[Lu Family Courtyard] The Parasol Tree in Pain

Or, to be more precise, the implied condition might have been [feeling the same pain together].

So this was how the auxiliary rule was enforced.

Its scope was limited, affecting only the two participants who had triggered the rule; judging by the result, it had merely caused the deaths of those two participants.

But its "energy level" was far beyond Ren Yi's comprehension.

It was like using an ox cleaver to kill a chicken, an anti-aircraft gun to shoot a mosquito, or a planet-killer to set off fireworks.

The frightening part was that this "judgment" seemed to uphold a kind of absolute fairness, and its potential influence was enough to cover the entire world.

Ren Yi's gaze returned to the vines writhing in pain on the ground.

He could sense that the Parasol Tree ghost was now suffering a different kind of pain.

The pain of a bleeding heart.

The corner of Ren Yi's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

He had roughly worked out the Parasol Tree ghost's rules.

The Parasol Tree's rules allowed it to attack people who were alone directly, and perhaps also those whose blood had been absorbed by its roots.

That was why the [Herb Garden Work Regulations] required people to work in pairs and avoid bleeding.

And its abilities complemented its own rules, so it was not left helpless against people who were "in pairs."

Specifically, it could release a fog that obscured perception and confused people's sense of direction.

Most importantly, when the flesh of living beings came into contact in the fog, it gradually grew together and fused.

If there were too many exposed roots—that is, Vine Skeletons—the fog would thicken, and the rate of "fusion" would increase accordingly.

If they stayed too long without getting out of the fog, they would probably become Vine Skeletons like those in the Herb Garden, becoming part of the Parasol Tree ghost's root system.

That explained the origins of the two rules about "limiting working hours" and "burying special vines."

The way to deal with it was actually simple: stay in pairs, don't panic when your flesh fused, calmly and quickly finish the work while affected by the fusion, then leave the Herb Garden.

After all, the Lu Family only had a rule that said they "could only move around the courtyard and work areas," not one that said they were "forbidden to leave the work area during working hours."

Once they were out of the fog's range, the two people who had grown together would probably separate naturally before long.

The Parasol Tree ghost's abilities were extremely powerful, and its Herb Garden might even have had the beginnings of a "Ghost Domain."

But this Parasol Tree ghost really had been a little unlucky this time.

Under the combined effects of the [Herb Garden Work Regulations] outside and its own abilities, the participants were almost bound to "feel" pain "together."

And so a vicious cycle formed.

The participants were forced close together, the Parasol Tree ghost made them stick ever more tightly together, the Parasol Tree ghost tried to kill them, the participants felt pain together, and the participants were wiped out by the auxiliary rule.

So the participants' total annihilation was probably not because the Parasol Tree ghost was so efficient at killing them, but simply because it was too easy for it to trigger that lofty "auxiliary rule" and have its kills stolen.

No wonder Master Fu had assigned enough workers to this Herb Garden... Could it be that, even now, the Parasol Tree ghost hadn't actually managed to "eat" a single participant?

Ren Yi watched the Parasol Tree's roots crawling all over the ground, radiating endless grief and indignation, and it was as if he could hear their silent wails.

He understood completely.

The food was right in front of you, but you couldn't eat it. He had experienced that feeling not long ago.

But the Parasol Tree ghost seemed to have it a little worse. Ren Yi could only look at the food without being able to eat it.

The Parasol Tree ghost, on the other hand, could see it, but could only remain rooted to the spot and watch helplessly as food delivered right to its mouth was snatched away again and again by a being it could never hope to oppose.

This was a grudge it was destined never to avenge.

Ren Yi gave Lu Zihan a gentle tug, signaling for him to hurry away and leave the grief-stricken Parasol Tree ghost some space to cry alone.

As for any other participants who might still be left in the Herb Garden?

If they weren't all dead yet, he sincerely hoped the Parasol Tree ghost... could at least manage to get one bite.

A moment of silence for it.

The two continued feeling their way through the fog for a long while before finally finding the Herb Garden's exit.

Although the Parasol Tree ghost was weeping so bitterly that it probably had no time to bother with them, Lu Zihan still followed the rules strictly, stepping out of the Herb Garden at the same time as Ren Yi.

The instant they crossed that invisible boundary, the thick, syrupy fog around them seemed to be swept away by a giant hand. Their senses returned, and their vision suddenly cleared.

The sun had already moved toward the middle of the sky. It was almost time for lunch.

Ren Yi was about to head to the servants' dining area when he awkwardly discovered that his hand and Lu Zihan's were still stuck together.

At the point where their skin touched, he felt a faintly numb and itchy sensation of separation, like two pieces of tape stuck too tightly together being slowly peeled apart by time.

But the process would clearly take time. For now, their palms were still stuck together as if by the most stubborn tree resin.

Ren Yi was considering how to deal with their "joined" state and get to the servants' dining hall when he heard Lu Zihan clear his throat somewhat deliberately beside him.

"Come upstairs with me," he said, his gaze drifting toward the main house rather than looking at Ren Yi. "Master Fu... well, Master Fu said he had something to arrange for you."

His tone seemed to be hinting at something.

Ren Yi slowly typed a [?] into the Ghost Net.

[Ren Yi: What is it that you can't just tell me here? Why are you being so sneaky? What did Master Fu actually say?]

Lu Zihan's reply came quickly.

[Lu Zihan: Oh, it wasn't Master Fu. It was my mom!]

[Lu Zihan: She said something about you having already met the requirements to clear the Instance. The Instance rules restrict her, so she has to meet you in person. She told me to take you to her.]

Ren Yi was slightly taken aback. He could understand her being restricted by the Instance rules. Although this world had been reduced to a "Pasture," its underlying rules were still operating through inertia.

As one of the ghosts here, it was reasonable for Aunt Lu Qing to act according to certain rules.

But what were the requirements to clear the Instance? Weren't the requirements...

No, wait!