EBE Chapter 4 An Encounter with the Willow Tree Spirit
Chapter 4 An Encounter with the Willow Tree Spirit
Having finally cultivated this wisp of Qi, Lin Yue eagerly awaited the next guidance from the remnant soul Xueyang. The remnant soul Xueyang did not disappoint her, and began to carefully teach her how to concentrate and calm her mind.
"Lin Yue, you must clear your mind of all distractions and focus your attention entirely on this wisp of energy, feeling its flow and presence." The voice of the remnant soul Xueyang echoed in Lin Yue's mind, patient and steady.
Next, the remnant soul Xueyang taught Lin Yue how to use this wisp of energy to draw talismans. "When drawing talismans, the energy follows your heart, and the brush moves at will. Every stroke must be infused with your mind and the power of this wisp of energy." Lin Yue listened attentively, her brush moving slowly in accordance with the remnant soul Xueyang's instructions.
Not only that, the remnant soul Xueyang also taught Lin Yue how to use this wisp of energy to observe this microscopic world. "When you mobilize this wisp of energy and concentrate your mind, the wondrous scenes of the microscopic world will appear before your eyes." Lin Yue tried to do as the remnant soul Xueyang said, and gradually, wondrous scenes that she had never seen before appeared in her eyes, and she couldn't help but marvel at them.
Meanwhile, the remnant soul Xueyang slowly taught Lin Yue to shut down her five senses. "Shutting down your five senses doesn't mean losing your perception of the world, but rather teaching you to use your divine sense to explore, examine, and observe it." Lin Yue initially found it very confusing and difficult, but under the constant guidance of the remnant soul Xueyang, she gradually grasped the key points.
At first, Lin Yue couldn't control it well. She either had incomplete shutting down of her five senses or felt confused and disoriented when trying to observe with her divine sense. But she didn't give up. She practiced again and again, constantly adjusting her state and mindset.
Finally, after countless attempts and efforts, Lin Yue gradually became proficient at shutting down her five senses and using her divine sense to perceive everything around her. She discovered that the world she observed with her divine sense was completely different from what she had previously understood through her five senses; it was richer, more detailed, and full of unknown mysteries.
Guided by the remnant soul Xueyang, Lin Yue went further and further on the path of cultivation, constantly exploring those wondrous realms that were once out of reach.
~~ ...
One weekend, the sun shone particularly warmly, and a gentle breeze blew by. Lin Yue decided to take her three children out for some fresh air, to enjoy the beautiful time, and to let the children soak up the sun and feel the embrace of nature.
The family worked together to pull their outdoor gear, camping supplies, and picnic food from home, and set off with great enthusiasm. They found a relatively wide lawn, where the grass was lush and green, and the view was unobstructed, like a natural paradise.
The children, excitedly carrying kites, ran joyfully across the lawn, their laughter echoing in the air. Their little faces were rosy with excitement and joy, and their eyes sparkled. Lin Yue watched the children playing happily, a blissful smile spreading across her face.
She and Gong Yong sat beneath the canopy, setting up a small stove and brewing a pot of fragrant tea. They sat facing each other, a gentle breeze ruffling their hair. In this tranquil and beautiful atmosphere, they began to chat, sharing anecdotes from their lives, discussing their children's growth, and dreaming of a bright future.
Sunlight bathed them, bringing a warm glow. The aroma of tea wafted through the air, their words were soft, and in that moment, time seemed to stand still, only their tenderness and love flowing gently between them. Everything around them seemed so peaceful and harmonious, as if the entire world had shrunk to just their happy family.
Colorful kites floated in the sky, and children's laughter echoed across the grass. Under the sky, Lin Yue and Gong Yong chatted warmly and contentedly. This weekend became an incredibly precious memory for them, making them cherish their ordinary yet happy lives even more.
It was on this warm afternoon that their ordinary and beautiful life was shattered by a sudden external factor. Lin Yue always kept in mind the advice of the remnant soul Xueyang: before she had a skill sufficient to protect herself, she needed to carefully "hide" her existence. The so-called "hiding" meant that she must never let anyone know about the existence of the remnant soul Xueyang, including the methods he taught and the various secrets of cultivation. Even Gong Yong, her husband, although he had noticed that his wife had been busy cultivating for the past few months, had never made a move or asked a single question.
As the afternoon sun gently bathed the lawn, Lin Yue led Xiao Bao by the hand across a small bridge. A babbling brook flowed beneath, its clear, melodious sound filling the air. Neat rows of willows lined both banks. These must have been carefully planted by the government to protect the environment; a gentle breeze stirred the willow branches, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
She and her youngest son were walking along the riverbank, she was enthusiastically telling him about her childhood experiences catching crabs and shrimp in the river, her face beaming with excitement, and the child was listening intently. Suddenly, her senses sharpened, and she sensed something moving. At first, she thought it was a snake or a rat, and fearing she would frighten the child, she immediately picked him up. Then she looked closer and realized, no, it wasn't a snake. What was moving then? Filled with fear, she dared not approach. However, the moving thing seemed somewhat like a willow branch, yet it kept running towards her, as if constantly getting closer. She stood frozen, holding her child, her eyes fixed on what was in front of her, and saw two legs sprouting from the bottom of a willow branch, and then a branch with three leaves on its head, running straight towards her.
Lin Yue's heart raced instantly, and her breathing became rapid. She held her child tightly, unsure of what terrible things might happen next.
The willow branch—or rather, the little willow tree spirit—suddenly stopped as it ran past Lin Yue, its face filled with astonishment. It realized Lin Yue could see it, and the fear in its tiny eyes magnified.
"How can this human see me?"
"Humans couldn't see me before!" it murmured incredulously.
The little willow tree spirit circled Lin Yue three times, muttering to itself:
"You can see me? Are you sure you can see me?" The voice sounded like that of a three-year-old, a mix of a girl's clear tone and a boy's childish innocence. It tilted its head, its small, short fingers, shaped like five willow leaves, on its hips, its body swaying back and forth as it continued to press on:
"Can you see me?"
How can you see me?
How can mortals see me?
Ordinary people couldn't see me before.
Holding her child, Lin Yue was somewhat taken aback by the sudden appearance of the little willow tree spirit. She didn't know how to answer the little creature's barrage of questions. The little willow tree spirit's eyes were wide open, full of doubt and confusion, as if Lin Yue's ability to see it was an utterly incredible thing. Its small body swayed in front of Lin Yue, the willow branches gently moving with its movements, as if expressing its inner unease and bewilderment.
Lin Yue frantically called out in her mind, "Remnant Soul Xueyang, Xueyang, wake up, wake up! I saw a small willow tree, look at it, what's going on? How can I see him? How can he see me? Come out for a moment, come out for a moment."
Her heart was filled with tension and panic, and her grip on the child tightened unconsciously. The call in her mind grew stronger, hoping that the remnant soul Xueyang could quickly give her an answer and tell her how to deal with this incomprehensible situation.
At this moment, Lin Yue was in a state of utter confusion. She didn't know what the appearance of this little willow tree spirit meant, nor whether being able to see it was a blessing or a curse. The surrounding air seemed to become heavy as she anxiously awaited the response from the remnant soul Xueyang, fine beads of sweat even appearing on her forehead.
The child seemed to sense its mother's unease in her arms and shifted its body a few times. Lin Yue comforted the child while repeatedly calling out to the remnant soul Xueyang in her heart, hoping to receive guidance soon and find a clue in this terrifying situation.
"No, no, no," Lin Yue thought frantically. "He said that animals and plants can't become spirits after the founding of the People's Republic of China. What's going on?" Her mind was full of doubts, like a tangled mess that she couldn't sort out.
Moreover, he had only just cultivated a wisp of Qi, had just been able to concentrate his mind, and had only just begun to project his five senses to perceive the outside world. How could he have so coincidentally encountered this little willow tree spirit?
"He won't kill me, will he? He won't silence me, will he? I have a child with me, what am I going to do?" Lin Yue became more and more frightened as she thought about it, fear surging into her heart like an icy tide. Her face turned deathly pale, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
"Xueyang, come out quickly! Xueyang, come out quickly!" Lin Yue cried out frantically in her heart, her voice almost choked with sobs. At this moment, she placed all her hopes on the remnant soul Xueyang, hoping that he would appear immediately and help her resolve this sudden crisis.
The child seemed to sense its mother's extreme fear and burst into tears. Lin Yue gently patted the child's back to try to comfort it while keeping her eyes fixed on the little willow tree spirit in front of her, not daring to relax for a moment, and in her heart, she urged Xue Yang to show himself quickly.
Lin Yue said in a fearful voice, "Hello, it seems like I can see you."
The little willow tree spirit blinked and said, "No one has ever seen me before. I was only born recently." The little willow tree spirit tilted its head, looking very serious.
Lin Yue composed herself and asked him, "You're so cute, how old are you this year?"
The willow tree spirit tilted its head, circled Lin Yue three times, and then asked, "How old is the little baby you're holding?"
Lin Yue replied, "My little one is two and a half years old."
"Oh, two and a half years old." The little willow tree spirit said thoughtfully, "How do we little willow tree spirits determine our age?"
Lin Yue said, "Oh, you also mentioned that I remember taking a science class when I was little, and we talked about tree rings. Trees have annual rings, one ring for each year, which is how you trees age, right?"
Lin Yue nodded seriously. The little willow tree spirit thought for a moment and said, "It seems so. But I'm just a tree stump. I'm so many years old, I can't even count them all."
Lin Yue said, "Then why are you so small?"
The little willow tree spirit shook the three leaves on its head and said, "I don't know, I only recently gained sentience." It spread its five fingers and counted the willow leaves again and again, then said, "It seems like only three years. I've been running around around here for three years, and as you humans say, I ate the peach fruit from that tree next to me three times, so it should be three years." "I only have three leaves on my head too, which means I'm only three years old," the little willow tree spirit said excitedly.
At this moment, Lin Yue's fear lessened slightly. Looking at the innocent little willow tree spirit before her, she couldn't help but feel a bit curious. The little willow tree spirit, in turn, opened its bright eyes and curiously observed Lin Yue and the child in her arms.
The remnant soul of Xueyang was swirling inside Lin Yue's mind. Where had Lin Yue entered? Why was she blocking me?! I could hear her cries for help, but why couldn't she hear what I was saying? Please, please don't let anything happen to me! I finally managed to wake up, but if I fall back into slumber, how many tens of thousands of years will it take before I wake up again?