I am the sacred tree, evergreen for eternity.

The annual Tree God Festival is three days away.

This is the most important festival in the Xia Kingdom, even more important than the New Year and the autumn harvest, because it is the origin of the entire ethnic group.

Caravans poured into the royal city from all directions, and the streets were several times more crowded than usual.

The patrols had to be reinforced with additional personnel, and checkpoints were set up at several major intersections to direct pedestrian traffic.

Even so, people were still occasionally pushed to the side of the road, their feet were stepped on, their shoulders were bumped, they muttered a few words, and then they continued to push forward.

Nobody was really angry.

On the eve of the grand festival, even the air felt cheerful.

In the courtyard of the guard camp, Qi was squatting on the ground sharpening his knife.

He ground it very slowly and carefully, like an old farmer inspecting the plowshare he was about to use.

A strange thing happened these past two days.

Those arrogant second-generation rich kids actually came to our door, saying they wanted to replace the civilian guards in the defense work.

Their reasoning was not unreasonable: during the grand ceremony, the royal city was crowded and chaotic, and given their special status, it would be a disgrace to cause trouble, so they might as well do their part.

When the guards, who were of commoner origin, discussed it privately, their tone was filled with a sense of being flattered.

These prominent second-generation rich kids have always looked down on these menial jobs, but now they have to stand guard and patrol the streets for them. Has the sun risen in the west?

Qi neither agreed nor disagreed.

He left only one sentence: "Since you're here, follow the rules."

Footsteps came from the direction of the camp gate; it was a person, walking with neither too light nor too heavy steps.

Qi looked up and saw Yu walk into the courtyard.

Since that competition, Yu has become a completely different person.

The previous restlessness and confrontational hostility were gone, replaced by an eerie calm.

He walked up to Qi, stopped, and bowed with a thud.

"Captain Qi." Yu's voice was neither loud nor soft.

"On the day of the grand festival, I want to join the guard patrol."

Qi didn't answer immediately, but looked into Yu's eyes.

The fire in those eyes was still there, but it no longer burned and splattered everywhere as it used to.

It was suppressed, suppressed very deeply, condensing into a small, dark red dot of light deep within the pupil.

The feeling is like charcoal being covered with ash—the surface is no longer hot, but the temperature underneath is even higher.

Qi, who was a hunter by trade, suddenly felt a pricking chill down his spine.

"Where do you want to guard?" Qi asked.

"The east side of the altar," Yu replied quickly, clearly having already thought it through.

"That's the most crowded place during the grand festival, and also the most strenuous time for the brothers."

"I'll take some men to guard them, so they can rest a bit."

Qi remained silent for a moment.

On the east side of the altar, next to the branch of the tree god, is the only way for the clansmen to worship.

Every year during the grand festival, that direction is always the most crowded and prone to trouble.

If Yu truly wants to help, replacing a group of exhausted guards wouldn't be a bad thing.

As for that inexplicable chill...

Qi's gaze lingered on Yu's face for a moment before she slowly nodded.

"Alright, the east side of the altar is yours."

"But there's one thing—"

Qi's voice turned serious, "If anything goes wrong, I'll only come to you."

Yu thumped his chest and bowed again before turning and leaving.

After walking a dozen steps, he paused, as if he still had something to say.

But he only clenched his fists, and in the end, he didn't turn around.

……

The doors of the council chamber were open, and Qi sat in the main seat with a thick stack of documents spread out in front of him.

Xuan and the other elders stood on either side, and the atmosphere was much more relaxed than usual.

With the grand festival approaching, even the pace of the council chamber slowed down.

Qi handed over a roll of animal hide and reported earnestly:

"The personnel for each stage of the grand festival have been determined, and the supplies have arrived. Please verify."

"In addition... Yu volunteered to lead a group to guard the east side of the altar."

Qi's fingers, which were holding the animal hide, paused slightly. He didn't ask any further questions and simply nodded.

Just as he was about to lay out the intelligence report, Xuan, who was sitting to the side, suddenly put down the ceramic bowl, making a slight clinking sound.

"Qi, sit down and listen with me for a while."

Xuan's hair was completely white, and his face was deeply lined, but his eyes were still sharp, like the edge of a fire-quenched blade.

"After the grand ceremony," he pushed an open animal hide to the center, "the council chamber is ready to launch the expansion plan."

Development Plan —

The moment those four words were uttered, Qi's back straightened involuntarily by one point.

"The construction of sacred sites over the years has connected the four major provinces into one area."

"But the territory of the Xia Kingdom is only this big."

Xuan's gaze followed the movement of his fingertips, sweeping from east to west, and from south to north.

"What's outside? What else is outside?"

What races are there? What resources are available?

Are there dangers we are unaware of? Are there opportunities we have never encountered before?

As soon as he finished speaking, no one immediately echoed in the council hall.

The elders exchanged glances; some picked up their teacups and took a slow sip, while others tucked their hands into their sleeves.

The silence lasted only two breaths before an aged voice spoke first.

"Instead of sending our elite troops out to their deaths, we should first solidify our position at home."

"The sacred site isn't stable yet, and all the totem poles need maintenance. Where would we find the resources to run around outside?"

The words had barely left his mouth when someone answered the phone.

"Defend? Defend until how long?"

"Every step that the Xia Kingdom has taken to get to where it is today has been achieved through outward expansion."

"If we stay at home, things from outside won't get in?"

The two sides quickly started arguing, with more than a dozen elders each sticking to their own version of events, and neither side could convince the other.

"Alright, you're not young anymore, why are you so hot-tempered?"

Xuan tapped the table; his voice wasn't loud, but the council chamber fell silent instantly.

Everyone looked at this most prestigious elder in the Xia Kingdom.

"After the grand ceremony," Xuan began, his voice steady, "we will vote by offering sacrifices."

The two sides in the argument sat down together, picked up their teacups and drank water, as if nothing had happened.

Qi glanced at Xuan gratefully. Even the Grand Commander was helpless in front of all the elders.

"Next item..."

Qi sat at the end of the table, tapping her fingers lightly on her knees, without saying a word.

But when discussing the "expansion plan" just now, the rhythm of his fingers was noticeably faster.

When the council adjourned, the sun was already setting in the west.

Qi came out through the side door and walked out along the corridor.

"Qi." Xuan's voice came from behind. "Want to go explore?"

Qi paused for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Xuan laughed heartily, patted the young man on the shoulder, and slowly walked away.

……

Three miles outside the city lies a herb garden.

This garden was established by pharmacists from the western provinces, and it is planted entirely with rare medicinal herbs.

The gardener was an old man whose leg ailment had just been cured.

At this moment, he was sitting on the stone stool by the door, holding a palm-leaf fan in his hand, fanning himself idly.

As the sun began to set in the west, a cool breeze swept through the garden.

The old man yawned and was about to get up to add more oil to the lamp when he suddenly heard a rustling sound behind him.

The old man turned around and looked in the direction of the sound—

Deep in the fields, Wangyoulang slowly pulled his legs out of the mud.

Soil slid off the wooden surface of its legs, revealing the grayish-white, cracked bark underneath.

Its body swayed slightly, as if it were stretching its muscles and bones.

Suddenly, a seedling sprouted from its shoulder.

Ashoka.

The old man stared blankly as the flower bud slowly bloomed, its petals unfurling layer by layer to reveal the deep purple heart inside.

Deep within the flower's core, something seemed to be wriggling.

An invisible suction force surged from the flower's core, spreading outwards like ripples.

The herbs began to wither, withering in patches as if their life force had been drained away.

The old man opened his mouth, trying to shout, but found that no sound came out of his throat.

His body was also withering away, just like those herbs.

In his final moments, he saw the carefree plant satisfied.

The petals closed up, shrinking into a fist-sized bud, and then burrowed back into the wooden head.

Wangyoulang's stiff face twitched for a moment, and the crooked slit in his mouth slightly opened, as if he were smiling.

It raised its hand, touched its head, and made sure that "it" was settled.

The tree-man wrapped his cloak tighter around himself and put on his hood.

It glanced in the direction of the royal city, then strode out.

Behind him, the old man's eyes closed completely...

The autumn wind blows through the herb garden, sweeping up the withered grass and fallen leaves and sending them soaring into the sky.