Forget it, I’ll stop thinking for now. I really just want to rest…
As soon as he returned to Section C, Fan Zhuo felt as if he had just finished running a marathon, utterly exhausted.
Last night’s Dual Cultivation with Ye Ying had brought an unprecedented expansion of his spiritual power, but his body felt utterly drained.
Right after that came the high-pressure psychological contest with Section A’s Warden, Hecate, which left him mentally worn out.
It was only morning, the sun hadn’t even climbed to its peak, and already Fan Zhuo’s eyelids were fighting to close.
“You kid, you’d better go back and get some sleep. You don’t look so good.”
Old John, pipe clenched between his teeth, waved a hand dismissively, his face full of disdain.
“Section B over there, Lucien probably won’t find anything in a short while either.
Fan Zhuo yawned and nodded.
He did need rest, but his mind was already spinning with other thoughts.
Lucien was still in Section B…
And with his current “weakened” state, wasn’t this the perfect disguise?
A priest exhausted from “devout prayer,” who, even after a summons from the Warden, still doesn’t neglect his duties, dragging his tired body to conduct inspections…
That way, he could maintain his image as a diligent worker, and at the same time… he could “clock in” at the Mother Tree and see if there were any new developments.
Of course, the main reason was still that the Mother Tree was just too gentle, and he felt… it would be a great place to catch up on some sleep.
“No, Old John.” Fan Zhuo forced himself to look spirited, wearing a holy and determined smile.
“As the Warden’s assistant, it’s my duty. I should go check on Section B, in case Judge Lucien needs any assistance.”
Old John looked at him like he was some sort of monster.
“Workaholic.” He muttered, no longer bothering to persuade, waving his hand as he headed for his own office.
“Suit yourself, just don’t drop dead in there.”
Fan Zhuo watched Old John leave, then turned and, with slightly unsteady steps, walked toward Section B.
The moment he stepped into the wild forest of Section B, the scent of the plants in the air instantly refreshed him.
He didn’t hurry straight to the Forest Heart, but rather strolled slowly around the perimeter, “inspecting” as he went, observing the surroundings while using his senses—now far sharper since his breakthrough—to search for any sign of Lucien.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before he caught a familiar, pure, and sharp fluctuation of holy power.
Lucien was nearby.
And that holy power, in a most concealed manner, was quietly trailing him from behind.
He had been discovered…
Fan Zhuo sneered inwardly, but his expression didn’t change; he kept up his appearance of exhaustion, as if he might collapse at any moment, inching step by step toward the Forest Heart.
***
Elsewhere, hidden in the shadow of dense foliage, Lucien was frowning as he watched Fan Zhuo’s back from afar.
He’d spent the night at the Forest Heart and found nothing, a blow to his already proud self-esteem.
And this morning’s events in Section A’s temple had pushed his suspicions about Fan Zhuo to their peak.
That out-of-control remark from Terminal AI “Lina” sounded absurd, but it revealed a key piece of information—
Fan Zhuo’s holy power possessed some kind of special “infectiousness.”
Combined with the ambiguous attitude of Warden Hecate, and Fan Zhuo’s obviously “used up” and weakened state after leaving…
Lucien was almost certain: this man was hiding a massive secret.
So, the moment Fan Zhuo entered Section B, Lucien quietly started following him.
He watched Fan Zhuo drag his tired body through the forest, struggling along—if it was an act, it was very convincing.
What was he really up to?
Why come to Section B in this state?
Could it be… he really was connected to yesterday’s heretical energy disturbance?
Holding his breath, Lucien blended his presence into the environment, becoming a top predator, watching his prey with patience.
Fan Zhuo walked a while, stopping here and there, until he finally reached the open ground at the heart of the forest.
The towering Mother Tree still stood quietly, radiating a gentle yet majestic aura of life.
“Mother Tree…”
Fan Zhuo’s voice was tinged with weakness as he walked to the tree and, as if unable to stand any longer, slowly sat down, leaning against its thick trunk.
“My child, you look so tired.” The Mother Tree’s gentle voice sounded directly in his mind.
Fan Zhuo closed his eyes, feeling the cool, soothing energy pulsing from the trunk.
That energy was like a mother’s gentle hand, softly caressing his weary soul.
His eyelids grew heavier, his consciousness began to blur…
The exhaustion of last night, the tension of this morning, all crashed over him in a tidal wave.
He really… was just too tired.
Just before he lost consciousness, he seemed to hear the Mother Tree sigh softly, filled with pity.
“Sleep, my child. Here, no one can harm you.”
***
In the distance, amid the foliage.
Lucien quietly watched it all.
He saw Fan Zhuo simply lean against the tree and… fall asleep.
His breathing steady, his expression peaceful—no extraneous movements, no suspicious surges of energy.
He simply slept, like a baby resting in its mother’s arms, pure and harmless.
Lucien’s brows, furrowed for so long, finally began to relax.
Perhaps… he was just overthinking it?
He recalled Fan Zhuo’s utterly drained look in the temple, then looked again at this defenseless, sleeping face.
Maybe Fan Zhuo really had just overdone it with “prayer,” burned through too much strength, and was simply exhausted.
And maybe he came here because the vitality here helped him recover.
That… seemed the most reasonable explanation for now.
Lucien’s gaze lingered on Fan Zhuo’s handsome yet pale face for a moment.
He had to admit, this man… was rather good-looking.
No wonder those lowly monsters—and even an emotionless AI—would develop such… abnormal obsessions with him.
Hmph, just a pretty face, nothing more.
Lucien snorted inwardly, annoyed at his own brief lapse.
He gave one last long look at the sleeping Fan Zhuo, and at the Mother Tree radiating holy light, and, confirming there was nothing out of the ordinary
around them, finally withdrew his gaze.
There was no point in continuing surveillance.
His figure shifted and, without a sound, vanished from the treetops, leaving the area.
The forest returned to tranquility.
Only the rustling of leaves in the breeze, and the clear cries of birds from afar, remained.
After Lucien left, a long while passed.
The silent Mother Tree, from the massive trunk, slowly revealed the gentle and beautiful face of a woman.
She gazed quietly at the sleeping Fan Zhuo at her roots, her eyes full of complex emotion.
There was motherly love, reverence for strength, and a faint… tangled, indescribable desire, quietly sprouting like vines.
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