Chapter 2941: Overlapping Time and Space

The black-haired lady walked into the black umbrella Xia De was holding amidst the sound of rain. The umbrella was certainly not intended for two people, so they were now very close.

Even the damp forest scent in the rain could not mask the smell of her perfume. Xia De was in a very good mood at this moment:

"I would like to invite you to come with me into the city to find someone. Afterward, regardless of the result, I want to talk to you about Miss Danister. Don't worry, I'm not trying to persuade you to see her."

"Then let's go."

The black-haired lady then used her left hand to grasp Xia De's right hand, which was holding the umbrella handle, and the two walked into the rain together.

Visiting No. 8 Vanilla Garden Alley again after thirty years in reverse time, this low-rise building, which was a standard slum area in the current era, actually appeared even more dilapidated in the gray sky than it would thirty years later.

But at least the alley and the neighborhood were full of life now. In the current era where Vista City was still expanding, every house in Vanilla Garden Alley was full of people. Even on a rainy day, one could still see cooking smoke rising from chimneys, hear couples arguing in the rain, and smell the foul stench of rotting household waste.

The two were no longer sharing the same umbrella at this time. Following the recollection of the old landlady, Xia De asked Miss Carter to knock on the door. And after the door swung open, the "old lady," who still looked like a middle-aged woman, appeared behind the door.

She used almost the same posture as she would thirty years later, blocking the doorway with her body and resting her right hand on the door frame. It was just that because her figure was more plump than it would be in her old age, the door was opened wider than in Xia De's memory.

On the way, Xia De had already explained the ins and outs of the matter to Miss Carter, so the equally approachable sorceress asked Xia De's question, which was the whereabouts of the tenant who had rented here in the winter of 1819.

The same prevarication, the same coin bribery, and then the same "sudden realization." However, the prices at this time were lower than thirty years later, so the number of coins paid was smaller. Thirty years of time really couldn't change too many things. At one moment, Xia De even felt that the rainy evening in 1821 and the early winter afternoon in 1854 had truly overlapped.

"He was wanted by the police. Although that dead man was a habitual offender, murder was still going a bit too far. I really don't know where he went after he disappeared, but he was indeed a bit abnormal before he disappeared.

At night, he talked in his sleep again, shouting 'I don't want to turn into a bug,' which gave me a fright; and there was another time when he nervously asked me if there were any transit stations in the city. He couldn't even explain clearly what he wanted to express, and I didn't know how to answer him.

Oh, I remember now. Before he disappeared, he once said he was going to visit a local scholar to ask about something. That day, he even specifically left a note telling me not to prepare dinner for him."

The middle-aged woman revealed her mercenary expression again, so the black-haired sorceress gave her another 1-Oer coin. She and Xia De would not be angry because of this; after all, they had indeed learned what they wanted to know:

"He went to find a folklore scholar at the Carsonrick Forestry Academy, but I don't know exactly which one. You can go to that academy to look for him. Give the gatekeeper some coins, and they should be just as happy to open the door as I am."

Back then, Anthony Winslett chose to travel through time permanently, so after leaving the Time Transit Station, most of his memories about that place should have disappeared. And looking at the landlady's description of him, it was clear that the man whose rescue plan had failed regretted his decision and even sensed his own end, which was why he wanted to return to the Time Transit Station.

And when encountering such matters related to mysticism, it was indeed a good idea for ordinary people to think of consulting a local folklore professor.

As for the "Carsonrick Forestry Academy," this name no longer existed when the Outsider arrived locally in the autumn of 1854. That place was known as "Vista City University" in 1854, and its reputation was far inferior to the "Creekwood Music Academy" also located locally.

Very coincidentally, Professor Yuke Wood, who had provided Xia De with a lot of help, happened to work at that academy, and Xia De had a premonition that Flora's uncle had gone to find him.

Finding Professor Yuke Wood was not difficult. This did not require Xia De and the black-haired sorceress to go and fight monsters that suddenly popped out, nor did it require them to help others deliver letters, mediate family conflicts, or other such problems, and it certainly didn't require them to go deep into isolated ancient ruins.

Professor Yuke Wood was in his own office, as if specifically waiting for the two to visit.

When Xia De and Miss Helena Carter entered the small office one after the other, what Xia De noticed first was not the rainy view outside the window, nor the mountain of various documents and materials piled up in the room lit by gas lamps.

He discovered that Professor Yuke Wood, sitting on the narrow high-backed chair behind the desk, was exactly the same as the one in his memory. Wearing reading glasses, dressed in outdated... no, not outdated for now, formal wear, with gray hair and a beard covering his chin, even his Ringed Shushi level was the same.

After a slight surprise, the Outsider who came to visit made the same self-introduction as he would many years later:

"John Watson, and this is my female assistant. I am a private detective, and I have come to visit this time to investigate a missing gentleman. More than a year ago, the week before the Year-End Festival in 1819, did this person come to see you?"

As he spoke, he handed over a photo. The old professor, who had put down his fountain pen in front of the desk, took the photo and looked at it carefully:

"A detective, are you? Let me see... Yes, I still remember this person. At that time, he first asked me about local legends regarding time travel, and then asked me about things like forest curses."

"How did you answer him?"

The old professor took off his reading glasses and placed them on the desktop. Of course, he would not demand payment from Xia De:

"I told him that I couldn't give him an answer about time travel or anything like that. But according to legend, there is indeed an area in this forest that can handle curses. That is a story recorded in the book 'Creekwood and the World Tree,' which counts as one of the local bad customs in ancient times."

"We haven't heard of this book. May I ask what the specific content is?"

The sorceress, who was recording with a notebook, asked. Professor Yuke Wood glanced at her and introduced:

"Superstitious people living in the woodland villages would knock unconscious those they believed were cursed by the forest and then abandon them in the forest, letting them become part of the forest. But according to my research, the so-called 'cursed by the forest' actually refers to elderly people who are advanced in age but unwilling to pass away. The people in the villages believe this is defying the laws of nature. Since the big tree has lost the ability to reproduce and grow, it should be cut down so that nutrients and sunlight can be made available for new saplings."

"Did those abandoned elderly people eventually die in the forest?"

"The story doesn't say, but no one should have been able to walk out of the forest."

As the old professor spoke, he found a folded map of the Vista woodlands from a pile of books, unfolded it on the desktop, and circled a spot with a pencil:

"This location in the west of the city is the place where ancient people were rumored to abandon the elderly. More than a year ago, I pointed this out to that young man, and he never came to see me again after that. If you want to find him, you might as well go there and take a look."

Xia De glanced at the location marked on the map and discovered that it was a place he had been to. It was just that he was very certain that there was absolutely no trace of Anthony Winslett in that area in 1854.

"Thank you very much for your help."

He thanked him softly, but having obtained the next clue, he did not leave just like that:

"There are also some other matters. Do you mind if I disturb you for a while longer?"

Professor Wood nodded:

"Of course I don't mind. It's raining outside, and I have no plans to go out. Today feels like it was specifically for waiting for your arrival. Sit down and talk, but I don't have extra teacups here, so I can't treat you to tea."

The documents in the room were piled up like a mountain, but two chairs could still be found. Xia De sat down beside the desk, while the black-haired lady sat behind him to his left.

She didn't know what Xia De wanted to ask. After all, Xia De had already found the next clue and should be heading deep into the woodlands now.

"I would like to ask some questions about trees."

Xia De organized his thoughts.

"The topic of the World Tree? I have a lot of materials on that here."

The old professor asked with a smile, but this time he guessed wrong.

"Not the World Tree, but another tree."

Xia De's gaze was piercing:

"I know you specialize in Creekwood folklore, but the tree I want to ask about was not planted in Creekwood. The appearance of that tree is actually closely related to Creekwood, so I would like to ask if you can tell me some things."

Professor Yuke Wood stroked his beard and hesitated for a moment before answering:

"Young man, I admit this is the first time I have failed to guess your thoughts. This puts me in a difficult position. I originally only intended to answer questions about Creekwood... I probably know what tree you want to ask about... Alright, since you brought the question and asked it, it would be too heartless of me if I didn't say anything.

What exactly do you want to know?"

"Is that tree alive?"

Xia De asked immediately, but Professor Wood shook his head:

"That depends on what your definition of 'alive' is. That tree can absorb nutrients and can change with the four seasons. I can only say this much."

"Does that tree have a soul inside?"

Xia De asked again. The sorceress behind him felt increasingly strange. Xia De and this professor clearly should have been meeting for the first time based on the timeline, but in the conversation just now, they clearly both acted as if they had met many times.

Professor Wood gave an answer to this key question as well:

"The spirit of the tree, ah. At least the people of Creekwood firmly believe that every tree has its own soul. That is a blessing given by the forest and time, so I think the tree you are asking about also has a soul." ===== CHAPTER 2942 =====