WangXian Forever 7

Chapter 95 Treasure

The Elder clapped his hands and the men put the palanquin down.

There was a simple clasp lock holding the lid down, and it was easy to open.

They threw back the lid and found sacks of grain on the first layer, and underneath, there were pouches of money.

Wei Ying was happy to see the joy on their faces. And then he remembered something that would also help.

From his sleeve, he retrieved the green box with the soil inside, the one that could make anything grow...and from that he decided to gift the village a moon tree seed.

"Grandfather, this is something special we want to give you. We were told that wherever this tree is planted, it will give the ones near it infinite joy. We have planted three of these already, and can verify that it's true."

The elder had tears in his eyes.

"Truly the Universe has looked favourably upon us today. Our meeting was fated, and who knows? Perhaps our days of making ends meet has finally come to an end."

"I hope so." Wei Ying smiled kindly at him. "You should plant it where everyone can come and enjoy its benefits freely. And this soil, just a few grains will ensure a good crop."

"Please advise us. We will listen to what you say."

Wei Ying grinned at the smug smile of a proud Lan Zhan, oozing with vibes.

"Where shall we tell them to plant it, my love?" He asked, smiling into his golden eyes.

He didn't want to say it, but it would be nice to leave this place with something familiar, something joyful rather than the bittersweet and painful memories of their past.

"Somewhere south facing for plenty of sunshine. Wei Ying must choose." Lan Zhan put his hands on Wei Ying's waist and pushed him forward, holding on to him.

Wei Ying looked around and saw that they were actually in a prime spot.

"How about right here?" He turned his face so his lips were close to Lan Zhan's cheek.

Lan Zhan was past caring right now, Wei Ying too close for him to concentrate on anything else.

"Mn." He answered distractedly, his golden eyes staring at Wei Ying's lips.

Wei Ying shivered and smiled, knowing exactly where his thoughts had gone...they hadn't kissed in so long...

Reluctantly, he turned to face the elder.

"Here is fine."

"As you wish." The elder motioned to the men who had carried the chest to start digging.

The sun was low in the sky and they had only maybe a few hours at best before night would fall and they could be on their way.

While the men dug deeper into the ground, the elder came towards Wei Ying.

He handed him a map of the local area that they had drawn themselves.

Wei Ying examined it, with Lan Zhan looking over his shoulder, their faces next to each other.

He tried not to look disappointed.

"If I may ask," the elder said, quite eagerly now. "Where do you wish to go? I am only asking because it does not seem as if you are happy with our efforts."

"Oh, grandfather, I do not wish to sound ungrateful." Wei Ying quickly said, looking ashamed of himself. "It's just that you're right, we are aiming to find a specific place."

What harm could there be in telling them? The question must have shown in his eyes, because Lan Zhan nodded subtly.

"We're actually looking for the Ring of Fire, that's its name. But the truth is, none of us know where it could be, except that it's in the south. We have just a star to guide us." He admitted.

"Ring of Fire, you say?" The elder stroked his beard. "Is there anything you can add to that? More information?"

"It's supposed to be a circle of mountains, possibly difficult to reach."

"I see. The lands you will encounter upon leaving here are mainly flat moors and farmland. There are no mountains anywhere near us here. I would have thought they would be quite visible from far."

"True. I guess we will just have to carry on." Wei Ying smiled at him and put his map carefully away.

The hole was deep enough now and they watched as the seed was planted into the ground.

Wei Ying sprinkled some of the magical brown dust into the hole and then they covered it up.

More earth was cast upon the seed and then the elder watered it generously.

Within minutes a green shoot rose up through the earth, moving the loose soil and stretching up towards the last of the day's sunshine.

They all watched in awe, especially the civilians, the elders and the rest of the villagers had never seen anything like this.

Emerald green and shiny, its leaves were a splash of vitality that was sadly lonesome in this place.

Wei Ying gave the elder more of the magical dust so they could plant the seeds in the chest, at least some until the ground was prepared for more.

"May I ask? What did the members of our village say to you?" The elder asked.

"They were more upset that they hadn't been able to tell you about their buried chest." Wei Ying said. "That was the reason they could not leave, not when they knew their people were suffering."

A golden light shone all around them as spirits appeared.

Wei Ying recognized them as the ones who had inhabited those bodies that had risen in the early hours.

They collectively bowed and held their hands together.

"Are they here?" The elder asked, looking at Wei Ying.

He realised that the villagers could not actually see the light emitting spirits.

"They are bowing to you." He murmured.

"Then please, tell them we thank them for their forethought, and their kindness in waiting. We wish them much needed peace in the afterlife." The elder bowed towards their general direction.

Wei Ying conveyed their message and bowed himself.

Gradually, they disappeared one by one, and Wei Ying got the feeling that they left smiling.