Happy Little Farmer
Chapter 735

Chapter 735: Chapter 735

The guy in front of him, speaking so slowly, made Yang Fan somewhat suspicious that this could be the Old Locust Tree’s second personality.

When this guy greeted Mr. Fan earlier, he had practically screamed his lungs out.

But now, he was actually preaching about respecting elders and caring for the young. Could this damned creature really have such a fickle temperament?

Even when Yang Fan spat directly in his face as a greeting, the abstract, aged face of the Old Locust Tree didn’t show the slightest sign of anger. His oval-shaped eyes looked at Yang Fan with a kind expression before calmly saying, "Ah, young human boy, truly impetuous youth. I’ve been here on Li Mountain for 1,200 years. I’ve seen countless boys as impetuous as you—and quite a few who ended up hanging from my branches."

"I do understand the human world, though not profoundly. Tell me, in the human world, don’t you often say that youthful arrogance will one day be worn down by time? Eventually, you’ll become the person you once despised. So, young man, perhaps it’s better to show some humility when necessary."

"Such insights, I’m afraid, even your human elders may not see as clearly as I do. Over my years on Li Mountain, I’ve witnessed countless exceptional young folks. I’ve seen mountains and rivers shift, seen generations of outstanding people rise and fall, but after all that transformation, how much do you think remains? This place—why, my memory of the county map is more detailed than what you’ll find written anywhere today."

Yang Fan stared at this suddenly loquacious monster and asked with little patience, "So what exactly are you trying to say?"

"You’re asking what I just rambled about? Oh, nothing much, really. Just some passing thoughts that came to mind. We old creatures often get bored. Day in and day out, all I see are the same things. Occasionally running into someone willing to chat—it’s rare, so I get chatty."

"Now, shall we get to the main topic? Let’s talk about the deal between us!"

Yang Fan: ...

At last, he understood why Mr. Fan called this creature a fool.

Indeed, a fool—speaking without rhyme or reason, utterly illogical.

"If you’ve got something to say, just spit it out! I’m actually curious to see what nonsense you think you can use to tempt me!" Yang Fan said irritably.

The Old Locust Tree chuckled, "Temptation, if I recall correctly, is a negative word. No, between us, there’s no talk of temptation. What we discuss is profit. A deal is merely the exchange of benefits."

Yang Fan: ...

Seriously, will this never end?

He looked helplessly at the grotesque human-like face on the Old Locust Tree, while the ruler in his hand seemed eager to strike.

It wasn’t that Yang Fan wanted to hit the guy—it was the ruler that wanted to.

It shimmered with golden light, and Yang Fan could barely suppress its urge.

But this was not the time to act rashly.

Yang Fan knew his own limits. He didn’t have the guts to provoke the Old Locust Tree right now.

While foolish, this creature was undeniably powerful.

"Over the millennia, I’ve collected a great deal of pure energy of the heavens and earth, along with some rather powerful magical treasures. From what I’ve told you, you should sense I’m being quite sincere, no?" the Old Locust Tree boasted shamelessly.

Yang Fan couldn’t even be bothered to respond anymore.

"My condition is simple: just kill the old man inside, and all of these treasures will be yours," the Old Locust Tree said matter-of-factly. "Oh, I almost forgot to ask—what’s your relationship with that old man?"

"He’s my master!" Yang Fan sneered. "You’re asking me to kill my master for a bunch of things that might not even exist? You think I’ll believe you? If that’s not temptation, then what is it?"

"Ah, so he’s your esteemed teacher," the Old Locust Tree sighed lightly, its expression suddenly growing slightly troubled. "If he’s your master, then yes, that’s a bit harder for you. How about this—I’ll add to the deal. I have three pieces of Lifebound Locust Leaves. They’re invaluable, whether for refining magical treasures or for protection to save your life—extremely powerful items."

"Let me give you an example: with these three leaves in your possession, any average ghostly or evil entities you encounter would avoid you entirely—they wouldn’t dare come within half a step of you."

"That doesn’t sound like much of a big deal," Yang Fan replied dryly. "I have this ruler here, and any run-of-the-mill evil entities see me, they run too. It’s only creatures like you that I can’t deal with."

"That ruler of yours truly is quite the treasure. It’s even..." The Old Locust Tree stared at the ruler in Yang Fan’s hand with its green, glowing eyes, suddenly letting out a chuckle. "...It’s even beaten me before."

Yang Fan: ...

What the hell!

Is this some kind of weird coincidence?

"Back in the day, the one wielding that ruler was an old man—a Confucian scholar—with a disciple by his side. At the time, I hadn’t tasted blood food in a long while. My mouth was watering, so I set my eyes on them," the Old Locust Tree reminisced. "Never did I expect that feeble-looking old man, who seemed like he’d drop dead from a breeze, mastered Confucian Divine Skills. ’Stand still!’ he shouted—and I had no choice but to stand there like a good boy and take the beating."

Yang Fan let the Old Locust Tree ramble on. If the creature wanted to talk, so be it. After all, they needed to stall for time anyway—waiting for the sun to rise, or reinforcements to arrive. If talking kept it occupied, that would be a win too.

Why hadn’t that old scholar finished this monster off back then? What a catastrophe he had left behind.

If he’d just smacked it to death with a few more hits of the ruler, they wouldn’t be dealing with today’s mess.

"That old scholar was a good man," the Old Locust Tree sighed. "Young one, let me tell you something—it’s rare for me to call anyone a good person. In my thousand years of existence, there have been only a handful I could call that, and that Confucian scholar was one."

"Back then, I had only just attained Spiritual Wisdom for a few short years. I had no blood on my hands, no vengeful souls haunting me. The old scholar said, ’A tree left untrimmed grows crooked.’ He wanted to correct me before I went astray, to make me into a locust tree that could stand tall and benefit the human world."

"What a pity. In the end, I failed his expectations and chose this path of no return. From a locust tree yearning to stand in the sunlight, I became one that now cowers in the shadows."

"Wow, your self-awareness is surprisingly sharp," Yang Fan sneered. "By the way, great story you’ve ’crafted’ there. I almost believed it. So touching."

"It’s something I’ve experienced personally. But to you, I suppose it can count as just a story," the Old Locust Tree replied.

"Take your nonsense elsewhere. Earlier, you were whining about not having tasted blood in ages, and now you’re claiming to be some virtuous tree without a shred of sin or guilt. Who are you trying to fool?" Yang Fan scoffed.

"Blood food doesn’t necessarily have to mean consuming humans. I can eat other things, too. It just happened that day—a coincidence, really. I wasn’t particularly fond of humans before, but when I saw that scholarly master and disciple, oh, the desire struck me. I wanted to taste what humans were like," the Old Locust Tree explained. "You see, there’s quite a bit of fate between you and me."

"You inherited that scholar’s ruler, and I’m still the same old tree."