"When I got there, I found out it was the Young Prince who’d fallen ill! The best doctors in the country were all gathered, but none of them could figure out what was wrong. All I know is, his fever wouldn’t break and his life was hanging by a thread."
"So, just like my master taught me, I said I needed to return to the temple and perform a ritual to ask Heaven for guidance," Master Nebula said. "After I got back, I told my master everything and asked him what I should tell the Supreme Emperor."
"I honestly thought my master would give me the usual vague stuff, like 'It’s Heaven’s will, do your best and let fate decide.' But instead, he gave me a very specific answer."
"Was it about chopping down that tree?" Lily asked him.
"Exactly!" Master Nebula replied. "My master told me to say: 'At Dragon Mountain Hills, in the east courtyard, there stands a mysterious demonic tree. It must be cut down.'"
"I was so nervous at the time. I mean, we’re talking about the Supreme Emperor here—what if I was talking complete nonsense and something went wrong? Wouldn’t we all be doomed?"
"But my master said it’d be fine. I trusted him, so I did exactly as he said. And guess what—the kid actually got better! At that moment, I thought my master was some kind of god! I admired him so much."
Lily: "And then?"
"After that, a friend of mine—the one who got me into Great Enlightenment Temple—secretly called and told me to run. He said the Supreme Emperor was bringing soldiers and police to arrest me, and if I got caught, I was dead meat!"
"So I hid! But I didn’t go far. I just left the temple and stayed in Dragon City."
"I secretly asked my friend why the Supreme Emperor wanted to arrest me. Wasn’t the Young Prince fine now? My friend said the real issue was that tree. Because it was cut down, the President went completely mad, hunting people everywhere, as if he wanted the whole world to die with that tree."
"I was totally confused. I had no idea what was really going on! But I figured my master must know, since he told me exactly what to say to the President. So I decided to sneak back and ask him for the truth."
"But when I got there in the middle of the night, I found the temple holding his funeral. I still don’t know how he died."
"The more I thought about it, the weirder it seemed. So I met up with my friend to talk it over. He asked me if anyone else saw my master the day I came back from the Supreme Emperor’s Estate."
"I thought hard, and I really did remember someone. So I told him." As he spoke, his expression grew strange—sad, angry, his eyes red and veins bulging.
"And then?" Lily asked.
"Three or four days after our talk, he and his wife died in a car accident—both of them, gone." He choked up. "I know it wasn’t an accident. It was murder! Just like my master—they were silenced! And I know I’m next!"
"So you ran away! Changed your face, hid yourself in the crowd, even if you were poor and miserable, you never dared stand out, just in case someone recognized you?" Lily asked.
Mr. Howard nodded, tears streaming down his face. "At first, of course I was scared of dying! But now, at my age, I’m not afraid anymore. What I really fear is if something happens to your teacher’s wife... She only has me. If I die, she’ll be all alone..."