Snow continued falling like a beautiful silver curtain draped on the land. It connected the heavens and earth, turning it into a timeless and unforgettable sight. The snow swayed in the air and fell before Su Ming. As wind blew and whistled by, the white coating would be lifted from the ground and dance with the snowflakes falling from the sky.
There were some snow that floated before Bai Ling in the wind and pa.s.sed by both of her bone earrings, falling on her neck, which was covered by her thick s.h.i.+rt, and melting.
While listening to Bai Ling’s soft muttering by his ear, warmth grew in Su Ming’s heart and travelled through his entire body. That warmth then turned into a special feeling. There was a pleasant word to describe it – happiness.
It was a beautiful night, with beautiful snow, and there were two people immersed in happiness.
Su Ming smiled. It was a faint smile filled with happiness and the innocence of a young boy. He stopped and looked at Bai Ling. At that moment, the girl in the snow looked as if she had turned into a timeless picture, and the image was ingrained deeply in Su Ming’s memories - the image of the white snow, her white clothes, the girl who was as beautiful as the snow, and the words she was whispering quietly.
Bai Ling was very pretty. Some ice fragments stuck to her trembling eyelashes. Su Ming continued looking at her and felt that everything had disappeared from the world. It was as if the only ones that existed were the two of them.
After a long while, when Bai Ling’s cheeks slowly turned even redder due to Su Ming’s gaze, he raised his right hand and took off the fang necklace hanging on his neck. He took off the biggest fang, which was the size of his little finger, and handed it to Bai Ling.
The fang was completely white. It was crescent in shape, and there were two words carved on it. Those words were Su Ming’s own name. The fang emanated a fierce presence.
"The elder gave this fang to me when I took part in my first Berserker’s Awakening when I was seven. This is something I really like. I’ll… give it to you." There was a smile on Su Ming’s face, but he was feeling nervous. In their tribes, handing over this thing as a gift held a special meaning.
Bai Ling pursed her lips. Her face turned even redder, and her heart raced against her chest. The sounds of her heart pounding made everything disappear from her eyes, leaving only Su Ming.
After a long while, Bai Ling gently lifted her pale hand and took the fang. The moment she touched it, her fingers shook. She held it lightly in her hand.
Su Ming was nervous. When he saw that Bai Ling was only looking at the fang and had no intention to do anything else after a while, he scratched his head, causing some of the snow on his hair to fall.
Bai Ling cast a glance at Su Ming. When she saw his silly act, she covered her mouth and smiled. There was a mischievous look in her eyes and an indescribable warmth that could make others melt.
"That… Uhm, aren’t you forgetting something?" The moment Bai Ling laughed at him, Su Ming’s face also turned red.
"What is it?" Bai Ling was still smiling. Her smile was really beautiful, and surrounded by the snow in the snowstorm, it created an unforgettable sight.
Su Ming’s face turned even redder, but very soon, he gritted his teeth and took a deep breath and looked at Bai Ling. He spoke seriously, "Bai Ling, I’m your savior… I…"
"I know that you’re my savior, but what does that have to do with me forgetting something?" Bai Ling blinked.
"Of course it does. Urgh… Let’s not talk about this. Eh? That bone earring of yours is really beautiful, let me have a look at one of them." Su Ming looked around and quickly changed the topic.
The mirth in Bai Ling’s eyes became even stronger, and with it, her slyness grew as well. She lifted her hand and touched the white bone earring on her left ear while looking at Su Ming.
"My mom left this for me… I won’t give it to you." Bai Ling laughed when she saw Su Ming’s widened eyes. When he seemed to be about ready to s.n.a.t.c.h it, she immediately ran backwards. Her laughter travelled into the distance like silver bells.
Nonetheless, even if she said that, she still held onto the fang Su Ming gave her in her hand like a piece of treasure.
Su Ming glared, vexed, and immediately gave chase. The both of them laughed happily in the snow. Bai Ling did not give Su Ming the bone earring in the end, but Su Ming, ignorant as he may be, still felt something different within the gentleness in her eyes.
Tired, Bai Ling sat down in the snow. She looked at the snow falling from the sky and asked lightly, "Su Ming, what will we become in ten years..? Are we still going to be as carefree as we are now..?"
Su Ming placed both of his hands behind his head and laid down beside Bai Ling. The snow was very soft. He too, looked at the snow falling from the sky while listening to Bai Ling’s words.
"Are you still angry?" Bai Ling turned her head and looked at Su Ming with a smile as her beautiful eyes flashed brilliantly. "Don’t be mad."
"I’m not mad." Su Ming let out a harrumph, but when he saw Bai Ling looking at him, a smile appeared on his face.
"Ten years later, we’ll definitely still be as carefree as we are now… And by that time, my level of cultivation will definitely be very high!" There was an expectant look in Su Ming’s eyes.
"The elder told me yesterday that I’ll be staying in Wind Stream Tribe in the future. I’ll receive the same guidance as Ye w.a.n.g from Wind Stream’s Elder… Perhaps in ten years’ time, I’ll be close to Awakening Realm." Su Ming laughed.
As she listened to Su Ming’s words, a look of antic.i.p.ation appeared in Bai Ling’s eyes. There was a happy smile on her face, and she continued talking with Su Ming in the snowy night, as if they would never finish talking to each other.
Good times were always over too quickly. Although time in reality was pa.s.sing by slowly, and there was still some time before daylight, all moments had to end eventually. Bai Ling had to return to the lodgings of her tribe. Both of them went back to the outskirts of the mudstone city.
"I’ll send you back." Su Ming squatted down and gestured for Bai Ling to get on his back.
There was a happy smile on Bai Ling’s face. She laid on Su Ming’s back once again obediently and felt Su Ming’s heartbeat. The constant rhythm of it made her cheeks redden.
"It’s so stupid…" she whispered in a soft voice, lying on Su Ming’s back while he ran.
Su Ming continued running through the snowstorm with Bai Ling on his back and jumped over a remote section of the wall into the mudstone city. He also changed his appearance to that of Mo Su’s. Su Ming stopped right outside Dark Dragon Tribe’s lodgings, and Bai Ling climbed down from his back with a hint of reluctance.
She looked at Su Ming, at the boy before her eyes. His face may have turned unfamiliar, but she would never forget his eyes.
Su Ming also looked at Bai Ling. They gazed into each other’s eyes as they stood on the snowy street.
"Come now, don’t be angry anymore." Bai Ling raised her hand, and just like the last time they parted, she arranged Su Ming’s clothes and patted away some of the snow off his person. There was a gentle smile on her face.
"Those bone earrings of yours are really pretty." Su Ming laughed.
When she saw Su Ming behaving that way, Bai Ling laughed, too. As she continued laughing, she looked deeply at Su Ming. The bashful look became even more distinct on her delicate face, and she lowered her head gently.
"Su Ming… it’ll be an important day for me seven days later… I’ve always spent that day with my grandma in the past… This year, I want to spend that day with you… alright?" Bai Ling said after gathering all her courage. Her voice was weak, but Su Ming still heard every word she said. Happiness appeared in his eyes, and he gave a huge nod without moving his eyes away from Bai Ling.
"That’s a promise…" Bai Ling smiled shyly, gazing into Su Ming’s eyes.
"That’s a promise. Seven days later, no matter where I am, no matter what I’m doing, I’ll definitely come and find you…" Su Ming swore.
The snow was still falling from the sky as if it was serving as a witness for the two people standing there. Still, it was unknown whether their promise… would turn into a beautiful memory… or into a regretful sigh.
"I’ll definitely wait for you in the tribe that day… I’ll give you the bone earring then…" Bai Ling whispered, touching the bone earring, and her ears also turned red.
"I’ll definitely come!" Su Ming smiled happily. Incredibly happily…
Bai Ling bit her lip. The bashful look was still on her face when she turned around and walked back towards the lodgings of her tribe. When she pushed open the door to the courtyard and walked in, she turned back and looked at Su Ming for a moment before disappearing into her lodgings.
Su Ming stood where he was with happiness filling his entire heart. He also grew expectant towards the promise he made with Bai Ling of meeting seven days later.
"Seven days…" Su Ming smiled with happiness. He turned around and ran into the snowstorm, back towards where his tribe was located.
The snowflakes also seemed to know about Su Ming’s joy and danced around him. The snow from the ground was also lifted by the wind and seemed to have become a part of the s.p.a.ce between the sky and the earth.
Su Ming ran quickly. The bliss he felt in his heart had turned into warmth that surrounded his whole body. It made him forget all his troubles and worries. Very soon, he arrived at Dark Mountain Tribe’s lodgings.
The moment he got back, Su Ming reverted to his original look. He looked at Dark Mountain Tribe’s lodgings, located not too far into the distance of the snowy night, and took a deep breath. He walked towards the lodgings cheerfully.
It was quiet inside. It may have been night, but due to the snow falling from the sky, the night was glowing with a silvery night, hence it was not completely dark. Within the snowstorm, the door to Dark Mountain Tribe’s lodgings was shut tight, as if there was a depressing feeling coming from within. The moment Su Ming got closer, he sensed it.
When he opened the door and saw the sight within the courtyard, he trembled. The happiness in his heart immediately disappeared, replaced with a panicked look on his face!
The Head of the Guards, Shan Hen, Bei Ling, Lei Chen, and Wu La were all gathered in the courtyard. They had varying faces of panic that showed how frightened and anxious they were. Before them, the elder was sitting cross-legged with a pale face, panting harshly. Before him was a shocking pool of black blood staining the white snow on the ground.
The moment Su Ming pushed open the door, all gazes were trained onto him.
"Elder!"
Su Ming’s mind went blank. He dashed madly forward until he arrived before the elder. For the first time in his life, he saw weakness on the elder’s wizened face. Some of the black blood on the snow even stained the elder’s clothes. Su Ming trembled.