Stranger Danger

Chapter 34: Dead Man’s Tree

“Mad? Hahaha! I’m not mad. I can’t be mad until I’ve achieved my goal,” Prayer answered, but his eyes never left the flower bud. Despite his claims he certainly looked the picture of madness.

Once again, the flower bud on the tree was reacting after absorbing Granny Snake and Chi Long’s vigor. It was slowly but surely blooming into a beautiful yet eerie flower.

The flower had five petals in total, and each petal was in a different color: Red, yellow, blue, black and white. It was beautiful, but that beauty was marred by something horrifying. Each petal carried a human face, and one could vaguely identify those faces as belonging to Pao, Granny Snake and Chi Long. When a breeze brushed against the flower, its petals opened and closed almost as if it was breathing. The way the human faces on the petals swayed to its movements, it almost looked like they were smiling. The sight was unsettling to put it mildly.

Zheng Tianyuan visibly shuddered before stuttering, “W-what is that thing?”

“That is what they call the Dead Man’s Flower! ‘The Dead Man’s Tree grows the Dead Man’s Flower, The Dead Man’s Flower fruits the Fruit of Life, the Fruit of Life revives a dead man from the dead, and the Dead Man Tree grows its hoard of bones beneath its roots. And so the cycle continues forever and ever!’”

Prayer was staring at the flower with fervent eyes and whispering as if he was afraid too loud a volume would disturb its growth or something, “The Dead Man’s Tree got its name because it can only bear fruit by consuming a living being’s vigor and vitality. When the Dead Man Flower falls, it will bear a fruit called the Fruit of Life. As the name implies, the Fruit of Life can extend one’s lifespan, strengthen one’s body, and even protect one from all kinds of poison.”

“Besides that, it can bring anyone from the brink of death and restore them to full health so long as they’re still alive. It is one of the top ten miraculous fruits in the world!”

“A Dead Man’s Tree that flowers the Dead Man’s Flower and fruits the Fruit of Life? How ironic!” Ye Qing sneered. “Your words sound pretty, but in the end, it’s really just a tool to steal another person’s life, isn’t it?”

“Haha! You’re right on the money!” Prayer echoed in agreement, but he still didn’t look away from the Dead Man’s Flower.

“That’s why you attacked Granny Snake and the others! You’re trying to make the Dead Man’s Tree bear the Fruit of Life!” Zheng Tianyuan exclaimed in realization.

“That’s right!” Prayer nodded.

“The Fruit of Life, huh? How wonderful! If you give me the Fruit of Life, I promise I’ll overlook what you’ve done, Prayer!” Zheng Tianyuan ordered while staring passionately at the Dead Man’s Flower.

“Huh?” The old man finally looked away from the Dead Man’s Flower to stare at Zheng Tianyuan. His expression was both surprised and amused.

“Oh my god, I’ve never seen such a dumdum in my life!” exclaimed Ye Qing with a facepalm. If Pao was a fool, then his young master was a complete imbecile. Heavens know how he managed to live this long without dying.

“What did you say!?”

Zheng Tianyuan glared at him, but Ye Qing merely shrugged innocently before explaining, “Don’t you realize it yet, Scion Zheng? Prayer has been plotting our deaths since the start!”

Prayer shot Ye Qing a curious look. “When did you find out?”

“Just now. You must’ve known that there’s a Dead Man’s Tree in this place from the beginning, or you wouldn’t be able to describe its characteristics down to the letter. Also, you’ve been watching the tree since we entered this valley, which is strange as the dead man beneath it is far more conspicuous no matter how you looked at it. Third, you ordered Pao to grab the wooden box without checking or even suggesting that there might for any traps, which is completely at odds with the level of caution you’ve displayed until now. How are you going to explain that?”

“All things considered, there is only one answer. You wanted the Dead Man’s Tree to absorb Pao’s vitality and vigor. That is also why you ambushed Granny Snake. In fact, you were never here for Old Man Xueying’s treasure. You were targeting the Fruit of Life from the start, and Scion Zheng and his men were the food you’ve prepared for the Dead Man’s Tree!”

“Hahaha! No wonder the ancients say to fear the young! I can’t say that’s true for everyone, but you have certainly earned my respect, lad!” Prayer laughed. “That’s right. My ultimate objective has always been the Fruit of Life.”

“What are you two talking about?” Zheng Tianyuan was still confused.

“What am I saying? I’m saying that I’ve plotted this ‘grand adventure’ from the start until the end, you idiot!” Prayer’s laughter grew increasingly triumphant as he continued, “For starters, where do you think you got the treasure map that leads to Old Man Xueying’s hoard, Scion Zheng? I’m the one who asked Granny Snake to give it to you!”

“Granny Snake was your friend?” Zheng Tianyuan blurted.

The old man stroked his goatee while answering, “But of course! Why else would she ask you to seek me out and partner up with me? That’s because I’m the one who set up everything, hehehe. If not for me, would you have brought your cohort all the way to these mountains to die?”

“Sure, I neglected to mention the bit about the Dead Man’s Tree and the Fruit of Life, but I’m sure you wouldn’t mind such a minor omission, would you? Hahaha!”

“Granny Snake was one of yours… and you killed her? How could you?” Zheng Tianyuan could not believe his ears.

A vicious grin crossed Prayer’s lips then. “Well, there is only one Fruit of Life, and we can’t possibly share something so valuable, right?”

“You’re a monster!” Zheng Tianyuan uttered even as ice coursed through his veins, and the world seemed to be spinning around him. He felt like the sky itself had fallen and smacked him silly. He had wholeheartedly believed that the treasure map was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He never thought it would be a carefully laid trap meant to sacrifice him and his cohort for another’s benefit.

“Say, it’s true that the Dead Man’s Tree needs fresh vigor and vitality to fruit, but you could’ve just grabbed some nobodies off the streets and fed them to the tree, couldn’t you? Why take the risk of angering the Zheng Clan?” Ye Qing asked curiously.

“Your words make perfect sense, and trust me, I know,” Prayer said with a helpless sigh. “The problem is that the Dead Man’s Tree is located next to the Jade Dragon Lake, and who doesn’t know that the blood qi permeating this place is deadly and bizarre? Without the right skill set or Strange Artifact, it’s practically suicide to even get close to this place.”

“Unfortunately, there are very, very few people in Anyang who possess the skill set or Strange Artifact I need. It took me a long time just to find out that the Zheng Clan possessed a Sarira Bone that can suppress the blood qi of Jade Dragon Lake. After that, well, you know the rest!”

“Finally, the quality of the sacrifice does affect the quality of the Fruit of Life. The more vigor and vitality the Dead Man’s Tree absorbs, the better the Fruit of Life it bears. With that in mind, what better sacrifice is there than a warrior, and what better warrior is there than Scion Zheng’s cohort? I’ve always been a perfectionist and an overachiever, you see. If I can make the best Fruit of Life there is, why not?”

Ye Qing nodded. “I see! I must admit that you’re as devious as you’re meticulous!”

“I admit defeat, Prayer.” Some time later, Zheng Tianyuan finally recovered from his stupefied state somewhat and said, “I won’t ask you to give me the Fruit of Life. I can pretend that you’ve never plotted against me and killed Pao, Chi Long and Granny Snake. I will also swear that the Zheng Clan will not come after you. All I ask is that you let me leave this place alive. What do you say?”

“Really? I’m happy to hear that!” A wide smile spread across Prayer’s face as he slowly walked toward Zheng Tianyuan. “It should not need to be said, but I do not want to fight against the Zheng Clan either.”

Relief seeped into Zheng Tianyuan’s face. He was just a middle-stage Qi Invoker, and Pao, Chi Long and Granny Snake were all dead. There was no way he could defeat Prayer, so he could only beg for his life. If Prayer let him live, and if he could make back to his home safe and sound, it would be the old man’s turn to beg for his mercy. The bastard had dared to plot against him and kill his men. He was going to make him regret he ever—!

The young master did not manage to finish his thoughts before Prayer suddenly launched a palm strike at his head. Zheng Tianyuan clearly wasn’t expecting this because he just stood there and stared as death approached. He just couldn’t believe that Prayer would dare to kill him.

It was at this moment a flash of light cut toward Prayer’s neck so fast and suddenly it was as if it had teleported through space. Unfortunately, the old man was able to react in time and floated away from the attack like a leaf being blown away by the wind. He dodged the attack with just a few centimeters to spare.

“Your saber is swift, lad!” Prayer praised.

Ye Qing withdrew his saber and smiled. “You’re welcome!”

Prayer did not take offense even though Ye Qing had nearly killed him. He wore a kind smile on his face as he asked, “How did you know I was going to kill him?”

Ye Qing chuckled. “You should know Scion Zheng better than I do. Does he look like the type who will keep his promises? Even if he is, why would you let him live when silencing him was by far the superior solution?”

“Also, I’m pretty sure that Dead Man’s Flower hasn’t fully bloomed yet. It has five petals, but only three people have died so far. If I’m not mistaken, two more people need to die before it bears fruit, and there are only three of us left. Who else are you going to sacrifice if not Zheng Tianyuan and I? And why else would you bring me here if not to sacrifice me to the Dead Man’s Tree?”

“As for why you targeted Zheng Tianyuan first, that’s obviously because Zheng Tianyuan is the bigger threat between the two of us.”

“Incredible! Truly incredible! I honestly would loath to kill you if the Dead Man’s Tree didn’t need five people’s worth of vigor and vitality to bear fruit!” Prayer slow-clapped with a regretful look on his face.

It was at this moment Zheng Tianyuan finally snapped out of his shock and screamed, “You… you tried to kill me. You actually tried to kill me! My dad is Zheng Feng, the patriarch of the Zheng Clan and a Vessel Augmentor! He’ll chase you to the ends of the earth if you kill me!”

Prayer merely scoffed at his threat. “It’s true that the Zheng Clan is bigger than me, but who will know that I’m the one who killed you? You do remember that this is the Jade Dragon Lake and not your home, do you? Also, I would be a Vessel Augmentor myself once I’ve eaten the Fruit of Life and cultivated the ‘Blood Shadow Divine Art’. Why would I fear the Zheng Clan then?”

“This is why the two of you must die today.”

Zheng Tianyuan was both enraged and terrified. “You—!”

“Save your breath, Scion Zheng. You heard him. He isn’t going to let us live,” Ye Qing interrupted Zheng Tianyuan before saying, “The only way we might live now is if we work together to kill him.”

This was why Ye Qing had saved Zheng Tianyuan earlier. It was so that he wouldn’t have to fight Prayer alone.

Ye Qing had no illusions that Zheng Tianyuan would feel even a shred of gratitude toward him should they succeed, but he was by far the easier opponent compared to Prayer. If they could kill Prayer, then his victory was as good as sealed.

“You think the two of you are enough to kill me? Think again,” Prayer sneered before twisting his wrists and launching a throwing knife at Ye Qing and Zheng Tianyuan each.

Ye Qing rolled on the ground and dodged the throwing knife unceremoniously. On the other hand, Zheng Tianyuan let out a roar and took three steps into the air. Then, he unleashed a powerful palm strike that was clearly infused with lightning. It was none other than the Zheng Clan’s exclusive technique, the Boundless Lightning Palm.

However, right before his palm would make contact with the throwing knife, the throwing knife abruptly split into three and sped up. Not only that, they abruptly changed directions in mid-air and flew toward three separate vital spots!

As it turned out, Prayer hadn’t tossed just one throwing knife at Zheng Tianyuan at all. They were three throwing knives meshed together using some sort of special force to create the deception.

Zheng Tianyuan managed to block the first throwing knife, but not the second and the third. Before he could even react, the second throwing knife pierced his heart, and the third his forehead. He was dead just like that.

The leaf scatters,

To bloom three flowers.

The knife chases,

To doom the soul!