The thick mist shrouded the gorge, with dark green stone walls covered in vines on both sides.

The sound of running water floated from ahead, varying in intensity with the wind's current.

Zhang Rongfang stood in the middle of the group, took out a firestarter from his hand, opened the lid, and gently blew on it.

The firestarter ignited a flame, lighting up an oil torch.

"Everyone, light your torches in advance," he instructed solemnly.

Accompanying him were Xu Siyi and Zhong Wang, who were guiding the way.

Then there was Zhang Rongfang himself, along with fifteen skilled hunters adept at navigating forests.

This time, the main goal was exploration; sheer force was not advantageous in this environment.

So the people Zhang Rongfang brought were also hunters skilled in other areas.

Enveloped in thick fog, the faint dark shadows of their group slowly moved forward through the gorge.

Occasionally, soft bird calls echoed around, most of which were hoarse and unpleasant.

"Have you all taken the medicine in advance?" Zhang Rongfang asked aloud.

"We have," replied Song Xinye, the leader of the hunters. Originally hoping to pursue academics and martial arts, family misfortune forced him to rely on hunting for a living. Unexpectedly, he had a lucky encounter in the mountains and thereby acquired exceptional agility and body technique, enabling him to move swiftly.

He was also the overall leader responsible for coordinating the exploration team last time.

This time, he personally followed Zhang Rongfang into the gorge.

"Sir, ahead is the Red Forest Entrance. There's nothing unusual here; it's just an ordinary gorge entrance, but once inside, you'll encounter quite a number of venomous wasps, so be careful," Song Xinye warned in advance.

"No problem, just be careful yourselves," Zhang Rongfang nodded.

The team continued silently, holding their torches and moving forward.

The ground beneath was uneven, full of stones and hard soil, occasionally with unknown animal bones being kicked aside, making a clattering sound.

After walking for about ten minutes.

Eventually, the terrain changed.

The sound of the stream grew closer and clearer.

Yet the mist became even thicker.

Strangely enough, the wind within the gorge also intensified.

"Something's not right!" Zhang Rongfang said gravely, "Normally, if the wind picks up, the mist shouldn't thicken. The two can't coexist!"

"Sir..." Song Xinye was about to speak, when suddenly his pupils contracted as he looked ahead.

"Something's wrong! Where are the two guides?!"

The group was startled, quickly looking ahead.

But Xu Siyi and Zhong Wang, the two previous survivors guiding them, had surprisingly vanished without a trace!

Zhang Rongfang was also taken aback; the disappearance of the two women caught him completely off guard.

He stepped forward a few steps, straining to see ahead.

But even with his acute night vision at full strength, he couldn't discern the situation ahead.

"Something's wrong! You..."

He quickly turned to look at Song Xinye and the others.

But behind him was desolate emptiness, only deep gray mist.

The dozen or so people who had been just two meters behind him were now gone without a sound!

Zhang Rongfang looked around, not a soul in sight, just himself.

"Impressive! To isolate me silently... even I didn't sense a thing...."

He remained calm, holding his breath steadily, blinking as he looked at the intuition warning in his status panel.

Unfortunately, there was no alert.

Perhaps the opponent didn't target him individually but focused on those around him.

As long as he wasn't personally targeted, there wouldn't be an issue.

"Song Xinye!" Zhang Rongfang shouted, raising his torch.

The sound echoed and lingered amid bird calls and the stream, faintly returning with an echo.

No one responded.

Zhang Rongfang snorted coldly, quickening his pace, resolutely walking forward.

With no one else to slow him down, he moved swiftly, covering over ten meters in a single step.

Bending down, he swiftly reached a flowing stream.

The stream's water shimmered, with green algae drifting along both sides.

"This should be the valley floor..."

Zhang Rongfang looked around; no one else was present.

Opening his status panel again, the intuition warning was still silent.

Following the stream downstream, he continued along the edge.

He soon saw, amid the rocks on the riverbank, a small wooden cottage standing.

The cottage was entirely brown, with two round windows, its roof topped by a chimney.

"A wooden cottage!?" Zhang Rongfang suddenly recalled elements mentioned in previous rumors.

'Could I be dreaming?' he wondered.

It was rumored that many people would fall asleep in this gorge and dream of a wish-granting wooden cottage.

As long as one made a wish here, their desires would be fulfilled.

Now it seemed....

Zhang Rongfang's mind formed a hypothesis.

He took steps toward the wooden cottage.

Though thick mist surrounded him, obscuring vision just meters ahead,

there seemed to be an invisible path between him and the cottage, clearing the mist entirely and giving him a clear view.

"You've come?"

Suddenly, a gentle and serene female voice floated out from the cottage.

The wooden door creaked open silently, revealing a slightly dim interior.

A round black wooden table seemed to grow from the ground. Several high-backed, rough wooden chairs surrounded it.

Upon one of these chairs sat a person.

A tall woman with her back to him, wearing a white long dress, her hair neatly combed.

The woman's skin was very fair, and her dress was also white.

The two almost blended together, indistinguishable from each other.

"Did you deliberately lure me here?" Zhang Rongfang stopped ten meters away from the cabin.

He remained extremely cautious towards such an enigmatic existence.

"I have already been dormant for many years... but now, you show me hope..." the woman in the white dress softly said.

"Who are you?" Zhang Rongfang frowned and asked.

"Now, you've arrived at the wish cabin." The woman slowly stood up, still with her back to him.

"Speak your wish... Whatever it is, it can be realized... It's the reward your fortune deserves."

"Answer me, who are you?" Zhang Rongfang repeated his question in a deep voice.

"Speak your wish."

The woman repeated, seemingly having not heard his inquiry at all.

"Answer my question." Zhang Rongfang bent down to pick up a stone.

"Speak your wish." The woman repeated again.

Thud!

A flying stone hit her right on the forehead.

Unprepared, the woman's head immediately spurted blood, and she collapsed lifeless.

"Damn the wish! My wish is to kill you!"

However, after venting, Zhang Rongfang was slightly astonished; he had imagined many scenarios, but this one... was it too easy to die?

He attempted to step closer.

Suddenly, his vision blurred, and the surroundings changed rapidly.

He blinked and looked around again.

"Master!? Are you alright!?" Song Xinye's trembling voice came from behind.

The fog was still very thick; people became indistinct just a few meters away, only shadows could be seen.

"I'm fine!" Zhang Rongfang raised his hand, looking at a smudge of white ash on his palm.

It was from picking up the stone...

He looked forward again, faintly smelling a hint of blood drifting from ahead, suddenly halting his thoughts.

Without time to ponder further, Zhang Rongfang rushed forward.

After walking less than a hundred meters, he saw Zhong Wang, who had previously guided them, now lying on the ground with her head pierced by a stone, blood flowing everywhere.

"She just... how did she die?" Zhang Rongfang paused in silence and asked.

"It was you, sir... you suddenly picked up a stone and threw it forward..." Song Xinye cautiously replied from behind.

"Were we rushing all along?" Zhang Rongfang felt something was amiss.

"Yes, sir, you were just rushing ahead, ignoring our greetings..." Song Xinye and the others wore pale expressions.

The team leader suddenly fell silent, picked up a stone, and killed one of the guides.

It seemed like a sudden outbreak...

"Where is the other, Xu Siyi?" Zhang Rongfang paused again, and asked.

"Ran away..." Song Xinye replied.

Indeed, seeing her companion suddenly killed by a stone, she must have been frightened and fled.

Zhang Rongfang's mood grew solemn.

"As for Zhong Wang, that was my mistake, I will certainly treat her family well upon return!"

He despised this feeling of being unable to identify the target.

"Now, where have we arrived?"

"According to the map, we should be at the bottom of the gorge." Song Xinye answered.

"Retreat first!" Zhang Rongfang quickly decided.

"Retreat! Leave this place!" Without breaking the ability that drew them into illusions suddenly, he did not plan to explore here again.

He thought that with his intuition warning, he should react somehow, but unexpectedly, there was no response this time.

Song Xinye and his team turned around heading back, while Zhang Rongfang shifted to the rear guard.

The group quickened their pace toward the entrance of the gorge.

But soon... Zhang Rongfang's worries became reality.

They sprinted for more than half an hour, yet the path ahead remained the same misty mountain road.

On both sides were consistently dark green gorge walls.

The central V-shaped path continued forward, extending into the deepest fog, with no end in sight.

The group raced onward, and by their travel time, they should have reached the entrance...

But now... 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

*

*

*

At the entrance of Red Flame Gorge.

Qingsu was leading the defense here, with a group of people fully armed with crossbows and shields, waiting for Zhang Rongfang to return.

"How long has the master been inside?" Qingsu asked gravely.

Beside her, a woman checked the time in her pocket watch and replied.

"It's been half an hour."

"There should be a result by now. In any case, fireworks will be sent up for communication. Everyone keep an eye out." Qingsu said gravely.

"Yes!" a chorus of agreement followed.

Qingsu nodded in satisfaction, about to inspect the defensive stance of the others.

Suddenly, a familiar voice drifted in from the mist in the gorge.

"Qingsu, bring some people over quickly, there's a situation here!"

It was Zhang Rongfang's voice, deep and serious, with a tone portraying faint solemnity that clearly dictated trouble.

Qingsu halted suddenly, recognizing from afar that the person emerging from the mist was indeed Zhang Ying. Immediately, she braced herself, gathered ten or so people, and quickly headed inside the gorge.