Chapter 38

Zhou Mingyue walked in the mountains for more than half an hour before finally arriving at the river where she had found the golden ring. Standing by the river, she glanced at the water, then quickly pulled the ring out of her pocket and threw it into the river. When the ring hit the water, it caused a small splash.

Frowning, Zhou Mingyue stood there, watching the ring sink before slowly removing her shoes. She rolled up her pants and stepped into the river. Reaching into the water, she retrieved the ring, took a deep breath, and silently prayed.

She hoped that the next time she entered the space, it would be a lush and green landscape instead of the endless barren desert she despised. She longed for a lively, vibrant scene rather than the lifeless expanse she had seen before. Clutching the ring tightly, she closed her eyes, stood still for a few seconds, and then suddenly opened them. Slowly, she slipped the ring onto her finger, closed her eyes again, and quickly entered the space.

But the scene in the space shocked her. Previously, the desert in her space stretched endlessly in all directions. Now, however, it had shrunk to the size of a basketball court. The entire space had drastically contracted, leaving her alarmed.

Above her, the sky was even darker and more oppressive, as if it could collapse at any moment. She could hardly believe it. Why had this happened? Why hadn’t the space transformed as it had in the book? Instead, it was deteriorating even further. Could it be that she shouldn’t have thrown the ring into the water? Had she made a mistake?

Exiting the space, Zhou Mingyue stood in the river, unable to regain her composure. A sinking feeling crept over her—that the flourishing space she desired might never come to be.

Lan Yun’er listened to the tree demon’s words, stunned for a while. After her initial shock, she continued questioning the tree demon.

“Last night, I wore this ring, but it wouldn’t come off no matter how hard I tried. This morning, it slid off effortlessly. I find it strange, as if the ring is playing tricks on me,” she said.

“A replica can still be a treasure, and treasures recognize their owners. Since you could wear it, it means it has acknowledged you as its owner. As its owner, it would never play tricks on you. My guess is that the original form hasn’t transferred everything into this replica yet. Once it does, you’ll be able to wear it without any issues. Wait a few days before wearing it again. Perhaps by then, it will be a perfect replica, and everything it carries will be revealed to you,” the tree demon replied earnestly.

Lan Yun’er nodded. “Alright, I understand. Thank you, old tree.”

The tree demon smiled. “No need to thank me. It’s been years since anyone came to talk to me. I’m grateful you’re here to speak with me.”

Recalling how the tree demon had been suppressed for so many years, Lan Yun’er frowned slightly and asked, “Old tree, can I ask who suppressed you here? Who is powerful enough to do this? You’ve cultivated for centuries, so ordinary people shouldn’t stand a chance against you.”

The tree demon sighed deeply, a trace of pain in its voice. With a bitter smile, it replied, “I was outmatched. The one who suppressed me was a woman—an incredibly formidable woman. Back then, even thousand-year-old demons fell to her might.”

Lan Yun’er was astonished. “Such a powerful person? Are you sure she was human? Could she have been a deity?”

“She was definitely human,” the tree demon said, “but she was close to being a deity. Perhaps by now, she has already ascended and become one.” There was a tinge of envy in its voice.

Lan Yun’er wanted to ask why the woman had suppressed it and what crime it had committed, but she hesitated, not wanting to poke at the demon’s pain any further. From its earlier tone, she could tell it was deeply hurt. Instead, she consoled the tree demon for a while before leaving to search for medicinal herbs.

By five o’clock, Lan Yun’er returned down the mountain, carrying her basket. That day, she had managed to produce 20 beauty-enhancing pills, bringing her total to over 30. She felt confident that these pills could fetch her a good price. She planned to refine more the following day before heading to town to sell them and meet the shopkeeper.

That day, her basket contained no other herbs—only those necessary for refining pills. On her way down, she did gather some wild eggs. She had considered bringing back the wild chicken she found but decided against it. Regularly bringing home wild game might arouse suspicion, even though her in-laws claimed her good fortune brought such finds. She didn’t want to risk her husband, Huo Jincheng, becoming suspicious, given his sharp intellect.

As Lan Yun’er entered the courtyard and set down her basket, ready to store the eggs, Zhong Cuitao emerged from the house, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

Lan Yun’er frowned and approached her. “Second Sister-in-law, what happened? Are you alright?”

Zhong Cuitao wiped her tears, her voice choked. “Little Yun, what should I do? I don’t know what to do. I went back to my parents’ house today, and they’re forcing me to divorce Junli. They say he’s a cripple and will always be like this. They won’t allow me to stay with him. They’re insisting I get a divorce and remarry.”

Hearing this, Lan Yun’er’s expression darkened. She understood Zhong Cuitao’s parents’ perspective but didn’t want to see Zhong Cuitao leave Huo Junli.

Tears streamed down Zhong Cuitao’s face as she continued, “My parents are pressuring me to get a divorce tomorrow. If I don’t, they’ll come here themselves and force Junli to divorce me. But I don’t want a divorce! I want to stay with Junli—I want to be with him for the rest of my life!”

Her voice trembled with emotion, and her face was full of sorrow.