Zhang Yue followed her uncle and his search party with a perturbed mind. She had no idea how to get out of this mess. Now that everyone got to know that she is searching for a shrine, going back to the forest might be a difficult task.
"Lianhua, young miss must tired. Please tend to her." Zhang Yanjun said as soon as they set foot inside the mansion.
"Yes, master."
Just then, Lianhua, ever the observant one, leaned in with a curious frown.
"Young Miss..."
She sniffed the air.
"Why do you smell like osmanthus blossoms?"
Zhang Yue instinctively lifted her sleeve and caught the faint floral fragrance herself.
"Oh that...I found an osmanthus grove in the forest," She said casually . "I thought I'd gather a few flowers and make osmanthus cakes for everyone."
Lianhua blinked in confusion.
"Osmanthus? At this time of year? There shouldn't be a single blossom blooming now."
"I know." Zhang Yue frowned. "I thought it was strange too. There was a huge tree covered in flowers. The entire placed smelled like osmanthus."
Hearing her words,Zhang Yanjun's expression changed.
"Which side of the forest?"
"I don't know exactly where it is. But I think it's beyond the northern side of the estate. I was looking for the family shrine over there."
His brows knitted together.
"You went into the Northern side?"
Zhang Yue nodded innocently.
"I'm not sure, uncle. I'm really bad with directions.There wasn't any proper paths, though. Just trees."
A heavy silence followed.
Even Lianhua stopped smiling. Her face was filled with concern.
"Yue'er." Zhang Yanjun asked carefully, "How far did you go?"
"I don't know. I kept walking until I found the osmanthus grove."
His heart sank.
That was impossible.
The Northern side Forest had been declared a forbidden zone for centuries. The Zhang family had guarded its borders for generations. Servants, disciples, and even members of the clan were forbidden from entering without permission. Patrols were stationed around its perimeter precisely to keep people away.
Yet somehow...
His powerless niece had wandered inside...
...and walked back out unharmed.
Zhang Yue looked at him, puzzled by his silence.
"Uncle?"
She hesitated before adding,
"It wasn't anything strange. I even saw someone there."
Zhang Yanjun's pupils contracted.
"You saw someone?"
"Yeah, I think he was a medicinal herb gatherer or something. He showed me the way back to mansion." Zhang Yue said. "Other than that, we barely spoke."
She purposefully avoided the part where she fell from the tree, right into a handsome stranger's arms.
For the first time, genuine alarm crossed Zhang Yanjun's face.
The forest was impossible to enter.
Which meant...
If Zhang Yue had met someone inside...
That person hadn't wandered in.
They had always been there.
The air around them seemed to grow colder, and Zhang Jun's eyes narrowed with unease. The terror that had begun to creep into his thoughts was now fully realized, and the shadows of impending danger loomed large in his mind.
-------------------------
Later that evening,
Zhang Yanjun stood before the open window with his hands clasped behind his back. Beyond the courtyard, the estate lay silent, but his thoughts refused to settle.
He had faced battlefields without flinching.
Yet tonight...
He felt utterly powerless.
A soft knock echoed against the wooden door.
Before he could answer, the door slid open.
Elder Zhang Xichen stepped inside, his silver hair tied neatly behind him. Though age had left its mark upon his face, his back remained straight as a spear, and his presence alone carried the weight of authority.
"I heard that you have ordered to strengthen the patrolling near the forest."
His father took a seat beside the tea table.
"Did something happen, Yanjun?"
Zhang Yanjun remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking.
"It's Yue'er."
Zhang Xichen looked up.
"What happened to her?"
"Father, Yue'er...she entered the Northern Forest."
The room fell deathly still.
For the first time that evening, even Elder Zhang's composed expression shifted.
"She did what?"
"She wandered into the forest alone. Even the patrolling teams stationed around the forest never saw her enter."
"How many times do I have to remind you to be careful with her?" Though Elder Zhang said calmly, but his words were sharp enough to cut his son.
"Yue'er is too curious, father. She can't sit idle. When I thought she busied herself with books in the library, I thought she would be fine staying at home. But she wandered into the forest without anyone noticing."
He paused.
"But the most shocking part is that she returned safely."
Zhang Xichen took a deep breath as if he was calming himself down.
"Did she tell you what happened inside the forest?"
Zhang Yanjun nodded.
"She said she was looking for some shrine or something and ended up in some osmanthus grove. And then..."
Zhang Yanjun drew a slow breath as if he is weighing the pros and cons of speaking such a truth.
"She said she met someone."
Silence.
Neither man spoke.
The weight of those words hung heavily between them.
Finally, Elder Zhang asked,
"A spirit beast?"
"I don't know."
"A demon?"
Zhang Yanjun lowered his head.
"She only said that he looked like a herb collector."
Elder Zhang's gaze hardened.
"The Northern Forest has been sealed for generations and our ancestors forbade anyone from entering. If Yue'er truly encountered a supernatural being..."
He closed his eyes briefly.
"...then we can only pray it bears us no ill will."
His eyes opened again.
"But if she encountered a human..."
His voice became frighteningly calm.
"...then we must prepare for something far worse."
Zhang Yanjun lowered his head.
"But Yue'er came back without any harm."
His voice was heavy with guilt.
"Even though she hasn't awakened her Spiritual Essence."
How can she possibly bear whatever awaits beyond that forest?"
Elder Zhang Xichen leaned back in his chair.
His weathered fingers tapped slowly against the wooden armrest, each measured beat echoing through the quiet study.
"Then we prepare her."
His answer came without hesitation.
"She may not have awakened."
"But awakening has never been the measure of a true warrior."
He looked toward the moonlit courtyard.
"I've witnessed warriors with abundant Spiritual Essence flee from battle and ordinary men stand their ground until their final breath."
He turned back to his son.
"Power decides how one fights. Character decides whether one fights at all."