Chapter 91 – The Enchanted Forest: You Are My Exclusive Love (08)
While things had smoothed over for them, the situation on the heroine’s side was far from optimistic. Without the male lead’s help—assistance she had relied on in the original storyline—she found herself completely trapped in her own illusion, unable to escape.
She laughed hysterically one moment, then sobbed uncontrollably the next. At times, she wildly swung her weapon, preventing the elves from approaching her.
The elder shook his head. This one still lacks the strength of mind.
In the end, it was Bai Tang who stepped in. Using vines, he pulled Kelly out of the crystal formation. Once she was out, the illusions gradually dissipated, leaving her utterly drained. She collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily. The scenes from her dream had struck at the deepest core of her fears—she didn’t have the courage to overcome them.
Having failed the second trial, Kelly was naturally disqualified from proceeding to the third round. According to the rules, Daniel should have been the only one allowed to advance, while Kelly would be sent out of the Misty Forest.
However, for some unknown reason, the elven elder made a surprising decision—he directly declared Daniel the recipient of the Elf’s Key.
The gathered elves were puzzled by this unexpected choice. But the elder simply smiled, stroking his beard and giving them a reassuring look.
“Two hundred years… At last, I can entrust the Elf’s Key with peace of mind.”
Stepping forward, he patted Daniel’s shoulder. Then, noticing Bai Tang’s innocent and bewildered expression, he reached out and ruffled his hair.
“You are a good one. With you beside the Holy Son, I can rest assured.”
Was this… a sign that Daniel had earned the elves’ approval?
Bai Tang didn’t understand, but Daniel and the system did.
Daniel held Bai Tang’s hand tightly and declared with determination, “I will.” He would never let go.
Since Kelly had suffered a psychological blow in the illusion trial, it would take her some time to recover. Instead of immediately expelling her from the forest as per the rules, the elves showed compassion and allowed her to stay and recuperate.
The Misty Forest remained peaceful and isolated from the world, but outside, rumors ran rampant.
Word spread that a young man would wield his sword at the Xuanri Festival, riding the swift winds to put an end to the Lord of Swamp City and free its people from tyranny. He was said to be the savior of the continent, whose brilliance would illuminate every inch of the land and drive the wicked Ghost Name Clan back into their shadowy underworld.
Upon hearing these rumors, Cook Vito, the Lord of Swamp City, was furious. He swept everything off his desk in a fit of rage, shattering priceless treasures into fragments.
He had worked so hard—so incredibly hard—to attain absolute power. He was only one step away from ruling the entire continent. To gain this power, he had even forged an alliance with the infamous Ghost Name Clan. He could not—would not—allow a mere brat to ruin his plans!
Cook’s face darkened with malice. With a sinister grin, he summoned his shadow guards.
“Scour every inch of this land if you must, but find this so-called savior—and kill him.”
…
Meanwhile, in the Misty Forest…
The elder handed the Elf’s Key to Daniel, and the next step was to begin the secluded forging of his sword.
To accomplish this, he needed a quiet, undisturbed location. And the only place left on the continent where no one would dare intrude was the Misty Forest itself.
That night, now fully accepted by the elves, Daniel was no longer treated with suspicion. He moved openly and confidently into Bai Tang’s tree hollow.
Under the dim, flickering candlelight, Daniel leaned against the headboard, engrossed in reading the “Elven Childcare Guide” that the elder had given him. As he read, he couldn’t help but compare the descriptions in the book to the little squirrel sitting on his stomach, gnawing on pine nuts.
According to the book, elves were a simple and pure race—they loved nature and enjoyed eating fruit. If an elf trusted a human (or another creature) enough, they would share food with them and even sleep in the same bed.
Daniel reached out to the table, grabbed a pine nut, and handed it to Bai Tang.
The little squirrel let out a series of “chitter-chitter” sounds, eagerly clutching the pine nut as it climbed onto Daniel’s bare chest, gnawing on it while making sure he was watching.
After finishing the pine nut, Bai Tang noticed that Daniel was ignoring him, focused solely on reading. Frustrated, the tiny squirrel stomped his little paws, trying to grab his mate’s attention.
The soft fur on the pads of his feet brushed against Daniel’s skin, sending a tingling sensation that spread from his chest muscles deep into his chest cavity.
Daniel gently flicked him away, and Bai Tang instinctively curled into a ball, rolling along the contours of his body before stopping just below his abdomen.
The little squirrel sat up—right on top of a rather sensitive spot.
Daniel’s breath hitched as his gaze darkened, now fixed on the small creature atop him.
He had been ignored.
He had been pushed aside.
Unforgivable!
Fuming, the squirrel scrambled back up to his original spot, planting his paws firmly on Daniel’s chest and stomping down hard.
Daniel, overwhelmed by the ticklish sensation of those fluffy little paws, burst into laughter.
Bai Tang was furious.
He was still laughing?!
How dare he still laugh?!
In retaliation, Bai Tang stomped even harder.
But given his small frame, his force was no different from a light tickle to Daniel.
“You’ve changed. You don’t love me anymore…”
With tears brimming in his eyes, Bai Tang shifted into his human form, sitting atop Daniel as if he were on the verge of crying.
The sudden shift—and the breathtaking sight before him—sent Daniel’s pulse into chaos.
“It’s my fault,” Daniel admitted, his voice low and husky. “How about I let Tang Tang ‘bully’ me back, hmm?”
Naïve as always, Bai Tang didn’t catch the deeper meaning in Daniel’s words. He nodded earnestly, his fluffy tail swishing behind him—brushing right against Daniel’s inner thigh.
And just like that—the spark turned into an inferno.
…
Meanwhile, outside the tree hollow…
The elder had come to find Daniel, intending to teach him how to fully harness the power of the Elf’s Key.
However, after hearing the “harmonious“ sounds coming from within, he simply gazed up at the sky and sighed.
Who hasn’t been young once? Ah… youth truly is wonderful.
Daniel and Bai Tang spent several blissful days together, indulging in their own little world of sweetness. Only after Bai Tang was completely soothed did Daniel finally take the alchemy materials and the Elf’s Key into seclusion.
Among the elves, aside from the ruling elders and the guards, the young, unawakened elves lived a carefree existence—no worries, no burdens, no responsibilities.
The elders felt sorry for Bai Tang, who had left the Misty Forest at a young age and never experienced the carefree childhood he should have had. So, they let him play with the little elves, confident in the forest’s protective barriers.
Even though the pure power of the elves could cleanse the darkness of time, the Ghost Clan had rapidly expanded over the years by using Cook as their pawn. At this rate, within just a few years, the entire continent could fall under their control.
…
Under the clear blue sky, Bai Tang was happily playing with the elves when a dark mist quietly began to creep into the Misty Forest.
Not far away, Kelly bit her lip as she watched Bai Tang playing a game of “Eagle Catches Chicks” with the young elves. After hesitating for a moment, she finally walked toward him.
“I caught you!” Bai Tang pulled off the cloth blindfold covering his eyes, only to realize that he had caught the heroine. His instinctive reaction was to take a few steps back.
“Can we talk?” Kelly’s fiery red hair danced in the wind as she looked at Bai Tang with a serious expression. “I want to talk to you… about Daniel.”
Bai Tang neither liked nor disliked Kelly. But since it was about Daniel, he still nodded and followed her to a quiet spot.
The gentle sound of flowing water masked the playful laughter of the elves in the distance.
Kelly had brought Bai Tang here, yet she now stood staring absentmindedly at the crystal-clear stream.
“Is there something you wanted to say?” Bai Tang took the initiative to ask.
The fish in the river were unafraid of people, swimming in groups near the two of them.
“I like Daniel.”
Kelly suddenly tossed a pebble into the water. The startled fish scattered like lightning.
“I fell for him the moment I first met him.”
“Oh.” Bai Tang nodded, showing little reaction.
“Let me stab this female lead to death! How dare she try to steal my man!” The system fumed with righteous indignation, already preparing to exchange points for a voodoo doll.
Kelly, as if reminiscing about something beautiful, smiled sweetly.
She grasped Bai Tang’s shoulders and said sincerely, “So, please make sure to cherish him.”
The system’s needle was just 0.1 centimeters away from piercing the doll when it froze. That’s it? D*mn it, what a waste of my points!
Bai Tang replied seriously, “I know.” I’ve always known. He’s a good person.
…
Dark mist slithered along the river, and the fish, as if thrown into chaos, scattered in all directions.
A small fish, which had gained a hint of spiritual intelligence, suddenly leaped out of the water, only to land back with a loud splash, sending ripples across the surface.
Bai Tang wiped the water droplets from his face. Noticing something was wrong with the river, he instinctively turned to run—but it was too late.
The dark mist had already reached their feet.
It coalesced into solid forms, and within moments, several black-clad figures wielding curved blades began advancing toward them.
Kelly unsheathed her sword, pointing it at them with vigilance.
“Who are you?”
The black-clad men remained silent.
They were humans who had been refined and corrupted by the Ghost Clan, now serving as the Shadow Guards sent by the Swamp Lord.
…
“Holy Son! Holy Son, are you there?”
It was one of the young elves from the game earlier, coming to look for Bai Tang after noticing he had been gone for too long.
Kelly was already fighting the black-clad men.
“Run!” she shouted before focusing entirely on her battle.
Blades clashed by the riverside, their flashes reflecting off the water. The young elf, having never witnessed such a scene before—let alone learned any combat skills—panicked and cried out.
Despite her skill, Kelly was slowly being overwhelmed. The sheer number of enemies made it difficult for her to keep up.
She kicked away one attacker, but before she could react, a curved blade gleamed at her from the right, slashing toward her. Resigned to her fate, she closed her eyes.
But the pain she expected never came. Instead, she heard a soft, airy voice say, “Don’t space out.”
Though the voice was gentle, it carried a reassuring strength.
She opened her eyes to see Bai Tang skillfully wielding vines, knocking down the black-clad men one by one. Darkness and light were natural opposites, and the wounds Bai Tang inflicted on them failed to heal automatically like they usually would.
They exchanged a quick nod before retreating. Just as they were about to disappear, they caught sight of the petrified young elf. Without hesitation, they grabbed him and vanished into the river as black mist.
“Holy Son, help me—!”
The young elf’s muffled cries barely broke through the water’s surface before he was submerged.
Bai Tang didn’t think twice—he reached out, grasping the elf’s hand that was still above the water.
But the enemy was too strong. Instead of pulling the elf out, Bai Tang was yanked into the river.
Seeing this, Kelly swung her sword into the water, hoping to cut through the black mist.
The Guiming Clan still feared the power of the elves. Bai Tang seized an opportunity to break free and used all his strength to lift the young elf, allowing Kelly to pull him onto the shore.
However, when Kelly turned back to help Bai Tang out of the water, she found that he had been underwater for too long. His fear of the water had drained him of all his strength. She couldn’t pull him up—instead, she herself was dragged in.
Just like that, the Guiming Clan took both of them. The river returned to its pristine, crystal-clear state, as if nothing had ever happened.
The young elf sat on the shore, stunned. A few seconds passed before he suddenly burst into loud sobs, frantically splashing the water.
“Waaah~~ Holy Son! Holy Son…!”
The cries quickly attracted the attention of other elves, who rushed over to the riverbank. The young elf pointed at the water, struggling to speak coherently.
“T-There was a black mist… Holy Son… saved me… Miss Kelly… fell into the river!”
The other young elves only half-understood the situation.
“The Holy Son and Miss Kelly drowned in the river!”
“No, no! A black mist dragged the Holy Son underwater, and now he’s gone!”
“Wait, that’s not right! Miss Kelly pushed the Holy Son into the river!”
By the time Nicol, one of the patrolling elves, arrived and questioned the group, the situation was finally clarified.
“Holy crap! The Guiming Clan kidnapped the Holy Son and Miss Kelly!”
Author’s Note:
The young elves:
“Oh no! Oh no! The Holy Son is missing!”
“Oh no! Oh no! Miss Kelly killed the Holy Son!”
“Wait, no! The Guiming Clan kidnapped the Holy Son!”
(Dear readers, if there’s a world setting you’d like to see, let me know! Love you all! ❤️)