“Senior Brother…”
A voice calls out from around the corner of the doorway, alerting the boy inside the chamber to make haste. The boy lifts his fingers from a slender wrist before carefully setting it back down on the bed beside the girl.
Seventy-one…
He lifts a thin piece of graphite, wrapped in a layer of fabric, from the tray beside the bed, scribbling on a small stack of paper beside it.
“+2 dawn – 71/min – Erratic pulses, random cycles every 5-10 minutes.”
Upon finishing, he stares at the list of alternating handwritings, admiring the familiar line of notes before his, timestamped as “-1 dawn”. Flipping through the pages, he couldn’t help but sigh at the sheer number of notes that had already been taken throughout the course of the past month or so.
“We’ll be late.”
The voice calls out again, prompting the boy to reluctantly rise from his seat. He takes one last look at the faint azure glow radiating from the girl’s eyes, hesitating once again to turn away. In the midst of his struggle, a hand reaches out to him from behind, planting gently on his head and ruffling his hair.
“Yi Dan, my child, go now.”
Dan immediately twists his feet, turning around and bowing towards the elderly man before him.
“Father.” Lifting from his bow, Grandmaster Yi’s soft smile greets him. “I’ll be going. Thank you.”
Turning around, Dan takes one last look at the girl before making his way out the door. Upon stepping into the hallway steps past, he glances at the boy leaning against the wall, nodding before turning to make his way out the building. The boy sighs, lifting the wooden sword leaning beside him and tucking it into his sash before following Dan out. Stepping past the doorway, he pauses to glance at the petite girl laying in bed. The sight of her unmoving figure, mixed with the smoldering fire lingering from that helpless night, causes the boy to clench his fists and jaw.
Never... Never again.
"Wei." Upon sensing the burst of rage-filled aura, Grandmaster Yi turns his attention towards the boy beyond the door. "This old soul understands your rage, but do not let it blind you from your path. This ascent you children are chasing after is a treacherous one. Without a clear mind and a calm heart, you may very well lose yourself along the way."
"Thank you, Grandmaster Ghost Doctor Yi." Wei cups his hands, bowing deeply towards the elderly man. "This young one will that in mind."
"Gyohoho! Good child, good!" Grandmaster Yi chuckles at the promising response. "Go now, young prince of Zhou."
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Elsewhere on the grand continent, by the Qin-Chu border, a boy not far from adulthood stands motionless atop a flattened section of a mountainside. His hair, short and neat, rests flat against his head, weighed down by sweat. His blade still hums from the attack he just executed, sending vibrations up his hand. A pink ribbon decorates his sword arm, falling flat against his bicep and hanging just past his elbow.
With heavy breaths, the boy watches as a sea of petals slowly descends towards the ground before him. A gust of wind, weaving its way through the mountains, sweeps by and carries the petals away. The ribbon on his arm lifts past his elbow, fluttering along with the passing gale.
A grand pavilion rests atop the peak of the same mountain. Coiling trees encircle the pavilion, their branches reaching towards the Heavens. Despite the chill of autumn air, the blossoms refuse to yield. Instead, they proudly display their petals, a testament to their resilience and beauty. Despite knowing that their time beneath the sun is almost up, they still hold on, even if just for a minute longer.
Inside the pavilion, an elderly man kneels, basking in the morning sun whilst enjoying a cup of steaming plum tea. His dark hair, mixed with streaks of white, floats behind him as the brisk wind rushes by. As the wind rushes past, it lifts the petals lining the pavilion floor, twisting around the man before drifting away.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
A lady of similar age sits across from him, her white-streaked hair glimmering with a red hue against the sun’s rays. She reaches towards the side of her head, picking out a single petal trapped in her hair. Before the wind fades, she releases the petal, allowing it to float away with the rest. As the stream of pink flies out of sight, she turns back towards the pavilion edge, looking over at the boy beneath.
“Chunhua looks more and more like her every time I see him.” The elderly lady comments. “Hardworking too, just like his father.”
“That he does. Though… hardworking? I’m not so sure yet. Could be another one of his phases.” The elderly man chuckles in response, pausing to take a sip of tea. Setting the teacup down, he rises to his feet and steps towards the pavilion railing to get a better look at the boy. “Either way, it’s nice to see him take his training so seriously.”
“Though I wish it were me to end that wretched hag, I’m glad it was you…” The elderly lady sighs, setting her tea down and rising to join him by the railing. “It’s good to see you smile again, Chunjian.”
The two observe as the boy executes nine swift steps before swinging his blade towards the sky. A sea of petals fly from the arc of his swing, rising past them as it tears towards the clouds above.
“Huā Shēng Fēn Tiān… (Translation: Flowers Ascend to Divide the Heavens)” The lady mumbles, a hint of shock in her voice as she watches the flowers grazing the clouds. “Chunjian, since when could h-”
“Miao, you forget we’re in the mountains.” Chunjian chuckles as he turns to the sky, gazing at the small gap between the clouds.
“You boys are all the same.” Miao rolls her eyes upon noticing the proud glint in Chunjian’s eyes. “Always wearing your words like armor.”
“Speaking of…” Chunjian breaks his gaze from the clouds, turning towards Miao. “How’s Jingang doing these days?”
“Is that what you really want to know? Or if he still holds a grudge?”
“How’s Jingang doing these days?” Chunjian repeats, sighing after as he recalls the day that changed everything.
Miao sighs along as she parts the overhang on her robe, unfastening her sheath from her sash and lifting it in front of her. She flicks her wrist, sending the sword sliding out of the sheath. After a split moment, she squeezes down on the sheath, causing the sword to freeze in place. She places her other hand on the flat-side of the blade, between the cross-guard and the sheath, running her fingers over the crude engraving of two people holding hands beneath the sun.
“Temperamental as always. Head still like a rock. Not much has changed, except… Well, you know how he is…” Miao’s voice trails off as she recalls her recent meeting with Grandmaster Liu. “Always a place in his heart for those without a place.”
“A young man and a little girl?” Chunjian smiles, trying to imagine the faces of these people “without a place”.
“You two spoke?! When? How d-d-” Maio’s eyes grow wide with shock, almost losing her words as her curiosity suddenly peaks. “That’s ama-”
“It’s not like that. Just confirming a hunch I came to while listening to Chunhua talk about his friends.” Chunjian cuts Miao’s excitement short. Upon seeing the disappointment in her eyes, he quickly changes the subject. “Did you meet Zhenren? I guess he adopted a boy recently? Dan?”
“Met them both… He’s got his hands full lately. I assume you know about Fang’s disciple?“
Chunjian nods, turning his gaze back to the ribbon on Chunhua’s arm. The two watch as Chunhua executes another set of steps before swinging his blade towards the ground. Their vision turns pink as a sea of flowers materialize from nothingness, hovering for a split moment before tearing towards the ground with the swing. Upon impact, an explosion fills the air, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris and echoing from mountain to mountain.
“Congratulations, Chunjian.” A smile sweeps across Miao’s face as the dust settles. Seeing a large corner of the flattened surface missing, she couldn’t help but feel genuine happiness for her old friend. “The first Grandmaster of the new generation might very well come from your Blossom Mountain Sect.”
“You jest.” Chunjian brushes off the generous compliment. “Isn’t your granddaughter a few steps away from Master?”
“That may be…” Miao’s eyes slowly drift from the sundered corner to Chunhua laying flat on the ground. “But at this rate, Chunhua will surpass her in due time.”
“We’ll know soon enough at the Academy Exchange, assuming he doesn’t revert back to his old ways.”
Down below, Chunhua struggles to lift himself from the ground. After a short struggle, he manages to stand on both feet, leaning on his sword to help him stabilize his legs. He lifts his gaze towards the pavilion, flashing a big smile as he points towards the sundered land before him. still heaving heavily, lifts his gaze towards the pavilion. Chunjian and Miao nod in response, silently congratulating Chunhua for his breakthrough.
They both watch patiently as Chunhua makes his way towards the steps carved into the mountainside. As the boy steps off and out of view, Chunjian wraps his hand around his sheath and pushes the blade up with his thumb. Hearing the familiar click, Miao smiles as she reaches for the handle of her blade.
“For old times sake?” Chunjian asks, suddenly itching to swing his blade after seeing his grandson’s display.
Miao steps onto the pavilion railing, turning around to meet Chunjian’s eyes. She gently kicks off, flying backwards before hovering in the air. Her hair and sleeves flutter wildly as she lowers her stance, ready to unsheath her blade.
“Chunhua might surpass Mimi...” Her eyes suddenly grow sharp as she imbues her blade with aura. “But it’s too late for you to claim my title, old friend.”
Chunjian taps his feet, floating above the pavilion railing before flying out into the sky. He lowers his stance and imbues his feet with aura, ready to explode forth.
“Don’t be stingy, Miao. We can always share.” The air beneath Chunjian’s feet begins to ripple, growing increasingly dense in response to his aura. A pink glow envelops his hand and sword as he prepares to strike. “Afterall, some flowers bloom in autumn.”