The Witch in the Woods: The Transmigration of Hazel-Anne Davis
Chapter 26: A Path To The Future

Chapter 26: A Path To The Future

The moment Zhu Deming split away from Sun Longzi, it was like he was a completely different man. Not that the outside had changed all that much, he was still silent and watchful, but something inside of him was shifting...

Changing...

Like his entire body was reacting to the mountain in a way he hadn’t noticed before, not when everyone was around.

Shaking the sentimental thoughts from his head, Zhu Deming concentrated on his mission.

The mother with the sick child had fallen behind, moving more slowly now. Her arms were clearly tired, and the baby’s fever was rising.

He followed her through a different trail—one that seemed to be barely used. The grass was still mostly intact, only slightly disturbed by recent footsteps. A game trail, maybe, but it was barely distinguishable from the rest of the woods.

But it definitely wasn’t random.

The woman knew where she was going.

He slipped after her, one hand on the dagger beneath his cloak. The trees were tighter here. Older. They pressed in like they were trying to form a physical barrier.

And then... the forest opened.

Like a curtain parting to allow someone through, the very air of the mountains shifted.

A house sat nestled in the clearing—oddly shaped but beautiful, with wildflowers spilling from its garden and a wooden fence marking the edge of a small yard. There was a stone table sitting near the front, between the house itself and the gate, with two matching stools set on either side.

A kettle was on top of the table with only two teacups and a pot for tea. There were even some small snacks, like whoever lived there was waiting for someone.

The mother didn’t bother to knock, just opened the gate like she had every right to be there.

"Zhao Xiuying!" she called softly, her tone cheerful, like calling out to an old friend. "Sorry to drop by without warning!"

There was no answer, but that didn’t stop her.

"I don’t know what happened," she continued, walking up the path, carrying on a one-sided conversation like it was completely normal. "She just woke up this morning, and her leg was bright red. I didn’t know what to do, so I figured I’d come here."

The front door to the house creaked open, and a woman stepped out. Young, barefoot, and calm, she seemed to be upset that her quiet had been interrupted, but the other woman didn’t seem to care. Her dark hair was tied back loosely, and her blue eyes flicked to the child and back to the mother. Without a word, she held out her hands and sat down at the table.

The mother sighed with relief and passed the baby over without hesitation.

"I swear she wasn’t like this yesterday," the woman prattled. "But she started crying at dawn, and I just knew something was wrong."

The younger woman didn’t answer; she simply nodded her head to show that she was listening.

Cradling the child against her chest, Zhu Deming strained his eyes to try and see what she was doing. Pressing her fingers against the inflamed skin, the Second Prince blinked a few times when he saw a white mist trickle from her hands and wrap around the baby’s leg.

The child stopped crying almost immediately.

"I knew you’d know what to do," the woman sighed. "Oh! You’ll never guess what happened recently. There was a whole bru-ha-ha at the village when the Red Demon Army arrived. Do you know anything about them? I swear to all the gods that they are the most intimidating men I have ever seen. They are dresses all in red, and it is whispered that anyone who sees them will die."

The smaller woman seemed to scoff at that statement, but the mother only smiled in return. "I know... I’m just saying what I know about them. Anyways, the generals are kind of handsome; they don’t hold a candle to my man, but they aren’t that bad. But lord fuck a duck, that Third Prince is a piece of work. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if someone killed that man in his sleep one day. The mouth on him is driving me insane. Did I tell you that the Third Prince went into the mountains and the Red Demons had to go in a find him? They even had to bring your whole cage back! Can you believe that? That prince you caught? Lost his damn mind. He was screaming all night—like an animal. I didn’t get a lick of sleep."

The woman, Zhao Xiuying, didn’t change her expression. But Zhu Deming could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He wanted to tell her that she didn’t need to be scared of the Red Demons, that no matter what happened, he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

He almost stepped out of his hiding spot, only to force himself back when the woman spoke again. "You don’t need to worry about demons," announced the girl’s calm voice. "The only ones that I am scared of are the ones back home. These ones are nothing more than men. If they try something, tell Shadow."

"Don’t worry," the mother agreed with a grin. "We’ll let him know. Besides, Shadow won’t let him near the villagers. Especially not if we keep feeding him. I think that wolf’s gotten so spoiled, he wouldn’t know how to hunt even if he tried."

Zhao Xiuying handed back the now-sleeping child.

"The kids like him," the woman continued, looking down at her daughter softly. "Especially Lin Wei. He says Shadow’s your guard dog, but I think he’s just lonely."

She didn’t wait for a reply. Rising to her feet, she dropped something onto the table. "Make sure to come visit some time, I’ll make some buns." Spinning around, the woman left just as she’d come, humming under her breath.

Zhu Deming stood still, hidden in the trees.

And then, for some reason, he stepped forward, his foot deliberately causing a twig to snap.

The woman inside didn’t startle; she simply looked at him with a calm expression.

"The village said I might find a healer here," he said quietly. He stood on the other side of the open gate, not wanting to go any further until he was invited.

She didn’t answer immediately. Her voice, when it came, was melodic but cool. "Lying’s a good way to get nothing but dead."

Her words sent a strange calm through him, like his nerves had no choice but to listen.

He pulled back his hood and winced. He’d forgotten his mask.

A thick scar ran from his temple to the base of his jaw, the skin uneven and puckered—an old wound from some long forgotten battle. He couldn’t remember who got the lucky hit. He couldn’t remember why they were fighting the war in the first place. But that day was the day his entire world changed.

He quickly turned his face to the side, ashamed.

"I’m sorry," he muttered. "I just..."

"The truth would be a good start," she said, gesturing for him to come in and sit down. "You’re not from the village, and I know they don’t talk about me. So why are you here?"

She sat at the stone table, setting down two fresh cups.

He stared at her for a moment. She was delicate—too delicate. She made him feel like some crude, broken thing in her presence. Hunching his shoulders so he wouldn’t seem so threatening, he sat down at the table and placed his fingers around the cup.

"I’m looking for a weapon," he finally admitted. Blurting out the truth wasn’t something that he had originally planned on doing, but the very idea of lying to her again made his mouth taste like ash. "Something that explains why this region hasn’t been touched."

"There is no weapon," she replied, sipping her tea. "Not the kind you’re thinking of, at least."

He swallowed. "Then what’s protecting it?"

She didn’t answer.

"I need to know what’s happening in Yelan," he continued, not wanting to press. "They haven’t made a move in years. That’s not like them. They must be planning something."

"They’re not stupid to be planning anything," she said simply, her delicate shoulders moving up and down with the shrug.

He met her eyes then, and something strange passed between them. A flicker of recognition. Or fate. Something old.

"Fine," she said at last, letting out a long sigh. Setting her cup down, she gave him her undivided attention. "If you want, I can take you."

"Just show us the path—" started Zhu Deming, getting flustered at the very idea that she might be injured or even killed in the mountain. If his soldiers couldn’t get through, there was no way that this butterfly of a woman could.

"There is no path," she cut in with a firm shake of her head. "Not one you’d survive."

He hesitated. "Then... tomorrow? I’ll bring the general."

She looked up at the sky.

"It should be a nice day," she said before smiling brightly at him.