Chapter Twenty-One: I’m Sorry, I Was Wrong (Please Subscribe~ Please Keep Reading~)

"Wow, I didn't expect you to have such terrible character, but your luck is surprisingly incredible."

The familiar, mocking voice rang out. Gu Sihui’s eyelids trembled, and she blinked, her body feeling as if it had been transported from the Arctic back to the height of summer.

She—she wasn't dead?

*Rustle, rustle—*

The sound of friction from shifting leaves rose again, but it was not a prompt; it was a gentle reminder.

Gu Sihui suddenly felt something lightly poke her shoulder. She looked up and discovered that the towering tree opposite her—the one that had just devoured the zombie's head—was swaying its branches, offering her a glowing, emerald fruit.

Gong Zhengci, seeing that Gu Sihui was still in a daze, impatiently reached out to grab the fruit wrapped in the leaves.

"This is a rare treasure that can boost spiritual power. If you’re not going to eat it, I’ll enjoy it myself—ah! Why are you hitting me?!"

The branches, which had been so gentle just a moment ago, suddenly lashed out violently. Boughs and leaves whipped against Gong Zhengci, sending him howling in pain.

"Pfft—"

It should have been a solemn occasion, but Gu Sihui could not help herself, letting out an untimely laugh.

The tree paused for a moment, then, as if spurred on, it put extra force into two more lashes against Gong Zhengci’s backside.

Although the tree had no eyes, Gu Sihui felt that after the lashing, it "looked" at her with a mix of nervousness and anticipation, as if hoping to see her smile again.

"Hey!"

Not only her, but Gong Zhengci also keenly sensed the tree's abnormality. He glared at Gu Sihui, dissatisfied. "What did you do? Ah!"

Sure enough, Gong Zhengci’s fierce tone provoked the tree into striking him again.

Gong Zhengci’s face flushed with anger. He was about to retaliate against the tree when Teng Qu stopped him.

"Why are you stopping me?"

Gong Zhengci looked at Teng Qu with a sour expression, asking sarcastically, "What, are you feeling sorry for it?"

Ying Nian, unable to watch any longer, explained on behalf of Teng Qu, "Have you never left the Frita Mountain Range before?"

Gong Zhengci said righteously, "Of course not! That guy Gong Zhengqing doesn't like environments filled with killing, so he never comes out this way."

Ying Nian was momentarily speechless at his blunt attitude, then sighed helplessly. "Fine, just remember this: you cannot provoke the trees of the Frita Mountain Range."

"Why?" Gong Zhengci asked, eyeing the tree warily.

"Because they aren't ordinary trees," Shao Feichen chimed in, his puppy-like eyes filled with reverence. "This is the final line of defense."

"A line of defense?" Gong Zhengci was puzzled.

"Yes, a line of defense." Ying Nian took a deep breath, gently placing his hand on the tree to stroke it, and helped remove a plump little worm crawling on its bark.

"The Frita Mountain Range is the most heavily contaminated area. The first anomaly was born deep within these mountains and has been constantly expanding outward. Ordinary beastmen lack the ability to resist this pollution; only the spiritual power of a female can barely keep a beastman conscious, but it cannot purge the contamination.

"When everyone was filled with anxiety, the strongest female beastman at the time sacrificed herself to spread her spiritual power, forging these trees. She contained the pollution within the Frita Mountain Range as much as possible, protecting the beastmen outside and buying us more time."

The tree swayed its body, appearing to express gratitude to Ying Nian.

Ying Nian looked at Gong Zhengci. "The trees here are essentially one entity. If you provoke one, the others will instantly awaken to attack you, so I advise you not to act rashly."

Actually, after hearing Ying Nian’s words, Gong Zhengci had already abandoned his intent to attack. However, being stubborn, he purposely retorted with dissatisfaction, "Fine, I’ll let it go for your sake. But surely we can't just let it keep hitting me like this?"

He looked at Ying Nian, asking, "Is there any way to communicate with this thing? I’m not a source of pollution, so why does it keep attacking me?"

Ying Nian pursed his lips and looked away.

Gong Zhengci: ?

"Hey! Are we brothers or not? How can you stand by and watch me suffer?"

"Alright, A-Ci, don't give the little rabbit such a hard time." Shao Feichen interjected with a smirk, explaining, "These things have been planted here for so long that they have long since lost the ability to communicate with the outside world. In all these years, this is the first time I've known it to possess 'emotions.' Nobody knows why it doesn't like you, and even less how to persuade it. Maybe... you should just endure it?"

Gong Zhengci: ...

Gong Zhengci’s expression soured even further.

The tree, however, seemed to have become addicted. Without noticing Gu Sihui's amusing reaction, it suddenly struck Gong Zhengci’s backside again.

Gong Zhengci: !!!

"I might have a way."

Teng Qu, who spoke the least but observed the most, said slowly, "I think they are reacting this way because..."

Teng Qu’s gaze fell on Gu Sihui.

Gu Sihui’s eyes widened slowly.

"I don't know why, but they seem to really like you."

After Teng Qu finished speaking, he looked at Gong Zhengci with sympathy. "Hitting you... could it be that it’s trying to please Gu Sihui?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Gong Zhengci was struck again. Watching his pathetic state as he scurried about, Gu Sihui couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips again.

With that encouragement, the tree became even more spirited, suddenly sprouting seven or eight more branches to attack Gong Zhengci simultaneously.

Gong Zhengci: !!!

Gong Zhengci was forced to use his supernatural ability to encase himself in a turtle shell.

At the same time, he glared at Gu Sihui in embarrassment and anger. "Are you done laughing? Aren't you going to stop them? Don't tell me you actually want to watch me get beaten to death by a tree!"

"I think the tree has its own thoughts, and it's definitely just playing with you; it wouldn't really take your life."

Gu Sihui had no intention of intervening.

She thought Gong Zhengci deserved it!

*Hmph*, yesterday you ignored me, today you aren't worthy of me!

Gong Zhengci was furious. "You vicious woman, you love watching the chaos! I knew you didn't have good intentions!"

Gu Sihui no longer took such petty squabbling to heart, especially now that she had a tree by her side to help her "take revenge."

Gu Sihui smugly picked at her ear and snorted, "Scold away, scold away! I think you should just spend your whole life hiding in that turtle shell!"

The other three beast-husbands looked at the bickering pair with helplessness.

Teng Qu had no choice but to speak up again. "A-Ci, stop being so stubborn. Just apologize; hunting the exotic beasts is what matters."

Gong Zhengci looked at Teng Qu with an unhappy expression. "A-Qu, I misjudged you! How can you take sides between her and me and openly favor her?!"

Teng Qu: ...

Teng Qu was speechless and stared silently at the sky—*Oh well, the child is stubborn and refuses to yield; he’s probably just asking for a beating. A few more thrashings and he’ll be fine.*

¥

He couldn't fight back, and he couldn't defend against it forever.

Under pressure, Gong Zhengci finally bowed to reality.

With a flushed face, he shouted at Gu Sihui—

"I'm sorry, I was wrong!"