WangXian Forever 5

Chapter 41 Interrogation

Hui Gai reluctantly let Li XiWang go with SiZhui to the Hanshi accompanied by her uncles, and then his thoughts turned to the figure lying on the floor.

Their clothes were a shimmery mix of not quite brown and not quite green. Her skin glowed a healthy tea colour, and he bet, if they were in a forest together, he would have a hard time spotting her, so well would she be camouflaged. Her eyes were the creepiest of all, hazel when open and terrifying when closed, because of the exact replica tattooed on her lids.

Trained assassins, huh? He pondered, as an idea formed in his bright mind. Probably trained to withstand all types of questioning. From the outside.

Hui Gai chuckled to himself, making a decision. After all, there was no one to stop him.

He closed his eyes and arrived.

Looking around, he saw he was currently in a beautiful meadow, with a single tree growing in the middle. The sky was blue, not in a fake way, but truly blue like summer skies. Tiny clusters of flowers grew and so did the tree, and impossibly fast.

Hui Gai realised he was sifting through her memories.

The Tree looked ordinary, but there, among the branches, there was...something growing...a pod. The outer membrane looked the tightest skin of a cocoon, almost transparent with blue veins snaking across its surface. Hui Gai watched the pod grow and the branch lowered with its weight until it reached the ground. There, it opened like a flower, one petal at a time, the pod which had been made up of leaves, unfurled to reveal a baby, brown skinned and so beautiful. It gurgled up at him laughing a toothless smile.

Hui Gai felt a pain in his chest, at its innocent joy. He watched the child grow into a young woman, but at the same time, other changes happened.

As the Tree grew, children came and went but Hui Gai could feel a growing sadness as the landscape changed. The lush green fields were soon replaced by dry lands, and cracks in the earth, as they watched, helpless to change anything.

The surrounding lands became barren, but the Tree remained, old, knarled and withering, but still alive.

Hui Gai felt a resounding sadness, as grief flooded her memories.

No more children were born as fruit from the tree, until one day, it produced a single seed, and breathed its last, its life forces drifting away to the four winds.

He watched as the women bowed to the Tree that was their mother, father and protector, sheltering them from the world, saying goodbye to it. Their grief was a solid thing, weighing upon all of them, as he witnessed their decision to leave, to find a new place where they could plant the seed, the last gift from their nurturer.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD, DEMON!"

With that scream, Hui Gai was propelled out of her head and back inside the room. He blinked, adjusting to his return, and then he looked at her.

She was watching him, barely restrained anger flowing from every pore, hazel eyes flashing. Her hood had slipped off her head, revealing chestnut coloured hair, long and silky, tied up in a bun. The shackles sparked, red and glowing every time she tried to resist against them.

"I'm sorry for your people." He finally said. He made himself comfortable, now sitting cross-legged, his tail in his lap, red eyes gleaming.

This only made her angrier.

"YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO INVADE MY MIND!"

"You're right." He admitted. "I've never been a fan of rules, though."

"Who are you? Why do you stay here, Demon?" She watched him with interest now.

"I have my reasons, and they're none of your business." He leaned back.