Zhang Nu and Liu Hai chose to ignore Lin Xiao’s words, dismissing them as unreliable. The eerie crying sound was right in front of them—how could they not feel fear?
Seeing that the two men didn’t respond, Lin Xiao stepped in front of them, his expression serious.
“Did you two even hear what I just said?” he demanded. “I told you there’s nothing to be afraid of. No one’s out there.”
“The sound you’re hearing is just caused by the wind rustling through the treetops. And this forest is called Ghost Cry Forest for a reason.”
Lin Xiao crossed his arms and continued. “It’s called that because the wind here sounds like sorrowful crying, which is how it got its name.”
Zhang Nu and Liu Hai blinked at him, momentarily stunned. Lin Xiao’s explanation sounded logical, and for a moment, they began to wonder if he was right. But how did Lin Xiao know all this? And how could he be so certain that this place was Ghost Cry Forest?
“How do you know all this?” Zhang Nu asked, curious. “And how can you be so sure this is Ghost Cry Forest?”
Lin Xiao rolled his eyes at Zhang Nu, his patience clearly wearing thin. He had thought Zhang Nu was intelligent, someone who could match his wit, but now he realized Zhang Nu wasn’t nearly as sharp as he’d assumed. Zhang Nu seemed to be jumping to conclusions without much thought.
“I read it in books, obviously,” Lin Xiao replied matter-of-factly. “Also, I know where your next destination is.”
“Your next stop should be Apricot Spring Town. It’s all written in the books I’ve read.”
Zhang Nu and Liu Hai stared at Lin Xiao, dumbfounded. They didn’t even know where they were headed, but Lin Xiao had just spoiled their destination.
“How many books have you read, Lin Xiao?” Liu Hai exclaimed, his voice tinged with disbelief. “You even know stuff like this?”
Lin Xiao shrugged off Liu Hai’s reaction as if it were no big deal. Reading was second nature to him, and his exceptional memory meant he never forgot anything he had read.
“Don’t make a fuss about it,” Lin Xiao said casually. “Didn’t you say this mountain has an eerie vibe? Let’s just focus on getting out of here.”
Snapped back to reality by Lin Xiao’s words, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai quickly nodded. They had almost forgotten their current predicament, too busy marveling at Lin Xiao’s knowledge.
The three of them resumed walking, but as they moved forward, Lin Xiao began to sense something was wrong. This place wasn’t as simple as he had initially thought. He stopped abruptly, scanning his surroundings with a sharp gaze.
Zhang Nu and Liu Hai noticed Lin Xiao had stopped and turned to look at him in confusion.
“What’s wrong, Lin Xiao?” Zhang Nu asked.
“This isn’t right,” Lin Xiao said, his tone firm. “We’ve been walking in circles. We haven’t left the spot we started from.”
Zhang Nu glanced around, frowning. He didn’t see any signs indicating they were back where they started.
“Are you sure, Lin Xiao? This place doesn’t look anything like where we were before,” Zhang Nu said skeptically. “Maybe you’re just imagining things. Try to relax a little.”
Lin Xiao shook his head, resolute.
“No. My instincts never fail me,” he said confidently. “Even if the surroundings look different, I can tell this is the same spot we’ve been circling around. Ghost Cry Forest is still close by.”
Zhang Nu hesitated, seeing that Lin Xiao wasn’t joking. Slowly, he stopped walking and carefully looked around. Still, he couldn’t see any signs of the forest nearby.
“Lin Xiao, you’re being paranoid,” Liu Hai said dismissively. “It’s your first time traveling outside your village, so it’s natural to feel uneasy. Zhang Nu and I haven’t noticed anything strange. You don’t need to overthink it—we’ll protect you.”
Liu Hai’s tone was casual, clearly unconvinced by Lin Xiao’s concerns.
But Lin Xiao shook his head again, his expression firm and serious.
“I’m not wrong,” Lin Xiao said. “I’m more sensitive to these things than most people. Even if someone changed their face to look like someone else, I’d still recognize them. I can tell—we’re stuck in the same area.”
“Stop and listen carefully,” Lin Xiao continued. “Do you still hear the crying from Ghost Cry Forest? We’ve walked far enough that we shouldn’t be able to hear it anymore. But the sound is still here, which means we’ve been walking in circles.”