The setting sun painted the cabin in a red hue: walls were covered half in snow and half in splinters.
Leng set down his cup as he stared into the horizon. Pipe smoke wafted into the air.
For but a moment, his gaze faltered.
He sensed a familiar qi.
Not enough to suppress. Just enough to let his presence be known.
Tufts of snow fell to the ground as the door opened. A man covered in drops of snow walked into the room and sat beside Leng silently.
"You always let the snow fall over you." As he filled another glass of Dukuang, he spoke.
"You always drink in the cabin when evening comes." The man responded, a cup of liquor in his hands, his eyes fixed on the west.
"Some habits never leave us."
The clink of glasses shook the dust in the air.
"You've changed."
"That's what my journey needed of me."
"Hm..." Leng's breaths slowed; his gaze softened.
He handed the pipe over to the man.
"Tell me... about your journey, Vera."
It was a grand tale.
A battle against a Jiao, the gaze of immortals, lands where even wind froze. A story where death and companions were never too far away.
Words flowed as the liquor did.
The crimson light in the smoke faded to a dull blue.
The intensity of each encounter left shallow quivers in Leng's arms.
As the bottle of Dukuang came to an end, so did the tale.
The chair's weathered stubs screeched against the floor as Vera stood up.
"Dinner has been caught."
Vera walked to the door to open it.
A dog covered in elegant golden fur, stained by the blood of various beasts, sat outside the cabin.
"A friend from the continent?" Leng asked. He looked at Sword Dog with an eyebrow raised.
"Something like that."
...
The gentle crackles of a campfire rode the air. The smell of roasted meat ran thick.
Leng chewed on the skewer; Sword Dog's head rested on his lap.
"Are you going to leave soon?"
Vera nodded, his eyes stuck on the campfire.
Snow crunched as Leng walked toward Vera. The smooth sleeve of his silk robe wiped off the tallow that smeared Vera's cheeks.
"You still eat like a kid."
A small laugh escaped Vera as Leng wiped his face clean.
"Have your fists softened in the two years I've been away?"
Leng dusted the snow off the ground beside Vera and took a seat. A rare smile formed over his weathered skin.
"My first thought was to knock your teeth out. But you've become too old for that."
Vera gritted his teeth; a heat prickled behind his eyes.
"Vera... you are hereby expelled from the Deep Cold sect and from my tutelage."
Dull creases formed across Leng's eyes.
"Yes... Father." His eyes welled up.
Leng gazed at the moon. The day he'd found Vera at his doorstep was clear as ever.
You really haven't changed since the day I found you.
***
The dry cold of winter froze the surface of Chongju Lake.
Vera stood atop a familiar stone platform; his eyes followed each divot his halberd had left on the ground.
Sword Dog lay beside him, silently appreciating the scenery of the night sky.
Ezra's hooves pattered against the ground as he drew near; two glasses of whisky floated alongside him.
"Are you sure you want to leave now? Getting there is far easier than coming back."
Vera held the cup against his nose; the aroma of cardamom engulfed him.
"Is this the one you brewed three hundred years ago?" His tone ran low and resolute.
A low breath escaped Ezra as he nodded.
"Your nose has grown quite sharp, you damn barrel rat."
A smirk grew on Vera's face.
"Grandfather, what happened to Mei?" As Vera spoke her name, Sword Dog's slumber broke.
He raised his head and faced Ezra, awaiting an answer.
"What, did you get attached to that little girl?"
"Hm."
A thin layer of the whisky coated Vera's mouth as he took a sip.
"The troublemakers matured after their battle with you. Perhaps you will meet her and even Longwang in the Greater Heavens."
Vera nodded at Ezra as he sat down beside him.
"Let us share one last drink before I depart."
"What are you talking like that for? I told you I'd ascend once the creature from the other side awakens."
"Even so. As you said, no one will know where I will be once I ascend. It may be a while before we meet again." Vera clinked his glass with Ezra's.
"Hm... fair enough. But remember, once you reach it, don't reveal that you are an ascender. Rarities draw greed; that alone doesn't change regardless of the realm you are in."
...
The moon reached the sky's zenith. Its tinted shine shimmered over the lake's frozen surface.
Empty glasses rested against the coarse stone ground.
Two years ago, on this very day, Vera decided to seek out ascension. Now his journey had come to an end.
Golden engravings ensconced Ezra's body; an imperious lightning circled his horn.
"Stay still until I send you out of the void; I'll take care of the rest."
"Yes, grandfather."
"I'll put the little one to sleep. The 'scenic route' may be a bit too much for him."
"What do you mean by the scenic route—" Vera's words were cut off midway.
Qi surrounded his body, its dense flow completely sealing him and Sword Dog from the outside world.
"I'll see you soon in the Greater Heavens."
"Transfix."
A cold fluid consumed Vera's body; the sight of the Five Plains contorted into a single point. Soon that too was extinguished.
The currents of a viscous space thrashed against the barrier; even in the nothingness of the void, the sensation of movement existed.
As the barrier moved, space parted for Vera.
However, in this dark emptiness, there were distant glimmers.
The star-spangled sky Vera had admired from the ground now stood a step closer to him.
His dignified expression faltered.
The further he grew from the Five Plains, the larger the sun became.
But this was within expectations; things at a distance always seemed small.
A minute passed; the sun's monolithic body grew to its peak.
At the hour mark, however, its growth reversed.
It's becoming smaller.
At first its sheer size blew Vera's mind, but now...
What consumed the entirety of his sight grew to the size of a dot.
A very familiar dot.
The very dots of the night sky he admired. Myriad thoughts flooded his mind.
Are all those dots the same as the sun?
Are there other places like the Five Plains?
How are there so many of these stars?
Is this what you meant by 'the scenic route'?
Just then a dense reverberation shook the barrier around Vera. Cracks began forming in the abyss beyond the barrier.
His rampant thoughts froze into silence. The sheer force caused the hairs on his nape to stand straight.
Sword Dog slept soundly, unbothered by the devastating force around him.
The sound of shattering glass flooded the barrier. Even the radiance of the innumerable stars came to an end.
Now the more familiar darkness of Ezra's technique surrounded Vera.
The void's viscosity grew exponentially.
Its weight made the currents he felt before seem gentle.
His perception over time had now disappeared; only the rampant pace of his breathing hinted at how long had passed.
But the further he travelled through the space, the monotony of breathing made him lose count.
The sound of flowing blood and a beating heart engulfed his mind; moments stretched into an eternity.
Damn geezer! When did you tell me about this?
Wait till I become stronger! I'll be the one fast-tracking you to the mountain's base.
His impudent thoughts helped him hold onto his sanity. The eternity of his travel was dimmed by his insults towards Ezra.
And finally, the darkness of the abyss cracked open.
A white dot of light, the size of a pinhole, formed on top of the barrier.
Its edges split open wide; the bright sun overwhelmed Vera's eyes. The weight of solid ground soothed his breaths.
Despite the pain in his eyes, he pressed through without a moment to calibrate.
From its name alone, the Greater Heavens foretold sights of beauty and magnificence.
After however long he was stuck in the dark nothingness of space, he longed to see solid earth again.
The radiant sun blinded him as he opened his eyes; expectations bubbled up.
Waterfalls that climbed into the heavens, castles that stood over clouds, and the sixteen arhats carrying the world.
And then his momentary blindness faded; his senses returned.
The first thing he heard was...
"Oye, this is my corner. Go beg somewhere else." A child spoke as he grabbed onto Vera's weathered martial robes.
"Being your senior in begging, I'll give you some advice... You're almost there; just stop taking baths completely if you want more 'charitable donations'."
A hundred footsteps pattered across poorly maintained pavements. Mothers screamed as they haggled the price of cabbage down to a single copper.
The rainbows he had pictured were in reality just a thin layer of dust in the air.
Vera stared blankly into the market. His tone mirrored that of a monk who had lost his faith.
"Where are my waterfalls that climb till the heavens?"
The child looked at Vera with newfound respect.
"I apologise; I didn't realise you were a senior. To think you would have the disillusioned beggar act down to this level!"
"Senior, let's work together—ohhh! Can I pet that dog?"