Daily Life in the Countryside After Being Reborn
Chapter 78 - 63: Boldness Yields an Abandoned Infant (Part 2)

Chapter 78: Chapter 63: Boldness Yields an Abandoned Infant (Part 2)

Xiao Xian felt the tree trunk beneath her sway, and she jumped down from the tree, revealing the form of a woman on the peach blossom tree.

"Sure enough, something’s odd. Peach blossom tree, are you a demon or a monster?" Xiao Xian circled around the peach tree, her mind wary. The tree wasn’t very old, yet it knew how to absorb Spiritual Energy, there must be a reason.

"Little fairy, do not be angry, I am neither a demon nor a monster, I am just a wandering soul residing under this peach blossom tree," the voice of the peach tree was clear and moist, like that of a woman in her twenties.

The story about the burial ground behind the temple is actually a mistake. The real burial site is right under this peach tree. Before and after the liberation, unclaimed bodies were piled up here, the woman’s name was Taohua. As her parents fled from the provincial city to the countryside, it was unfortunate that her family of five, while staying overnight at the temple, encountered bandits and were killed in a foreign land.

After the woman died, like other discarded skeletons, she was abandoned in the wilderness. Decades later, the country was liberated, and the temple was renovated anew with government funds. Monk Shanyin came here to preside. The kind-hearted Monk, taking care of those abandoned in the wilderness, sorted each bone one by one. The bones of the woman and her parents and siblings were also properly moved to the government public cemetery. However, grateful for Monk Shanyin’s kindness, she rested on this wild peach tree. Her soul resided in the tree trunk, went through the baptism of sun, moon, and wind, merged with the tree, and by listening to Monk Shanyin’s chanting day and night in the temple, she realized the method of cultivation and learned to absorb Spiritual Energy at night.

"So that story about a ghost told by the children of the Miao family, is it you, Taohua, causing mischief?" Xiao Xian asked after hearing this, dispelling her doubts.

"Monk Shanyin likes tranquility. To avoid disturbing him, I just used Spiritual Energy to create some ghostly images, merely to scare a few thieves away," Taohua sighed, forsaking the chance to be reborn with her parents, she stayed beside the temple, all to repay Monk Shanyin’s kindness in collecting the remains.

Over the decades, she watched as Monk Shanyin grew from young to old, alone and lonely. Gratitude turned into love. Sadly, Taohua’s soul, like flesh and blood, had long been integrated into the peach tree. Humans are the masters of all things, and if they cultivate rightly, it takes sixty years to face the first calamity and transform. As for trees’ cultivation, it takes over a hundred years to face a calamity and get a chance to transform into human form. Taohua, seeing Monk Shanyin so solitary, only hoped to cultivate successfully and transform into a human form soon, to accompany him.

"So that’s how it is," Xiao Xian hesitated. Looking back at the peach tree, Taohua’s story moved her deeply. It might take over fifty years before Taohua could transform, and by then, Monk Shanyin, being a mere mortal, would have long passed away, making Taohua’s efforts in vain. It was also because she was eager to accumulate more Spiritual Energy that Taohua couldn’t help but absorb the Spiritual Energy from other trees, which was too noticeable and drew Xiao Xian’s attention.

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

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

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

"Taohua, I have here a drop of Immortal Liquid, which, when used on ordinary trees, can make them grow into nearly ten years old. I don’t know what it will do to you, but if you’re willing, we can give it a try," Xiao Xian said firmly.

"Thank you, little fairy. If it can help me transform into a human sooner, I am willing to try," the shadow of the peach blossom tree fluttered, faintly revealing the figure of a woman.

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

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

"Why is there still no movement?" Xiao Xian wondered. Just as she was about to take a few steps closer to look, a thunderclap suddenly flashed in the sky. Startled, Xiao Xian took two steps back. Just then, in the clear night sky, a strange wind arose, thick clouds gathered from the north-east, and a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, striking the peach blossom tree with a "crack," causing petals to fall in a dance.

The shadow of the peach tree also changed, first transforming into a slender female figure, and then quickly shrinking.

Meanwhile, behind the temple, Yezi, clutching "Little Pig," was searching everywhere for Xiao Xian. The thunderclap in front of the temple had also alarmed him.

Yezi began to run forward, "Little Pig" poking out from his collar, its eyes filled with curiosity. Yezi had only run a few steps when he saw Xiao Xian standing alone, beside her was a smoking peach blossom tree.

"Zhu Xiaoxian, are you alright?" Yezi ran up to the tree, following Xiao Xian’s gaze towards the peach blossom tree. The pink petals had been scorched black by the lightning, and the trunk was also broken in half, but inside the peach blossom tree...

"What are you two doing here?" Monk Shanyin, who had retired to rest earlier, was also alerted and came out wearing his clothes, holding a candle, just enough light to illuminate the faces of the two children.

"Wah wah wah," the loud cries of a baby, exceptionally clear in the night after the thunder, echoed. The broken trunk of the peach blossom tree was hollow, and inside was a baby girl, now crying loudly, flailing her arms and legs.

It really worked, a single drop of Immortal Liquid had indeed allowed Taohua to leap over a century’s limit, attracting a heavenly tribulation. Surprise in Xiao Xian’s eyes was replaced by joy. She, ignoring Yezi’s attempt to stop her, pried open the tree and carried out the small baby girl.

"Taohua?" Xiao Xian lowered her voice, her fingers tickling the baby girl’s chin. The baby stopped crying, her clear eyes reflecting Xiao Xian’s face. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to cast your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)