Yu Zi Yu forced himself to calm down. Panicking was pointless now.
There might still be a way to salvage the situation.
With a single thought—
Screech! Screech! Screech!The Mutant Peregrine Falcons resting in his branches shot into the air, letting out sharp, piercing cries.
If necessary, he could send them to "rectify" the problem.But doing so would expose the Peregrine Falcons, and that carried risks of its own.
Yu Zi Yu hesitated deeply.
Then — unexpectedly — a faint thought echoed in his mind.
"Who am I? Where am I? Who are you?"
The classic three questions.
It made Yu Zi Yu pause… then smile.
The ethereal girl on his root had opened her eyes, confusion swirling across her face.
She must have lost her memories, he thought.Or more accurately — her soul was incomplete, unable to recall most of her past life.
But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.Sometimes, forgetting was a blessing.
And then Yu Zi Yu murmured softly, as a new understanding dawned:
"Telepathy."
Yes — Telepathy.Her unique ability.Because she and her sister were twins, their awakened psychic link might allow her to sense the other girl's condition.
In that case…Yu Zi Yu couldn't help but laugh softly.
He had found a better solution.
…
The night was still. Moonlight cast long shadows.A towering willow stood quietly in the canyon, shrouded in a faint mist.
Beneath it, a portion of a black root rose gently from the earth.Perched at its tip was a small, palm-sized ethereal figure.Like a forest sprite, she curled up while clutching her legs, resting peacefully at the end of the root.
"Master… my perception feels a bit hazy," she said softly, lifting her head to gaze at the willow with pure adoration.
An instinctive sense of intimacy radiated from the depths of her soul.She trusted this mysterious tree completely — as if the willow was everything to her.
And why wouldn't she?
After death, He Qing Er existed only as a soul.Without Yu Zi Yu, she would simply dissipate and vanish forever.
To her, Yu Zi Yu truly was everything.
"A bit hazy?"Yu Zi Yu pondered, then lowered a branch over her head.The tip snapped, releasing a few drops of shimmering essence.
"I wonder if my essence can help you," Yu Zi Yu murmured.He wasn't entirely sure — but it was the only method available.
And the reason he was helping her at all… was simple:After a brief conversation, he discovered that aside from her own name, her memories were as blank as a sheet of paper.
Which suited Yu Zi Yu perfectly.
A girl like this could be cultivated.
Drip…
The Life Essence fell onto He Qing Er.Her ethereal body shuddered — then began to solidify slightly.
Yu Zi Yu could faintly see the outline of her delicate figure, her curves, her faint form becoming clearer.
Of course, only he could see her.
For reasons unknown, neither the Red Fox nor the Peregrine Falcons could perceive the girl.Only Yu Zi Yu could see her — and sense her thoughts and desires.
[Is it because I share a mysterious connection with her?][Or perhaps because her soul rests on my roots, making it easy for me to read her emotions whenever I wish?]
Whatever the reason, their connection was undeniable.