A Tale of Forgotten Gods

Chapter 75: The Tree of Ages

Two days later after the execution. The day when Mo Fei got resurrected.

Xue Lan was in the world five once again. He entered the city of South Cleveland. It was exactly the same as before, people walking around without looking toward the entrance.

The tall landmark stood the same as before, entirely still. Above, the clouds covered the city in shadows.

He swept his gaze over the city before walking toward the Bleakstone city where the Lady’s temple was. His face was calm, almost feeling no air around him. There was no smirk on his face, nor any narcissistic expression.

***

In the temple, Yi Jyuhan walked through the corridor; his other arm had begun to heal, the limb slowly taking the shape of his hand, which he hid behind his robe.

Alisa passed by, holding various clothes in both of her hands. The usual routine irritated her expression. Her gaze landed on Yi Jyuhan, and she called him out. ”Help me now!”

Yi Jyuhan grinned in his usual manner, keeping his clown expression; he answered. ”Oh, come on, I can’t; look at my hands, I mean HAND.”

”I’m not buying that excuse; get over here!”

Yi Jyuhan heaved a long sigh and moved toward her. Grabbing the laundry, he held some of it in one arm. ”Urgh, I swear you’re going to get cursed for using a poor guy with no arm.”

Alisa’s one eye twitched. ”The hell do you mean a poor guy? I’m seeing a perfectly fine working man, and you are using a woman for every work, sloth.”

Yi Jyuhan laughed at her expression. ”I was going to help, but now I won’t.”

”HUH?!”

”Just kidding; I just don’t have another arm yet to carry all of them.”

”And I can’t wait another month for three-month-old laundry.” Alisa groaned; she seemed more annoyed today.

”Where is that rage building up from? Oh my lady, give her some wisdom.” Yi Jyuhan joked before walking away while holding the clothes.

Alisa followed him and slowly whispered. Her mood changed too fast. ”Also, stop pretending that you are fine with that clown facade.” She breathed.

Yi Jyuhan’s footsteps stopped for a moment, but then he continued walking again without answering.

After putting the clothes in the laundry room, both of them walked out of it. Yi Jyuhan lifted his hand up and covered his mouth while yawning for a few seconds.

Alisa stared at his eyes. ”You didn’t have a good sleep, huh?”

”Technically, I had.” He yawned and feigned to eat the air. ”But I just can’t sleep every single day because of some mind games, perhaps.”

”That’s just stupidity.” With that, she turned toward another direction while Yi Jyuhan walked toward the garden near the entrance.

The rain fell with soft splashes, turning the sand into mud.

At that same time, four other people were already in the garden.

Hao Yu and Xin Yi watched someone walk away from the place. Yi Jyuhan focused and saw a Jester going out of the temple. He narrowed his eyes, confused by the scene. ”A Jester... in this world? That’s not possible.”

Meanwhile, Xue Lan also entered through the second path. He watched the Jester go but ignored him and moved inside.

While Yi Jyuhan talked to the kids. Both of them held one lotus flower in their hand as he approached them. ”Are you enjoying your day, little sunshines?” He paused and then added. ”Anyway, do you know that guy who left?”

Both of them shook their heads. ”We don’t know him, but he became our friend, so he may visit again.”

Yi Jyuhan’s gaze landed at the entrance and saw Xue Lan walking toward them. As he stopped, Yi Jyuhan said, ”You’re back, but why?”

Xue Lan darted his eyes around at the kids and then at Yi Jyuhan. ”Everything went according to my plan... just one thing didn’t.”

Yi Jyuhan scanned his face; it had been different now, dry from staying in the frozen snow for so long. ”Bizarre news, then... follow me and tell.”

Xue Lan nodded and started walking behind him. Both of the kids looked at each other before they began to watch the crawling beetle again.

Both of them reached Xue Lan’s room in the temple. They sat around the table while Yi Jyuhan ordered some food.

Xue Lan finally spoke. ”I killed my father and freed him according to the plan, but the Overseer... he infected my brother Yin and used him. I had to kill him too.”

Upon hearing that, Yi Jyuhan’s eyes widened slightly from the revelation as he focused back. ”You did...”

Xue Lan nodded before continuing. ”Now I know about the Divine Dragon’s Blood Lake... but the requirements...” He explained to Yi Jyuhan everything regarding the requirements and the will of the dragon.

Yi Jyuhan listened quietly. ”A Lightless or a GraveWalker...” He narrowed his eyes, thinking of someone. ”The only Lightless we knew was Mo Fei, and even if we manage to find a GraveWalker instead...” He paused to consider his words. ”Finding a spiritual person would be hard, and I’m no help as I have authority myself.”

Xue Lan nodded. ”Yes, you can’t help. Someone with incredible spiritual power is rare, and on top of that, the connection with the Tree of Ages. We don’t even know the location of the Tree of Ages yet.”

Yi Jyuhan rubbed his chin. ”Hmm, we may find the Tree of Ages, but someone who has a connection with it... Why is that a requirement? It’s almost impossible to convince the Tree of Ages, and it’s madness to argue with it and fall into a thousand-year loophole.” Yi Jyuhan then said softly. ”I’ll manage it somehow and find an authority and spiritual person...but.”

Xue Lan waited for him to continue.

Yi Jyuhan spoke again, his words gradually turning heavier. ”A purely spiritual person cannot ascend without the Tree of Ages’ will, and the Dragon’s Blood lake is in world seven, but the Tree of Ages is in world six.”

Xue Lan sighed. ”I’m the end; the person must convince the timeless spirit of the tree.”

Yi Jyuhan nodded in agreement. ”You can stay here now; I’ll try to manage things and find a GraveWalker, then I will find a spiritual person who can convince the timeless spirit.”

A few moments of silence hung in the air as Yi Jyuhan mentioned something. ”That Jester, did you notice him too? He seemed suspicious.”

Xue Lan shook his head. ”No, he is not a spy of the Curator of Flesh. He was a random person.”

Yi Jyuhan narrowed his eyes. ”Right, but in this world, it seems impossible to see one.” He paused. ”Anyway, take a rest now; I’m sure you had a hard time.”

Xue Lan stared at the walls while Yi Jyuhan stood up and walked away.

He leaned against the same spot where he was a few months back; then, beside him was a mirror. His gaze locked on the reflection, which disoriented him into the cunning face of the Overseer, and shifted back to Xue Lan’s face the very next second. He clenched his hand into a fist and then turned away from the mirror.

While Yi Jyuhan walked, he was planning the next steps. ”These requirements are nearly impossible... A GraveWalker would never help; they have authority over death.”

He heaved a sigh of frustration as he stopped near the hall of the Lady and saw both kids, putting the lotuses near her feet. Both of them clasped their hands and prayed to her. ”Tell him to come back soon. We want to meet him.”

Yi Jyuhan watched them pray to the Lady, asking for Mo Fei to visit them soon.

Leaving the kids to their quiet prayers, Yi Jyuhan turned down the central nave; the subtle echoing of his footsteps filled the temple. The air seemed heavier, weighed down by the impossible conditions Xue Lan had brought back.

​He reached the grand balcony overlooking the lower courtyards, leaning his good arm against the cold stone railing. Below, the shadows cast by the dense clouds over South Cleveland seemed to stretch, darkening the grey stone of Bleakstone City.

The rain had stopped falling now; only the clouds and thunderous roar remained in the sky. Birds slowly came out of the trees to hunt the worms and various insects that came out after the rain. In the nest, the fledgling chirped, waiting for the food.

The world was filled with the smooth scent of the mud mixed with the intoxicating scent of rain.

​A soft rustle of robes signaled Alisa’s approach. She stopped beside him, now her usual sharp, friendly tone subdued by the temple’s silence.

​”Xue Lan is back,” she stated. ”What happened to him?”

​”He killed his brother, Alisa,” Yi Jyuhan replied, his tone stripped of its usual clownish lightheartedness. He kept his gaze fixed on the quiet courtyard below. ”The Overseer won the game, but he still played further than just winning.”

Both of them looked at the clouds in the sky. The temple was safe under the Lady’s warm, protective gaze from the Curator.

Everything had gotten worse with each day. When would the war happen again? Would they even survive again? The question in Yi Jyuhan’s mind lingered as he slowly pulled away from the balcony, thinking of the next steps to take for the impossible plan.