Paintings of Terror

“The signature should be conspicuous. Even if we can’t recognize it at first glance, or it doesn’t catch our attention, it must still be conspicuous,” Mu Yiran repeated Ke Xun’s initial speculation. “With the various species of vegetation in the forest, whether it’s flowers, grass, or trees, no matter how conspicuous they are when placed outside, once submerged in a vast jungle of this magnitude, even the most conspicuous won’t stand out for their uniqueness.

“So I think that this ‘conspicuousness’ shouldn’t refer to color or shape, and it’s unlikely to be a special species either. After all, the species in the forest are now mixed and there are plants from all regions. Any kind of plants growing there is no longer considered special. SsCDWt

“So there’s another possibility, which is height. But the tallest buildings here are only three stories high. Even if we stand on the roof, it’s difficult to overlook the entire forest from a bird’s-eye view and find the tallest tree.

“According to the basic rule that the painting won’t lead us to a dead end, if this ‘conspicuousness’ is difficult to discern from the outside, then I think the location of the signature shouldn’t be too far from us. Because it being hard to discern is already quite challenging, putting the signature far away and difficult to reach would be almost the same as a dead end.

“Based on the above deductions, the signature should be in a place relatively close to the outskirts of the forest, not too deep inside. It’s very likely that it’s a place we’ve already passed through, but because we still lack the final hint to uncover the truth, even if the signature is right in front of us, it would be difficult for us to discover it.

“And this signature won’t have conspicuous colors or special shapes, nor will it have obvious thickness or height. It could be a tree, a flower, grass, moss, or vine. But I think, it must be very ancient, representing the long history of the earth, and it must be very resilient, representing the tenacity of all life.” 38cgTQ

“Life…” Ke Xun rested his chin on the shovel handle, his eyes lowered in thought. “You mentioned the name Abel, which means ‘life’ in Hebrew. So, if we were to choose from among flowers, grass, trees, and vines, I think a tree should be the thing with most ‘life’, right? Its leaves can store water, its roots can stabilize the soil, its body can provide habitat for birds, beasts, and even humans, its fruits can feed many creatures, it can produce oxygen for creatures to breathe… Abel also means ‘breath,’ so, could the manifestation of the signature be a tree? A tree full of life?”

“—The tree of life,” Mu Yiran’s eyes flashed with enlightenment, as he analyzed while thinking, “The concept of the tree of life exists in various countries or religions. In ancient Egypt, the tree of life is the Acacia tree, said to grow on the sacred mountain, separating the realms of life and death, symbolizing the beginning of creation… In Jainism, wood is considered the original substance that constitutes all things in the world, and the Bodhi tree is honored as the tree of life…

“And speaking of Hebrew, the Kabbalah relied on Hebrew to secretly pass down teachings orally between teachers and students. In this sect, there is also the tree of life, but it’s not a real tree, it’s a tree-shaped diagram used to analyze the different levels that make up the universe and everything in the world…

“And in our country, the peach tree, Egypt’s sycamore fig tree, Iran’s apricot tree, and other trees such as olive, palm, and pomegranate trees in the Middle East or Semitic traditions… Deciduous trees that bear many fruits have been called trees of life and considered incarnations of mother earth. Bearing many fruits symbolizes many offsprings. The attributes of blooming, fruit-bearing, and leaf-falling also symbolize the cycle of seasons and life…” kSl0B5

Ke Xun blinked, silently watching Mu Yiran, feeling as if he could hear the buzzing sound of his brain’s search engine running.

Mu Yiran listed many options for himself, but as for which one was the right one, he seemed to be still analyzing and judging. Ke Xun didn’t interrupt his train of thought, instead going to the side to quickly shovel the blood off the wall, continuing to search for relevant clues beneath the blood.

The walls of this room were covered with European-style patterned wallpaper, now worn and peeled off, revealing the plastered walls underneath.

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