Lord Shenyan and I had already left that patch of woods. The noise was getting closer and closer, but we couldn't see anything. Xiao Xi was still standing at the edge of the forest. We waited quietly, and just then, the commotion abruptly ceased.
The noise just now sounded like an army of thousands marching through, but now it was gone.
"What on earth was that?"
I asked, noticing Lord Shenyan's face was tense, his eyes fixed on his chest.
"Nathan Chung, we're so close to the Underworld Court here. I beg you, behave yourself."
Lord Shenyan slowly walked over, gazing quietly at the strange woods ahead. The leaves were grayish, and the trees grew in grotesque shapes, resembling human hands.
"I don't know what's out there either. Let's keep moving. Once we get that fruit, we'll head to Shade Crossing."
I responded with a simple "Alright."
"Can't we go straight to Shade Crossing from here?"
Lord Shenyan pointed to the towering mountain on our right, reaching up into the clouds.
We have to cross that mountain and travel a long distance before we can reach Shade Crossing.
Maybe I should go alone.
I said. Lord Shenyan looked at me and shook his head.
You can't get there. If you want to enter that place, you need me.
We kept walking, entering the forest that stretched endlessly between the riverbed and the mountain. Sly was still crawling ahead of us.
Are we supposed to let her lead us?
Lord Shenyan nodded. I finally understood what he had been communicating with her about by the river.
Sly kept looking back every few steps, sometimes smiling at Lord Shenyan and babbling happily. She seemed genuinely joyful.
I stared at Sly, remembering a time when I too could feel genuine happiness upon seeing friends or lovers. But now, my heart is dead—there's no feeling left.
Back when Quentin Kue and I fought to the bitter end on Quinn Lee's turf, both sides suffered heavy losses. My subordinates came to my aid, but the Underworld Court deployed massive forces to hunt us down. With no other choice, we settled in Shade Crossing.
You said those five found the Dream Legion. Where exactly are they?
I asked, and Lord Shenyan stopped walking.
Dream said you shouldn't get involved in this.
For a while, Lord Shenyan and I were silent, just following Sly. It would take more than a day to get out of this forest. According to Lord Shenyan, as long as we didn't use strong powers, the Underworld Court wouldn't notice us.
Suddenly, the commotion started again—first a faint rumbling, then the noise grew louder, like thousands of troops charging. Lord Shenyan and I stopped. The sound grew, but nothing could be seen.
After a moment, the noise faded again, and Lord Shenyan and I continued walking.
Why did you kill John Chou back then?
After a long walk, I asked, still curious about what happened before.
Because of a petty man—Arthur Jian—I mistakenly thought John Chou was a great villain, so I killed him.
I nodded. I'd seen that memory before—Arthur Jian really was a vicious, poisonous man, and he hurt Victor Fan several times. But as Lord Shenyan spoke, though there was a trace of guilt, he said it seriously.
After a while, Lord Shenyan stopped, found a tree, sat down, and took out a small jar of wine and a leaf-wrapped roast chicken to eat and drink.
Want some?
I shook my head. Eating or not eating made no difference now—even if I ate, it would be tasteless.
Just then, the rumbling started again. But Lord Shenyan and I had gotten used to it—these tremors never lasted long and would soon fade. It had already happened six or seven times.
Sly, who was some distance ahead, suddenly looked fearful. Lord Shenyan and I both noticed—the rumbling lasted longer this time.
Sly always kept a certain distance from us. Her situation was much like the little ghosts in the border realm—she seemed to fear Lord Shenyan a bit.
Something's not right.
The tremors kept going, getting closer. Lord Shenyan gulped down a mouthful of wine and climbed down from the tree.
Let's keep going, whatever it is.
We hurried through the forest. The ground shook more and more violently. Soon, we saw a massive creature in the distance—grayish white, enormous, like a mountain.