Daily Life in the Countryside After Being Reborn
Chapter 66 - 63: The Peach Blossom Spirit Crossing Tribulation

Chapter 66: Chapter 63: The Peach Blossom Spirit Crossing Tribulation

Xiao Xian felt the tree trunk beneath her tremble; she leaped down from the tree and a woman’s figure appeared on the peach blossom tree.

"Indeed, there’s something strange. Peach blossom tree, are you a demon or a monster?" Xiao Xian circled the peach blossom tree, which was not very old but knew how to absorb Spiritual Energy—there must be a reason behind it.

"Little fairy, do not be angry; I am not any kind of demon, just a wandering soul residing under the peach blossom tree," the voice of the peach blossom tree was clear and melodious, like that of a woman in her twenties.

The talk about the burial ground behind the temple was actually mistaken. The true burial ground was right beneath the current peach blossom tree. Before and after liberation, unclaimed corpses were piled up here; the woman’s name was Taohua. As her parents fled from the provincial city to the countryside, unfortunately, her family of five took shelter in the temple at night and encountered bandits, and tragically died in a foreign place.

After the woman died, her remains, like other abandoned bones, were discarded in the wild. For over a decade, following the country’s liberation, the temple was renovated through government funding, and Monk Shanyin came here to take charge. The monk, kind-hearted, collected those neglected, abandoned bones one by one; the bones of the woman and her siblings and parents were also respectfully moved to the government’s public cemetery. Grateful to Monk Shanyin’s kindness, her soul rested on this wild peach tree. With her soul inhabiting the tree trunk, enduring years of weathering, the soul and the tree merged into one. Night after night, listening to Monk Shanyin’s chanting, she realized the method of cultivation and learned how to absorb Spiritual Energy at night.

"So, the ghost that the children of the Miao family spoke of, was that your doing, Taohua?" After hearing this, Xiao Xian also dismissed her doubts.

"Master Shanyin likes tranquility; to keep people from disturbing him, I only created a few ghostly shadows with Spiritual Energy to scare away some thieves," Taohua sighed. She had forsaken the chance to be reincarnated with her parents, staying by the temple just to repay Shanyin’s retrieval of her remains.

Over the decades, she watched Shanyin grow from young to old, living a solitary life; her gratitude turned into affection. It was just a pity that Taohua’s soul, like bones and flesh, had long been integrated into the peach tree. Humans, being masters of all creatures, still need sixty years of cultivation to undergo their first transformation and renew themselves. For trees cultivating into immortals, it takes over a hundred years to reach a trial and get a chance to transform into human form. Taohua saw Shanyin’s lonely life, only wishing that she could quickly cultivate a fruitful result, transform into human form, and stay by his side.

"So that’s how it is," Xiao Xian hesitated and then looked at the peach tree again, deeply moved by Taohua’s story. It would take over fifty years for Taohua to transform, and by that time the mortal Shanyin would have long passed away; Taohua’s painstaking effort would be in vain. Also, it was because she eagerly wanted to absorb more Spiritual Energy that Taohua couldn’t help but take in the Spiritual Energy of other trees, causing too much commotion and catching Xiao Xian’s attention.

"Little fairy!" Taohua wanted to say more, but the little girl had disappeared from sight.

After a short while, Xiao Xian reappeared, holding a drop of jade-green liquid in her hand.

Needless to say, the "sugarcane seedling" in space had suffered another cut.

"Taohua, I have a drop of Immortal Liquid here; a normal tree using it can grow nearly ten years’ worth of old trees in one breath, I don’t know what it would do to you, but if you are willing, we could try," Xiao Xian said confidently.

"Thank you, little fairy. If I can transform into human form earlier, Taohua is willing to give it a try," the shadow of the peach blossom tree swayed, and the figure of a woman was faintly visible.

The temple still stood quietly there, and the people inside and behind the temple remained still.

Xiao Xian flicked her finger, and the drop of Immortal Liquid was mixed into the soil beneath the peach blossom tree; the jade-green liquid entered the soil and turned into a green mist. After a while, there was no response from the peach blossom tree and Xiao Xian widened her eyes, even the "sugarcane seedling" in space shook its head expectantly.

"Why is there no response?" Xiao Xian wondered. Just as she thought about taking a few steps closer to take a better look, suddenly a flash of lightning streaked through the sky, and Xiao Xian was scared back two steps; only to hear the clear night sky suddenly began to blow a strange wind, thick clouds gathered from the northeast, and a flash of lightning leapt out; only to hear a "crack" sound, the peach blossom tree had already been struck by lightning, and petals danced in the air.

The shadow of the peach blossom tree transformed; first into a graceful female figure, then it rapidly shrank. Behind the temple, Yezi, carrying "Little Pig", searched everywhere for Xiao Xian’s tracks. The flash of lightning in front of the temple also startled him.

Yezi ran forward, "Little Pig" popped out of his collar, his black, bead-like eyes filled with curiosity. Yezi had not run far when he saw the solitary Xiao Xian standing; beside her was a smoking peach blossom tree.

"Zhu Xiaoxian, are you alright?" Yezi had just reached the tree, following Xiao Xian’s gaze, he looked towards the peach blossom tree. The pink petals were scorched black by the lightning, and the trunk had been broken in half, but inside the peach blossom tree...

"What are you two doing there?" The Monk Shanyin who had already rested early was also alerted and came out wearing his clothes, holding a candle, barely illuminating the faces of the two children.

"Wow wow wow," the cries of the baby were loud and clear, especially distinct against the post-thunder night. The broken trunk of the peach blossom tree was hollow, and inside there was an extra baby girl, who was now crying and flailing her arms and legs.

It really worked, a drop of Immortal Liquid directly allowed Taohua to transcend the hundred-year limit and summon the lightning tribulation. The shock in Xiao Xian’s eyes was replaced by joy, and without heeding Yezi’s restraint, she pried open the tree and took out the small baby girl. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast a recommendation ticket, monthly ticket; your support is my greatest motivation.)