Chapter 47: The Road Splits in Two Directions

“We keep our feet on the ground!”

Eileen stood atop a large, dark rock, clutching a kitchen knife with both hands. Bracing herself against the night wind, she struck what she thought was an imposing pose and shouted into the empty valley below.

Yu Sheng poked the doll’s head with a finger, nearly pushing her off the rock. “Stop making a fuss. We haven’t found Huli yet. If you draw the attention of the ‘Hunger’ too early, it’ll be trouble.”

“That thing doesn’t sense sound,” Eileen replied sulkily as she jumped down from the stone. She tightened the strap holding her painting frame and looked around. “It really is desolate. Just like you said, it feels eerie and sinister. The sky seems to be covered with some kind of veil.”

“Be extra careful,” Yu Sheng glanced at the petite Eileen, who seemed hardly capable of fighting. Though he knew the doll had many strange abilities, he couldn’t help but warn her. “If anything happens, protect yourself first—I’m not afraid to die, but you’re different. Neither of us can be sure if your soul will survive if this temporary body gets destroyed.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect myself. Honestly, the ‘Hunger’ isn’t much of a threat to me,” Eileen said, tilting her head back. “Dolls usually aren’t affected mentally. More importantly, I don’t get hungry.”

“That’s true—you don’t get hungry, but you sure know how to crave. I even have to drink water in front of you for you to watch,” Yu Sheng muttered, glancing down at the plastic bags at his feet.

All the large plastic bags they brought were still there, which relieved him instantly. Being cautious and meticulous when opening the gate was necessary. He had sent all the “load” through the gate, so at least the beginning had gone smoothly.

Yu Sheng bent down and easily lifted the food, which would have been heavy for an ordinary person, then looked ahead.

The collapsed, dilapidated temple stood quietly in the dusk, almost unchanged from when they left.

“Let’s head over there first. Huli should be nearby—I can feel it,” Yu Sheng said softly, stepping into the night.

Just two steps in, Eileen’s voice rang out behind him, flustered: “Hey, wait! Slow down! I can’t keep up!”

Yu Sheng turned to see the 66.6-centimeter-tall doll dragging the kitchen knife in one hand, keeping her balance with the other, scrambling over several large stones like she was climbing mountains. On the rocky valley floor, she stumbled over the gravel.

Where an ordinary person could step over the obstacles, she had to climb or detour for ages.

Yu Sheng watched silently, then sighed and crouched before her. “Just sit on my shoulders—no ‘ride’ command, okay?”

Eileen’s face lit up instantly. She ran over, knife raised, shouting: “Hey! You’re so nice!”

Yu Sheng yelled back: “Put that thing away first! At least flip the blade the other way!”

Good grief—an animated doll with blood-red eyes rushing at his neck with a kitchen knife in the dark was terrifying beyond words.

Yu Sheng wasn’t afraid to die—but he was definitely scared.

---

“What is this place?” Li Lin shivered as the cold wind swept through the forest, a growing unease gnawing at him. “This is still the border zone... right?”

“Alien territory, Nightfall Valley, current depth L-3, steadily descending toward L-4. Danger level assessment... According to records, it’s level three or above,” Xu Jiali’s voice rang out nearby. The nearly two-meter-tall hulking man had somehow connected a portable depth probe to his eyeball. He scanned the surroundings while quickly reciting data from memory. “This alien territory is classified as ‘Wilderness’—we’re in big trouble.”

Li Lin’s eyes widened as Xu Jiali’s warning jolted his memory of training materials.

‘Wilderness’ alien zones are vast, without clear boundaries or exits. Leaving requires meeting specific conditions, times, or directions. At depth L-3, this place is practically severed from reality, governed by irrational rules. Prolonged exposure risks severe mental and cognitive erosion. A danger level of three means obvious malice lingers here—something resides in this place that actively attacks and tries to kill intruders. Its threat is lethal and can’t be avoided or countered by obeying rules.

Operating in such zones usually requires at least a full team of Special Operations agents—dozens of fully armed personnel with heavy equipment.

And this is just for investigation—meaning the goal is to gather intelligence and retreat alive, not to confront entities here. That would demand even more manpower or more experienced special forces.

Li Lin looked around. Including Xu Jiali, only two Special Operations agents were present. Although one was a deep diver specialized in fighting entities, the sudden situation meant he hadn’t brought much gear.

Nearby was also a minor “Spirit World Detective” subcontractor, supposedly reconnaissance-type.

This was a disaster waiting to happen.

“Give the food you have to that little girl over there,” Xu Jiali, the most experienced on site, broke the silence, speaking sternly. “Li Lin, you and I will use this.”

Li Lin snapped out of his despair and without hesitation followed the senior agent’s instructions, handing two bowls of instant noodles to the still-dazed little Red Riding Hood, then took from Xu Jiali what he offered.

It was a needleless syringe filled with a pale green liquid that glowed faintly in the night.

A sanity inhibitor.

Li Lin looked up in surprise, watching as his colleague pressed the syringe against his arm.

“The entities here are called ‘Hunger’ and tend to attack mentally,” the burly man explained calmly. “The name probably gives you an idea. Take this injection first. The side effects are worse than the nebulizer, but at least it guarantees you won’t lose judgment for forty-eight hours.”

Li Lin nodded and with a faint hiss, the sanity inhibitor entered his body.

The little Red Riding Hood suddenly perked up upon hearing the name “Hunger.” She stepped forward: “Wait, you guys should eat quickly. You’re still ordinary humans—I can resist this better than you—and I’ve got snacks on me...”

“Listen to me,” Xu Jiali cut her off. Towering nearly two meters in the dim light, he looked down at the girl with grave seriousness. “I know your situation.”

Little Red Riding Hood opened her mouth but said no more.

Xu Jiali patted her shoulder, his deep voice carrying a reassuring strength. “This is for all of us—your wolf pack is our greatest hope against the entities. You have to maintain your fighting strength.”

---

Li Lin watched as Little Red Riding Hood squatted beside a rock and silently ate the now-cold noodles. He glanced at his colleague with some puzzlement.

Xu Jiali shook his head gently, lowering his voice. “If she succumbs to the Hunger, her wolves will eat her.”

In the night, wolves restless in the woods let out soft, uneasy whines.

In the cold wind, a malevolent “gaze” spread through the valley.

Within the ruins of the broken temple, Yu Sheng and Eileen searched cautiously.

The pervasive stench of decay grew thicker, as if it had a will of its own, invading their nostrils and making them deeply uncomfortable.

Eileen simply stopped breathing altogether.

Yu Sheng envied her for that.

“Are you sure that fox is here?” Eileen grabbed Yu Sheng’s hair with one hand and held the kitchen knife with the other, perched on his shoulders, stretching her neck to peer into the darkness. “I can’t see anything…”

“Positive,” Yu Sheng replied casually. “There’s a faint connection between her and me, forged by blood—and between you and her too, though you might not sense it.”

“Really?” Eileen eyed him dubiously, then looked down at her hand, as if pondering what he meant by the “faint connection.”

Just then, a quiet rustling broke the silence, interrupting both their thoughts and movements.

They both looked up toward the source of the sound.

A white figure cautiously emerged from behind a collapsed wall.

A silver-white fox tail swayed gently in the night breeze, furry ears twitched. The fox-girl stepped out of the ruins, wide-eyed at the figures nearby. Once she recognized them, her face lit up with pure joy.

“Benefactor!”

Huli burst out from behind the broken wall like a gust of wind, scattering debris along the path. She darted swiftly around Yu Sheng twice before stopping in front of him, her expression a mixture of delight and disbelief.

“You really came! Benefactor, really?”

“Yes, it’s me, it’s really me,” Yu Sheng smiled warmly and immediately set down the items he carried. “I brought you lots of food. From today on, you won’t have to go hungry anymore.”