Sophora Tree and the Scholar

Shen Bai's gaze fell on a spot nearby.

At a table not far away, a scrawny man had just taken a seat.

The man was dressed in white, with a folding fan hanging from his waist, looking like a refined scholar.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, although there was turmoil now, for the time being, it could still barely maintain control.

After all, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse.

Various examinations were held every year, and scholars were naturally indispensable.

There was a school in the county town where many aspiring scholars studied to achieve official positions.

Shen Bai recognized at a glance that this man was a scholar from Ascending Cloud County.

However, the scholar's current state seemed off.

His eyes had dark, heavy circles, and though his hair was neatly tied, its texture was dry, like tangled weeds.

Especially the young man's hands, which were clutching a piece of wood.

The wood was only about an arm's thickness and roughly a foot long.

Yet, this young scholar held it tightly in his hands as if it were a priceless treasure.

The waiter spotted the white-clad scholar and approached with a beaming smile.

"What would you like to order, young master?"

The scholar looked around, then ordered a few dishes.

The waiter frowned but said nothing, immediately turning and leaving.

"Braised pork hock, beef in soy sauce, and strong liquor? A scholar eating these things?"

Shen Bai stroked his chin, finding something amiss.

Shen Bai knew the scholars of Ascending Cloud County well, as impoverished scholars often came to him to pawn their family possessions just to take the imperial exams.

In Shen Bai's view, having aspirations was good, but squandering one's family wealth for unrealistic dreams was foolish.

From these destitute scholars, Shen Bai learned that they generally valued refined pursuits, and even when eating, they preferred very plain food.

But now, ordering such greasy meat dishes and strong liquor, Shen Bai felt something was wrong.

Of course, he was merely curious.

This matter had nothing to do with him, and he had no intention of meddling.

After eating for a while, the scholar called the waiter over again to pack up his food.

This scene was even stranger.

The scholar had only taken a bite or two of the dishes on the table, and only a tiny sip of the wine; clearly, he didn't like these dishes.

But why order them then?

Shen Bai's curiosity grew.

By this time, the waiter had finished packing all the food.

Shen Bai had also nearly finished his meal. He paid the bill, ready to head back to the Pawnshop.

The scholar poured out some money from his shriveled purse, which immediately became empty.

Yet, the scholar paid without hesitation, picking up the packed food and leaving his seat.

Shen Bai yawned. He planned to visit the pharmacy again to get some Qi-Blood Medicine and ask the pharmacist if there was a stronger variant.

After all, the current Qi-Blood Medicine didn't seem to be effective enough for him anymore.

But just as he was about to leave, his gaze instinctively fell on the scholar's retreating figure, and then he frowned.

From this angle, a section of a tree branch was visible protruding from the scholar's shoulder.

And the scholar had hung all the packed food on this branch.

Shen Bai saw a trace of malevolent Qi flowing on the branch, then entering the food.

"This aura feels so familiar. Where have I seen it before?"

Shen Bai looked at the scholar's back, stroked his chin, and fell into thought.

Figures flashed through his mind.

After a moment, Shen Bai finally knew where he had seen it before.

It was the aura of a Bizarre Entity.

"So cold and carrying a hint of terror, exactly like the aura of a Bizarre Entity."

Now that Shen Bai had Qi in his body, his senses were much more acute to such things.

After a brief consideration, Shen Bai quietly followed behind the scholar.

If it were a person, one could distinguish good from evil, but if it were a Bizarre Entity, there was only evil.

Such beings harbored endless disgust and animosity towards the living. Drawing a sword and slaying a Bizarre Entity was never a problem.

Shen Bai didn't know why this scholar had gotten involved with a Bizarre Entity, but right now, he desperately needed the Bizarre Entity to provide Malevolent Qi.

After all, both the Ancient True Scripture and the metamorphosis of the Lustrous Jade Body required Malevolent Qi to be completed.

On the bustling street, Shen Bai followed closely.

The street transitioned from noisy to quiet, and before long, they arrived at a secluded alley.

The scholar was very cautious, constantly looking back to observe his surroundings.

Fortunately, Shen Bai was already a cultivator, so this posed no difficulty for him. He easily evaded the scholar's gaze.

Soon after, the scholar walked into the alley.

Inside the alley was a small, dilapidated courtyard.

The scholar walked straight in, opened the old wooden door, and disappeared behind it.

Shen Bai looked at the low earthen walls around him, thought for a moment, then vaulted over, using the wall to conceal himself as he observed the courtyard.

It wasn't that he wanted to cause trouble; it was simply that he was truly lacking Malevolent Qi.

The courtyard was sparsely furnished, with a dirt path indicating the owner didn't have much money.

However, in one corner of the courtyard, a tall Sophora Tree grew.

As soon as Shen Bai got over the wall, he saw the scholar placing branches at the base of the Sophora Tree.

Shen Bai looked at the branches and the Sophora Tree, finally understanding where the branches came from.

So they're Sophora Tree branches. What exactly is this guy trying to do?

Shen Bai remained still, continuing to observe.

After putting down the branches, the scholar took out some food from the packed meal and placed it again at the base of the Sophora Tree.

Having done all this, the scholar, not caring about the dirt, knelt directly before the Sophora Tree and began kowtowing.

"My lady, please help me. Please bestow upon me that photographic memory again."

The scholar kowtowed repeatedly, mumbling to himself.

When the scholar had kowtowed several times with loud thuds, a terrifying scene unfolded.

The Sophora Tree began to tremble slightly.

Yet, there was no sign of any wind blowing around.

As the branches swayed, the branches lying on the ground once again emitted a chilling current of air.

As soon as this current appeared, the temperature throughout the courtyard dropped significantly.

The scholar instinctively hugged himself, shivering.

The food placed on the ground withered and rotted rapidly in that instant, turning into a pile of ashes in the blink of an eye.

Just then, the dark circles under the scholar's eyes grew even more pronounced.

But he didn't notice. Instead, he jumped up, gesticulating wildly.

"My photographic memory is back! This time, I'll definitely pass the imperial exams!"

The scholar danced and shouted, as if he had obtained the most precious treasure.

As the scholar shouted, a branch suddenly extended, wrapping itself around his neck with lightning speed.

The jubilant scholar, choked around the neck, stuck out his tongue and began to struggle laboriously.

His dark-circled eyes started to bulge.

The bizarre aura grew even stronger.