Was that red shadow a phoenix?
I stared in shock.
To me, phoenixes had existed only in legends, yet now I was seeing one with my own eyes—and it had "broken out of its cocoon" from within the stalactite.
"It really is a phoenix," I murmured.
When I turned to look at Ye Jinghong beside me, she too was staring blankly.
As the phoenix flew out, a mass of purple qi emerged from the stalactite as well, circling around the phoenix and making it appear even more noble and majestic.
With two cries, the phoenix landed on a rock not far away and looked down at us from above.
For some reason, a sense of humility rose within me.
"Humans, was it you who helped me escape?" A gentle, kindly female voice rang in our ears.
I froze. I asked myself the same question: Had we helped it escape? We had merely approached it and done nothing. Its escape should have relied more on itself, shouldn't it?
Ye Jinghong and I exchanged glances. I was worried she would claim the credit. Gods like this could not be deceived, so before she could speak, I said, "No. We merely approached the stalactite trapping you, but we did nothing. You broke through the stone and flew out yourself."
The phoenix nodded slightly. "Even so, it was because you approached that I had an opportunity. It still counts as your helping me."
"I have a few questions. May I ask them?"
The phoenix nodded again. "Ask away. There is nothing that cannot be told to others."
There is nothing that cannot be told to others! It was a very ordinary saying, one left behind by our ancestors, but how many people could truly do it? The human heart was unfathomable. Most of the