Chapter 237 Taboo Topics
?Seeing the tree man in front of him, Xia En raised his eyebrows and instinctively showed a defensive posture.
But soon, Xia En discovered that the appearance of this tree man was very different from other tree men.
Its bark is dry and shriveled, extremely rough, and has a faint reddish color.
Like the color of the mangroves that live at the interface between land and sea.
The branches and leaves are withered and yellow, unlike other tree people who maintain the green color, and their vitality is extremely declining.
Like a rotten, damp, dead tree.
It can even be described as "ugly"
??Had it not been for the pair of dim eye sockets and a small mouth on its old trunk, it would have been difficult for Xia En to regard it as the same species as those tree people.
??Although the appearance of this tree man is surprising, Xia En is not a person who judges people by their appearance.
He took the initiative and said: "Thank you, senior, for helping me."
"…Um?"
Hearing his voice, the declining tree man was surprised: "This kind of voice...have you ever swallowed [Seed of Sea Sound]?"
??The reason why Xia En can master the ability of [Underwater Conversation] is precisely because he received the [Seed of Sea Sound] given by Tracy in [Emerald Ancient City].
?At the moment, from the tone of this tree man, it seems that he also recognizes this strange seed?
This point undoubtedly further proves the connection between the [City of Giant Trees] and the elves.
?Shaan nodded and admitted: "I did swallow one by chance."
“It seems that your origin is not simple.”
??The old tree man''s eyes flashed with a faint light and he continued.
“But no matter who you are, if you want to survive, leave [City of Giant Woods] as soon as possible.”
“This is no longer a place where living people should come.”
Xia En didn’t explain too much, he just said: “I have a reason to go deep into this city.”
A flash of surprise flashed in the old tree man''s eyes.
?Having clearly seen the scene where the whole forest was agitated just now, this outsider still has the courage to say such a thing?
This cannot be described simply as “praiseworthy”.
?However, the old tree man used all his strength just to maintain his own survival.
?Saving this man casually was considered a great act of kindness, and I really had no energy left to meddle in his business.
Thinking of this, the old tree man said directly: "In this case, I can only wish you good luck."
“This forest has long been the home of those traitors. As long as you are in it, you will be discovered by them sooner or later.”
“However, the intelligence of the forest is limited after all. If you disguise yourself as us, you can last longer... Do you understand?”
At first, Xia En thought that the old tree man was just saying goodbye.
?But after listening to these words carefully, he realized that the other party was actually teaching him how to hide in the forest.
?Xia En was in a weird mood.
?This old tree man looks like an awkward old man. He wants to express his goodwill, but he also wants to go around in a circle.
?However, combined with this detail and its help just now, Xia En can basically judge that the old tree man is probably a "good person."
??Whether it is appearance or personality, they are very different from those tree people who are willing to sacrifice other creatures at every turn.
and…
“Betrayer?”
?Shaan noticed the word spoken by the old tree.
“Betraitors, do you mean those tree people who believe in the [Giant Wood God]?”
??Thoughts flashed in Xia En''s mind, and he quickly outlined the general outline of the matter: "Did the tree people betray their original beliefs? Betrayed the Elf Goddess?"
“In other words, this old tree man is still a supporter of the Elf Goddess?”
Just as Xia En was about to ask, he saw not far away, a small tree man about two or three meters high, floating down from the sea like a jellyfish.
?Compared with its relatives, its body shape is naturally petite and exquisite.
“Grandpa Hunter, I’m back!”
“Huh? This guy is...”
In the process of getting close to the old tree man, the little tree man naturally discovered the existence of Xia En.
?The face made of tree trunks showed a surprised look and exclaimed at the same time.
“Human! Grandpa Hunter, is this human!”
“Hush! Lower your voice!”
Hunter, the old tree man, glared at the young tree man and looked around cautiously.
Fortunately, there were no tree people who believed in the [Giant Wood God] nearby, so no tragedy occurred.
The little tree man also realized that he had almost caused a catastrophe, and quickly lowered his voice and said: "Sorry, sorry, I didn''t mean to do it."
“This is the first time I’ve seen a living human being, so I’m a little excited.”
“Let me introduce myself, my name is Mumu, what is your name?”
??Xia En carefully looked at the little tree named Mumu and found that although its voice was young, its trunk was as skinny as Hunter''s, the bark was wrinkled, and the leaves were sparse and shriveled.
The whole body exuded an air of aging and depletion.
This surprised Xia En.
He originally thought that Hunter''s decline was due to living for a long time and was about to reach the end of his life.
But judging from Mumu’s similar qualities, it seems to be for another deeper reason?
?At the same time, Xia En also noticed that Mu Mu’s branches had obvious signs of breakage, as if they had been broken by external force.
There were also several wounds on his body that seemed to have been whipped, but they were mixed with the wrinkled bark, making it difficult to distinguish them.
Before Xia En could answer, Hunter on the side suddenly changed his expression and asked.
“Mumu, where did these injuries on your body come from? They bullied you again, right?”
Hearing this, Mumu''s high mood suddenly dropped, and he hesitated.
“No, no, my brother and sister are playing around with me.”
“They are no longer your brothers and sisters!”
Hunter''s expression was solemn, with a hint of anger in his tone: "From the day they knelt down to the [Giant Wood God], they are no longer our kind!"
“But, Grandpa Hunter, why must we stick to our belief in the goddess of life?”
Mumu was puzzled and aggrieved, so she couldn''t help but ask.
“Obviously as long as we accept the [Seed of Life] given by the [Giant Wood God], our bodies will not have to continue to rot, and we can become taller and stronger.”
“Besides, grandpa, you can live longer...”
"Shut up!"
Hearing this, the old tree man Hunter finally couldn''t help but said angrily: "You don''t understand! This is a betrayal of the gods! You will be punished by God one day!"
“Besides, do you think [Giant Wood God] is a good thing? That guy…”
Hunter wanted to continue talking, but seemed to be concerned about the peaceful forest around him, so he finally just said.
"No matter what, as long as I am still alive, I will never allow you to accept the [Seed of Life]!"
“If you say one more kind word about [Giant Wood God], I will treat you as my grandson!”
“Don’t let me see you again in the future!”
?Mumu originally wanted to care about Hunter, but instead he was scolded so harshly, and his grievance suddenly burst out.
“Hmph! If you don’t see me, you’ll see me! I’ll go to the head office!”
After leaving these words, Mumu turned around and left.
"…you!"
Hunter, the old tree man, was stunned.
He vaguely felt that he had gone too far, but he had just scolded her, and with his temperament, it was impossible for him to soften his attitude on the spot and persuade Mumu to come back.
It wasn’t until Mumu’s figure disappeared from sight that Old Hunter let out a long sigh.
"Children these days are becoming more and more troublesome." It turned to Xia En and said, "I''m sorry, I made you laugh."
“Old man, the relationship between you and your grandson is really good.”
Xia En sighed softly.
Watching the quarrel between Hunter and Mumu, he was inexplicably reminded of some past events on Earth.
So, he knew that Hunter would never be able to say such harsh words if he didn''t really take it seriously.
Similarly, Mumu also persuaded Hunter to accept the so-called [seed of life] for similar reasons.
?But at the same time, Xia En was inevitably a little curious.
What exactly is this so-called "seed of life"?
It seems that it is because of its existence that the tree people have the ability to live such a nourishing life underwater.
In this case, why is Old Hunter so afraid of it?
“Ahem, young man, I want to ask you a favor.”
At this moment, Old Hunter coughed twice and said, "My grandson has a stubborn temper. I don''t know how long it will take for this awkward situation to subside."
“If those betrayers instill bad ideas and take the opportunity to plant the [Seed of Life], it will be over.”
"I see that you are quite capable. Can you help me take care of it and give it advice?"
The old tree man said this somewhat euphemistically, but Xia En immediately understood its meaning.
Obviously, after saying these words, Old Hunter actually regretted it a little, but he just couldn''t bear to apologize to his grandson.
That''s why I approached Xia En, not only to protect Mumu, but also to act as a lubricant to ease the relationship between grandfather and grandson.
“He is indeed an awkward old man...”
Xia En thought to himself: "I''m afraid your grandson''s character is just like yours!"
Complaints are complaints, considering Hunter’s previous help, Shane will definitely help him.
“Leave it to me.”
After saying that, Xia En was ready to catch up in Mumu''s direction.
“Wait, don’t move yet, I’ll give you a disguise.”
Subsequently, Old Hunter picked some branches and leaves from nearby trees and decorated them with Shane.
Not long after, Xia En completed a very rough disguise.
Looks like…
How to say…
A bit like the Viet Cong in the jungle?
??Although from Xia En''s point of view, this disguise couldn''t be more clumsy, anyone can see the difference between him and the tree man.
But according to Hunter, this level of camouflage is enough to hide the will of the forest.
??If you encounter other tree people, you can quickly pretend to be a harmless bunch of flowers and plants.
?Xia En suppressed the feeling of weirdness and walked through the underwater forest.
Needless to say, after covering it with this layer of leaves, most of the looming malice around it has indeed dissipated.
Don’t worry about whether it’s ugly or not!
Just tell me if it’s useful?
…
…
It didn’t take long.
Xia En caught up with the little tree man Mumu.
In fact, at the speed of this little tree man, he can''t run very long.
At this time, it was leaning against a big tree, kicking the sand under its feet and humming.
“Hmph, stinky grandpa, bad grandpa!”
“It’s clear that I can’t hold on for much longer, yet I still refuse to use the [seed of life].”
“No matter what the side effects are, it’s better than death, right?”
As he spoke, Mumu’s tone suddenly became lower.
“I just want grandpa to live...”
At this time, Xia En came out of the woods and asked directly.
“What exactly is the [seed of life] in your mouth?”
“Wow!”
?Mumu, who had obviously not noticed Xia En''s disguise before, couldn''t help being startled and said in surprise.
“You...are you the human just now?”
“How did you become like this?”
?Xia En’s mouth twitched, not wanting to answer this question.
Mumu seemed to be very interested in human beings and immediately came up to touch him.
?This feeling is somewhat similar to how people feel when they go to an aquarium to see those rare animals.
After getting closer, Xia En could see Mu Mu''s rough and decaying body and the scars more clearly.
—That seems to be the mark left by the whipping of vines.
?Shaan immediately thought of other ways for the tree people to attack.
Obviously, those who harmed Mumu are the tree people who accepted the "Seed of Life".
?Shaan couldn''t help but ask: "Why do those tree people beat you?"
“Alas, isn’t it because grandpa and I refuse to absorb the [seed of life]?”
Mumu sighed and said, "Do you know why I swam down from above?"
Xia En cooperated: "Why?"
“Because those of us who don’t have [Seeds of Life], if we want to live in the sea, we must regularly go to the waters near the sea to absorb sunlight and store energy.”
Mumu explained: "It was in the process of absorbing sunlight that I met a tree man who believed in the [Giant Wood God]..."
“Anyway, it’s just a mockery of us being old-fashioned and not knowing how to adapt.”
“But one of the guys spoke really unpleasantly and even scolded Grandpa Hunter. I couldn’t help but say something back to him, and that was it.”
?Mumu looked a little sad and confused.
“Sometimes I really don’t understand. It’s obvious that those guys just received the [Seed of Life] not long ago.”
"How come you can turn around and say such vicious things?"
?Shaan said: "Probably all traitors are like this."
“So, [Seed of Life] can solve the problem of your tree people living in the sea?”
"But aren''t you and Hunter still alive? Is it because of... the power of the Elf Goddess?"
ifier
Hearing the name "Elf Goddess", Mumu''s expression suddenly changed, and he quickly covered Xia En''s mouth with his hand.
“Are you crazy! How dare you say that name here?”
“He has become a taboo topic in our city.”
“Once discovered by other tree people, they will be taken away directly by the executioner!”
?Xia En was suddenly surprised.
He didn’t expect that a single name could cause Mumu to have such a big reaction.
But it can also be seen from this that there is strict control over belief in [City of Giant Trees].
??Treants who still believe in the Elf Goddess will most likely be regarded as heretics!
This also shows from the side that the relationship between the [Giant Wood God] and the Elf Goddess is by no means harmonious.
At this time.
The sound of rustling came from the forest nearby...
(End of this chapter)