The Age of Plants and Trees

Humans are the masters of nature.

This seems to be an indisputable fact.

Human intelligence led to the invention of "industry" and machines, transforming society beyond recognition. In this age of change, countless new inventions have brought enormous productivity, and people's standard of living has risen dramatically.

But only humans have benefited.

Billowing clouds of smoke blacken the sky. Filthy wastewater is dumped into rivers. Soot-laden, foul-smelling vapor rises into the clouds, then falls back to earth as acid rain.

Animals wail and flee, dying in droves.

Animals can at least struggle. Plants, whose roots are buried deep in the earth and which cannot move at all, can only stand where they are as they are cut down and toppled. Humans use their bodies as fuel and building materials. The places where they grew become new cities, filled with the rumble of machines.

People might feel pity for livestock that cries and begs for mercy, but no one would sympathize with a tree, a blade of grass, or a flower.

All things have spirits, but [plants are heartless]. That is common knowledge.

[Wood Spirits]

* Creatures formed from plants. Once they take human form, they only return to their original form upon death, becoming ordinary plants without intelligence.

* They have blue-green eyes and hair of various colors, but can change it to a color indistinguishable from human hair.

* Most plants are hermaphroditic. After taking human form, their gender depends entirely on their mood: they can be male, female, change between male and female, or be both.

* They give off a unique bodily scent called "spirit fragrance," the scent of a plant. It lets them recognize their own kind, but humans cannot detect it.

* They retain the ability to photosynthesize, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, so their body temperature is lower than that of humans.

* They can understand the voices of all things in nature, share their feelings, and control them at will.

[Espers]

* Esper abilities are paranormal powers. In this book, they are all based on the traditional Five Elements and their derivative attributes.

* By making a "prayer," one can receive the power of nature from the Divine Tree. Of course, the Divine Tree does not grant everyone's wishes, and humans have yet to discover the rules behind it.

* Their numbers are still relatively small today. They are growing in number, but not as quickly as the Wood Spirits.

[False Espers]

* After the fallen branches, leaves, and flowers, as well as the blood (sap), of Wood Spirits or plants that have gained intelligence are specially processed and consumed, they can grant people temporary superpowers.

* The bodily tissue willingly given by a Wood Spirit already contains activated spiritual power and can be consumed directly.

[Martial Arts]

* This is a high-martial-arts world. Flying on swords is still beyond reach, but lightness skills are no problem.

* At least, Chinese people can do it.

* Not everyone can. Ordinary people are more common.

[Main Characters]

* The central characters of the story, who get the most page time. There is one male and one female protagonist.

* The absolute protagonists are the male lead, Fu Di, and the female lead, Jian Xi.

* They are not a couple. They are not a couple. They are not a couple.

* The author is a woman, so female characters will not be sidelined. There are both men and women in the story. If you only want to read about men, this is not for you.

* The story includes a variety of sexual orientations, but the [danmei] tag already reveals the genders of the male lead and his partner, as well as some other characters.

* The protagonist group is a team of superpowered constables.

[Setting]

* An absurd alternate world.

* The premise is that China has been the world's hegemon since ancient times and has never fallen from that position, so the Tang dynasty, the strongest, most open, and best-known dynasty, was chosen as the backdrop.

* [So don't look for history or reality in this story.]

* It is also an expression of admiration for the traditional culture we ourselves have overlooked and forgotten, imagining that it [was never lost].

* The human population has not exploded, and China's population is less than a third of what it is in reality.

* For its territory, refer to China at the height of its historical power.

* Technology is actually highly advanced, and holographic games have already appeared.

* A martial arts and supernatural-power story set in an ancient-style world, but on a modern-future timeline.

* Martial arts will never die; they will live forever in my heart.

Theme: Respect nature, protect nature, and do not forget tradition