Dirty Reveal

Her blue eyes glowed like two bright little fires in the darkness. At first, neither of them saw any differences in her. They figured she was just standing still. It wasn't until Léi Yún realised she wasn't moving or breathing at all. As if she had become a statue. Later, Niàn Qiūyè discovered something unusual. She examined her from head to toe as well. She also noted that the Zhènglù compass was glowing abnormally brightly.

No, she had not been transformed into a statue, nor had the time near them stopped. Because they were knowledgeable enough, they could easily guess it by now. They suddenly exchanged glances, as if they were thinking the same thing. If they both weren't mistaken, this was...

The method of Shén Yuǎnjǐng [1]. This approach is supposed to have been devised by the inventor of the same-named compass. This guy not only created the Zhènglù compass, but also devised a more effective yet simple method for using it. The user only needed to hold the compass in their hand, and with a light touch of spiritual power from their finger on the cold, metallic top, the lotus-like pattern would open out like a lotus in full bloom. Slowly, tiny, colourful, and transparent textiles would creep out of the compass and bind themselves together until they formed the shape of an invisible barrier and surrounded the user. This was the barrier that separated a user from their awareness, allowing them to tap into and possess the power of the Zhènglù.

The user would receive the gift of a highly clear sense of vision, which is most likely beyond the capability of the average human. This kind of device was built for a specific reason. The Zhènglù compass was quite trustworthy, but there was an issue. If the compass encountered an error in the atmosphere, it would stop working properly, and this malfunction was beyond repair. Even the spirit guide would be clueless about everything. In such instances, a lost individual could not find their way out. It is stated that the designer of this compass tried every method to fix it before discovering this approach, which distinguished the compass from others and made it popular among cultivators and wanderers.

Because of their keen vision, they were able to move quickly through many locations. They were able to memorise the map of a certain location without error. During this process, the user would be unable to respond to anything, including calls from outside the barrier.They would stand still and behave as if they were not alive. This was merely because the process required considerable focus, and the power of seeing was only temporary. They had to memorize the map of a huge place in a very short period of time, so the user tried to make the most of their time memorizing it with extreme focus.

Because if the focus was broken, even after a hundred tries they won't be able to regain the lost power.

Throughout the procedure, it was necessary to refrain from calling or touching the individual utilising it. Even a touch or a voice calling them could destroy the threads that connect the person to the power of Zhènglù. It can also cause distortions in their mental visual map and the receipt of incorrect information. If this happened, not only would the person's efforts be futile, but they would also exhaust their mind. Then wouldn't everything be pointless? But if one looked at it, the entire process of connecting with a Zhènglù took a long time. How come they didn't notice her using it when they were having a life-threatening argument?

A simple answer to the preceding question:

They were…Ignorant…

Everything in this forest was like a maze, and the more they stayed, the more problems they got into. The presence of Yǐng Nú in the forest and the use of black arts to control them were both shocking. But the fact that'someone' was also fiddling with the direction in the forest was nearly unsettling. Whoever this person was, they had no intention of allowing anyone who had entered here to leave. No wonder the villagers were so afraid to come here. However, it remained unclear why they just mentioned a female ghost haunting this forest, whom they had not yet encountered, rather than all of the other things they were going through. Absolutely nothing relating to the forest was reported to the organization.

According to the village leader, the forest began to exhibit signs of being haunted some thirty years ago. Léi Yún recalled that he had previously stated that no one from the village had visited the forest since. It explains why they never spoke about the entities they encountered here. If somebody accidentally entered or was led inside by the female spirit, they were never found. The chief was the only one who survived an encounter with the alleged ghost. Which sounded suspicious. Except for him, few others in the village noticed a red figure lingering inside the forest from a distance.

So it was possible that they had never seen the ghost. If such was the case, it was likely that people just assumed that all of the troubles in the forest were caused by that female bridal ghost who died as a result of marriage issues. Perhaps they simply wondered if the crimson shape in the forest, which could have been anything, was the spirit haunting it in bridal attire. Maybe they just circulated rumours among themselves from the beginning and now believe it to be the only truth. But there could be another possibility.

Someone in the shadows could have disseminated these rumours and led others to believe them for personal gain. Probably attempting to save the true offender and their wrongdoings by creating a non-existent character and recounting events that never occurred in real life. Perhaps Léi Yún knew who the guy in the shadows was. However, these were simply a few guesses. There was a potential that this wasn't the case. It would be unwise to draw judgements without first considering the situation.

*Groan*

Léi Yún snapped out of his thoughts. He stared at the person holding the Zhènglù compass. Her hands were trembling slightly, and her expression changed from neutral to anguish. Her face appeared paler than before. Her eyes moved, and her long eyelashes shook in the breeze. OD

Wether to approach her or not, before any of them could decide over that, something unexpected happened. The barriers that were transparent and connected the person inside with the Zhènglù compass started to tear apart and then within a second a blinding flash appeared and in the next moment something was thrown back several meteres away from them after being suspended in the air.

After they opened their eyes, the lady was gone. Only smoke appeared from the area where she was standing. Doubtlessly, it was none other than the lady herself who got suspended and thrown back. They didn't wait for even a second and with the small spirit, Niàn Qiūyè in his palm, he ran towards the place where she was thrown. Their mind was still blurred with confusion and shock but they didn't want to stand there like idiots trying to analyse about what just happened.

By now it had become normal for Léi Yún to keep looking at the trees they passed by. If he was at his residence at this moment then it would be servants that he would be looking at fulfilling his orders. But look at him. What was he doing? Was this karma for messing with the letters? Even if he started now then he would be the one reaching late for the meeting.

But the time wasn't for him to waste over thinking these. Back to the main track.His six senses had always been sharper than any other human being. Maybe that is why he could tell that every tree that they were passing by were odd from some angle. But he doubted that the spirit in his palm anxiously standing and waiting for them to reach her owner, could even tell the difference in the atmosphere. It would be simply because she is dumb and couldn't realise this that, he strange aura that was thickening the air around them as they planted every step was almost suffocating.

As he stepped closer to the tree, where they could see the figure of someone in red sitting under it, the air around thickened even more. Léi Yún could barely breathe and started seeing blurred up images. He was panting to breathe more air in. But the spirit that was on her palm couldn't feel any of this, neither did she bother to spare the man behind a glance. She just concentrated and waited patiently for them to arrive.

It was a blessing that they reached there without Léi Yún collapsing on the way. The lady was sitting under the tree ignoring them completely. All she did was look at the compass attentively, which was broken into two pieces from the middle placed on top of her palm.

Panting heavily, trying to pull himself together he knelt on the ground next to her trying to investigate any fatal injury that she might have received. Thankfully there were none. He landed the little palm sized spirit on the ground and she went to check on her owner as well. Niàn Qiūyè was confused wether to be sad about her owner's condition or to be sad because she lost her home. But she still priorized the person more before anything.

It took the lady a while to settle her mind and respond to the real world. She brought the Qiánkūn pouch out and put those pieces of compass in them. Then she tugged it back in her sleeves. After that she continued looking at the ground and picked up a small,thin stick and started drawing lines. All this while both of them waited for her to explain the previous matter but it was much better to ask her instead of waiting for her to tell. So Léi Yún, barely holding his body straight, asked her:

"Is it about the Zhènglù?"

"…No. It can be fixed… but the trouble we are in is beyond the action of fixing."

"..."

"In simple words we are doomed."

"..."

" The previous suspection was right. They indeed were in a forest that was haunted. But there was more to it."

She now looked at the person next to her. Her eyes had something very different to them. They were as still as the vast ocean. They were staring straight into his soul . She finally spoke after gazing him enough:

" It is a... Living Forest. We are inside of a forest that is… Alive."

"..."

" If you know, you know that this is also a dark art. It isn't like the forest has always been this way."

It indeed was the truth. This forest seemed to be off from every perspective. Now if someone said that it was alive then it wouldn't be amusing at all. Léi Yún had always suspected after entering this forest that there was someone who messed with this forest but he never thought that this forest would actually be alive. Then what she said was true. They were doomed.

Léi Yún tried to stand without collapsing and straightened himself by supporting himself with the help of the tree. All he saw in front of him was blurry. He could understand that the lady was saying something to him but he couldn't hear anything. By the situation he was handling, it was clear that none of them have realised that something was wrong with him. He wasn't in the condition to explain either.

His body felt numb, only a certain area in his arm felt a stinging pain. When he tried to feel around that place with his hand, he felt it wet and painful.

It didn't take him any time to realise what it was. Moving his hand in front of his blurry eyes, he saw his hand, stained in the familiar crimson liquid, blood. He could now understand why his mentor told him not to take any enemy lightly. After the last battle with those shadow slaves, one of them managed to leave an injury behind.

At that time he didn't find it necessary to treat it. He wasn't in the situation to treat it anyways since they were on a run to save their life. So he just ignored the pain. At some point he had read that some Yǐng Nú are really poisonous. Even a slight injury left behind by them can be dangerous but what would happen was unclear since nobody ever got poisoned. After some certain movements such as running or fighting the poison seemed to have spread to the vital parts in his body.

All of them were making senses to him now. He then saw the lady in front talking to the spirit guide and then looking all concerned and then shaking him a few times holding his shoulders and saying something that was out of his understanding. But strangely he felt a tingling sensation all over his body and it was weird. It was as if there were butterflies in his stomach, he chuckled like a fool and then lost balance. He felt that the ground under his feet was moving and it caused him to fall to the ground.

Before his vision went dark he remembered watching something out of place. He saw a bunch of trees and vines rushing towards them and then....

He saw a familiar figure, their clothes were just the same as the lady but the figure seemed different. The figure rushed over to those so quick that he could only take a glimpse. Their hair was tied into a ponytail that swayed into the air. The sound of the silver accessories that tinged in the wind and the ferocious fight with those monstrous vines and trees... everything... seemed familiar. But he didn't know if he saw the lady fight them or someone else but with the heavy metalic and light sound of the sword slicing through the vines and the air was the last thing he saw and heard. Then his senses completely blacked out.

Then what happened next was strange. It was like all the colours in the world have mixed together and made a new world. The scenarios were different and weird but also exciting. The world he lived in was way different than this. He saw the blue sky above his head changing shades from blue to red, red to green, green to yellow and then repeating the process. He found himself laying on the ground where the grasses were dancing in the wind. Just a moment ago he was lying down on the grass-bed and then a cloud emerged from out of nowhere and flew with him to the top of the sky. Up in the clouds, even the white clouds were of different shades. The sun which could be seen through the group of clouds had shimmered it's sunshine like golden powder on top of the clouds. The clouds on top then started raining colourful rain. The colourful rain then drenched him in colours. Then the clouds moved away from his feet and he fall down and down into the depth. But strangely he didn't reach the ground. He just kept falling unknown to where he was falling. He felt his body light and uncontrollable. He saw countless happy memories in front of his eyes that he had kept in some corner of his head.

It made him smile. It made him pleased. He had no idea if he had died or if this was the afterlife which his mentor had mentioned in the past but he desired his life could be like this.

Unfortunately, in the brutal world of truth, this was only an effect of poison that had nothing to do with reality. He was actually fantasising about things and blabbering about who knows what. Every now and then a slight smile would appear on his face and tears would occasionally fall from his eyes. The lady in red maintained him in a sitting position, supporting his back with the tree.

The lady and the spirit were both checking on his health. Although it was true that some Yǐng Nú were poisonous, it was never mentioned that the poison was deadly. Since the shadow slaves weren't able to cause fatal harm, their poisonous substance left behind by any attack didn't have any dangerous reaction to it as well. The poison only worked like a drug to confuse the enemy. The lady attempted to bandage Léi Yún's arm despite her own wounds. The guiding spirit wasn't too concerned about the strange man sitting, kicking his legs, and either chuckling or crying leading them to be kicked a few times. She was merely applying ointment from the Qiánkūn pouch to her owner's wounds.

*Hiss*

"Please do not move, my Lord. I know it hurts."

" I told you already, Niàn Niàn. "Do not call me that here."

"But...but... He's unconscious, and no one is here to listen." She pointed towards the countless vines that lay dead, as well as the gigantic trees that had been chopped up with something sharp. "My lord, excuse what I say, but how can you be so childish sometimes? Despite your desire to mend relationships, you and the seventh Zhīzhù both suffered harm. If he finds out who you are, he will loathe you to death. Would that still be worth it?"

After finishing the unpleasant dressing on his arm, the lady turned to face the spirit guide behind her. Her face glowed in the moonlight. She grinned despite the fact that her face was covered with wounds. Her lovely smile appeared carefree and soothing.

"Don't worry Niàn Niàn. He will not be able to find out about anything. Neither about the real identity of mine nor about my intentions."

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[1] Shén Yuǎnjǐng (神愿景) translates to God's vision. Here Shén(神) means God,Yuǎn(愿) means willing and jǐng(景) means scene.