The snow on the cave slowly melted as the sunlight crept through the cracks of the logs of wood kept in front of the cave. The child opened his eyes slowly as he struggled to open them because of the snow crystals on his eyes. He realized he was lying on the lap of his sister who is leaning against the cave walls asleep. He got up slowly without making a noise, gentle to not wake his sister up.
The boy looked at his tails to only find them replaced by a pair of fragile human legs. He touched his legs as a tear escaped his eyes while he remembered how he was eager to swim to the top with his mother and his sisters to dance in the moonlight. He covered his mouth to stop his sobs from escaping.
The child tried to get up slowly on his fragile legs, wincing from the pain. He stood while bracing against the stone cold cave wall. With the support, he limped toward a crevice wide enough for him to walk out of the entrance. He slowly walked toward the opening and closed his eyes as the rays of the sun blinded him.
He opened his eyes to the blinding sun and the dense pine forest he vaguely remembered. Tears swelled in his eyes as he walked barefoot through the melting snow. The cold bit into him, unbearable, yet he stumbled on in despair, haunted by the last sight before he lost consciousness.His mother. He saw her blood. He saw the final time she had looked at him.
Helplessness gripped him.He could not tell her one last thing, remembering all too vividly her own sword spilling her life. His knees gave way, and he collapsed onto the cold snow, sobbing uncontrollably, clutching his chest as if to hold his broken heart together.
"A'Yan,"
a voice called. He turned—and saw his sister behind him, barely holding back her tears. He wiped his own eyes and tried to stand. Xiaoman reached out, steadying him as he struggled for footing. Then, without a word, she pulled him into a tight embrace. Xue Yan sank into her, sobs shaking his body.
Xiaoman and Xue Yan had lost everything- the family they had cherished with all their hearts. Now, all they had left was each other, the only anchor in a world gone cold. Ever since Xue Yan was a baby, Xiaoman had been by his side, a steadfast sister, guarding him, caring for him, never letting him face the world alone.
"A'Yan… don't cry, my child. Your mother in heaven wouldn't want to see your tears."
She knelt to reach his face, cupping it gently and wiping away his tears with trembling hands.
"A'Yan… we need to see them one final time… to give them theproper goodbye we couldn't give before."
She controlled her own sobs as she continued to wipe the child's face, her voice trembling but firm.
She held his hands tightly as they walked through the pine forest, the same forest where they had once fled from wolves and barbarians. Snow crunched beneath their feet, cold seeping into their bones, but Xiaoman would not let go when she saw the silent tears streaming down his face. Each step through the dense, snow-laden trees felt heavier than the last, carrying the weight of loss and memory.
At last, they emerged onto the frozen shore—the very place they had fled hours before. The place where the Meiyi Clan had met its end at the hands of cruel barbarians. The sight was unbearable: sinking bodies of the fallen, scales shattered and bloodied, remnants of the loved ones who would never return.
Xiaoman knelt and gathered the bloodied scales alongside Xue Yan, tears mingling with the cold wind whipping around them. Together, they carried the remains to a quiet spot deep within the forest and buried them beneath a thin blanket of snow, far from the shore. Then, side by side, they knelt and bowed—paying respect as humans do, even though their hearts were filled with sorrow, anger, and a solemn determination.
Xue Yan's voice broke the silence.
"Mother… my sisters… the people of Meiyi. You gave your lives to protect mine, and I… I will not let you down. Mother, I will avenge our clan. I will not let the barbarians who slaughtered you escape the justice they deserve."
His eyes, reddened with tears, burned with fury and grief. Xiaoman's own eyes, glimmering with sorrow, met his, filled with both pride and anguish.
"I swear, with heaven as my witness,"
Xue Yan continued, his voice firm despite the trembling
"I, the prince of the Meiyi Clan, shall avenge the death of our people… with my life… until my last breath!"
Moved by his determination, Xiaoman spoke, her voice strong despite the tears streaming down her face.
"I, Xiaoman of the Meiyi Clan, shall stand with the prince until my last breath and beyond to avenge our clan, with heaven as our witness."
Together, they bowed deeply before the scattered remains of their family. Xue Yan clutched his pendant, eyes closed, engraving one last memory of the Meiyi Clan in his mind before leaving the place.
The steps Xue Yan took toward the unknown ahead hurt with every movement, each one a painful farewell to the place where his people rested. Yet, his steps grew steadier he had at least learned to walk, though his legs remained fragile. The path ahead stretched long and weary, as he had expected. Slowly, the snow began to thin along the trail as they pressed onward.
They paused to eat some wild berries to ease their hunger and drank cold water seeping from cracks in the rocks. Though their bodies ached, it was their minds that bore the heaviest weight. Parched and exhausted, they crossed the border into a town beyond the dense, snow-covered mountains.
Suddenly, Xue Yan collapsed onto the ground, drained from the journey. Xiaoman rushed to his side, helping him sit against a tree while she scanned the area for someone who could help. Nearby, a man drank from a bottle, conversing with a group chopping wood a short distance away.
Xiaoman approached him and asked for water. Seeing her desperation, the man let out a cruel, sneering laugh.
"Young lady… you're in the wrong place," he said, eyes glinting with malice. "It's far too dangerous for a beautiful lady like you to be here… alone. Let me send you back."
Before she could react, he grabbed her shoulder with obvious ill intent. Sensing his intentions, Xiaoman twisted his hand in a swift motion, aiming to break his arm. He screamed and collapsed, the sound alerting the others who were chopping wood. They ran toward her, ready to subdue her, but she drew her dagger and struck. A few fell, but quickly rose, unharmed by her attacks.
Exhausted from the journey, Xiaoman's aim faltered. Soon, the men overpowered her. The man she had first attacked stood, clutching his broken arm as he approached. He struck her across her already bloodied face and kicked her stomach, blood dripping from her torn lips.
"Young lady… you're quite something,"
he sneered, laughter spilling from the others.
"But nothing good is going to happen to you now."
Xiaoman glared at him with blazing eyes, refusing to yield. She spat in his face and kicked him back, fueling his rage.
Before he could strike again, a haunting melody cut through the tension, a delicate, sorrowful tune from an erhu, echoing from the canopy of bamboo trees surrounding them. The sound seemed to freeze the men in place, drawing all attention to the unexpected presence of the musician hidden above.
Soon, the leaves murmured with the melody of the erhu as it floated through the air. The man, who had been distracted for a moment, regained his senses and raised his hand to strike the woman before him.
Just as his hand came down, the music stopped and a voice rang out, playful and teasing
"Gentlemen… what are you young men doing with that miss over there, huh? Can I join in your game too? Haa, it's been so long since I played this game of catch with friends… can I join too?"
High in the branches of a eucalyptus tree, a young man dressed in black sat with an erhu in his hands, playfully kicking his feet in midair. His tone and words infuriated the men below. One of them shouted
"Shut up, you moron! Mind your own business and don't barge into our talks!"
The young man sighed dramatically, shaking hishead
.
"Haa… I thought I could play with you. Too bad. What about that young miss over there? Will she play with me?"
The leader of the gang bellowed, red-faced and furious
"Get down here before we kill you! You don't know who we are! Mind your own business and get lost. We'll decide what to do with this young miss here."
The young man said nothing. The leaves went still; the forest seemed to hold its breath.
The leader returned to drag Xiaoman, who was barely holding herself up under her injuries. Suddenly, one of the men felt a sharp pain in his neck and collapsed. The others rushed to him, only to see a thin needle lodged in his skin.
Panic spread through the group. One by one, men around the leader began collapsing to the ground. Frightened, the leader bolted toward a tree to hide. Before he could reach it, the young man appeared from behind the trunk, standing directly in front of him, playful glint in his eyes and hands clasped behind his back.
The leader stuttered, trembling
"Y-you… y-you… what the hell do you want f-from me!?"
The young man tilted his head, smiling teasingly.
"Mister, why are you scared? I just wanted to play with you. Haa… you're boring."
He pulled a blowpipe from his pocket, aiming it at the leader. Just as he was about to strike, the man fell to his knees, trembling and begging.
"Wait… w-wait! I'll play with you… w-what… s-should I do!?"
The young man tilted his head, eyes glinting with playful amusement.
"Hmm… well, if you want to play, then let's play hide-and-seek! Hide before I count to a hundred."
Covering his eyes, he began counting aloud, each number deliberate and teasing. The leader, seizing the opportunity, bolted for his life, vanishing from the scene.
With the man gone, the young man let out a soft chuckle, the sound carrying lightly through the bamboo canopy. He walked toward Xiaoman, who lay on the ground, clutching her dagger tightly,
He held out a hand to help her, but Xiaoman used her dagger to push herself up, stepping away from him. The young man followed behind, pretending to struggle to catch up.
"Eh, miss, you walk too fast… I thought you'd at least give me a thank you," he teased.
Xiaoman remained silent, her gaze fixed ahead as she continued walking.
Suddenly, he darted past her and stood in front of her, blocking her path.
"Miss, wait… I'm Xie Yun. What's your name, miss?"