The forest was deathly silent, not a single chirp or buzz in the air. Occasionally, a faint breeze would rustle the leaves, but beyond that, there was nothing. I looked around—though it was a bright, sunny day, the woods carried a feeling I couldn't quite name, something unsettling and unnatural.
It wasn't cold or hot. My mind felt strangely calm, almost empty—there was nothing inside me, just a hollow void. My body felt numb, and the air around me was scentless, devoid of any trace of life.
I looked around, trying to recall what Lord Shenyan had told me. This place was called the Forest of Desire, and he wanted me to survive here for a month.
Damn, he just left without saying a word.
I let out a slight smile. Like the other six Ghost Sovereigns, Lord Shenyan was willful to the extreme. Thinking about it, I realized I knew almost nothing about him—my understanding of Lord Shenyan was a blank slate. Other than some old grudge he seemed to have with Yin Choujian, I couldn't recall anything else.
If I had to say anything, it's that Zhong Kui and Lord Shenyan had merged into one. Beyond that, I knew nothing about Lord Shenyan. He once said Yin Choujian had asked him for a favor. The moment I thought of Yin Choujian, his half-smiling face floated into my mind.
I sighed and glanced around—just endless forest, the trees spaced a meter or two apart. After a moment's thought, I decided to head to the right.
After walking for a while, the scenery remained unchanged, everything looking exactly the same. I sat down beneath a tree, planning to take a nap. My wounds had healed, but I still hadn't fully recovered.
Staring up at the blue sky, I felt strangely calm, but a sense of unease still lingered in my heart.
Half-asleep, I drifted off. Suddenly, my nose began to itch. I opened my eyes wide in shock, startled and confused.
"Rachel Lan? What are you doing here?"
Rachel Lan stood before me, dressed in a tight black leather skirt that hugged her curves, black stockings covering her legs. She wore only a white shirt on top, with a hint of black lingerie visible underneath.
A surge of excitement welled up in me as Rachel Lan looked at me with a bright, cheerful smile.
"Qingyuan, get up. It's time to eat."
I mumbled in response, but suddenly, a thought struck me—wasn't I in the Forest of Desire? How did Rachel Lan get here?
"Who are you?"
"What's wrong, Qingyuan? It's me, Rachel."
Rachel Lan turned her head and spoke gently. It was then I noticed a small wooden cabin ahead, and the aroma of food drifted through the air.
"Come on, Qingyuan, let's go eat."
Rachel Lan took my hand and led me toward the cabin. I stared at her in a daze—it was the first time I'd seen her so gentle, her face lit up with a radiant smile. The cold, distant woman I knew was nowhere to be seen.