The sight we saw silenced the young disciples, making the cave seem even more eerie and desolate.
I was drenched in mud, blood, and sweat, despite the depth of winter. Though my eyes were closed, the feel and foul smell of blood and dirt enveloped me, leaving me disgusted and numb. I scorched the cloth I'd torn from my sleeve to staunch the bleeding; I bandaged the wound and repeated the process for all the injured.
Damn it.
My vision blurred as I struggled to sit up. I felt weak, but the sight of a familiar figure renewed my strength. It was him. A smile broke across my face as a familiar silhouette approached. Lin Jian, my comrade—a fake one, yet still here.
Unexpected joy filled my heart. I stood in disbelief. He'd been with me through thick and thin, except for tonight's massacre. I'd thought he'd fled, or worse, that he was dead. I recognized his tall, lean frame instantly. He'd always walked and stood like that, and it was no different now.
His unchanged posture filled me with poignant relief. He extended his arms to support me as I fell unconscious. Everything had changed tonight; it wouldn't be the same, but at least we'd still have each other, right?
As was.
I wished I could have slept that night, the night it all began. It was the eleventh month of the previous year. Crickets chirped as I opened my eyes. Before I was fully awake, their sound seemed louder. I couldn't sleep; lying down was useless. I got up and put on my robe.
I sat by the window, bathed in the gentle moonlight that cast a scenic glow across my room. My gaze fixed on the spiritual sword I had recently forged. As the 25th-ranked disciple—a position I'd earned through dedication and recent promotion—I reminisced about my humble beginnings in the sect, nurtured under the guidance of Master Xinyue. I had finally gained recognition as a high-ranking disciple within the Jade Dragon Sect.
Within our sect, high-ranking disciples are categorized into three distinct factions: the Jade Weavers, masters of illusion and spells using the power of the Jade Stone; the Shadow Walkers, exceptional fighters trained to be swift as lightning; and the Prime Artisans, craftsmen known for their expertise in crafting spiritual weaponry.
I belong to the third faction; I am a Prime Artisan of the Jade Dragon Sect. A lingering sense of incompleteness nagged at me as I looked at my newly forged weapon, prompting me to seek comfort in a cup of hot cocoa in the chill of the night. However, a sudden alertness gripped me as I sensed suspicious movement below, a swift, shadowy figure that eluded my grasp, leaving me to ponder the disturbance throughout the night.
The following morning, amidst the chatter of my old companions, a sharp, nagging voice demanded, "You! You! And you! And you!" A boy, barely older than me, pointed at random disciples. "To the cafeteria, all of you! You're on cleaning duty today."
He paused, his eyes on me, amusement glinting in them. "Oh, and you too, little Miss High and Mighty. Seems even the esteemed have chores."
I hesitated, anger rising. His words stung, and I knew the amusement in his voice was meant to mock me. Still, I nodded, my voice barely a whisper. "Yes, I will."
As the boy left, whispers followed him, turning into a tide of laughter once he was out of earshot.
"Yinuo, why did you agree? You don't have to clean anymore! You're practically a senior disciple now," Mei, one of my friends, exclaimed, her eyebrows raised in disbelief.
"Yeah, don't tell me you actually like cleaning. You're a dirt freak," another friend, Lan, chimed in, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
My cheeks flushed. "Shut it, juniors," I retorted. My earlier frustration was replaced by something else as a familiar figure passed by. "I just want to see my… best friend." The last word was full of hypocrisy. Everyone knew I meant Lin Jian.
Lin Jian and I… we have a difficult relationship. We were friends; fake friends.
They say we were like parallel lines, so similar that we never intersected. He and I both have difficult personalities; we're ambitious and cunning. One day we clashed and truly saw each other. I guess we wanted to see how far we could go, and from then on, we became good, very good friends.
The thought of seeing him, perhaps even talking to him, was enough to make my day better. We loved being fake with each other. It was a foolish reason, I knew, but it was the only one that mattered at that moment.
"It's alright, Yinuo," Mei said gently, understanding in her eyes. "We know you have your reasons."
I nodded, a faint smile playing on my lips. It was a silly situation, but I knew we weren't entirely fake with each other.
Thirty minutes into cleaning, the clatter of the broom against the wooden floor stopped as Lin Jian appeared in the doorway, a mischievous grin on his face. "Happy birthday to me!" he announced, holding out a small paper bag. "A little something to celebrate. And, of course, I couldn't celebrate without inviting you to a small gathering later. Come, join me?"
I paused, spraying cleaning mist on my hands to remove the dirt, and peered into the bag. It was brimming with plump lotus seeds. "Lotus seeds? How thoughtful!" I couldn't help but smile, raising an eyebrow. He remembered my dislike for their delicate, sweet taste.
"Just a small token," he chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "But I hope you'll join me. We'll have food, music, and good company. Alright?"
He knew how to get to me. The simple gesture, the feigned warmth in his voice, it all resonated with a comforting familiarity. "Of course, I'll be with you," I said, my voice reflecting his joyous warmth.
It took a long time for us to get permission to go out. As we strolled through the bustling marketplace, the vibrant colors and cacophony of voices enveloped us. The air was thick with the scents of exotic spices and freshly baked pastries.
"Do you remember that day in the peach orchard, six years ago?" I asked Lin Jian, a twinkle in my eye.
"Of course, I could never forget," he replied, a soft smile on his lips as we reminisced. It was an unforgettable experience; I fell on him, and we tumbled down the small hill. I didn't recover for two months!
"You were perched in a tree, fast asleep, when you toppled into my arms," he said, playfully reenacting the scene. I played along.
"And as I gazed into your eyes, time seemed to stand still," I added, a wistful note in my voice. "The peach blossoms danced in the breeze."
"We flew hand in hand, carried by the wind," Lin Jian reminisced. I paused as he continued walking. "It was as if we were the only two souls in existence, lost in our own world," he remarked.
"From that moment on, we knew our fates were intertwined," I said. "We became inseparable, sharing laughter, secrets, and dreams."
Suddenly, Lin Jian's hand grabbed mine.
"Ugh! Get your dirty hands off my clean dress!" I pulled back my sleeve, raising an eyebrow.
"Shut it," he said, his hands inches from my face. "Look." I looked in the direction he indicated.
The vibrant atmosphere was shattered by the grim procession of guards clad in green and white. They carried lifeless bodies draped in white cloth, their faces hidden from view.
Lin Jian's curiosity was piqued, and he approached the guards. "Good day, may I ask what happened to them?" he asked.
A somber expression crossed the guards' faces. "These individuals, travelers," one guard replied in a hushed tone, "met their demise at Jade Falls."
Lin Jian's eyes widened in alarm. "Jade Falls? But that's mere leagues away from here."
"Aye, kid," the guard continued, "they were found drowned in the treacherous waters, their bodies carried downstream by the relentless current."
"Sir, may I take a look?" I asked, joining their conversation. He hesitated. "Sorry, young lady and young man, just let us handle it." He thought we were just curious onlookers wasting time, so I convinced him I could help. He eventually agreed.
As I lifted the drenched cloth, I immediately noticed a sword wound. "There's a wound," I said.
"Yes, the exact cause of their death is still unknown; most likely they were murdered and thrown into the water. Either way, they died at Jade Falls," he explained.
The wound was from a sword I'd forged; it was abundant in yang energy, and the way it sliced through the skin confirmed my assumption.
It was someone from my sect. I made three weapons using yang stone: a crossbow, a spear, and a sword. There was a suspect now.