Chapter 2567

Seeing that their strongest ring-warlock had suffered a crushing defeat as soon as they clashed, the bear, eagle, snake, and tiger all stopped at once. Thinking of the power boost of "Transformation-Owl Bear," they now suspected that the man with an owl standing on his shoulder was a dragon transformed using "Human Transformation."

"Do you still want to fight?"

Xia De, who had stopped using his spells, asked, the white mist exhaled between his breaths lingering in the air for a long time.

The animals hesitated, and seeing that the other party did not answer, the owl, who was having trouble controlling herself because she felt the temperature of that soul, flew off Xia De's shoulder at once.

After landing, a gray-white thick mist spread, and behind that mist, the witch's brand-new transformation form stepped out onto the snow.

Her fur was as white as snow, shimmering with a faint light under the cold winter sun, blending in with the surrounding snowy landscape. Her slender limbs stepped lightly on the snow, leaving shallow footprints with every step, as if sketching a dreamlike painting on a white canvas.

Standing tall on her head was a horn shining with a faint light—a symbol of purity and power. The single horn emitted a faint silver light, and her mane drifted lightly with the wind, as soft as silk, reflecting the snowflakes and looking like an elf from a fairyland.

"A unicorn?"

Not only the five animals, but even Xia De was very surprised. Transforming into a unicorn was no simpler than transforming into a dragon, not to mention that he was standing right behind the unicorn now, yet he didn't feel any falseness from that unicorn at all:

"Truly a master of transformation!"

However, the unicorn didn't say a word, just stood in front of Xia De looking at those animals. Thus, the animals retreated together, and the owl bear that had been sent flying by Xia De's punch also climbed up from the snow. The five animals bowed to the unicorn together and transformed back into human form amidst green light:

"No need to fight; there must be some misunderstanding between us.

Only truly kind and benevolent lives could possibly transform into such a noble and beautiful creature. Sorry, you are not our enemy."

The five people wearing brown robes walked over again, and the pure white unicorn tossed her head, looked back at Xia De, and then transformed back into an owl, hooted twice, and flew back onto Xia De's shoulder.

Xia De subconsciously raised his hand to stroke her wings again, then immediately realized this was not his own cat, so he pretended he hadn't noticed what he had done:

"Hermits of the 【Hermits of the Woods】, I am indeed not your enemy. I have tracked that man from the distant future to the present in order to prevent him from further destroying the stability of time."

The high-level warlock who had been injured by Xia De's astonishing power just now was in a much better state as he had only suffered simple internal injuries:

"Young man, we know you come from a different time. But sorry, please prove that you are not chasing him to obtain ownership of the tree hollow; otherwise, we will not let you see him again."

The five hermits stood together in the snow. Combined, they probably couldn't beat Xia De and the witch, but Xia De's time was limited, and he didn't want to "persuade" these people through meaningless fighting:

"Proof? How am I supposed to prove it?"

He shook his head:

"Aren't you also protecting him for the sake of the tree hollow's secret?"

The hermits were not angry, and the high-level warlock who was the leader still replied:

"Through the power of my Lord, the Vesta Woods have entered into a contract with us. Time and the tree will protect us, and if we harbor greed for the tree hollow, time and the tree will also punish us. The forest can prove this point."

Xia De did not understand what "the forest can prove" meant, but this did not prevent him from remembering another thing:

"If it is the forest's recognition... wait a moment, I found it. Look, can this prove it for me?"

He rummaged through his pocket and found the emerald star flower wreath that the elf girl in the woods had woven for him, then wore the wreath on his head.

The owl on his shoulder stretched out her head and pecked at the small silver-blue flowers, and the hermits had already bowed to Xia De:

"Since you have obtained the recognition of the Father of the Tree, you have naturally already proven yourself.

We are very sorry for our hostility toward you just now. Please come with us now; we will answer your questions."

"I don't have much time to tangle with you."

"Please rest assured, our camp will be reached very soon."

The five hermits led the way, taking Xia De deeper into the woods. They knocked on the trunk of a large tree not far away, and then a tree hollow large enough for an adult to pass through actually appeared on that tree.

It was just that this tree hollow did not connect different times, but connected different spaces. After passing through the tree hollow, they entered deeper into the Vesta Woods, and after walking for less than five minutes, they saw a small camp in the woods covered in thick snow.

This reminded Xia De of the sinkholes he encountered in the Pantanal Swamp (1105). This should be the same as that forest that one could not walk out of, and also belonged to the secrets of the Vesta Woods.

The low-level warlock who had left in advance and Baron Kaming were already in this small camp. In addition to the two of them, there were two other low-level warlocks tending to a campfire. Thus, the high-level warlock among the five who led the way talked with them and clarified the matter, and the group sat down in the camp.

There were 10 people and 1 owl present, divided into three campfires. In addition, there were five simple tents and some daily necessities scattered around the campfires. On the fires, hot water was being boiled, hot soup was being cooked, and some potatoes were being roasted. Xia De briefly looked at the environment, and then looked at Baron Kaming and the high-level warlock:

"Who will tell me what the situation is?"

"Let him tell you; we only provide help. What exactly happened is none of the Hermits' business."

Xia De then looked at the Baron, who was currently wrapped in a robe of the same style as the hermits, roasting by the fire, but still looking at Xia De vigilantly, clearly not wanting to say anything.

Xia De then took out *Opening the Forest Gate: Our Animal Partners* and shook it.

"That is not yours; you cannot take it away!"

The Baron, who had originally kept his mouth shut, widened his eyes at once, and then angrily got up and lunged at Xia De, but was immediately stopped by the hermits:

"In our camp, please do not use force; this is for your own good."

They warned Baron Kaming very seriously, so the disheveled middle-aged man sat back down dejectedly:

"I don't know who you are, and I don't know what exactly you want to know. If you want to ask me questions, you must at least make your purpose clear."

Xia De took the teacup handed over by the hermits, held the teacup, and looked at him sitting in the snow:

"I just want to understand all of this. Now, at least you have to tell me, why did you steal your wife when she was one year old in 1809?"

The Baron cast an incredulous look at him:

"How do you know?"

The hermits were busy with their own affairs in the small camp in the snow and did not disturb their conversation, and Xia De did not answer this question:

"Ring-warlocks naturally have their own methods. Tell me your purpose. I have no intention of threatening you, but you must understand that since I have risked chasing you here, I have plenty of ways to make you speak."

The Baron clearly understood this truth as well. He sniffed; he had really been frozen just now:

"If you want to know this damn story, yes, I can tell you. My whole life has been trapped by this story!

This story is simply a circle, but if you want me to find a starting point, then let's start from many years ago—yes, let's start from after my mother passed away."

"Wait a moment, Silence Charm."

The high-level hermit reminded him and winked at Xia De:

"This is your story, and we who live here should not know the future; this will cause trouble."

Xia De then cast two Silence Charms. Those hermits also went to the other two campfires. Baron Kaming watched their actions finish before saying in a suppressed voice:

"I don't know why you are interested in this story, but... Mother passed away in 1817, which was 15 years later. And in 1826, 9 years after Mother passed away, when I was 23 years old, I accidentally discovered some relics Mother left behind.

Those relics were packed in an iron box and buried deep in the basement of the old house left by my grandmother and grandfather. Yes, my mother, Erica Kaming, was also from Creekwood Town. The book in your hand should have been taken from that house, right?"

Xia De nodded:

"I have no intention of possessing it. Once your story is finished, it will return to the place where it should exist."

The Baron seemed to breathe a sigh of relief:

"That's good. This will motivate me to tell this story more completely.

The relics Mother left behind that I discovered in 1826 included the book in your hand and Mother's diary. Through that diary, I learned the secret of Mother Erica before her marriage and my true background, and Mother also recorded the identity of my... father. Yes, she recorded every word they had said to each other while crossing time through that book."

His expression became gloomy:

"Mother regarded them as the most romantic love poems, and even before she passed away, she never thought of destroying them."

"Before your mother passed away, she actually already knew that her lover was actually her grandson—that is, your 'son'?"

"Yes, Mother simply wrote down this fact, but did not leave behind any regret or other thoughts about it... She loved that man deeply."

Xia De had no intention of evaluating this love that spanned time; he just felt some sympathy for the man in front of him:

"So, you knew at the age of 23 that your father was actually your future 'son'... But what does this have to do with you stealing that infant in 1809?"

Xia De asked, puzzled, holding his teacup. The Baron reached out to roast by the fire and looked at him; the crackling sound of the fire was truly the best background music for the story:

"You really do know everything. I never told anyone that James was my father; I originally thought I was the only person in this world who knew this secret."

"Do you mean that your 'father,' James, also doesn't know about this? I mean in 1854."