Brother, You Still Have That Charm

Su Mo adjusted his trousers, leaned against the tree trunk, and closed his eyes, his breathing steady.

Suddenly, he furrowed his brows.

He couldn't sleep.

He was clearly exhausted, yet he simply couldn't drift off.

It felt as if something was restless inside his body, refusing to calm down no matter what.

He rolled over.

Still couldn't sleep.

He rolled over again.

Still nothing.

Su Mo opened his eyes and sat up.

Something was wrong.

He touched his face—it was burning hot.

His heart was racing, and his breathing had become rapid.

It felt as though something was coursing through his blood, making his entire body feverish.

Su Mo frowned and looked around.

The moonlight was hazy.

A faint mist drifted through the forest, shimmering with a subtle pink hue under the moonlight.

There was a faint, lingering sweet scent in the air, like some kind of flower, or perhaps...

He couldn't put his finger on it.

The surroundings were unnaturally quiet.

There wasn't even the sound of insects.

Su Mo took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

But he realized that the scenery before him was beginning to change.

The forest under the moonlight was veiled in a pink filter.

Those ordinary trees looked exceptionally... beautiful in that pink glow?

Su Mo shook his head vigorously, trying to cast out that bizarre thought.

He looked to the side.

Tang San was sleeping not far away, his face flushed red, a silly grin hanging on the corner of his mouth.

Under the pink filter, that face actually looked somewhat... cute?

A chill ran down Su Mo's spine.

What was he thinking?!

He quickly averted his gaze and looked the other way.

Xiao Wu was clutching half a carrot, her cheeks puffed out, sleeping soundly.

Under the pink filter, the sensation of that soft, warm touch seemed to resurface...

No, no, no.

Su Mo took a deep breath.

He had no choice but to look at Big Black Ox.

Big Black Ox was lying in the corner, its tail flicking back and forth, sleeping soundly.

Under the pink filter, it actually looked somewhat...

Refined and handsome?!

Su Mo's mind collapsed.

Wait, wait, wait!

What am I thinking?!

That's a cow! My brother!

No, this isn't right! How could I have these thoughts about a cow... no, how could I have these thoughts about anything at all?!

And why is it pink?!

What kind of hellish filter is this?!

Su Mo suppressed his discomfort and forced himself to look elsewhere.

He looked at the trees in the distance.

Then, he froze.

In the distance, the silhouette of a tree appeared exceptionally...

Alluring?

The trunk was graceful and curvaceous, its branches swaying with elegance, and the canopy shimmered with a holy radiance under the moonlight.

A thought popped into Su Mo's mind that made him want to bang his head against a wall:

This tree... actually looks quite beautiful?

Su Mo bit the tip of his tongue hard.

The sharp pain brought him a moment of clarity.

No!

This is a mental attack!

He took a deep breath, and golden light surged forth!

His Holy Body Martial Soul operated at full power!

Golden radiance erupted from within his body, forcibly dispelling the pink filter.

The world returned to its normal colors.

Su Mo gasped for air, cold sweat soaking his back.

That was close.

He had almost fallen for it.

Finally, he regained his composure.

He stood up and scanned his surroundings vigilantly.

The pink mist was still drifting, even thicker than before.

The campfire was still burning, sparks flickering in and out within the mist.

The roasted meat was still dripping oil on the rack, the grease hitting the charcoal with a "sizzle."

However—

Tang San was gone.

Ma Hongjun was gone.

Big Black Ox was gone.

Su Mo's pupils constricted.

He looked around; there was no one else.

Only Xiao Wu remained sitting in her original spot, blankly gnawing on a carrot.

Su Mo walked over quickly.

"Xiao Wu?!"

Xiao Wu looked up and blinked.

"Ah? Master?"

"Why are you still here?"

Xiao Wu tilted her head, looking innocent. "I just... saw a lot of rabbits dancing, so I watched them for a while..."

She leaned closer to Su Mo and looked at him carefully.

"Master, your face is so red. Do you have a fever?"

Su Mo covered his face.

"...You didn't get hit?"

Xiao Wu blankly took a bite of her carrot. "Get hit by what?"

She pointed at the pink mist surrounding them.

"That mist was so pretty just now, like carrot-flavored cotton candy."

Su Mo fell silent.

Is the mental resistance of a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast in human form really this high?

He took a deep breath and quickly analyzed the situation.

The pink mist was some kind of mental attack that could stir up desires.

He, Tang San, Ma Hongjun, and Big Black Ox had all been affected.

Xiao Wu, due to her Soul Beast constitution, was immune.

Ma Hongjun had his evil fire; his reaction after being hit would likely be the most intense.

He had to find them immediately.

He looked at Xiao Wu. "Can you smell their scent?"

Xiao Wu sniffled and nodded.

"I can! Follow me!"

She hopped and skipped toward the depths of the forest.

Su Mo followed behind, remaining vigilant of his surroundings.

Whether it was the pink mist or the people who had vanished, everything felt extremely eerie.

Especially the fact that he had actually felt... aroused by a tree?!

The two passed through layers of mist, tracking the trail the entire way.

The scenery along the path made Su Mo's expression grow increasingly grim.

More and more Soul Beasts were heading in the same direction.

Rabbits.

Deer.

Hyenas.

There was even a century-old bear.

They walked with a swaying gait, their eyes vacant, yet their mouths were curled into strange, eerie smiles.

Some of the Soul Beasts had injuries and limped as they walked, yet their expressions were filled with immense enjoyment.

The corner of Su Mo's mouth twitched.

This scene...

Why did it look like some kind of cult gathering?

And why were they all smiling so... lewdly?

Xiao Wu watched with great interest from the side. "Wow, where are they going? They look so happy!"

Su Mo didn't speak, merely quickening his pace.

Passing through a patch of woods, the view suddenly opened up.

It was a clearing.

In the center stood a massive, ancient tree.

On the trunk was a compassionate human face, gazing down kindly upon all living things.

The canopy radiated a seven-colored light, illuminating the entire clearing.

Bathed in the glow, the tree appeared holy, solemn, and inviolable.

Surrounding it, hundreds of Soul Beasts knelt in a dense crowd.

There were also dozens of humans—all of them hunters and Spirit Masters who had gone missing in the forest over the years.

They were all prostrated on the ground with their hands pressed together, their expressions devout.

But looking closely, their eyes were hollow.

Their mouths wore a uniform smile—the kind that was blissful and satisfied, yet somewhat bizarre.

Some had wounds on their bodies that were still bleeding, yet they felt nothing.

Su Mo hid behind a large tree, watching this scene with his brows tightly furrowed.

Was this the legendary Benevolent Heart Sacred Tree?

Why did it look...

So wrong?

Just then.

The human face on the ancient tree slowly began to move, its voice aged and kind.

It was not a real sound, but a telepathic exchange of information.

"My children, the time for a blessing has arrived once again."

The followers cheered in unison.

"Thank you, Sacred Tree!"

"Thank you for the blessing!"

Then, a jaw-dropping scene unfolded—

All the followers turned around in perfect unison, facing away from the ancient tree, and stuck their backsides into the air.

The movement was uniform and precise, as if they had rehearsed it countless times.

Su Mo's eyes went wide.

The branches of the ancient tree slowly lifted, each one glowing with an eerie purple light.

"Snap!"

The first lash descended, striking a hunter squarely on the buttocks.

The hunter let out a miserable shriek: "Ah—!"

But the next second, the scream transformed into a moan: "Oh~ that feels good~"

His expression shifted instantly from agony to extreme ecstasy, his entire body trembling.

Su Mo: "???!"