Chapter 105: A Narrow Path Brings an Encounter

In the boundless forest, an eerie air hung everywhere. Green Willow, alone and already dazed by the searing pain of the poison, staggered along in a groggy haze.

"Damn it. I never thought that after following my master for so many years, he would turn so heartless over one woman!"

The more he thought about it, the more bitter he felt. This was no ordinary poison; it was meant to make a person suffer a fate worse than death. What manner of hatred could drive someone to such an end?

Drawing a deep breath, Green Willow only felt his legs go weak. Swaying, he leaned against a tree trunk and sank down to sit.

Then, from the distant undergrowth, came an abrupt rustle.

"Who's there? Come out at once!"

Staring ahead, Green Willow's vigilance sharpened, but the poison was already raging through his body, leaving him with no spare strength to stand.

He could only grip the dagger hidden in his boot and steel himself with all the resolve he had left.

Suddenly, a wild boar came charging straight at him, clearly mistaking him for prey.

"What rotten luck!"

Green Willow muttered under his breath, every inch of him tense and ill at ease. Yet the boar was far too fierce, and he dared not hesitate any longer. Clutching at the pain, he scrambled up and fled this accursed place.

As he ran, the boar pursued in relentless fashion.

Just when it seemed about to catch him, Green Willow panicked.

He had already braced himself to be gored when, all at once, the ground vanished beneath his feet. His body lurched out of control and plummeted downward.

"Ouch—what the hell is this!"

He crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, and another wave of pain surged up from behind.

Only after the shock passed did he look around and realize he had fallen into a pit.

"Damn it, how could there be such a huge pit in this damned forest?"

Testing the wall with his hand, Green Willow felt the earth: slightly loose, clearly freshly turned.

A thought flashed through his mind: this was a man-made trap.

"Besides me, could there be someone else here? Surely it couldn't have been that useless woman with no strength to defend herself!"

In truth, this was merely a trap Windchaser had set for hunting, and he had not expected to catch a living person.

Because Ghost Domain Forest was such a peculiar place, and because he feared some third force might be lurking within, Green Willow could only grit his teeth and hurry to climb up.

But the wall was too slick, leaving him helpless; no matter how many times he tried, he made no progress at all.

"It is all that wretched woman’s fault. If not for her, I would never have fallen into such a miserable state. If I ever see you again, I will not let you off so easily!"

He drew a deep breath, growing angrier the more he thought about it, though all he could do was rage in his imagination.

At that moment, footsteps suddenly sounded outside.

Leaves were crushed underfoot, a crisp rustling like bursting firecrackers.

"Someone's here!"

That was Green Willow's first reaction. Like a rabbit with its nerves shattered, he hurriedly pricked up his ears to assess the surroundings.

"Could it be the one who dug the trap?" With a measure of uncertainty, he did not dare act rashly.

Above the pit, three men were still moving cautiously through the forest.

One of them had sharp eyes and was the first to notice the broad opening.

"Young master, look over there. It seems to be a hole!"

Nightly Breeze turned at once toward the sound. His gaze fixed ahead, he nodded slightly. "Let's go and take a look."

The three of them leaned forward and carefully peered down into the cavern below.

There, Green Willow was pressed against a corner at the edge, looking up toward the light.

Seen from below, the light was surprisingly clear, and Nightly Breeze's face came into view first, which nearly frightened Green Willow out of his wits.

"The Emperor? How did he find his way here!"

As the main target of this mission, Green Willow had naturally etched Nightly Breeze's appearance into his memory. He swallowed hard, unease rippling through him.

"Terrible. Could this trap be his doing? Has he already discovered me?"

No one knew what Green Willow was imagining. The others only vaguely saw a frail figure at the bottom of the pit.

Covered in dirt and dust, he looked pitiful enough. One of them called down tentatively, "Who are you? Why are you trapped in here?"

Hearing this, Green Willow lifted his head. Their eyes met, and he realized they had not recognized him. At once, he breathed a little easier.

"It seems Heaven is watching over me. Still, these people came just in time."

Swallowing again, Green Willow pinched his voice and cried out at once, "Young masters, help! I am the daughter of a hunter in this forest, and I accidentally fell into my own trap!"

Whose trap it was no longer mattered. So long as he claimed it as his own, all would be well. Besides, these people were clearly baffled, so the trap had nothing to do with them.

At that, the three exchanged glances. One of them asked in a low voice, "Young master, what should we do? Should we save him?"

Though Ghost Domain Forest did not eat people, its eerie and uncanny reputation had long spread far and wide. Who knew whether what they rescued would be a person or a ghost? A little caution was only natural.

"What are you standing there for? Do you really think a frail woman like her could do anything to us?"

Nightly Breeze shot them a cool glance and, without further suspicion, had her lowered down at once and rescued.

Seeing her dirt-streaked appearance, he even handed over a handkerchief. "Wipe your face."

Green Willow blinked slightly. He had not expected such a gentle attitude from Nightly Breeze, and reached out to take the handkerchief.

His slender fingernails brushed against the man's hand.

At that instant, Nightly Breeze looked closely and saw smooth, tender skin and long, thin nails. A trace of doubt flickered in his eyes.

"Are you truly from a hunter's family?"

As a hunter, a person's hands should not have been so exquisitely formed. And looking at Green Willow's face, one could tell that even if he was not some young lady of high birth, he did not seem like someone who had grown up in such a rough, sunless forest.

Hearing this, Green Willow grew a little panicked, but he forced himself to remain calm and nodded stiffly.

"My parents were killed not long ago by wolves and tigers. I am the only one left now."

As he spoke, Green Willow dabbed at his tears and pretended to weep. He did, indeed, have a rather pitiable air.

Nightly Breeze did not press the matter further. He only said, "Very well, stop crying. We'll take you home."

Green Willow truly led them back to the small hut from before and even treated them warmly.

"These are all game I hunted in the woods. I also have wine I brewed myself. Please, eat without worry."