novelraw Chapter 138 Whispers in the Woods
Chapter 138 Whispers in the Woods
I followed behind Hua, keeping low and moving as quietly as I could toward the group of peasant women. The fallen leaves underfoot were damp from the mountain mist; every step made a sticky, unpleasant sound.
I held my breath, terrified they would hear us.
Before long, several of the women stopped beside a natural spring. Water trickled out from deep within the mountain, and—strangely—clusters of mushrooms grew thick around the spring.
Some were red with white spots, others gray with thin stalks, all in odd, unnatural colors.
A few of the women crouched down to gather them, quickly filling their baskets; the others walked deeper into the forest with their empty ones.
Even the armored soldier standing guard paused to wash some wild fruit he’d picked up from who-knows-where.
If not for the sword at his waist, the whole scene might have passed for a rustic family simply enjoying their morning.
I muttered under my breath, “They sure know how to take their time.”
Hua raised a hand to silence me, then gestured toward another part of the woods.
His footsteps were light, almost ghostlike, as he slipped past a few trees.
I hunched down and followed. Wet leaves slapped cold against my face as I crept forward.
Ahead, the remaining three women searched the undergrowth while gossiping to pass the time.
A younger woman with a round face sighed. “Who knows when we’ll be allowed down the mountain… My joints have been acting up again these past few days.”
“Shh, keep your voice down!” the older woman beside her hissed. “If the lord over there hears you, you’ll get beaten.”
The long-faced woman lowered her voice. “As if that lord could control anything. I bet he’s dying to get off this mountain too. We’ve been stuck in this ghost-forsaken place for almost a month, haven’t we? Sure, His Majesty ordered it, but there should be a limit. And all we do is cook—”
“Quiet!” the older one snapped again. “You should be glad all you do is cook. You haven’t seen the poor souls living in the ‘Serpent Zodiac’ carving. That’s real misery.”
I was listening intently, leaning forward—
And my foot slipped.
Crack.
A twig snapped clean through.
Damn it.
All three women froze. The eldest jerked her head up. “Who’s there?!”
I plastered myself against a tree and looked at Hua, silently screaming: What now?
Hua didn’t even blink. He snapped his fan shut, hiding half his face as he murmured, “Honey trap.”
I stared. “What?”
Before I could process it, he stepped out.
His clothes fluttered lightly, his fan opened with a soft snap, and his expression shifted into one of slow, practiced charm. Even the wind seemed to pause for effect.
As he walked, he reached back, grabbed me by the sleeve, and hauled me out from behind the tree.
“H-hey, I—”
“Shh.”
One breath from him, and I shut my mouth on instinct.
Then, in that honeyed, velvet-smooth voice of his, he said, “Pardon us, ladies. We didn’t know anyone was here. My younger brother and I have lost our way and can’t find the path down.”
The women all blinked at the word “ladies.”
The round-faced one was first to react, her cheeks turning pink. “This mountain isn’t safe. You two should head back down quickly.”
“Why so?” Hua asked gently, the tail of his sentence lilting upward with a smile that was just shy of believable.
Standing behind him, watching him turn himself into a walking flirtation, I felt my face heat.
The man could act
.His half-lidded eyes, the fan concealing most of his smile, the faint curve of his lips—
If he were back at a pleasure house, that smile alone could net him ten taels of silver.
[System Notice: High-risk social scenario detected. Recommend host maintain an emotionless expression to prevent unintended complications.]
Me: “Shut up.”
Even the long-faced woman looked dazed. “Whatever the reason… this mountain is strange. You should really go.”
“Such a pity,” Hua sighed. “We truly wandered in by accident. Might you kind ladies point us in the right direction? We’d be most grateful.”
He even offered a light bow. A gust of wind fluttered his sleeve, and a ginkgo leaf drifted down to land right against his cheek—
He looked like he’d stepped straight out of a painting.
I nearly burst out laughing.
The round-faced woman’s ears went scarlet. Just as she was about to speak, the eldest grabbed her arm and cut in sharply, “No. The path down isn’t here. If you must go, try the opposite direction.”
She pointed away from the line of zodiac carvings.
I thought: Well, damn. The honey trap failed.
Hua cleared his throat, clearly thrown off for a moment. He flicked his fan shut, stole a glance at me, and his look very plainly said: Your turn.
There was nothing else for it.
I sighed inwardly. When it came to shameless tactics, the torch was clearly meant for me.
I pinched my thigh hard enough to make tears spring up.
Wiping my eyes, I stepped forward, voice trembling, “Ladies… we have an older brother. He was taken up this mountain a month ago and never returned. Our father died early, our mother is ill, and we just want to see him alive. Please… please show us the way.”
I rubbed my face with my sleeve as I spoke. The fabric was still wet with morning dew, making my cheeks sticky—perfect for selling the “heartbroken younger brother” act.
Hua gave me a subtle approving nod, adding a graceful bow of his own. “We beg your kindness.”
The round-faced woman immediately softened. “Oh dear, don’t cry. Someone might see.”
The long-faced one frowned. “What’s your brother’s name? Who brought him up the mountain?”
I improvised, wiping at my eyes. “His surname is Wang. I only heard he was taken to live in a stone house. Nothing else.”
The three women exchanged uneasy glances.
“Stone house?” the long-faced woman murmured. “Could it be one of the stone carvings?”
Our hearts leapt. “What stone carvings?”
The eldest sighed. Once the words left her mouth, she knew she couldn’t take them back. “His Majesty summoned a group of people up here a month ago—men and women both. Said it was for mining. Promised rich rewards. But once everyone arrived… they were split into groups and locked inside the zodiac statues. We were sent to the Twelve Zodiac area to do chores. As for what really happens inside… we don’t know.”
“Twelve Zodiac statues?” Hua repeated quietly.
“Yes.” The round-faced woman nodded. “Twelve stone beasts. People live inside each one. Except the serpent carving… something went wrong there.”
“Went wrong?” I asked.
She whispered, “A few days ago, the soldiers took everyone from the serpent statue into the woods. None of them ever came back.”
A chill ran straight down my spine.
“Which direction?”
“That…” She frowned, thinking. “Toward the back ridge. But that area is off-limits. We’re not allowed there.”
The eldest woman cut in quickly, waving her hands. “Don’t ask anymore! Strange things happen here. Leave while you still can. His Majesty’s orders are clear: disobey, and you die. Try to leave, and you die.”
There was pure fear in her eyes.
Hua and I bowed promptly. “Thank you, ladies. We’ll make our way down at once.”
The three of them clearly didn’t want to linger either. They snatched up their baskets and hurried back toward the spring.
I watched their silhouettes fade into the mist and finally let out a long, controlled breath.
“Hah…”
“Not bad,” Hua said, snapping his fan shut with a faint smile. “Almost better than me.”
I shot him a look. “You peddle seduction. I peddle misfortune.”
“Each to his specialty.”
[System Notice: Congratulations. Acting skill +1.]