Chapter 119

Chapter 119: The Path

The wolf was here.

But Yu Sheng couldn’t see it—not its true shape, not even a shadow he could swear belonged to a wolf. All he heard was branches cracking behind him, the rush of leaves and grass being torn aside. Now and then came low, suppressed whimpering. A rotten, fishy stench mixed with blood filled the air.

Cold spread through the forest like closing winter, stripping away warmth and life.

The howls rose again—one after another—from every tree, every bush, every patch of darkness around him. The pack was right beside him, circling its prey, tightening the net.

“Run! Don’t stop! Run!” Squirrel had climbed from Yu Sheng’s neck to the top of his head. It waved its tiny paws forward and screamed in a shrill voice. “Run to the path! Run to the light! Run to where the wolf can’t go!”

Yu Sheng couldn’t help glancing back.

He saw only layers of shadow between the trees. Something was definitely chasing him, but he still couldn’t make out a single wolf.

Yet the presence was right behind him. He could even feel the airflow from stinking jaws, the pressure of breath close enough to bite.

“Where is the wolf?” he shouted. “I can’t see them!”

“Not seeing them is good!” Squirrel shrieked. “If you can’t see them, that means they still can’t catch you! If you see them, you’re screwed—they’ll keep chasing, and chasing, and chasing, until you can’t run, until you turn into a tired Lord…”

It froze mid-scream. “Wait! You’re a Lord!”

As if it had only just realized, Squirrel stared down at Yu Sheng in shock, grabbed a fistful of his hair, and yelled, “So how the hell did you get in here?!”

Yu Sheng didn’t have time to answer.

Several bleeding cuts appeared on his arms—scratches left by invisible claws. And now, he could just barely make out hazy shadowspawn between the trunks: thin, starving predators that seemed to go on forever.

Yu Sheng surged forward, feet pounding over rot and mud, charging in the direction Squirrel pointed.

He wasn’t afraid of dying, and he wasn’t worried about being trapped here. But he still didn’t understand what was happening—or what had happened to Little Red Riding Hood. He couldn’t just get eaten by wolves for nothing.

Then, in the corner of his eye, he caught a glow.

Deep in the dense forest, inside the endless dark, warm lights appeared out of nowhere. Under their spill, he could vaguely make out a path.

“Run, run, run!” Squirrel screeched, suddenly ecstatic. “Right there! Ha! You Lord run faster than a child!”

“Good, good! Lords always run with heavy steps, but you run like they did when they first came in! They can’t catch you! They can’t catch you!”

Yu Sheng burst through the enclosing shadows and threw himself toward the warm light.

The instant it touched him, the icy presence behind him vanished as if it had melted away.

The wolf disappeared, fading at the edge of the path.

Yu Sheng panted, bracing himself against a dead stump by the roadside. After a long moment, he finally lifted his head and looked at the narrow trail cutting through the forest.

It had appeared abruptly, paved with dirt and stone. It wound between the trees and vanished into darkness. Along both sides stood bright streetlamps—glowing spheres hanging from crooked branches. There were no wires. No flame. Yet soft light spilled down, illuminating the woodland path.

Squirrel jumped down from his head, hopped onto the rough wooden railing beside the road, and squatted there. It let out a long breath. “Whew. Almost turned into dinner.”

“Those were the wolves hunting Little Red Riding Hood the whole time?” Yu Sheng asked. Once he caught his breath, he walked over and stared at the creature seriously. “And the biggest, strongest one—the Big Bad Wolf—is it among them?”

“Big Bad Wolf?” Squirrel’s fur practically stood on end. It sprang up, lifting a paw like it wanted to clamp it over Yu Sheng’s mouth. “Don’t say Big Bad Wolf!”

“The Hunter hasn’t shown up yet. You can’t attract the worst, biggest wolf—you don’t have a gun. It can swallow you in one bite. Swallow you whole!”

Yu Sheng watched it for a beat, then said, “Where is this place, exactly? I know it’s a forest. What I’m asking is—Is this Little Red Riding Hood’s dream? Or is it some kind of Otherworld?”

“Forest. This is forest,” Squirrel said, pacing along the railing as it rambled. “I don’t get what you mean—dream?”

“Little Red Riding Hood hasn’t started dreaming yet. Kids sleep at night. She’s still outside doing her thing… what was it called again? Oh. She said it. She has to go to school.”

It kept muttering as it paced. “If she starts dreaming, then she should already be in here…”

Squirrel spoke in a strange way, like it was talking to itself and chunks of information were missing. But Yu Sheng still understood the shape of what it meant.

This wasn’t just Little Red Riding Hood’s dream. It was something like Otherworld—something that existed on its own. And only when Little Red Riding Hood fell asleep would she fall into this forest.

Here, she would endure the endless pursuit of wolves.

Yu Sheng’s frown deepened. “How can she escape completely?”

“Escape?” Squirrel rubbed its face with a paw and stared at Yu Sheng like he was an idiot. “What are you thinking? Wolves won’t give up, and forest has no end.”

“Run. You can only keep running—from one safe path to another safe path, into a warm house. Then before the house turns dark, run to the next house.”

“As long as you can still run, forest always has somewhere you can hide for a while. That’s enough. That’s enough…”

Yu Sheng’s mind raced. Then he steadied himself and asked, “This forest… is it the curse created by a fairy tale? Do you know anything about the curse?”

He didn’t know what Squirrel was, or why something rational and communicative existed here. But it had helped him just now. At the very least, it didn’t seem to be on the wolves’ side.

Squirrel blinked twice, paced a few more steps, then said flatly, “How would I know? I’m just a damn squirrel.”

Then it lifted its chin with ridiculous pride. “A damn squirrel so cute it bubbles.”

Yu Sheng went blank.

Squirrel suddenly rummaged around on its own body. Somehow, it produced a tiny stick. It rubbed its thick tail against the railing, and the tip went whoosh with a small flame.

It lit the stick, took a deep breath, and exhaled smoke.

“Want a hit?” Squirrel asked, holding it out. “It’ll make you feel better, but you have to pinch it with your fingernails.”

Yu Sheng’s expression went even blanker.

“Oh, not interested?” Squirrel said, tucking the stick away. “Good. Even if you’re a Lord, it’s not a good habit.”

It huffed, sounding unsettled. “Ah. This is really not what I’m used to. First time I’ve ever seen a Lord.”

“Normally the first ones to come here are little ones. They cry for a long time, and very few make it through the first hunt. They all get swallowed in one bite by the wolves.”

It shuddered. “Honestly, I’m kinda damn nervous. You’re making a squirrel bear pressure it was never meant to bear…”

Squirrel made a few rough little sounds under its breath, like it was trying to imitate something: “Chhk, chhk, chhk… hiss… huff…”

For a moment, Yu Sheng didn’t know how to respond.

“Why aren’t you talking?” Squirrel demanded, staring up at him. “Oh. Stunned? Normal. Adults get stunned by forest, too. Come a few more times and you’ll get used to it—used to their hunting, used to their feeding.”

“Then you’ll form connections with some of the wolves here. You’ll form connections with the whole forest. When you’re both the lost person here and the hungry wolf here—and also forest, Hunter, and Grandmother—you’ll fully adapt.”

“By then, you’ll have your own red cloak. You’ll come in every night and run a bit. Ha. Very fulfilling…”

Its eyes narrowed with sudden curiosity. “But I’m curious. What kind of cloak will you get? You aren’t a kid, and you’re a guy…”

“I’m not a new Little Red Riding Hood,” Yu Sheng cut in, voice firm. “I’m her friend.”

Squirrel froze. It stared at him as if trying to catch even a flicker of a lie on his face.

After a long moment, it finally seemed to accept something. It stood upright, tail sweeping restlessly across the railing.

“You’re telling the damn truth?” Squirrel snapped. “You can’t trick a squirrel as cute as me!”

“I am.”