v5c7: A Calm Day of Mist

Liu Xianghua was quite certain she had never been more content in her life as she gripped her Ha Qi stick in her hands. The air was full of the sound of blades sliding along the ice, shouts of exertion, and laughter.

They were taking advantage of the last bits of daylight to engage in this wondrous game, Bi De’s story having taken a few hours to finish. It had been exactly like one of those stories she used to read to her brother; a righteous cultivator exposing a corrupt sect and winning the day. It was quite nice to have one more thing that had been worrying herself and Xiulan off the long list of potential problems that they would have to deal with. Now, instead of a potential attack, Xianghua could just sit back and be amused that the bastards who had interrupted her first night with Gou had been defeated by a chicken, a rat, and her beloved brother.

Xiulan had found it similarly amusing. Xianghua glanced at her friend who was for once not playing. Instead, she was sitting on the sideline, holding Young Master Zhuye to her chest while the babe chewed on her hair. Both were bundled up, and Xiulan looked absolutely content. The foolish Blade of Grass had been playing tough the entire time they had been at the Dueling Peaks, and had finally let the weight fall from her shoulders.

There was a small part of Xianghua that wished to be right beside her, dozing today away. But that was impossible, for right now she was doing something she had hoped to do for a very, very long time.

“Get your head in the game, Big Sis!” Bowu scolded as he skated past her, his face flush with exertion and his steps wonderfully steady.

She was playing with her brother. Properly playing with her brother.

Bowu, before his leg had been crippled, had always loved to run, jump, and chase her around. He had always been on the move, her little brother. And now, he was again. How utterly wonderful. But he was right! This was no time to get teary-eyed. They had a game to win!

Xianghua shook herself out of her introspection and refocused. Herself, Bowu, Gou Ren, Pi Pa, and Huo Ten versus Jin, Meiling, Tigu, Wa Shi, and Chun Ke. Yin was asleep in the greenhouse with Miantiao, and Bei Be was, after every match, going over the ice with his plough. This left perfectly smooth ice with a mirror finish, and while he wasn’t playing the ox seemed to enjoy this duty immensely, snorting with satisfaction… and sliding on his side across the mirror finish back to the snowbank.

She locked her eyes on the current scrum, and a flash of pride filled her chest as Gou Ren managed to steal the puck off Lady Mei—Meiling. The woman fell on her rump and skidded into a snowbank, shaking her fist good-naturedly at Gou Ren. Her beloved stuck his tongue out at her and turned to begin his run for the goal—only for his eyes to bug out.

“Huo Ten!” he shouted and slapped the puck to the monkey moments before Gou Ren joined Meiling in the snowbank, courtesy of Wa Shi’s coils. The dragon continued on to Huo Ten, his eyes gleaming.

Yet the monkey was equal to the task, dodging around the dragon with simian grace before passing the puck to Bowu.

Bowu’s eyes filled with concentration as Xianghua formed up beside him.

“Let’s go! Left side!” Bowu shouted as he rocketed forward on his skates. Xianghua followed his callout, going left to intercept Tigu, clashing with her friend in a clatter of sticks and letting Bowu break through. Both Tigu and Xianghua gave it their all, their battle ending as they hit the riverbank and fell into the snowbank together.

Xianghua immediately sat up, watching as Bowu skated down the gap—only to come face to face with a mountain.

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“Wa-ha-ha-ha! You dare challenge me?! The Master of Ha Qi?!” Jin boomed, a big smile on his face and his eyes dancing with what Xianghua was certain was amusement.

Xianghua was quite pleased with herself for her certainty. Jin’s expressions had changed quite a bit after he met with Lord Shen Yu, and Xianghua had had to relearn all of them. A task she had accomplished in record time, and his expressions had not changed further!

Jin barred Bowu’s path. Normally, this would signal instant defeat, to challenge such a Master— but Jin was adamant that they restrained themselves to mortal capabilities during these games, to better show their skills… unless it had been agreed beforehand to use Qi.

Thus, her little brother had a chance as he skated towards Jin. The man barreled towards Bowu, intent on a hip check, but at the last moment Bowu stomped down on his once-bad leg and threw himself into a dodge all members of the Misty Lake Sect were taught. It was perfect—like he had never stopped training. A dodge befitting of the Young Master of the Misty Lake.

However, Jin was a master of Ha Qi, and though momentarily foiled, launched into an immediate second attack.

Bowu managed a hasty shot before he was taken off his feet. Jin’s bulk crashed into him and again Bowu took the full force on his bad leg.

Xianghua knew that there was no risk, yet it did not stop her slight breath of relief when there was no crack, no shout of pain. Bowu skidded along the ice, his eye on the puck.

Chun Ke’s own stick tagged it… but not enough to deflect it from the net.

Bowu shouted with joy.