The silence in the forest suddenly became gloomy, without a trace of life. Hajime wanted to leave this place, but he still didn't know what to do. According to the old woman, what they entered was a sacrificial field. He took out the black hawk and threw the wooden figure into the air. The black hawk spread its wings and flew into the sky.
Michio asked, "Did you ask him to scout the area?"
Hajime said, "The old woman I met told me that we had stepped into a sacrificial field, and there was no way to get out of this forest."
Michio asked, "And you believe her?"
Hajime said, " Not at first, but when I got up to help you and Yul, I saw that the whole forest looked like a human skull. Also, we were supposed to go up the mountain and meet at the top, but somehow I ended up in a sacrificial magic circle in the village at the foot of the mountain."
Michio said, "It's dangerous to wait in this open space, I'm afraid the wolves will come back." He looked at Hajime. "Let me see your wound."
Hajime looked at the palm of his left hand and found that the blood had dried up, and the wound that was once deep was slowly healing. "It's okay, everything will be fine in a day or two," he said.
Michio sighed and said with a smile, "You are truly amazing."
Hajime said, "He is really amazing, that's why he has the ability to do things that I can't." Hajime is very grateful that he has this body, and at this moment he finally understands what Avalokitesvara said to him in the crystal cave. In other words, although the body he has is just a corpse, he feels strongly that this empty body with no soul will bring great protection to the people he cares about.
Michio said, "That's why he is the captain of the other palace guards."
Hajime sneered strangely; he wasn't sure if Michio was on the same page as him. He said, "That's right, that's why he is the captain..."
After U-ri tended Abrafo's wounds, Abrafo put on new clothes and walked to Hajime and Michio. He sits down next to Yul, who is still lying unconscious on the ground. "What's next?" he asked.
Hajime said, "I don't know yet. One thing I can be sure of is that we are definitely inside a sacrificial forest."
Abrafo said, "I don't doubt that part. Looking at the situation we encountered, everything in this forest wants to eat us, as if we are a rare special dish."
Hajime said, "I did send the hawk out, and if he found something new for us, that would mean we could fly out of here. If not..." He sighed. "Otherwise... we have to find a way to break out of this place."
Michio said worriedly, "Breaking us free, does that mean that these monsters are also free. If these monsters can move freely, what will happen to the surrounding villagers? To be honest, I want us to leave here as soon as possible, there would be no point in leaving this place if we would cause harm to others. I'm sure these monsters are here for a reason. This place feels like…"
Abrafo asked, "How does it feel?"
Michio and Hajime said at the same time, "Prison."
U-ri said, " I lived a life of luxury and I never imagined that one day I would fight these monsters."
From a distance, Hajime and her companions heard the howling of wolves. The wolves seem to have changed their minds and decided to attack them now rather than later. Hajime reached into his side bag and tossed out his two eagles.
Abrafo grabbed his bag and said, "It seems that the wolves have changed their minds."
Michio grabs U-ri onto the eagle's back, then Abrafo. He quickly grabs their stuff and throws it at Abrafo and U-ri. Then he helped Hajime put Yul on the back of another eagle. He grabbed Hajime and Yul's belongings and threw them at Hajime.
Abrafo said urgently, "Michio, hurry up." He turned his head to investigate how far the wolves were from them. He could already see more than three wolves approaching them. "They're getting closer."
Hajime shouted, "Go now." The eagle that Abrafo and U-ri were on started to take off, and Hajime reached out and pulled Michio to the eagle that he and Yul were on.
The eagle carrying Abrafo and U-ri flew into the sky quickly. Abrafo and U-ri looked down to see hundreds of wolves running into the open road.
Abrafo screamed, "Hajime! Get the hell out now!"
Hearing Abrafo's scream, Michio took out a blank paper talisman and sent it in the direction of the wolves' charge. The eagle spread its wings and followed the eagle carrying Abrafo and U-ri into the sky. The two eagles soar side by side, not knowing where they should fly.
Michio asked, "Do you know where we're going?"
Hajime said, "No, I am waiting for my hawk. We can only fly in circles, there is no safe place down there."
Michio looked down at the forest and said, "The forest is, as you said, a human skull."
"It's impossible to escape without breaking the barricade, but until then, let's wait for news from my eagle," Hajime said, looking down at Yul lying in his arms. "After leaving here, we have to find a place to settle down and wait for Yul and Abrafo to recover from their injuries before continuing."
Michio said, "I agree." He looked straight ahead and saw Hajime's hawk was flying towards them. "Hajime… your hawk is back."
The black hawk flew towards Hajime's right arm. The black hawk dropped two red bean seeds into Hajime's palm from its beak. Hajime looked at the black hawk, then at the two red seeds, and he said, "Lead the way."
The black hawk flew out from Hajime's arm and circled the two eagles twice. The black hawk flew in front of the two eagles and led the way north.
Abrafo asked, "What is he doing?"
Hajime said, "He is taking us to the escape corridor." He opened his right palm. "Red beans...do people eat red beans?"
"People do eat red beans," Abrafo said.
Michio said, "In other words, we can finally escape from this forest without causing trouble to anyone."
The two eagles followed the black hawk over the Skull Forest and entered the tall pine forest wilderness with a radius of several miles.
U-ri shudders and starts searching for his clothes. "How far north are we? I'm starting to feel cold." He pulled out a spare robe and put it on. "I remember reading it many years ago. There are also four seasons in Tanzang. It is said that four hundred mages created such a landscape, summer, autumn, winter, and spring. Ever since the four hundred mages threw themselves into the river, there have been no four seasons in Tanzang. It is said that the first snow falls after the death of the four hundred mages is no longer white, but red. Once the snow melts, it is no longer clear water, but blood. Many people died because of the lack of water that winter."
Abrafo asked doubtfully, "Are you referring to the Red Winter?"
U-ri said, "Yes."
Abrafo said, "According to the texts and history I have read, the red winter was caused by a fire that burned all over Tanzang."
U-ri chuckled and said, "And you believed it?"
Abrafo said, "That's what we were taught in school."
U-ri said, "Being taught something doesn't necessarily mean it's true. Sometimes the truth is harder to swallow than some fictional tall tales."
Hajime listens to the discussion between Abrafo and U-ri, and he himself believes that there is a more sinister truth behind the stories others have made up. He had seen it with his own eyes, even experienced it himself. His mother is the best example. His mother lives in her fantasy world with alcoholism so she doesn't have to face the fact that her greed caused his father to leave her and cheat with another woman. Perhaps, facing the truth was too much for her.
When Hajime was young, he didn't understand why his father made up stories to cover up the truth, but as he grew older, he found that everyone has their own way of dealing with feelings. His mother chose to hide the truth and lie because she didn't want to lose face in front of others. The same must be true of Tenth King of Tanzang. The Tenth King didn't want to lose face in front of the nation, so he rewrote a period of history and blamed others. Hajime had lied to himself many times, he lied to himself that beyond any red horizon was the starting point of an eternal rainbow, and someone was waiting for him there. Perhaps by lying to yourself and others, you can also gain peace of mind. When the mind is at peace, you can fall asleep and dream at night.
"I believe U-ri's version of the story more than what was taught to you in school, Abrafo," Hajime said, looking at Abrafo and U-ri.
Abrafo asked, "Why?"
Hajime said, "Think about it. Too many unfortunate events have happened in your kingdom, and now it is coming to an end. A black hole, created by the Emperor of Heaven himself to destroy Tanzang. Among all mortals and immortals, the Tenth King chose to offend the Emperor of Heaven. This Tenth King of Tanzang was either very ruthless or not very smart. He did not write the correct content but continued to make up such a lie to cover up his evil deeds." He suddenly realized that he was at the risk of getting angry at his two friends. "Sorry, I didn't mean to vent my anger at anyone." He looked at Abrafo. "So Abrafo, what did they teach you about why the River of Sorrow turns to blood."
Abrafo said, "It was said that the four hundred mages gathered all the Kukuga people and burned them alive in the river."
Hajime turned to look at U-ri and said, "U-ri, about the Red Winter. I really want to hear it."
U-ri looked at the men. "Well, many generations ago, before the Red Winter tragedy happened, the Tenth King of Tanzang received news from his spies in other kingdoms of a co-collation to overthrow his majesty."