Chapter 58: The Giant Tree

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Even if he kidnapped her and locked her up, it would be useless. She would eventually develop feelings of disgust and would no longer run to hug him happily like before.

Even though Nagu had regained her memory, Hamoyin still wanted to go to the village to see her. However, he ultimately retreated due to fear. He couldn’t imagine how Nagu would react to him or if she would simply ignore him.

Hamoyin sat silently on his simple wooden bed, still holding the pendant he had given to Nagu: “…”

For the past two days, he had been thinking about what Nagu had said to Duogaluo. She said she liked him and wouldn’t hate him, then she tore off the pendant and handed it to Duogaluo, saying not to return it to her but that she would come back to take it. Why did she say that? Why did she do that?

These actions seem very contradictory. It is entirely possible that they were just confused actions before Nagu regained her memory, but Hamoyin still has some hope. He wants to know if there could be any other reasons. What does it mean to wait for her return?

The pendant in his hand feels a bit rough, and Nagu’s hair is still wrapped around it. Hamoyin is reluctant to remove it and just lets it stay there. Will she come back? Is there still such a possibility after regaining her memory?

Hamoyin looked up at the window facing his wooden bed. Outside, there were lush green leaves and golden sunlight, just like the usual good weather. What is she doing in the village now? Is she with Duogaluo, or is she resting and sunbathing?

Since the conversation by the lake two days ago, Duogaluo has not come to see him again. He is probably busy planning things for Gongduo.

Originally, Hamoyin should have been planning with him, but now he has no mood at all. He hasn’t checked the traps around the house, and the roots and dried meat hanging outside must have been ruined by the heavy rain. The grass mat on the roof seems to be leaking as well.

But he just doesn’t have the energy to care, not even wanting to think about it. This feeling is like not being in the sun for a long time, and his mind is muddled and weak.

Hamoyin held his scales and fell back on the bed. Because of the force, he heard a few bottles at the head of the bed fall over. The crisp sound made him instinctively look over.

The row of bottles contained seeds he had collected earlier, and there was a larger reddish-brown clay bottle, which was the medicine Duogaluo brought him that could heal severed limbs. Hamoyin picked up the medicine bottle and examined it before putting it back on the bedside table. He didn’t want to apply it.

It was all because he was a monster, so Nagu would hate him after regaining her memory. Now, applying the medicine to regrow his tail was completely meaningless, and this was originally something Nagu hoped for. She didn’t want his old wounds to keep hurting…

Now, she probably doesn’t care about anything. Maybe she would be happier if he was in more pain.

What does she think of him now? After regaining her old memories, what about the memories of the time they spent together? The memories of her taking care of him when he was sick? She shouldn’t have forgotten, right? Or has she forgotten everything?

Thinking about it, Hamoyin became restless. He still wanted to see Nagu, to know if there was really no turning point.

“Is everything ready? By the way, where is the ox responsible for transporting the bodies? On top of… Okay, I got it. Let the other witches prepare for the escort.”

Duogaluo and a group of people were in the small square in the village. At this time, the square was crowded with people, all there to bid farewell to the deceased witch. Each of them needed to place a leaf picked in the morning on the witch’s body, which was considered the initial step of the ceremony.

It was just past noon, and their farewell procession needed to reach the resting place of the witch and the Mother Goddess before the sun turned orange. They would stay there for the entire night to hold the ceremony.

As the leader, Duogaluo had to go with them, so the village affairs were temporarily handed over to Gongduo and others.

“After I leave, if Hamoyin comes to the village, you must not keep him out, understand? This is the leader’s order.” Hamoyin had been quiet for the past few days, which made him somewhat worried. He initially thought Hamoyin would at least come to see Nagu within these two days, even though Nagu’s situation was hard to understand.

After regaining her memory, the girl’s personality was completely different from before. She became very dull and usually stayed quietly in a corner of the room without speaking, occasionally suddenly crying out.

Duogaluo found it difficult to communicate with Nagu. Although she tried to respond, her body was always trembling. Only when she was with the women in the village did she seem somewhat calm.

Perhaps she was triggered by memories of past events. Duogaluo believed that Nagu was still recovering after regaining her memory and that she would be fine after some time.

So, it might be good that she hadn’t interacted with Hamoyin these past few days. When Nagu’s condition stabilizes, they can find a way to let them meet…

“I think it’s better not to let the monster into the village while the leader is away,” Gongduo said, following Duogaluo. Since the old witch’s death, he had been somewhat panicked. Although the other witches said the old woman died naturally, he felt guilty.

The sudden escape of the second monster must have aroused Azuran’s suspicion. The first time could be attributed to a lapse in supervision, but for it to happen again after strengthening the guard seemed too coincidental. So, Gongduo always felt that Azuran might have discovered something.

“Hamoyin poses no threat to us,” Duogaluo glanced at Gondo. “If he were a threat, the chief wouldn’t have kept him in the territory all this time, don’t you think?”

Gongduo didn’t respond, just frowned, and looked at the women decorating the oxen. Among them was a white figure, the girl Duogaluo had brought back. She was helping a middle-aged woman tie colorful stones to the ox’s horns.

Duogaluo also noticed Gongduo staring at Nagu and instinctively blocked his view. “Don’t look at the young girl. Even if she grows up, she won’t choose you.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Gongduo withdrew his gaze. “I was just thinking that the girl named Nagu used to take care of the old witch, right?”

“The witch died of natural causes. She was at that age,” Duogaluo knew what Gongduo meant. He suspected that Nagu might have done something. “Do you suspect her?”

“I just want to confirm if that’s really the case.”

After saying this, Gongduo left with two men to prepare other things at the village gate.

After saying this, Gongduo left with two men to prepare other things at the village gate, leaving Duogaluo alone, thoughtfully watching Nagu’s back. In his opinion, if Gongduo had his eye on someone, it was definitely not a good thing. Although Gongduo would regret hurting his fellow villagers, he would not show any mercy when doing so, especially since Nagu was not originally a woman from their tribe. He might individually question Nagu when he left for the witch’s burial. Previously, it was okay because Nagu was not as dazed as she is now. She knew how to escape or seek help from Hamoyin. But now, Nagu is so dull and wooden. What if she still remembered the plans she had discussed with Hamoyin and told Gongduo about them?

Thinking about this, Duogaluo took the opportunity to approach Nagu while the women were resting after decorating the oxen. “Can you come and talk to me alone?”

He invited the girl, but she looked nervously at the other women. “I… want to stay here.”

“The leader is calling you, so go.”

“Yes, just say a few words.”

The women, unaware of the matters between Nagu and Duogaluo, laughed and pushed her towards Duogaluo.

Due to Duogaluo’s status as the leader, Nagu eventually lowered her head and followed him to a secluded corner of the square. “Leader…”

“I know you’ve been very confused these past few days, but there are some crucial things I want you to understand.” To avoid alarming Nagu, Duogaluo spoke as gently as possible. “Someone in the village suspects you. I think he will come to you alone after I leave.”

Nagu looked up nervously. “Who? Who will come to me?”

“Gongduo, my brother. He thinks you are related to the witch’s death.”

“I… I don’t know anything…” The girl shook her head in panic, her eyes reddening again. “Please, I beg you, I just want to live peacefully.”

“Don’t cry,” Duogaluo sighed. “I’m here to discuss with you how to ensure you can live peacefully. This time, when we send off the witch, you should come with me. Although this might make Gongduo suspicious, it’s better than facing him alone.”

Nagu looked at Duogaluo gratefully. “Thank you… thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome. Now, wait at the gate, cover yourself with something, and I’ll take you out.”

Nagu obediently followed his instructions. When the oxen team was ready to leave with the witches and bodies, she stood in an inconspicuous spot at the gate and was taken out by Duogaluo.

Along the way, Duogaluo didn’t speak, and she kept her head down in silence. Finally, as the sun began to set, the oxen team reached their destination. Not far in front of them was a giant, terrifying tree. Unlike other trees that grow upwards, the branches of this giant tree, after reaching a certain height, seemed to be overwhelmed and began to droop to the ground. This growth pattern made it look like a natural green cave.

Pushing aside the dense, rain-like branches hanging to the ground, the oxen team slowly advanced towards the trunk. The further they went, the fewer drooping branches there were, and the space took on a peculiar arch shape. The sunlight, which was about to disappear, still struggled to shine through the gaps in the giant tree, creating a somewhat dazzling golden glow around them.

Strangely, the previously noisy rainforest became completely silent as they entered the tree’s canopy, with only the sound of hooves stepping on the muddy leaves.

The witches at the front began to murmur something, and the oxen team’s pace slowed down, each step feeling like they were moving through water.

At this moment, Nagu noticed some bluish-gray square stones protruding from the dense grass around them. Closer to the trunk, there was even a half-collapsed stone wall covered in moss. Gradually, more stone walls appeared around them, as if a city were buried beneath the grass.

Duogaluo and the others at the back stopped after advancing a certain distance, leaving only the witches to continue towards the giant tree with the bodies.

The waiting time was long. Except for Duogaluo, the others dismounted from the oxen and looked for flat, dry places to sleep.

“Do you want to find a place to rest?” Duogaluo turned to the girl who was observing the surroundings. “We will stay here tonight.”

“Okay…”

Upon receiving the answer, Duogaluo jumped off the ox and reached out to lift Nagu down. He found a place far from the others to rest so he could ask Nagu some questions without being overheard. However, Nagu was visibly uneasy about being away from the crowd.

“Can’t we go over and be with everyone else?”

“No, because I need to ask you some questions. I let you rest for a few days, but today, I must ask you because these matters are important to me, to you, and to all our people.” Duogaluo looked at the girl seriously.

“Do you remember the things I discussed with Hamoyin?”

The mention of Hamoyin’s name made the girl stiffen. She shook her head vigorously. “I… I don’t know… I don’t know anything. Please don’t make me go back to the monster, I beg you.”

“No one is asking you to go back. I just want to make sure what you remember.” Duogaluo felt frustrated by Nagu’s vague answers. “If you accidentally let something slip, the consequences could be dire.”

The girl choked back a sob and covered her face with her hands. “I don’t know anything…”

“Really?”

“I don’t know… please.”

“…Sigh.” Duogaluo realized that continuing to ask would probably not yield any other answers. He silently stared at the stones at his hand while Nagu quietly sobbed beside him.

When it was completely dark, Duogaluo took Nagu back to where the others were. They had already started a fire, and when they saw Duogaluo return, they handed him some food. However, unexpectedly, the cow that the witches had ridden into the depths of the giant tree came back. It mooed and wandered around them.

“I’ll go in and take a look.” A young man stood up and mounted the cow.

“If anything happens, I’ll report back immediately.” Duogaluo nodded. The young man left and soon returned with a strange expression on his face.

“Leader…”

“What? What happened inside?” Duogaluo stood up, ready to enter the depths of the giant tree, but the young man stopped him.

“It’s nothing serious, just that the witches asked me to inform you that a bottomless hole has appeared in the place where the previous witches were buried as if someone had dug it up. Other than that, there’s nothing else.”

“…Who did it?” No one dared to dig up the witch’s body because, after death, the witch’s body was given to the Mother Goddess. It belonged to the Mother Goddess, and digging up the witch’s body was considered stealing from the Mother Goddess. Everyone knew what the consequences would be.

“I don’t know, but the witches said they would start investigating after the ceremony and asked us to go inside together when the sun rises tomorrow morning.”

“Alright.” Duogaluo felt something was strange, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. For now, he could only wait until morning.

After chatting with the others for a while, Duogaluo finally felt a bit sleepy. Nagu, who was sitting next to him, had already started dozing off, hugging her legs. The others arranged the night watch order and went to sleep one by one.

Just as Duogaluo was about to sleep, he heard footsteps in the distance. Due to his enhanced hearing from several rituals, he was much more sensitive than others. He immediately sat up and looked towards the outer area of the giant tree.

Only the small circle of light from the burning dry wood was visible, while the distant areas were almost pitch black. The footsteps sounded hesitant and didn’t come closer. After a while, they started to move away.

Duogaluo frowned and stood up, leaving the sleeping people behind and walking towards the dark area beyond the firelight. If he wasn’t mistaken, those footsteps sounded very much like…

“Hamoyin.”

After his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Duogaluo saw the man he hadn’t seen for a few days. “Why are you here?”

“I went to the village during the day to look for Nagu but couldn’t find her,” Hamoyin hesitated before speaking. “Then I remembered today is the witch’s burial day, so you might have brought her along.”

Hamoyin looked past Duogaluo at the girl sleeping by the fire in the distance. Her appearance was still the same as he remembered, exactly the same. “Is she… better?”

“I don’t know.” Duogaluo scratched his head in frustration. “She has become very sensitive, speaks slowly, and always cries. By the way, did you come here to talk to her?”

Hamoyin didn’t answer, just stared blankly at Nagu in the distance.

Duogaluo thought for a moment and decided to bring Nagu to see Hamoyin. “Stay here and don’t move. I’ll bring her over.”

“No need.” Although he said this, Hamoyin still wanted to hear Nagu speak. “I…”

“Try it.” Duogaluo patted Hamoyin’s shoulder, interrupting him. “Although I think there’s a good chance she’ll scream when she sees you, don’t get your hopes up.”

In the end, Hamoyin agreed. He stood in place, watching Duogaluo walk back to the fire, wake up the still-sleeping Nagu, and slowly lead her toward the darkness.

“Who?” Nagu rubbed her eyes, looking very confused in the pitch black. “I can’t see.”

In fact, Hamoyin was standing just an arm’s length away from her. He wanted to call Nagu’s name, but his throat was unbearably dry. “…”

She had regained her memory and remembered every day she was abused and forced by the monster. Standing in front of her as a monster was just a reminder of her past experiences, wasn’t it?

Thinking this, Hamoyin began to retreat. Nagu heard the footsteps and nervously clutched Duogaluo’s arm. “Who is it? Who did you bring me to see?”

“…It’s Hamoyin.” Duogaluo felt a bit guilty seeing the two of them like this. If he hadn’t encouraged Nagu to stay in the human territory, she might not have suddenly regained her memory like this.

“Hamoyin?” Nagu repeated blankly, and then her expression gradually turned to fear. “I-I don’t want… I don’t want to be with the monster!”

Duogaluo quickly covered Nagu’s mouth to prevent her from shouting louder. “It’s just a meeting. He’s already leaving. He’s already gone.”

Hamoyin had indeed turned to leave, but he heard the words ‘don’t want to be with the monster.’

What he thought before was right. Hearing Nagu say those words was as painful as death. He regretted impulsively coming to find Nagu today, but he really wanted to see her…

His steps quickened, and soon, the fire and the humans were out of sight. No matter how fast he walked, he couldn’t forget the fear on Nagu’s face when she saw him.

She really…

“Wait, wait…!”

She really…

“Hamoyin!”

The man stopped abruptly. Although faint, he heard a female voice calling from far behind him.

“Wait for me…”

The voice got closer, and Hamoyin, for some reason, stood still. He had never heard this voice before and didn’t know who would chase after him at this time.

Finally, the voice was close enough, and Hamoyin saw a small, thin figure stumbling over the uneven ground covered in mud. The face… he had never seen it before. It wasn’t someone he knew; there had never been such a girl in the tribe.

“Who?” Hamoyin had already gripped the bone knife at his waist.

The girl clumsily climbed over a protruding tree root. “It’s me!”

Hamoyin still frowned and didn’t let go of the knife.

“It’s me, Nagu!” The muddy girl crawled to Hamoyin’s feet. “I came to find you!”