Without Evil, Where the Scholar Tree Stood

[Snow River Avalanche: Originally Saber Soul, it was corrupted by the despair of its master's death and became bloodthirsty and evil on the battlefield.]

Snowflakes, though small and insignificant, accumulate in countless layers to cover rivers and lakes; in a single night, they collapse and sweep across the world, and even a thousand armies cannot save them.

Its characteristics include an aura of chilling cold that constantly trembles; even the finest steel will shatter under its blade.

As the current head of the Qingping Official, Zheng Hui's residence was built by order of the Kingdom of Nanzhao.

The entire mansion covers an area of several hundred acres and is divided into three parts. The central axis has the main hall and rear hall, the wing building and the rear building, and the east and west parts each have five courtyards.

It also includes a garden with a lotus pond, a large house with a long corridor, stables and woodsheds, and much more.

When Chu Tianshu and his group moved in, they didn't feel crowded at all; in fact, they felt quite empty.

For Chu Tianshu personally, it felt like he was living in a park.

As soon as I got up in the morning, I went out of my little courtyard and wandered around. Everywhere I looked, there were artificial hills, streams, and flowering trees.

"The feudal class still knows too much about enjoying life."

Chu Tianshu thought to himself, how much money would he need to build a mansion like this in his hometown?

No, money isn't the most important thing; the most important thing is having people.

I don't have many relatives or friends. Even if I brought my second grandfather and the rest of the family to live here, this place wouldn't feel like home anymore.

I need to make more friends.

While Chu Tianshu was taking a walk, he wandered to the side gate and heard about the royal edict posted by the Kingdom of Nanzhao.

He then asked the gatekeeper where Zheng Hui usually stayed in the mansion.

According to the gatekeeper, you can find it by following this stream.

He was on his way to find Zheng Hui at that moment.

The stream slowly flowed into a plum grove.

Deep within the plum grove stands a pavilion with a stone table and benches, and a small stove over which tea is being heated.

Zheng Hui was indeed eating pastries and drinking tea in the pavilion.

Judging by the time of day, this is probably his breakfast.

"Why is Physician Chu here?"

Zheng Hui spotted him and said with a smile, "Please have a seat. At this hour, the food from the kitchen hasn't been delivered to your rooms yet, has it?"

"I happen to have some pastries here, please have a taste."

Chu Tianshu didn't stand on ceremony and sat down opposite him.

There were five plates on the table, not all of them were pastries, but also some candied fruits and dried fruits.

Chu Tianshu took a liking to one of the dishes, which looked like preserved plums, picked one up and tasted it.

It really does taste like preserved plum.

But those dishes of pastries were just rice cakes, which were too soft and Chu Tianshu didn't like them.

"Lord Zheng, you hold a high position and are well-informed. Do you know where the Wild Weapon Soul can be found?"

Chu Tianshu looked at the half-eaten rice cake, hesitated for a moment, then threw it into his mouth, swallowed it, and continued talking.

"The leader of the Yuwen Family was wielding an evil blade inhabited by the Wild Weapon Soul when he fought me."

"I wonder, given his example, are there other Wild Weapon Soul have been preserved?"

Zheng Hui was somewhat surprised and said, "That's true."

"Over the past few decades, the Tang army, the Tubo, and the Nanzhao have fought numerous battles, many of which saw the emergence of Wild Weapon Soul."

"However, most Wild Weapon Soul are fragile. Once the puppets they control are killed, the Wild Weapon Soul will also be damaged and will not survive for long."

"Those powerful Wild Weapon Soul, capable of repeatedly changing puppets, are usually kept secret if they fall into the hands of any faction."

The meaning is clear: such Wild Weapon Soul definitely exist, but Zheng Hui doesn't know exactly which families possess them.

Chu Tianshu was a little disappointed.

In this world, it's very difficult to find other evil or malevolent things.

Wild Weapon Soul should be the easiest to find, but so far he's only managed to get one: "Snow River Avalanche".

"Doesn't Physician Chu possess his own Weapon Soul? Why should he be wary of evil soldiers?"

Zheng Hui advised, "I see that Physician Chu's Weapon Soul is upright and magnanimous, and his future is extraordinary. Evil troops are ultimately unorthodox methods; they may seem to be taking shortcuts, but in reality, they destroy a person's potential."

Chu Tianshu raised his left hand and shook his head, saying, "I am a practitioner of magic arts, and this sword was created using magic arts, not by the Weapon Soul."

Zheng Hui exclaimed in surprise, "You don't have Weapon Soul yet?!"

"Good."

Chu Tianshu said, "If there are no Wild Weapon Soul, then I need to continue searching for places with deep yin energy to cultivate the Blood Refinement Weapon Method."

"I used to cultivate in the mass graves outside the city."

Zheng Hui pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "The yin energy in the mass grave is mixed and impure. Actually, if you're looking for a place with deep, subtle yin energy, there's one right here in my manor."

He lifted the teapot, revealing the small charcoal fire underneath, and poured a cup of tea onto the charcoal.

Sizzle!!

A strong aroma of tea, mixed with the scent of charcoal, rose up.

Zheng Hui took a deep breath, turned around, and said, "Come with me."

Chu Tianshu got up and followed.

After passing through four courtyards, Zheng Hui led him to a deserted courtyard.

The courtyard was paved with bluestone bricks, except for a patch of soil about ten feet in size in the northwest corner.

The vigorous and tall locust tree grew tenaciously and steadily in the soil.

In the warm environment of Nanzhao, this locust tree has lost all its flowers and leaves, leaving only its branches and trunk.

But the lushness of the branches reveals that this bare tree still possesses a powerful vitality.

Chu Tianshu sensed a unique atmosphere.

This courtyard is like a small cage, rejecting the big tree from every angle, preventing its roots from growing deeper and its branches from reaching higher.

But it still grew, silently developing a rugged strength in the face of adversity.

This is my mother's former courtyard.

Zheng Hui put his hands behind his back and straightened his body to look at the big tree.

"After we were taken to Nanzhao, my mother accidentally discovered several locust tree seeds inside a tear in our clothes."

"I don't know if it's the tree in front of my house, but it's definitely a locust tree from our hometown."

"My mother planted it herself, and over the decades, it grew into this big tree. Ten years ago, when the king was about to move the capital, I knew my mother loved this tree very much, so she asked someone to dig it up and transport it here, roots and all."

"But perhaps it's still not adapted to the new environment; all the leaves on this tree have fallen off. My mother watered it every day, but we never saw the leaves grow back."

Zheng Hui fell silent.

Chu Tianshu was looking at the tree's texture, from the exposed roots to the bark, and then gradually towards the branches, without saying a word.

"I sense that the tree is growing increasingly eerie, making me wonder if there was a large tomb beneath this mansion many years ago?"

"I wanted to move the tree back so that my mother could live somewhere else, but she insisted that I not disturb the tree anymore."

As Zheng Hui finished speaking, his voice slowed, and he let out a long sigh.

"She still waters the tree every day, talks to it while touching it, and sleeps in her wicker chair under it."

"The yin energy that this tree had absorbed, actually became purer with my mother's company, allowing it to take root here and sprout new branches."

"I was both surprised and delighted to realize that this tree would not only not harm my mother's health, but would actually allow her to live out her old age in peace."

"It's a pity she didn't live to see the day when new leaves sprout and flowers bloom again."

Zheng Hui pointed to the tightly closed doors and windows.

"On her deathbed, my mother asked me to open that window. Through the window, she was still looking at that tree, filled with reluctance."

The setting sun casts its glow on Chang'an Road, where autumn locust trees bloom in profusion.

According to divination, the locust tree is considered yin, but as early as the Spring and Autumn Annals Period, Guanzi said that locust trees are suitable for fertile soil.

During the Great Tang, the custom of planting locust trees became widespread among ordinary households.

The locust tree is a wood spirit, and it belongs to the yin element. However, in the minds of the Tang People, if there was a locust tree in the house, the spirit of the locust tree was also the spirit of the ancestors and the source of their lineage.

The roots, tender branches, leaves, flowers, fruits, and resin of the locust tree can all be used in medicine. In times of famine, the locust tree was a life-saving food.

A breeze blew through the courtyard, causing the locust tree branches to sway slightly.

Chu Tianshu said, "Your mother is missing her hometown."

"Yes."

Zheng Hui said, "The older people get, the more nostalgic they become. But after being away from our hometown for decades, even if we return to that county, it can no longer be considered our hometown."

"We Tang People were transplanted here, and in our struggle for survival, we have taken root and sprouted new branches in this place where the soil and water were not suitable."

"This is now our home, a new home we built together by tilling the soil, watering it, and cultivating it."

Zheng Hui stared at the tightly closed window.

"That's why my mother was so homesick, but even after the Nanzhao and the Great Tang Dynasty formed an alliance, she wouldn't let me send her back to her homeland."

"She loves her homeland, and she loves this place."

"The place where the locust tree stands is already our home; we don't want it to be disturbed any further."

Chu Tianshu activated his Spirit Communication Vision and looked around.

The yin energy here is like a still, clear spring flowing underground, and the locust tree is the source of the spring.

It is indeed an excellent place, far better than the mass graves.

If one could cultivate the Blood River Chariot here, even if the technique had not yet been deduced, it would certainly be faster than in the mass grave.

"But..."

Chu Tianshu thought for a moment, "This is your mother's former residence. Is it really appropriate for me to gather yin energy here for cultivation?"

"Isn't there anywhere else?"

Zheng Hui said, "This is the best place."

"The shade of the locust tree is meant to protect future generations; the legacy of our ancestors is meant to be passed down to posterity."

Zheng Hui walked towards the tree and stretched out his palm.

The morning light and gentle breeze softly cast the shadows of the tree branches onto his hands.

"Physician Chu, whether you are from the Inner Guard or not is not that important. At least I can tell that you are definitely from Tang People. Your accent even sounds like that of someone from the Jianghuai."

"Your acupuncture can cure any disease, so you could charge exorbitant prices, but you only charge them a pittance. You only prescribe medicine for those who can afford to pay more."

"Neither you nor Commandant Cheng actually know many people on this land, yet you are both angered by the rumors. One uses coldness and cruelty, while the other uses leisure and belligerence as a facade."

Zheng Hui closed his fingers as if grasping the shadow branch, then turned back with a smile.

"You are helping the Tang People on this land, hoping they will not suffer, and you are fulfilling my mother's wish."

If your mother were alive, she would surely welcome you with boundless joy.

Chu Tianshu was slightly taken aback. Looking towards the wind, he seemed to smell the fragrance of thousands of locust trees.

(End of this chapter)