RYEY – Chapter 228 Qilin Rebirth Tree

“Senior Sister Cheng Qiao said she wanted me to take her to the Qilian Mountains. This is the reward she gave our post, and she said, you’ll only gain, never lose.”

“What? Cheng Qiao is going to the Qilian Mountains? You little brat, how dare you…”

Qin Daqiang’s excitement instantly turned into fury. Over the past few years, countless hunters had died deep in the Qilian Mountains because their families had nothing to eat. Now, basically no one dared to go up the mountains.

“I said the same thing, but Senior Sister Cheng Qiao insisted on going, otherwise she wouldn’t give me this medicine. Oh, and my father went too, acting as her guide.”

“You… you… no wonder they call you ‘little troublemaker’! You really are trouble. Someone, lock him up! He stays confined until Cheng Qiao returns!”

The little troublemaker widened his eyes, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, though he knew he had broken the rules and deserved punishment.

“Leader, we’re leaving in the middle of the night. Do we really have to lock him up?”

“Don’t lock the door. He’ll come out once he gets hungry.”

Li Bing nodded, took the medicinal herbs out of the basket, and hid them in the vehicle.

……

Cheng Qiao followed Xiao Dan’s father along the mountain path. The trail was extremely steep, and since the altitude was high, the guide’s pace was very slow.

“Uncle, we just go up this mountain path, right?”

“Yes. The path over there is easier, but it’s guarded, and people aren’t allowed to go up, so we have no choice but to take this route.”

They slowly climbed higher. Xiao Dan’s father was already panting and sat on a rock, taking out water and drinking it slowly.

“Miss Cheng Qiao, I can only go another thirty or fifty meters. I can’t go further. Why don’t you look around here for the herbs you need?”

Cheng Qiao glanced at the dense forest and focused, sensing that the source of the summoning call was still higher up, so she had to continue.

“Then, uncle, you can go back down. I’ll continue up the mountain myself.”

“What? You’re going up yourself? Doesn’t your head hurt?”

Cheng Qiao shook her head. She had already drunk the water from the space, so high-altitude effects were almost nonexistent for her. Of course, she had considered giving the water to the little troublemaker’s father but decided against it.

“Uncle, take this cornmeal. If anything comes up at home, you can go back first. I know the way back.” Cheng Qiao smiled and took ten jin (≈5 kg) of cornmeal from the basket—this was part of the agreed reward.

“Miss, I haven’t finished guiding you yet. How can I take the cornmeal?”

“You already brought me here, didn’t you?”

The little troublemaker’s father accepted the cornmeal embarrassedly. Only his son received allowances at home, and with his wife and mother’s poor health, he needed the extra food.

“Then, miss, I’ll go down the mountain first. I’ll wait for you below for two days. I’ll tell my son—if he’s free, I’ll have him accompany you.”

Cheng Qiao nodded, waved, and continued climbing. After some time, she saw no one around and released the little red snake.

The little red snake felt a cold wind hit it and curled up instinctively. Seeing its obvious displeasure, Cheng Qiao’s lips curved into a smile.

“This is the Qilian Mountains. Much taller than the mountains back home. Don’t you want to see?”

The little red snake stuck out its tongue, sniffed the air, and quickly slithered upward along the mountain, far faster than Cheng Qiao.

Seeing its impatience, Cheng Qiao took a sip of the water from her space to raise her energy and quickly followed. She knew the little red snake had detected something valuable.

Gradually, the path ahead became easier, and eventually, they arrived at a large flat area.

There wasn’t a single tree, not even a blade of grass, yet the summoning call she had followed had abruptly stopped.

“Qilin Rebirth Herb… no, it must be the Qilin Rebirth Tree.”

Cheng Qiao looked at the plant standing proudly in the center of the flat ground—about 1.5 meters tall, with a head resembling a qilin—and exclaimed in delight.

No wonder there were no other plants nearby. This Qilin Rebirth Herb was incredibly domineering. If it weren’t, it wouldn’t be the main ingredient for the Rebirth Pill.

Cheng Qiao didn’t rush forward. Instead, she circled around the Qilin Rebirth Tree, unwilling to believe such a precious herb would have no protective creatures nearby.

The little red snake could no longer resist the tree’s allure and suddenly darted toward it—but unexpectedly, the seemingly motionless Qilin Rebirth Tree fought back.

The green plant, with its qilin-like head, opened a giant mouth toward the little red creature, its body moving in response to the creature’s approach.

“Heavens! No wonder there’s nothing guarding it nearby—this plant has become sentient.”

Cheng Qiao muttered to herself while taking out some well water from her space and drinking slowly. Sure enough, the Qilin Rebirth Tree froze, its qilin-like face staring at the water in her hand.

“Want some? Follow me, and you can drink this every day.”

The tree didn’t move, so Cheng Qiao took out a new basin filled with well water. She wasn’t sure whether to pour the water on the roots or offer it directly to the qilin head.

The qilin head gradually stretched toward Cheng Qiao. Understanding, she placed the basin on the ground and pushed it closer to the head.

The tree seemed to be in the early stages of intelligence. Without hesitation, it dipped its head into the water. In a blink, the basin was empty.

“I have plenty more well water in my treasure. Will you come with me?”

The Qilin Rebirth Tree glanced at the little red snake. Cheng Qiao flicked her hand, making it vanish, and then pulled out the snowy-white Haidong Qing.

Seeing the sudden appearance of the white bird, flapping its wings happily over the Qilian Mountains, the tree stirred. Cheng Qiao remained silent, cautious—this herb was far too precious for her to take any risks.

While the tree was still deliberating, a tiger’s roar echoed from afar. The sharp cry came from Haidong Qing, startled while soaring freely, disturbing the mountain’s king.

The Qilin Rebirth Tree panicked, pressing its massive qilin head against Cheng Qiao’s arm. She immediately sensed its fear and quickly grabbed a spade from her space, digging around the tree.

She began digging about two meters from the roots. Though the soil was hard, since drinking the well water, she had immense strength. In no time, she had dug a full circle.

Yet the tree’s roots were incredibly deep. She had already dug two meters down and saw the roots extending further. Gritting her teeth, she continued digging.

Suddenly, the entire trunk of the Qilin Rebirth Tree began to tremble. Looking up, Cheng Qiao saw a magnificent striped tiger circling the tree, its eyes fixed on it.

Because Cheng Qiao had dug a deep pit around the tree, the tiger dared not jump directly over, but seeing the vitality emanating from the tree, it coiled its body back, ready to pounce.