Vol. 2 - Chapter 407 - Tree of Life

“You need to explain yourself. What exactly is going on here?”

“Why did this earthquake happen out of nowhere? You knew about this, didn’t you?”

Zhang Nu questioned Lin Xiao furiously, his voice sharp and demanding. Lin Xiao nodded calmly, confirming that he indeed knew.

This wasn’t an earthquake. The tremors were caused by the fall of the Tree of Life.  The village’s prosperity and longevity were entirely due to the existence of the Tree of Life. It was the source of the village chief’s divination abilities and his power to predict fortune and misfortune. It had enabled the village to thrive for generations.

But this secret was known only to a select few within the village. Lin Xiao, however, had let the secret slip, albeit unintentionally, to someone outside. He hadn’t anticipated the full consequences of his actions.

Still, Lin Xiao wasn’t bothered. After all, the village’s demise wasn’t his doing. Even if blame was to be assigned, it wouldn’t fall on him.

“I assume you don’t know,” Lin Xiao began, his tone laced with mockery.  “This village has thrived for so long because of the Tree of Life.”

Zhang Nu and Liu Hai exchanged confused glances at the mention of the Tree of Life. They had never heard of it but could sense its importance.

“What do you mean by that?” Liu Hai asked.  “What is the Tree of Life?”

Lin Xiao initially seemed disinterested in answering but, perhaps due to his current mood, decided to enlighten them.

“As expected, you’re clueless about this,” he said with a sneer.  “But that’s fine. Let me explain it to you slowly.”

“The Tree of Life is the very thing that has allowed this village to endure for so long. It’s the source of the village chief’s mystical abilities.”

“If the Tree of Life is gone, you can imagine the consequences.”

Zhang Nu’s expression darkened. He stepped back in shock, realizing just how vital the Tree of Life was.

“Someone actually targeted the Tree of Life?” Zhang Nu asked, his voice trembling.  “Don’t they realize how devastating this is for the village?”

"Why did you already know about this and not try to stop it?"

Lin Xiao found Zhang Nu's question utterly baffling. Even if he had known in advance, what difference would it have made? The people of this village had never treated him well. Why should he care about them? From his perspective, it didn’t seem fair to expect him to act otherwise.

"Yes, I did know about this," Lin Xiao admitted, his tone calm but unapologetic. “You’re acting like this has something to do with me. Even if I knew about it beforehand, why should I have stopped it?”

“This village and its people have never treated me kindly. Why should I care about their well-being? They’ve reaped what they’ve sown.” Lin Xiao’s words were calm, but the venom in them was unmistakable.

“The Tree of Life’s destruction doesn’t mean the end of the village. It just means the village chief loses his ability to predict fortune and misfortune. If the villagers can stand on their own, they’ll survive just fine.”

Zhang Nu clenched his fists, his frustration evident. Lin Xiao wasn’t wrong, but the reality was that the villagers had grown excessively reliant on the chief’s powers. They had lost the ability to think and act independently.

If the chief truly lost his abilities now, the village’s survival was in serious jeopardy.

Zhang Nu suddenly understood why the village chief was so adamant about barring outsiders. Outsiders were a real threat—not just to the village, but to its very foundation.

“You’re terrifying,” Zhang Nu said, his voice low but filled with intensity.  “To know all this and say nothing… I didn’t expect you to be this cold-blooded.”

Lin Xiao chuckled, his laughter carrying a hint of malice. He seemed almost pleased with Zhang Nu’s assessment.

“Don’t you find it intriguing?” Lin Xiao asked.  “What do you think the villagers will do when the chief loses his powers? How will they react when they realize he can no longer protect them?”

Both Zhang Nu and Liu Hai’s faces turned pale at Lin Xiao’s words.  They could already imagine what Lin Xiao meant. The villagers, who had grown utterly dependent on the chief, would inevitably turn on him. They would blame him for every misfortune, every failure. All the villagers’ frustrations and anger would be directed at the chief, and no one would defend him.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai looked at each other. They both knew there wasn’t a moment to waste.