Daolin and Xiaomei followed Li Mei for what felt like an eternity. Their journey wound through dense forests where the sunlight barely pierced the thick canopy overhead; through steep, treacherous mountain paths where one misstep could mean a fatal fall; and across roaring rivers whose icy waters splashed against the stones with wild ferocity. The travel was exhausting, pushing both siblings far beyond what they were used to, yet neither complained. Daolin supported Xiaomei whenever she grew tired, and Xiaomei brightened the journey with her quiet laughter and gentle resilience.
Li Mei led them with unwavering confidence, like a blade slicing through the wilderness. Days turned to weeks. The siblings lost count of how much ground they had covered or how many nights they had slept under shifting constellations. But finally, one morning, everything changed.
The path widened, the air grew warmer, and the distant echo of voices filled the horizon.
Then they saw it.
