Chapter 76: I Want To Worship Grandpa Tree

"What kind of game will we play, Grandpa Tree?"

All the children immediately stopped their activities as they ran cheerfully and gathered near 'Grandpa Tree'.

Qin Yi, "We are going to play a game of catching branches!"

"Catching branches?"

"That's right, whoever can catch grandpa's branches, will get these delicious food tied to them!"

In an instant, the children were inspired. Even though they didn't know what delicious food was on the branches, they were happy to play with their 'Grandpa Tree'.

Meanwhile, Qin Yi, with Mu Mu on his lap, watched the others play.

It looks like his first day as Willow Tree is a success.

Qin Yi's plan is quite simple.

He just wanted to impersonate the Willow Tree, who was supposedly incarnated as a human.

Of course, this alone was not enough to deceive the children. Therefore, he decided to master the Magical Beast Skill of the Willow Tree, Bloody Wood Extension.

Although he only mastered it down to Small Accomplishment, it was enough to allow him to create branches and manipulate them to some degree.

Thanks to that, it seems that the children believe in his impersonation.

The next step is to increase his intimacy with them and slowly build their trust. However, this move couldn't be accomplished in a day or two as it needed him days before he could even decide to get information from the children.

Since he can't dig from adults, he will dig from children.

So in the next few days, he would just casually play around with them.

***

One week later....

Qin Yi was still doing his activities by playing with the children in Green Willow Village while using his identity Willow Tree.

After giving them various kinds of sweets every day, Qin Yi and their relationship grew closer with each passing day.

As for the Willow Tree itself, it still stayed silent under Qin Yi's instructions. Of course, as a reward, he would water it with his miraculous water every day.

All in all, everything went well.

Apart from that, he also continued to investigate Mu Mu's father, Mu Fengsha.

That guy is the most suspicious person in this village. Therefore, he will put extra effort into investigating this person.

Unfortunately, Blind Old Man is long gone from this village; otherwise, he would have inquired about this matter to that old man even if he had to sacrifice his precious wine.

Wu Kun seems useless either since he can't even detect a fiend cultivator among the villagers in this village.

Therefore, he could only rely on himself to finish this task.

However, unfortunately, the only clue he could get from Mu Mu's father was his technique cultivation. 

Even though he had a storage bag, there was nothing of value other than a few spirit stones, common pills, and martial art books.

Thus, the investigation of this person was stuck for a moment.

Qin Yi sat in the shade of the Willow Tree, and he saw Mu Mu who was eating the sweets he just gave.

"Little Mu, are you close to your father?"

This question was a bit silly, but luckily, the person he was asking was a silly little guy.

Mu Mu looked up at 'Grandpa Tree' and titled his head innocently.

"Father?"

"Right, your father."

"Father always carries me!"

Mu Mu replied cheerfully; he looked happy when he mentioned his father.

"Ohoho, it looks like you like your father very much. Can our Little Mu say, what does your father usually do at home? If you can answer that, then another sweet will be delivered to you." Qin Yi smiled furtively.

Mu Mu's eyes lit up instantly when he saw another sweet appear before him, so he didn't hesitate to sell his father to the 'Grandpa Tree'.

"Father likes to play big knife with pigs."

Qin Yi twitched the corner of his mouth.

Play big knife with pigs

Does this little guy mean, butchering pigs?

However, after hearing this, an assumption appeared in his mind.

Did Mu Fengsha use pig blood to cultivate?

Even though Mu Fengsha is a fiend cultivator, his appearance and demeanour are nothing like that one. In fact, he looked like an ordinary cultivator.

It was no wonder why Wu Kun, who had lived in this village for more than a month, did not find the Village Chief's son suspicious.

"Here's your reward for our Little Mu~."

Qin Yi gave the sweets to Mu Mu, while this little guy accepted it with a drool out of his mouth.

"Grandpa Tree, don't you also know Mu Mu's father? I heard from my father that all the villagers in this village played with you when they were little."

Suddenly Mu Chen, who was listening to their conversation, spoke.

"Ohoho, when the adults become adults, they stop playing with grandpa. Therefore, grandpa doesn't know what they are busy with right now."

Qin Yi fidgeted his fingers slightly under the sleeve as he effortlessly responded to that question.

Mu Chen seemed enlightened as said in understanding.

"Adults are always busy! My father is busy hunting Wild Beasts in the forest, and he is sometimes not home for a few days. However, Mu Mu's father is different. In this village, he is a butcher as he deals with livestock and game brought home by the hunters."

Qin Yi raised his eyebrows; it seemed that his assumption was correct.

Mu Fengsha did use this job to absorb blood from livestock and Wild Beasts that the villagers hunted.

Perhaps his rationale is still perfectly intact because he had never absorbed human blood before. 

Of course, this was Qin Yi's shallow assumption since he didn't know much about fiend cultivators.

"However, I heard from my father that before Mu Mu's father disappeared for five years, he was a physician in this village."

"Disappeared?"

"That's right. He disappeared along with my second uncle for five years. I heard that they went to the temple to perform rituals for our Spiritual God, which is you, Grandpa Tree."

Speaking of this, Mu Chen's face brightened up as he said excitedly.

"Me too. I hope I'm the one chosen to worship Grandpa Tree in the ritual that will be held at the end of this month. My father said that Grandpa Tree has always protected us, so it's only right that we make offerings to Grandpa Tree."

As soon as Mu Chen finished speaking, Qin Yi's pupils sharpened instantly.

He didn't expect that this conversation would suddenly lead to a most sensitive topic and urgently needed by him.

Qin Yi didn't want to waste this opportunity. Thus, his brain was spinning very quickly.

"Ohoho, that is very admirable! Grandpa is very much looking forward to your worship toward grandpa!"

"Of course!" 

Mu Chen patted his chest with his tiny fist proudly.

However, in the next second, his expression plummeted slightly.

"However, if I am chosen to go to the temple, I will not be able to see Grandpa Tree for a very long time. Even my second uncle hasn't returned to the village until now. Unlike Mu Mu's father, who came back home, I heard that my second uncle became a priest in the temple and he will not return to the village again."

Qin Yi frowned at the moment.

This was the second time he had heard the word 'temple'.

What and where is this temple that came out of Mu Chen's mouth?

If the intention of the ritual is to worship their Spiritual God, why not do it in front of their Spiritual God directly, but do it in another place called a temple instead?

That's very suspicious.

He truly wanted to ask in more detail, but he was afraid that Mu Chen would be suspicious of his acting and decided to stop talking about rituals.

After all, the matter of the ritual is confidential information, not only limited to this village but throughout this nameless mountain.

Mu Chen could so bluntly talk about the ritual because he was talking to the 'Grandpa Tree'.

Moreover, this 'Grandpa Tree' neither acted too curious nor deliberately brought up the topic, so it was only natural that Mu Chen was not suspicious of him.

'Phew... it seems like my decision was right!' Qin Yi thought.

As long as the children are born from this village, they must at least know a word or two about this classified information since their parents might inform them.

He thought for a moment before he said.

"If you don't want to go there, you don't have to. Just stay in this village and play with grandpa."

Mu Chen hastily shook his head and said.

"It's not good! The ritual is an obligation for the natives of this mountain. I can't neglect it just because I want to. As long as they are chosen, they are obligated to carry it out. Even though I want to stay with Grandpa Tree longer, I'm actually looking forward to this ritual day."

"What if you don't come back to the village again like your second uncle?"

"In that case, I have no choice but to devote myself to work in the temple, Grandpa Tree. But I still have a chance to go home just like Mu Mu's father."

What a stubborn child. 

Qin Yi secretly shook his head in helplessness.