Bathed in the gentle light of the morning sun, and sharing the stature of a king, Xiao Mu Yu sat quietly in a lotus position beside the grass hut at the foot of the waterfall, his eyes softly closed. A worn battle sword lay across his lap, while fine strands of water from the waterfall danced in the breeze, yet were halted by an almost imperceptible barrier that prevented them from touching him.
The little fox appeared somewhat listless, lazily lounging on Xiao Mu Yu's shoulder, soaking up the sun. Its fluffy tail hung leisurely across his back, swaying unconsciously.
The entire Winter's Embrace Forest exuded an air of tranquility and serenity.
However, tranquility often proves fleeting, as a hearty laugh shattered this rare peace, startling a flock of birds into flight.
"Hahaha... Little Yuzi, I, the mighty San Dao, have come to see you!" A robust laughter echoed as a towering figure emerged from the woods.
The man was bare-chested, his bronzed skin gleaming with a metallic sheen. His muscles rippled with power, and several deep scars crisscrossed his chest. A distinctive bronze helmet of the northern barbarian tribes adorned his head, enhancing his rugged and unrestrained demeanor.
Upon seeing the newcomer, the previously languid little fox stirred with excitement, leaping eagerly into the air.
"Hahaha... Little fox is so enthusiastic, yet it has only been half a year!" The burly man laughed heartily, watching as the little fox soared through the air, tracing a graceful arc before landing on the shoulder of a woman behind him, immediately rendering him crestfallen.
The woman possessed long, moonlit hair, and her slender form beneath a deep blue ranger's cloak appeared both delicate and alluring. A translucent, silver-hued crystal bow rested on her back, emanating wisps of icy air.
"Am I really so unapproachable?" Tryndamere, the rugged man, lamented, visibly disheartened by the little fox's indifference.
"Brother Barbarian, Sister Ashe, it has been a while," Xiao Mu Yu rose slowly, greeting them politely.
"Ah, ah, little Yuzi, your form of address is incorrect! If you call me Brother Barbarian, then you ought to call her Sister Ashe. You should be calling her Sister Barbarian instead!" Tryndamere stated with mock seriousness.
"Oh, come now! You're getting old yet still act like a child. What does it matter how you address someone?" Ashe chuckled.
"A trivial matter? How can this be dismissed as trivial?" The Barbarian King exclaimed, as if he had uncovered a grave injustice. "A trivial matter? Wife, how can this be trivial? If you don't call her that, how will others know she is my wife? If they don't know I am a married man, what will happen if a beautiful woman takes an interest in me? Though my heart for you is as steadfast as the heavens can witness, it is never a good thing to hurt a beautiful woman's feelings, you must understand that hurting..."
"Bang!"
"Ouch! Wife, take it easy, that hurts… hurts..." Tryndamere groaned, clutching his head. "If you think I'm too chatty, just say so! I absolutely detest being hit. Well… if you see me looking at you with such sincerity, you should know that I will heed your words. If you don't tell me, how would I know you dislike my prattling? ...Uh… alright, I'll be quiet."
Seeing his wife's "gentle smile," Tryndamere wisely fell silent.
"Hehe… Little Yu, I apologize for this spectacle," Ashe said with a tender smile.
"Brother Barbarian and Sister Ashe still share such a close bond, it is truly enviable," Xiao Mu Yu remarked, his tone remaining cold and indifferent, devoid of any hint of admiration.
"Alright, Little Yu, let's get to the point," Ashe murmured softly. "We have urgent matters to attend to in Demacia. We passed through Winter's Embrace Forest to see you and brought the 'Crown of Radiance' for you."
"Now listen, Little Yuzi, this Crown of Radiance was not easily borrowed from Leona by our somewhat temperamental little queen. Speaking of Leona, you may not know her, but she is an extraordinary beauty, immensely powerful and strikingly lovely, much like our prickly little queen. Let me tell you… uh… alright, wife, I'll be quiet." As he noticed Ashe's "gentle smile" again, Tryndamere promptly stopped speaking.
"Hehe… Little Yu, this is the Crown of Radiance. Ashe mentioned she would help you find it, and now it has finally been delivered as promised." Ashe retrieved a golden gemstone, about the size of a fist, from her bag and handed it to Xiao Mu Yu.
"..." Gazing indifferently at the golden gemstone known as the crown, Xiao Mu Yu's eyes were devoid of warmth and filled with coldness. After a long silence, he finally asked frostily, "This is… the crown?"
"Ah… indeed," Ashe replied, still smiling gently. "This is the Crown of Radiance. It took considerable effort to persuade my stubborn sister to obtain it from the Dawn Goddess Leona. Is there something amiss?"
"N-no," Xiao Mu Yu replied curtly. "Thank you, Sister Ashe."
"Hehe… There's no need for such formalities, it's too distant. However, we mustn't linger; we have urgent matters back at the clan. We'll take our leave now and return to find you once we finish our business in Demacia," Ashe said, patting the Barbarian King, who was currently engaged in a staring contest with the little fox. "Let's go; don't delay clan affairs."
"Very well, very well. Then, Little Yuzi," Tryndamere stood, brushing off the dust from his knees, "we shall part ways here."
"I'll see you off," Xiao Mu Yu offered.
"No need! It's not our first visit, so why bother? It's not necessary to make such a fuss," Tryndamere laughed. "We have no time this visit, but next time we'll drink together for three days and nights!"
"Safe travels..." Xiao Mu Yu said, quietly watching as they departed.
…
Within the forest, Ashe and Tryndamere walked side by side.
"Honestly, I'm quite worried. After six months apart, I feel like Little Yuzi has grown even colder and darker. This can't continue," Tryndamere said weakly. "I thought time would soften everything, but it turns out he's quite stubborn, willing to forsake an entire forest for a single tree. The longer it goes on, the more profound the impact of Xiaoxue's affair on him. I... sigh..."
"Are you afraid that he will grow increasingly dark and ultimately be consumed by that very darkness?" The gentle tone of Aishi conveyed what the Barbarian King left unspoken.
"Indeed, just think back to that sunny, shy young man and compare him to the cold, unfeeling figure he has become. Good heavens, time truly wields a butcher's knife," the Barbarian King muttered, chewing on a blade of grass.
"Why burden yourself with such worries? You must have faith in Xiaoyu. Besides," Aishi said with a warm smile, "once the seal on Xiaoxue is lifted, your current anxieties will be rendered unnecessary."
"That's precisely what terrifies me," the Barbarian King replied. "The magical seal is shrouded in mystery; its immense power is coupled with too many unpredictable factors. When I suggested using the Sunlit Crown to protect Xiaoxue's soul and that the Night Demon Crystal could draw out the demonic consciousness within her, allowing her rebirth upon breaking the seal, it was merely a theoretical notion. What if, at the moment of unsealing, Xiaoyu discovers that Xiaoxue has perished? How could I face him afterward?"
"To be honest, I find those ancient sorcerers to be absolute scoundrels. If they could capture such formidable demons, why not simply slay them? Instead, they opted to keep them for study. They deserve their fate for leaving such calamities for future generations," the Barbarian King raged indignantly.
"Well, lamenting here won't bring Xiaoxue back. Wouldn't it be better to hurry to Demacia, handle matters there, and then seek the Night Demon Crystal to assist Xiaoyu?" Aishi replied with a resigned smile.
"Uh... whatever my wife says," the Barbarian King said, smiling sheepishly as he leaned closer.
"Go away! Who's your wife? We divorced ages ago," Aishi retorted, bemused, as she pushed away his encroaching helmet.
"Who said that? I wasn't informed," he countered, adjusting his tilted helmet. "You are my wife now and always… Wait, who are those people? Why are there humans in the Winterhold Forest?"
Following the direction of the Barbarian King's finger, Aishi noticed a group of soldiers marching steadily below the hill. Their presence went unnoticed due to the towering trees of the forest obscuring the two figures atop the hill.
"From the looks of their armor, they seem to belong to the Third Legion of Demacia," Aishi mused.
"The Third Legion? Isn't that the private army of that incompetent prince, Chimu? What are they doing here instead of staying in the south?" The Barbarian King scratched his chin in confusion. "Hmm, my beard has grown a bit long; it's time for a trim."
"Can you focus?" Aishi sighed in exasperation. "Aren't you worried at all?"
"Worried about what? What's there to worry about? Not a single magical beast has attacked this troop on our journey, which clearly indicates that they are guests of Xiaoyu. Why should I be concerned?" The Barbarian King looked at his wife with disdain. "You've become a bit dull."
"Go away! Compliment me and you're already out of breath," Aishi said, turning to leave.
"Hey? Hey, wait! Don't be like that. Don't be angry; I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! My wife isn't dull at all; she's the most powerful sage in the world! What's that so-called genius strategist, Swain, compared to my wife? Just a mere triviality... Wait for me, wife!" The Barbarian King quickly chased after her, a sheepish grin on his face.