"What?" Zhang Xiaofan turned to look at Luo Yunji beside him and asked.
Luo Yunji was chewing, his mouth full of food. Looking back at Zhang Xiaofan with a puzzled expression, he clearly hadn't been the one speaking. Zhang Xiaofan smiled and shook his head, signaling that it was nothing.
Luo Yunji lowered his head and continued eating.
They had walked for a long time. Just as they began to think they'd gone the wrong way, disappointment creeping in as they stared at the towering trees all around them, they rounded a massive tree that would have taken four people to encircle and came upon a thriving scene.
A clearing stretched before them, filled with ancient-style buildings. People came and went in groups of three and five. Smoke curled from the rooftops, and children's laughter mingled with adults calling to one another, lending the place a particularly warm and welcoming air.
Tian Buyi and the others looked at the scene before them as if they had returned to the human world. They immediately felt much more at ease.
"Come on, let's take a look!" The Ghost King led the way out of the forest and toward the settlement. Seeing him go, the others followed.
When they entered the village, everyone stopped. The villagers turned to look at them; some were even called out of their homes, and gathered around Tian Buyi and the others as if they were some curious spectacle.
The Ghost King cupped his hands toward them. "We wandered into this place by mistake. We'd be very grateful if you could tell us where we are!"
His tentative words were met with no kindness. The seemingly amiable residents all eyed them warily.
Just then, the Ghost King and the others saw a villager quietly whisper something to a