No more remains could be found—perhaps this was a regret that couldn't be remedied. It wasn't possible to recover everything, not even for Gu Tao.
Carrying this sense of regret, he left the vast sea of forest behind. As the village faded from view, he lifted his head and glanced at the desolate settlement that faced south while its back rested against the north. This place had once borne witness to the darkest depths of human depravity, but now everything had returned to dust.
Gu Tao tied a small bell to his wrist and another onto the jar containing the remains. With every step he took, the crisp chimes of the bells echoed against one another, resembling idle ramblings between two travelers on a shared journey.
