Chapter 25: A Divine Being Enters the Dream

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I was so engrossed in the story of “I Want to Become an Immortal” that when Xiao Jie suddenly fell silent, I hurriedly asked, “What happens next?”

“The next part is about Hua Tuo performing a craniotomy on Cao Cao; it has nothing to do with the Ginkgo Tree Spirit. The Ginkgo Tree Spirit only appeared briefly.”

I was instantly a bit annoyed—why does Luo Guanzhong always leave loose ends?

He pondered and asked, “So you think this ginkgo tree is also connected to a tree spirit?”

“That’s hard to say, but when I saw the ginkgo tree bleeding earlier, the first thing I thought of was that story. Plus, this village is called Ginkgo Village, and the valley is named Ginkgo Valley. There’s probably some connection, almost certainly related to this tree. You’re pretty lucky—this encounter might uncover a big secret.”

“What should we do next?”

Xiao Jie smiled slightly. “It’s simple: we follow the method in the book. Go to sleep and see if a deity appears in our dreams. If one does, we act accordingly. If not, we just cut down the tree.”

“Sleep?”

I found it hard to keep up with Xiao Jie’s wild thinking. It was quite a stretch. But seeing him head down the mountain as if serious, I had no choice but to follow.

“Wait, Brother Suifeng, what if the deity who appears in our dream draws a sword and chops us?”

“That won’t happen. We’re not cutting down the tree on purpose. Plus, in these game-like encounters, you usually get dialogue choices—never an instant death. As long as you don’t act recklessly during the conversation, you should be fine.

“If a deity does appear in the dream, it will probably give us a quest. Just speak respectfully, accept whatever task it gives, and handle it well. There shouldn’t be any danger.”

Xiao Jie’s ten years as a professional gamer weren’t for nothing. He had played numerous online and offline games and was well-versed in typical game plot tropes.

Though it was just a guess, he felt something significant was likely to happen during this sleep.

By then, the two of us had arrived at the village, heading straight to the inn.

It was a tiny inn with just two rooms—one for selling liquor outside, and inside, two guest rooms with double doors.

Xiao Jie paid ten wen for a room. Inside were two simple beds.

Sunlight streamed through the wooden lattice windows, casting beams onto the earthen floor, giving the room an ancient, atmospheric feel.

I nervously asked what to do next. Seeing my discomfort, Xiao Jie said, “I’ll enter the dream first to see how it unfolds. You watch from the side, so if there’s danger, you’re prepared.

“If it’s safe, I’ll wake up and tell you what to do.”

I immediately refused, “No way. Brother Suifeng, you can’t take this risk alone. I discovered this tree, so we sleep together—sharing both blessings and hardships.”

Xiao Jie thought this kid actually had some responsibility. But since he didn’t believe there was real danger, he agreed, “Alright, then let’s do it together. Remember, if a deity appears, be polite.”

“Don’t worry, Brother Suifeng.”

We each lay on a bed and used the sleep action.

Soon, the symbol ZZZZ appeared above our heads.

“Huh, nothing yet,” I said.

Though our characters were asleep, we could still talk, but only in dream speech, making our voices hazy, as if filtered through a veil.

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“Wait a bit, dreaming takes time too,” Xiao Jie said. I said something else, but this time it was completely inaudible. Xiao Jie was about to ask again when suddenly the light around us dimmed.

He immediately realized the scene was about to change.

The darkness deepened until everything was pitch black. Only his character remained, lying still in the void. The bed beneath him vanished. It felt as though he was falling through darkness.

Huh, so we really are dreaming?

Xiao Jie felt a bit nervous—after all, this game was a matter of life and death.

By now, I was completely silent. My headset was filled with stillness.

Suddenly, a pleasant melody played, and a beam of light appeared in the darkness. A fairy with flowing robes slowly descended from the sky, gradually taking shape. She wore a golden-yellow dress that looked like layered ginkgo leaves—natural and beautiful.

Her features were delicate and exquisite, radiating an ethereal aura.

Wait, there really is a tree spirit? And it’s a woman?

Xiao Jie was surprised. The woman was stunningly beautiful and richly dressed, but her face bore a sorrowful expression.

He pressed the move key and found his character could move. He got up and approached the fairy.

She looked coldly at him and suddenly spoke sharply, “You fool! I bear you no grudge. Why did you cut me with a blade?”

Xiao Jie quickly played dumb. “Ah, who are you? I don’t know you.”

“I am the ginkgo tree you harmed in broad daylight.”

“Ah, sorry, I didn’t realize. I thought it was just an ordinary tree. But I stopped once it bled—probably didn’t hurt you much. By the way, are you a demon or a deity? And why have you come into my dream?”

He immediately laid on the innocence, turning passive into active. After all, he was just a low-level character. He couldn’t afford to antagonize such a mysterious being, but neither could he be overly submissive, or he’d be easily manipulated.

The fairy was momentarily stunned by his words, as if unused to such direct conversation.

But she soon regained composure, a mournful look on her clear face. “Brave one, listen carefully. To be honest, I was once a celestial fairy. Five hundred years ago, I secluded myself in this valley to cultivate. But an evil sorcerer trapped me inside a ginkgo tree with dark magic, draining my spiritual energy and tormenting me. It has been five centuries.

“Now I only hope someone can help me escape this misery. I see that you are brave and courageous. Would you be willing to help me? If you free me, I will reward you greatly—miraculous elixirs, secret talismans, magical treasures; these are ordinary gifts for me.”

“And if I want to become an immortal, is that possible?”

Without hesitation, she said, “Since you have the heart to seek the Dao and immortality, I will naturally assist you. If you help me escape, I will guide you on the path to becoming an immortal—it will not be difficult.”

“How should I proceed? Should I cut down the ginkgo tree I damaged during the day?”

“No, no. Over five centuries, I have painstakingly extended my root system outside the village, growing a new tree—that’s the one you harmed during the day. This new tree was created by my celestial magic to seek help from the outside world. It must not be harmed.

“My true imprisoned form is inside the largest ginkgo tree by the village shrine. That is my main body.

“If you want to free me, you only need to wait until midnight when it’s dark and no one is around. Then destroy all the talisman seals around that ginkgo tree. I will be freed naturally. Can you do this?”

System notification: Encounter event triggered: [The Ginkgo Fairy’s Plea].

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Quest description: In your dream, you meet a strange woman claiming to be a fairy. She asks for your help to break the talisman binding her and grant her freedom, promising great rewards afterward.

Quest objective: Destroy the protective talisman array around the ginkgo tree.

Quest reward: ????

Xiao Jie thought to himself, “So, it’s a scam after all.”

He had asked about becoming immortal to test her. If the fairy had said immortality was difficult and offered other rewards, it might be genuine. But her casually promising immortality was a dead giveaway she was lying.

According to the game’s opening cutscene, “The gods have fallen, and the immortals have gone into hiding.”

Even if the game truly offered ascension to immortality, it would only appear in the late game, not in a beginner village.

The key was the reward displayed as “????”—a clear sign of deception.

Still, he kept calm. Since he was still dreaming, it wouldn’t be wise to anger the beautiful fairy—she might strike with a sword.

Not knowing whether danger lurked, it was best to play along.

“I’ll take care of it,” he said readily.

After accepting the quest, the fairy seemed pleased and bowed deeply. “Then I entrust this matter to you, brave one. I will take my leave now. Please ensure this is done. A great reward awaits you.”

As the ginkgo fairy vanished, the darkness gradually lifted.

His character remained lying on the bed, just waking from the dream.

Looking around the room, Xiao Jie marveled, “This game’s design is incredible! You can even accept quests in your dreams.”

At that moment, I also woke up.

“Oh my god, Brother Suifeng, you were right—there really was a fairy. She asked me to help her escape, promising to resurrect my brother once freed.”

“Fake,” Xiao Jie said impatiently.

“Huh? Fake?”

“Yes. She promised me immortality, but told you about resurrecting your brother. She’s just tailoring her story to each person. Besides, this is the beginner village—what game would offer immortality here?”

“Normally, quest rewards come with clear system notifications specifying the reward. But this fairy triggered the quest without revealing the reward, just empty promises. It’s obviously a scam.”

“I think, if we’re lucky, she’ll give us some trivial rewards later. If not, helping her might bring disaster.”

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