A Man in the Snow: Starting with a Sword Challenge to the Northern Liang Prince's Palace

This day.

Ning Yao habitually came to Ye Yun's tavern.

Ye Yun was brewing wine in the backyard. She pushed the door open a crack, peeked in halfway, and looked inside. Seeing no one, she was about to leave.

Ye Yun's voice came from the backyard: "Come in, I'm in the backyard."

Ning Yao walked through the tavern and pushed open the back door.

Several large vats were placed in the courtyard, filled with the aroma of wine. Ye Yun rolled up his sleeves and was pouring steamed glutinous rice into the vats, his movements unhurried and deliberate, as if he were doing something very particular.

He glanced back at Ning Yao and saw that she had a sword hanging at her waist, was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, had her hair tied in a ponytail, and looked very energetic.

"What's up?"

Ning Yao stood at the door, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Boss Ye, I would like to ask you for guidance on swordsmanship."

Ye Yun wiped his hands clean and looked at her. Ning Yao's eyes were serious, not like a spur-of-the-moment decision. She had changed quite a bit recently; since returning from Lizhu Cave Heaven, she had become much quieter and practiced her swordsmanship with even greater dedication.

She would leave the city before dawn and return after dark, always bearing injuries. When people asked her what happened, she wouldn't say, she would just shake her head.

Ye Yun nodded: "Let's go."

The two left the city and walked south for a few miles. They found a wide-open wasteland. The ground was grayish-white saline-alkali soil, cracked with tortoise-shell patterns, and a few clumps of withered grass trembled in the wind.

In the distance, there are endless barren mountains, gray and hazy, like a faded screen.

Ning Yao drew her sword; the sword was drawn from its sheath, its light as white as snow.

Her starting stance was clean and crisp, the tip of her sword pointing at Ye Yun, her gaze sharp, like an eagle poised to pounce.

Ye Yun stood with his hands behind his back.

"bring it on."

Ning Yao showed no mercy, thrusting her sword forward. The sword light flashed like a bolt of lightning, aiming straight for Ye Yun's throat. This sword strike was both swift and ruthless, carrying a sharp killing intent—not the killing intent of a friendly spar, but true killing intent, as if the person standing opposite her was not her half-master, but an irreconcilable enemy.

Ye Yun dodged to the side, the tip of the sword grazing his collar and lifting a strand of cloth.

He didn't move, but just looked into Ning Yao's eyes.

Ning Yao didn't stop; before the first sword strike had even begun, the second one arrived. This time, the sword swept horizontally, aiming for Ye Yun's waist.

The sword flashed through the air with a sharp whistling sound. Ye Yun took a step back, the sword's edge narrowly missing him. Then came the third, the fourth, the fifth…

Ning Yao's sword moved faster and faster, the sword light becoming denser and denser, like a blizzard, like a storm, one sword strike after another, leaving no chance to catch her breath.

Her swordsmanship has indeed improved a lot. Compared to a year ago, she is faster, stronger, and her sword angles are more tricky.

Every sword strike is a killing move, every sword strike is aimed at vital points, leaving no room for retreat and no way out for oneself.

Ye Yun only evaded and did not attack. He moved through Ning Yao's sword light with unhurried steps, as if strolling in his own backyard. No matter how fast or fierce Ning Yao's sword was, it could not touch even a hem of his clothes.

Ning Yao fought with increasing urgency, her swordplay becoming more and more ferocious, and her breathing becoming rapid.

"Your sword only thinks of killing people," Ye Yun suddenly said, his voice calm.

Ning Yao's sword paused for a moment, then thrust forward even more fiercely. Ye Yun raised his hand and caught the tip of the sword between two fingers.

The sword trembled violently, its cry sharp and piercing, yet it could not break free from those two fingers.

"But I never thought about how to live." Ye Yun loosened his fingers and took a step back.

Ning Yao sheathed her sword and stood still, her chest heaving violently. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her hand holding the sword trembled slightly. She lowered her head and remained silent.

Ye Yun looked at her calmly and said, "Your swordsmanship has no flaws; the flaw lies in your mind."

Ning Yao raised her head, her eyes slightly red: "I just want to become stronger."

"Becoming stronger isn't about dying." Ye Yun walked up to her. "Your parents' deaths weren't your fault. But if you keep carrying this burden, you'll die on the battlefield sooner or later."

Ning Yao's body trembled violently. She bit her lip, her lips turned white, her teeth sank in, and a little blood seeped out.

She wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a word. She just stood there, gripping her sword, trembling all over.

"I'm not... I just..." Her voice was broken, like a taut string that might snap at any moment.

Ye Yun didn't say anything more. He turned around, his back to her, and looked at the desolate mountains in the distance.

The barren mountains turned a deep purple in the twilight, their ridges resembling a sleeping dragon. A wind blew in from that direction, carrying the scent of sand.

Ning Yao stood there for a long time. Her breathing gradually calmed down, and her shoulders stopped trembling.

"Mr. Ye, you also have people you can't let go of, right?"

Ye Yun did not turn around.

"have."

Ning Yao was silent for a moment, then asked, "Then who is she?"

Ye Yun gazed into the distance.

The clouds on the horizon were burned to a golden-red by the setting sun, like a piece of silk that had been dyed through.

He remembered Park Seok, the moment she shielded him from the sword, the warmth of her body in his arms, and her last words.

"my sweetheart."

Ning Yao was stunned.

She watched Ye Yun's back—not particularly tall, even somewhat thin, yet he stood very steadily. The wind blew his blue robe, making it flutter loudly. He stood there like a tree that had been battered by the wind for many years, its roots running deep, unyielding no matter what.

Ning Yao lowered her head and sheathed "White Rainbow". Her movements were slow and gentle, as if she was afraid of disturbing something.

"I understand," she said.

Ye Yun turned around and looked at her. "What do you understand?"

Ning Yao raised her head, her eyes still red, but her gaze was different. Gone was the reckless sharpness; replaced by something indescribable—not weakness, but determination.

"Only by staying alive can you become stronger. Only by becoming stronger can you protect those you want to protect."

Ye Yun looked at her and suddenly smiled. It was a faint smile, but Ning Yao saw it.

"If you stay alive, the immortal sword within you might be able to help you."

The two walked back side by side. The setting sun cast long shadows on the gray wasteland, one tall and one short, one old and one young. In fact, Ye Yun was not old, but walking next to her always made people feel that he was an elder.

After walking for a long time, Ning Yao suddenly spoke up: "Boss Ye, your girl must be very nice."

Ye Yun remained silent, gazing ahead. The outline of the Sword Qi Great Wall gradually became clear in the twilight, and torches were already lit on the walls, scattered like a string of beads.

"Yes, she's fine."

Ning Yao did not ask any further questions.

She simply quickened her pace, walking ahead of Ye Yun, her ponytail swaying in the wind. When she reached the city gate, she suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at Ye Yun.

"I will live well," she said earnestly, as if making a promise.

Ye Yun nodded, and Ning Yao turned around, walked into the city gate, and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Ye Yun stood at the city gate, gazing in the direction she had disappeared, for a long time.

As darkness fell, the torches on the city wall flickered in the wind. The swordsmen guarding the gate changed shifts. Someone recognized him and nodded at him. He snapped out of his reverie and walked back to the tavern.

The tavern was quiet. Dong Bu was nowhere to be seen; he was probably sitting on the city wall again. Qian Shouxin was also absent; he was likely still on patrol. Only the oil lamp on the counter was still lit, its dim light illuminating the empty tables and chairs.

Ye Yun sat down behind the counter, took out a small wine flask from his pocket, uncorked it, and took a sip. The wine lingered on his tongue for a moment, the bitterness slowly dissolving into a faint sweetness.

He recalled Ning Yao's words: "Only by living can you become stronger. Only by becoming stronger can you protect those you want to protect."

He smiled and raised his wine jug towards the empty tavern.

"Well said."

Outside the window, the moon has risen.

Moonlight spilled onto the Great Wall of Swords, gilding the mottled bricks with a silvery white. A distant sword cry echoed, desolate and lingering, like the ancient fortress whispering in the night.

Ye Yun sat behind the counter, slowly sipping his wine, listening to the wind and the clanging of swords outside the window, waiting for the sun to rise tomorrow.