absurd deduction game.

After discovering the stone tablet and confirming its direction, Yu Xing's gaze first fell on the center of the clearing, on the dilapidated tent that had been eroded by time and almost blended into the forest.

"Before we go over there, let's take a look around here," he said, and walked towards the tent first.

Qu Xianqing and the actors followed closely behind.

The entrance to the tent was already covered by hanging vines and thick moss. Yu Xing reached out, a faint trace of curse power swirling around his fingertips. With a gentle stroke, the tough vines fell away silently as if corroded, revealing the dark entrance behind them.

A stronger, more intense smell, a mixture of musty, dusty, and somewhat stale odor, wafted over.

Yu Xing ducked down and crawled inside first.

The inside of the tent felt even smaller and more oppressive than the outside.

Light streamed through the countless holes in the canvas, forming beams of dim yellow light that illuminated the dust particles dancing in the air.

The scene inside the tent seemed frozen in time thirty years ago.

A low bed, barely made of coarse branches and vines, was leaning against the corner. The animal hide on it had long since rotted and turned black, blending into the withered leaves beneath it, and its original shape could only be vaguely discerned.

Beside the foot of the bed was an overturned, rusty tin cup, which seemed to have contained traces of dried and carbonized liquid.

In the center of the tent, there was a small pile of embers from a campfire that had been extinguished for who knows how many years. Among the grayish-white ashes, you could still see a few pieces of unburnt, blackened branches.

Beside the embers lay several empty cans, their labels long since rotted and fallen off, leaving only rusted metal shells. Next to one of the cans lay a small knife, also heavily rusted, with a rotten and broken wooden handle.

Most striking is the other corner of the tent, which appears to have been Edgar's work area.

A relatively flat stone served as a table, on which lay several dried and cracked quill pens, and an overturned ink bottle, the ink of which had long since evaporated, leaving only dark stains on the bottle and the stone.

Several yellowed, fragile pages of paper were scattered around, most of them damp and illegible. Only a few fragments showed some hastily written words or simple symbols, revealing that the owner was not at peace when he stayed there.

Yu Xing's gaze swept over these details that had been worn away by time.

He could imagine how, thirty years ago, the travel writer named Edgar, filled with unease and curiosity, hid alone in this secluded forest, using rudimentary equipment to record his discoveries and be wary of the dual threats from the forest and the outside world.

Every item here silently tells the story of a brief but anxious period of time.

“He didn’t stay here long, but he was in a hurry,” Qu Xianqing said, looking around before making his judgment.

Judging from the scattered items and the rudimentary layout of the camp, Edgar did not seem to intend to stay here permanently; it was more like a temporary outpost for hiding and recording.

The actor bent down and picked up a small, inconspicuous, faded piece of cloth with two fingers from beside the dilapidated low bed.

The fabric was made of a different material than the tent itself; it looked more like it had been scraped off clothing.

"It seems our writer isn't entirely at ease here either," the actor said, twirling the piece of cloth between his fingers with a hint of amusement in his voice.

This small discovery suggests that Edgar may have experienced a struggle or hasty hiding here.

Yu Xing watched all of this in silence. These everyday traces, mostly erased by time, more vividly depicted Edgar's last period of freedom before his disappearance than any words could.

Fear, vigilance, obsession... all sorts of emotions seemed to still linger in this small space.

But Edgar ultimately chose to go home.

Because he disappeared at home, his sister wouldn't have gone to the church for help the day after he disappeared if he hadn't returned home.

So, he felt that he had already hidden the clues and there was nothing else he could do, so he wanted to spend his last moments with his family.
“The clues aren’t here.” Yu Xing withdrew her gaze, her tone certain. “Let’s go check where the stone tablet points to.”

The three of them left without lingering, quickly exiting the dilapidated tent that held secrets from thirty years ago, leaving the desolation and dust back to time.

However, the moment they emerged, a strong sense of being watched suddenly assaulted them from all directions, clearer and more malicious than the previous whispers!
Gulu...Gulu...

A viscous and unsettling sound, like bubbles rising from a swamp, rose from the thick fog surrounding the clearing.

Immediately afterwards, the "faces" covered with burls on those twisted tree trunks seemed to come alive. The burls wriggled and slowly cracked open, revealing a murky, dark luster like eyes behind them.

Dozens, even hundreds, of such "eyes" opened simultaneously in the mist, silently staring at the three uninvited guests in the center of the open space.

The air seemed to freeze instantly, and the temperature appeared to drop several degrees.

“It seems we’ve offended the ‘guardians’ here.” The musician chuckled lightly, seemingly unsurprised.

The faint force field formed by the moss around him reappeared, enveloping the three of them and resisting the mental pressure brought by countless gazes.

Qu Xianqing's sword was already half an inch out of its sheath, the cold blade reflecting a faint light in the dim light.

"Should we clean it up?" she asked, her tone tinged with anticipation.

“There’s no need to waste time and energy.” Yu Xing rejected the suggestion. His senses told him that these “tree eyes” were not independent monsters, but rather tentacles extending from the consciousness of this forest, connected to the life force of the entire dense forest.

Destroying them is pointless and will only bring more trouble.

His gaze returned to the stone tablet, especially the twisted three-eyed symbol. Edgar left this symbol not only to indicate the direction, but also as a warning—a warning to those who came after him that this place was dangerous and that they must leave immediately after taking what they had taken.

He ignored the chilling stares around him and walked straight toward the tangled, intricate area indicated by the arrow.

Upon seeing this, Qu Xianqing immediately followed to keep watch, while the actor lagged behind, observing with great interest the constantly opening and closing, wriggling tree eyes, as if admiring an interesting work of art.

Yu Xing arrived at that area, where the roots of trees were gnarled and twisted, like giant pythons.

He crouched down, brushing aside the damp soil and decaying leaves with his fingers, carefully sensing the energy fluctuations below. Soon, in a narrow gap formed by several thick tree roots, he sensed a faint, incongruous "foreign object" that seemed out of place with the surrounding forest pollution. The thing was buried very deep, and its energy fluctuations were extremely subtle; without clear instructions and Yu Xing's extraordinary perception, it would have been almost impossible to detect.

“Here.” Yu Xing confirmed the location.

He gestured for Qu Xianqing to step back a little, then extended a branch. The black curse power rose on the branch as if it were alive, silently seeping into the soil and roots along with the branch.

The branches did not damage the roots, but rather, like the most skillful scalpel, precisely bypassed the obstacles and dug downwards. The soil quickly softened and crumbled under the erosion of the curse's power, without making much noise.

A moment later, Yu Xing felt her fingertips touch a hard object.

He carefully wrapped it with the power of the curse and slowly pulled it out from underground.

It was a square object, about the size of a thick notebook, wrapped in a thick, obviously specially treated dark brown oilcloth.

The distorted three-eyed symbol was also drawn on the surface of the oilcloth. The symbol shimmered with a faint spiritual light, seemingly a simple seal that protected the contents from the erosion of time and external pollution.

But the moment it left the underground shelter, the light flickered rapidly a few times before fading completely, as if it had completed its final mission. The package itself carried the smell of damp earth and old paper.

Just as Yu Xing took out the oilcloth wrapping—

"Ho..."

A deep, resentful sigh, as if from the deepest hell, suddenly echoed across the entire open space!

All the "eyes" on the surrounding tree trunks widened to their maximum size instantly, their murky pupils bursting with intense malice! The thick fog churned violently, as if some enormous creature was awakening within it.

"Let's go first." Without hesitation, Yu Xing stuffed the oilcloth bundle into his clothes, got up, and quickly retreated in the direction he came from.

They didn't know if there were any other clues nearby, so they couldn't return to the church immediately. They could only find an opportunity to unwrap the oilcloth and take a look.

With a flash of light, Qu Xianqing's sword severed several strange vines that stretched out of the mist like tentacles, trying to entangle them. Dark green, foul-smelling sap spurted from the cuts, and she followed closely behind.

The performer chuckled softly, gave one last glance at the restless treetops, and then retreated like a ghost, his speed not slow at all.

The three men shot into the thick fog they had come from, like three sharp arrows. Behind them, the strange noises from the clearing grew louder and louder. The wailing of the trees, the churning of the earth, and the deep roar that seemed to come from the forest itself intertwined, making one's heart tremble, as if the entire forest was enraged by their "theft".

But the anger seemed to be confined to a certain area around the open space and did not pursue endlessly.

The three of them only slowed down slightly after leaving the open space and the uncomfortable feeling of being watched far behind.

"Where is this place?" Qu Xianqing looked around.

I didn't look at the map when I was running away, and sure enough, I got lost very quickly.

Almost everything in this forest looks pretty much the same.

But that doesn't matter. If I really want to go back to that place, all I need to do is sense the most turbulent part of the forest.

“It seems we took something it really cares about, but why would the forest treasure Edgar’s notes so much?” Qu Xianqing tilted her head slightly to confirm that the area was safe for the time being.

The performer straightened his perfectly neat clothes, a hint of pleasure on his face: "Perhaps it's just that as time has passed, the forest has come to regard the notebook as a part of itself."

Yu Xing did not participate in their discussion. He took out the oilcloth package from his pocket. The package was heavy in his hand, and he could feel the hard outline of the notebook inside.

The oilcloth had hardened somewhat from being buried for many years, but it was still in excellent condition. He carefully untied the leather rope that was tied to it, which had become somewhat brittle, and lifted the oilcloth.

Sure enough, there was a notebook inside.

The notebook cover is a dark blue hardcover, without any text, only the familiar, more detailed, twisted three-eyed symbol. The corners are worn, and the paper is yellowed, but the overall structure remains sturdy.

Yu Xing hoped this was what they were looking for, and opened the notebook to the first page in front of the performers.

On the title page, a line of text was written in slightly messy but firm handwriting:

"If you find this, it means the calamity is not over, and I, Edgar White, may have been lost in the dream of the stars. —May Mother Goddess protect you, stranger who has come again."

The handwriting conveyed a sense of determination and warning.

Yu Xing continued turning the pages, and Qu Xianqing and the musicians gathered around. Inside the notebook were Edgar White's densely packed handwriting, recording his private investigations and discoveries since returning from observing the aurora with Riel, as well as his personal journey.

"...Ryle's condition is getting worse, and his delirious ramblings are far more than just madness. 'It saw me'... What exactly is that 'it'? I've consulted numerous ancient texts and asked the town's elder scholars, and I'm starting to suspect that some of the ancient legends circulating outside the town might not be entirely unfounded..."

"...I suspect the church is not monolithic. There seems to be someone deliberately covering up certain information, about the aurora, about other similar 'mad' events in history...I can no longer easily trust anyone."

"...Secret cult...I heard that word. They operate in the shadows, worshipping something indescribable. Riel's madness might be related to them! I must be more careful..."

"The Red Moon has arrived, and I've heard the devastating news about Riel. Oh God, what will happen to his wife and son?"

"...I've been corrupted too. Just last night, I dreamt of...a place. A twisted, terrifying town of Yolikf. The sky was writhing flesh, the stars were peering eyes...I call it the 'City of Horror.' I know this isn't a dream, it's a premonition, a summons..."

"...My time is running out. I can feel that 'city' tearing at my soul. I've recorded everything I know here and buried it here. Those who come after, don't get involved in this mess. Hand my notebook over to the investigators. If you are an investigator, determined to uncover the truth, then remember: the city of terror comes from the stars. Only by being corrupted by it can you glimpse its path... but you will also be doomed. May my sacrifice illuminate a ray of light for you."

The notes abruptly end there, the handwriting on the last few pages becoming increasingly messy, as if the writer was struggling on the verge of extreme fear and a breakdown of reason.

Tucked inside the notebook were several hand-drawn sketches depicting distorted star patterns, blurry scenes of esoteric rituals, and more variations of the three-eyed symbol.

After closing the notebook, the three of them fell into a brief silence. After a while, Yu Xing said, "It really is related to the starry sky."

Those seemingly unrelated bizarre events clearly share the same origin! (End of Chapter)