The rain came and went, the sky remained overcast, and all the streams swelled.
On the morning of the third day, Zhao Zhilan noticed the moss growing under the tree and immediately sensed something was wrong.
"We've gone the wrong way, Brother He!" she said to He Xiao as she rode past a moss-covered elm tree. "We're heading south. See the moss under the tree?"
He Xiao brushed aside the thick black hair in front of his eyes. "We'll just follow the road, that's all. This road leads south from here."
We've been heading south all day, she wanted to tell him, and yesterday too, we started cycling south along the riverbed. But she hadn't noticed the moss yesterday, so she wasn't entirely sure.
“I think we’re lost,” she whispered. “We shouldn’t have left that river; we should have just followed it.”
“Your Highness, don’t let your eyes deceive your heart,” He Xiao replied. “Yesterday, didn’t you notice how unusual the river was, winding and turning? Let your heart guide your way!”
Zhao Zhilan bit her lip, "But the moss..."
"With rain this heavy, it won't be long before moss grows even in your ears," He Xiao joked.
“That would only grow in south-facing ears!” Zhao Zhilan insisted.
She tried to reason with He Xiao, but found it difficult to persuade him.
He Xiao maintained his smile, as if he were hiding something.
"Are you hiding something from me?" Zhao Zhilan asked him.
"Listen attentively!" He Xiao's answer remained unchanged.
To be honest, Zhao Zhilan once had the urge to leave He Xiao and head northeast on her own.
But right now she's all alone, unable to handle even a few petty thieves, let alone find the elders of Xuanhua Palace.
He Xiao was her only true companion.
"What's wrong? Is there something you want to complain about?" He Xiao asked her. "Are you tired of riding horses in the rain and having a sore butt? Are you tired of damp, cold steamed buns and dried meat? Do you want to go back to the palace? Go back to Lin Mo's side?"
Yes, the palace has fine wine and all kinds of delicacies.
"How about this, I'll take you back now."
“No!” Zhao Zhilan said firmly, “I don’t want to go back to that cage.”
"Hahaha." He Xiao laughed. "The daily training of Xuanhua Palace disciples is even more arduous than what we are experiencing now. Especially Elder Gu's faction, the hardships they have to endure are beyond my ability to describe in words."
Zhao Zhilan frowned. "I am a descendant of the Zhao family, I am a descendant of the true dragon!"
He Xiao smiled but did not respond.
Afterwards, Zhao Zhilan found herself inexplicably thinking about him. The man she both loved and hated, yet dared not face: Lin Mo.
"Since I've already made my choice, I shouldn't give up so easily," Zhao Zhilan told herself.
They walked for a long time.
“The whole world is upside down and out of order.” He Xiao spoke again on the way. “Black turns into white, and white turns into black.”
Zhao Zhilan subconsciously turned her head, "Brother He, what do you mean?"
"Black is white, white is black! Reversing heaven and earth, yin and yang, black and white are without virtue and confused. White is white, black is black! In the clear and bright heaven and earth, yin and yang return to their original state, black and white have virtue and clarity."
"What is he trying to tell me?" Zhao Zhilan wondered. "Black and white? The world turned upside down?"
She silently recited these words in her mind.
Suddenly, Zhao Zhilan looked up sharply. "Brother He, you mean... we look like we're heading south, but we're actually heading north?"
"Hahaha, if you see through something, don't say it!" He Xiao laughed loudly. "Knowing is not knowing, and not knowing is knowing!"
Zhao Zhilan began to look around.
She quickly noticed something was wrong.
This forest looks ordinary, but there are too many eerie things about it.
First, there's the shadow. All shadows are reversed!
The reflection should be left-right, and up-down.
And all the shadows here are pointing in the same direction as the original object.
Not only that, the sounds are also reversed.
The bird chirped in my left ear, but the next second it flew into the sky towards my right ear.
"I guessed right!" Zhao Zhilan thought firmly.
But a question arises: what exactly is going on with this eerie forest?
She looked up, hoping to find an answer from He Xiao.
"Hahaha, Your Highness, you've discovered it?" He Xiao said, "This forest is the Reverse Forest set up by Elder Gu."
"The Forest of Reversal?"
“Yes, that’s right!” He Xiao said. “My school of assassination emphasizes high martial arts skills and the ability to leap over walls. Elder Gu’s assassination methods follow the ancient ways. So, within the ancient ways, the best strategy is to confuse the enemy and break through their mind.”
Zhao Zhilan found it increasingly amazing as she listened.
"Hahaha!" He Xiao laughed again, "If we lure the assassination target into a trap or maze and trap them to death, wouldn't that save a lot of trouble? Besides, setting traps and mazes makes assassination even easier."
"So, this forest is just a maze?"
“Yes!” He Xiao said, “The direction you see, the shadows, the sounds—they are all illusions.”
"Can it be destroyed?" Zhao Zhilan asked again.
“That’s the first reaction of anyone trapped!” He Xiao replied. “I don’t need to elaborate on their fate.”
"Die!" Zhao Zhilan thought to herself.
“Stay close to me,” He Xiao said. “Remember, don’t touch a single blade of grass or tree here.”
Not long after.
He Xiao led Zhao Zhilan into the dense forest to choose a shortcut.
The sounds of men and horses gradually faded, swallowed up by the damp, green wasteland.
Soon, all that could be heard was the sound of torrential rain hitting the leaves, trees, and rocks.
It was just past noon, but the forest was as dark as dusk.
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