Looking at the table, where delicacies of every kind had barely been touched, Isabelle Frost picked up a pristine white napkin and dabbed at her mouth, as if she had no intention of eating any more.
"You're wasting so much," I muttered. She just smiled.
"Then you eat it," she replied.
Isabelle Frost ignored me and walked away toward the Octagon Tower. I watched her back and sighed. Glancing again at the untouched delicacies, I could only swallow hard and try to calm myself. I looked around, then slowly rose to my feet.
Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming heaviness in my body. With a thud, I crashed to the ground, feeling heavier and heavier. The desire here was intense—any stray thought, and my desires would surge out, spiraling in the opposite direction.
I quickly suppressed the urge to fly, and my body instantly felt lighter. I got up; it must be afternoon now, and night would fall soon. I had to hurry back.
But just then, I suddenly saw someone across the river. Startled, I stared, then rushed over. I was certain this wasn't a hallucination born of my desires—someone was really there.
A white dress, drifting through the woods like a wandering soul—it was a woman. As I drew closer, I saw that a layer of black mist clung to her body.
When I quickened my pace, my feet felt as if they were weighed down with lead, so I slowed down. The woman simply stood quietly by a tree, not intending to leave. I reached the riverbank and cautiously crossed the shallow stream. As I approached, surprise overtook me.
The woman before me had a gaping hole in her chest, pitch-black and empty. Her eyes, too, were voids of darkness, making her appear terrifying. Yet I recognized her—it was Yvonne Yang.
Previously, in the Forest of Desire, the ghost woman who controlled the Desire Fiend had died here. The gluttonous beast failed to save her; she was defeated by her own desires.
Now, Yvonne Yang stood vacant and dazed. I walked up beside her, but she didn't notice me. Earlier, my instincts had awakened in this forest because she tried to destroy us.
"Yvonne Yang, do you still recognize me?"
I called out softly, but she remained motionless by the tree, dazed. I stepped closer, and suddenly, she began to move, heading deeper into the woods. I glanced around and had no choice but to follow.
Yvonne Yang wandered, stopping and starting, never responding to me. No matter what I asked, she stayed blank and wooden. I felt nothing from her—suddenly, I thought of Cao Wanzhi, the lost soul.
Gradually, I saw a small shack. Yvonne Yang entered, then collapsed inside, lying down and closing her eyes. She looked utterly peaceful—she had fallen asleep.
Suddenly, the sky turned gray. My heart raced—I knew something was wrong. I glanced at Yvonne Yang one last time, then turned and hurried toward the riverbank. I couldn't move too fast; all I could do now was restrain my desires, keeping them from surging out of control.
Just as I reached the river, night had already fallen. Cold moonlight shone down as I carefully waded across. A chill wind swept by, making me shudder. It was strange—though I was now completely a ghost, I could still feel the icy cold.
Suddenly, the surrounding forest vanished. I stared in shock at everything around me. I was in a room with a stark, minimalist layout. From the kitchen came the aroma of food, and the air was filled with a familiar fragrance. All of this felt deeply familiar.
Though I'd only been here once before, it felt intimately familiar. This was Lan Ruoxi's home.
A wave of bitterness welled up inside me again as I stood quietly in the room. Then I noticed a large photo frame hanging on the wall. I stared in surprise—it was a set of wedding photos. Step by step, I walked over.
I reached out, wanting to touch the wedding photo. In the album, Lan Ruoxi wore a pure white wedding dress, smiling gently. Her hands rested on my shoulders, and I, the groom, smiled happily, though my expression was still a bit uneasy—shy, almost awkward.
"Ah, so this is my wish, huh?" I chuckled.
I forced a bitter smile, sadness filling my heart, but tears would no longer come. At that moment, footsteps echoed—I turned my head.
"Qingyuan, you're back! Go wash up, dinner's ready."
A gentle voice called out. I turned, and in that instant, a flood of emotions surged within me. Lan Ruoxi, wearing a white apron, smiled at me. I walked toward her, step by step.
"What's wrong, Qingyuan? Did something happen today?"
I smiled and shook my head.
"It's nothing, Ruoxi. Really, it's nothing..."
Clenching my fist and grinding my teeth, I reached out to touch her. Just as my hand was about to graze Lan Ruoxi's cheek, everything vanished. I threw my head back, laughing—and then roared in frustration.
Desire had finally been subdued within me, and I found myself once again in the Forest of Desire. Cold winds whipped around me as I walked, step by step, toward the distant Octagon Pavilion.
My black cloak fluttered in the wind as I walked, fists clenched. Gradually, the wind softened, turning into gentle breezes. The chill inside my body faded away.
I arrived at the little shelter I'd built beside the Octagon Tower and lay down inside. The tower lights were still on, and the sound of a guzheng drifted through the air—melodic and soothing, like an ancient tune. Looking up, I saw Isabelle Frost on the third-floor balcony, playing the guzheng.
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Isabelle Frost's face showed no emotion, but the guzheng's music carried a trace of sorrow. Slowly, I closed my eyes as sleep overtook me, drifting off to the comforting sound of her playing.
When I awoke, harsh sunlight streamed in. I opened my eyes—it must have been 8 o'clock. After getting up, I found Isabelle Frost standing before me.
"Let's go. Time to eat something first."
I nodded, climbed to my feet, and followed Isabelle Frost.
"Can we start today?"
Isabelle Frost's red eyes glanced at me, then she shook her head.
"You can't even master the basics, so of course you can't begin."
I let out a surprised sound. I was certain I could already suppress my own desires, keeping them at bay.
"You've grasped the nature of the Forest of Desire, Zhang Qingyuan, but can you actually wield your power?"
I looked at Isabelle Frost, puzzled. Then I thought it over—now that I'm a ghost, whenever I try to float, I become unbearably heavy and crash to the ground. I'm nowhere near able to use my strength.
Just then, with a chime, Isabelle Frost waved her hand. Instantly, a vivid red spider lily flew out and began to spin. Gradually, I saw the desire-fed trees in the forest to my left begin to wither and decay. Soon, they were swept away by the wind, leaving nothing behind.
A whole swath of desire trees disappeared completely. I swallowed hard—just what kind of power does she possess?
While I was lost in thought, Isabelle Frost looked at me. "Try it. See if you can cut down a tree. If you succeed, I'll teach you."
I responded and walked up to a tree on the right. In an instant, my aura flared—I aimed at a desire tree and struck. But strangely, my aura vanished, and instead, a fresh wound opened on my body. I cried out in pain as black blood dripped continuously.
Suddenly, Isabelle Frost grabbed my collar and yanked me away. With a thunderous crash, a deep, bottomless fissure appeared before me. I was stunned, but quickly calmed myself. My wound didn't heal; instead, the pain grew sharper, as if I were being torn apart.
With a swift motion, Isabelle Frost tore her shawl into strips and wrapped them tightly around my chest, pressing down hard to stop the bleeding.
"This wound will heal very slowly—unless you can truly learn to release your desires freely."
Isabelle Frost spoke as I looked at her white shawl, now stained red with my black blood. After a while, dizziness set in, but my hunger was stronger. Clutching my chest, I followed her, step by step, to the dining area.
I sat down, pain radiating from my wound. I tried not to think about it, but things were getting more complicated.
I watched Isabelle Frost, unchanged as ever, set the table with a feast. Yet she only tasted a little of each dish before stopping. After a long while, the food vanished. I slowly edged over, settling for a bowl of plain rice, which I could only swallow down in rough mouthfuls.
Now the pain in my wound finally eased.
"This is the true Forest of Desire, Zhang Qingyuan. When you came here before, the place had changed because of that woman over there. The power of desire was weakened, but now it's different—everything is back to normal."
Isabelle Frost spoke, glancing at my wound.
I looked across the river. There stood Yvonne Yang, still dazed beside a tree, utterly motionless.
"What happened to her?"
I asked, and Isabelle Frost sighed.