Chapter 4: The Forest of Deception
The air grew thick as Lin Xuan stepped deeper into the Redleaf Forest. Towering trees with crimson leaves loomed overhead, their branches entwined like skeletal fingers. Shadows danced along the forest floor, and every breath carried the scent of damp moss and decaying foliage. The faint calls of distant spirit beasts sent chills up his spine.
Zhao Jing walked ahead, his jaw clenched, every step radiating hostility. Yu Lan stayed close to Lin Xuan, her eyes darting from shadow to shadow, her fingers clutching a small dagger.
"This place gives me the creeps," she whispered. "It feels... wrong."
Lin Xuan nodded, his senses on high alert. He could feel it too — an unnatural stillness that prickled his skin. His grip tightened on his practice sword, and the silver spindle pulsed faintly against his wrist, like a heartbeat in tune with his own.
Zhao Jing's voice broke the silence. "We'll split up here. I'll go east. You two can search the western grove. Don't fall behind."
Yu Lan frowned. "Splitting up is dangerous. We should stay together."
Zhao Jing's eyes flashed with irritation. "Are you scared, Yu Lan? I didn't know cowards were allowed in the Azure Sky Sect."
Lin Xuan's jaw tightened, but he forced his voice to stay calm. "We'll cover more ground together. If a spirit beast appears—"
"I don't need your help!" Zhao Jing snapped. "I'm not wasting my time babysitting weaklings."
Without another word, he turned and marched into the dense foliage, his figure quickly swallowed by shadows. Yu Lan let out a frustrated sigh.
"He's going to get us killed," she muttered.
Lin Xuan scanned the trees, his eyes narrowing. "No. He's going to get me killed."
Yu Lan's eyes widened. "You think he's planning something?"
"I know he is." Lin Xuan's fingers brushed the silver spindle. "But we're not walking into his trap blind."
He closed his eyes and whispered, "Analyze."
Threads shimmered into existence around him, glowing faintly in the forest gloom. Most threads showed the same grim outcome — Zhao Jing waiting to ambush him, a gleam of triumph in his eyes. But there was another thread, one that twisted away from the ambush, weaving toward a hidden path.
He opened his eyes. "There's another way. Follow me."
Yu Lan nodded without hesitation. Together, they slipped through the undergrowth, moving quietly. Lin Xuan led the way, guided by the faint glow of the thread only he could see. The forest seemed to hold its breath as they moved, the silence broken only by the rustling of leaves beneath their feet.
Minutes passed, the tension thickening with every step. Suddenly, Lin Xuan stopped, holding up a hand. Yu Lan froze beside him, her eyes wide with questions.
Ahead, a figure crouched behind a fallen log, a gleaming blade in his hand.
Zhao Jing.
He was facing the path they would have taken, his eyes narrowed, his muscles coiled like a snake ready to strike. The anticipation on his face was almost palpable.
Lin Xuan's voice was a low whisper. "He's waiting for us to walk right into his trap."
Yu Lan's face twisted with anger. "That bastard. What do we do?"
A new thread glimmered before Lin Xuan, brighter than the others. His lips curled into a determined smile.
"We turn his trap against him."
He stepped back, circling quietly through the trees, Yu Lan following close behind. The thread guided them to a position behind Zhao Jing, where the dense foliage masked their approach. Lin Xuan's heart pounded in his chest, every step a delicate balance between caution and urgency.
When they were close enough, Lin Xuan took a deep breath and whispered, "Now."
They burst from the undergrowth, Lin Xuan's practice sword slamming down onto Zhao Jing's weapon with a resounding clang. Zhao Jing yelped in surprise, spinning around, his face twisted in shock and fury.
"You—!"
Lin Xuan didn't give him a chance to recover. He pressed forward, his strikes precise and relentless. Zhao Jing's blade trembled under the assault, his confidence shattering with each blow.
"Not so fun when the prey fights back, is it?" Lin Xuan said, his voice cold.
Zhao Jing's eyes darted around wildly. "This... this isn't possible! You're just an outer disciple! A loser!"
Lin Xuan's gaze was steady. "Not anymore."
With a final strike, he knocked the blade from Zhao Jing's hand. The weapon clattered to the ground, and Zhao Jing fell to his knees, his face pale.
Yu Lan stepped forward, her voice low and fierce. "You're done, Zhao Jing. If Elder Yu hears about this—"
"No!" Zhao Jing's eyes widened in panic. "You can't tell him! Please! I was just... I was just testing you!"
Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed. The old Lin Xuan might have believed him. Might have let him go.
But that Lin Xuan was gone.
"Leave," Lin Xuan said, his voice cold. "And if you try this again, you won't get off so easily."
Zhao Jing scrambled to his feet and fled into the forest, his figure soon swallowed by shadows. The silence left in his wake was almost deafening.
Yu Lan let out a breath she'd been holding. "We should report him."
"Later," Lin Xuan said. "Let's find that Spirit Grass first. We can't fail the mission."
She nodded. "Agreed."
As they turned toward the western grove, Lin Xuan felt a strange calm settle over him. The threads of fate were shifting, and for once, he was the one pulling the strings.
He didn't know what lay ahead, but one thing was certain.
He would no longer be bound by the destiny others had chosen for him.