Chapter 53: Tree Gao Girls’ High School 13
Jiang Yuelu asked calmly: "A living creature? You mean, is it a person?"
Zhu Ling shook her head, "...I don't know how to describe what I saw that night. It was a tree, a living tree that could move, talk, and think."
As she spoke, she tried to draw it on the blackboard, just as she had easily drawn the topographic map just now.
But after holding the chalk for a while, her hand dropped weakly, "Sorry. I can't draw it... After that night, I tried many times, but it didn't work..." When she picked up the pen, she could still imagine what it would look like, but it felt empty when it fell on the paper.
Jiang Yuelu said: "Since you said it is conscious, it may also know how to hide its whereabouts. How should I put it? An anti-reconnaissance consciousness similar to that of humans? It will not allow any records of its appearance to be left behind."
Someone asked, "But didn't Zhu Ling just give us a rough description of it? Now all of us here know what it looks like. Is it okay to pass it on orally, but not to draw it and write it down?"
Leng Wenhan handed Zhu Ling a piece of paper. She tried twice but was unable to write on the paper.
Jiang Yuelu said, "Perhaps it doesn't matter if we keep it at the 'words are not evidence' stage. The library is a place to archive knowledge and information. In other words, this thing that is very similar to a library but looks completely different knows the power of archived knowledge and can even threaten a girls' high school to ban knowledge. He is very afraid of being recorded and archived."
"I'm concerned about something else." Jiang Yuelu looked out the window at the quiet campus, "Why is it a tree?"
The tree described by Zhu Ling really looks too much like a human.
Xie Xiaoya didn't understand. "What's wrong with the tree? All things have spirits. In ancient times, wind, thunder, rain and water were worshipped and believed by all people. Since there are wizards and ghosts, what's so strange about a tree absorbing vitality and giving birth to a spirit?"
Jiang Yuelu said: "No. I don't question its existence."
"Read the full name of this school."
"What's wrong with the full name..."
Xie Xiaoya did as she was told. "Shu Ren Girls' High School—Shu Ren Girls' High School?!"
He jumped up as if he had discovered a new world, "Tree people, tree people - the library that Zhu Ling saw could talk and think - isn't it also a tree person? Are they related? Oh my God!"
Zhu Ling nodded, "It's not wrong to say that he is a tree man."
"Its trunk is thin and long, like a hemp rope that has been stretched and twisted into a ball, or like a bare bamboo pole."
"At the top of the bamboo pole, thin branches spread out like a spider web. The entire crown is full of swirling branches like this. They are vying to reach the top, and the outside is covered with a layer of berry-colored leaves."
"When you talk to Xiaochun, its roots won't move, but its plump crown will lower in front of Xiaochun... just like a person sticking his head out."
Zhu Ling couldn't help shivering when she thought of that scene. She hid behind a rock with Lihua, but when the round berry-colored crown of the tree swept towards her, she felt like someone was staring at her with wet eyes, and the spider-web branches were like wrinkles caused by a smile, staring at her so hard that her scalp numbed.
It is not a human. Judging from its appearance, it is a world away from being human.
But its demeanor and behavior are too human-like.
Jiang Yuelu comforted her, "When my sister was a child, she watched cartoons. If the little bears in the cartoons looked too much like humans, it would be very uncomfortable." The bear's hair was realistically preserved and it was not allowed to wear clothes, but it could talk, make jokes, feel sad and upset, walk upright, sit to eat, and use knives and plates like an elegant person.
He also took a few glances at the animation clips and could understand Zhu Ling's discomfort.
She drank the water uncomfortably, "Sorry... I need to take a break."
Jiang Yuelu asked her to take a break and then asked the others, "What do you think?"
Xu Li said, "Trees... I've heard some theories. Some places believe that souls live in trees, and one tree corresponds to one person. If the tree is lush and leafy, the child will definitely grow up healthy. The same is true in reverse. The child corresponding to the crooked tree with yellow leaves will most likely have bad behavior and no energy."
"Nonsense!" Fu Mengru said disdainfully, "You blame the tree for your own incompetence. What did the tree do wrong?"
Xie Xiaoya agreed, "Yes. Just looking at whether a tree is beautiful or not, whether its leaves are shiny or not...what's the difference between that and judging people by their appearance? As long as I am happy, it's fine to be a crooked tree."
Xu Li said, "That's true. But a long time ago, a crooked tree struck by lightning was considered unlucky. In some places, people even worshipped tall trees as gods. They believed that these trees were tall and healthy, and that they were blessed by the gods to receive more rain... Therefore, as long as you bow down to the big tree, you will surely receive rain in a drought year."
Jiang Yuelu seemed to know what she wanted to say, "You cited examples of trees that bring good luck."
Xu Li nodded, "Yes. But there are also unlucky examples, mostly in Feng Shui."
"For example, this snow forest outside is too dense, blocking out the sun. It's really not a good place to live. It's too yin. Feng Shui also doesn't recommend living in a house with a single tree at the door, as it's likely to attract widows to cry."
"It is unlucky to have a tree in front of your house. Whether it is just one or two trees, it may bring disaster. If the trees are strangely shaped, such as those with swollen branches, hollows in the tree, or vines wrapped around their necks... These trees growing in front of your house may bring disaster to your family, not to mention disaster. They may bring disaster to three generations."
Jiang Yuelu concluded: "That is to say, it is not uncommon for trees to symbolize good or bad omens."
"But whether it's good or bad, it's all concepts humans give to these trees. Trees themselves don't have these classifications and definitions. They can be personified because people pin their own or imaginary gods' images on them."
"We can't simply say that a tree has become a human, but we can say that a tree has become a spirit. So I think this so-called tree-man might be closer to what Xie Xiaoya said before, that a spirit was born in the tree, or that there are other spirits parasitizing on this tree."
"These spirits are closer to ghosts, and they may have malicious or kind intentions towards people. They use tree trunks as their trunks or homes. This is their way of survival as spirits."
Others agreed.
Jiang Yuelu pondered and said, "But it's really rare to see a spirit that calls itself a 'library'."
"Then I need to confirm it."
Jiang Yuelu looked at Zhu Ling, "Did you see what this 'library' did to Xiaochun?"
Zhu Ling said firmly: "No. It did nothing."
"What do you mean? Isn't it because of it that Xiaochun has become what she is now?" Xie Xiaoya couldn't help but ask.
Zhu Ling shook her head. "I'm sure it wasn't because of it, because Xiaochun just looked around it and went in another direction. She seemed to only use it to confirm whether the route had deviated."
"Because the next step is to cross Zhalama, I didn't follow."
Jiang Yuelu thought: "That is to say, Xiaochun encountered something more terrifying than the talking library outside Zalama. It was because of seeing it that she went crazy."
Zhu Ling added: "Snow ghost. Don't forget that there is another snow ghost who chose her."
Jiang Yuelu said: "Then we have to go to the scene tomorrow night to take a look. Do you still remember the location at that time?"
Zhu Ling picked up a pen and drew a location on the blackboard, which was very close to the Moon River in the southwest corner.
"here."
Jiang Yuelu said: "We will gather here tomorrow night. Did you hear that?"
“Yes.”
He woke up Xia Yi who was dozing off beside him, "What about you? You can make it."
Xia Yi, who had completely missed the second half and had no idea what he was talking about, agreed: "Of course."
-
The next evening, the originally agreed gathering of all members failed to take place.
On the one hand, there was a problem with Xu Li's dormitory on that floor. I heard that strange noises started to be heard from it a few nights ago. This was also the reason why Xu Li looked strange when Xie Xiaoya mentioned the dormitory.
This went on for several nights in a row. The girls finally couldn't stand it anymore and reported it to the teacher. Several teachers were sent from the dormitory to strengthen the security on the floor. Xu Li and others also had to return to the dormitory within the specified time.
Even Xie Xiaoya and others downstairs were affected.
On the other hand, Jiang Yuelu considered that it would be conspicuous if all members were mobilized, so in the end he only called on Zhu Ling and Lihua to lead the way, Leng Wenhan and Xia Yi, and the team of six including himself set off towards the snowy forest.
Following the ringing of Zhu Ling's bell, they walked out of the girls' high school safely. The snowy forest in the middle of the night was as quiet as when they first arrived, with only the sound of them hurrying on their way.
Sleds were the most convenient way to travel on the snow. They came to a small wooden house on the hillside, which was said to be used by hunters nearby, but for some reason no one was there, everything was covered with dust, and most of the sleds were rusty and unusable.
Seeing that it was a wasted trip, Zhu Ling felt very sorry, "I clearly remember that there was someone here before..."
Jiang Yuelu comforted her, "My students all have their own strengths. It's not difficult to get the sled moving."
What follows is the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each showing their magical powers.
Leng Wenhan picked up the simplest wooden sled and summoned four little ghosts from underground. They consciously fastened the reins, stood with their heads lowered, and pulled Luo Yinguan all the way away.
Zhu Ling hitched a ride with Lihua and was said to have used Lihua's ability - something was hidden in the snow and kept giggling, while laughing, it pushed the heavy iron sled very fast.
As for Xia Yi, when Zhu Ling said "The wolves here cannot be hunted as they are very ferocious", he caught a wolf king at the foot of the hill. Now the wolf king and its cubs and grandchildren are opening their bloody mouths and shaking their heads like puppies to pull their sled.
The wolves that grew up in the snowy forest were extremely strong, and it didn’t take long for them to catch up with Leng Wenhan.
The white pupils glanced over, Xia Yi patted the wolf's head and said with a proud smile: "I surpassed you!"
Leng Wenhan: "Oh. Congratulations."
Zhu Ling was at the back: “Hey hey hey are we competing???”
Xia Yi drove away with an arrogant smile. Because the car was going very fast, Jiang Yuelu staggered when he got off the car and vomited all over the wolf's head.
Seeing Jiang Yuelu like this, the previous joy had long gone. Xia Yi stood aside, at a loss and uneasy, trying hard to think about what a partner should say at this time.
Before he could figure it out, Jiang Yuelu had already walked away.
"Zhu Ling, do you think this is the place?"
Jiang Yuelu stopped behind a stone. Zhu Ling looked over and said, "Yes, yes, I was hiding here at the time. If nothing goes wrong, that tree is right in front of me!"
He looked in the direction Zhu Ling pointed.
——"As long as you go to that place, you will definitely recognize that tree. It is completely different from other trees."
Zhu Ling said this last night.
He now knew what that indescribable "difference" was.
The tree stood out in a row of trees because it was very tall and thin, without any branches, and looked more like a street lamp that would not light up than a tree. What was even more strange was that the branches growing on its head were too dense and nothing could be seen behind it.
If you look at it motionlessly, you may even feel that the dense tree canopy is expanding and contracting in its breathing.
The group got off the sled one after another and stopped behind the stone. The stone that originally could hide Zhu Ling and two others was now more than enough to hide six people.
Leng Wenhan looked back at the road they had come from. "To determine the academy by dragon, one must examine the yin and yang of the road entering. To determine the academy by water, one must examine the yin and yang of the road returning."
Zhu Ling was surprised, "What... are you talking about?"
Leng Wenhan said softly: "Based on the direction of the water flow, the Yin and Yang of this place belongs to Yin Water."
Lihua said in a muffled voice: "I don't understand."
Zhu Ling explained: "I think what this lady means is that the appearance of a talking 'library' tree in this place is not a coincidence. Yin water may be more suitable for the survival of spirits."
Lihua: “…” I don’t understand anymore.
Zhu Ling smiled and said, "Let's think about how to get there later. Just because the tree didn't hurt Xiaochun, it doesn't necessarily mean it will do the same to us. We can't let our guard down."
Xia Yi listened indifferently. Zhu Ling did not expect to get his opinion, but just discussed with Leng Wenhan and Lihua.
She was sure that if Teacher Lu Yue had not been here, Xia Yi would have already fallen over. She glanced at Teacher Lu Yue, who had become very quiet since just now, leaning against the side of the stone.
Jiang Yuelu was listening to the sound.
While the others were discussing how to approach in turn, Jiang Yuelu suddenly heard another sound. At first, she thought it was the voice of a ghost. It was common to hear sounds that should not be heard in the snow forest.
Soon, he realized that the voice was calling him.
A voice as vague as the wind came through the rustling of snow, faintly calling out his real name.
"Jiang Yuelu..."
"Jiang Yuelu..."
There are so many people and ghosts who know his real name, so it doesn’t matter if he is called by his name a few times.
But the next moment, the voice came faintly with three names he was most familiar with.
"Yan Fei... Yan Yin... Yan Lu..."
"Death in the Mansion of Fortune..."
"You set yourself on fire and died one year after being investigated... and received an acceptance letter."
"You passed the entrance exam to Paperman City... assembled a team to capture... Ji Hongcha... um... you..."
Cotton's strange voice accurately reported his life experiences. He bent down slightly so that he could see the owner of the voice from the side - if he guessed correctly, the voice calling him came from the "library" tree.
As soon as he turned his head, he met a pair of eyes covered by dense nets.
The tree stuck its head out, and its eyes formed by wrinkles and shadows looked like the drooping heavy eyelids of an old man. At this moment, it was trying hard to form a strange arc.
I looked at him with a slight smile, and uttered a few words through my phlegm-choked throat:
"You...are now in front of me."
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