Spring Winds

'They'll be fine without me!

I need to find Senior Sister as soon as possible so we can get out of this Heaven's forsaken mountains!'

Ignoring her fellow disciples' calls behind her, Zhu Na Ran blazed on forward through the sea of bandits searching for her senior sister. Using the heads and faces of a few bandits as a launchpad, she hopped onto a small cliff clearing the overlooked the battlefield and the mountain range.

"Hah, ha, where is she?!"

"Ah, esteemed guest," an annoying voice called out from behind her. Turning around, she watched with narrowed eyes as Xu Jing smiled as he opened his fan. "What a surprise we would be meeting again on the battlefield.

"What is this," she scoffed as the fox-like man fanned himself with a gentleman's leisure. Though, she knew that these men were anything but that.

"I thought you'd leave with the rest of your little friends," he chuckled.

Hmm, could it be that they left without you, esteemed guest?"

"No, I told them to leave without me," she glared as she felt the mood shift slightly. 'What is this pretty boy planning?'

"Hmm," covering his fan to cover his mouth, Xu Jing chuckled. "Is that so?"

Suddenly, a sharp breeze came her way as she felt a slight sting on her cheek. Touching her face, she felt the dark red liquid slowly dribbling down her cheek.

Looking up, Zhu Na Ran narrowed her eyes as Xu Jing pointed her folding fan towards her, a cruel grin on his handsome features.

"You should've left with them, esteemed guest."

---

"Heh, not bad," the old bandit praised as he slickly dodged another of her attacks, as large icy pikes sprouted from the ground.

Skillfully jumping back as the pikes came closer to his position, the old man's feet tapped atop the snow like a bug on water. "Your technique is quite good for a girl your age."

Ignoring the bandit's words, Ye Lian Hua continued to parry the bandit away.

'We're already a reasonable distance away from everyone else.

They should've left by now.'

However, knowing her junior sister, she would cause a stir if she knew of her plan.

'Hopefully, just this once, she'll listen to me and leave.'

"Hmm, young lady, I have a proposal for you," the bandit smiled as he stroked his beard. "Why don't you go and kill off the rest of those sect pests and become my disciple.

This master will ensure that you'll never be bullied and that the whole world will fall beneath your feet."

"No need, I already have a great master," Ye Lian Hua frowned as she sent more icy shards flying towards her opponent. With the abundance of frigid qi in these mountains, creating such tools was a breeze.

"Hmm, pity," the old bandit sighed as he started to switch to the offensive. "It looks like you'll have to die then."

Pointing two fingers at her, he made a beeline for her shoulder as he had done to Zhu Na Ran.

However, before he could do so, she blocked with her blade, swiftly.

As soon as his fingers touched the surface of the cold steel, the tips of his fingers grew blue as frost began to climb up his hand, yet the elder appeared undisturbed.

"A heavenly-grade blade," the old man asked with mild surprise. "What a treasure you possess, little girl.

I might have to take that off your hands later.

Heh, after all, a man's only crime is carrying a piece of jade."

Tightening her grip on her sword, Ye Lian Hua quickly threw him off. "Cloud Breaker!"

Instantaneously a white slash came from the tip of the blade before flinging itself towards the old bandit.

"That technique," the old bandit eyes grew wide. "That technique, it's from-"

Looking at Ye Lian Hua's robes' pattern, his old mind began to clear up as he recalled a memory that he thought he had long forgotten.

"Yun Cai Peak!"

A disciple of Yun Cai Peak Sect!"

Narrowing his eyes are the silver yulan flowers embroidered on her robes' collar, a rage started to incite within him. "Not only that but a disciple of Yu Lan Peak!"

"What of it," Ye Lian Hua questioned as she held up her sword before, not letting the bandit come closer.

"Hahaha!" Throwing his head back in laughter, a cruel cackle sounded throughout the range. "Heaven's must be smiling down on me today!"

To think that he would not only come across some brats from Yun Cai Peak but also the disciple of that b*stard who humiliated him all of those years ago!

"Luo Yu Xing!

Hahaha, I may not have been able to seek my revenge on you yet, but at least I have the fortune to come across your disciple, hahaha!"

Unnerved by the man's manic laughter, she narrowed her eyes at him as he continued to laugh. She didn't dare strike yet, for fear that he might do something in his hysteria.

"Girl, do you know what kind of man your master is," he asked between his cackles.

She knew what kind of man her master was:

A foodie, a slob, and a bum.

Yet, despite these qualities, her master was a good man and a generous one.

Although he was relatively frugal when it came to giving others payment, he let his disciple take as they pleased from the peak storage room to help advance their cultivation.

Compared to other elders and peak master, her master was perhaps the most lenient of them all.

Either that or he was too lazy to care.

"Let me tell you, girl," the bandit cackled. "Your master is more monstrous than you think!

Hahaha!"

"..."

Although Ye Lian Hua didn't respond to his taunts, the bandit still laughed hysterically without care.

"Do you think that anyone wants to live this life as a rogue?!

Hahaha! If that b*stard Luo Yu Xing didn't humiliate me all of those years ago, do you think I would be milling around such scum?!

No!

I, Zhen Jing, would be high up in one of the most honorable sects in the realm! Hahaha!"

The elder's face grew red as he continued to vent about his misfortune of meeting Luo Yu Xing.

"Luo Yu Xing, that b*stard!

I'll kill you in his place!" Jabbing his fingers forward, an ominous purple aura appeared as Zhen Jing was ready to kill her on the spot.

"Senior Sister!"

Turning to the sound, she saw her little junior sister running towards where they were.

"Zhu Na Ran?"

Shocked by her junior sister's sudden appearance, it gave Zhen Jing an opening to strike like a snake.

"Senior Sister," suddenly appearing before her, Zhu Na Ran threw a flaming talisman towards Zhen Jing as she grabbed her and ran.

"Argh," Zhen Jing grit his teeth in frustration as he dispelled the small trick. "It's that brat again!"

"Junior Sister! What are you doing here?!"

"No time to ask, Senior Sister, just run!"

"What?" Looking over the hill where her junior sister came from was a horde of bandits, chased by a tsunami of white powdery snow, "What did you do?!"

"Hehe," Zhu Na Ran giggled as she ran as she pulled her along.

'This girl, even while being chased by a horde and an avalanche, still has the gall to smile.'

"Where do you think you're going!" Zhen Jing soon gave chase as he used his qigong to catch up to him, uncaring of the subordinates' deaths behind as they were buried under the fluffy white powder.

"You think that I'd let you go!"

"Ah, it's that crazy freak again!

I thought you could handle it, Senior Sister!"

"It's… a work in progress!"

"Ehmm, hehe!

Wow, Senior Sister has met an opponent that even she can't defeat!

What a sight! Hahaha!"

Despite their dire situation, she couldn't help but feel red in the face. Whether it was the adrenaline or her junior sister's melodious laughter, she didn't know. "Y-you, just keep running!"

Taking charge, she pressed on forward as the cold chilly air numbed her burning face.

"You think I'd let you off!" Suddenly appearing behind them, Zhen Jing's malice could barely be disguised.

"Watch out!"

"Die, b*tch!" Pulling back with another palm strike, Zhen Jing gnashed his teeth in hatred as he aimed for Zhu Na Ran. However, his attack didn't meet its target.

"Wha…"

"Hmph, silly girl," Ye Lian Hua smiled as she slumped onto Zhu Na Ran's shoulder. Her back throbbed in pain, yet she did her best not to show it.

'The things I do for this silly girl…"

"What…"

Eyes widened, Zhu Na Ran gaped in shock. She suddenly coughed up blood, red splattering onto her junior's shoulder.

"... Senior Sister," her junior cried, yet her voice began to fade out.

'... junior sister, this senior is just going to take a small rest…'

She felt Zhu Na Ran grip her clothes as she pressed her tightly to her body.

Holding her tightly, the two of them suddenly plunged off the side of the cliff!

"Hold on, Senior Sister!"

Skidding to a stop, Zhen Jing looked down in unwillingness and disdain at his escaped prey.

"Elder Zhen! Should we go after them?"

"Elder Zhen! We've lost at least 105 men!"

"Hmph, fool," Zhen Jing barked. "This elder just struck one with the Eight Poison Palm Strike. It's unlikely that that girl will live, nonetheless, survive the fall from such a height.

Tch, let's not waste our time on these wastrels," flicking his sleeve, Zhen Jing left the cliff in disdain while the rest followed him back. "We have other matters to worry about!"

Unbeknownst to them, a dark figure with a black veil watched the scuffle from a distance before disappearing.

Landing on the tiled roof of a dilapidated mansion, the figure quickly slipped down and into the corridor.

Briskly walking down the halls, they arrived at the only room of the abandoned home that glowed with life.

After knocking a pattern on the door, a muffled "come in" signaled them to open the door.

Pushing the door aside, they entered the room before quickly kneeled in front of a handsome young man sitting at the small study desk.

Despite his neat appearance of clean white robes and not a single hair out of place in his tight top knot, the room was a mess as maps, documents, and half-finished paintings laid haphazardly around the room.

"Have you come back with some news," the young man asked casually as he slowly painted on a crisp sheet of parchment, long fingers, and steady control piecing together a delicate masterpiece:

A brilliant golden crow, soaring through the orange-blue sky as it flew over grand and mighty mountains[1].

"Yes, Master Ziya," the servant nodded quickly. "At Xiong Xian Pass, this servant saw her."

"Saw who," the young man asked calmly, but his heart started to beat in anticipation despite his appearance.

"The girl whose hair shines like gold threads in the sun."

Pausing his movements, the ink from the brush created a small black puddle before he continued to paint.

"Are you certain," he questioned as he tried to calm his heart down.

"Yes, Master Ziya. This servant swears on their life," the black-clad figure bowed.

"And?"

"A-and, the girl fell off a cliff along with another.

This servant fears that…"

A deafening silence fell upon the room as the air became more suffocating to breathe.

Face turned blue; the black-clad servant began to choke as the room's pressure began to increase.

"What."

"M-master Ziya, for-forgive this servant," the servant choked out as he held his throat in pain. "Th-this servant should've known better."

Instantly, the pressure dropped, and the figure collapsed to the floor, gasping. "T-thank you, Master Ziya, for your endless mercy."

"I'm disappointed, Seven," Master Ziya sighed as he continued his painting. "That you'd think that girl would perish from falling from a cliff. You and I know that she is far more capable than you know.

Especially considering her background."

"Yes," Seven bowed his head. "This servant begs for Master Ziya's forgiveness for thinking of such a foolish thought."

"Em, you'd know to be especially careful, especially considering Master's temper."

"Yes," Seven nodded. "This servant will punish themselves for such an error."

"Hmm, very well," Master Ziya nodded as he finished his painting with a red stamp before rolling it up and handing it to his servant.

"Bring this paint to master right away.

Time is of the essence."

"Master, what would you like this servant to say to the Great Master?"

"No need," Master Ziya sighed as he leaned back in his seat. "As soon as Master sees this painting, she'll understand."

"Understood," the servant bowed as they safely tucked the painting away before disappearing from the young man's sights.

Without any haste, Seven rushed to deliver their important message to the Great Master:

'The daughter of Zhu Feng is alive.'

[1] Jin1 Wu1 - golden crow, a metaphor for the sun. Do you guys see where I'm going with this?

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