The calmed-down squirrel began to tell Yu Sheng and Little Red Riding Hood about the events in the Black Forest.

"She came in a few hours ago, and at first I didn't notice her—she didn't cry or make a fuss, unlike the other children who just arrived," the squirrel stood on Yu Sheng's shoulder, sighing as it spoke, "This might be her first 'real' venture into the Black Forest, but she has probably been having nightmares about it for a long time before today…"

"Which direction did she go?" Little Red Riding Hood, who was beside them, interrupted the squirrel's rambling, "Lead us there."

"This way," the squirrel raised its paw pointing in a certain direction, but then shook its head, "I think it's pointless for you to follow. It's too deep and there are no paths or cottage lights; the darkness lacks shelter, and you'll just end up being devoured by wolves…"

Little Red Riding Hood completely ignored the latter half of the squirrel's words and had already started walking forward: "We'll make our own judgment."

"Hey, hey you…" The squirrel suddenly cried out, jumping on Yu Sheng's shoulder, and then suddenly lowered its voice, "You do realize the situation you're in, right?"

Little Red Riding Hood stopped in her tracks and turned her head to glance back: "I know."

Yu Sheng then followed Little Red Riding Hood, heading deeper into the Black Forest, while the squirrel rambled on all the way—it jumped from Yu Sheng's shoulder onto Little Red Riding Hood's, looking nervous and agitated: "You're taking a risk! Venturing towards the unlit areas will surely lead you into a wolf pack! Even the Evil Wolf will find you soon!

"At least rest on the path or in a cottage for a few minutes, at least get into a better state, especially Little Red Riding Hood, you need to regain stability…

"That adult over there, aren't you her friend? Convince her…

"I see that you're just TM making it difficult for a small squirrel! No one cares about a squirrel's opinion!

"Why is this world so cruel to squirrels—especially to a squirrel as adorable as me!"

The squirrel cried out with its paws raised, however, before it could continue its rant, Little Red Riding Hood suddenly reached out her hand, grabbing the noisy rodent: "You're so noisy; if you keep this up I'll throw you into the bushes—with thorns."

The squirrel immediately fell silent and after a few seconds said reluctantly, "You cannot take the path of desperation."

"I'm not desperate," Little Red Riding Hood pressed her lips together, her tone suddenly very serious, "I'm serious—I'm calmer now than at any other time... at least calmer than each 'Dream Entrance' I've had recently."

The squirrel stared blankly at Little Red Riding Hood, and then, a bit puzzled, looked up at Yu Sheng, who was walking beside her, as if trying to ask something but unable to speak because its mind was somewhat confused.

Yu Sheng had been mostly silent all this time, quietly following beside Little Red Riding Hood, yet his spirit was always focused.

He was trying to sense—the movement of the wind and grass, the possible bonds originating from the bloodline, the movements of the wolf pack, sensing... that largest and most vicious Evil Wolf.

The vague sound of wolf howls came from the deep darkness of the forest, rising and falling everywhere.

The residual dim twilight in the sky had faded away without notice, and nightfall began to envelop the forest. However, this darkness wasn't complete— a more eerie gloom pervaded between the trees, mingling with a cold scrutiny.

"The wolves have noticed us, the wolves have noticed us..." The squirrel nervously muttered rapidly, while somehow producing a dry pine needle from nowhere, "This is madness, we're going to be eaten by wolves in the complete absence of light! It's too terrifying, too terrifying."

Yu Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly, and in the undulating howl of the wolves, he was perceiving some subtle... "flows".

A gaze swept past nearby and at one moment, he could even see his own figure from that gaze.

But the owner of the gaze had yet to appear; the Evil Wolf was hidden in the forest, as if still waiting for something.

Yu Sheng kept his attention on that gaze, then suddenly noticed Little Red Riding Hood's footsteps slowing beside him.

The young girl's body seemed to tremble unconsciously.

"Are you alright?" Yu Sheng immediately asked.

"I'm okay," Little Red Riding Hood's voice was still calm, even her expression and gaze seemed unchanged, "Just have to be more vigilant once we walk deeper into the forest."

Yu Sheng observed Little Red Riding Hood, who appeared unchanged.

The gaze coming from the deep forest was also watching Little Red Riding Hood.

A sweet fear, rooted deep in childhood, grew in the dark, amplified by memory, pervading the forest.

Yu Sheng suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Little Red Riding Hood's hand.

The latter was startled: "What...?"

"Don't be afraid."

Little Red Riding Hood looked somewhat awkward: "...I'm not afraid."

"Pretending to be calm won't fool that wolf; it can directly see your fear," Yu Sheng simply looked into her eyes calmly, "It's staring at you."

Little Red Riding Hood's eyes widened slightly in confusion, and she couldn't help but blurt out, "How do you know?"

The fear emanating from her subsided a bit, and the Evil Wolf continued to wait cautiously.

Yu Sheng blinked; he knew that the wolf was still watching them, but he was also watching it.

"That wolf is tainted with my blood," he said to Little Red Riding Hood, always forthright in such matters, "Now you don't have to be afraid. Sooner or later, it will become my prey."

Little Red Riding Hood didn't speak, just stared at Yu Sheng somewhat dazedly.

She was skeptical and hesitant, unable to fully understand or believe what Yu Sheng was saying—but the fear continued to ebb away from her.

That was enough.

Yu Sheng let go of her hand.

He couldn't blame Little Red Riding Hood's "fear"—because this "fear" had long exceeded rationality. In this Black Forest, it had become more than just an "emotional response" for Little Red Riding Hood.

As an experienced Spirit Realm detective, she might be able to venture into the Exotic Realm with a poker face or stand against those weird and ugly entities, even face her own life and death. But the "fear" of the Evil Wolf had taken root in her psyche many years ago, becoming part of her childhood. It grew with her like a poisoning vine— that Evil Wolf, larger than a house, was the reflection of this fear.

No wonder the children of "Fairy Tales" could never escape the curse it brought.

The squirrel perched on Little Red Riding Hood's shoulder, its shiny eyes moving back and forth between the two, pondering unknown thoughts. It suddenly broke the silence, "She has also ventured deep into the forest before... Most Little Red Riding Hoods will have such an experience at least once... at the beginning. And mostly, the initial fear stems from there."

"Don't say things that aren't needed," Little Red Riding Hood muttered with some annoyance.

"Is it because of the 'temptations' beyond the path?" Yu Sheng couldn't help but ask curiously.

Little Red Riding Hood walked forward silently, head bowed.

"What else could it be?" sighed the squirrel, very humanely, "The flowers and mushrooms by the path—and some shiny things. Those things are always so tempting, but in the end, they're nothing but the teeth and claws of the Evil Wolf..."

Little Red Riding Hood looked up at the squirrel with a fierce glare, "I really will throw you into the bushes."

"...I've also encountered 'temptations'; there's no shame in it," Yu Sheng pondered for a moment and then said to Little Red Riding Hood, "Look, even as an adult, I nearly lost control the last time I was here. If it weren't for the squirrel's reminder, I might have wandered into the darkness too."

Little Red Riding Hood looked at Yu Sheng with surprise.

"...You've been 'tempted' by the sights beyond the path?" she asked hesitantly, "What else can tempt you?"

Her tone carried a hint of disbelief.

Just like when she first learned that Yu Sheng also ate human food.

Yu Sheng felt the girl in red must be thinking something rather impolite, but he had no evidence.

"It's normal, people get tempted," he waved it off, nonchalantly, and then casually asked, "What about you? What lured you into the forest depths in the first place?"

He didn't mean anything by it; he just hoped to divert her attention and learn more about Little Red Riding Hood's past experiences—which might help him free her from the influence of the Black Forest.

However, Little Red Riding Hood just tightly pressed her lips together, seemingly unwilling to answer the question.

Even the squirrel on her shoulder, which had been chattering incessantly despite warnings, stayed silent this time.

"Okay," Yu Sheng sighed, not pressing further, "Let's not talk about it, we should..."

He stopped talking abruptly mid-sentence.

Little Red Riding Hood also halted in her tracks immediately.

Ahead, in the depths of the dense woods, a hazy outline came into their view.

It was not the "lost" child they sought, but a small wooden cottage.

"Don't go near it!" the squirrel instantly became anxious, its large tail trembling slightly, "This is not right, something is off about this..."

"That looks just like the cottage I saw last time," murmured Yu Sheng, "The shape seems to be exactly the same."

"The shape may be similar, but it's not!" the squirrel spoke rapidly, gripping a pine needle in its paws, "Do you see? There's no light! This cottage has no lights on! No lights in the deep, dark forest and yet it hasn't been consumed by darkness! Strange, very strange... A cottage with lights out should have disintegrated, disappeared... Is Grandmother inside? No, no, the cottage with Grandmother inside would also have lights on..."

Listening to the squirrel's nervous and agitated babbling, Yu Sheng and Little Red Riding Hood glanced at each other without speaking a word.

Then they cautiously stepped towards the small cottage that stood silently in the darkness.

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