After consulting with the villagers and deciding on a plan to report to the imperial envoy, Rodhart and Asa came together to the small wooden hut where the imperial envoy was being held, and met with the imperial envoy minister.

  "Sir Rodhart bids you greetings, milord." As soon as he entered the house, Sir Rodhart half-knelt and performed a knight's courtesy, his tone rising and falling like an opera singer.

  The imperial envoy was a middle-aged man with fair skin, neat appearance, and an air of refinement, giving off the impression that he was a member of the nobility. People with this kind of appearance were common in the capital city at night, often embracing women or men, sometimes even being embraced themselves, as they rode in luxurious carriages in and out of grand mansions lit up by lanterns. One characteristic of such people was that even when their hands and feet were all over a woman's body, their expression remained stern and proper, as if they were conducting official state business.

  Now the imperial envoy was even more devout. He knelt in the center of the hut, eyes closed in prayer. Apparently, his captive status had not caused him much panic, his clothes were still neat and tidy, his expression solemn and dignified, as if he were in a grand cathedral. He did not react to Rodhart's words at all, but continued to pray with his eyes closed. Rodhart also knelt there motionless. Asa stood at the door, watching them inexplicably.

  The imperial envoy slowly opened his eyes, as if he had finished praying.

  "We have come to rescue you." Rodhart said, still kneeling. He was completely subdued by the noble's demeanor. Being trapped in such an environment and yet being so calm, and able to pray with such devotion, showed how steadfast his faith was, and how extraordinary his temperament was. Indeed, it was a bearing worthy of a great personage.

  "I know." The Imperial Envoy gazed at the kneeling Rodhart with a benevolent expression, like an oracle who held all things in his grasp. "As a servant of God, I have always believed that I would not be harmed by those vile bandits. God will surely come to save those who believe in Him."

  He got up and walked over to help Rodhart, saying: "This knight, you are the one who has been guided by God to come here. You must be a person with infinite sense of justice, and also a very devout person, right?"

  Rodhart nodded hastily: "Yes. I am ready to dedicate this life to light and justice."

  "What's the situation outside? Have you cleaned up those bandits?" The imperial envoy looked at him with a heroic and approving gaze.

  "It's like this......" Roddert was excited and also embarrassed, as he received attention from the Imperial Envoy. "Those aren't bandits, they are..."

  After listening to Lord Hart's statement, the imperial envoy was somewhat unexpected, but after thinking about it, his face quickly calmed down and nodded: "Okay, I will thoroughly investigate and handle everything you said when I return to the city."

  "Thank you, sir. You are as noble as a divine messenger in the eyes of ordinary people." Rodhart was so moved that he almost burst into tears.

  "That's natural." The Imperial Envoy nodded elegantly, taking the praise in stride. "As a messenger of His Majesty and a servant of God, it is only natural that I would do my utmost to uphold justice. When touring the various regions, I have never shown any quarter to heretics who blaspheme against the gods or bandits who disrupt the Empire's peace. However, if there are devout believers and law-abiding citizens who have been wronged, I will also ensure they receive justice."

  "You are truly great." Rodhart felt he had found his idol. "I'll escort you back to the city right away."

  The imperial commissioner nodded as if in agreement with someone's request. Rodhart immediately bowed and escorted him out of the small wooden hut where he was being held. Throughout, the imperial commissioner did not even glance at Asa standing beside him.

  Outside, the villagers saw the imperial envoy coming out and collectively came over to give him a half-kneeling salute. This was strongly suggested by Rodhart, thinking that he would be able to return home safely and continue living, the villagers also appeared particularly respectful.

  The imperial envoy nodded with a very dignified posture and momentum, with an air of naturalness, and even smiled benevolently.

  Rodehart had already led his horse over and was ready, asking the imperial envoy to mount up so he could lead him back to the city.

  All the villagers stood together watching Rodhart and the imperial envoy walk away, remembering that benevolent smile, probably their wishes were very hopeful, and they couldn't help but feel a little excited. They also felt that this imperial envoy was probably really a good person, and people who had studied many things probably did have a very kind heart.

  To Asa, the whole thing was completely inexplicable from start to finish. Fortunately, the matter has been resolved, and now there are people familiar with this forest here. He first found hunter Leven, who should be the most familiar with this forest. However, after listening to his question, Hunter Leven shook his head in confusion.

  Ah Sa was almost in despair. A futile anger arose in his heart. If Kris appeared before him now, he would definitely punch her two eyes into the same bruise with two fists, and scold her for not understanding, but also pretending to understand, making things a mess.

  The key is that she's still holding onto that book and followed her father's designated merchant group to who-knows-where, it's not even possible to think about finding someone to translate again. Thinking of this also reminded me of how I was scared off by those tens of silver coins, can't help but feel extremely regretful. If only I hadn't been so impatient back then and had done some more research in the library, maybe there would have been some clues.

  Greed for money is the root of all evil. He recalled a phrase that an old pastor from his hometown often muttered. Now he felt a bit of strange sense of identity.

  "There's only one forest of echoes here, not the talking forest you mentioned." A somewhat indistinct voice said from beside him. Asa turned his head to look over and it was that old man who claimed he had never seen justice in this life.

  The old man with only a few teeth in his mouth made a hissing sound: "In the south of this forest, there is a piece of forest called the Forest of No Return. People who see it want to turn back, it's a forest that doesn't allow any talking."

  Hunter Leven nodded, "Right, I remember now. There's a strange forest there that even wild beasts don't dare to enter, so I've never gone in either. But recently, it seems like the city soldiers have been using the grassland outside the forest as a burial ground. Sometimes I see them burying bodies over there."

  "What kind of forest is that?" Asa felt like he had a bit of a lead now, and asked. "Why do you want to turn back after seeing it? Why didn't I hear about it when I was asking around in the city?"

  Hunter Leven shook his head and said, "That forest gives people a bad feeling, the locals don't like to get close to it. And that forest... feels... just like..." He furrowed his brow, searching hard for an appropriate metaphor in his mind, but after shaking his head, he still couldn't find a suitable description. "Like what... anyway, it's just weird, I don't even want to think about it." He suddenly became spirited. "I got it! It's like someone you really dislike, and you can't do anything about it, so you don't even want to think about them."

  "Like a hateful person? Don't go thinking that!" The metaphor for the forest is hard to grasp.

  "Hmm... that feeling is like..." Hunter Leven furrowed his brow again, searching for a new metaphor in his meager vocabulary. Asa feared he would become even more incomprehensible with further metaphors and hastily said: "It doesn't matter what it's like, just take me there tomorrow."

  "Older brother Luo De has come back." A small child shouted from outside. The villagers all ran out to hear the results he brought back from the city.

  Rodehart was surrounded by the crowd, like a child who had seen a victory in a village game and ran back to report, with a happy face and eager to tell everyone loudly: "The imperial envoy has said that we should all gather on the grassland east of the forest tomorrow at noon. He will come with local officials and publicly announce amnesty for our actions and exempt us from taxes."

  The crowd erupted in cheers.

  "I've said that there's justice in this world, right? Everyone believes it now?" Rodhart looked around left and right, triumphantly proclaiming the victory of his faith, while everyone was lost in their own joy, no one paid attention to what he was saying.

  But the old man who was talking to Asa didn't seem very happy, and he had also heard Rodhart's words clearly. He shook his head, as if muttering to himself: "I've lived for 70 years, I've never seen anything like that." Turning around to face Asa, he emphasized: "70 years old!" Asa nodded hastily.

  "The Maze Forest is just in that place." The old man said to Asa. His words, spoken with a mouth that didn't care about the wind, were vague and unclear, as if he was hesitant to speak, like a fortune teller interpreting an ominous divination.