581: Chapter 576 was not part of the plan.

He replied lightly, the sense of distance obvious.

"I still need to take my daughter to complete a mission. I'll be leaving now."

Saying that, he tried to walk around Li Jing.

"Don't... don't go!"

Li Jing stopped him once again, seeming somewhat incoherent.

She pointed to the activity map in her hand.

"We... we are also here to participate in the 'Forest Adventure.' But I got lost just now and haven't done anything..."

"You... you are so capable, could you... could you take us along?"

Her voice carried a hint of pleading.

A single mother, after experiencing a false alarm, instinctively wanted to draw close to someone who could provide a sense of security.

Shen Yan's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Teaming up?

This was not part of his plan.

He disliked dealing with strangers, let alone this kind of inefficient 'teaming up.'

"Sorry, we are used to..."

His refusal was cut short as his coat corner was gently tugged.

Shen Yan looked down.

Youyou was looking up at him with her small face, her big eyes full of expectation.

Next to Youyou, Anqi also gazed at him timidly, her small hand tightly holding Youyou's.

The two little girls, at some unknown point, had formed a small alliance.

Their posture, which seemed to say, 'If you don't agree, we won't let go,' caught Shen Yan's prepared speech in his throat.

He remained silent for two seconds.

Finally, he just lightly uttered a single word.

"Let's go."

Brilliant smiles instantly bloomed on the faces of the two little girls.

Li Jing also breathed a huge sigh of relief, her face filled with joy.

"That's wonderful! Thank you, Mr. Shen... Oh, I still don't know how to address you?"

"Shen Yan."

After this simple self-introduction, the four of them formed a temporary small team.

Shen Yan glanced at the activity map, which listed several mission points.

He directly pointed to the nearest one.

"First mission: 'Nature's Puzzle.'"

The requirement on the mission card was simple: find five types of plant leaves in the designated area that exactly matched the patterns on the card.

This tested observation skills and patience.

"I know this one! This is a clover!"

Anqi pointed to the first pattern on the card and shouted excitedly.

"This is a maple leaf!"

Youyou was not to be outdone.

Li Jing looked at the map, feeling a bit troubled.

"This area is so big; finding them will probably take a lot of time."

However, Shen Yan didn't look at the map.

His gaze swept over the surrounding woods like a precision scanner.

"Youyou, go under that oak tree and see if there are any leaves with wavy edges."

"Anqi, do you see that clump of red bushes over there? Go check if the back of the leaves has white fuzz."

He issued instructions methodically.

His brain, subtly transformed by the System, possessed near-photographic memory and powerful information processing capabilities.

He had only glanced once at the plant distribution map near the park entrance and had already grasped the general layout.

The two little girls immediately ran over enthusiastically, like little soldiers receiving orders.

Li Jing looked at Shen Yan in surprise.

"Mr. Shen, you know a lot about plants?"

"I've read some materials."

Shen Yan's reply remained concise.

Soon, Youyou and Anqi ran back holding the leaves they found.

"Daddy! We found them!"

"Uncle, is this it?"

The two leaves matched the patterns on the card perfectly.

The remaining three types were also completed by Shen Yan in the same manner within five minutes.

When they took the collected leaves to stamp at the mission point, the families still searching nearby cast incredible glances at them.

"Next mission point: 'Echoing Rope Bridge.'"

Shen Yan glanced at the suspension bridge in the distance and said to Li Jing.

"This mission requires a parent to cross the bridge blindfolded, guided by the child's voice from the opposite bank."

Li Jing glanced at the swaying rope bridge over the stream, her face turning slightly pale.

"I... I have a bit of a fear of heights."

"I'll go first."

Shen Yan didn't give her a chance to hesitate; he directly picked up the black cloth blindfold at the mission point and tied it behind his head.

Darkness descended, and the world beneath his feet felt unstable.

But he showed no panic; his steps were as steady as if he were walking on flat ground.

"Daddy, take three steps forward."

Youyou's clear voice came from the opposite bank, without a trace of panic.

"Okay."

"A little to the left, there's a loose wooden plank underfoot."

"Mm."

"You can walk boldly now, Daddy, go for it!"

The conversation between father and daughter was simple and efficient, full of tacit understanding.

Shen Yan's figure moved across the swaying rope bridge as if on level ground, reaching the other side steadily in less than a minute.

The surrounding parents let out a gasp of amazement.

It was Li Jing's turn.

She put on the blindfold, gripping the ropes on both sides tightly, her body rigid.

"Mommy, don't be afraid!"

Anqi waved her hands vigorously on the other side, her voice loud.

"Anqi is here!"

"Take your left foot first, yes, just like that!"

"Mommy, you are the bravest!"

Encouraged by her daughter, Li Jing, though stumbling, ultimately finished crossing the entire distance trembling.

The moment she took off the blindfold, she rushed over to hug Anqi, crying and laughing.

The efficient completion of two consecutive missions put them far ahead on the scoreboard.

The final ultimate mission was 'The Sage of the Forest's Riddle.'

The mission card contained a complex riddle.

"I am born from the heart of a giant tree, I drink the dew of the clear spring, and I wear the glory of the sun and moon. When the birds cease to sing and the shadow points the way home, my treasure shall appear under the gaze of the great stone."

Li Jing finished reading, completely bewildered.

"What is all this nonsense? It's too abstract."

Youyou and Anqi also tilted their heads, unable to understand.

Shen Yan held the map, his gaze moving rapidly across it.

Heart of a giant tree... dew of the clear spring...

His finger tapped a location at the center of the map—the 'Thousand-Year Banyan.'

Next to the ancient banyan was a stream source marked 'Crescent Spring.'

"When the birds cease to sing and the shadow points the way home..."

Shen Yan glanced at the Patek Philippe on his wrist.

It was 2:30 PM.

This time was when the park broadcast reminded bird species to return to their nests and visitors to prepare to leave.

The direction of the shadow would point east.

His gaze finally settled on a landmark on the east side of the ancient banyan.

"Wang Gui Stone" (Stone of Returning Gaze).

"Let's go."

He didn't explain, directly leading the three towards the 'Thousand-Year Banyan' on the map.

When they arrived, panting, it was exactly 2:45 PM.

The afterglow of the setting sun began to lengthen the banyan's shadow, and the tip of the shadow fell precisely onto a huge rock resembling a human face.

"Wang Gui Stone..." Li Jing murmured the name written on the wooden plaque next to the rock.

Shen Yan walked to the base of the giant stone, and at the very tip of the shadow, he pushed aside a clump of dense ferns.

An ancient wooden treasure chest lay quietly there.

"Wow! Treasure!"