Heaven and earth were dim and dark. Boundless black clouds covered the firmament, the land lay barren, and the mountain ranges were shattered. As far as the eye could see, the ground was full of pits and hollows, with not a single flower or blade of grass in sight. Everything seemed so desolate, so deathly still.
On a land strewn with broken stones, two small figures were moving forward. Their bodies swayed as if they might collapse at any moment.
Walking in front was a boy as thin as a stick, looking twelve or thirteen years old. He wore tattered clothes, his whole body filthy, his hair like a bird's nest. He had no shoes on his feet, and mottled bloodstains clung to his ankles, long since dried.
Behind him was a little girl of seven or eight. Like the boy ahead of her, her clothes were ragged and her whole body was dirty. In her hand she held a withered flower. Her head was lowered, and she walked very slowly, the distance between her and the boy constantly widening.
The boy stopped, turned, and looked at his younger sister, who was already ten zhang away from him. He did not speak, only watched her quietly.
Only after the girl came up before him did he turn around and continue forward.
Just like this, he walked and stopped along the way, waiting for his sister from time to time, as if there were no end. And this world remained forever in such dimness, with no distinction between day and night. One could see the road clearly, yet could not see any bright light.
Suddenly.
The boy's eyes lit up. He quickly stepped forward and came to a puddle. He dropped to his knees beside it, braced both hands on the