Chapter Twenty-Three: The Man-Eating Tree

At first, Xiaoshan was bouncing and skipping about, not drawing any attention from Haotian and the others. It wasn’t until he unexpectedly darted ahead, weaving in and out, sometimes even heading in the opposite direction from Haotian’s group, that they began to notice. Going in the wrong direction was one thing, but sometimes he would also let out loud, unintelligible cries that sounded so alarming, anyone unaware might think something dangerous had happened.

One time, Xiaoshan was skulking behind, trying to hide from the branches, when he suddenly cried out in surprise at something ahead. His eyes widened, and upon closer inspection, he saw a branch had somehow crept onto Haoyun’s shoulder, swaying gently there.

Lifting his gaze, Xiaoshan saw it was a man-eating tree—its branches coiling around the trunk, the unmistakable sign. “There’s a branch on your shoulder!” Xiaoshan pointed toward Haoyun, his hand shaking slightly.

“A branch?” Haoyun glanced at his right shoulder where Xiaoshan was pointing. Seeing the branch resting there, his expression remained stoic. He drew a sword from the scabbard on his back, and with a flash of steel, the branch fell to the ground. Startled, the severed branch recoiled up the tree, leaving behind drops of green sap trickling from the crown.

“This is an immature man-eating tree,” Haotian explained. “Generally, it won’t harm people—only small, weak animals. The wind must have blown it onto your shoulder.”

“Any potential danger cannot be ignored,” Haoyun replied coldly, sheathing his sword.

“Then the one that attacked me before must have been a mature man-eating tree!” Xiaoshan exclaimed in surprise.

“More or less,” Haotian replied, scanning the surroundings with a calm gaze. He was about to say more when he saw Xiaoshan dash off again, so he simply closed his half-opened mouth.

Just then, a little demon in Xiaoshan’s mind hissed viciously, “If it won’t entangle you, you’re free to torment it as you please! There’s no need to hold back!”

Xiaoshan, unwilling to let things go, seized the chance to vent his anger on a man-eating tree of the same kind but lacking the power to fight back. He grabbed a branch, tugging and twisting it in all directions, rolling it into a tangled mess while muttering to himself, “Try wrapping me up now! See how you like it!”

He completely projected his anger onto this defenseless tree, as if it were the one that had hurt him before.

“Xiaoshan! I haven’t finished yet! Even a desperate rabbit will bite—let alone a man-eating tree that preys on other animals for nourishment!” Haotian hurriedly called out as he watched Xiaoshan tormenting the tree.

“A desperate rabbit will bite…” Xiaoshan muttered, half-turning his head as Haotian spoke, clearly not grasping the warning.

“In other words, don’t keep tormenting it. If it gets angry, it might hurt you too!” Ruoxi explained, seeing that Xiaoshan didn’t seem to understand.

“Angry? So that means it’ll start wrapping me up!” Xiaoshan suddenly understood, exclaiming in realization. He immediately let go of the branch in his hand, but to his shock, the branches all around him began to sway.

Looking up, Xiaoshan saw the forest was filled with man-eating trees, their branches interwoven, forming what looked like ropes twisted together. In the blink of an eye, the swaying branches coiled tightly. Xiaoshan hurriedly retreated, but after only a few steps, his nerves got the better of him and he stumbled.

The trunk of the man-eating tree appeared to shift, its outline morphing into a grotesque face. As Xiaoshan toppled, the leaves on the trunk rustled—whether from the wind or the agitated branches—sounding uncannily like laughter.

The branches struck out swiftly, converging on Xiaoshan as he fell. Panicked, Xiaoshan scrambled backward, his arms braced against the ground as he tried to rise, unsteady and desperate.

But the branches were already upon him. The tip of one unfurled into the shape of a clawed hand—a demonic grasp—lunging for him.

Xiaoshan’s expression changed. He shouted for help, hoping someone would come to his rescue. The demonic claw seized him just as he cried out, closing around his arm at the very spot where he had been caught before.

He felt the grip tightening, the pain making him grit his teeth and ball his fists. Moving his right arm, he tried to pry the branch off his left, struggling desperately.

“I know martial arts now too—I can protect myself!” he declared, even as he struggled. But then other branches climbed up his right arm and pinned it down, refusing to let him move.