"Sister, do you really know how to get out?" Chen An wondered if Xiao Man didn't actually know the real way to escape, which was why she said she would take him out.
"I do," Xiao Man said, stroking Chen An's head. "The way out is within you."
Chen An looked astonished. "How do you know?"
"I've walked here for a long time. Aside from scattered bones, I've only met you. At your age, you couldn't have survived here alone, yet you have lived here for so long. So, under what circumstances can a child survive in such a harsh environment for so long?"
Chen An looked at Xiao Man, silent for a long time.
"Since you know I'm the key to getting out, and you want to leave so badly, why don't you leave?"
"Didn't I say? I want to take you out." Xiao Man's gaze remained gentle. "Don't you want to leave here?"
Chen An didn't answer. He wanted to leave here, desperately. He no longer knew how many years he had been trapped here. He had watched people enter, and then watched them be swallowed by the yellow sand. At first, some people didn't want to harm him, but in the end, they were defeated by this desperate reality and ultimately chose to abandon him.
"Sister, besides me, there is no way out."
Xiao Man smiled upon hearing this. "Why are you so sure that there is no way out here except for you?"
"I just know."
Xiao Man simply smiled. This place looked boundless, as if it could never be reached, but that was not the case. She had to thank Ze Fang for this. If Ze Fang hadn't taught her the Art of Heavenly Secrets, she might not have found the way out.
"Sister, to get out, you can only kill me."
"Such a young child, don't act like you're tired of living." Xiao Man curled her finger and flicked Chen An's forehead. "There's always a way out. We'll find a way."
"Sister, what if we don't find one?"
"If we don't find one, I'll stay here with you," Xiao Man said with a smile.
"Really?"
"Really," Xiao Man said slowly. "I may not be a good person, but I'm not so evil as to kill children."
Chen An sat down next to Xiao Man, mimicking her, and rested his hands behind his head, gazing at the hazy sky. "Sister, what are you looking at?"
"The sky."
"The sky is hazy, I can't see anything."
"Yes, the sky here is hazy, and you can't see anything." Xiao Man's voice was calm and gentle. "But the sky outside isn't like this. During the day, the sky is very blue, with white clouds drifting by. At night, it's full of stars, beautiful and dazzling."
"The sky is blue?"
"Yes, the sky is blue."
"The clouds are white?"
"Yes, white, like sheep's wool, white and fluffy."
"Then what color are the stars?"
"They are like jewels, brilliant and dazzling."
"I want to see the sky outside, the clouds outside, and the stars outside."
"Okay."
"Sister, will you really take me out?"
"Yes, I will."
Chen An leaned closer to Xiao Man. "Sister, what if we can never find a way out?"
"We will," Xiao Man said confidently. "Even the most perfect barrier has a flaw."
Chen An was silent for a moment, then asked, "Sister, what if the barrier breaks and I cease to exist?"
Xiao Man was stunned. She turned to look at Chen An beside her. "Where is your true form?"
Chen An froze. Where was his true form? He didn't know either. He only knew that when he woke up, he was in this boundless desert. There was no one, no animals, only him and the vast yellow sand.
"I, I don't know."
Xiao Man looked understanding. Being trapped here all along meant he didn't know who he was, where his true form was, or why he was here.
"If you can't find yourself, then you'll never escape this desert," Xiao Man said gently. "Do you remember who you are? Do you know why you appeared here?"
"I don't remember."
"Then think hard. Once you remember who you are, we can leave this place," Xiao Man said unhurriedly. This place was a great test of one's will. It was remarkable that the child hadn't gone mad after being trapped here for so long.
"What if I can never remember?"
"Think about the azure sky outside, the pure white clouds, the jewel-like stars. There are many delicious and fun things outside, and perhaps, someone is waiting for you outside."
"Someone is waiting for me?" A peculiar light flashed in Chen An's eyes. "Is someone waiting for me?"
"Yes, there will always be someone, looking out with longing, waiting for you to return and reunite with them."
"Sister, is someone waiting for you outside?" Chen An asked curiously.
"Yes," Xiao Man's voice was full of certainty. "If I'm late returning, they'll worry."
Chen An hesitantly reached out, wanting to touch Xiao Man's hand, but then withdrew it just before touching. He dared not touch her hand, as if it were the switch that would open a nightmare.
"Sister, if I were a bad person, would you still take me out?"
"There are no purely bad people, nor purely good people in this world. To some, I am a good person, while to others, I am a great villain. An'an, do you think I am a good person or a bad person?" Xiao Man asked with a smile.
"Sister is a good person!"
"Is that so?" Xiao Man reached out and ruffled Chen An's hair. "Someone once called me a good person too, but later, that same person hated me the most."
"Why?"
"Because love makes one want them alive, and hate makes one want them dead," Xiao Man's gaze became distant. "Someone you once cherished like your life might one day make you wish you could tear them to pieces."
"Did he do something that made you hate him?"
Xiao Man nodded slowly. "However, all of this is the bitter fruit I sowed myself. I used the full might of my clan to nurture him, but when he grew up, he spread his wings and betrayed me, annihilating my clan."
"It's because of his betrayal that you came here?" Chen An pressed.
"That's another story," Xiao Man said with a smile. "I, in my life, hate betrayal the most."
"Betrayal?" Chen An seemed to recall something, and suddenly grabbed Xiao Man's hand. In the blink of an eye, Xiao Man found herself in an unfamiliar place, with strange streets and strange people!
What was happening? She was just in the desert, how was she here now? Could it be that the barrier had changed? Xiao Man tried to channel her internal energy, but still couldn't. This meant she was still in this place, and what she saw must be an illusion!