Chapter 248: The Hometown of the Divine Tree, Beautiful Loulan Welcomes You

Inside the camp of the Loulan tribe.

A curly-haired head and a shiny, egg-like head walked side by side along the only street in the camp, which was not particularly bustling. The curly-haired one looked around curiously.

Along the way, Uchiha Gin discovered that although the residents settled here were materially poor, their faces were filled with smiles, and their words were full of love for a beautiful life, which made him sigh at the simple folk customs of this place.

"Mr. Gin is truly worthy of being a great traveler; your experience is so rich!"

Along the way, the well-informed Uchiha Gin provided the guide, Shamon, with a reverse education on the customs and cultures of many other countries.

This young man, who had never seen the world, listened with eyes shining and kept clicking his tongue in wonder, looking at Uchiha Gin with a hint of reverence.

"Hey! It's not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning~"

In any case, these were all things Uchiha Gin had seen on television and in comic books, and every single one had a verifiable source, so he felt no burden in bragging about them.

"When does Mr. Gin plan to leave? We can help provide an escort."

Uchiha Gin feigned the purchase of some supplies, looking as if he were in a hurry to depart, which caused the still-unsatisfied Shamon to lower his final guard and ask.

"Boss, wrap up this little doll for me. Uh... I'll set off after I've procured enough supplies. After all..."

Pointing to the simple-looking ancient doll displayed on the stall, Uchiha Gin turned his head, feigning thought in his eyes, then revealed an embarrassed expression and began to speak hesitantly.

"After all, what?"

Hearing Uchiha Gin stop mid-sentence, the still-naive Shamon hurriedly pressed for an answer, completely unaware that he had already walked into a trap.

"Sigh~ I was a bit embarrassed to say it, but since you asked, brother Shamon, I'll tell you."

Uchiha Gin paused, wore a mysterious expression on his face, and said to Shamon in a low voice.

"First, let me state that I don't mean to look down on anyone, but as you know, I am a traveler, and I am only interested in the secret lore of various places."

Looking at Shamon's puzzled little eyes, Uchiha Gin suppressed the laughter in his heart and continued to explain.

"Forgive my bluntness, but your tribe doesn't seem like a place with any interesting secrets, so I have no interest in staying. As for my next step, I want to return to my hometown in the Land of Fire first to report my safety to my family..."

"Huh? Who are you looking down on!"

A simple provocation could reap unexpected surprises.

This trick really worked every time on simple-minded natives.

Shamon's shiny forehead bulged with veins, which instantly turned the red of shame and anger. Looking resentful, he stared at the sincere-faced Uchiha Gin, a trace of struggle flashing in his eyes.

"Brother Shamon, don't take it to heart. If you have the chance to visit my hometown in the future, I'll take you to see our local specialties."

Patting Shamon on the shoulder, the sincerity in Uchiha Gin's eyes was visible to the naked eye, leaving the bald man with nowhere to vent his annoyance, and the struggle in his eyes grew even more intense.

"Mr. Gin, actually, we in Loulan also have secret lore passed down for many years..."

In the end, Shamon, who had not yet experienced the malice of society, spilled his family's secrets to Uchiha Gin without reservation.

"Really? Tell me about it~"

Uchiha Gin cooperatively revealed a look of overflowing thirst for knowledge, which greatly satisfied Shamon's vanity. He pointed toward the center of the camp, signaling for him to follow.

"Legend has it that a thousand years ago, the Land of Wind was a vast, fertile land with a pleasant climate and lush vegetation, until one day, a huge Divine Tree grew on this land."

As they walked, Shamon told Uchiha Gin, who was following behind, the story that had been passed down for a thousand years.

A Divine Tree? It wouldn't be that one from the ancestors, would it?

This was the first time he had heard the story of the Divine Tree from a native. Uchiha Gin frowned; sure enough, the Dragon Vein hidden deep within Loulan had an inseparable connection to the Otsutsuki clan.

"At first, people saw this wonder and came to worship it, thinking it was a manifestation of the gods. But as time passed, the local residents discovered that although the Divine Tree grew more and more lush, the fertile soil it took root in became increasingly barren. This change swept through the entire Land of Wind like a plague."

Shamon, walking in front, did not notice Uchiha Gin's strange expression, only feeling that the other party was shocked by the secret he had told, so he continued to narrate to himself.

"The residents at the foot of the Divine Tree could not adapt to this change and had to painfully leave their hometowns, but a small group of people chose to stay and hold their ground in this desert."

Shamon, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped and raised his finger to point ahead. Uchiha Gin also lifted his head from his thoughts, and following the direction pointed, he saw a towering black spire.

The exterior of the tower was surrounded by thick stone walls, and several burly guards were patrolling in front of the gate; it was clear that this was a forbidden area of Loulan.

"This is?"

Even without activating his super-perception, Uchiha Gin could feel the profound power contained within the pagoda, and the surrounding space was rippling from the overflowing energy.

"Perhaps the people who held their ground here moved the gods. One morning, everyone woke up from their sleep to find that the once-sturdy Divine Tree had vanished into thin air. If not for the bottomless pit left in the ground, everyone would have thought it was just a long nightmare."

Pausing briefly in front of the tower, Shamon led Uchiha Gin toward the gate of the black tower. The patrolling guards, upon seeing them, all wore respectful expressions and consciously cleared a path.

"Brother Shamon, it seems your status is not as simple as just a guard captain, is it?"

After slightly sensing the patrolling guards, Uchiha Gin discovered that the strength of these people was not as weak as those guarding the gate outside the camp; they were at least at the level of Jonin.

He just hadn't expected such a barren place to hide so many experts. He immediately fixed his gaze on Shamon in front, asking slowly with a moderate amount of "shock" in his tone.

"I originally only wanted to interact with you as an ordinary person, but I didn't expect it to be met with suspicion..."

Shamon, that bald guy, became more and more excited as he spoke, the arc of his mouth almost impossible to suppress, his two small eyes filled with smugness. He led Uchiha Gin swaggering into the black tower, turned around, raised his hands high, and announced loudly.

"Fine! I won't pretend anymore. I'm showing my cards. I, Shamon, am the guardian of Loulan, the Dragon-Protecting Clan that has guarded the Dragon Vein for generations~"

Uh... Brother Shamon, I think you've really been driven crazy by being cooped up; you're too dramatic.

Uchiha Gin secretly rolled his eyes, complaining in his heart.

"Huh? I didn't expect Brother Shamon to be from the Dragon-Protecting Clan. My apologies, my apologies~"

However, as a qualified straight man, Uchiha Gin took it upon himself to show professional etiquette, clapping to show respect.

"Hmph hmph~ I didn't expect the fame of our Dragon-Protecting Clan to have already spread to other countries."

Shamon was greatly pleased by Uchiha Gin's flattery, the smugness in his eyes almost ready to burst out from his dragon-claw tattoo.

"Uh, not really. It's my first time hearing it, but it doesn't matter; this title sounds very impressive."

I love telling the truth, buddy~

"Pfft! Then what are you clapping for?"

Shamon was so angry he nearly suffered a reversal of blood flow. After finally steadying his mind, he looked at Uchiha Gin with an unhappy expression and accused him.

"Hey~ we're buddies. By the way, you haven't finished your story yet. What happened after the Divine Tree disappeared?"

Uchiha Gin used the "buddy card" to offset Shamon's negative emotions and eliminate the dissatisfaction in the other's heart.

"Ahem... Mr. Gin, look at this pit. This is the ruin left behind after the Divine Tree disappeared back then."

Since the other party was so enthusiastic, Uchiha Gin stopped declining and leaned his head over to look at the bottom of the pit. He saw a glimmer of blue light surging at the very bottom, and even from this distance, he could feel the profound power within it.

"What is that down there?"

Frowning, Uchiha Gin pointed to the blue halo overflowing below and asked.

"After the Divine Tree disappeared, the people who stayed behind discovered a power in the pit. This power nourished the surrounding environment and created patches of oases. So, the grateful people guarded this pit, built a camp on top of it, and subsequently formed a tribe."

Shamon raised his hand and pointed to the murals inside the black tower, which depicted the history of the people who guarded the pit and multiplied under the protection of this power.

But what surprised Uchiha Gin the most was that in the very center of the mural, a giant dragon was clearly painted, and at the feet of the dragon, countless ancestors of Loulan were kneeling.

"Brother Shamon, where did that dragon come from?"

"Mr. Gin, that is the power entrenched beneath the pit. Because it often appears in the form of a dragon, we Loulan people call it the Dragon Vein."

I really didn't expect the Dragon Vein to be related to the Divine Tree of the Otsutsuki clan. I just don't know if it's a companion to the Divine Tree or a source of power generated by the Earth itself to resist the erosion of the Divine Tree.

"The ancestors of Loulan, in order to prevent the power of the Dragon Vein from being coveted by evil people, instructed their descendants to guard this place for generations."

After finishing the ancient secret lore of Loulan, Shamon's narrow eyes were filled with reverence. He raised his hand to touch the tattoo on his head and said to the thoughtful Uchiha Gin.

"To commemorate becoming a member of the Dragon-Protecting Clan that guards the Dragon Vein, I specifically got a dragon tattoo on my body. Cool, right!"

"Uh... it suits you."

Uchiha Gin found it difficult to comment on this point; after all, everyone's aesthetics are different, and one cannot force one's own aesthetics onto others.

After visiting the Dragon Vein, the two did not linger, as this was a forbidden area of Loulan, and Shamon bringing Uchiha Gin in for a close-up encounter with the Dragon Vein was already a very presumptuous act.

"How about it? Our Loulan's secret lore is no less impressive than other countries', right?"

After walking out of the black tower, Shamon proudly raised his bald eyebrows at Uchiha Gin, his mouth filled with a simple smile.

"It is indeed incredible. I will record it well and go back to help you Loulan with tourism promotion. Don't forget to give me a cut when it becomes popular~"

(End of chapter)