Layla couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was so astonished that her eyes went wide, and she stared at Henry without blinking.
"Henry, are you... are you serious?" He tilted his head slightly, looking at her with a half-closed eye: "Is there a problem with your listening comprehension? Or else, get going, I will devour you right here and now!" Layla's tears of joy fell. With Henry's help, the journey to find her father would be much smoother. Actually, Henry was not as tyrannical as rumored. He no longer forced Layla to offer herself to him, instead, he changed his mind and wholeheartedly helped her. When Henry was young, Barrett was the one who saved his life. At the age of ten, Henry nearly drowned in a lake. Thanks to Barrett William's rescue, Henry survived. He owed Barrett a debt, so he would repay it to his daughter in the most worthy way. After Layla left, Henry quickly entered the bathroom, pouring cold water over his body to clear his mind. "Layla?!" Mervyn had been patiently waiting for Layla outside. After instructing his four younger siblings to go ahead, he stayed, sitting in front of the temple gate. As soon as he saw her, Mervyn immediately smiled brightly, spun Layla around in a circle before he sighed with relief: "Thank God! Thankfully that scoundrel didn't harm you!" Layla dared not tell Mervyn about the condition Henry had set. She just chuckled awkwardly, replying: "Henry is quite careful. He discussed with me... for a long time, until we reached a satisfactory agreement. I didn't realize it got dark so quickly." Mervyn nodded slightly, then pulled Layla to leave. They would temporarily stay at a small inn nearby, to facilitate work the next morning. That night, Layla was too excited to sleep. She pondered and planned, looking for all possible contingency plans just to get Henry's agreement. Unexpectedly, he could easily accept it like that. Father, Layla will definitely clear your name!Her eyes stung as if thousands, tens of thousands of dust particles were incessantly creeping into her eyes. Early the next morning, while Henry was still not fully awake, Layla, Mervyn, and Conal were already present in the waiting room. "Oh! And an uninvited guest as well?" Mervyn did not understand why this powerful Young Master always ignored him, even though he had not touched a single hair of Henry's. Mervyn tried to endure, stood up to shake hands with Henry, not forgetting to force a smile: "We meet again. It's an honor for me, Young Master!" However, Mervyn's extended hand was directly dismissed by Henry. He breezed past Mervyn, leisurely sitting down on the gold-trimmed armchair, legs crossed with authority: "Let's get to the main point! Saul, bring the Mountainview map here!" Old man Saul Robbins obeyed, quickly bringing an aged leather map, presenting it on the large table. Layla and Mervyn's eyes widened as they watched him, then they also took out another map from their bags. Conal leaned towards Mervyn, quietly asking: "Two Mountainview maps, but the paths are different. Strange!" Layla spread both maps side by side, carefully observing every smallest detail. The paths were completely different, moreover, the illustration of Mountainview mountain also differed between them. Mervyn gently stroked his chin, whispering softly: "Young Master, could this map of yours possibly..." Before Mervyn could finish, Henry immediately smirked dismissively: "Throw it away! Your map is a fake!" Refusing to believe that the map he held was a counterfeit, Mervyn immediately retorted: "You're lying! On what basis do you claim our map is fake?" His anger was not unjustified. After all, this map was personally handed to Layla by his own master, who was considered infallible. How could he randomly distribute fake items to them? Layla, more gentle in demeanor, glanced at Mervyn, signaling him to cool his temper, and asked politely: "Young Master, please don't mind Mr. Mervyn; he's just concerned about our master. This is the map our master has kept for fifty years, so your statement has shocked us."Henry scoffed, giving Mervyn a disdainful look:
"The map your master has kept for fifty years, whereas this map of mine has existed for over a hundred years, crafted from human skin." Once again, everyone present was left bewildered, thrown from one surprise to another by Henry. He stood up, lifting the human skin map high, then passed it over the fire. Strangely, the map did not catch fire. Instead, under the influence of the heat, a layer of grease quickly evaporated, revealing strange red markings and designs. "Do you see the red ink imprints pressed into the map?" Henry asked indifferently. The three, including Layla, nodded in agreement. They had heard that Oakwood's most renowned feng shui master, Wendell Wright, would secretly employ his unique technique to seal red marks into his maps after completing them. Could this be the seal of Wendell Wright? As if he had read their thoughts, Henry replied with a faint smile: "This is indeed the mark of Wendell Wright. Layla, he drew this map exactly one hundred and twenty-five years ago. Any more doubts?" At this point, Mervyn and the others fell silent, no longer voicing any objections. Henry then sat back down and continued: "Last night, I told Ms. Smith here that if we hurry, we could reach Mountainview by the afternoon. However, I've just received an urgent call that needs immediate attention. Please, the three of you, stay at Lotus Flower and study the map to find the exact location we need to visit. Once finished, we will devise the most suitable travel plan." As Henry was about to leave, Layla hurriedly called out to him. Her cheeks turned crimson as she shyly responded: "Young Master, thank you!" Henry's broad back stiffened. He turned his head, smirking mockingly at her: "No need! I hope next time you'll be more proactive."His words were laden with dark undertones, leaving Layla feeling embarrassed and wishing she could hide away. Mervyn quickly tapped her arm, trying to inquire: "What did he mean by that?" Layla did not answer, shaking her head to avoid the question. This made Mervyn even more suspicious. Henry, upon leaving the waiting room, immediately went upstairs to change his shirt. He put on sunglasses, his hair neatly combed to one side, revealing his broad, high forehead. Among hundreds of outfits, Henry casually chose a white dress shirt and trousers that accentuated his tall stature, paired with a black coat that extended to his knees. Waiting for him to change, bodyguard Youssef Young was already outside. Youssef quickly stepped forward, then strapped a small, state-of-the-art gun to Henry's belt. "Those fools are demanding again. Tsk, it seems, if we don't eliminate this rabble soon, they will take advantage and proliferate even more!" He parted his lips, blowing a cold breath in Youssef's face. His handsome face slightly moved, exuding an extreme malevolence. Then, Henry slipped his hands into his pockets, striding forward with his subordinate holstering the gun, respectfully following behind, creating a perfect formation. The convoy quickly departed.Henry's destination was a condominium area reserved for the Armstrong family. Though called a condominium, the Armstrongs lived concentrated in a forest, clearing trees, flattening the jungle to transform it into their own condominium.Mentioning the Armstrong family refers to the famous real estate trading corporation in the country. However, this group was secretly transporting opium, importing banned substances, growing richer and richer. Henry, although aware, chose to turn a blind eye as Lotus Flower has a rule not to intervene in the affairs of the wealthy.However, the Armstrongs made a grave mistake by offending Henry and the Lotus Flower. Henry's working principle is water does not interfere with well water. But if they have offended him, they will surely meet a tragic end.The head of the Armstrong family is Stephen Armstrong, the CEO of the Vomart conglomerate. Upon hearing that Henry himself was coming, he merely sneered. If it comes to age, Henry is still a full ten years
Suddenly, Henry's composed face became inscrutably deep. He walked towards his car, stretched his shoulders gently, then raised his face to ask his subordinate standing at attention beside him:"Is everything arranged properly?"The subordinate immediately nodded vigorously:"All set, Young Master!"Henry didn't drive away immediately. He leaned back in his seat, curled his lips into a silent chuckle, occasionally glancing at a timer.Stephen, indulging with two girls in the bedroom, suddenly received news that Henry's convoy hadn't left yet. Curious and furious, he hurriedly dressed, intending to go outside and confront them. Suddenly, a major incident occurred at the mansion next door to the Armstrongs.The sound of an explosion thundered through the air, dust and smoke filled the atmosphere, and flames engulfed an area in bright red fire. The large mansion was instantly blown to pieces, bricks and soil scattered in disarray. The fire spread to the remaining Armstrong mansions, caus
Henry scuffed his feet against the plane's side, speaking sarcastically. Layla, sitting in the row behind, stood up, stepped next to him, and softly asked:"From here to Mountainview's prime location, how much more time do we need?"Henry glanced at Layla, thought for a moment, then answered:"Seven days, six nights. If I remember correctly. That's if the path is clear, and the weather doesn't mock us like this!"Following his gaze, Mervyn and Conal also looked out of the airplane window. The dark forests, with trees as tall as five-story buildings and dense foliage, seemed like they wanted to engulf everything within.Layla shivered involuntarily, her hands clutching tightly onto the small, now yellowed photograph of her father.The heavy rain poured down for more than an hour before it stopped. By the time the weather cleared, it had already turned dark. They all decided to spend the night on the plane and start heading into the Mountainview forest early the next morning.Santiago W
Youssef assisted Henry with the hand sanitizer. Mervyn, silent and unspoken, turned and walked away.After a short rest, the group continued on their way. If they did not accelerate their pace, they feared they would spend another one or two days wandering in the forest. Henry still led the way, continuously checking the compass to prevent them from losing their direction.The deeper they went into the forest, the weaker the signal became, eventually disappearing completely. They all had to rely solely on their own survival skills.Layla did not know whether this journey of hers would end in success or failure. She carefully tucked the old necklace left by her mother into her collar, then quickly merged with the group into the dark forest.Boom... boom...A series of loud thunder continued to resound across the vast sky. Henry glanced up, stopping his steps entirely."If I remember correctly, about seven meters ahead, there should be a small cave. We can go in there to avoid the rain
The weather seems to have improved somewhat. This is an appropriate time for everyone to continue their journey to Mountainview.Henry leads the way, occasionally plucking leaves off the roadside trees, tearing them up, and tossing them into the air like a child. Layla watches, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned.Every action of Henry is caught by Mervyn's envious gaze. After last night, the conflict between the two of them has become even more distant.The deeper into the forest, the more spacious the vegetation becomes. Instead of the rows of trees taller than a person, there are now large boulders obstructing the path. Henry looks up at the towering
After bandaging was completed, everyone continued on their way. Since Layla was injured, Mervyn decided to carry her for a while.Layla shook her head in refusal:"I can walk myself!""Can you walk alone, or are you trying to destroy your left leg?"Henry bluntly dropped a cold comment. Layla did not argue, obediently listening to him.The group continued to move forward. At this moment, the most important thing they needed to do was to find a temporary shelter to r
As Layla passed by the chapel, she saw a series of spirit tablets scattered on the ground. She suppressed her pain, bent down to pick up each tablet, placed them neatly on the wooden rack, and then felt at ease to head down once more.Henry, engrossed in observing the corpse, suddenly heard footsteps behind him. He swiftly turned around, seeing Layla pinching her nose, her beautiful face slightly panicked, coldly saying:"You're injured, it wouldn't be good for you to be near the dead!"Layla dismisses him, not caring about what he says, carefully sits down next to him, examining the corpse together with Henry.&nb
The pain as the skin was sliced made Layla bite her lip. She wasn't sure if this method would work or fail. However, as long as there's hope, it's worth trying once.Swipe!She pulled the tattered mat covering the corpse forcefully away. Immediately, a foul smell began to severely invade her nostrils, her senses. Layla did not care, she flipped the corpse over, using her blood-stained hand to press onto the Bagua mark.The moment her palm touched the dead man's skin, a chilling sensation quickly ran down her entire body. Layla shivered, her palm beginning to numb. It seemed to her, every drop of fresh blood on her palm was being absorbed into the corpse.