Stone Fairy!

Xie Ning frowned, stepped forward, pointed the tip of his gun at the ground, and stared intently at the small figure.

"There is irrefutable evidence that you can eat people."

"Moreover, you are a spirit born from their incense and worship; if they deserve to die, you should share in their sins."

Upon hearing this, Yu Ling scoffed.

The laughter came from a dirty child's face, and it sounded strange.

"Them?" Yu Ling's gaze swept across Xie Ning's face with a hint of disdain.

"I wasn't created through their worship."

Xie Ning was taken aback.

Daozhen didn't speak, but just looked at Yuling quietly, his gaze as calm as still water.

Yu Ling raised her head and looked at the big elm tree. A complex mix of emotions appeared on her small face: sadness, anger, and the grievances that had been suppressed for countless years.

"You only saw me devour them," Yu Ling's voice lowered, as if she were talking to herself, "but you didn't see why I did it."

He turned his head, his dark, bright eyes staring straight at Daozhen.

"This is their own sin, and they need to atone for it themselves."

Xie Ning gripped his spear tighter, his tone growing even colder: "Regardless of the reason, your act of devouring human lives is wicked. If you truly have a grievance, you can speak out; why resort to this?"

"Say it?" Yu Ling interrupted her, her voice suddenly rising a few decibels, carrying a long-suppressed anger.

"Who are you telling this to? What good would it do you passersby to hear it?"

"Will you punish these people because of what I said?"

Yu Ling stared at Xie Ning and said, word by word:

"You're not from here, you can still leave now."

Xie Ning's heart skipped a beat when it looked at him, but instead of backing away, he took another step forward.

"It's a fact that you eat people, and you can't deny that." Xie Ning's voice calmed down.

Yu Ling looked at her, then glanced at Dao Zhen, remained silent for a moment, and suddenly raised her hand and waved it gently.

In that instant, the entire elm tree began to sway.

A luminous green halo seeped from the cracks in the tree trunk, flowing slowly along the bark's texture. The halo grew stronger and stronger until the entire tree was enveloped in a soft green light.

Then, the green light turned into a shower of light.

The light rain gathered and intertwined in mid-air, and gradually a huge picture unfolded before the two of them.

Daozhen and Xie Ning both looked at the scene at the same time.

The scene depicts a quiet little mountain village.

The paths crisscross, the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard, and the elderly and children alike live in contentment.

The crops in the field grew waist-high, a lush green expanse that rippled in waves when the wind blew.

Several children were chasing and playing barefoot on the ridge of the field, their laughter audible even through the screen.

Under a tree at the village entrance, several old men sat together enjoying the cool shade, while a large yellow dog squatted nearby, its tongue lolling out as it lazily yawned.

Smoke rose from the rooftops of each house, dispersing into a thin mist in the evening sky.

In the center of the village, the large elm tree stood lush and green.

Back then, it wasn't as tall as it is now, but its branches were spreading out, its leaves were emerald green, and elm seeds hung densely from its branches.

Many red ribbons were tied to the tree trunk, which were tied there by the villagers when they made wishes. When the wind blew, the red ribbons and elm seeds fluttered together, and from a distance, it looked like a tree full of red flowers interspersed with light green clouds.

At this moment, people had smiles on their faces.

The scenes shift, the sun rises and sets, spring comes and autumn goes, everything is beautiful.

However, one night, bandits came.

And then, everything changed.

The sounds of horses' hooves, shouts of battle, cries, and screams mingled together, shattering the tranquility of the night.

They surged down the mountain path like a pack of hungry jackals, rushing into the unsuspecting village.

A flash of light, blood splattered, houses burned, flames soared into the sky, and thick smoke billowed, turning half the sky dark red.

The elm tree was also burning, its branches crackling and popping, and the red ribbon was burned to ashes.

The fire burned all night.

By the time dawn broke the next day, the entire village had been completely transformed.

The charred ruins stood crookedly, some still emitting wisps of smoke. Ash and fragments littered the ground, and a pungent, burnt smell filled the air.

The village, once bustling with the sounds of chickens and dogs, is now deathly silent.

A small figure appeared unsteadily in front of the charred elm tree.

It was a child, thin and small, wearing tattered clothes, his face filthy, it was hard to tell if it was ash or tears.

He knelt before the charred elm tree, looking up at the tree that was once lush and leafy but was now just a withered trunk.

The child opened his mouth, and the sound seemed to penetrate the screen.

"Oh, big elm tree... please save the village."

"I don't want my parents to die."

Then, as if using up his last bit of strength, the child collapsed in front of the charred elm tree and never woke up again.

But a glimmer of light appeared on it, and that light slowly drifted toward the charred elm tree and disappeared into its trunk.

I don't know how much time has passed.

A light drizzle began, then grew heavier and heavier, creating a misty atmosphere. Amidst the lightning and thunder, a hint of green suddenly sprouted from the branches of the charred elm tree.

The little bit of green trembled and grew in the rain, slowly finally unfurling into a tiny leaf.

The new leaves are as green as jade, growing tenaciously in the rain, enduring wind and rain.

The scene then vanished as a shower of light.

However, the rain of light slowly gathered behind Yu Ling, one by one, gradually solidifying into the shape of a person.

Their faces were blurry and their figures were transparent, but Daozhen and Xie Ning knew from the images they had just seen that these were former villagers of Yushu Village.

They were those who died in that banditry.

They hovered silently around the big elm tree, without making a sound.

Yu Ling stood amidst these lights and shadows, her small figure enveloped in a green halo.

He raised his head and looked at Daozhen.

Those dark, bright eyes reflected the light and shadows, the large elm tree, and Daozhen's calm, serene face.

"Later, I developed intelligence," Yu Ling said softly.

"I used magic to gather those bandits back here." His gaze swept over the light and shadow, his voice carrying a cold and resolute tone.

"Let them stay here for generations to atone for the sins of those dead villagers of Elm Tree Village."

The open space was quiet for a moment.

A night breeze blew by, and the lights and shadows swayed slightly, like reflections in water ruffled by the wind.

Yu Ling raised her head and looked straight at Dao Zhen. Her voice was not loud, but every word was clear and distinct.

"To exchange their lives for the lives of the former villagers of Yushu Village."

Did I do something wrong?

"The villagers of Yushu Village just wanted to survive."