"This is no ordinary tree," Gao Jilin remarked. "Countless people have come to it seeking the Dao and asking for omens. How immense must its gathered force of vows be?"
Old Ge added, "Legend has it that although Venerable Muling passed into meditation, a wisp of his divine sense merged into the Dao-Seeking Tree. That's why it holds the power to divine good and bad fortune."
Jiang Tao was skeptical. "That works?"
"Haven't you heard the saying, 'One's mortal form rests with the mountain hills'?" Old Ge could recite these lines backward. "If you can merge with the mountain hills, you can merge with a giant tree. Any problem with that?"
Everyone agreed the tour guide was right—no problem at all.
He Lingchuan scratched his head. The mysteries of the world were beyond mortal comprehension.
At last, their turn in line arrived. Entering the grotto beneath the roots, they discovered an entirely different world within.
The cavern was vast and open. The gap overhead was indeed remarkably smooth—who knew, perhaps it truly had been sheared away by an immortal's sword all those years ago.
Fluorescent spores were arranged throughout the cavern, illuminating every detail within.
The main roots of the Dao-Seeking Tree were anchored right inside the cavern, boring through rock deep into the mountain, plunging downward to unknown depths. After bursting forth from the cave, the tree had grown taller and taller, sending down aerial roots that grew thick and sturdy until they wrapped around the outer grotto, creating today's wondrous spectacle.
Because of this, the deep-rooted floor of the cavern formed a low basin. Rain and dew trickled down the trunk, collecting among the roots into a limpid pool deep enough to submerge at least two men.
Fluorescent spores floated and bobbed in the water as well, though the deep waters remained pitch-black.
Tourists were packed inside, encircling the banyan pool in layers three deep and three out. Yet although the colossal tree had numerous roots, only a dozen or so stretched across or extended out of the pool where people could touch them, so only a dozen or so visitors could divine their fortunes at any given moment.
Everyone else had to queue up behind them.
On Tianji Peak, there was no such thing as an off-season for tourism—only peak season and peakier season.
Everyone was curious: "How does the divination work?"
Old Ge pointed to the other tourists. "Follow their lead: press one hand against a root and silently recite the matter you wish to ask. That establishes contact with the spirit tree. Then prick your fingertip for a drop of blood and flick it into the pool."
He Lingchuan looked over; the other tourists seemed to be doing just that. However, some were too slow and took up too much time, drawing impatient urging from the line behind them.
From above, leaves fell from time to time, swirling down to float on the pool's surface and drifting straight toward the tourists.
This was remarkably uncanny: every tourist seeking an omen inevitably received a leaf.
"A green leaf means good fortune; a red leaf means misfortune."
Was it really that simple and crude? Gao Jilin asked in surprise, "Can it only tell good or bad fortune?"
If leaves were the answer, it was strictly one or the other.
"What else did you expect?" Old Ge chuckled. "It's a tree! Not a human—it can't talk to you."
Jiang Tao pointed to a leaf drifting past his eyes and asked, "Then what does this mean?"
This leaf was half green and half red, and the tourist standing across from it looked utterly bewildered.
"That means it could be either good or bad," Old Ge said. Having guided hundreds, if not a thousand, visitors here, he was half a diviner himself. "It all depends on how the person acts going forward."
He Lingchuan couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.
Last time at the Xianling Lake Shrine divination, even though the Turtle Spirit had drawn the worst lot for him, there had at least been poetic lines on the lot to interpret.
This time was even more absolute—the answer was practically reduced to just yes or no.
Since this was "seeking the Dao," what question should he ask?
A visitor pointed at the water. "The leaf is sinking."
Old Ge gave an affirmative grunt. "After the divination, if the visitor doesn't take the leaf away, it sinks to the bottom. Otherwise, the surface would be choked with leaves, and no one would know whose omen was whose."
"Where do the leaves sink to?"
"Perhaps they drift away with the current, or perhaps the roots absorb them," Old Ge countered. "Haven't you heard the saying, 'Fallen leaves return to their roots'?"
Jiang Tao's eyes glinted. "The queue is moving too slowly. Can't we just jump in the water and touch the roots?"
"No," Old Ge gave him a sideways glare. "Think you're clever? People tried that before—it doesn't work! The Dao-Seeking Tree completely ignores people like that!"
He pointed toward the trunk. "In the past, someone who jumped into the water failed to get an answer, so he drew a knife to carve into the trunk. As a result, the guards pinned him with pitchforks, dragged him out, and threw him straight off Tianji Peak!"
He Lingchuan was speechless. Casual vandalism here was a capital offense?
Vicious people required vicious handling. Old Ge sneered, "Order! They value order here!"
"The best part is, the moment that fellow was forked away, a leaf fell from the Dao-Seeking Tree—bright blood-red!"
Thrown off the mountain, how could he survive? Of course it was great misfortune!
After queuing for nearly an hour, it was finally their tour group's turn.
Jiang Tao went first. Placing his hand on the great tree, he murmured softly and dripped his blood. Sure enough, a leaf drifted over—green.
"Good fortune!" He snapped his fingers eagerly. "Awesome!"
Another visitor, however, looked ashen. "Red... it's red!"
The leaf he scooped up was so red it seemed ready to bleed.
"Oof, that bad? You're in for a bloody calamity soon." Old Ge instantly pulled a fistful of talismans from his waist. "How about a protective talisman? Consecrated right in Chongyang Hall! Saving your life in a crisis is worth more than anything."
He Lingchuan shot him a look of disdain.
This guy had prepared this in advance, hadn't he? And the price was bound to be extortionate.
The visitor was pale. "Does this tree... does it divine accurately?"
"Didn't I tell you? Who can say for certain in matters like this?" Old Ge patted his shoulder. "Still, you had some premonition in your heart, didn't you?"
"I... I... sigh..." The visitor made a bitter face. "There really is something that's been troubling me, but I didn't think the outcome would be so dire!"
"Here, here, let's ward off the calamity." Old Ge looped a protective talisman over the man's neck.
The visitor handed over money without a second thought.
If parting with coin could avert disaster, who would dare be stingy?
"Once you go back, tread carefully. There might be a turn for the better."
The visitor clung to this like a drowning man clutching a straw. "Can this calamity be avoided?!"
Old Ge comforted him, "Perhaps!"
Nearby, Gao Jilin was also divining. This time, a small part of the leaf was faintly red, but most of it was glossy emerald green.
His expression was quite a spectacle. "Either good or bad?"
He Lingchuan looked at it and chuckled, "The way I see it, it depends on how you handle things going forward. Handle it well, great fortune; handle it poorly, minor misfortune."
The others nodded in agreement.
Don't be fooled by there being only red and green leaves; the depth and shades of color seemed to carry nuance as well, far from being as straightforward as they looked at first glance.
He Lingchuan rested his hand against the root and silently framed a question:
"If I keep walking the path I've chosen, will it bring fortune or misfortune, life or death?"
Because the spirit tree likely possessed the ability to read thoughts, he dared not frame it too explicitly, not daring to mention words like the Dafang Pot, Panlong City, or opposing Beijia.
Yet He Lingchuan truly wanted to know. After all, every predecessor who had walked this path had laid down their life for the Dao.
To say he had never felt apprehensive would be a lie.
The blood dripped down. The others waited along with He Lingchuan.
Five breaths passed.
Fifteen breaths passed.
The leaves that drifted over all went to others; in front of He Lingchuan, there was nothing at all.
What was going on? He Lingchuan scratched his head. Could the computational load have been too heavy, causing the spirit tree to crash?
Waiting a while longer, still no leaf drifted his way.
Jiang Tao wondered aloud, "What's going on? Did you even ask a question?"
"I did." Why else would he have come in? He Lingchuan asked Old Ge, "Has this ever happened before?"
"Uh..." The gibbon rubbed his forehead too. "I have no recollection of such a thing."
The Dao-Seeking Tree had always been diligent. Its divination results were not necessarily accurate, but they were swift. Otherwise, over so many years and with so many tourists on Tianji Peak, how could it ever have kept up?
The tourists waiting in line behind them grew impatient: "Do you know what you're doing or not?"
"If you can't figure it out, step aside! There are still so many people behind you!"
Old Ge whipped around with a roar: "Shut up! What's the rush, rushing to your next incarnation? Will waiting a few more breaths make you wet your pants?!"
The moment he bared his fangs, his face turned ferocious, and paired with the two sturdy shanxiao behind him, his appearance practically screamed, *Don't mess with me.*
Thus the tourists behind didn't dare argue, merely muttering under their breath. Old Ge was thick-skinned and naturally paid them no mind.
At that moment, a leaf finally drifted toward He Lingchuan.
A red leaf.
No, more accurately, it was golden-red, its hue as brilliant as the sunset clouds blazing across the evening sky.
Moreover, the waxy surface of the leaf was smooth and even, reflecting a metallic luster.
"Huh?" Was this really for him? He Lingchuan sidestepped two paces.
To his surprise, the current shifted, and the leaf still drifted straight toward him.
He could only reach out and pinch the leaf, giving it a wave toward Old Ge. "What does this mean?"
The ape's face was just as blank. "Never heard of such a thing."
Having guided thousands of tourists, he had never seen the Dao-Seeking Tree produce a leaf like this.
"Does the Dao-Seeking Tree not drop yellow leaves?"
"It drops them, but they sink the moment they hit the water; they never drift to us," Old Ge pointed at the water. "Look."
By now, the other guests in the tour had seized the moment to divine their fortunes. He Lingchuan observed closely and indeed saw that the alpine banyan frequently shed yellow leaves, but once they touched the water, they spun around and sank immediately, never lingering on the surface, let alone floating to a visitor.
Thus, the golden-red leaf in He Lingchuan's hand was truly a rarity. Nearby tourists crowded in to look, clucking their tongues in wonder.
There were many locals who had brought friends and relatives to divine fortunes, and they all chimed in, "Rare, so rare! Never seen anyone receive a leaf like that!"
The two guards inside the grotto were also stirred by the commotion. They came over for a look, and upon noticing the yellow leaf, asked He Lingchuan for his name and address. The latter readily supplied a fake name and a fake address.
The two were merely following protocol; upon hearing the answer, they stepped back with wooden faces and returned to their posts without another question.
Dealing with so many noisy visitors day in and day out, they had long since learned to empty their minds and not bother thinking too much about anything.
At this point, a visitor in his fifties remarked, "I heard someone got one before."
As soon as he spoke, the surrounding chatter ceased, and everyone turned to ask, "Who? Who else received one?"
"The current General Qingwu—General Hong! But I heard he got a yellow leaf; I don't know if it was golden-red like this."
He Lingchuan's heart stirred. Hong Chenglüe had received a yellow leaf from the Dao-Seeking Tree as well?
Gao Jilin spoke up, "Are you sure?"
"How could I be sure?" The man waved his hands repeatedly. "Just hearsay, that's all!"
Since there was no definitive answer, the grotto soon returned to its usual crowded clamor.
Other tourists flocked over upon hearing the news, wanting to buy the golden-red leaf from He Lingchuan as a collectible, offering five taels for it.
Chapter 577