Bai Xue {Short Story}

Bai Xue

The rift made by the sword caused the snow to spill from the tree onto the ground in a heap.

A young cultivator stood in front of the evergreen, holding his sword behind his back. Wearing white robes embroidered with a unique silver pattern, the boy had fine features with pale skin and gray eyes, his long black hair spilling straight behind his back. The boy's thin brows were furrowed slightly.

"Yunru! Come look at this!" a voice called from behind.

Zheng Yunru turned to see another boy showcasing a snowman. The boy was also fairly good-looking with caramel-colored eyes and long hair that browned in the sun. He was wearing white robes identical to Yunru's.

Zheng Yunru flicked his sword with the blade down into the sheath fastened to his waist.

"Coming," Yunru told the other boy, walking toward them.

The snowman beside the boy was nearly their height, with a lopsided smile and glazed hawthorn sticks for arms.

Fang Xiaojian plucked out one of the hawthorns on a stick from the snowman and offered it to his friend. "Want one?" he asked.

Zheng Yunru hesitated. It was too early in the morning to eat sweets.

"..."

"What, are you calculating how much you can eat without feeling guilty?" Xiaojian asked, rolling his eyes humorously. "Do you want one or not?"

Yunru reached out and took the hawthorn treat. Before he could take a bite, Xiaojian exclaimed,

"Sect Leader!"

Quickly, Zheng Yunru spun around and stabbed the hawthorn stick back into the snowman. Fang Xiaojian did the same.

Yunru and Xiaojian were on the outskirt of a forest behind their sect. Painting a scene, there wasn't much besides a small cabin and the thick snow, and the morning sky. The sound of disciples training was faint in the distance.

A man approaches them as the two shift in vain to block the snowman from sight.

"Sect Leader," they said in unison. Yunru stepped forward and brought his arms in a circle around his respectfully bowed head. Xiaojian followed suit.

"Xiaojian. Yunru." the man nodded to the two, his hands clasped behind his back.

The sect leader was a fine-looking man, slender and tall, with gentle but firm eyes, golden brown in color, and long hair that was partially tied up in a bun and fixed by a silver hairpin.

Admiringly talented, the sect leader managed to maintain the youthful look of a man in their early twenties despite being much older. He was a brilliant individual who Yunru looked up to very much.

The man paused and looked at the two. He asked, "What are you two doing?"

It was a rhetorical question. Anyone with eyes can see the figure behind them with two hawthorn sticks impaled awkwardly in its front.

Yunru snuck a peek at Xiaojian from his sleeve. Fang Xiaojian's head was hung even lowered. Ashamed, the boy said, "Sorry, Zongzhu."

(Zongzhu 宗主 = Sect Leader)

The sect leader raised an eyebrow. The sect leader said, "Xiaojian, I saw your training the other day. Your stance was slightly incorrect. Let's see it."

Surprised by the sudden request, Xiaojian stammered, "Y-yes, Zongzhu!"

Fumbling, Xiaojian realized he didn't have his sword with him. Yunru quickly passed him his.