Chapter Sixteen: The Witch-Doctor Nisu (Part Two)

"Seeing me in such dire straits, Nisu, who had long since lost all hope and given up resistance, finally flew into a rage. He mustered the last of his demonic power to shatter the barrier, rushed to my side, drove back the four great elders, and poured his remaining energy into me. Then, he plunged into the crowd, fighting a bloody battle. While desperately holding back the swarming attackers, he shouted at me to stop worrying about him, to get as far away as possible, and never to return!"

As he spoke, Zi Sheng could not help but tear up. Shi Jun, too, found his fists clenched and his teeth gritted without realizing it.

***

Zi Sheng’s voice was low yet clear, reaching Shi Jun’s ears word by word: "...How could I have fled alone? How could I have watched my dear brother sacrifice his life to save me while I remained a coward clinging to survival? I simply do not understand who we hindered or who we harmed. Why could the vast Demon Realm not afford us a peaceful existence? Why must we slaughter our own kind? If they want us dead, we will not simply stand by and wait for the end. At worst, the two of us would fight to the death together, but I would never abandon my brother on the battlefield!"

"…Outnumbered. Eventually, we were both covered in wounds and utterly exhausted. We leaned against each other, sharing a final smile, having used up our last bit of strength. Above and below, we were surrounded by kin overflowing with hatred and malice; there was nowhere left to run. The four great elders, severely injured by Nisu, rushed forward in a fury, attacking in unison."

"Just then, Nisu slowly stood up and let out a wild laugh. The crowd on Withered Plum Ridge fell silent, all eyes turning toward him in a mix of terror and hatred. Even the four great elders froze. Nisu had always been small in stature, and at that moment, he was bloodied and wretched, yet in the eyes of all present, he stood tall, like an invincible god of death descending upon the world."

"He swept his gaze coldly across the crowd and offered a faint, mocking smile, filled with indescribable contempt: 'Do you not all crave my treasure? Would it not be a pity if I simply died like this? Regardless of what you think, I am still a member of the Demon Realm, and this treasure cannot simply vanish into obscurity!' My heart sank at these words. Having been brothers for so long, how could I not understand his nature? He would never say such things unless he had already resolved to die!"

"Upon hearing this, the eyes of the crowd flared with greed—was this not exactly what they had plotted for? The four great elders immediately replied, 'Consider yourself to have a shred of conscience. Very well, if you hand over the treasure, we shall spare your life!'"

"'That won't be necessary,' Nisu replied. 'Things have come to this, and I have no desire to live! I only require you to swear an oath: once I hand over the treasure, you must never trouble my brother again!' He pointed at me. I shouted that he must not, but suddenly my body felt weightless; Nisu had lifted me into the air and sealed me within a protective barrier, rendering me unable to speak or move. I was struck with panic."

"The four great elders, blinded by greed, exchanged a glance and answered in unison, 'Fine, it shall be done!' They immediately swore the most binding oath of the Demon Realm: no one in the Demon Realm would ever hinder me again, or they would suffer the consequences. Nisu listened coldly, his face expressionless, and added, 'One more thing: I agree to hand over the treasure, but as to who receives it, that shall be left to fate!' With that, he thrust his hands toward the sky and cast some obscure incantation. Instantly, the sky darkened with clouds, the ground beneath us rumbled, and amidst his wild laughter, Withered Plum Ridge began to collapse. Countless rocks and trees tumbled down, throwing the ridge into complete chaos."

"Nisu looked at me from afar and bowed deeply: 'Brother Zi, I hope you will see my wish fulfilled. I am eternally grateful!' Then, with a long laugh, he cried, 'Nisu's treasures lie deep in the earth. When the Weeping Trees shed tears, seek the place where the golden light erupts. What joy is there in gaining? What sorrow in losing? Do you not know that all things in this world return to dust…' A flash of blood-red light erupted, and his physical body was blown to pieces. Amidst the thunderous explosion, Withered Plum Ridge finally collapsed entirely. Thunder roared, and a torrential downpour turned the world into a blind, sightless void. Trapped within the barrier, I witnessed the death of my dear friend of many years; the world spun, and for a moment, I lost all sense of where I was…"

"After gathering my focus for a long time, and finally regaining some strength, I left the barrier with desperate urgency. By then, the crowd had long since dispersed, and even the blood that had covered the ground during the slaughter had been washed away by the rain. I searched everywhere, trying to find Nisu's remains, but… no matter how hard I looked, I could not find him! My dear brother of so many years had died so miserably. I crouched in the rain and wept aloud; for the first time in my life, I shed tears…"

Zi Sheng remained lost in his memories, falling into a heavy silence. Shi Jun imagined the fierce scene, his blood boiling one moment and filled with righteous indignation the next—to think that the people of the Demon Realm could be so ignorant and vicious! How was this any different from the popes who burned Galileo at the stake? The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind; those who stand above others are always slandered. It seemed to be the same everywhere!

***

After a long while, Zi Sheng continued: "I do not know how much time had passed, but the rain finally ceased. I heard a faint rustling sound in my ears, and when I looked, I saw countless tender green sprouts emerging uniformly across the vast, ruined expanse of Withered Plum Ridge, swaying lightly in the wind. Suddenly, I saw Nisu's proud, smiling face—he was always like that, so confident, even in death he smiled so happily. I stared intently for a long time before I realized that what I was seeing was Nisu's primordial spirit."

"Behind me, shouts of surprise erupted; it turned out that many people had been secretly tailing me, hoping to discover the location of the treasure!"

"Nisu nodded at me, telling me he was about to fall into a deep slumber and that this clearing would soon grow into a forest born from his physical body. 'I think you can call it the Weeping Tree Forest. You see, Brother Zi, before I died, I left behind a cursed prophecy: only when the Weeping Trees shed tears will my treasure be revealed. But since it is called a treasure, how could it be found so easily?' Nisu smiled with disdain. 'The moment the treasure is revealed, countless traps will also be triggered. Those with fate shall obtain the treasure; those without shall be buried with me! Ha! Brother Zi, you might as well consider this my funeral offering to myself!'"

"The Weeping Trees grew at an incredible rate. For a time, the Demon Realm was in a state of panic. The four great elders repeatedly led groups to the forest, using blades and fire… they tried everything, but the trees were not only unharmed, they grew even more vibrant! Seeing that nothing ill seemed to happen, and unwilling to let Nisu's treasure be lost forever, everyone gradually lost interest. Who would have thought that three hundred years later, when the Weeping Trees shed tears and Nisu's treasure was revealed for the first time, his primordial spirit—long dormant and having lost its original consciousness—would return to the Demon Realm? Perhaps some remnant of his pre-death memory remained; fueled by unquenchable hatred, he wreaked havoc, claiming tens of thousands of lives, and even the four great elders met their ends. For a time, everyone lived in fear."

"Could… could Nisu be resurrected?" Shi Jun asked, his spirit stirred.

Zi Sheng shook his head with a bitter smile: "How could that be? Once dead, there is no coming back." His voice was low and sorrowful, and Shi Jun could not help but feel dejected.

"From then on, every three hundred years, the Weeping Trees must shed tears, and the Demon Realm must fall into chaos. Fortunately, as time passed, Nisu’s spirit likely lost all memory and stopped seeking revenge, but his curse remains. As long as the treasure is not found, the curse will never disappear. Nisu finally used the greed of his own kind to avenge himself. In truth, his 'treasure' is nothing more than some cultivation manuals or medicinal herbs. One could attain the same by cultivating diligently and searching carefully; as long as one abandons greed, one would never be harmed by the curse! But there are always so many who hope for gain without effort, obsessed with finding the treasure. Not only do they fail to achieve their desires, but they also pay with their lives."

Zi Sheng’s lips curled into a mocking smile: "Later on, I don't know how the rumor started, but they say that if one finds and consumes Nisu's primordial spirit, one can obtain not only his supreme cultivation but also claim his treasure as their own. That changed everything. The tri-centennial weeping of the trees became a grand festival. Everyone is blinded by excitement, all wanting to be that lucky one, completely ignoring the traps that follow. Don't you think that is pathetic?"

Shi Jun smiled as well: "Is it? I find it quite laughable." He let out a long sigh, stood up, and stretched: "To think the Demon Realm is no different from where I come from. I suppose it makes sense—everyone comes from the Human Realm, so perhaps they inherited humanity's inherent flaws?"

"Is that so? Perhaps," Zi Sheng’s mood gradually calmed. "Now you understand why those people looked at me with such hatred and fear earlier? Because the four great elders swore that oath on behalf of the entire Demon Realm. They dare not touch me for fear of the curse, but they hate me because they all assume I know the location of Nisu's treasure and am simply refusing to say. I find their ugly faces tiresome, so I spend most of my time in the Human Realm. If it weren't for the fact that three hundred years were nearly up, I wouldn't have come back. Moreover, I've actually made a few young friends here over the years and occasionally miss them. I never expected to run into so much trouble upon my return!"

So that was it. Shi Jun pondered for a moment. It seemed Zi Sheng could be trusted. Should he reveal his own intentions? Just as he hesitated, Zi Sheng thought of something, and his handsome face brightened: "By the way, Brother Shi, please don't blame me for being presumptuous, but I would like to ask you for a favor."

A favor? Shi Jun was surprised: "I don't know what it is that you need help with, Brother Zi Sheng?"

Zi Sheng appeared somewhat troubled: "We have only just met, and it is improper to ask for such a troublesome request, but although our acquaintance is short, we are quite like-minded. We have shared much despite the brevity of our meeting, and since this concerns the safety of a dear friend, I cannot afford to be overly concerned with propriety. Brother Shi, I would like to ask for your help in saving someone!"

Saving someone? Shi Jun’s heart began to pound, and he heard his own voice, trembling slightly, ask: "I don't know who it is you need me to save?"