Sophora Tree Bizarre Entity

If Shen Bai had previously thought that this bizarre aura might have been an illusion.

Now that he saw the sophora tree begin to move and wrap itself around the Scholar's neck, he felt that his illusion had not been wrong.

"It really is a bizarre entity!"

A glimmer of excitement shone in Shen Bai's eyes, his hand already gripping the sword hilt.

For the past several nights, he had been thinking day and night about where to find Killing Intent. Wasn't this delivering itself right to his doorstep?

Shen Bai casually rummaged through his robe and pulled out a piece of black cloth, covering his face with it.

Ever since last time, he had developed the habit of carrying it around at all times.

After all, with black cloth on hand, he could conceal his identity when necessary.

Once the black cloth covered his face, the excitement in Shen Bai's eyes grew even stronger.

"Here I come, bizarre entity."

With that cry from Shen Bai, he leaped down from the wall. Blood Sword Dance followed like a shadow, and the longsword in his hand slashed at the branch.

The branch twisted violently when it was struck, turning into black smoke.

The Scholar, whose neck had been bound by the branch, rolled his eyes back and collapsed unconscious onto the ground.

Shen Bai did not bother with him. As his sword swept back, he saw the sophora tree shaking its branches, which came densely surging toward him.

If those branches bound him, even a cultivator would likely have been helpless.

Shen Bai remained unhurried. He unleashed Blood Sword Dance, airtight and impenetrable, forming layer upon layer of sword shadows around him.

As the sword shadows appeared, every approaching branch was severed, turning into black smoke and vanishing.

"Hand over your Killing Intent."

Shen Bai clenched his left hand into a fist, carrying Buddha's light, Buddha's Voice, and boundless killing intent as he smashed it into the sophora tree's trunk.

The sophora tree's trunk began to tremble violently.

With every tremor, the dense leaves fell into the courtyard like rain.

Within the Buddha's light, Shen Bai was like an angry-eyed Buddha, resolutely driving his fist straight through the sophora tree.

Waves of black smoke continuously rose from the sophora tree's branches and trunk.

The trembling sophora tree vanished, turning into a heap of ashes.

Before him appeared a wisp of Killing Intent, which Shen Bai tucked away.

Only then did Shen Bai withdraw his hand and turn to look at the unconscious Scholar on the ground.

The Scholar looked weak. Not only were there dark circles beneath his eyes, but his forehead was black as well.

Shen Bai stepped forward and gave him a rough examination, then shook his head.

Even without knowing medicine, he could see that the Scholar before him was in a terrible state. His Essence, Qi, Spirit had already been depleted to a serious degree.

If this continued for a few more days, death would be his end.

Perhaps because Shen Bai had examined him, the Scholar weakly opened his eyes. He looked around in every direction, confusion appearing in his gaze.

When he saw Shen Bai with black cloth over his face, panic immediately appeared on his face.

"Who are you? Why are you in my home? Could you be some robber or thief?"

Given Shen Bai's current attire, it was perfectly normal for the other man to think that.

Looking at the Scholar's expression, Shen Bai felt that he seemed not to know what had happened.

With that in mind, Shen Bai voiced his thoughts.

"You bowed to the sophora tree in your courtyard. Do you not remember?"

"The sophora tree? Bowing? Me?"

"There is no sophora tree in the courtyard. I..."

The Scholar stopped halfway through his words, astonishment appearing on his face.

He suddenly came to his senses and struggled up from the ground. Looking toward a corner of the courtyard, his astonishment turned into blank bewilderment.

"I only remember that, on my way home from the school, I met a Strange Man. He said that my writing brush had cracked."

"Your writing brush cracked..." Shen Bai continued asking, "What happened afterward?"

Shen Bai had not wanted to meddle in other matters, but this incident seemed to have more to it. Perhaps it was connected to this bizarre entity. If he could get more Killing Intent from it, that would be a bloody bargain for Shen Bai.

Nothing in this world came for free, but Shen Bai hoped that he could at least find a stable source of Killing Intent, so that he would not be held up at a critical moment. That was why he asked.

The Scholar furrowed his brows and tried hard to recall. "I didn't believe him at the time, so I took out the writing brush I carried with me. To my surprise, the brush handle really had cracked."

"That Strange Man took out a section of tree branch and told me that a brush handle made from this branch would be even better to use."

At this point, the Scholar scratched his head and paused briefly, as though trying to remember.

"Most brush handles are made from bamboo. After all, we do not have the money to use fine wood. But that wood was simply too good. I could not resist, so I accepted it."

"After I returned home, I planned to make a brush from the wood, but the next day, it was gone."

"I searched all over my room and courtyard, and in the end, I discovered that the wood had somehow been stuck into a corner of the courtyard."

By this point, much of the bewilderment in the Scholar's eyes had finally faded, replaced by a trace of fear.

Shen Bai saw the clue in the Scholar's fearful expression. "After planting the sophora tree, did you encounter things that could not be judged by common sense?"

The Scholar hurriedly nodded. "That very night, I knew something was wrong. I had an extremely strange dream. I dreamed that a branch took root and sprouted in the earth, eventually growing into a tree. On that tree was a beautiful woman in red, swinging on a swing."

"She called me her husband, so I went over. Every night, we happily swung together. Later, we got married."

"My wife loved meat and strong liquor most, so I went out to buy them for her every day."

Having said this much, a measure of confusion appeared in the Scholar's eyes.

"That memory is so vivid. Could it be that I truly got married?"

"No, I did not get married. Those were all dreams."

Seeing his state, Shen Bai already understood.

Bizarre entities did not kill people using only simple methods. Some special bizarre entities used special means when they killed.

If this Scholar had gone on for a while longer, all the blood and vitality in his body would likely have been sucked dry by that sophora tree.

By then, he would have become a corpse, while the sophora tree would seek out its next target.

After sorting through the course of events, Shen Bai asked the question that had been his purpose this time.

"Where exactly did you meet him?"

Since this matter had further developments, Shen Bai truly wanted to take a look and see whether he could pick up some extra Killing Intent.

The Scholar thought carefully, then pointed in a direction. "It seemed to be somewhere on the way from the school to my home, about three streets away. I'm not very sure what that street is called."

At times, the county town was still rather unfamiliar to this group of Scholars.

After all, in order to pass the imperial examinations, most Scholars lived a life of two points and one line, not troubling themselves much with matters beyond it.

But this description was already detailed enough.

Shen Bai turned around, preparing to leave.

The Scholar froze, then instinctively asked, "Who are you, sir?"

But he received no answer. He only saw Shen Bai's back disappear from sight.