Chapter 2: Lies

"Boom" After hearing this, Yu Xincheng felt a bomb explode in his mind, realizing that his own words had been seen through. With a "bang," Yu Xincheng fell to the ground, "Father, I, I went to the grove you mentioned today, along with Li Fei and Xiao Tian. Please do not blame them; it was I who invited them. I acknowledge my mistake, please punish me, Father."

Hmph, you should ask your good child yourself, Yu Feng snorted, showing no regard for his wife's feelings

When Yu Xincheng returned home, his father, Yu Feng, was waiting for him in the hall. "Cheng'er, why did you come back so late? Where have you been playing?"

Yu Bi, seeing that there was no answer from her husband, turned her gaze towards Yu Xin Cheng. When Yu Xin Cheng met her eyes, it was clear that her gaze was asking, "Cheng'er, tell me, what on earth happened to make your father so angry"

Ah... there are ghosts, is that true?" The two exclaimed in astonishment in unison

Yu Xincheng's father was so enraged that he realized his actions had exceeded his father's tolerance. Now, he was at a loss as to what to do. At that moment, Yu Xincheng's mother walked in. Upon seeing the table shattered by her husband, she understood that Cheng'er had caused trouble. He was not usually this angry, but today was different. She quickly approached Yu Feng and asked, "Brother Feng, what happened?"

What Yu Feng fears the most is his own wife. Since Yu Bi has said it this way, what else is there to be surprised about? "Alright, come over and eat! Hmph!" Yu Feng's anger has not yet subsided

Time has flown by quickly, and another five years have passed. This year, Yu Xincheng is already fifteen years old. Over the past five years, he has not thought about going to that grove. Every year, he goes up the mountain with his parents to gather medicinal herbs, and in the evenings, his parents teach him to recognize characters and write. This morning, Yu Feng is going to the city with his wife to sell the herbs. Before leaving, he instructed Yu Xincheng to go up the mountain to gather herbs by himself, and he did not forget to remind him to be careful. He is not a child anymore, but to avoid any accidents, he reiterated his advice.

With a loud bang, Yu Feng slammed his palm on the table, instantly shattering it to pieces

About this matter

What Yu Xincheng did not know was what lay within that grove of trees. Every night, strange and eerie sounds would emanate from the woods, and it was not just him who was unaware; most of the villagers were also oblivious to the source of those sounds, whether they were produced by humans, demons, or beasts. Even Yu Feng and his wife, with their current cultivation, could not discern the origin of the noises. Each night, the couple would swiftly rush towards the direction of the sounds, only to be met with disappointment as the strange noises vanished without a trace by the time they arrived. No matter how hard they searched, they could not find the source. Yet, as soon as they stepped out of the grove, the eerie sounds would resume. It was for this reason that they would not allow their son to enter the woods, and the villagers were equally fearful, worried that something might happen to their son.

"Yes, mother, please do not be angry. I promise I will never go there again."

Yu Xincheng was originally looking at his father, but upon hearing his question, he lowered his head and said, "Father, I went to the village entrance to play with Xiao Fei and the others. I just came back late..." After saying this, he felt a sudden jolt in his heart, feeling quite nervous, his hands slightly trembling. It was the first time he had lied since childhood, fearing that he would be found out.

Thus, the family of three began to eat their meal. For these past years, it has always been this way, with simple meals and plain tea. During festivals and the New Year, there is a slight improvement, as it is indeed a time for celebration, and every household is like this.

After listening, Yu Feng felt that his son was a bit off today. Normally, he would answer while looking at him, but today he did not. There must be something wrong. Yu Feng glanced at him a few more times and realized that his son was lying today. "Cheng Er, I know you have never liked to lie since you were little. Today, just answer honestly where you went. Tell your father, it’s not a big deal, and I won’t blame you. Go ahead."

I do not know if it is true, but what my parents said should not be false. They told me not to come here at night, so let us go back

Mother, today I followed and revealed where I went, and then I said: "Mother, I do not know why my going there made Father so angry. I will never go there again. I never expected it to turn out this way."

Alright, mother is not angry. You must remember what you said today, otherwise, I cannot even imagine what the consequences would be. You may get up now. Yu Bi smiled slightly, but still wanted Yu Xin Cheng to remember what he said today, as this made her feel somewhat more at ease.

"Brother Feng, you see that Cheng'er has gone and returned without any harm, so please do not be angry, alright?" Yu Bi advised Yu Feng.

"Alright, I will go back." The three of them returned the same way.