Xu Yang followed his gaze. The line was moving on its own, slowly winding around the roots and continuing deeper into the forest. He tightened his grip on his knife. "Please tell me that's your ring making that noise." A faint ringing sound came from beneath their feet. Wei Han stared at the ground. "It's not."Wei Han slowly lowered his hand, but the blue ring remained near the ground, trembling as the ringing sound grew louder.Xu Yang glanced at the trees."Should we follow that line?" "I'd rather know where it leads before we get too close." Wei Han replied. He moved his fingers, and the ring rose a little before pointing toward a narrow gap between the trees.
The blue line followed the same direction, then faded until only the ring's glow remained. Xu Yang looked at Wei Han. "Can you make it lead us somewhere safer?" "If I could, do you think I'd let it drag me around like this?" Wei Han gave him a brief smile before walking toward the gap. Xu Yang followed. "Fair point. Your ring seems to have more control over this investigation than we do." "Perhaps you should ask it your questions instead." "I'm not talking to a ring. I have some dignity left." Wei Han laughed softly, and Xu Yang found himself smiling before he remembered where they were. He quickly looked away and concentrated on the path ahead.
The narrow gap opened onto a sloping trail. The strange ringing stopped as soon as they stepped onto it, and Wei Han's ring returned to its usual blue glow. He examined it for a moment before closing his hand around it. "Whatever was pulling it has stopped." "That doesn't mean it's gone," Xu Yang said. "No, it doesn't." They continued down the trail. After a while, the trees grew thinner, and sunlight reached the ground again. Xu Yang glanced back once, but the forest behind them looked ordinary.
The group continued along the narrow trail, following the direction Wei Han's ring had indicated. The trees gradually grew thinner, but the forest did not become any less unsettling. Pale stains appeared more frequently on the trunks, some barely visible while others spread across the bark in long, uneven marks. A few had the same reddish tint they had noticed near the ruined structure. Xu Yang slowed down beside one of the trees and touched the edge of a stain with his finger. The colour came off easily, leaving a faint mark on his fingertip. He rubbed it between his fingers, then frowned at the sticky texture. "It's the same substance we found earlier." he said.
Lin Chen stopped beside him and examined the bark.He ran his fingers over a clean patch nearby, comparing it with the stained area. "Do you think it came from the rain?" "Possibly, but the rain stopped a long time ago. These marks shouldn't still be spreading." Xu Yang looked at the trees ahead. "Unless something is leaving them behind." Chen Yu leaned closer to get a better look, but the moment he noticed the dark patch beneath the pale surface, he quickly pulled his head back. "Can we not touch strange things in this forest? Every time we do, something unpleasant happens."
Qing Li glanced at him and brushed a small leaf from his sleeve. "Then you should stop standing so close whenever someone finds something." "I'm trying to understand what we're dealing with." Chen Yu folded his arms, looking rather offended. "From a safe distance?" Yan Luo asked, turning his head toward him. Chen Yu gave him a dissatisfied look. "Someone has to think about survival." Su Yuan smiled faintly and stepped closer to examine the marks. His attention moved from one trunk to another before settling on a thin streak running down a branch. "These marks aren't all at the same height." He pointed upward. "Some are above our heads."
Lin Chen followed his gesture and looked at the branches. A few pale streaks were visible among the leaves. "Then whatever left them wasn't simply brushing against the trees." Wei Han stood a little farther ahead, his rings hovering around his fingers. The blue one turned slowly as he examined the nearby trunks. "My rings are reacting again." Lin Chen turned toward him. "Can you tell what's causing it?" Wei Han shook his head. "Not clearly. The disturbance is weaker here, but it hasn't disappeared." He moved his hand, and one ring floated toward a pale stain.
Before it could reach the bark, it stopped. Its light flickered twice, then moved backward as if something had pushed it away. Wei Han's brows drew together. "It reacted the same way near the root." Xu Yang watched the ring return to Wei Han's hand. "So whatever is affecting it may be connected to these marks." "It is possible," Wei Han replied. "But I still cannot tell whether the disturbance is coming from the forest or from somewhere beyond it."
Yan Luo looked ahead and adjusted his grip on his sword. "Then we should find out where this trail leads." Chen Yu took one last look at the stained tree before catching up with the others. "For once, I agree. I'd rather deal with whatever is waiting ahead than spend another hour examining tree bark." "You say that now," Qing Li remarked. "Wait until we find something worse." "Could you at least pretend to encourage me?" "Would that help?" "No, but it would be polite."
The group continued walking. The path gradually widened, and the trees on either side began to thin. Just as they reached the edge of the woods, Chen Yu spotted something leaning against a broken wooden post. He slowed down and pointed toward it. "There's a sign." He walked over and brushed away the dry leaves covering its lower half. The wood was cracked, and most of the writing had faded, but a few characters were still visible. A faded arrow pointed toward the east.
Beneath it, the name of a small village could just be made out. Lin Chen approached and studied the sign. His expression changed slightly. "I know this place." Yan Luo turned toward him. "You have been here before?" "No. I saw its name in the old records." Lin Chen traced the remaining characters with his eyes. "The execution records connected to Rao Jin mentioned a village near the old grounds. This should be it." At the mention of Rao Jin's name, the group grew quiet.
Xu Yang looked from the sign to the forest behind them. The pale marks continued all the way to the last few trees before disappearing near the broken post. "So the trail was leading us here," he said. Chen Yu turned to look back at the forest, his brows drawing together. "Maybe that thing wanted us to reach the village." "Or wanted someone to find it." Qing Li added. Yan Luo rested one hand on his sword. "We cannot assume the creature and the old execution grounds are connected just because the trail leads here." "True," Xu Yang replied. "But the forest has been redirecting our path, and something has been interfering with Wei Han's rings. It doesn't seem like we're simply lost." He glanced at the broken sign again. First, the road kept bringing us back to the same place. Then something pulled Wei Han's spiritual thread away. Now the marks have led us to a village mentioned in Rao Jin's execution records. That's too many coincidences for one forest. Either someone wants us to reach this place, or something is making sure we don't reach anywhere else... "There's another possibility." Wei Han said.
Xu Yang turned toward him. Wei Han closed his fingers, and the rings slowly returned to their usual positions around his hand. "The forest may not be trapping everyone who enters it. It could be guiding certain people toward a particular place." Lin Chen studied him for a moment. "You think we were brought here deliberately?" "I cannot be certain," Wei Han replied. "But my spiritual threads were pulled twice, and both times the force seemed to be drawing them toward something rather than simply attacking them." Su Yuan's expression grew thoughtful. "Then perhaps the thing we encountered earlier wasn't trying to drive us away." "It might have been trying to stop us from reaching this place," Yan Luo said.
Qing Li glanced back at the trees. "Or it was trying to keep something inside the forest." Chen Yu looked between them. "Those are two very different possibilities. Can we at least hope it's the first one?" "Would that change anything?" Qing Li asked. Chen Yu sighed. "I knew I shouldn't have asked." Xu Yang almost smiled, but his attention soon returned to the forest.
The group followed the broken sign toward the village. By the time they reached the first houses, the sun had begun to sink behind the hills. The last light of the day stretched across the rooftops, but the narrow streets were already growing dark. A few lamps burned behind wooden windows. Smoke rose from the chimneys, and the smell of cooked food drifted through the air. Chen Yu slowed his steps as the scent reached him. His stomach gave a quiet growl, and he glanced toward the nearest house, where warm light spilled through the window. "At least someone here is having dinner." Qing Li turned to look at him, noticing the way his attention had shifted toward the house. "Is that what you're thinking about right now?" "I've been thinking about food for the last hour."
Chen Yu rubbed his stomach and let out a tired sigh. "Some of us haven't forgotten that we're still alive." Yan Luo glanced at him with mild amusement. "You were complaining about survival a moment ago. I don't see how that includes starving." Su Yuan gave a soft laugh as he looked down the quiet street. "If we find an inn, we can eat after asking for directions." Chen Yu immediately straightened and nodded. "That's the most sensible thing anyone has said since we entered this forest."As they moved farther into the village, Xu Yang began to notice how quiet the street had become. Their footsteps seemed unusually loud in the empty street. Xu Yang glanced toward a house on their left. A curtain shifted behind the window, revealing a faint shadow.
The moment he turned to look, it dropped out of sight. A wooden door creaked shut farther down the street. He slowed his steps, and Lin Chen noticed his reaction. "What is it?" Xu Yang tilted his head toward the window. "Someone was watching us." Lin Chen glanced over, but the street was already empty. "They may simply be curious about strangers." "Then they're doing a poor job of welcoming us," Chen Yu muttered. He looked from one closed door to another before moving a little closer to the group. "I haven't seen a single person come out to greet us." "Perhaps they prefer to stay indoors," Qing Li replied. "I would too if you were the first visitor I saw."
Chen Yu stopped and turned toward him. "What does that mean?" Qing Li merely continued walking. "Nothing." Yan Luo let out a quiet chuckle, making Chen Yu look even more offended. "You two seem to be enjoying yourselves," Chen Yu grumbled, quickening his pace to catch up. Lin Chen paid little attention to their exchange. His gaze had settled on an elderly man standing near the entrance of a house. The man was arranging several wooden baskets beside his feet, but his movements had slowed as he watched the group approach. When Lin Chen stepped toward him, the old man immediately lowered his head and began gathering the baskets. "Excuse me," Lin Chen called politely.
The man paused, one hand resting on the handle of a basket, but did not look up. "We are looking for the old execution grounds. Could you tell us which direction we should take?" The old man's fingers suddenly stopped moving. He remained bent over the baskets for a moment before slowly raising his head. "The execution grounds?" His voice was barely audible. "Yes. We heard they are somewhere near this village." Lin Chen kept his tone calm and gave the man a respectful nod. "We are investigating an incident connected to an execution that took place there many years ago."
The old man's expression changed. His eyes moved past Lin Chen, briefly settling on the others before returning to him. He straightened slightly, and his grip tightened around the basket handle. "You should leave." Chen Yu frowned and stepped forward. "We only asked for directions." "There is nothing for you to find there." The man picked up one of his baskets, his fingers trembling around its handle. Lin Chen took a small step closer, careful not to startle him. "We are looking into the execution of someone named Rao Jin. You may have heard of him."
The basket slipped from the old man's hand. Several wooden pieces scattered across the ground. Su Yuan immediately bent down to help, but the old man stepped back so suddenly that he stopped halfway, one piece still in his hand. "Don't say that name here." The man's voice had grown sharper. Lin Chen studied his frightened face. "Why?" The old man glanced toward the houses on either side of the street. A curtain moved behind one of the windows.
A moment later, a door farther down the road slowly closed. His breathing grew uneven. "I don't know anything. You should leave before it gets dark." "We only want to know what happened thirty years ago," Lin Chen continued. "Was Rao Jin brought here before his execution? Did anyone from this village witness what happened?" The old man's face tightened. He looked more frightened with every question, as though even speaking about the matter might bring trouble to his door. "I told you. I know nothing." He quickly gathered the remaining pieces and backed toward his entrance. Lin Chen tried once more. "At least tell us where the old grounds are." The man shook his head. "Don't go there."
Before anyone could ask anything else, he pushed open his door, stepped inside, and slammed it shut. The sound echoed through the narrow street. For a moment, no one spoke.Chen Yu stared at the closed door. "Well, that was helpful." Qing Li glanced at him. "You expected him to invite us in for tea?" "No, but I didn't expect him to look as if we'd asked him to dig up his own grave." Yan Luo's gaze moved toward the other houses. "He wasn't afraid of us. He was afraid someone would hear what he said."
Wei Han slowly raised one hand. The rings around his fingers gave off a faint colourful glow, but none of them moved toward the houses. His eyes narrowed slightly. "There is something else." Lin Chen turned to him. "What is it?" Wei Han looked down the street. "Several people are watching us. But whenever I try to sense them, their spiritual presence disappears." Su Yuan's smile faded. He turned toward a nearby window just as a shadow slipped away from behind the curtain. "You mean someone is hiding their presence?" "I don't know. It could also be the same disturbance we felt in the forest."
Xu Yang looked around. The street still appeared empty, but the feeling of being watched had not gone away. He turned toward the house where the old man had disappeared. The door remained shut, and there was no sound from inside. It was as if the man had never been there. "The village is close enough to the execution grounds that the people here should know what happened," Xu Yang said quietly. "But the moment Lin Chen mentioned Rao Jin, that man looked terrified." Lin Chen glanced toward the end of the street. "He may know more than he is willing to tell us." "Or he knows exactly what happens to people who talk about it." Wei Han added.
Xu Yang lowered his gaze to the dirt road. Near the old man's doorway, he noticed several dark marks on the ground. They looked like wet footmark, but there had been no rain since they entered the village. He crouched and examined them more closely. The mark started beside the door and continued toward the centre of the street. Then they stopped. There were no other tracks nearby, as if whoever had made them had simply vanished. Xu Yang carefully touched the mark with the tip of his knife. The dark surface rippled. He quickly pulled the blade away. "Lin Chen." His voice caught the others' attention. Lin Chen walked over and crouched beside him. "What did you find?" Xu Yang pointed toward the ground. "These weren't here when we arrived."
Wei Han stepped closer and raised his hand. One of his rings floated toward the nearest footmark. As soon as it came close, its silver light flickered. Chen Yu took a step back. "Please tell me that's just water." Qing Li glanced at him. "Would water react to a spiritual ring?" "I was hoping you would say yes." Wei Han lowered his hand slightly, watching the ring struggle to stay above the mark. "There's a trace here, but it's unstable." Xu Yang leaned closer without touching it again. "Does it feel like the disturbance we encountered in the forest?" "Somewhat." Wei Han's expression grew serious. "But this feels much closer." Before anyone could ask more, a soft knock came from behind the closed door.
Everyone turned toward it and three slow knocks sounded from inside. Chen Yu instinctively moved behind Yan Luo. He noticed what he had done and quickly stepped out again, pretending to adjust his sleeve. Yan Luo glanced at him but made no comment. A faint voice came from the other side of the door. [Don't let them take you to the execution grounds.]Xu Yang's ears lifted. Lin Chen stood and took a step toward the entrance. "Who is there?" No answer came. He waited, keeping one hand near his sword. Then the same voice spoke again, quieter this time, almost as if the speaker were right behind the door. [They are still waiting for another one.]
The group exchanged uneasy looks. Su Yuan slowly straightened, his eyes fixed on the gap beneath the door. "Who is waiting?" There was no reply. A moment later, the door began to open. It moved only a finger's width before stopping. A single eye appeared in the narrow gap, staring directly at Xu Yang. He froze. The eye did not look toward Lin Chen, who stood closest to the entrance, or Wei Han, whose rings were still glowing. It remained fixed on him. Before Xu Yang could react, the door slammed shut. Chen Yu turned toward him. "Why was it looking at you?" "How should I know?" Xu Yang took a small step back. "Maybe it has good taste." Qing Li gave him a strange look. "Now is not the time." "I'm trying not to panic."
Despite his words, Xu Yang kept his eyes on the door.Lin Chen moved closer to him. "Are you all right?" Xu Yang nodded, though his attention remained on the house. "I'm fine. But I think we should stop assuming the villagers are simply afraid of strangers." Wei Han drew his ring back, and its blue light slowly faded. "Whatever is inside that house may not be the old man." Su Yuan turned toward him. "You think someone else is there?" "I cannot tell. I only know the spiritual trace appeared after the door was closed." Yan Luo drew his sword halfway. "Then we should not stand here waiting for it to open again."
Lin Chen nodded and looked toward the end of the street. "We need somewhere to stay tonight. We'll find an inn and discuss our next move." Chen Yu glanced once more at the house. "And what if the innkeeper is just as welcoming?" "Then you can ask for dinner first," Qing Li replied. "That might improve our chances." Chen Yu gave him a tired look, but followed the others. Xu Yang remained a moment longer, watching the closed door.
The group moved farther down the street, leaving the old man's house behind. Xu Yang glanced back once, but the door remained closed. No one had come out, and the dark footprints near the entrance were no longer visible from where he stood. The village was growing quieter as the light began to fade. A few lamps had been lit inside the houses, but the streets remained empty. "At this rate, we'll have to ask every door before we find someone willing to speak," Chen Yu muttered. "Perhaps they are all busy pretending not to see us." Qing Li replied. Chen Yu opened his mouth to argue, but Lin Chen raised a hand slightly.
An elderly woman was standing near the corner of the next house. She held a small woven basket filled with dried branches and leaves. Unlike the others, she did not immediately retreat when she noticed the group. Instead, she watched them approach with a guarded expression.Lin Chen slowed down and gave her a respectful nod. "Excuse me, madam. May we ask you something?" The woman tightened her grip on the basket. "What do you want?" "We are looking into an execution that took place thirty years ago. A man named Rao Jin was executed near this village. Do you know anything about what happened?" The basket slipped from her hands. The dried branches scattered across the ground. She stared at Lin Chen for a moment, then quickly lifted her head and looked toward the sky. Her sudden movement made Xu Yang look up as well, but the sky was still clear. There were only a few dark clouds gathering beyond the rooftops.
The woman seemed to be checking for something. Her eyes moved across the clouds before she lowered her head again. "Don't ask about that." Lin Chen bent slightly to help her pick up the fallen branches, but she quickly stepped forward and gathered them herself. "We only want to understand what happened," he explained. "Did you know Rao Jin? Or did you witness anything related to his execution?" "I don't know him."She shoved the branches back into her basket, her hands shaking. "You should leave this village." Chen Yu frowned. "Everyone keeps telling us to leave, but no one will explain why."
The woman looked at him, then turned her attention to the sky again. "You shouldn't stay here after sunset." Lin Chen took a careful step closer. "Is this connected to the strange rain?" At those words, the woman's face went pale. She backed toward her door and reached for the wooden latch. "Listen carefully." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "If the sky changes color, don't stand beneath it." Before Lin Chen could ask what she meant, she pushed open the door and hurried inside. The door shut with a heavy thud.
For a moment, the group stood in silence. Chen Yu looked up at the sky, then back at the closed door. "What does she mean by the sky changing color?" "She seemed more frightened by that question than by Rao Jin's name," Su Yuan observed. Wei Han followed the woman's earlier glance toward the clouds. "She was checking the sky before she left." Yan Luo folded his arms. "Perhaps she has seen something like this before." Xu Yang kept looking at the closed door.
Chen Yu looked up at the sky, then back at the closed door. "What does she mean by the sky changing color?" Su Yuan frowned. "She seemed more frightened by the rain than by Rao Jin's name." Wei Han glanced toward the clouds. "She was checking the sky before she left." Yan Luo frowned. "Perhaps she has seen this happen before." Xu Yang looked at the closed door. Both villagers were afraid when we mentioned Rao Jin, but the woman became even more frightened when we brought up the rain. The villagers may have seen these strange rains before. If so, they know the colours are warnings of something dangerous... Lin Chen turned toward the darkening street. "We won't learn anything by questioning people who are too afraid to answer. Let's find a place to stay for the night."
By the time night fell, they found a wooden house near the edge of the village.Chen Yu checked the rooms before letting everyone settle inside. There was no one there, only a few broken stools, a wooden table, and some old household items.Chen Yu brushed the dust off a stool and sat down. "At least this place has a roof. I was beginning to think we'd have to sleep under a tree." "You would probably complain about that too." Qing Li remarked. "Of course. Trees don't serve dinner." Yan Luo sat near the doorway while Su Yuan placed their belongings beside the wall.
Wei Han stood by the window, watching the dark village. Lin Chen sat at the table. "The old man refused to speak about Rao Jin, and the woman reacted the same way. But her warning about the sky was different." "She sounded as if she knew what was coming." Su Yuan said. Wei Han nodded. "She was watching the clouds before she warned us." Xu Yang sat on the edge of a wooden bench. "Maybe the execution and the strange rains are connected." Chen Yu turned toward him. "You think Rao Jin had something to do with the rain?" "I don't know. But the villagers seem afraid of both."
Xu Yang fell quiet. The blue rain forced people to reveal truths, while the black rain made impossible memories feel real. The red rain caused violence and left strange marks. Each colour had a different effect... "We've only encountered three colours so far," Xu Yang added. "And none of them brought anything good." "Then we should be careful if another one appears," Lin Chen replied. Wei Han looked out of the window. "The woman's warning suggests that standing beneath the rain may be dangerous." Yan Luo rested a hand on his sword. "We should keep watch tonight."
Chen Yu leaned back against the wall. "I was hoping for one peaceful night." Qing Li glanced at him. "You chose the wrong group to travel with." "I noticed." A faint tapping sound came from the roof. Everyone fell silent. Wei Han turned toward the window as a pale drop slid down the wooden frame. Another fell onto the ground outside. Xu Yang stood and moved closer to the window. More drops began falling from the dark sky. They were not clear like ordinary rain. Each one was pale and bright, almost white. Against the darkness, they looked like tiny pieces of snow. Su Yuan stepped beside Xu Yang and stared outside. "Is that...?" "White rain?!" Xu Yang murmured. The drops continued to fall, slowly covering the ground in a pale shimmer.