BAW Chapter 138: Humph! Is Yuan Zhan Really Someone Who Listens Obediently?
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Starting from the day they entered the Black Forest, it took exactly twenty days for Yan Mo and his group to finally reach the border where the Black Forest met Lake Qingyuan. From there, they only needed to head south along the shore of the lake—which was as vast as an inland sea—to reach the territory of Jiu Yuan.
The 300-plus people erupted in cheers as they stepped out of the forest and saw the shimmering waters. It felt as though prisoners were finally tasting freedom. Many rushed to the lakeside to scoop up water and wash their faces. There were streams in the forest, but how could small brooks and ponds compare to this endless vista of blue sky and emerald lake?
Yan Mo understood their feelings perfectly. Even for someone like him, who in his past life had often entered deep mountains and old forests with guides, the atmosphere had been nearly unbearable.
The Black Forest. Yan Mo only truly understood why it earned that name after this journey.
The density of the vegetation far surpassed any forest he had ever seen or entered. For over half a month, they had navigated dense thickets daily, catching only fragmented glimpses of sunlight. Sometimes the trees were so thick that day felt like an overcast evening, to say nothing of the nights. The height of the trees and the repetitive scenery created a sense of disorientation and oppression. People became paranoid; children waking up to pee at night often shrieked in terror, and adults dared not stray from the crowd.
If Yan Mo hadn't sensed the shifting morale and found ways to relax the group—constantly reassuring them that they were almost out—it was a mystery how many of these 300 people would have made it out, even without attacks from beasts or other tribes.
While Yan Mo comforted others, he was actually the most anxious. He could never fully trust Old Sama or the Maple Race. It wasn't about their species; he was wary of any intelligent being. Even Jiu Feng had only earned his trust after a long period of living together.
Only now, having finally exited the forest and seeing the vast Lake Qingyuan, did he slowly exhale a breath of pent-up gloom. At least for now, he had no immediate worries.
Seeing that he hadn't caught up, Yuan Zhan gave a few instructions to Zheng and turned back.
"Take the people further ahead and set up camp by the lake this evening," Yan Mo said, standing in the shadow of the trees. "I’ll be staying in the forest for a while. Don't wait for me. I’ll return to the tribe on my own once the problem is resolved."
Yuan Zhan, standing in the sunlight, seemed to dislike the boundary between them. He stepped into the shade, stopping beside Yan Mo. His gaze instinctively fell toward Yan Mo’s lower abdomen, his lips thinning into a straight line.
"This issue must be dealt with," Yan Mo explained. When Yuan Zhan had woken up that morning, Yan Mo had explained the situation regarding the Fruit of Witchcraft’s Fortune. As the tribal chief, Yuan Zhan had to be informed, though Yan Mo had altered the narrative slightly: he claimed he needed Old Sama’s help to nurture the Fruit so it could manifest as the Son of Life.
"You're really not trying to kill our child?"
Yan Mo’s eyelid twitched. "...How many times do I have to tell you, the Son of Life is not your son!"
"Don't kill him," Yuan Zhan said. In the eyes of a man usually known for being ruthless and cruel, a flicker of supplication appeared.
Yan Mo had nothing left to say to him. Ever since he told the brute that the Fruit could become the Son of Life if nurtured correctly, the man was convinced the Fruit was a child bestowed upon them by the Ancestor God!
"Don't follow me! Take the people and leave!"
Yuan Zhan stopped in his tracks and watched Yan Mo disappear into the forest. His expression instantly turned terrifyingly dark.
He had never told Mo that since that morning he woke up, whenever he got close to Mo at night, he would hear the sound of a small child crying out to him for help. The child couldn't speak yet, but his cries were full of terror. He was afraid Mo would kill him! Don't ask how he knew; he could just feel it! Perhaps this was paternal instinct?
Having spent so much time together, he knew very well that his Priest was not as simple or honest as his face suggested, nor was he soft-hearted. Mo had always wanted to leave him. Once a man has a child, he has a weakness; if he were Mo, he wouldn't let this child come into the world either.
Yes, he was suspicious of his Priest. He suspected Mo didn't want to nurture a "Son of Life" at all, but intended to kill their child.
He could not allow his Priest to do this. This was his first child—his and Mo’s child. This was a gift from the Ancestor God. He might never get another chance; he had to protect this child!
But what could he do?
Yuan Zhan stared in the direction where Yan Mo had vanished. Not let him follow? *Humph! Is Yuan Zhan really someone who listens obediently?*
His Priest's orders? That depended on what the orders were!
Yuan Zhan turned around. He first had to tell Zheng to set up camp further away and wait, and perhaps exchange greetings with the Merfolk in Lake Qingyuan
---
Yan Mo had no idea that his "brute" had been deluded by the alternative consciousness of the Fruit, nor did he know what complications this would bring. Lacking the energy to argue further with Yuan Zhan, he retreated directly into the woods to wait for Old Sama.
Old Sama appeared quickly.
"You arrived fast. You haven't been following us the whole time, have you?" Yan Mo joked.
Old Sama laughed. "My roots are spread throughout the soil of this entire forest. As long as you are within these woods, I can appear anywhere at any time."
Yan Mo was speechless for a moment. How large was the Black Forest? It had taken them twenty days of walking in a straight line to get out. Even with the Maple Race moving trees to clear a path, they covered about 25 kilometers a day—that was 500 kilometers total. According to the map from the Guide, this distance was only the part of the forest near Lake Qingyuan; there was still a massive "tail" that extended beyond the map's display range.
If Old Sama’s roots spanned the entire forest, killing them would have been trivial! Should he be glad for the creature’s broad-mindedness, or glad that he was carrying the Fruit?
Ha! The Fruit of Witchcraft—truly a fruit that brought "fortune" to a Witch.
Yan Mo suddenly thought of something. "Then you must know of a humanoid race: grey-green skin, short stature."
"You mean the Chi Race?" The laughter vanished from Old Sama's voice.
"I don't know their name, but I've seen them. About waist-high, sharp teeth, they use tools, have a simple language, are naturally cruel, and like to eat humans."
"That would be them." Old Sama’s voice was filled with distaste. "They are a greedy race and have caused great trouble in the Black Forest."
"Did you and the Maple Race drive them out?"
"No. Though greedy, they didn't dare enter the heart of the forest or provoke my tribe. They usually lived in the woods near Dragon-Back Mountain. I found it strange too; one day, as if encountering a terrifying natural enemy, they fled into the deep forest in a panic. I intended to expel them, but they ran out of the Black Forest on their own."
"You don't know why?"
Old Sama shook his head. "I visited their settlement. I saw no signs of an attack."
"Did anyone pass through during that time?" Yan Mo felt a strange unease.
Old Sama shook his head again. "Occasionally humans come from Father God Mountain to cross the forest or hunt, but during that period, no intelligent beings entered. Perhaps whatever scared the Chi Race simply passed by the edge of their woods. If so, it would be hard for me to know who they were unless I was specifically looking."
It was a mystery. Since he couldn't get an answer, Yan Mo tucked it away in his mind.
Old Sama, prompted by the question, decided to investigate the Chi Race’s former territory more thoroughly later. But first, it had to deal with a certain dishonest "child" hiding underground and eavesdropping.
A Level 5 warrior was powerful, but to Old Sama, he was just a slightly tougher child. Moreover, an Earth-system warrior usually fared poorly against the Wood-system Everlasting Race.
Old Sama smiled. *Since you are lucky enough to have merged with the Living Seed of my tribe, then stay down there and experience the power of the Wood system.*
---
Yan Mo didn't know Yuan Zhan had followed him. He was still deep in thought.
"Are you afraid?" asked Old Sama, who was currently engaged in a subterranean battle with a certain Level 5 warrior. Noticing Yan Mo hadn't yet asked to be planted with the graft, it spoke with a hint of a smile.
"A little," Yan Mo admitted honestly.
"If you are afraid, you don't have to do this. Perhaps..."
"No!" Yan Mo interrupted before Old Sama could finish. "I’ve made my decision. Let's begin!"
However, Old Sama didn't act immediately. "I will warn you one more time. This is not a pain that can be endured simply by saying so. If you fail, your end will be terrible. And even if you succeed, you can only suppress that ignorant consciousness; you cannot kill it. Furthermore, if you wish to communicate with the Fruit, you cannot destroy its original consciousness, unless..."
"Unless what?"
Old Sama pondered for a long time before saying, "Unless your child can completely control the Fruit."
"But before that, we must first suppress that evil consciousness, right?" For the sake of his "son," Yan Mo insisted on labeling the Fruit's original consciousness as evil.
Old Sama laughed. How could it not see through Yan Mo’s little scheme? However, since the Ancestor God allowed another soul to enter the Fruit, whatever the outcome, it would be the God's will. The gods are not just merciful; they are often quite mischievous.
"Child, have you ever considered that perhaps *both* souls in the Fruit are your children?"
"What?!" Yan Mo had never considered this.
"I couldn't understand why there were two souls either. At first, I thought it was the God's will. But have you thought about why some intelligent beings can manifest a Son of Life, while others only raise a greedy Fruit?"
"Because..."
"Because intelligent beings always have dual natures of good and evil," Old Sama answered. "I suspect the Fruit is the same. It starts ignorant, with only the simplest and most primitive desire to eat. Only when the host teaches it what is good and what is evil can it learn to distinguish and grow. Children are innocent, but they can also be cruel—just like the Fruit."
Old Sama continued solemnly: "Perhaps you shouldn't be thinking of how to suppress and destroy that 'evil' consciousness, but rather start teaching your child now, so that he can bravely face the truth and the whole of himself, and begin to grow."
"But what if there really are two souls? On that morning, your Little Sama truly did suppress that evil consciousness. If both were my child, both should have been suppressed."
"No, you haven't understood me. Perhaps the Ancestor God split your child's soul. One part is the ignorant consciousness, knowing only basic desires, while the other possesses your child's full memories." Old Sama’s voice was gentle. "But the ignorant consciousness can directly control the Fruit and even influence the host, while the consciousness with the memories is hidden deeper. Only this fits the growth pattern of the Fruit."
Yan Mo understood. "You’re saying I shouldn't just suppress the ignorant consciousness, but should let the two merge so my son's soul becomes whole?"
Old Sama nodded with relief. "Any intelligent being, any life, has primitive desires. Because of these desires, life continues. The Gods never demanded we annihilate our desires, but hoped we could control them. An consciousness with only memories but no basic desires—how could he become a true living being? Child, think carefully. Do you want a Fruit with your child's memories, or do you want your child's whole soul back? Think it through; do not be deceived by appearances."
Yan Mo was caught in a dilemma. Everything Old Sama said was conjecture; he didn't dare gamble.
"You said that even if I successfully merge with the Soul-Returning Tree sapling, I can only suppress the ignorant consciousness and not destroy it, right?"
"Correct."
"And you also told me that the Fruit usually only gets nutrients by tempting the host and doesn't usually attack flesh-and-blood creatures. The Wood-system Everlasting Race is its biggest attraction, but the Everlasting Race must touch it first for it to drain their life force, right?"
Yan Mo’s understanding of the Fruit's feeding was simple: the Fruit was a baby. The life force of the Wood-system Everlasting Race was like the best breast milk. It could eat other things, but someone had to "process" them first—like pouring blood directly onto it.
"Correct. Before it becomes a Son of Life, the Fruit is like an unkillable mosquito. It isn't 'strong,' but even an Everlasting Race member with Level 10 combat power can do nothing to it. Starving it or burning it are the only two ways. But starving it takes an incredibly long time, and burning it requires a massive, sustained flame."
"So if it can't get nutrients, will it just snatch them directly from the host?" Yan Mo felt the Fruit had crawled into him because it sensed he wouldn't die. Did it mistake him for some kind of easily absorbed Everlasting Race?
Old Sama looked at Yan Mo and stopped talking. Yan Mo could actually sense a deep wave of pity coming from the "wooden lump."
Old Sama spoke truthfully: "Actually, I have always been curious. Having a Fruit of Witchcraft crawl into your body... how are you still alive?"
Yan Mo’s mouth twitched. "Just plant the graft. I don't want to be sucked into a dried husk in the future."
Old Sama asked one last time: "You have decided?"
Yan Mo nodded heavily, refusing to let himself regret it. Putting his son aside, if the Soul-Returning Tree graft could sprout in his body and he could merge with it, wouldn't he be able to use that to suppress the Fruit, depriving the little bastard of nutrients and forcing it to crawl out of him?
"Then follow me back to where our tribe's Sama sapling is. Only there can I plant the graft into you without alerting the Fruit."
"How long will I have to stay there?"
"Until the graft in your body sprouts. I will find a way to speed up the process to avoid you losing too much life force, but it will still take at least three to five days."
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