Chapter 0.57: The Agreement
“Little Master, spare me! That exaggerated thought that just flickered into existence, wasn’t it extinguished before it even truly sparked? I’ve been reflecting on my actions all these years, and I won’t dare to err again!”
The Mother Tree of Asking Tao didn’t seem to think Qin Gou was joking at all, which served as indirect proof that everything she had said earlier was highly credible.
Qin Gou asked with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, “Could it be that I was fooled by Song Qianyin from the very beginning? She always said that the Daoist You Ke Clan has always been detached from worldly affairs and disliked killing. Yet, you, the ancestor of your clan, are capable of such methods as soul manipulation and snatching souls?”
“Qianyi spoke the truth.”
“How so?”
“The Daoist You Ke Clan’s adherence to laws and contentment with their lot is a fact that you can easily ascertain by inquiring in the Abyss, Little Master. However… I just happen to be the most special and unique dominant consciousness produced by the Mother Tree’s True Body through multiple cycles of ‘wither and flourish’.” As she finished speaking, the Mother Tree of Asking Tao seemed to feel a little embarrassed.
Qin Gou’s expression turned peculiar, “So, you mean that the black-robed one… I just happened to take you in, the only restless and extremely unconventional individual among all the Mother Tree’s consciousnesses, as my own disciple?”
“It’s fate!” A sweet and pleasant laughter, like that of a spirit bird, rang out.
“No!” Qin Gou’s face turned green. “This must be some kind of curse.”
According to the Mother Tree of Asking Tao’s account, countless honest and simple ‘children’ had been born within this giant tree. Yet, only this one ‘ghost talent’ that had taken thousands of years to brew managed to connect with him… First of all, Old Qin absolutely refused to admit that birds of a feather flock together. Therefore, he must have been afflicted by a vicious curse of ‘all disciples are strange people’!
“Also, if I’m not mistaken, the ‘wither and flourish’ you mentioned just now should mean that the dominant consciousness of the Mother Tree’s True Body is not permanent. Every so often, a new consciousness personality emerges. And you only truly came into being in recent times?”
Qin Gou immediately sought confirmation from her. If this was the case, it would finally explain why such an old monster as the Mother Tree of Asking Tao, who had lived for an unknown time, would willingly and without any psychological burden, revere the black-robed one as ‘Master’. As a new consciousness, like a little girl hiding inside a giant, she truly didn’t have the burden of being a senior.
However, this was still not the direct reason for her apprenticeship. After all, Qin Gou still couldn’t figure out what on earth the black-robed one could teach a giant tree.
“Yes, that’s right!” The girl’s voice suddenly trembled slightly. She paused, then smoothed her tone before saying, “Little Master’s words are absolutely correct. Actually, I was once just one of the Mother Tree’s children, living in my own flower room, quietly waiting to start cultivating on my own after passing the juvenile stage. I never expected that one day, I would become the Mother Tree itself.”
“This…”
Qin Gou had originally thought that this so-called ‘Mother Tree wither and flourish’ was probably like Saint Spirit Chu Xian of Hidden Immortal Tower, where it would completely rejuvenate itself at intervals, adopting different personalities to replace death. He never expected that it would directly select one from among the newly born clan members.
There’s a saying, “I could have endured the darkness, had I never known the light.” Isn’t the person conversing with me now exactly like that? She also yearned to walk freely in the human world like Song Qianyin, but ultimately remained deeply rooted here.
Old Qin could quite understand this. After all, back then at Arc-Moon Mountain, Little Yu guarding the Sea Soul, and the current state of the Mother Tree of Asking Tao – the three of them were in the same boat.
“Little Master had this same complex expression the last time I spoke of this matter. To be honest, I truly wish I could see various places like Little Master and Qianyi. For this, I am willing to put forth all my efforts! Little Master, can you fulfill this for me?” The Mother Tree of Asking Tao’s voice was filled with sincerity and earnestness.
“I can help you?”
Qin Gou was stunned for a moment, “Little one, could it be that the reason you attacked me back then was because of this?”
“No, uh, back then I genuinely felt that Little Master didn’t seem like a good person and had ill intentions…”
“Goodbye.” Old Qin turned and took a step.
“Don’t go!” The Mother Tree of Asking Tao panicked and hurriedly said, “Little Master, I truly was wrong. That incident was indeed a huge misunderstanding. It was simply because this disciple was slow-witted and relied too much on the intuitive ability gained after becoming the dominant Mother Tree, thus tarnishing Little Master’s good reputation! How about you punish me again! And… aren’t you here today to fulfill the agreement we made back then? Please, don’t leave. I’ve been waiting for you for so many years.”
“What agreement?” Qin Gou was merely feigning anger and hadn’t actually left. He was now somewhat confused, asking, “You mentioned before that I had made a promise to you?”
“Little Master truly doesn’t remember this at all?” The Mother Tree of Asking Tao couldn’t believe it, feeling an emptiness in her heart. Her voice became much softer, “It’s just that if you could return, and if I still hadn’t died by then, you would be willing to take me away with you… You didn’t specify where you were going back then, but I could tell it was definitely very dangerous. That’s why you refused to take me with you directly back then.”
“Ding! Very good, Host can agree to her.”
“What?” Suddenly hearing the system’s interjection, Qin Gou was bewildered and asked in his mind, “What’s so good? Old Pal, have you been moved by the little one’s life story?”
“Ding… This system has merely confirmed for the Host that this person truly deserves to be called ‘qualified’, and the Host will definitely agree to her, right?”
“Why?”
At the same time, Qin Gou also said to the Mother Tree of Asking Tao, “First, tell me, how exactly can I help you?”
“Your Natal Spirit Tool!”
“What?”
“Bud of Taihuang.”
The Mother Tree of Asking Tao said with a mixture of anticipation and the bitterness of fearing disappointment, “Because the compatibility is very high, it can allow this part of my consciousness to merge with your ‘Bud of Taihuang’ and advance, becoming your Heavenly-grade Spirit Tool! Moreover, I also have a method to preserve my will. The Mother Tree’s True Body will believe that I have perished and will undergo a new round of self-adjustment… This was my original plan, and we had already agreed upon it, Little Master. But now, you must have suffered some injury and completely forgotten everything. I’m afraid I can’t force Little Master to fulfill this agreement.”
“Child! Why must you think in such a confused way?”
“What does that have to do with whether I have amnesia or not?”
In a moment, Qin Gou suddenly understood everything and said solemnly, “As the saying goes, a gentleman’s word is a pledge. Since there was indeed an agreement made long ago, a trustworthy person must act without shirking responsibility! On the contrary, if you don’t let me keep my promise… based on my own principles, I truly wouldn’t be able to sleep or eat peacefully!”
