The sky that had been dimly lit in the past was still as dark as nothingness.
Endless heavy rain pours on this land.
A heavy carriage drove through the streets of Belfast, and the windows on the roadside reflected the shadows of people walking inside the house.
Most families have already woken up at this time, preparing breakfast and going to work, and praying that the rain will lighten up today.
The rainy season has not yet arrived, and most families are not ready to deal with this sudden and continuous heavy rain. They can only spend all their savings to repair their houses and buy already very expensive food storage.
Occasionally, people can be seen on the street holding oil lamps and going to work. Although it is still raining heavily, the working hours of the factory are still not tolerant at all.
The extended carriage drove through the area with street lights. The houses on both sides of the bluestone road gradually became low and dilapidated, and wooden houses without any sense of beauty gradually took up the majority.
After a while, the extended carriage stopped in front of a long house on Shelov Street.
Lu Li didn't know which room Lame Barton lived in, but he remembered the window. He went to the window and knocked on it. After several times, the curtains were opened, revealing Lame Barton with messy hair.
He spoke, his voice muffled by the rain, then rubbed his eyes and walked towards the door.
"You stay here and wait for me." Lu Li and Anna said, walking into the dark long house and entering an opened door.
Barton's house was filled with clutter, and Lu Li stood by the door: "Have you finished drawing the map?"
After opening the door, Barton turned around, still rubbing his eyes, with his back to Lu Li and pointed at the dining table with the remaining food on it.
Lu Li walked to the table and picked up the brand new piece of parchment. The terrain and woods were drawn, and the clearing areas and silent hills were marked. There were also dotted lines symbolizing roads. This kind of detail was obviously not from Barton's hand.
Lu Li put the agreed reward on the table.
Button put down his water glass, picked up 300 shillings with a smell of alcohol, pouted out the window and asked, "What's inside the car?"
"Tree."
"You brought it here from Elm Forest?"
"I want to take him there."
"what are you up to?"
"Plant trees."
"You came to me so early to ask for a map just to plant a tree?"
"Um."
Barton was speechless and waved his hand to indicate that Lu Li could leave.
After leaving the longhouse with the map, Lu Li returned to the carriage. In the window, Barton pulled up the reins while toasting and drove the carriage away.
Without returning to the detective agency, Lu Li got the map and went straight to Elm Street in the northernmost part of Belfast.
Anna told Lu Li that Annie couldn't hold on much longer.
6:23
Finally there was a hint of light in the dark sky, and the streets were no longer empty.
Elm Street, from where a long carriage drove into the Elm Forest.
Approaching the elm forest, overwhelming sadness began to fill his heart. Lu Li, who had been overwhelmed by the turbulent emotions yesterday, seemed to have gained some resistance. This sadness did not have any impact on Lu Li.
It may also be because Lu Li's impression of this forest has changed.
Anna was deeply affected, and she felt that the flame that carried Anne's life was about to be extinguished. She, who was already sad, hammered her head and lowered her head in silence.
Lu Li drove the horses, which showed a little resistance after entering the forest, to the cliff along the map and the road he took yesterday.
As we went deeper into the elm forest, other emotions suddenly appeared in the sadness that was surrounding us.
The emotion was indescribable and seemed to be some kind of concern. They surrounded the carriage and gently touched Anne who was close to death.
Anna raised her head in surprise, feeling the flames of Anne's soul gradually stabilizing, and murmured in disbelief: "Anne will no longer be weak..."
"They're helping Annie."
Lu Li said. He looked up and saw that the forest emotions that permeated the surroundings had no substance and could not be observed.
Those forest emotions, or wills, kept touching Annie, and her flames were no longer weak, and even began to stabilize.
The prevailing emotions are no longer just sadness, but mixed with subtle expectations and joy. It's as if they are waiting for Anne, as if Anne is one of them.
In fact, Anne is an elm tree.
Their actions were not in vain, this forest could indeed save Annie.
A part of the emotion gently brushed through Lu Li, Anna, and the horse, seeming to comfort them.
The horses no longer resisted, and the muddy mountain road became relatively easy to walk.
Anna's mood also relaxed a little. Her hands never left Annie's trunk, feeling her condition.
An hour later, the horses arrived behind the cliff cave.
Ahead was a muddy slope that was difficult to drive on, and even after trying several times, the horse-drawn carriage could not drive up it smoothly.
Less than a hundred meters away from the cliff, Lu Li stopped the carriage here, took out a shovel from the car and returned to the cave, where he started digging a hole at the place he had chosen yesterday.
The rain-soaked soil was easy to dig out. Anna brought another shovel and wanted to help, but Lu Li stopped her. Her ability should be used in key places.
Twenty minutes later, Lu Li dug out a pit that was about the same size as a wooden box. He went to the cave to get some dry soil and spread it on the bottom of the pit.
"Too much water will kill you."
Lu Li and Anna said that it seemed to be of no use as the dry soil quickly turned dark and moist.
Putting down the shovel, Lu Li and Anna returned to the carriage and asked her to use her abilities to transport Annie there.
The cold and evil aura made people shudder, thick hair was flying, Anna's long skirt was swinging violently, and she used her power to levitate the hundreds of pounds of Anna and float towards the cliff.
Lu Li's gaze lingered on Anna's twisted shadow for a moment, and then he looked around.
The surrounding area was obviously empty, but it seemed to be crowded with beings, looking at them.
This forest only has emotions but no will, but they are indeed observing Lu Li. It seems that every tree in the forest has turned into an invisible eye, silently watching everything Lu Li does.
The wooden box holding Annie fell beside the pit. Lu Li opened the lid and asked Anna to take out Annie and the soil wrapping the roots, and sit them together in the pit.
After filling the gap with the soil piled aside, Lu Li stepped back a little, looked at Anna who had her palms pressed against the tree trunk, and then looked around.
They are still here, with some joy and goodwill.
"Annie knows everything we have done for it." Anna said at this time.
"Yes." Lu Li picked up the shovel Anna threw aside and looked at Anna. "Next, we will rely on the help of this forest."
Anna pursed her lips, looked away and scanned the invisible beings around her, and said softly: "Please...please save my sister..."
After the words fell, Anna felt a sense of self-mockery in her heart.
I can actually talk to a group of trees...
The mental projection and aura were restrained, and Anna looked at Lu Li: "What should we do next?"
