23 Very Strong Banyan Tree

Checking the wind conditions, Ying Hua immediately approached a huge tree that grew not far from the Qing Palace. A type of banyan tree, whose leaves looked very dense than the usual one.

Behind her was Old Man Mo, who floated with an invisible body. Now they stopped in front of the tree, checking its condition.

"Are you sure you can do this, Princess?" Old Man Mo asked somewhat doubtfully. "Because you've never spoken to a tree before." His brows furrowed, while his white hair fluttered a few times.

"I'm not sure either, Old Man Mo," Ying Hua replied anxiously. "But the Red-Eyed Black Snake advised me to do this. So, I better obey him. I will do anything as long as you can enter the Qing Palace, and help me find the Black Crown."

With no other choice, they finally agreed to ask the banyan tree.

"Oh, Banyan Tree, do you know where the position of the Black Crown in the Qing Palace?" asked Ying Hua, who waited with her body split into the air element so that no one could see her, except for beings that had the same concentration of bodily substances.

Old Man Mo frowned sadly. "It doesn't answer your question, Princess." And now he looked very worried.

"Maybe my method of asking is wrong. Let me try again!" She cleared her throat, then asked the banyan tree, "Oh, Banyan Tree! Do you hear me? I am one of the people requested by the Red-Eyed Black Snake, the king of the serpent demons in the middle of the Myong Forest. I must take back their Black Crown so that the balance of life in the universe can be maintained."

Still, there was no sign of it moving or answering, making her and Old Man Mo restless.

"Oh, Banyan Tree!" And instead came a very strong gust of wind from the direction of the banyan tree, which jolted Ying Hua and Old Man Mo. The wind was not too strong, because the branches and leaves did not fall. But the wind made her and his bodies seemed to be blown backward as if something had just been hit.

"That seems to be a sign that the tree doesn't want to help us, Princess," he said.

"But why? Black Snake said none of the beings outside the Qing Palace were the emperor's allies. So, they shouldn't support anyone."

"Or maybe they are now allies of the emperor, Princess?" Then Old Man Mo fell silent because of his unreasonable words. "Or could it be that the tree is dead and has no soul? We'd better do our other plans, Princess. Our time is getting limited."

But Ying Hua did not give up. Now she was thinking hard. 'Why is probably the banyan tree won't answer me? Old Man Mo is probably right that I've never spoken to a tree before. But the banyan tree is no ordinary tree. It has supernatural powers so it can communicate with some creatures that have high powers. Does that mean my power is still not high enough?

But if that was the case, surely Black Snake would have warned me first. So, what's the real problem?' She examined the tree from a distance until she realized something. 'If it couldn't communicate with me, we shouldn't have been attacked by the wind that blew earlier. Right!'

Her eyes widened, beside the confused and skeptical Old Man Mo.

"That means it can communicate with me, but it just doesn't want to," Ying Hua whispered with absolute certainty, causing Old Man Mo to turn his head in surprise as she suddenly spoke.

"What do you say, Princess? Did you find the answer?" He smiled with sparkling eyes when he saw her nod.

"Yes, Old Man Mo! I found the answer. The tree can communicate with me. But it chose not to do it."

"How can you be sure of your prediction, Princess?"

"Wind," she answered loudly and confidently. "Did you feel the urge from the sudden wind?" After she saw him nod, she continued her speech. "That's the answer. The tree had heard what I said, but it didn't want to talk to me. Therefore, it created a wind to drive us away."

"Does that mean it refuses to help us?"

Ying Hua's face suddenly became sad. "That seems like that."

"Then, that means we have to use another method, Princess."

She glanced around, surveying every corner of the palace. "We don't have much of a way," she whispered. "We can only ask the banyan tree, ask the ghosts, or approach Willow and old Pine for information. But Willow and old Pine were inside the palace. So, our only chance is to ask the ghosts."

"Didn't Black Snake say we could use the wind to get information?"

"By possessing the soldiers?" She looked bored at him. "Have you ever done that?"

Old Man Mo grimaced. "I can only possess someone directly, without the help of wind and control him using the energy I have."

"You can't do it here because the protectors in the Qing Palace are very strong. You have to find a very sacred vessel so you can enter it directly. But it will also put your life in danger. So, the only way we have is to ask the banyan tree or ask the ghosts."

"Why don't we just ask the ghosts?"

Ying Hua took a deep breath, then glanced around her. "There are only weak ghosts roaming around here because it is still noon. Usually, stronger ghosts will appear at night, after sunset, at midnight, or near dawn. We can't wait that long without trying something else. That's why I insisted on getting an answer from the banyan tree while waiting for the sun to set."

"Finally, I understand what your plan is, Princess." He nodded, then straightened his clothes which had been exposed by the wind. "Then, let's ask the banyan tree again. This time, let me do it!"

After Ying Hua nodded, Old Man Mo immediately flew towards the banyan tree. His hand raised his stick, then swung it at the rod, and then slammed it very hard.

CRASH!

A clash of energy as well as the collision of the two objects made a very loud sound, causing the on-duty soldiers of the Qing Palace to turn their heads towards the banyan tree.

Now it was shaking, its leaves were falling from Old Man Mo's attack. There was a groan from inside its trunk.

The soldiers widened their eyes and turned to each other. They gulped.

"I-I already told you that tree is haunted. Yesterday I accidentally peed in there, and it hit my head with its twig."

Ying Hua patted her forehead hearing all that, then approached Old Man Mo. "Old Man Mo, why did you attack it?" When the roar was still heard quite clearly, and when the leaves were still falling.

"It has to learn how to respect someone, Princess." Now Old Man Mo was talking to the tree. "She is Princess Ying Hua, one of Emperor Heng's daughters. So never underestimate her! Quickly tell me where the location of the Black Crown is stored! Or we will destroy you!"

But a wind stronger than the one before hit them, sending their bodies flying and crashing against the walls of the Qing Palace.

Because their bodies were not visible, there was only noise from the place where their bodies fell and hit the wall.

It made the soldiers shudder. They glared at each other, holding hands. They were more scared of ghosts than enemies, and it seemed that Emperor Qing had chosen the wrong warrior with a weak heart.

Ying Hua grimaced as she clutched her chest, feeling the attack she had received. "That tree can give off this much energy," she whispered. "That means it's strong. Don't act rashly!"

"Then how can we force it to give us information, Princess?" asked Old Man Mo, who was now finding it hard to even stand up anymore.

***