When Chu Xinghui rushed back to Beiyue Sword Sect, it was deep winter, and heavy snow fell from the sky.

He walked on the mountain path. The pendant hanging on his neck suddenly seemed to sense something, it glowed briefly and flew out like a streak of light in the deep, quiet night.

It flew straight toward Qingjing Peak.

Chu Xinghui stood still, dazed, and touched his empty neck.
Black Bird, who had always followed him, flapped its wings and perched on a nearby snow-covered branch.

Snowflakes drifted lightly from the branches to the ground.

Suddenly, Chu Xinghui regained his senses and chased in the direction where the pendant disappeared.

His pace quickened until he began to run.

… The last soul fragment of Xie Liufeng was at Qingjing Peak, in the home of the two of them.

It was the most important and memorable place for them.

Chu Xinghui walked through the night and snow, and after ten years, he finally returned to the place he knew best.

When he came back, he saw the light in the room was on.

… Qingjing Peak had only two people, since he was not home, the only one who could have lit the lamp was one person.

Chu Xinghui stood at the door, not daring to push it open nor make a sound.

He did not know how long he stood there—maybe a few moments, maybe longer—until the door creaked open from inside.

A familiar person stood before him, carrying a usual slightly unreliable composure, a smile in his voice: “Whose little star is standing in the snow outside the door?”

Under the dim yellow light, he looked just like when they first met.

Xie Liufeng lowered his eyes to look at him carefully and smiled: “Oh, so you belong to me.”

Then he caught this star standing in the snow outside the door and brushed the snowflakes off his clothes.

Chu Xinghui stood there dazed, letting him do so as if he had lost his soul.

Xie Liufeng waved his hand in front of his eyes and asked: “What’s wrong? You were put back together, don’t you recognize me?”

Chu Xinghui called his name: “Xie Liufeng.”

After saying those three words, he became like a mute, staring fixedly at the person before him, unable to say the next sentence.

Xie Liufeng smiled gently and leaned close: “Do you want to touch and see?”

Chu Xinghui stared at him for a long time, finally reached out carefully, and touched his warm face.
Even his fingers trembled.

Xie Liufeng curved his eyes and asked: “What’s the chance that I’m alive this time?”

Chu Xinghui said nothing, but suddenly his eyes reddened, and big tears rolled down.

When he cried, he only shed tears without a sound.

At first, when he planned to accompany Xie Liufeng, he did not cry, when he searched for Xie Liufeng’s soul fragments bit by bit, he still did not cry.

But when this person truly stood before him, he could not help but cry.

… It was as if all his grievance and fear finally found a resting place here.

Xie Liufeng bent down and wiped his tears clean little by little, softly comforting him: “Don’t cry, I am here, alive, and I won’t go anywhere.”

Chu Xinghui stepped forward two steps and directly buried himself in his arms, calling his name again: “Xie Liufeng.”

Xie Liufeng caught him tightly, heart aching deeply, and whispered: “I’m here.”

Chu Xinghui remained silent, burying his head into Xie Liufeng’s shoulder.

The two of them quietly embraced for a while, when Xie Liufeng suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck.

He looked down and saw Chu Xinghui silently biting him again.

Meeting Xie Liufeng’s gaze, Chu Xinghui looked back, then lowered his head and bit him once more.

He wanted to bite the person he had saved, whenever he felt like it.

Xie Liufeng could not help but laugh and held him tighter.

 

*

 

Black Bird trailed behind Chu Xinghui by one step. Upon returning, it first checked its nest.

Its nest had not been tended for ten years, leaving only a few dead branches buried under the snow.

Black Bird sadly stretched out its claw, pawed at the dead branches in the snow, gave up at last, then called out to Chu Xinghui and Xie Liufeng.

But both people focused only on each other and did not notice the familiar bird call.

Black Bird circled around them twice, called two more times, but they still did not notice.

The bird fussed for a while, then had no choice but to struggle through the two embracing people and quickly flew into their room, perching on a high shelf.

It resolved to make do for one night, when the snow stopped, it planned to build itself a bigger and more luxurious nest than before.

Changing posture, its tail feathers swept the shelf behind, breaking a teacup with a loud “crack.”

This somewhat larger noise finally woke the two at the door.

Chu Xinghui gathered his emotions, gently pushed Xie Liufeng, and stepped out of his embrace.

He raised his head and, as countless times before, looked at Xie Liufeng seriously.

His eyes, washed by tears, shone like stars.

Xie Liufeng leaned in and tenderly kissed his eyes.

Chu Xinghui blinked.

Xie Liufeng smiled, took his hand, and led him inside, softly saying: “Let’s go, little star, it’s time to go home.”

Chu Xinghui tilted his head and glanced at him, moving their hands to interlock fingers.

They had once crossed life and death and spent a very long time, finally holding each other’s hands again.

Once held, they would never let go again.

 

*

 

That day, heavy snow fell, covering the mountain path of Beiyue Sword Sect, gradually burying the footprints of the returning traveler.

Nearby, Ming Xiao mixed among a group of disciples in the training ground, holding a formation map and directing them to build an array to shield from wind and snow.

The recent heavy snowfall had broken the formation that had stood for years on the training ground, so it had to be dismantled and rebuilt.

Thus, Xue Heng assigned Ming Xiao to work.

While directing, Ming Xiao listened to another side grumble about “budget,” “expenses,” and “save where possible, spend where necessary,” then decisively ended the communication.

All that talk still ended with reimbursement requests.

Meanwhile, Cheng Yu wandered outside selling goods, by the eighteenth customer inquiry, he finally succeeded in selling his newly made pill.

At the Wanbao Trading Company, Shang Ling had just finished auditing the year’s accounts. Feeling drowsy from excess money, he yawned and went to lie down.

In the Danding Sect, Xie Tinglan finished refining the last batch of pills. Looking at the snow scene outside the window, she poured herself a cup of hot tea.

Meanwhile, far away, a group of cultivators silently appeared on the surface of the East Sea. Their gazes pierced through the calm sea, as if they could see the island that had long since sunk beneath the waves.

In the end, all they could do was sigh, for all things in the world have their causes and effects.

 

…

 

But the snow continued to fall silently through the night.

All the joys, angers, sorrows, and farewells—life and death—were ultimately well stored within this quiet snow-filled night.

The dim light of Qingjing Peak remained on.

It was a good winter, and the coming year would bring a good spring as well.

And every year, every season, would always be filled with such beautiful scenery.

 

End

 

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