The bus soon arrived at its destination.
The broadcast crackled twice before an eager voice announced, "Dear passengers, Mushroom Village has arrived. Please take your belongings and prepare to disembark. Next stop: No-Eyes Temple."
Wan Qian stood up, ready to get off, but suddenly paused and walked over to the driver.
The static from the broadcast grew louder.
Wan Qian lowered her head to look at the driver, reached out, and helped readjust the position of the hairpin on the driver's head.
The driver: "..."
Wan Qian studied her work for a moment before nodding in satisfaction. "It was a little crooked. Now it's symmetrical and looks better. No need to thank me, Driver sister."
With that, she turned and stepped off the bus.
"Creak—" The car door swiftly closed behind Wan Qian and sped away from the scene.
The spot where the bus dropped Wan Qian off was a quiet forest. Towering ancient trees surrounded the area, their species unidentifiable. Looking up, she could only see the lush branches swaying in the gentle breeze.
The trees were incredibly green. Their massive crowns crowded together, with occasional sun rays filtering through the gaps in the leaves, casting a faint, eerie green light as if even the sunlight was dyed by the dense foliage.
Wan Qian stood still for a moment, looking around in confusion. "This doesn't look like a village at all."
The bus had already disappeared, not even a wisp of exhaust in sight. Left with no other choice, Wan Qian pulled out her phone. Luckily, the signal strength was full.
She quickly called the butler. "Did the bus stop at the wrong station? I don't see a village anywhere around here."
On the other end, the butler's voice came through with a slight distortion from the static. "Ms. Wan, look down to your right."
Wan Qian looked down. On the right, nestled between waist-high shrubs stood a sign, bold letters that read: Mushroom Village.
A small arrow pointed toward a narrow path winding deeper into the dense forest.
Below the sign were several lines of smaller characters.
[Welcome, traveler from afar. Beyond this forest lies the rustic and hospitable Mushroom Village. We hope you enjoy a pleasant few days in our village.
Recently, there has been fog in the forest, and several incidents of wild beasts attacking villagers. For your safety, please observe the following rules:
1. The trees in the forest are uniform in species, all tall with green leaves. Villagers regularly maintain them, so there are no trees of other colors. If you see a tree of a different color, it is merely an illusion. Close your eyes, count to ten, and the illusion will disappear.
2. Fog often arises in the forest. If it does, do not call out loudly. If you're with others, hold onto their hand tightly to ensure you don't get separated.
3. If you get lost in the fog, do not panic. Your companion may have reached the village ahead of you. However, if you encounter your lost companion in the fog, carefully confirm whether they are truly the same person.
4. Occasionally, hunters set traps in the forest. Be careful to avoid stepping on them. If you see an animal caught in a trap, leave quickly and don't attempt to rescue it.
5. The forest is perfect for mushroom growth, and the mushrooms are large, umbrella-shaped fungi. If you see a mushroom, please...]
Wan Qian squinted at the sign for a while, then frowned deeply. "Ugh, the text is so small!"
The tiny, densely packed characters made her reluctant to continue reading. She skimmed the first few lines and quickly lost interest.
"Whatever. As long as I know this is the way to the village." Muttering to herself, she pocketed her phone and stepped onto the forest path.
The lush greenery swayed gently. In the tranquil forest, whispers seemed to linger in the air. Not long after, the mist started to form in the dense forest.
Like milk spilling over the trees, the white mist quickly swallowed the vibrant greenery. Her vision became severely restricted—only a half-meter radius around her remained visible.
Everything was swallowed by the thick white mist. It felt like the entire world had been submerged in this milky whiteness.
Hao Shijun tightened his grip on the hand he was holding, weaving through the fog, always alert to his surroundings.
He was a police officer, and he had come to investigate a case of poisoning within a marriage. But never in his wildest dreams did he expect to find himself entering the thriller world alongside the suspect and family members of this poisoning case.
At this moment, he was holding the hand of the suspect's child in the case—a high school senior named Xie Jia. Behind her was her mother, Wang Hui, the suspect who had poisoned her husband.
The moment the fog descended, Hao Shijun had immediately instructed them to hold hands and not let go.
The path was narrow, allowing only one person to walk at a time. Leading the way, Hao Shijun couldn't turn back to check on the others.
He could only feel the hand in his grasp growing colder, losing its warmth. He didn't let go. Instead, he held on even tighter.
After walking for a while, a tree suddenly appeared in front of them. Its bright red branches and leaves looked like a burning fire, standing out in the dense white mist.
Hao Shijun immediately shut his eyes and called out to Xie Jia and Wang Hui behind him. "Close your eyes."
He silently counted to ten. When he reopened his eyes, the red tree was gone.
Hao Shijun exhaled in relief. At the same time, the hand in his grasp gradually regained its warmth.
Thankfully, he hadn't let go.