Chapter 45: The Bitter Love Tree Puffs Black Smoke

He did not mention this bizarre-sounding matter to Wangquan Zui.

Because Yang Qingyuan also understood that telling Wangquan Zui about such things would be of no use and would only needlessly add to her worries.

However, according to Yang Qingyuan's speculation, this should be related to the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art he was practicing.

"Let's go, let's head inside and take a look."

"Mm."

Following that, the two of them concealed their auras, stealthily bypassed the guards on the city walls, and slipped into Tushan.

With Tushan Honghong absent, given the strength of these Silver Moon Guards, avoiding their line of sight to enter Tushan was far too simple for Yang Qingyuan.

As soon as they stepped into Tushan, the orderly and bustling streets before them instantly lit up Wangquan Zui's eyes.

"Is this Tushan? It feels almost as lively and prosperous as Dao City!"

Walking back and forth on the streets were not only demons, but even humans.

Yet strangely enough, humans and demons, who fought to the death in the outside world, had somehow become remarkably harmonious here.

One could even catch sight of humans and demons chatting happily with each other from time to time on the streets, which undoubtedly came as a massive visual shock to Wangquan Zui.

"I never imagined that humans and demons could get along so harmoniously..."

Wangquan Zui couldn't help but exclaim in wonder.

"After all, this is Tushan, the realm of matchmakers. Those who manage to come here are humans bold enough to defy the world and fall in love with demons.

Those demons understand this as well, so it's hardly surprising that they can coexist so peacefully."

Yang Qingyuan stretched out a finger, gesturing for Wangquan Zui to take off the mask on her face.

Since there were still human activities taking place within Tushan, they could save themselves the trouble of concealing their presences.

With the masks removed, they actually looked a bit more natural.

Wangquan Zui didn't say much and simply followed suit.

Afterward, the two of them strolled along Tushan's streets for a while, purchasing some desserts from Tushan's specialty shop, Yaoxin Zhai, and eating along the way while admiring the scenery of Tushan.

For Wangquan Zui, today was perhaps the happiest day she had experienced in quite some time.

"Is that the legendary Bitter-Sweet Tree? Wow, it's huge!!!"

Yang Qingyuan looked up and saw that in the distance, within the core area of Tushan, a towering giant tree stood majestically.

Even when viewed from afar, the visual impact upon seeing it for the first time was still deeply impressive.

Just as Yang Qingyuan was quietly admiring the grandeur of the Bitter-Sweet Tree, suddenly, within his field of vision, wisps of black smoke began to rise from the otherwise ordinary-looking Bitter-Sweet Tree.

"This is..."

Yang Qingyuan frowned, thinking he might have seen wrong, so he rubbed his eyes and looked again.

"Xiao Zui, can you see the black smoke rising from the Bitter-Sweet Tree?"

"Black smoke?"

Wangquan Zui looked at Yang Qingyuan with a hint of perplexity.

Although she knew Yang Qingyuan was a disciple of the Heavenly Eye Yang family, capable of perceiving things ordinary naked eyes could not through the heavenly eye on his forehead.

The problem was that Yang Qingyuan's heavenly eye had never been opened, a fact Wangquan Zui was well aware of.

And disciples of the Yang family, before opening their heavenly eyes, were practically identical to ordinary people.

So there was no reason Yang Qingyuan could see black smoke while she couldn't see anything at all.

"Qingyuan, are you sure you didn't see wrong?"

Yang Qingyuan's frown deepened instantly.

He blinked, and when he wanted to look again, he found that the wisps of black smoke had already vanished without a trace.

"Perhaps I really did see wrong..."

Yang Qingyuan shook his head and didn't delve deeper into the matter, but in his heart, he knew that what he had just seen was definitely not an illusion.

Because at this very moment, the nominal greatest villain of the Fox Spirit Matchmaker world, the future Black Fox Empress Fengxi, was being "imprisoned" by Tushan Honghong beneath the Bitter-Sweet Tree.

And the signature aura of the Black Foxes was precisely that eerie black Qi.

With so many coincidences suddenly coming together, it was no longer just a simple coincidence.

Just as Yang Qingyuan was deep in thought, beside him, Wangquan Zui suddenly spoke up with a hint of bashfulness, "Qingyuan, how about we go take a closer look at the Bitter-Sweet Tree?"

"Why?"

Yang Qingyuan was slightly startled; that trace of black Qi from earlier had already sounded an alarm bell for him.

Right now, Fengxi outwardly appeared to be suppressed by Tushan Honghong, but Yang Qingyuan knew very well that the loser of that battle was actually Tushan Honghong.

Whenever Fengxi wanted to leave, she could break free from the restraints of the Bitter-Sweet Tree at any time.

Just like how she suddenly appeared outside the boundary years later, killing all the masked members except for Wangquan Babaye and Li Quzhuo...

Therefore, having grown vigilant, Yang Qingyuan was not very keen on taking the risk of approaching the Bitter-Sweet Tree again.

"Didn't you just say you saw black smoke coming from the Bitter-Sweet Tree? I figured getting a closer look might make it clearer, right?

Besides, besides... Oh, let's just go take a look..."

As she spoke, gods only knew what Wangquan Zui was thinking, but a sudden flush of red flashed across her cheeks.

"Alright, I really can't do anything with you. Let's go, we'll go take a look."

Yang Qingyuan shrugged.

As far as Yang Qingyuan was concerned, Wangquan Zui had practically been watched by him as she grew up over the years.

And much like Wangquan Babaye, he had long regarded Wangquan Zui as his own younger sister.

Thus, he naturally couldn't bear to refuse Wangquan Zui's request.

"Yay!"

Wangquan Zui jumped three feet high in excitement, and then cheerfully shoved the candied hawthorn she had just bought from Yaoxin Zhai right into Yang Qingyuan's mouth.

"Have some candied fruit!"

"It's too sweet, cloying."

"Desserts are supposed to be good!"

"Careful you don't get cavities, don't go around as a young girl with a mouthful of black teeth..."

"You're the one with a mouthful of black teeth!"

...

And so, the two of them walked all the way through Tushan's inner city, dodging the patrolling Silver Moon Guards one by one, and finally arrived beneath the Bitter-Sweet Tree.

Looking at the sky-blocking Bitter-Sweet Tree before her, Wangquan Zui once again sighed in awe, "Seeing it up close makes one realize even more just how terrifyingly huge this Bitter-Sweet Tree is."

"Yeah, so huge it hardly looks like a living thing in this world."

Yang Qingyuan nodded absentmindedly, while his gaze locked onto the base of the Bitter-Sweet Tree's trunk.

Although his current strength was not enough to perceive the exact location precisely, Yang Qingyuan knew that Fengxi was right underneath here.

"I've heard that as long as humans and demons truly love each other, make a pious wish beneath the Bitter-Sweet Tree, and pay a certain price, they can initiate the reincarnation continuation bond.

That way, even in the next life, with the help of Tushan's Matchmakers, the two lovers can continue their romance.

Sounds very romantic, doesn't it?"

"Mm."

A complex look flashed through Yang Qingyuan's eyes.

He wasn't a fool; naturally, he could tell Wangquan Zui's feelings for him.

The problem was that toward a young girl he had watched grow up just like his own younger sister, it was really difficult for him to develop any other kind of sentiment.

After all, aside from weirdos, very few mentally mature adults would develop romantic feelings for a young girl under eight years old, right?