Detective Agency of the Bizarre

Tesla, the Jimmy siblings, Amber, and the people boarded the wooden boat, heading downstream.

Lu Li traveled alone along the river upstream.

Raimy told him that the Land of Deceit lies approximately 80 miles upstream from Paradise Valley; it can be found along the river on the right side. Lu Li initially followed her instructions but realized, upon encountering a new stream and nearly taking the wrong path, that Raimy's knowledge was outdated; the information had long been inaccurate.

For example, the stream beneath his feet was only a few dozen centimeters deep.

Lu Li turned his attention to the rivers along the left side, which were at least capable of washing him downstream.

The fluorescence of the Gloomy Forest was like a dream, yet dead and oppressive due to the lack of living creatures.

No animals or insects thrived here; the Eternal Forest needed living beings.

Lu Li walked by the riverside, resuming his journey that had been interrupted not long ago. The only difference now was that he still had hope back then.

The night arrived unannounced, as if a purified mist seeped into the Eternal Forest. Lu Li descended from the riverbank onto the wet, soft soil, ensuring he wouldn't lose his direction in the dense fog.

When weary, Lu Li retreated to rest by the riverside, continuing his journey once he recovered.

As the clock hanging at his waist was about to complete a full circle, a dim glow scattered through the lush foliage ahead.

Lu Li halted at the edge of the Land of Deceit, removed his linen clothes from Paradise Valley, tucked them into his pouch, and donned a shirt and coat that had nearly become rags among the bushes. He then placed the Crown of Thorns back atop his head and slowly stepped towards the sunlit "Paradise Valley."

The giant trees parted to the sides, as Lu Li walked through the beams of light scattered through the forest, bathing in the warm sunlight.

Shimmering light fractured and floated along the river into the depths of the woods. Lu Li headed toward the distant wooden houses, with no figure emerging to greet him. Passing the familiar cabin, remnants of last night's meal lingered on the long table visible through the window.

He pushed open the door and entered Anna's cabin, as dust scattered, he saw the sculpture standing by the wall.

Creaaak—

As Lu Li approached the sculpture, the door behind him slowly closed. He turned around to see Anna standing behind the door, weeping: "Why did you leave me behind..."

Lu Li's black eyes lowered slightly, avoiding those eyes: "I'm here to take you away."

"Alright."

The weeping Anna walked up to Lu Li, raised her pale, unreal hand, and tightly grasped his right hand, refusing to let go.

Lu Li said no more words, took gloves from his pouch, bit them with his teeth as he put them on his left hand, and lifted the sculpture.

Anna gently waved her hand, reopened the closed wooden door, and followed Lu Li out of the house.

"Wouldn't it be nice to stay? Lu Li, this place is like paradise..."

Tesla, Raimy, and the children stood at the door. The children wanted to rush over but were repelled by Anna and couldn't get close.

Lu Li explained to Tesla and the others, as if they were alive: "The rules of the world are to give and receive. Paradise Valley offers you beauty; what have you given in return?"

"It's our very existence. Lu Li, this forest needs life." Tesla said.

"Outside is also the Eternal Forest."

"But you will eventually leave here..."

Lu Li no longer responded, falling into silence. Tesla sighed, "As you wish... we will leave with you."

They packed their luggage, and Lu Li genuinely waited for them to finish preparing, then leaned toward the river, walking downstream.

The illusions crafted by the Land of Deceit seemed real, otherwise how to explain why they chose the answer that their real selves would choose?

And as they followed Lu Li closer to the edge of "Paradise Valley," Tesla's figure began to fade.

Lu Li witnessed everything happening behind him in the broken reflection of the river, pulling Anna along as he moved forward.

Tesla vanished, followed by the children, Jimmy, Amber, and Raimy, fading like illusions, disappearing like bubbles.

"Lu Li, I..."

Anna's figure gradually paled. Feeling the grip of his hand tighten, she regained composure and tightened her grip back.

Lu Li's grasp grew firmer as Anna's outline grew faint. When he stood at the forest's edge, the strength in his palm vanished.

Anna vanished beside him.

Lu Li quietly stood amidst the light beams scattered in the forest, not knowing when crystal clear teardrops cascaded down his face.

...

On the third day of migration, Lu Li's figure, carrying a sculpture, emerged from upstream.

The cautious and guarded people worried that the returning Lu Li had been replaced by a creature from the Land of Deceit, raising pitchforks or axes for him to prove his identity.

Those with courage and boldness had long left with Tesla and others.

Lu Li took out half of the food from his pouch, and told them, "I will leave after resting a few hours."

Despite coveting the suspicious food, the remaining residents dared not allow Lu Li to enter Paradise Valley—nor dared to stop him.

Leaving the food behind, Lu Li traversed Paradise Valley along the river and took a wooden boat before temporarily resting downstream again.

Placing the sculpture on relatively flat rock, Lu Li sat beside it, recovering from the exhaustion of the journey.

The sculpture existed for real; after being separated from the Jimmy siblings, it wandered into the Land of Deceit, mistaking it for reality and stayed, until Lu Li entered again and brought it out.

Rustle—

The sound of stone slabs moving came from beside him. Lu Li ignored the moving sculpture. In the Eternal Forest, there was nothing that would harm it, except itself.

From a distance, the calls from the vigilant residents at the edge of Paradise Valley vaguely drifted over. Soon after, the sculpture rustled back, and a fluorescent fruit rolled by Lu Li's side.

"You don't need to pick these fruits."

The residents of Paradise Valley spent twenty years confirming the florescent fruit had minimal contamination, but Lu Li did not plan to eat those things, as the food in his pouch was enough to support him out of the Eternal Forest.

Lu Li rested a bit longer downstream, while the vigilant residents at the edge of Paradise Valley never dispersed, until thick fog spread from the depths of the Gloomy Forest. He boarded the wooden boat, quietly leaving with the sculpture.

The river was like a vein network, branching or converging, but it was a lighter journey compared to returning upstream—Tesla and others left marks along the way, Lu Li only needed to follow the signs forward.

However, Lu Li didn't know how to steer, and the downflowing boat continuously struck riverbed rocks or the riverbank. Before the other arm of the sculpture broke due to collisions, he leaned on the oar to get ashore, resuming the walk by the river.

From the third day on, the fluorescent plants gradually dwindled, indicating that Lu Li was beginning to leave the core of the Eternal Forest.

Before fully emerging from the sparse starlit sky, Lu Li uprooted a relatively small fluorescent plant, then released the Speaker of the Trees to let surrounding plants grow, as an exchange with the Eternal Forest.

Lu Li hadn't seen this type of fluorescent plant elsewhere; if it could be cultivated, the Land of Hope would have a second specialty.

Finally, the woods became sparser, unlike the stream; the sound of ocean waves vaguely came.

Lu Li stood at the edge of the coast, the vast ocean deep and lightless.

Andrea was not on the sea.

Neither were the migrating people here.