The Little Winged People girl remained wary. "Who are you? Why are you helping me?"
The stranger smiled. "You should know that there are bad people in the outside world, but good people too; some want to claim any treasure they fancy, while others are content to look and put it down. You can't assume everyone is like you just because you're kind, nor can you stop trusting everyone because of a single betrayal. That's life, unless you intend to stay trapped in these mountains forever and never leave."
The Little Winged People girl stared at him, eyes wide. "Are you with those two older brother and sister up in the sky?"
The stranger shook his head. "No, those two are fools. If it had been me, you'd already be back with your tribe."
The Little Winged People girl disagreed. "They're not fools. They wanted to carry me too, but they couldn't manage it, and they had to guard against the bad people in the sky."
The stranger crouched down. "Shall I try?"
The stranger hoisted the Little Winged People girl onto his back. It was like shouldering a mountain. He felt as though he was about to be driven into the earth. Never mind climbing a mountain—even taking a single step was difficult.
Then he shut down all circulation of his Law Power. It was not a complete shutdown; cultivators could not pretend they had no Law Power. He merely kept its circulation to the barest minimum possible, close to a state of Embryonic Breathing.
He successfully took a step. He felt that his physical strength could probably hold out if he walked on level ground, but it was still insufficient for climbing mountains.
Luo Yewang and his companion had tried this state before, following the same line of