Chapter 273: The Whispering Banyan

“Good boy…”

Lu Xin crouched down and patted the skinned dog’s head. He then picked up a nearby rock threw it and pointed “Go.”

The skinned dog stared silently at Lu Xin for a moment before quietly running off to fetch the rock.

Lu Xin put down the kickstand on his motorcycle and took out a small notebook from his bag. He gazed at the tree before him half charred and lifeless and the scattered corpses beneath it ropes still around their necks. Silently he began taking notes and conducting an analysis:

Pollution Source: Large banyan tree in the wasteland.

Method of Pollution: Causes disorientation similar to a Ghost Wall attracting people to the tree to commit suicide.

Cause of Appearance: …

He looked up at the tree.

The tree was just an ordinary tree. Lu Xin could confirm this by switching to “Mom’s vision”.

When switched to “Mom’s vision” he lost the ability to directly see Mental Monsters but could perceive what an ordinary person would see.

For instance when the tree changed earlier his own vision saw a mouth appear on every single leaf.

But through Mom’s vision the tree remained just a tree. However strange distortions appeared in the air around it as if the tree was constantly emitting some kind of radiating power.

Through Mom’s vision Lu Xin could understand the state of these mental entities whether they held any hostility towards him and so on.

Using this method Lu Xin also tried to analyze how this Pollution Source came into being.

A tree couldn’t just become a Pollution Source for no reason.

So did the first person who hanged themselves on this tree influence it turning it into a host for a Pollution Source eventually twisting it into this bizarre state and causing it to affect passersby? Or was it something else entirely?

There could be many reasons but it required more in-depth research and analysis.

Lu Xin wasn’t an expert in this area. He merely pondered it briefly and jotted it down.

After all these records would eventually be sent to the Special Cleaning Department and they meant money…

The Special Cleaning Department would approve payment based on the importance of the information in the cases and records he provided.

…

“Ah Uncle Uncle…”

“What… What happened?”

Just as Lu Xin finished noting down everything from encountering the Ghost Wall to finding the tree the uncle and nephew who had been about to put their heads into the nooses under the half-burnt banyan tree woke up.

First came bewilderment then panic. They scrambled up yelling.

The first thing they did was pull up their pants.

Their belts were draped over the tree branches and their underwear was perched on their heads so…

Lu Xin glanced at them silently then looked away unable to bear the sight.

The uncle and nephew accustomed to the wasteland reacted faster than ordinary people might have.

After pulling up their pants and regaining their senses they saw the half-charred tree beside them and the scattered branches on the ground each holding a corpse dangling from a noose in varying states of decay.

They even saw their own belts tied to the tree trunk.

Recalling the last thing they remembered they suddenly understood their faces turning deathly pale.

“We…”

The uncle’s lips moved his voice dry “We… were we possessed by a ghost?”

Nearby Lu Xin smiled put away his small notebook and said “Like I said before there are no ghosts in the world…”

His voice caught the attention of the uncle and nephew who looked at him nervously.

Their throats bobbed nervously “Did… did you save us?”

…

It was obvious. They’d already tied their belts to the tree yet they were suddenly saved and the tree was half-burnt.

The person who had been following them was calmly sitting on a motorcycle nearby. Of course he was the one who saved them.

“Little brother what exactly happened just now…”

The uncle and the young man exchanged a look slowly got up forced smiles onto their faces and walked towards Lu Xin.

“It’s a type of pollution.”

Lu Xin looked back at them offering a gentle smile “This tree is a Pollution Source. Just now you me we were all polluted by it. That’s why we kept wandering in circles. Once we reached a certain level of panic or exhaustion it subconsciously lured us here making us involuntarily want to become neighbors with those hanging on the tree…”

As he spoke he glanced at the corpses scattered on the ground near the branches.

He explained as clearly as possible but the uncle and the young man still felt uneasy looking at the smile on his face.

Just then Lu Xin smiled extended his hand and said “Let me introduce myself properly.”

“I’m from Qinggang. Have you heard of Qinggang?”

“…Qinggang is a nice place.”

“Back in Qinggang dealing with things like this is what I do. Initially I was just suspicious and wanted to discuss it with you in detail but didn’t get the chance. Still I have to thank you. Without your help I couldn’t have cleaned this up so quickly.”

…

“This…”

Looking at Lu Xin’s friendly outstretched hand the uncle felt a wave of panic but still mustered the courage to shake it.

After all the guy was being so warm it would seem rude not to shake his hand.

Then he swallowed nervously and asked guiltily “We… what help did we provide?”

Lu Xin replied earnestly “By getting polluted you helped me locate this Pollution Source.”

…

The uncle felt something was strange as if something wasn’t quite right.

“Alright it’s all over now.”

Lu Xin withdrew his hand stepped off the motorcycle and said “Could I ask you to help me with one more thing?”

“Ah…”

Hearing the word ‘help’ the uncle felt a bit panicked “What… what is it?”

Lu Xin looked towards the corpses lying haphazardly under the large tree ropes still around their necks “Deal with them.”

There are many types of pollution. Some assimilative Pollution Sources turn other individuals into their own branches and extensions like the Corner Cafe Lu Xin first encountered.

If the main Pollution Source dies other severely polluted individuals will scatter and potentially develop into new Pollution Sources.

In that case eliminating the Pollution Source might actually cause it to spread.

Lu Xin didn’t know if this tree had similar properties but it was better to be cautious.

If these hanged people were also part of such a situation leaving them here could continue to affect others creating different pollution effects. Of course whether it would be a Ghost Wall or something else was unknown.

So under Lu Xin’s instructions the uncle and nephew covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and carried out all the corpses one by one.

They piled them up broke off some dry leaves from the unburnt side of the tree gathered plenty of weeds from the surroundings and stacked everything next to the corpses. They also remembered to clear a firebreak around the area.

There were two ways to completely eliminate the possibility of these corpses causing further pollution.

One was the most convenient: use Special Bullets one for each.

But that would be too wasteful.

The other simpler method was to burn them completely with fire.

…

The fire quickly grew casting an eerie warmth across the dark wasteland.

Lu Xin and the uncle-nephew duo squatted near the bonfire watching the flames silently.

“Little brother want one?”

The uncle took out a tobacco pouch a stack of paper cut into long rectangles pinched some tobacco placed it in the paper skillfully rolled it into a small cone with his thumb and forefinger licked it sealed and eagerly offered it to Lu Xin.

Lu Xin glanced at the spot moistened by saliva hesitated for a moment and said “I have my own.”

He then took out his own flat silver cigarette case pulled out a cigarette with a gold filter and placed it between his lips.

He lit it with his Zippo lighter and smoked slowly.

“That cigarette case is beautiful… The lighter is nice too…”

The young man nearby stared his eyes wide with envy visible on his somewhat weathered yet still youthful face.

“It’s alright.”

Lu Xin answered lightly gesturing towards him “Want one?”

The young man’s eyes lit up “Sure…”

Lu Xin watched him readily take the case grab a cigarette and light it. He remained silent for a moment saying nothing.

…

The three smoked squatting before the fire. The uncle couldn’t help but ask in a low voice:

“What exactly is this pollution?”

Lu Xin took back his cigarette case and lighter carefully placed them back in his bag and explained softly:

“It’s actually a new type of illness that emerged after the Red Moon incident. It’s contagious but it spreads mental illnesses.”

“Those infected… from the outside ordinary people wouldn’t notice anything unusual about their appearance but their mental state is clearly wrong…hmm, you can think of them as mentally ill people suffering greatly!”

Although he had signed a confidentiality agreement being in the wasteland Lu Xin felt he could still talk about it.

Besides he felt it was beneficial to tell these people.

Unlike in the High-wall Cities there wasn’t anyone constantly monitoring these things and protecting ordinary people out here in the wasteland.

Like this Pollution Source although its effect wasn’t particularly strong it had already killed many people.

Judging by the oldest corpses it had been around for an unknown amount of time.

Lu Xin wasn’t even sure if this pollution remained here unchecked would its power grow as it infected more people until theoretically it could hang everyone in the world on its branches one day?

…

“Mentally ill people…”

Listening the uncle suddenly realized “Ah isn’t that like those madmen who appeared before?”

Lu Xin paused slightly then nodded “Yes.”

He hadn’t actually seen many madmen growing up. The last time he saw one outside the city Gecko ran it over before he got a clear look.

After giving a brief explanation Lu Xin didn’t say much more.

…Mainly because his training hadn’t covered much more and saying more might expose his lack of knowledge.

Besides the fire in the bonfire had died down by now. While the bodies couldn’t be reduced to ash by such a fire they were dried out charred and stinking all moisture evaporated. Such inactive corpses basically had no possibility of polluting others anymore. Although mental power could parasitize it required a certain level of vitality. Burnt like this parasitization wasn’t possible.

Lu Xin stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette held it in his hand and smiled “We should be able to leave now. I’m off.”

Watching him get up walk towards his motorcycle seemingly ready to part ways.

“Leaving already?”

The young man was clearly reluctant to see him go.

The uncle however seemed to be considering more. Suddenly he stood up “Little brother wait…”

Lu Xin turned back looking at him curiously.

The uncle hesitated for a moment then steeled himself “Brother if you specialize in cleaning this stuff up then we…”

“Could we ask you to help see a patient?”

…

“A patient?”

Lu Xin paused slightly curious “What kind of patient?”

The middle-aged man seemed hesitant. The young man beside him also seemed to guess what he was about to say becoming nervous. But meeting Lu Xin’s curious gaze the middle-aged man steeled himself and spoke boldly “I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of…”

“…head swapping?”