Chapter 27

At this point, it was pitch black, and standing in the forest, a chill ran through their bodies. Zoe and Julia were too scared to move; they had already returned to this place for the fourth time. The tree trunk with a paper towel was a prominent marker, and the forest seemed to have become an endless sea from which they could not escape.

"Will we die here?"

Zoe trembled, her teeth chattering, and she slowly sat down on the tree trunk, her eyes unfocused and filled with despair. She looked at Julia, hoping for some comfort, even just a word.

"Yes!" Julia sat down next to Zoe, put an arm around her shoulders, and rubbed her exposed arms. Zoe had only worn a short-sleeved T-shirt when she came out and was shivering in the cold.

"We'll get out when it's light!"

"Really?"

"Yes, when the sun comes up, we'll see the direction and the path clearly!"

"But... but... what about Claire?"

That was the question. Julia was stunned. In their panic, they had forgotten that they had come out to find Claire. Where was Claire? Could she be trapped in the same fog as they were? The two of them instantly forgot their fear, and a sense of worry quickly spread in their hearts.

When Zhen Fan stepped into the forest, he felt a bone-chilling cold. Although the temperature in the forest was lower than outside, it felt like the cold of early winter, penetrating through his clothes and into his bones.

This is too abnormal!

Abnormality must be evil!

Zhen Fan held his breath and focused his mind. The fog around him gradually thickened, making the forest deeper and more directionless. He took out his phone, and in the weak light, he could see that there was no signal.

"Claire!"

A little girl's figure seemed to be in front of him, wearing the same dress as Claire, looking at Zhen Fan, but her face was unclear. However, he could see that she was waving her hand.

As if under a spell, Zhen Fan was drawn forward.

"Claire!" Zhen Fan called again. He was certain that Claire was in this forest, and she was under a spell. This spell came from an unknown force, controlling people's minds and wills, causing hallucinations in their eyes and senses.

Zhen Fan had come in with nothing, bare-handed. But his hands quickly formed seals. As he moved them rapidly, the fog in front of him gradually dissipated, revealing a winding path leading deeper into the forest.

There was Claire's aura.

Zhen Fan immediately moved, like an arrow shot from a bow, leaping through the trees, like a leopard that had found its prey, with the wind whistling in his ears.

Suddenly, the view opened up.

A place that seemed untouched, with a lawn and butterflies flying in the air. Claire was chasing a palm-sized butterfly, laughing and playing, completely unaware that Zhen Fan had arrived.

"Claire!"

Zhen Fan called out, but Claire did not immediately run to him with a smile as she usually did.

As if she hadn't heard, Claire was focused on playing.

She can't see me, Claire can't see me!

Zhen Fan was startled and tried to move forward onto the lawn, but a powerful current blocked his way, making it impossible to move. The current also stirred up a wind that blew his clothes tight against his body, making it hard to open his eyes. The wind came suddenly and was inexplicable.

"Heaven and Earth, the origin of all things. After countless eons of cultivation, I have achieved my supernatural powers. Golden light appears quickly, protecting the true person. As the law commands." Zhen Fan pointed two fingers, bit his tongue, and spat out a mouthful of blood. Instantly, a golden light seemed to envelop the current.

There was a loud "boom," and the current disappeared, the path ahead opening up. Zhen Fan stepped forward, and the bright spring light suddenly vanished, leaving only a dark, small lawn. Claire stood alone on the grass, giggling and stretching out her hands as if holding something.

"Claire!"

Zhen Fan took a few steps and called out loudly.

"Uncle Zhen!"

This time, Claire saw Zhen Fan, got excited, and ran to him.

Zhen Fan opened his arms and laughed, ready to embrace Claire.

"Poof!" A mouthful of blood suddenly spurted onto Claire's face, and she let out a scream, covering her face and crying out in extreme distress.

"Uncle Zhen—It hurts, quick—quick—help me wipe it off!"

Claire covered her face and fell to the ground, rolling around.

"Still pretending, today I'll make you show your true form!"

Zhen Fan roared, formed seals with his hands, and spat out another mouthful of blood. He drew a talisman on his left hand with blood, placed his right hand on his palm, and shouted, "Supernatural powers transform thousands of miles, subdue the wicked of the world, eliminate the unrighteous gods of the world, hold the talisman in the left hand to summon the heavenly soldiers, and summon the five thunders as the law commands!"

There was a thunderous roar in the sky, shattering the entire space, and the fog quickly dissipated. Claire's cries of pain suddenly stopped.

It turned out that this palm had struck Claire's head. The Five Thunders Palm, after Zhen Fan used it, left him feeling physically and mentally exhausted. Before he could call out, Claire's body began to tremble violently and gradually turned into a decaying corpse—definitely not Claire.

The darkness still enveloped the area, but Zhen Fan could now see clearly with the light from his phone. On the lawn ahead, a small white figure was curled up under a big tree.

"Claire!" Zhen Fan called again, glancing at the decaying corpse on the ground, which was still rotting and emitting a foul odor, making him feel nauseous.

Claire was sleeping soundly against the tree trunk, a slight smile on her lips. Zhen Fan couldn't help but smile and gently picked her up, heading back the way he came.

The corpse foamed and gradually decayed, eventually sinking out of sight, but the foul smell lingered, hard to dissipate.

Looking at the sleeping Claire in his arms, Zhen Fan couldn't help but smile and tenderly smoothed her hair. He hadn't expected such a thing to exist in the forest, which was surprising. A thought flashed through his mind: the reason Claire remained unharmed and unaffected was likely due to the jade pendant he had given her. The pendant contained Zhen Fan's talisman and mental power, which also helped him quickly determine Claire's location.

Claire was unaffected, and her mind was still focused on chasing butterflies. This made Zhen Fan particularly relieved; he didn't want Claire to be tainted by such things.

"Claire—"

As they were about to leave the forest, they faintly heard Annie's voice, filled with anxiety and a hint of crying. Zhen Fan's heart trembled; Thomas and Annie must be very worried!

"We're here!"

Zhen Fan called out loudly.

"They're there, it's Zhen's voice, I can tell, God, he found her!" Annie's voice came, and she was extremely excited. Hearing Zhen's response, she covered her heart, tears streaming down her face, and felt weak all over.

"Zhen, is that you? Is Claire there?"

Thomas quickly supported Annie and moved step by step toward the direction of Zhen Fan's voice. Before they had taken a few steps, Zhen Fan had already come out, carrying Claire.

At this moment, Annie felt she was the happiest person in the world, having recovered the most precious thing, which made her cherish it even more.

"Claire, my baby!" Annie took Claire from Zhen Fan, hugged her tightly, and couldn't help but cry, her tears wetting Claire's face.

"Mom, you're crying!"

Claire was woken up by Annie and reached out to wipe the tears from Annie's face.

"Yes, seeing my baby, Mom is very happy!" Annie stopped crying, smiling and wiping the tears from her face.

"That's not true. Mom has never cried when holding Claire. Is it Dad? Did Dad hurt you?"

Claire turned to look at Thomas seriously.

Thomas quickly raised his hands in defense: "Don't look at me, it's not my fault, I swear!"

Claire turned her gaze to Zhen Fan. Clearly, she hadn't realized that Zhen Fan had just found her in the forest, blinking her eyes.

"Uncle Zhen, even if you hurt Mom, I won't hurt you!"

"Ha!" Annie couldn't hold back, and her tears and smile made Claire happy too.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Zhen Fan and Thomas hugged, and finding Claire was the most comforting thing. Thomas also relaxed.

As for how he found Claire, Zhen Fan didn't plan to reveal it. The less they knew, the better. Moreover, the recent series of events were more bizarre than anything that had happened in the twenty years Zhen Fan had lived in China. What was the reason? Was there any connection?

Zhen Fan thought about it but had no clue, so he put it aside.

Claire woke up and clung to Zhen Fan, who carried her back. Thomas held his wife's shoulders and walked to the tent.

"Where are Zoe and Julia?"

Annie suddenly looked around. Thomas went to their tent but found no one. Clearly, the two girls had not returned and were still in the forest.

"Let's go find them!" Thomas raised his flashlight.

"No, I'll go alone!" Zhen Fan stopped them and walked into the forest alone. The flashlight illuminated the path clearly.

"Zoe, Julia—"

The sound faintly penetrated the trees and reached Julia's ears. She suddenly woke up and listened carefully.

"Zoe, someone is looking for us. Listen, it sounds like Zhen's voice. God, that's great!" Julia quickly shook Zoe awake, and Zoe also heard Zhen Fan's voice.

"We're here!"

The two of them shouted and ran in the direction of the voice.

However, they didn't notice that the forest was no longer so cold, and the fog had dissipated...

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends