The forest path was dim and chilly.
Carriages followed closely, moving at a leisurely pace.
Every now and then, eerie, mournful howls echoed from the woods on either side. No one could tell which birds or beasts made the sound, but it sent shivers down their spines.
"Are there ambushes ahead?"
Mr. Yu broke the silence with his question.
The Protector leader, Zhang Bai, hurriedly returned, wiping the cold sweat from his face and panting heavily as he replied, "There's no ambush ahead, but… there's something strange about this forest. It feels unnervingly cold. We must pass through quickly and not linger."
With weathered features and about fifty years of age, Zhang Bai had once been an escort in his youth, traveling across Jianghu far and wide.
After his escort agency was disbanded, he found himself with nowhere to go. Out of gratitude for a great favor from the Southern Lake's Zhao Family, he pledged his loyalty to them, serving for nearly two decades.
