Upon hearing this, He Yusheng's expression twisted slightly.

"Standing watch? Planning something big? What are you up to, you petty thief?"

Anle glanced around and, seeing no one in sight, quietly leaned close to He Yusheng's ear and whispered something in his ear.

"I've got my eye on that old tree, and I want to steal it."

He Yusheng paused, staring at An Le with a strange expression, looking at her as if she were an idiot. He couldn't help but pick at his ear. "What did you say? Did I hear that right? You've got your eye on that ancient tree and want to steal it? Are you out of your mind?"

Anle gritted her teeth and stomped on He Yusheng's foot, "You're the one who's fucking brain-dead!" After thinking for a moment, she coughed lightly.

It's been phrased differently.

"Actually, the thing is, it's not that I took a fancy to that ancient tree, it's that the gods took a fancy to that ancient tree. You know, if the gods asked me to do something, how could I refuse?"

"Huh?!" He Yusheng looked suspiciously at An Le, who looked guilty and eccentric.

"Are you trying to fool me?"

Anle glared at He Yusheng and said irritably, "Look at what you're saying. What do I have to lie to you about? You'll see for yourself later and see if I'm lying to you or not."

Anle pointed to the ancient tree in the distance, whose tall and majestic form could be seen from a great distance.

"That ancient tree, the gods will take it away soon. I'm just going to help out a little. The gods want to use me to take it away."

Anle spoke with an air of seriousness, his expression earnest, as if he were making a firm vow.

"Then... I think?" He Yusheng was still a little suspicious. Although Lele seemed to be connected with the gods, he still felt that the reason sounded a bit far-fetched.

Anle raised her chin. "Just you wait and see."

He Yusheng opened his mouth, but couldn't help but ask a question.

"Why not just talk about this openly and honestly, instead of sneaking around like this in the middle of the night, stealing chickens and dogs?"

Why don't you just tell the temple? If they know, they'll definitely agree.

Anle rolled her eyes.

"You don't even believe it, so do you think the temple would believe me if I told them?" Even she herself didn't believe such nonsense.

He Yusheng nodded helplessly, "Alright then, let's go, I'll go with you and see if the gods really care about this tree."

The two dogs ran towards the ancient tree, but when they were still some distance away, Anle stopped. He figured they were close enough.

Anle glanced around again, still uneasy, before squatting down in the haystack and reaching out her hand to the ancient tree, her fingertips trembling with excitement.

I wonder what surprises the System Garden will bring her if this ancient tree is sent to it?

Embracing this immense, unknown joy, An Le stirred her thoughts, connecting with the ancient tree in meditation and communicating with the outside world. The next second, an unbelievable scene unfolded right before He Yusheng's eyes—

The enormous, towering tree trunk trembled the instant Anle reached out his hand.

Then--

The frozen lake surface suddenly began to tremble, "crackling—"

The layer of ice on the surface of the lake suddenly cracked, and in the instant the tree swayed, the huge crack that had formed on the lake surface finally shattered completely.

The ancient tree rose from the water and vanished completely in the next instant, leaving only the churning lake water behind. Then, the lake gradually returned to calm.

He Yusheng stared in astonishment, his mouth agape, his face a mask of disbelief and disbelief, as if he were frozen in place amidst the haystack.

"Where's the tree? Where's the tree?"

Anle hurriedly pulled He Yusheng along.

"Isn't that obvious? Of course, it's offered to the gods. Let's hurry up and leave. Don't stay here. People will start looking for us soon, and then we won't be able to hide."

That commotion was quite loud; it's sure to attract attention.

"R-really...gone?" He Yusheng's mouth hung open, still in a daze, before An Le dragged him away...

The thousand-year-old tree in Miaohu Lake in Baicheng disappeared overnight, becoming a sensational news story in Baicheng.

The sudden and inexplicable disappearance of this ancient tree, which has a history of over a thousand years, has become a bizarre and unbelievable story.

From prestigious families to impoverished ordinary households, everyone was murmuring about this unbelievable and incomprehensible event.

Yan Qingxue, who stayed overnight at the temple, was completely dumbfounded after witnessing the bizarre scene with the other tourists in the middle of the night.

"This is too weird! Could this thousand-year-old tree have grown legs and run away? No wonder people say it's become a spirit. It's probably true, just like the tourists say, that it grew legs and ran away." Yan Qingxue sat at the dining table, muttering to herself as she stuffed vegetarian buns into her mouth, eating absentmindedly and without any taste.

Xiaoya was also amazed, finding it too strange. "I thought that such rare and unprecedented things only happened more often in Jincheng, where we live. I didn't expect that something like this would suddenly happen in Baicheng as well."

"How strange! Everyone in this temple looks terrified, like they've seen a ghost."

"Isn't it just seeing a ghost? No, it should be called witnessing a strange phenomenon," Yan Qingxue nodded in agreement.

Anle coughed guiltily, still feeling her blood rushing through her body and even able to feel the burning heat in her blood.

It's been a whole night, and her excitement hasn't subsided yet. Of course, at this moment, hearing everyone talking about the ancient tree makes her feel a little guilty.

He Yusheng was still somewhat dazed and blank, because he had witnessed a scene unknown to others and hadn't slept all night. When he heard Yan Qingxue and her servant talking about it, he couldn't help but glance at Anle again and again.

Anle was annoyed by He Yusheng's piercing gaze. He kept staring at her, and she was already feeling guilty enough. He was also looking at her with a look that said, "She is a thief."

Is she afraid others won't know that she did it?

That look was practically screaming that she was the one who did it.

Anle was feeling guilty, so Yan Qingxue and her servant naturally didn't think anything was amiss. He Yusheng also had no intention of reporting her; it was all just Anle's own imagination.

Without finishing her meal, Anle casually said she wasn't feeling well and then fled.

"Huh? What's wrong? Is Lele not feeling well?" Yan Qingxue blinked.

Xiaoya chimed in, "I did think she looked unwell. Her face was deathly pale, and she hadn't said a word since then, not even eating a few bites of food."