A divine tree that is worshiped by many generations of people in my village grows on the tall mountain located on the village's west.

Apparently, the divine tree loves being watered by women's lustful juices. In order to garner the blessings and protection from the divine tree, the village will pick out a woman to serve it every month.

Since young maidens are shy and reserved by nature, the juices they secrete aren't enough to satisfy the divine tree. In that case, the village will be plagued by misfortune and disasters.

Because of that, there are rumors saying that the divine tree prefers married women instead.

All the married women in the village refuse to serve the divine tree. I, on the other hand, yearn to get picked out by the village every day.

After all, I'm born to feel pleasure at its height. Unfortunately, my weak husband can never satisfy my urges.

I was planting seeds in the fields when the village secretary, Isaac Holton, ran over to me. His face was crinkled in joy as he exclaimed, "It's finally your turn, Hailey!"

I tossed the seeds aside and excitedly rubbed my hands. "Really? Thank you so much, Mr. Holton!"

Isaac was pleased by my reaction. He gave me a once-over with his hazy eyes, not bothering to hide the lecherous glint in them.

I wasn't bothered by his gaze, but the woman working in the next field shot a look of disdain at us before muttering, "She is acting so promiscuously. Fred sure is unlucky to have a daughter-in-law like her."

I rolled my eyes and retorted, "You're a shriveled up, old hag now, so it makes sense that you don't understand what a privilege it is to serve the divine tree. I'll definitely satisfy it. You agree with me, don't you, Mr. Holton?"

Isaac nodded vigorously. Using the saplings around us as cover, he ran his greasy hand along my thigh.

The woman's face turned a ruddy red when she realized that she couldn't win the argument against me. She lowered her head and continued working.

I scoffed. Joy bubbled in my heart when I thought of all the rumors about the divine tree.

Our village was located in the east of a massive mountain. A forest stood in the mountain. The trees were so tall that they disappeared into the clouds.

A divine tree in the forest had protected our village for thousands of years. The villagers would send a woman into the forest every month as an offering to the tree.

The divine tree had to be watered by a woman's private fluids. If the woman didn't produce enough fluids and didn't satisfy the tree, a disaster would befall the village. It would also cause the wheat fields to shrivel up, so we would have nothing during the harvest season.

According to the rumors, the tree's branches were thick and strong. There were also powerful vines wrapped around the branches that would send a woman over the the edge of pleasure.

On top of that, if the woman was able to absorb the fluids that the vines excreted, they would become radiant.

From my perspective, I was going to have a wonderful time tomorrow. However, the older women in the village avoided being selected as an offering for the divine tree at all costs.

The divine tree didn't like shy, young women. On the contrary, it preferred married, experienced women.

Most of the married women in the village were old-fashioned.

The last one who was sent to the divine tree returned with disheveled clothes. Her bottom half was also a mess.

At that sight, a fearful expression crossed the face of the village chief, David Kingsley. He claimed that the woman hadn't satisfied the divine tree, so disaster was about to befall the village.

To appease the divine tree's wrath, the men of the village decided to deliver me to it after they discussed their options.

I had always admired the divine tree. My husband, Jack Emerson, was totally useless in bed. He would finish within minutes, robbing me of my pleasure.

It was why I was absolutely ecstatic at the prospect of being able to serve the divine tree.

I was brought to the hall to be cleansed. I was stripped naked, so the men in power in the village could scrutinize me. They discussed among themselves if I would be able to satisfy the divine tree.

I didn't feel a single hint of fear under their predatory gazes. On the contrary, I puffed my chest out proudly. I was very confident about my own body, after all.

The men gave me a mat and placed a boiled egg on it.

I sat down on the mat in front of them and began to twist my hips.

The men's eyes reddened as they watched me.

A few moments later, David removed the mat, which was now damp. The egg's shell had been peeled clean.

David popped the egg into his mouth and patted my shoulder with a satisfied expression. "Good job, Hailey! The divine tree will definitely adore you!"

I smiled, feeling pleased. My body trembled as I exclaimed, "Don't worry, Mr. Kingsley. You can count on me!"

It didn't take long before news of me being the divine tree's next offering spread like wildfire throughout the village.

The men shot strange looks at me when I left the hall. Meanwhile, the women huddled together and discussed among themselves.

"I heard that she managed to peel the egg."

"She did. She's such a slut. The men couldn't take their eyes off her when she was peeling it."

"Fred's so unlucky to have a daughter-in-law like her."

I stuck my nose in the air as I walked past them, intentionally swaying my hips in an even more exaggerated manner.

I didn't care what they said. They would have no choice but to shut their mouths once I returned from the divine tree, looking radiant.

My useless husband, Jack, was squatting in the doorway and smoking a cigarette when I returned home. He didn't even bother looking at me. He blew a smoke ring before asking, "You're going to serve the tree?"

I kicked off my muddy sandals and puffed my chest out.

"What? You can't even keep it up for more than two minutes. Are you going to try to stop me from serving the divine tree when you can't even satisfy me?" I demanded, intentionally raising my voice.

The women next door began to whisper among themselves when they heard me.

I didn't care. The villagers knew that I had a rocky relationship with Jack. It was loud but short every time we shared a bed. My neighbors also always heard me complaining about Jack's inability to please me.

I scoffed.

Jack stubbed out his cigarette before turning around and entering the house.

Frustration bubbled within me as I watched his retreating back.

This was the type of husband that Jack was. He was too scared to say a word even when his own wife was being offered up to serve the divine tree.

…

The next day, a few muscular men brought a sedan chair to the village before dawn broke on the horizon.

According to the rules, the woman had to be blindfolded when she was delivered to the divine tree to prevent the location of the tree from being exposed.

"Drink this, Hailey," David said as he offered me a bowl of black liquid.

I took the bowl from him. The strong, herbal scent stung my nose. "What is this?"

"It's to calm your nerves, so you won't feel as much pain later," David explained with bright eyes.

I couldn't determine if he was telling the truth or lying to me, but I still drained the entire bowl in a single breath. I wanted to see the divine tree no matter the cost.

It didn't take long for me to feel dizzy after drinking the black concoction. I could also feel my strength draining from my limbs.

The men helped me onto the sedan chair before using a strip of black cloth to blindfold me.

I felt the sedan chair being lifted up. It swayed from side to side as the men carried me into the forest.

I had no idea how much time had passed before the sedan chair stopped moving.

Someone removed my blindfold. The sunlight stung my eyes, making it difficult for me to open them for a moment.

Once my eyes got used to the light, I noticed that I was in a clearing. Ancient trees towered all around me. A massive tree that I had never seen before stood in the very center of the clearing.

It was the divine tree.

It was even bigger and taller than I'd expected. The trunk was so thick that it would take at least five or six adults to wrap their arms around it completely.

The tree bark was stained an unnatural shade of deep red that looked like dried blood. Its branches were also unique. Its thick vines swayed slowly in the air, looking as if they were alive.

I swallowed as I looked at the vines, feeling my body heat up within seconds.

"Take off your clothes and kneel on the ground," David ordered in a low voice.

I did as he asked, stripping myself naked and kneeling before the divine tree.

Strangely, I didn't feel any shame. On the contrary, I felt a little excited.

The vines seemed to notice my presence and started reaching for me.

"Remember not to resist no matter what happens," David murmured before he quickly left the clearing with the rest of the men.

I kneeled in front of the tree by myself, listening to the sound of my heart hammering against my ribcage.

The concoction I drank had heightened my senses. I could smell a sweet fragrance wafting from the divine tree. It smelled like the bradford pear trees that lined the entrance of the village.

I wasn't sure how far David and the others had gone, but I could feel multiple sets of greedy eyes staring at me, making goosebumps erupt all over my skin.

I looked up at the soft but powerful vines again. I licked my lips. My mouth felt a little dry.

The vines looked exactly like the ones in the murals in the church. They seemed to be able to sense my presence as they began slithering toward me.

The first vine brushed against my shoulder. I shivered at the cool and smooth sensation. I could feel the little bumps on its surface when it wrapped around my arm like a snake and began to rub against my skin.

The concoction began to take effect. I felt my body heating up, and I reflexively moved closer to the vines, wanting to absorb their coolness.

More vines reached toward me when they sensed my reaction. They wrapped around my waist and neck. They were powerful but careful, keeping me trapped in place without hurting me.

I subconsciously moaned.

A strange but pleasing sensation spread through me wherever the vines touched me. The concoction seemed to have made me more sensitive as well.

My vision turned blurry as my body heated up once more. A deep flush spread across my skin. I clung to the vine that was wrapped across my chest, staring at it with hazy eyes before asking, "Do you like me, divine god of the tree?"

The divine tree rustled its branches as if in approval of my question.

I threw myself into it. I thought about all the ways the men had described that made the process more pleasurable as I clung to the vines desperately.

An exceptionally thick vine slithered between my legs as I panted for breath.

Reflexively, I tried to squeeze my legs together, but the other vines immediately tightened, forcing me to keep my legs apart.

The tip of the thick vine split open, revealing its pink and fleshy insides, making it look even more formidable. The moment it brushed against my skin, heat coursed through my body, radiating from the point of contact.

The thick vine began to move rhythmically while the other vines tightened their holds on me. I could also feel a warm liquid being injected into my body.

Feeling excited, I began to move my body to match the vine's rhythm.

My vision turned hazy. The only sounds I could hear were the squelching of water and my satisfied moans.

Just then, piercing pain lanced through my stomach. I felt as if something was stirring my insides.

My back arched in pain as I tried to escape the vine's bindings. However, they were too strong, and my efforts proved useless no matter how hard I struggled.

"It hurts!" I screamed, my voice echoing around the clearing.

The vines began to move even more aggressively as if displeased by my resistance.

Pain and pleasure mixed together as I began to fade in and out of consciousness. I clutched the vines that were wrapped around my body in a death grip.

Just as I was seconds away from reaching ecstasy, I felt large hands touching my body.