OBS Chapter 2988 Overlapping Time and Space
Chapter 2988 Overlapping Time and Space
Chapter 2988 Overlapping Time and Space
Amid the sound of rain, the black-haired lady walked under the black umbrella held by Shade. This umbrella was certainly not intended for two people, so now they were very close.
Even the damp forest scent in the rain could not cover up the smell of her perfume. Xia De was in a good mood at the moment:
"I want you to go with me to the city to look for someone. Afterwards, whether there is any result or not, I want to talk to you about Miss Danister. Don't worry, I'm not advising you to go see her."
"Then let's go."
The dark-haired lady then held Shad's right hand, which was holding the umbrella handle, with her left hand, and the two walked into the rain together.
Reverse: After 8 years, I revisited No. Vanilla Garden Alley. This low building, which is a standard slum in today's era, looked even more shabby in the gray sky than it did years later.
But at least the alleys and blocks are full of life now. As Vista City is still expanding, every house in Vanilla Garden Alley is full of people. Even on rainy days, you can still see the smoke coming out of the chimneys, hear couples quarreling on rainy days, and smell the dirty stench of rotting garbage.
The two were no longer holding the same umbrella. According to the landlady's recollection, Shade asked Ms. Carter to knock on the door. After the door opened, the "old lady" who looked like a middle-aged woman appeared behind the door.
She used almost the same posture as she did thirty years later, blocking the door with her body and resting her right hand on the door frame. However, because her figure was plumper than when she was older, the door opened a little wider than Xia De remembered.
On the way, Shad had already explained the whole story to Ms. Carter, so the equally friendly sorceress asked Shad the question, which was the whereabouts of the tenant who had lived here in the winter of 1819.
The same excuses, the same coin bribes, and then the same "sudden enlightenment", but the prices at this time were lower than thirty years later, so the number of coins paid was less. Thirty years really can't change too many things. At one moment, Shade even felt that the rainy evening of 1821 and the early winter afternoon of 1854 really overlapped.
"He was wanted by the police. Although the dead man was a repeat offender, the murder was still a bit too much. 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 scared me; another time he asked me nervously whether there was any transfer station in the city. He couldn't even explain what he wanted to express, and I didn't know how to answer him.
Oh, I remember now, before he disappeared, he said he was going to visit a local scholar to ask questions, and he left a note that day asking me not to prepare dinner for him. "
The middle-aged woman showed a mercenary expression again, so the black-haired sorceress gave her another 1 ole coin. She and Shade were not angry about this, after all, they did know what they wanted to know:
"He went to find a folklorist at the Carsonrick Forestry College, but I don't know which one it was. You can go to that college and give the guard some coins. They should be happy to open the door like I did."
Anthony Winslet chose to travel through time permanently, so after leaving the time transfer station, most of his memories of the place should have disappeared. From the landlord's description of him, it is obvious that the man whose rescue plan failed regretted his decision and even realized his fate, so he wanted to return to the time transfer station.
When encountering such things related to the occult, it is indeed a good idea for ordinary people to consult local folklore professors.
As for the "Carson Creek Forestry College", this name had long ceased to exist when the outsiders arrived in the fall of 1854. It was called "Vestal City University" in 1854, and its reputation was far less than that of the "Riverwood Conservatory of Music" which was also in the local area.
Coincidentally, Professor Yuk Wood, who provided a lot of help to Shad, happened to work in that college, and Shad had a hunch that Flora's uncle went to find him.
It is not difficult to find Professor Youk Wood. It does not require Shade and the black-haired sorceress to fight the monsters that suddenly appeared together, nor does it require them to help others complete problems such as delivering letters and mediating family conflicts, nor does it require them to go deep into isolated ancient ruins.
Professor Youke Wood was in his office, as if he was waiting for the two to visit.
When Shad and Ms. Helena Carter entered the small office one after another, what Shad noticed first was not the rain outside the window, nor the mountains of documents and materials piled up in the gas-lit room.
He found that Professor Youke Wood, who was sitting on the narrow chair behind the desk, looked exactly like the one he remembered. He wore reading glasses, a formal suit that was outdated but not outdated now, his hair was gray, his beard covered his chin, and even his level of serial sorcerer was the same.
After a slight surprise, the stranger who came to visit introduced himself in the same way as he did many years later:
"John Watson, this is my assistant. I am a private detective, and I am here to investigate a missing gentleman. Did this person come to see you more than a year ago, in the week before the end of the year in 1819?"
As he spoke, he handed over the photo. The old professor, who had put down his pen at the desk, took the photo and looked at it carefully:
"A detective? Let me see. Yes, I still remember this person. He first asked me about the local legend about time travel, and then asked me about things like the forest curse."
"How did you answer him?"
The old professor took off his reading glasses and put them on the table. He certainly would not ask for compensation from Xia De:
"I told him that I couldn't give him an answer about time travel. But according to legend, there is indeed an area in this forest that can deal with curses. That's a story recorded in the book 'Riverwood Town and the World Tree', and it's considered one of the local bad habits in ancient times."
"We have never heard of this book. What is it about?"
The sorceress holding the notebook asked, and Professor Yuk Wood glanced at her and introduced:
"Superstitious people living in the woodland villages would knock out those they believed to be 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 unwilling to die. People in the villages believe that this is against the laws of nature. Since the trees have lost the ability to reproduce and grow, they should be cut down to make room for nutrients and sunlight for new saplings."
“Did all those abandoned old people die in the woods?”
"It's not mentioned in the story, but I don't think anyone can walk out of the forest."
As the old professor spoke, he took out a folded map of Vista Woodland from the pile of books, unfolded it on the table, and circled it with a pencil:
"This location in the west of the city is where people in ancient times abandoned their elders. I pointed this place out to that young man more than a year ago, and he never came to see me again. If you want to find him, why not go and take a look here."
Shad glanced at the location marked on the map and realized that it was a place he had been to before, but he was sure that there was no trace of Anthony Winslet in that area in 1854.
"Thank you for your help."
He thanked her quietly, but after getting the clue for the next step, he did not leave:
"There is something else. Do you mind if I bother you for a while?"
Professor Wood nodded:
"Of course I don't mind. It's raining outside and I have no plans to go out. It seems like I'm waiting for your arrival today. Sit down and talk. However, I don't have any extra teacups here, so I can't serve you tea."
The room was filled with documents, but there were still two chairs. Shade sat down at the desk, and the black-haired lady sat behind him on the left.
She didn't know what Xia De wanted to ask. After all, Xia De had already found the next clue and should go deeper into the woods now.
"I want to ask some questions about trees."
Xia De organized his thoughts.
"The topic of the World Tree? I have a lot of information here."
The old professor asked with a smile, but this time he guessed wrong.
"It's not the World Tree, it's another tree."
Xia De's eyes were bright:
"I know you specialize in studying the folklore of Ximu Town, but the tree I want to ask about is not planted in Ximu Town. The appearance of that tree is actually closely related to Ximu Town, so I would like to ask if you can tell me something."
Professor Yuk Wood stroked his beard and hesitated for a moment before answering:
"Young man, I admit that this is the first time I failed to guess your thoughts. This makes me very embarrassed. I originally only intended to answer questions about Creekwood Town. I roughly know what kind of tree you want to ask about. Well, since you brought the question and asked it, it would be a bit unkind 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:
"It depends on your definition of 'alive.' That tree can absorb nutrients and change with the seasons, that's all I can say."
"Is there a soul inside that tree?"
Xia De asked again, and the sorceress behind him felt more and more strange. It was obvious that Xia De and the professor met for the first time according to the timeline, but the conversation just now clearly showed that they had met many times.
Professor Wood also gave an answer to this key question:
"Tree spirit, at least the people of Riverwood firmly believe that every tree has its own soul. That is the blessing given by the forest and time, so I think the tree you are asking about also has a soul."