"Please follow me." Lan led Xu Zhiqiu and the others into the forest.
As they ventured deeper, thickets appeared, followed by towering trees. The vines and great trees intertwined, as though draped in layer upon layer of enormous nets, or submerged in a dark green sea where not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate.
After passing through the dense forest, they saw a village built from straw and wood.
"That's our village." Lan quickened her pace and ran toward it, but before she had gone far, someone caught her by the back of the neck. She turned to look at Xu Zhiqiu behind her.
"Where are the fireflies that protect you children?" Xu Zhiqiu had come not to rescue anyone, but to find the replica. She had not seen any fireflies along the way, which made her wonder whether something was wrong.
"They're drifting through the woods at the foot of Roaring Cauldron Mountain. I'm going to find Asagi first," Lan said timidly.
"Roaring Cauldron Mountain?" Xu Zhiqiu murmured.
Suddenly, a mournful rumbling came from a nearby mountain peak.
She looked up toward it. Thick black mist had appeared halfway up the mountain not far ahead, and the rumbling came from there.
"Lan, why are you back?" a startled voice called out.
Xu Zhiqiu saw a group of children walking toward them.
"Asagi! Brother!" Lan's face lit up when she saw them, and she ran over. "Asagi, I met Kikyo! They'll save us."
"Kikyo?" Asagi held Lan's shoulders and surveyed the group warily. When she spotted the familiar faces, she looked stunned. "Why have you come?"
"We have something to do here. Where are you going?" This was no time for heartfelt reunions. Xu Zhiqiu did not want to waste words with them and went straight to the point.