Chapter 587: Questioning the Tree

## Chapter 583: The Inquiry Tree

"This tree is extraordinary," Gao Jilin remarked. "Innumerable people come here to seek answers and predictions from it. Imagine how much spiritual power it must have accumulated."

Old Ge added, "Legend has it that although Venerable Wood Spirit passed away, a wisp of his divine consciousness entered the Inquiry Tree, which is why it possesses the power to foretell good or ill fortune."

Jiang Tao was skeptical: "That's possible?"

"Haven't you heard the saying, 'The body rests with the mountains'?" Old Ge rattled off, "If it can merge with mountains, it can merge with a giant tree, right?"

Everyone agreed that the guide was correct.

He Lingchuan scratched his head. The mysteries of the world were indeed beyond the full comprehension of mortals.

Finally, their turn in line came. They entered the grotto beneath the tree roots, only to discover a unique world within. The grotto was large and spacious, and the opening above was indeed remarkably flat, making it plausible that an immortal had indeed cleaved it with a single sword stroke long ago. Bioluminescent spores were placed throughout the cave, illuminating every detail.

The main root of the Inquiry Tree was embedded in the grotto, having penetrated the rock and extended deep into the mountain to an unknown depth. As it grew out of the grotto, it grew taller and taller, and its hanging aerial roots grew thick and strong, enveloping the outer perimeter of the grotto, creating the magnificent spectacle seen today. As a result, the deep root system at the bottom of the grotto formed a sunken area where rainwater flowed down the trunk, creating a clear, shimmering pool at the base of the roots, deep enough to immerse at least two people. There were also bioluminescent spores floating in the water, but the deeper sections remained dark.

Tourists crowded around, surrounding the banyan pool several layers deep. Although the giant tree had many roots, only a dozen or so extended into or over the water, accessible to the public. Thus, only about a dozen people could actually perform the divination at any given time. Everyone else had to wait in line. Tianji Peak never had an off-season; it only varied between peak and even more peak seasons.

Everyone was curious: "How does the divination work?"

Old Ge pointed to other tourists: "Do as they do. Place one hand on a root, silently recite your question to establish communication with the spiritual tree, then take a drop of blood from your fingertip and flick it into the pool."

He Lingchuan observed that other tourists were indeed doing this. However, some were too slow, taking too much time, and would be urged by those waiting behind them. From above, leaves would occasionally fall, swirling onto the surface of the pool and drifting directly towards the tourists. This was quite mystical; the person seeking divination would always receive a leaf.

"Green leaves signify good fortune, red leaves signify ill fortune."

"It's that simple?" Gao Jilin asked, surprised. "Can you only ask about good or ill fortune?" With leaves as answers, it was either one or the other.

"What else do you want to ask?" Old Ge chuckled. "It's a tree, not a person. It can't speak to you."

Jiang Tao pointed at a leaf drifting past him and asked, "What about this one?" The leaf was half green, half red, and the tourist opposite it looked equally bewildered.

"That means it can be either good or bad," Old Ge, who had guided hundreds if not thousands of visitors here, explained, considering himself half a diviner. "It depends on the person's subsequent actions."

He Lingchuan couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. During his previous divination at the Immortal Spirit Lake Shrine, although the turtle spirit gave him the lowest possible reading, at least there was an explanation to interpret. This time was even more extreme; the answers were essentially just "yes" or "no." Since this was the "Inquiry Tree," what question should he ask?

A guest pointed to the water and said, "The leaf has sunk."

Old Ge nodded. "After divination, if the guest doesn't take it, the leaf will sink to the bottom. Otherwise, the surface would be covered with leaves, and no one would know whose was whose."

"Where do the leaves sink to?"

"Perhaps they flow out with the water, or perhaps they're absorbed by the roots," Old Ge countered. "Haven't you heard the saying, 'Fallen leaves return to their roots'?"

Jiang Tao's eyes glinted slightly: "The line is too slow. Can't we just jump into the water and touch the roots?"

"No," Old Ge shot him a sidelong glance. "Do you think you're the only clever one? People tried that before, it doesn't work! The Inquiry Tree simply ignores such people!" He then pointed at the tree trunk and added, "Once upon a time, someone jumped into the water, failed to get an answer, then took a knife to carve on the tree. The guards dragged him out and directly threw him off Tianji Peak!"

He Lingchuan was speechless. Doodling here was life-threatening?

"Evil-doers get evil-doers' remedies." Old Ge sneered. "Order! This place values order!"

"The most incredible part is, just as that person was thrown out, a leaf fell from the Inquiry Tree, bright red!" Thrown off the mountain and still alive? Of course, that's a sign of great misfortune!

After waiting for almost half an hour, it was finally their group's turn. Jiang Tao went first, whispering as he stroked the giant tree, then dripped his blood. A green leaf floated towards him.

"Good fortune!" He snapped his fingers excitedly. "Excellent!"

Another guest, however, turned ashen: "Red, it's red!" The leaf he picked up was so red it looked as if blood would drip from it.

"Oh, so ominous? You're likely to suffer a bloody misfortune soon." Old Ge immediately pulled out a handful of talismans from his waist. "Do you want an amulet? These are blessed in the Hall of Reverence! At a critical moment, saving your life is more important than anything else."

He Lingchuan shot him a look of disdain. This guy had these ready, didn't he? And at exorbitant prices.

The guest's face was pale: "Does this tree... does it truly predict accurately?"

"Didn't I just say? Who dares to claim absolute certainty in such matters?" Old Ge patted his shoulder. "But you probably have some premonition deep down, don't you?"

"I... I... sigh..." The guest said with a bitter expression, "There's indeed something I've been uneasy about. I just didn't expect the outcome to be so grim!"

"Come, come, let me ward off your misfortune." Old Ge put an amulet around the guest's neck. The guest paid without much thought. If losing money could ward off disaster, who wouldn't be generous?

"When you go back, act carefully. Perhaps there will be a turn for the better."

The guest clutched at the words like a drowning man: "Can this misfortune be averted?!"

Old Ge comforted him: "Perhaps!"

Nearby, Gao Jilin was also performing his divination. This time, a small part of his leaf was slightly reddish, but most of it was a vibrant, glossy green. His expression was quite telling: "Good or bad fortune?"

He Lingchuan looked at it and smiled: "I think it depends on how you handle it afterward. If you handle it well, it's great fortune; if not, it's minor misfortune." Everyone nodded in agreement. Although there were only red and green leaves, the nuances of their shades seemed to carry additional meaning, making it not as simple as it first appeared.

He placed his hand on the root and silently asked a question: "If I continue down this chosen path, will it bring good fortune or ill, life or death?" Knowing that the spiritual tree might be able to read minds, he dared not speak his question explicitly. Words like "Great Square Cauldron," "Coiled Dragon City," or "resisting Beijia" were entirely avoided. But He Lingchuan truly wanted to know. After all, all those who had walked this path before him had perished for their beliefs. It would be a lie to say he wasn't feeling anxious.

The blood dropped, and everyone waited with He Lingchuan.

Five breaths passed.

Fifteen breaths passed.

The leaves that drifted by went to others, but He Lingchuan's spot remained empty. What was happening? He Lingchuan scratched his head. Had the spiritual tree crashed, perhaps due to an excessive amount of calculation? They waited a bit longer, but no leaf drifted his way.

Jiang Tao asked, puzzled, "What's going on? Did you even ask a question?"

"I did." Otherwise, why would he be there? He Lingchuan asked Old Ge, "Has this ever happened before?"

"Uh..." The gibbon-like man also rubbed his forehead. "I don't recall this." The Inquiry Tree had always been very efficient. Its predictions might not always be correct, but they were always swift. Otherwise, how could it cope with so many tourists over so many years on Tianji Peak?

Tourists waiting behind started to get impatient: "Are you going to do it or not?" "If you can't manage, just move aside! There are so many people behind you!"

Old Ge turned and roared, "Shut up! Are you in such a hurry to reincarnate? Will you wet your pants if you wait a few more breaths?" With his fangs bared, his face became ferocious, and with the two robust mountain imps behind him, he practically had "Don't mess with me" written all over his face. So, the tourists behind dared not argue, only muttering softly. Old Ge, being thick-skinned, naturally didn't hear them.

Just then, a leaf finally drifted towards He Lingchuan.

A red leaf.

No, to be precise, it was golden-red, its color as brilliant as the fiery clouds in the evening sky. Moreover, the leaf's surface had a uniform waxy coating, reflecting a metallic luster.

"Huh?" Was this really for him? He Lingchuan squeezed two steps sideways. But the current shifted, and the leaf still drifted directly towards him. He could only reach out, pick up the leaf, and wave it at Old Ge: "What does this mean?"

Old Ge's monkey-like face was equally bewildered: "I've never heard of such a thing." He had guided thousands of guests and had never seen the Inquiry Tree yield such a leaf.

"Does the Inquiry Tree not shed yellow leaves?"

"It does," Old Ge replied, pointing to the water. "But they sink as soon as they touch the water; they don't float to us. Look."

At this point, other guests in the group had already seized the opportunity to perform their divinations. He Lingchuan observed carefully and indeed, the banyan tree frequently shed yellow leaves, but they would swirl and sink upon hitting the water, never lingering on the surface, let alone drifting to the tourists. So, the golden-red leaf in He Lingchuan's hand was truly a rare item. Surrounding tourists also gathered to look, marveling at it. Many locals here brought their friends and family to seek divination, and they all exclaimed, "Rare, rare! I've never seen anyone get a leaf like this!"

The two guards inside the grotto were also alerted. They came over to inspect and, upon seeing the golden-red leaf, asked He Lingchuan for his name and address. He promptly provided a fake name and address. The two simply followed protocol, listening with wooden faces before retreating to their posts, not asking another word. Dealing with so many noisy guests every day, they had long learned to clear their minds and not bother thinking too much.

At this moment, a guest around fifty years old said, "I heard someone else received one before." As soon as he spoke, the surrounding chatter quieted down, and everyone turned to ask, "Who? Who else got one?"

"It was General Hong, the current General Qingwu! But I heard he got a yellow leaf, not sure if it was this golden-red kind."

He Lingchuan's heart stirred. Had Hong Chenglue also received a yellow leaf from the Inquiry Tree?

Gao Jilin spoke up: "Are you sure?"

"How could I be sure?" The man waved his hands repeatedly. "It's just hearsay!"

Since there was no definitive answer, the grotto quickly returned to its usual crowded hustle and bustle. Other tourists, hearing the news, came forward, wanting to buy the golden-red leaf from He Lingchuan for their collection, offering five taels.