The ethereal voice had not even waited for the three of them to ask the questions in their hearts before it spoke again.
"Xiao Rongrong, is that you, Xiao Rongrong?"
Upon hearing this cry, Shen Xiaoyan's smile became even more brilliant. Her guess was indeed correct!
However, everyone else was utterly bewildered. What was going on?
Xiao Rongrong was initially a little slow to react. Why had its owner suddenly called it out?
But after hearing this cry, it suddenly realized and excitedly exclaimed, "Crybaby?"
Hearing these three words, Shen Xiaoyan almost burst out laughing. What a bizarre name!
Only then did she realize that no wonder Yi Zhixie had just said what kind of ghostly place this was. The voice itself claimed it was a ghost.
So, it had actually mistaken Yi Zhixie for calling its name.
But why would Xiao Rongrong know this Crybaby?
It had only thought the plant could speak and seemed to be of the same species as Xiao Rongrong, which was why it had called Xiao Rongrong out, wanting to ask if it knew what this thing was.
But it never expected the two of them to be old acquaintances.
Xiao Rongrong was now beyond excited. Therefore, regardless of what Shen Xiaoyan was planning to do, it directly rose into the air and flew around the forest.
It had greatly reduced its size, appearing like a leaf being blown about by the wind.
Watching Xiao Rongrong weave through the gaps in the leaves, Zhen Lingrong, Lin Xinmi, and Fo all widened their eyes.
They had also been to Shen Xiaoyan's space, so why hadn't they discovered this?
Most importantly, what kind of luck did Shen Xiaoyan have to possess such a thing?
It must be said that they were now deeply envious.
Shen Xiaoyan, however, was unaware of their inner thoughts. What she most wanted to know now was the relationship between Xiao Rongrong and Crybaby.
Why did they know each other? How did they know each other? Why was Crybaby here? Had Xiao Rongrong also lived here before?
But thinking of this, she then thought of that beauty, the beauty who had given Xiao Rongrong to her.
As her thoughts churned, Xiao Rongrong finally finished flying. It quickly rushed back to Shen Xiaoyan's side.
"Master, you're so amazing! You actually helped me find my childhood playmate."
Hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan and the others all looked at it with strange expressions.
This ghostly forest was its childhood playmate?
"Why is your childhood playmate here? Did you also live here when you were little?" Shen Xiaoyan didn't waste any time and directly asked the questions in her heart.
Upon hearing her inquiry, everyone turned their gaze to Xiao Rongrong.
Xiao Rongrong twisted its body in the air a few times, seemingly embarrassed. It said, "When I was very, very young, I lived here and was neighbors with Crybaby. Later, I was taken away by Master. I don't know about Gui Ku, but we haven't seen each other for many, many, many years. It's thanks to you, Master, that we can meet now!"
It used three "many" to indicate it had been a very long time.
"Then can you ask your neighbor to let us leave?" Shen Xiaoyan asked again.
Xiao Rongrong heard this and happily spun a few times, saying, "Of course! Master, don't worry, I'll go tell it now."
With that, Xiao Rongrong flew up again, spiraling above the forest.
Although it flew quite high, the people below could still hear its voice.
"Crybaby, this is my Master, and her friends. Can you let them leave?"
After Xiao Rongrong's words fell, the air was silent for a long time.
It was only after a considerable amount of time that they heard Crybaby's voice. Its voice was still ethereal, but it made people feel a little eerie.
"If I let them leave, can you stay and keep me company?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Rongrong's mood seemed to become a little low. Its body spun around a few times, and then it said dejectedly, "No, I'm sorry, Crybaby. I have to stay by Master's side and cannot stay to keep you company. But if there's a chance in the future, I'll come back to see you."
By the end, Xiao Rongrong's tone was as if it were making a solemn promise.
But who knew that Xiao Rongrong's words were like detonating a minefield? Crybaby's voice became even more sinister.
"You said you would come back to see me before, but so many years have passed, and you've never returned. You're lying to me, and you still want to keep lying to me."
Even though Shen Xiaoyan and the others couldn't see Crybaby's appearance, from this conversation, they could still tell that Crybaby was on the verge of collapse.
Its voice was full of resentment, as if directed at Xiao Rongrong, and also at them.
Hearing Crybaby say this, Xiao Rongrong felt a little guilty, and its voice was apologetic. "I'm sorry, Crybaby. It's not that I didn't want to come back to see you all these years. It's just that Master traveled too far, and I couldn't leave her to come back and see you alone. Master, she needs me."
Hearing Xiao Rongrong's words, Crybaby actually started to laugh.
But this laughter, falling into Shen Xiaoyan's ears, was like thorns piercing their eardrums.
Shen Xiaoyan felt goosebumps rise all over her body.
This Crybaby truly lived up to its name. The way it laughed was truly like a ghost.
"Your Master needs you, but have you ever considered that I need you too? In this place, it was always just the two of us. From the moment we gained consciousness, we relied on each other and kept each other company. But then you left me and abandoned me here, turning me into this ghostly appearance."
Crybaby's accusation made Xiao Rongrong a little sad. But thinking of how Crybaby had been alone here for so many years, it couldn't bear to blame it.
So, Xiao Rongrong could only continue to apologize, "I'm sorry, Crybaby. But this wasn't my intention. If I could, I really would have come back to see you."
After Xiao Rongrong's words fell, there was an eerie silence all around.
After a long while, they heard Crybaby's voice again.
This time, the sinister feeling was much less, and its tone was more filled with longing.
"Now that you're back, can you stay with me for a while longer?"
Xiao Rongrong clearly hadn't expected that it had just said it was going to leave the ghost den with its Master, yet it would still make such a request!
After thinking for a long time, it still refused, saying, "From the day my previous Master took me away, I no longer belonged to myself. I have to put Master first. Therefore, if Master needs me now, I cannot stay here to keep you company."
Crybaby didn't get angry this time but said with a smile, "In that case, then let your Master stay together with us. All of you stay and keep me company."
With that said.
Suddenly, a strong wind raged all around. The originally straight tree trunks were blown to a ninety-degree bend. But Shen Xiaoyan was surprised to find that even though they were bent at a ninety-degree angle, they still didn't break.
This indicated to them that these trees were indeed extraordinary.
Xiao Rongrong also didn't expect Crybaby to act like this and quickly shouted, "Crybaby, don't be like this! Let's discuss it properly. I can't stay, but maybe you can come out with me?"
The shaking of the trees paused for a moment, only a moment, and then returned to its previous state.
"It's no use. Where I am, I've become one with this place. I can't leave. Stop talking, Xiao Rongrong. As my playmate and neighbor, I won't harm you. I've even kept your former dwelling for you."
After saying this, its voice disappeared.
After that, no matter how Xiao Rongrong called out, it never said another word.
Seeing this, Shen Xiaoyan and the others knew that Crybaby was determined to keep them here.
But...
They were not weaklings. Since negotiations had failed, they would use strength to settle it.
"Xiao Rongrong, go back."
Xiao Rongrong clearly hadn't expected its childhood playmate to turn out like this upon their reunion, so its mood was somewhat downcast.
But as Crybaby truly attacked Shen Xiaoyan and the others, it instantly erupted.
Xiao Rongrong, which had originally been only the size of a leaf, instantly grew larger, directly enveloping Shen Xiaoyan and the others.
Shen Xiaoyan and the others felt their vision darken, and then they heard a sizzling sound.
At first, Shen Xiaoyan was a little confused, but soon she understood what the sound was.
It was clearly the sound of liquid hitting Xiao Rongrong.
Moreover, although they couldn't see, they could feel Xiao Rongrong trembling slightly.
It must have been caused by a violent impact.
It seemed like only an instant, and yet it felt like a very long time, the sizzling sound finally disappeared. Shen Xiaoyan and the others saw the light again.
As they were still adjusting to the sudden brightness, they heard Gui Ku say, "Xiao Rongrong, I didn't expect you to change so little over the years, yet you've become a slave to humans."
Hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan's brows immediately furrowed.
What did this mean?
Before she could speak, Xiao Rongrong retorted in a cold voice, "I'm no longer a little fool. Don't try to provoke the relationship between me and Master using this method. Besides, you, who have always stayed here and never left, do you even know what a slave is?"
Hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan almost burst out laughing.
Earlier, when Xiao Rongrong was constantly apologizing to Crybaby, she had been worried that Xiao Rongrong's temper made it easy to bully.
But she hadn't expected that when Xiao Rongrong became assertive, its words could be so sharp they could kill.
Hearing Xiao Rongrong's words, Crybaby was indeed furious.
"How would I not know? Although I haven't left here, over the years, countless people have come here. From them, I've learned many things."
Even though it said so, Shen Xiaoyan still felt a hint of unwillingness and loss in its words.
Shen Xiaoyan's feeling was not wrong. At this moment, Crybaby was indeed filled with immense loss.
It thought of how powerful Crybaby was and how long its lifespan was, which made it extremely satisfied.
What made it most dissatisfied was that it had never left here.
Although it had learned about the outside world and its appearance from those who came here, how could that compare to seeing it with its own eyes?
Thinking of this, its gaze towards Xiao Rongrong became even more unfriendly.
This little fool, who had followed it since it gained consciousness, had left here within a hundred years of gaining consciousness and had been gone for so many years without returning.
During these years, it must have experienced the infinite scenery of the outside world, right?
They were all the same. Why could Xiao Rongrong leave, but it could only stay in this ghostly place?
"It doesn't matter if I know little. Don't you know a lot? If I keep you here, and you tell me about your lives one by one, won't I understand?"
Crybaby's tone when it said this was very ordinary, but Shen Xiaoyan heard something in it.
She turned to look at Jiang Zhengwei and saw that his expression was also grim.
Clearly, what Zhengwei was thinking was the same as hers.
Looking at the others, they all had the same expression.
At this moment, Xiao Rongrong's probing voice suddenly came, "Have you killed all the people who have been here over the years?"
Crybaby chuckled, "Your words are not right. I merely kept them here to keep me company. The outside world is so dangerous. What comfort is there for them running around outside compared to living here?"
Hearing its serious nonsense, Shen Xiaoyan was almost amused.
"Then what about those people?"
Perhaps it hadn't expected Shen Xiaoyan to ask this question, so Crybaby clearly hesitated, then said, "Their lifespans are not as long as mine, so naturally, they are no longer here."
"Are they truly no longer here, or did you eat them?" Xiao Rongrong asked through gritted teeth.
Hearing this, Crybaby chuckled, "Does it make a difference?"
"In the end, they all die, so there isn't much difference," Shen Xiaoyan said seriously.
Otherwise, upon hearing Shen Xiaoyan say this, Crybaby was somewhat confused.
Hadn't she supposed to scold it?
This was not due to any special hobby of Crybaby's, but because over the years, all the people it had encountered reacted in the same way after learning this.
Shen Xiaoyan, however, saw through its thoughts and continued to smile, "I don't know those people, so their lives or deaths have nothing to do with me. I only care if you will eat us too."
Hearing Shen Xiaoyan say this, Crybaby felt that there was some truth to it.
Having encountered so many people, it also understood the reasoning of some people. The old saying goes, "If one does not act for oneself, heaven and earth will destroy them." Shen Xiaoyan's thinking was perfectly normal.
It suddenly admired this Shen Xiaoyan somewhat.
"If you are willing to stay and keep me company, I might consider not eating you. After all, I haven't encountered such an interesting person in so many years."
Seeing that its words had piqued its interest and unexpectedly gained its favor, Shen Xiaoyan felt even more like laughing.
"I like liveliness and dislike staying in such a desolate place. How about this? Why don't you also leave with Xiao Rongrong and me?"
Hearing Shen Xiaoyan say this, Crybaby instantly understood that this was Xiao Rongrong's Master.
No wonder Xiao Rongrong was so devoted. It turned out that its Master was so interesting.
Although it also felt a bit of interest towards her, that little bit of interest disappeared as soon as it learned that she was Xiao Rongrong's Master.
For it, nothing was more exciting than making Xiao Rongrong suffer and feel sad.
"So you are Xiao Rongrong's Master. In that case, there is nothing I can do. However, I can let you live until you have told me all your stories."