Chapter 148

Chapter 148

“You’re going back to the forest?”

After breakfast, Tu Nan found Xu Duoyi and shared her plan.

Tu Nan wasn’t familiar with the forest, and given Xu Duoyi’s unique status, it would have been best for Xu Duoyi to accompany her.

Xu Duoyi looked troubled.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just…” She paused. “The Queen found me this morning. She said she felt an immediate connection with me and wants me to accompany her to the Church today.”

“So suddenly?” Tu Nan frowned. “What is she going to the Church for?”

“Probably to pray to God for the King to get well soon?” Xu Duoyi also looked bitter. “I suspect she’s grown suspicious of my identity and is using this as an opportunity to test me.”

“Are you sure you can handle it?” Tu Nan asked.

Xu Duoyi nodded. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve cleared quite a few Instances by now. There are many things others simply can’t help with.”

“So, as for the forest, you’ll have to go alone.”

Xu Duoyi was powerless to help.

Tu Nan nodded.

“Take this.” Xu Duoyi summoned a Lantern Flower and handed it to Tu Nan. “Nemesis has an eccentric personality and might not be willing to see you. With this, at least you won’t get lost in the mist.”

She then pulled a slip of paper from her pocket and handed it to Tu Nan.

“I found this in the Witch’s Cottage. It should be useful to you.”

Tu Nan took the note.

[Misty Forest Travel Guide:

1. Protecting the environment is everyone’s responsibility. Please do not light open fires in the forest.
2. Small animals frequently appear in the forest. Some of these animals are not friendly toward humans; please distinguish them carefully.
3. Harming wild animals is prohibited.
4. The mist of the Misty Forest is deceptive. If you do not have lighting equipment, please enter with caution.
5. Creatures in the mist loathe light. Please ensure you have a light source with you while in the mist.
6. Do not linger in the mist for too long.
7. If you accidentally lose your way, please head south.
8. After nightfall, please leave the forest as quickly as possible or find a nearby shelter. Do not stay in the open.]

Last time, with Xu Duoyi leading the way, they had managed to avoid any real danger. This time, with Tu Nan alone, the risk was significantly higher.

“I have the Witch’s magic on me, so I won’t get lost no matter how I walk, but you…” Xu Duoyi patted her shoulder. “Be careful out there.”

Tu Nan carefully put away the note and the Lantern Flower, then patted Xu Duoyi’s shoulder in return.

“The Church probably isn’t simple either. You need to be careful too.”

The two looked at each other and let out a long sigh.

Exhausting.

*

Maria sent a Carriage to drop Tu Nan off at the edge of the Misty Forest.

The Misty Forest covered a vast area and boasted pleasant scenery. Even the resources on its outskirts were abundant, often attracting visitors.

However, no one dared to venture deeper.

Once, someone who refused to believe the rumors entered the forest alone. He vanished that very day. It wasn’t until a month later that someone found a bloated corpse downstream in a creek.

The body was so waterlogged it was unrecognizable. The original clothes hung in tatters over the skeleton, their former appearance long gone.

It was only because a wound on the corpse’s right leg matched the missing man’s that they finally identified him.

Some said the Witch had killed him.

Because there were no external injuries on his body, it didn’t look like a Beast attack.

People tended to blame any phenomenon that couldn’t be explained by common sense on the infamous Witch.

From then on, news that a Witch resided deep within the Misty Forest spread like wildfire, and no ordinary person dared to enter again.
The coachman stopped the carriage at the edge of the forest and refused to go any further.

Not only did he refuse to enter himself, but he also tried to persuade Tu Nan not to risk it.

“Miss Judy, there’s a Witch in the forest.” He lowered his voice, glancing around as if terrified a Witch might suddenly leap out and cast a curse on him. “It’s too dangerous for you to go in alone.”

Tu Nan had already prepared her excuse and rejected the coachman’s well-meaning advice.

“I accidentally dropped a necklace my mother gave me in there. It’s a Carter Family heirloom; I must go back and find it.”

To make moving through the forest easier, she had specifically dressed in light riding gear. She hopped down from the carriage with practiced ease.

“Wait for me here,” Tu Nan told him. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

The coachman could only nod in agreement.

The deep, dark forest stretched out as far as the eye could see, resembling a slumbering beast crouched at the edge of the kingdom. Tu Nan stepped slowly into its depths.

Without the company of the many maids and soldiers from the day before, the Misty Forest seemed much quieter.

She pulled the slips of paper Xu Duoyi had given her from her sleeve and carefully reviewed the precautions once more before tucking them back away.

In the forest, there were clearly only two things to fear most.

Dangerous animals and losing one’s way.

The notes specified that she must not harm the animals, which meant she could only hide. However, while evading animals, it was extremely easy to get lost in a blind panic.

She tried to follow her memory from yesterday, but they had been surrounded by fog then. Strictly speaking, it was only because Nemesis wanted to see them that they had found the Witch’s cottage so easily.

She decided to try her luck and headed forward.

The deeper she went into the forest, the dimmer the surrounding light became. Tu Nan took a deep breath, cautiously observing her surroundings.

The mist began to rise.

At first, it was just a thin layer, ethereal and dreamlike, nearly impossible for an ordinary person to notice. Fortunately, Tu Nan’s nerves were taut, and she was constantly monitoring her environment, allowing her to detect the anomaly almost immediately.

She took out a Lantern Flower to illuminate the path ahead.

Within just a few breaths, the fog thickened significantly.

She carefully kept herself within the area illuminated by the Lantern Flower and continued forward.

“Help…” A weak voice suddenly echoed in her ear.

The hair on Tu Nan’s neck stood on end.

At a time like this, there was no telling what kind of creature was calling for help.

She tightly gripped the Lantern Flower and shone it around, but saw nothing unusual.

Things within the thick fog loathed light, yet this glow was so conspicuous in the forest that it could easily make her a target.

If it were an animal attracted to light…

Tu Nan quickened her pace, deciding it was best to leave this patch of dense fog for now.

“It hurts so much…”

The voice seemed to be getting closer to her.

Tu Nan’s heart hammered against her ribs. She thought she could vaguely see a tall, dark shadow not far away, leaning against a tree root. It appeared to be human-shaped.

“Is someone there? Can anyone help me up?” The shadow seemed to have spotted her. “Can you help me?”

Tu Nan took a step back, stepping on a dry branch. The *snap* sounded exceptionally clear amidst the heavy fog.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“I am a Hunter from the forest,” the shadow replied. “A wolf bit my leg, and I can’t move.”

A light breeze blew past.

She sniffed the air gently; there really did seem to be a faint, metallic scent of blood.