Xiao Jie's figure swiftly moved through the mountains and forests, as fast as the wind, yet carrying a heavy air of confusion. He avoided the densely populated roads, choosing instead the remote ridges and wild paths. He was unwilling to re-enter the deceitful human society, to face the unpredictable human hearts; yet he was also weary of the complete solitude of the wilderness, accompanied only by beasts.
A decade of isolation made him long deeply for the warmth of communication with others, but the betrayals and injuries of the past made him instinctively afraid of contact, only wishing to be alone in a corner, far from the strife. Two conflicting emotions tore at his heart with ferocity, making him restless, only able to rely on instinct to rush aimlessly southward.
