Book 5: Chapter 7: Entering the Forest

“There is a police car downstairs at the hotel. It seems Sheriff Marov is very ‘concerned’ about us!” Hill pulled the curtain open a little, looked outside, and said with a laugh, “Should we wait until night to act?”

“No, we only have one week. The faster we act, the better!” Sas sneered, “Yesterday, Hansen and I already found a way out. There is a freezer in the hotel basement. They transport fresh meat every day. We can hide in the refrigerated food truck and leave quietly.”

A little over an hour later, the refrigerated truck stopped at the edge of the forest. Following the map, the five of them started heading towards the direction of the Crystal Lake Campground.

“Wait, something’s not right. It seems there are other people behind us!” After walking a distance, Hansen suddenly frowned. He warily climbed up a tall tree and looked into the distance. “No good, the leaves are too thick. I can’t see very clearly!”

“Let me try!” Qin Lun stretched out his hand and pressed it against the trunk of a large tree.

“Rustle, rustle, rustle!” The sound of branches swaying in the wind turned into the forest’s whispers in Qin Lun’s ears. Streams of information were fed back to Qin Lun through the plants’ unique way of transmitting messages.

“Elf Whispers, it really is a convenient bloodline ability!” Hansen muttered to himself, “I can’t fight this guy in the forest in the future!”

“It’s that female Centaur… Michelle!” After a long while, Qin Lun lowered his hand, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes. “When did she start following us?”

“No, she’s not following us. She’s following you!” Cora looked at Qin Lun with a half-smile. “She probably just happened to discover our actions. Otherwise, Sheriff Marov would have already set up an ambush here, ready to take us back to Massay State.”

“Let me handle it. You go ahead first. I’ll catch up with you later!” Hansen licked his lips bloodthirstily and pulled a hunting knife from his waist.

“Wait, Michelle grew up locally. She is very familiar with the Crystal Lake area. Perhaps having a guide will make things easier for us!” Qin Lun spread his arms to stop Hansen. “Let’s wait for her here!”

“Officer Castro, Officer Rowling, I finally… finally caught up with you!” The young Centaur girl rushed up, panting heavily, and leaned against a tree trunk, breathing hard.

Cora guessed correctly. Michelle had indeed accidentally discovered Qin Lun and the others’ actions in the hallway and ended up running after them. Luckily, her nimble Centaur steps kept her from losing the refrigerated truck, or else she would have had no choice but to notify Sheriff Marov.

However, chasing the car all the way had exhausted Michelle.

“Michelle, did you run all the way following the car?” Qin Lun looked at the flushed Centaur girl, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “Why are you following us?”

“I, I can’t… I can’t let you go into the Crystal Lake Campground. That… that place is very dangerous!” Michelle gasped for breath, explaining in broken sentences.

“Thank you, Michelle, but I think we can protect ourselves!” Qin Lun drew the “Burial of Light and Darkness” from his waist and showed the pistol to Michelle. “Besides, we’re doing this to uncover the truth as quickly as possible. If you can help keep our secret, I promise you, when we return, we will report our findings to Sheriff Marov!”

“No, Officer Castro, you don’t understand.” Michelle caught her breath, her face flushed red as she spoke anxiously. “Sheriff Marov doesn’t want you to enter the Crystal Lake Campground not just to stop you from meddling in Louis State’s case, but also to protect your safety!”

“Hehe, Michelle, you’re exaggerating. There are five of us, and we have weapons. We should be able to handle a mentally unstable madman!” Qin Lun took two steps forward, moved closer to Michelle, gave her a meaningful look, and said softly, “Michelle, look, the two others behind are friends of the John family. Even if we don’t go in, we can’t stop them. Don’t you think we have a responsibility to protect their safety?”

“Officer Michelle, John was like a brother to me. Although he has been killed, it’s our responsibility to find the three children: Karl, Sam, and Lucy!” Hansen and Sas exchanged a glance, and Hansen spoke up gruffly to back up Qin Lun.

“This… Listen to me, the Crystal Lake Campground is really dangerous. You, you…” Michelle blinked her long eyelashes, her face full of distress, looking like she was about to cry. “You really can’t go in. This has nothing to do with the murder case. This is an area sealed off by the Federation!”

“The Federation’s restricted area?” Qin Lun’s eyes gleamed, and he tilted his head as he asked, “I think I heard it was a ban issued by the Louis State government?”

Michelle, who had slipped up, looked embarrassed and deflated like a balloon. “Alright, I’ll tell you, but you have to promise me you won’t go in!”

“You tell us first. If it’s really dangerous, I’ll try to persuade them!” Qin Lun blinked and replied slyly.

“This matter started twenty years ago. Back then, I was just a child…” Michelle began, recalling the past.

Twenty years ago, the Crystal Lake Campground was still a beautiful scenic area, right next to Crystal Lake. The scenery was picturesque, and there were many tourists. But one foggy night, everything changed. Multiple murders happened one after another at the campground. The Crystal Lake City Police Department and the state government conducted many investigations but found no results whatsoever.

During the investigation, many Centaur police officers from the Crystal Lake City Police Department died in the line of duty. Apart from only two bodies that were found, many officers went missing. Among them was Michelle’s father, who was also Sheriff Marov’s partner at the time.

Finally, after about half a month, the Federation’s Department of Justice suddenly sent a special order to the Louis State government, requiring them, in the state government’s name, to designate the Crystal Lake Campground as a restricted area.

Originally, the Louis State government and police department did not intend to carry out this order. Besides the fact that the Crystal Lake Campground was a major economic pillar for Crystal Lake City, it was also because many police officers and forest rangers had been lost there.

However, the Federation’s Department of Justice quickly sent special envoys. After a secret meeting, the senior officials of the state government and city police department finally relented and obeyed the order. They designated the Crystal Lake Campground as a restricted area in the state government’s name for a period of seventy years.

Of course, many rank-and-file police officers were unconvinced by this outcome, including Sheriff Marov. But they seemed to quickly accept some fact. From then on, they never mentioned their fallen comrades again and began proactively upholding the ban, avoiding entry into the Crystal Lake Campground unless absolutely necessary.

After Michelle finished speaking, everyone fell silent. Even the most foolish person understood by now that the Crystal Lake Campground probably truly contained some irresistible force. Otherwise, police officers who had lost their partners, like Sheriff Marov, would never have given in.

After so many years, the case of the Crystal Lake Campground had turned into a ghost story. Probably few who knew the truth at the time remained. In the entire Crystal Lake City Police Department, apart from some senior officials like Sheriff Marov, perhaps only the children of the victims, like Michelle, still remembered the truth.

“Now you all know. So, how about it? Come back with me!” Michelle frowned as she looked at the group.

“Sorry, Officer Michelle, no matter what is in the forest, I have to go in before we find those three children!” Sas glanced at the others and said deliberately, “However, you can take the others and leave first.”

“Sas, don’t say that. We came with you, so naturally we’ll see you safely back!” Hansen patted Sas on the shoulder and said with feigned bravado.

“You see, Officer Michelle, I’m afraid we can’t go back with you. If we haven’t returned by this time tomorrow, then you can report it to Sheriff Marov, alright?” Qin Lun smiled and spread his hands.

“Alright then. If you insist on going in, then you must follow my instructions. Stay close to me and don’t act on your own!” Michelle seemed to have known the answer all along and replied calmly.

“Officer Michelle, you don’t need to take this risk with us!” Qin Lun tried to dissuade her tactfully.

“After Father died, my mother and I had a very hard time. Sheriff Marov promised me that when I became an adult, he would tell me the truth, but he broke his word. Maybe running into you here is fate’s arrangement. I also want to know the truth about my father’s disappearance!” Michelle sighed. “Besides, this is the jurisdiction of the Crystal Lake City Police Department. I am responsible for you!”

“Officer Michelle, you are a good police officer. Your father would be proud of you!” Sas’s eyes gleamed as he said sincerely, “Don’t worry, as long as I’m alive, I will ensure your safety!”

“Hehe, I have a gun. I don’t need protection from a civilian!” Michelle patted the police shotgun on her back and said with a laugh.

Having decided to enter the Crystal Lake Campground with the group, the young Centaur girl seemed to have unburdened a long-standing worry and appeared extremely happy.

As time passed, the group went deeper into the forest area. The forest around Crystal Lake wasn’t very dense. Since this area was originally a scenic tourist spot, amongst the piled-up dead leaves on the forest floor, one could often see aluminum cans, plastic bags, and other such litter.

However, this place hadn’t seen the light of day for twenty years, making it appear extremely old and dilapidated. The entire forest was permeated with a wild, untamed atmosphere far removed from civilization.

“Everyone, be careful. From here on, we have entered the Crystal Lake Campground!” Michelle, walking at the front, turned her head to remind them.

“Qin Lun, do you sense anything strange?” Hansen moved close to Qin Lun and asked quietly. The Disciple had rich experience fighting in the jungle, but no matter what, the Elf was the one with the sharpest senses in the forest.

“No, nothing! The forest tells me there are no enemies here. It’s really strange. My Perception shows no signs of danger at all!” Qin Lun frowned slightly.

“The sky is getting dark soon. We must find a place to camp. This place is too quiet. Staying out in the open at night is not a good idea!” Sas quickened his pace to catch up with the young Centaur girl ahead. “Officer Michelle, were there any man-made structures in the original campground?”

“Yes, after my father disappeared, I spent a long time studying the case files from back then. Every inch of the campground map is in my head.” Michelle smiled and pointed to her head. “About five miles ahead, there is a small log cabin that belonged to the forest rangers back then. It’s right on the shore of Crystal Lake.”