After that, little Ai Enma did not come here. What came instead was a group of villagers. Watching them arrive carrying firewood and torches, Jiu Ming could not help twitching his mouth. Damn, they really were planning to set it on fire...
Naturally, the villagers preparing to "exorcise the demon" did not overlook that large basket. Catching the faint scent of alcohol in the air, they moved the basket away, then, with fearful hesitation, placed the firewood around the great tree. After tossing their torches onto it, they immediately turned and ran, moving as if they wished their parents had given them two extra pairs of legs, terrified that being even a moment too slow would mean death.
"Poor you, Brother Tree." Jiu Ming patted the tree and shook his head. He did not choose to disperse the flames around it; there was no need anymore.
If he wanted this dream to end normally, he had to let its owner reach the moment when she believed it ought to end. The interference he had made so far was not significant. Even if it was, the force of inertia in the dream owner's memories would generate something akin to fate—the things meant to happen would still happen after twisting and turning through seven bends and eight turns.
Unless it was some irreversible, major alteration, like what Jiu Ming had done in Youji's dream. Back then, Jiu Ming had borne the entire backlash generated by the dream. Anyone else would have been stripped of several layers of skin and landed in serious trouble long ago!
The next day, little Ai Enma returned and stared blankly at the charred black tree. Its lush, spreading canopy was completely gone, leaving only a lone blackened trunk propped there, swaying as though about to fall.
"You