Chapter 41

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<h1>Chapter 41: Are You A Fanyin Tree? (1)</h1>

Living room.

“You dug it out?” Adorning a large bathrobe, Fan Chen sat on the sofa and glanced at the tree sapling in a certain person’s arms.

“Mmhmm.” Mi Wan nodded, and because she used too much force, the soil on the small sapling’s roots scattered on the ground, messing up Fan Chen’s pristine wood floors.

“You are trying to make medicine with a Fanyin tree’s leaves and branches.” It wasn’t a question. As a tree demon, Fan Chen naturally understood the use of a Fanyin tree and was able to guess Mi Wan’s motives at a glance.

Leaves from a Fanyin tree could be turned into medicine. This was no longer a secret of the past, but in recent years, as demon hunters became less powerful, there were many who could not even identify a Fanyin tree, much less use it to concoct medicine.

“Yes.” As expected, the tree demon bro was able to figure out her motives with one look.

“What type of medicine?” Fan Chen asked.

“Diet…medication…” Mi Wan’s voice became a lot softer as if she knew that this wish of hers was somewhat disgraceful.

“So to lose weight, you killed a 500-year-old Fanyin tree.” Fan Chen’s voice was cold, his words had an icy pierce behind them, “Do you know that Fanyin trees are almost extinct?!”

“Almost extinct?! No, I didn’t want to kill it off, I just dug up a tree sapling…” Mi Wan felt like she was utterly wronged. She did not do it out of malicious intent. She only wanted to lose weight, so how did she become a tree murderer? This motive was way too dramatic!

“Today, the heavenly and earthly spiritual energies have diminished. Demons have a much harder time cultivating than they did 500 years ago. Humans also have less faith than they did back then. Fanyin trees have a difficult time surviving as it is, and rarely create extra saplings,” Fan Chen said.

“Then this sapling is?” Mi Wan had a very bad feeling, even though she already had a solid guess when she saw the ancient tree wither in front of her.

“This is the Fanyin tree’s main body.”

“It’s main body wasn’t the large tree?” Mi Wan winced. 

So it really was the main body!

“It was the main body it had deserted. Its original main body was half-withered, how would it have the energy to propagate extra saplings?” Fan Chen obviously knew this particular Fanyin tree. “It was trying to start over through propagation by allowing the old body to fully wither while this new body slowly grew. It is a type of survival mechanism. It should only take about two to three years for it to change main bodies. Once the new tree has grown, the ancient tree could be allowed to fully wither, and the Fanyin tree’s cultivation will be passed over. But unexpectedly… you came along and destroyed its chance at a new life, all just to lose weight.”

Fan Chen closed his eyes in disappointment. He knew that Mi Wan did not intend for this to happen. This demon hunter had slept for 500 years and had not learned how far demons had degenerated in the present day. There was no way for her to know that the once abundant Fanyin trees would have difficulty propagating new saplings today. Even though it was harm done without malicious intent, Fan Chen still had difficulty accepting the truth. There were only two Fanyin trees left in this world, and this was one of them. To think that it was about to die all because a human wanted to lose weight. Such a ridiculous reason.

“Then…can its original body be…saved?” Mi Wan quietly asked.

Fan Chen shook his head.

“This particular Fanyin tree is already degenerating, and you decided to cut off the connection it had with its original body while it was at its weakest. Given how little faith it’s getting today, even if I were to revive the body, it would not be able to regain its spiritual consciousness.” Without spiritual consciousness, it would be just an ordinary Banyan tree.

“Your excellency, I have a request~~~” Mi Wan was about to speak when a childlike voice appeared out of thin air. The seemingly lifeless sapling suddenly emitted a light glow, its gently swaying leaves contained a warm flow of divine faith.

“Speak.” Fan Chen watched the weak spiritual glow on the Fanyin tree with a look of kindness and pity. This was the Fanyin tree’s last breath. Once the light extinguished, the sapling will wither and die. It would not even get to live as an ordinary tree.

“After I die, please help my previous body regrow its leaves and branches. Don’t let the humans see it wither. Even if my main body can no longer grant wishes, it can still give people a sense of hope.” Given the longevity of tree demons, a 500-year-old Fanyin tree was only a child. Its voice was naive and soft.

“I will.” Revitalizing a withered tree was not a difficult task for Fan Chen.

“Thank you for your care all these years.” Without Fan Chen constantly nourishing its spirit all these years, it would have perished a few decades ago. This is why it had long prepared itself for the eventuality of death. And to trees, death was about returning back to the earth, embraced by the arms of mother nature, and awaiting rebirth after a few millennia.

“Such a good child.” Fan Chen sighed as he gently caressed the Fanyin tree’s leaves.

The Fanyin tree happily flickered, but its glow dimmed once more. At this moment, the leaves on the sapling wavered slightly, and Mi Wan’s keen senses could tell that the Fanyin tree was looking at her.

As expected, she could hear the Fanyin tree’s voice: “Big sister, you are the last person who made a wish with me. My power is very weak right now, but if you take it, I will do my best to grant your wish.”

While Mi Wan was digging it up, it could have made a sound to alert her, but if it did, its last strength would have been spent and it would have withered along with the ancient tree. Since it was going to die either way, in the end, the Fanyin tree decided to remain silent, so that it would preserve its remaining powers to help grant Mi Wan’s wish to lose weight. But when they arrived here, upon seeing the lord that was helping it in the dark, the little Fanyin tree could not help but plead to the other party, begging them to save its withered old body.

Even though its lifespan was only 500 years, it really liked this city and was grateful for the love it received from its surroundings. It did not wish to let the humans who had just prayed to find it withered the next day. It did not mind death, but people’s wishes must not die along with it.

My conscience is starting to hurt again~~~

Mi Wan pressed against her chest, glanced at Fan Chen, and then again at the little Fanyin tree, and asked seriously, “Can you not die?”

“Big sister, I know you did not mean for this to happen, I don’t blame you,” the little Fanyin tree said.

“No, it’s better if you don’t die.” Though she had killed countless demons, she really only wanted to lose weight this time. She wasn’t trying to murder anyone!

The spiritual glow on the little Fanyin tree’s body was almost extinguished, but it did its best to use its last strength to comfort Mi Wan, “Big sister, don’t be sad, I really don’t blame you.”

With that, the spiritual glow on the little Fanyin dissipated without a trace, and silence loomed over the entire sapling.

“…” It stopped breathing? No, wait, how do you describe a dying tree?

“Go make your medicine.” Fan Chen began chasing Mi Wan out without a second look, “If you don’t hurry, the last bit of blessing powers in the Fanyin tree will dissipate, if that happens… it would have died in vain.”

Compared to the anger he felt about the Fanyin tree’s sacrifice, Fan Chen felt a greater sense of helplessness about the situation. All these years, he had witnessed far too many species that went extinct like the Fanyin tree. He tried his best to prevent them but was ultimately powerless to stop it.

Mi Wan could feel Fan Chen’s coldness and disappointment towards her. This was the first time she sensed the other party’s blatant emotional state. Unlike the time when they first met, nor the time when her soul left her body and got sucked into his bathroom while he was about to shower, Fan Chen had never revealed as much emotion as he did now. Mi Wan had a strong inkling that if the little Fanyin tree were to die like this, her relationship with Fan Chen would likely never go back to what it was before.\n