Jiang BaiYan met up with Old William after he finished inspecting.
Old William asked, “Did you find them?”
Jiang BaiYan shook his head, his brows furrowed with impatience, “It’s been so long, what if something’s already happened to them? Let’s go into the woods and take a look.”
Old William’s tone was no longer as firm as before: “If you insist on going, there’s nothing I can do to stop you, but you have to swear to me that you won’t take matters into your own hands. When I tell you to come back, you have to return immediately.”
Jiang BaiYan hurriedly said, “Alright, alright, I agree to everything, let’s get going quickly.”
Only then did Old William shoulder his [pack], and cautiously stepped into the woods at night.
The rain had slowed to a drizzle, pattering onto their raincoats.
Jiang BaiYan fell back a step, and seemed to ask casually, “The sheep you mentioned... was it real or could it just be a sheep that wandered away from the farm?”
Old William glanced at him, “It wasn’t an ordinary sheep.”
“Reed told me a lot about Kerry,” Jiang BaiYan said seriously but falsely, “He said Kerry really hated the forest, did she ever see sheep before?”
“I didn’t hear her talk about it, she just didn’t like the woods.” Old William sighed, “Other than being bewitched by an evil spirit, I can’t think of any other possibility that would make her enter the woods after dusk.”
Jiang BaiYan asked, “Why would an evil spirit lure people in? Does it only lure girls? It seems only females have gone missing.”
Old William glanced at him, “You ask a lot of questions, officer?”
“Look at my shooting skills, do I look like one?” he replied, “I’m just really worried... Ah!”
Old William tensed, his gaze piercing, “What is it?”
“Th-there...” Jiang BaiYan swallowed, asking nervously, “Was that a shadow over there? Is that the sheep you mentioned??”
Old William looked over, hidden in the lush bushes was a dark shadow crouching among the grass. Its round beady eyes peeked through the leaves.
He shouted loudly and the shadow darted away swiftly with a “whoosh”.
“It was a badger.” He said flatly.
Jiang BaiYan smiled awkwardly, “Well how would I know what kind of sheep you were talking about...”
Old William shook his head, using his sickle to cut through branches blocking their way. “Let’s check the cabin, maybe they took shelter from the rain.”
“Phew...” Jiang BaiYan wiped the sweat from his brow, panting heavily, “That’s good if that’s the case.”
Old William glared at him contemptuously and quickened his pace, “Hurry up, it’s dangerous to linger in the woods for too long.”
Jiang BaiYan answered with an “oh”, not telling him that not far behind them, the little white lamb remained, appearing and disappearing against the tree trunk.
He was rather curious, what exactly was that lamb?
It seemed Old William either couldn’t see it, or like him, saw it but pretended not to.
Was it really a siren of the forest, luring passersby astray? If so, why did it appear in the sheep pen on the farm? Was that also considered part of the forest’s domain?
Also, there was a cabin on Robert’s haunted farm as well...
“We’re here.” Old William said, pointing to the small cabin in the distance.
It was old, the wood darkened from time, thick moss and leaves covering it like mold on bread.
Old William pushed the door open and swept the rainwater off. “Frank built this cabin, there may be an entrance.”
Jiang BaiYan asked, “Why did they build a cabin out here? To hunt?”
“Who knows.” Old William tapped around on the floor, looking for any loose floorboards that may lead underground. When he got to the innermost part of the cabin, his movements slowed.
Jiang BaiYan shone the flashlight over to help. “Here?”
Old William strained his arm and pried open one of the stone tiles. The light revealed a dark gaping hole underneath. He stuck his head in and funnelled his hands to shout, “Frank?! Jian?! Are you guys down there?!”
The echoes replied, with no response.
Jiang BaiYan asked uneasily, “What’s down there? It’s so dark.”
“I’ll go take a look, you...” Old William looked him up and down critically, then waved his hand dismissively, “Just stay here and don’t cause me any trouble.”
Jiang BaiYan shook his head. “I need to find my friend.”
Old William thought for a moment before conceding. “I’ll go down first to check if it’s safe, then call you down after.”
Jiang BaiYan hesitated briefly before agreeing with a nod.
Old William jumped down the entrance, the darkness instantly swallowing the light. Cold damp air spilled from the hole, faintly smelling of blood.
Jiang BaiYan turned his head and saw the lamb again.
It stood in the corner, nuzzling against the wall, seeming to beckon him over to take a look.
Jiang BaiYan curiously walked over and carefully scraped off the black grime covering that area with his dagger. A line of crude carving emerged:
don’t believe owl.
run fast.
“Were you trying to get me to see this?” Jiang BaiYan asked the lamb, “Who wrote this?”
The lamb bleated softly, “Mehhh~~~”
It headed towards the exit, seeming to indicate for him to follow.
At the same time, Old William’s voice echoed from below, “It’s safe, come down!”
Jiang BaiYan shifted the stone slab over and covered the hole.
The lamb slowly wandered out.
He followed after it.
Of course he knew it was extremely risky to follow such a mystical creature(?), but William wasn’t necessarily much safer either.
The key to Kerry's case wasn't her cause of death, but why she appeared in the woods to begin with.
Jiang BaiYan didn't understand investigations, but he believed one thing - the only person who could make a teenage girl go against her will and do something she didn't want to do was her boyfriend.
Girls can be silly, thinking that's what love requires.
But the reality is the complete opposite - a man who doesn't care about his girlfriend's wishes never loved her to begin with. If he insists the girl do these things, it’s either to control her or show off to his friends.
He had seen too many colleagues proudly boast about their obedient girlfriends while waving around risqué photos of them.
Of course, perhaps William did this just for fun, without considering the consequences, so it didn't prove he had malicious intentions today.
But Robert did say when he got lost in the woods as a child, he too saw a lamb.
It scared him and his playmates witless, but in the end, nothing happened to them.
Was the lamb really a demon?
Jiang BaiYan didn't know. So he decided to follow it and find out.
Jian quietly followed little Frank, taking the stairs built along the tree roots back above ground.
In his vision, the dark terrifying forest was illuminated in varying shades of red. The light divided up the space, warping everything.
Clearly, a lurking snake was coiled around a nearby tree trunk, ready to strike. But as she walked past it, the snake’s keen forked tongue didn’t detect her scent at all, completely oblivious to her presence.
And little Frank's path seemed to have no rhyme or reason. Sometimes a deviation of just inches led to two entirely different spaces.
If she didn't have the "Borrow Sight" boon card, simply following him would have definitely gotten her lost.
But now, seeing that she closely tailed him without falling behind, albeit at a slower pace, little Frank gradually believed she had become his companion.
He began to speak more.
“I know you’ve heard many rumours about these woods.” He said.
Jian asked, “Invaders?”
Little Frank let out a cold laugh. “Although you’re not American, you should still know the cruel history that transpired on this land.”
Jian remarked to herself, there’s been so much cruelty here, which one are you referring to?
Little Frank looked up towards the empty distance, his tone ominous. “Let me think, when did rumours about evil spirits first emerge? A long long time ago? No, that’s not how it was.
“In the 16th century, European colonizers arrived on the other shore of the Atlantic Ocean. They took a liking to this fertile land and started a greedy campaign of invasion and conquest. Twilight Town is very far from the Atlantic, so things were relatively peaceful in the early days. Only a handful of explorers dared to venture here, hoping to uncover hidden riches.
“At the end of the 17th century, a group of adventurers heard rumours of abundant treasures hidden within these woods. They gathered a team to come and stake their claim. However, as their party entered the forest, members started disappearing one by one.
“At first, they assumed it was wild beast attacks, and with their firearms, they didn’t think much of it. But one day, as they passed through a stretch of the woods, they suddenly caught sight of something in the distant treetops — dozens of meters above ground, the missing bodies were strung up upside down on the tall branches, like ripe fruit ready for harvest.”
"People were scared to death, rumors were flying that there were terrible evil spirits hiding in the woods that came to take lives under the cover of darkness. The ambitious were afraid, hesitating on whether to leave. At this time, a survivor escaped back, already mad and unable to communicate. However, his companions were surprised to discover that no matter how serious his injuries, even being shot through the belly, he would heal quickly."
"As you can imagine, once greed takes root, even demons can't stop the footsteps of mankind. After this, the unpredictable evil spirits in the twilight woods and the magical medicine that can heal serious injuries...all kinds of legends kept emerging."
He spoke gently and unhurriedly, but his words were poorly hidden mockery.
[Jian] couldn't help asking: "Then what?"
"In the 18th century, the gunshots of Lexington rang out and war broke out. To fight the British, the Continental Army at the time listened to the advice of a descendant of an adventurer and sent a troop of soldiers to the western frontier of the United States to find that magical medicine that could bring the dead back to life.
"But the locals denied the existence of the magical medicine and claimed that their arrival would anger the gods. The general leading the troops was very angry and arrested many locals, torturing them harshly. Finally, under threats and temptation someone told the truth - the secret was hidden in the Twilight Forest, the gods were invincible, only the flames from the sky could make Them sleep."
Little [Frank] said: "That day, lightning struck the trees in the forest. The soldiers poured gasoline on them, and the flames spread through the entire forest at a terrifying speed. Thick smoke billowed, flames shot to the sky, animals cried out as they fled, trees turned to charcoal. The invaders conquered this land with firearms, but they did not know..."
"This was not the end," he turned his head and stared into [Jian's] eyes. "Having occupied the kingdom of the gods, everyone would be punished, blood debts must be repaid in blood."
[Jian] understood.
She asked: "[Kerry] and the five children, as well as the people who came later, who killed them?"
"They were the lambs offered in sacrifice to the gods," little [Frank] said indifferently. "There is no meaning in you pursuing this question."
[Jian] said: "Since we have both become servants of the god, there should be no harm in you telling me the truth."
Little [Frank] said coldly: "The sacrifices were naturally completed by the servants of the god. When you complete the ritual, you must do the same."
[Jian]'s heart stirred. She made a difficult choice: "Then...William?"
Her answer greatly satisfied little [Frank]. He said: "He won't do."
"Why?"
"His soul is no longer pure."
What on earth is he talking about?? [Jian] pressed her fingers to her temples, forcibly suppressing the irritation in her heart, and asked: "What kind of person..."
"We're here," little [Frank] interrupted her question and stopped in front of a cave.
The entrance to the cave was not large, allowing at most one person through. A faint, damp wind blew from inside, carrying the smell of soil and vegetation - not an unpleasant smell, but with an indescribable stuffiness.
Little [Frank] went inside. "Follow me."
[Jian] threw down the pearl, stepped on it, and followed him in.
It was a strange, pure white cave, as if made up of countless large marble blocks without impurities, with almost no visible seams.
The passage was tall and narrow - slightly cramped by human standards, and a little too tall.
[Jian] touched the wall, feeling the unique roughness and coldness of the rock. The texture was so smooth, with no visible tool marks, but such neat planning could not possibly be a natural formation.
"What is this place?" she asked.
Little [Frank] did not speak, but continued walking deeper inside, until they entered an extremely spacious large cave. Overhead, a spotless ray of moonlight shone down, illuminating the underground world of darkness.
"Welcome to the white kingdom," he spread his arms. "Offer your loyalty to the god, new bride."
[Jian] looked up. In front of her stood an impossibly gigantic tree, stretching into the firmament.
Author's note: I don't know American history very well, just borrowed a few major events and made up a story around them. Anyway they like to take this part of history and make up stories themselves =0=
