[As you stand in front of the harvest tree you catch a glimpse of the remains of the martial elder, increasing your horror.]

The branches tighten around what was left of the martial elder. The dead bones were crushed and broken.

Crack-crack-crack!

Lem’s simulated self’s attention was drawn to the big tattered bag on the martial elder’s back. Somehow, it had kept its integrity through all the abuse, but it was now protesting mightily under the strain.

The branches continued to coil around the remains. The torn crimson robe that Master Brightflame had once worn was compressed into his shattered ribcage.

Crack-crack-crack-POP!

The bag finally burst, and a rain of objects fell from the sky.

They were many and varied, of every color and size. The most common were small clear crystals, brown pouches and containers, but Lem’s simulated self was drawn to a glint of green.

Jade slips!

Cultivation techniques!

His chest tightened, and he temporarily lost control of his mental faculties, as he was consumed by greed.

[As you watch, the harvest tree tightens its grip, and the bag of the martial elder bursts.]

Lem’s simulated self scrambled forward as he followed the trajectory of the small, glinting green object.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Lem watched in eager anticipation, half expecting his simulated self to be attacked by the branches of the harvest tree, just as the martial elder had been.

As his simulated self drew closer, he had a closer look at the falling projectiles.

One, no two jade slips!

Lem’s simulated self reached up and grabbed the jade slips, one in each hand. He felt a blinding pain as the cold crystal touched his burnt flesh, but he ignored it, dodging a few of the other falling objects and running directly for the treeline.

Safe!

[You see a glint of green in the midst of the falling objects. You run forward without considering the consequences, and discover that there are actually two jade slips. You retrieve them before running to safety.]

Lem’s simulated self turned around for a moment, feeling a small measure of security from the distance he had already put between him and the harvest tree. If it did not feel threatened by him before, surely it wouldn’t take offense at the current distance.

He caught sight of the harvest tree withdrawing its branches.

The crushed remains of the martial elder fell into the pond, amidst the water lilies. For a moment, they floated on the surface, before the bones slowly began sinking out of sight.

As the harvest tree grew still again, Lem’s simulated self felt a shiver run down his spine.

Dangerous!

It had easily dispatched of Master Brightflame, a Second Stage Martial Master. To think that he had let his greed take over him, even for jade slips.

And yet, the harvest tree had ignored him.

The harvest tree had ignored him, and he was safe. Somehow.

Lem was just as bewildered as his simulated self was.

What a good harvest tree!

It felt surreal. How had he managed to survive for so long under so many threats?

Thinking back on it, he had even survived the final blow of a Martial Master!

Granted, the move that he had been hit with was a shadow of what had been used on the harvest tree, being performed by Master Brightflame when he was a second away from death, but still, it was a tremendous achievement.

Lem was sure that his current simulated self did not have the luck of ten simulations, but that of a thousand!