Chapter 50: Rumors of the Misty Forest

Yuan Zhen’s words were not wrong; in the face of such events, the teacher bears an inescapable responsibility. But now that things had come to this, there was no point in saying anything more.

“Enough complaints, let’s get Feng Dian up. We’d better find a place to shelter from the rain, gather some firewood, and dry our clothes, or we’ll catch cold.” As the soul of the five, Ye Kun naturally took charge, arranging everything—living was hope, and finally, there was a chance to strive for themselves.

Yuan Zhen hoisted the unconscious Feng Dian onto his shoulder, though his strength was limited. Ye Qin lent a hand, and the five huddled tightly together, stepping into the mist. They were completely lost, with no sense of direction now, and the rain showed no sign of letting up—instead, it grew fiercer, pouring down as if from above.

Not long after Ye Kun left, the campfire was still sending up wisps of smoke.

A peculiar sound escaped Wu Chi’s mouth—a burp so foul that one could only imagine how poisonous the gas was. If the air itself had life, it would surely perish now.

Wu Chi opened his blurry eyes, gazing at his surroundings, and murmured weakly, “Where am I… What is this place…”

Though he didn’t know where he was, Wu Chi slowly sat up, but immediately sensed something amiss.

Where were his clothes? All that covered him were blackened remnants. As the rain washed over him, Wu Chi scrubbed the grime from his skin.

After all, Wu Chi’s strength was considerable; his body could withstand fire, and as for drunkenness—perhaps he’d drunk under the blazing sun and passed out, his subconscious slipping into a state of false death.

Wu Chi rubbed his forehead, frowning slightly, feeling that something was missing…

His hands reached up to his head, and his face instantly darkened.

“My hair! Where’s my hair! Which damned soul burned off my hair!” Wu Chi could hardly believe it. His proud, silky, lustrous hair was gone, just like that. He’d simply fallen asleep, and someone had roasted him…

Wu Chi’s body was strong, but his hair had nothing to do with it, so now he was left in this pitiful state. Truly, as the saying goes, a man in middle age begins to bald—only this was not just a little, it was all gone.

“It must have been those two brats! Daring to burn their teacher! Little bastards!” Wu Chi was furious. He really felt as though he’d returned to a primitive state.

As he cursed, another thought struck him—not right! If memory served, he’d come out here with the children to train!

Only now did Wu Chi realize, and his expression changed drastically.

Looking around, Wu Chi felt even more perplexed. How could there be such mist in the Sunset Mountain Range? This phenomenon was reminiscent of the Misty Forest.

Could it be…!

He’d gotten drunk and walked the wrong way???

Wu Chi clutched his forehead, paying no heed to anything else, and hurried off to search for the children. If anything happened to them, how could he explain himself…

Drinking brings disaster! Disaster!

Elsewhere.

Ba Wanqing said softly, “I think I heard the teacher’s voice…”

“Ba Wanqing! Don’t scare us, okay!” Feng Dian had recovered from his faint, though if he could, he’d rather stay unconscious—then he wouldn’t have to think about anything.

“I think I heard it too,” Ye Qin whispered, feeling a chill run through him as he tightly held Ba Wanqing’s small hand.

Ba Wanqing’s heart warmed; Ye Qin was truly a brave boy—she hadn’t misjudged him.

Yuan Zhen’s face was tense as he walked, rain streaming down his cheeks. “Have you ever heard the legends of the Misty Forest?”

Ye Kun paused. The tales of the Misty Forest were no secret in Taixi County—some parents used them to frighten their children into obedience.

But who knew if they were true or not?

Feng Dian was frightened out of his wits now and quickly said, “Yuan Zhen, can you not talk about this? Isn’t it chaotic enough already!”

“My father told me this legend,” Yuan Zhen continued, ignoring him.

“Oh? What kind of legend?” Ye Kun was fond of unusual stories and had heard many versions—he hoped Yuan Zhen’s would be interesting.

Rain pattered on the leaves, and the mist thickened around them, plunging the atmosphere into gloom, but everyone listened intently to Yuan Zhen’s tale.

“It’s said that ten thousand years ago, this Misty Forest was once a main city.”

With Yuan Zhen’s opening, Ye Kun became interested. “A main city? Go on.”

“The people living here were happy, and the emperor and empress shared deep affection, receiving everyone’s blessings. But one day, that happiness vanished—the empress turned out to be a demon in disguise!”

Ba Wanqing asked curiously, “Did the emperor still love her?”

Ye Qin gave Ba Wanqing a sidelong look. “Is that important? You girls just love romance.”

For Ye Qin to say this, he must have been feeling bold.

“So what if I do? Hmph!” The little wife was angry now, and Ye Qin had to hurry to comfort her.

Ye Kun shook his head. His younger brother’s knack for courting disaster was impressive; this was nothing but trouble.

“We humans have always had irreconcilable enmity with the demon race—even ten thousand years ago. Yet the empress, of all people, turned out to be a demon, something no one could accept. But the emperor defended her, caring nothing for her origins, which moved the empress deeply.” Yuan Zhen’s story captivated them, the legend was indeed fascinating.

Yuan Zhen continued, “Apart from the emperor, everyone demanded he execute the empress and restore glory. But the emperor refused, even as word spread to other nations, who seized the opportunity to send troops.”

“The empress was moved by all the emperor did for her, but she couldn’t bear to see him lose his flourishing kingdom for her sake. One night, before the whole city, she destroyed her demon core, turning to dust, giving everyone an explanation.”

At this point, everyone’s hearts grew heavy. Ba Wanqing’s eyes were red—girls were especially easily moved.

“And the emperor? Was that it?” Ye Qin hurriedly asked, suddenly angry—the woman he loved was gone just like that.

Ye Kun was lost in thought, imagining what he’d do if his beloved faced such a fate…

He could only reach one conclusion: if you force my wife to her death, I’ll wipe out your whole family!

“The emperor watched the empress die, and fell into madness. He slew those who restrained him on the spot! And that wasn’t the end—he killed all those who forced the empress to her death. The once prosperous kingdom became a hell on earth, and the emperor even laid a curse, condemning them to eternal unrest.”