I felt as if I were a sock tossed into a washing machine, pummeled and tumbled by various forces until all sense of direction had vanished.
"Xiaotao? Is that you?" I struggled to grasp a shred of familiarity from the chaos, but only endless silence answered me.
After an immense effort, I finally managed to open my eyes. The scene before me made me instantly alert. Carved beams and painted rafters, an antique aesthetic, and the air thick with the scent of aged wood mixed with a faint, lingering trace of spices.
Chapter 168