《(ISSTH) I Shall Thaw the Snow》


 Chapter 1: After two century

    At a purplish mountain where unique vegetarian grew with abundant life where the radiant sun-eyed. The strong yet soft breeze caress the iridescent emerald grass blades causing them to wave with glee as it dripped fresh dew to the soil. The mountain was flourished with the purple leaf trees carrying it sweet scent with the wind attracting much wildlife. The purple leaves floated gently through the airs like a fish flowing with the stream. On the mountain, one can see a path going around the mountain like a snake slithering upward to the top where it stop a cave fuming with white smoke. From bitter to sweet, mixed of aromas came out in a rush as if it wanted to see the graceful sunlight after being trapped in the dark for so long. There sat a matured looking woman on the warm floor due to the furnace in front of her. In front of the dim flame, her phoenix-like eyes, her long black eyelashes, flickered under the burning orange flame cauldron. She wore a silky purple robe that if anyone saw it, they would awe in respect. Her long silky hair slightly flows back and forth as she stared at her dying flame until it was gone.  At the bottom the creamy white yet cracked cauldron, a single brown-green pill laid still without moving. A size that was no bigger than a bird egg that no one would think much of it, but she stared at it with a nostalgic smile. A foundation Establishment Day pill. Even though it was a simple pill, it contained great essences of not only the earth and the heavens but her own soul as will. Just about the time she was reaching the sweet smelling pill with her pearly skin coloured fingers, she was interrupted by a small girl panting in and out like she ran for miles, which she actually did. Her green attire was covered in sweat that was unladylike, but she did not take much heed of it.


    "Did you...hear about...it¡­ Master Hanxue...Shan?" The little girl tried to be respectful as she gracefully bowed before Hanxue Shan, but it didn''t look graceful as she breathed very hard for air. Hanxue Shan giggled with her sleeves covering her charming smile as her eyes gleaming eyes look at the person before her. It was her lovely disciple that she knew for years.


    Hanxue Shan, once a young beautiful girl that was patiently growing out of her seed, was now a matured woman that many females would up too. Her personality was now tempered to that of soft lotus that would stay calm and afloat no matter how arrogant the water was. Not only from her beauty but also, her skills as an alchemist was kept in high regard. She would teach the younger students with a patient and a smile. For that, her popularity has increased over the long years.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t. I¡¯ve been busy. What is wrong?¡± She softly said to her.


    ¡°There been talked about all around the Violet Fate Sect that even the birds were talking about it.¡± She exaggerated. ¡°Someone super important! Super famous! A legend!¡±


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    "Oh, who is it, Poon An? Is it Chu Chuyan or Ye feimu? Did someone got promoted to furnace lord?" She was perplexed on what was going on. She hasn''t heard of any test for it nor any gossip about anything for all that matter. She had been cooped up here for months on end. The only time she talked to someone was when her direct disciple, Poon An, bring ingredients for her. Other than that, she did not know much regarding the outside world.


    ¡°Grandmaster Pill Cauldron. The Grandmaster Pill Cauldron was seen again.¡±


    "Meng Hao¡­ To know that he was alive all these years, that is good. Which was the place he had been seen at?" She spoke in a calm voice towards the excited girl. Perhaps in the past, she would be excited like her, maybe infuriated, but now her emotion was stable to calmly think about it.


    ¡°I heard he made a seen at the black land, but there was not much information. Some said he was conquering the territory as his own. Other said some powerful geezer robbed him for his pills and he wanted revenge.¡± Hanxue Shan smile as she gazed at the blue sky as she remembered her days with the Frigid Snow Clan before assimilating with the Violet Fate Sect. She still remembered vividly about him. How they met. How he saved her, not once, but multiple times. She remembered him being surrounded by lotus as he sat still staring at it. And the feeling she had for him. Maybe it was love, maybe it was admiration, but whatever it was back then, now it something else, something stronger that got her this far.


    ¡°Whenever it snows, think of me¡­¡± She softly sighed with a grinned as she thought of that last moment she said to him. Now about two hundred years have slowly passed without any news until now.


    "Master Hanxue Zhan, what happened between the two of you? You know after, you two separated?" Poon An questioned with great curiosity. She knew about the history between the two from her parents, but she talked very little about what happened after. Hanxue Zhan, nowadays, doesn''t talk much about her past, but today she felt like talking about it. Maybe because it was the news about Meng Hao, or concocting the foundation establishment pill, or maybe she just felt like it, either ways she did not mind talking about those days.


    ¡°Hmmm, where should I begin?¡± She tilted her as she touched her index finger next to her jawline. She was pondering which time to start. ¡°How about I the day I came here, the day I found out who Meng Hao really was. The day I found out Grandmaster Pill Cauldron was that Meng Hao.¡±

 Chapter 2: The will of anew

    Hanxue Shan stood in the mist of white snow, the place where the Frigid Snow Clan once thrived, and the man in front of her was Grandmaster of the Dao of alchemy, the patriarch Golden Light, Meng Hao. In the midst of war, the Frigid Snow Clan Nascent Soul Elders finished activating the teleportation spell that was dimming and brightening as the seniors, and other Daoists of the Frigid Snow Clan began to be teleported to the Violet Fate Sect. Before they disappeared into thin air, many gave a goodbye with a bow towards the man in the green robe.


    ¡°My memories of you will never be erased, even after death, Grandmaster Meng.¡±


    ¡°Grandmaster Meng, it is of great honor to meet someone like you. I hope will meet again the next time the wind blows.¡±


    ¡°Let the passage of time do you well, Grandmaster Meng.¡±


    One after another, the cultivators of the Frigid Snow Clan gave their best wishes to their savior before slowly disappearing like snow melting. Next was the four elders, but before they left, they gave a deep bow that showed the depth of gratitude for him. They all have wistful expressions like a mother letting go of her child. They been through so much together and it was regrettable that they will be departing.


    Hanxue Shan stood motionlessly. She did not bow nor did she speak. Her eyes were connected to Meng Hao¡¯s eyes like a thin ray that was about to break. Her body stood firm against the brewing snowy wind, but her heart was cracking under the cold pressure. The feeling of separation, and the feeling of knowing that this might be the last time they meet up distraught her. The tears in her eyes were welling up until it burst like a dam. It flowed and fluxed around her now red cheeks as she couldn¡¯t help herself. She couldn¡¯t turn her head away from the man that stood out from the snow like a candle. As the white light from the spell, which was filled with luminescent orbs rising into the air, separated her from him. She was slowly being enveloped by light until her eyes were blinded making her lose sight of everything before her.


    Time passed as much it would take to make tea until a white light landed on top of the mountain¡¯s peak. Emerging from the light, Hanxue Shan felled on top of a warm rocky ground that she had not felt after living in the snow for ages. She slowly picked herself as she stared off into the distance. Ignoring those fellow members that came before, she looked towards the clear radiant sky wiping her tears. Before long, a final light descended like everybody else before them. What appeared before them was like an ancient statue in human skin. Standing on his feet as his robe slowly fluttered until still, the sixth generation Frigid Snow Clan spirit, Spirit Severing Cultivator Hanxue Bao appeared. His eyes were still closed, still remembering the last image of Grandmaster Meng, before he opened his eyes to be replaced by his by the image of his surviving clan members. He softly sighed as he breathed out his redolent and look ahead with a firm expression.


    Above the high peak, they looked down at the at their new life. Hanxue Shan saw a single lonely bird flying through the sky looking down at the green scenery bathed in golden light from the horizon. An elderly man sat on a rock five steps taller above the rest of them calmly looking them. An archaic aura emitted from him mixed with the aroma of medicines. He did not say anything nor did he gave out his presence. He watched with non-hostile eyes. It was the most prestige person in the Violet Fate Sect, the Grandmaster Pill Demon.


    The Patriarch of the Frigid Snow Clan slowly walked toward next to the man.


    ¡°Greeting, old friend.¡± Hanxue Bao cupped his hands as he addressed him. The other did not know the man on the rock, but since they all heard Hanxue Bao uttered friend so he must be a respectful man that can stand next to a spirit severing cultivator. ¡°How do you know we will be here?¡± He said with a grin even though he knew the answer.


    ¡°That spell is pretty showy, don¡¯t you think?¡± Pill Demon gave a friendly smile as he told him.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.             ¡°That is why I was hoping you would put in a word for us, old friend.¡±


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry, I already did. We arranged this mountain for you to stay. I can¡¯t stay here long, I got things to do. Please do come find me if you have any question, brother Hanxue Bao.¡± As they both bowed to each other, Pill Demon disappeared with a gust of wind leaving Hanxue Bao still bowing until the wind calmed before he stood straight. Hanxue Shan, the seven Nascent Soul Elder, and the rest of the members walked towards Hanxue Bao. With Hanxue Bao leading them off the ledge, the rest of them followed to entered the Violet Fate Sect. It was a new life for all of them.


    Weeks passed, and Hanxue Shan decided to join the East Pill to follow her dream to become an alchemist. It was ignited by the thought the two Grandmasters that she admired, Grandmaster Zhou, and Grandmaster Meng. She stood there gazing into the night sky on the wooden bridge. The moon reflected off the clear river that made it seems there is a white whole on the water. With a pill in hand, she put it up into the sky so that the moon was replaced by the egg size pill on her between her two fingers. Carved on it was the character Snow (Ñ©) on the surface. She slightly rubbed it with her thumb under the moonlight. Her phoenix-eye twinkle as she stared in nostalgia. Hearing footstep behind the noise of the crickets, she quickly tucked under her sleeves and wiped her eyes. A young man proceeded to walk towards the bridge at a casual pace. His short black hair, eyes that revealed his carefree personality that matches his grin. The complete opposite of Meng Hao she thought. But she quickly pushed that thought aside like she didn''t want to compare everyone to him. Just about she was going to turned and leave, the carefree boy jumped in the moonlit river splashing water everywhere, including on her green robes she just recently received. The water rippled around the man as he landed on the moon shape light in it.


    "Hey, what are you doing?!" She said in an angry voice as her eyes glared behind the wooden rail of the bridge. The man did not respond, but simply laughed as he picked up a plant with white petals. Ignoring her, he walked to the side of the river and to quickly shake off the excess water. Hanxue Shan perceived him like an idiot and walked off not looking back. Before she got far enough out of his sight, the half trench man walked on the bridge where once Hanxue Shan stood.


    ¡°To the moon, blood thither to moonlight. To the moonlight, skin bathed to its life. To the life, soul wizened, guiding it by its ray.¡± A phrase echoes out with a happy tone, but the words somehow felt sad. To Hanxue Shan, it gave the feeling an unescapable situation that would trap them in an unending cycle. It conflicted with her heart that her chest heart like being slowly compressed. She wanted to cry, but she used her willed to suppressed as she quickly dashed off as the clacking of her sandals fade into the dark. The man looked at the fading figures with cordial eyes until she disappeared into the dimly lit woods. He left the white flower alone on the rail of the bridge to peer at the moonlight alone as he walked away.


    She headed back to Frigid Snow Clan mountain where her home was. The Violet Fate Sect was kind enough to provide them with a quarter to live, but many left that place to find their own place. The reason was that Hanxue Bao would stay there at times, and it was uncomfortable for many minor members. Hanxue Shan headed to the quarter to remembered her room was completely empty. It did not matter to her as she would sit cross-legged to train her cultivation, not bothering about the person or the words he said. Ever since she came here, she tried harder to perfect herself. At first, her mind was rippled with disconcerting thoughts, but slowly she strengthen her mind.