A woman's crying entered his ears mixing in with a cacophony of other sounds, breaking Yang Jingshen's trance. She was sobbing in a very subdued tone, while occasionally choking out a name– 'little Xi'. It took a while for him to realize that she was in fact calling out to him.
Even without looking, he knew that it was his cousin. With this revelation, his heart felt like a boulder had been lifted off it– light and refreshing. After all that trouble, torture, pain, and terror he went through, his gamble actually paid off. Who won't feel eased by this turn of events?
Mobility of course was still an issue. His body felt like it was cemented in place. Even turning his head to the side felt almost impossible. Yet Yang Jingshen didn't feel despair. After all, he achieved his goal, no? Even if he was paralyzed at this point, it was all worth the trouble!
