Cursed Mansion [Completed]

8. A friend or a foe...

yibo has been confronted by the eccentric gardener. is he a friend or a foe?

yibo is standing in front of zhan's cottage where he's just been confronted by Mr. qiren! yibo let out a short yelp as he's startled by his sudden appearance.

"Mr. qiren!" said yibo.

"hnngh..." said qiren.

as usual, Mr. qiren doesn't say anything. yibo is suddenly terrified of the way he is regarding him.

yibo square his shoulders and looks at Mr. qiren defiantly.

"what do you want with me??" asked yibo.

"hnngh..." said qiren.

'of course he doesn't speak!' thinks yibo.

qiren keeps his unnerving gaze pinned on him.

suddenly, qiren reaches forward and grabs yibo by his hand!

yibo's fear turns ice-cold as qiren grabs his hand.

"let me go! you crazy old man!" said yibo.

he try in vain to wrench his hand from qiren's iron grip.

as he begin to think he's ultimately screwed. Mr. qiren suddenly reaches into his pocket and pulls out a white sheet of paper. he turns it over and yibo see only word written on it - 'leave'.

yibo stare aghast at the note - at the one word that has seemed to be echoing all around the gloomy mansion ever since he arrived. a dawn of understanding suddenly hits him.

"you're... you're the one who left me the note - the warning?" said yibo.

Mr. qiren slowly nods in answer as he gently releases his grip on yibo. yibo calm down at once, now that he know qiren means no harm.

"it was you who left the mysterious note in my bedroom..." said yibo.

'though it was quite creepy to have received that...' thinks yibo.

Mr. qiren keeps looking at him and yibo feel qiren still has something to tell him.

"do you still want to tell me something?" asked yibo.

qiren nods.

"what?" asked yibo.

qiren points to a direction towards the woods.

"in the woods? you want to show me something?" asked yibo.

"hnngh..." said qiren.

"okay. lead the way." said yibo.

'is he worth trusting?' thinks yibo.

he enter the woods, which encroaches just outside the mansion's gate. the wood is a placid place; thick trees with twisted and gnarled branches, leafless trees, trees with red-orange leaves and dead, fallen autumn leaves encompass the whole place. a crow perched on a nearby leafless tree startles him.

'this place is as quiet as wei mansion's dark corridors at night...' thinks yibo.

he look at Mr. qiren, who keeps walking with his hunched shoulders and huge back-hump. yibo is beginning to doubt following him.

yibo walk closer to him.

"where are we going? where are you taking me to??" asked yibo.

"hnngh..." said qiren.

he only just growls and points to a direction much forward in the woods. they  both continue going on.

they both suddenly reach a large clearing in the woods. the dead red-orange leaves under his feet crunch as he follow Mr. qiren, who has now stopped by a heap of rocks and branches.