Reincarnation (Word of Honor Fanfiction)

Ch.2 Cabbage Buns

     A couple years later

      A Xu and Wen Kexing were perched on a snowy mountain ledge, with A Xu nestled against Lao Wen's shoulder. Wen Kexing cleared his throat deliberately, and said: "A Xu, do you miss. . . alcohol, chicken soup, and everything else?"

      A Xu readjusted his position, eyebrows furrowed. "Who wouldn't? But we can get out of this little utopia whenever we want. Then, we'll travel the world, taste the finest alcohol out there, and finally settle down in a secluded place, where we'll live out the rest of our days. Just wait and see, Lao Wen. We'll go when we're ready."

     Wen Kexing rocked back and forth, eyes downcast.

     "Sit still, you madman," A Xu said firmly. Lao Wen stopped in his tracks, flabbergasted, when A Xu planted a peck on his cheek. After overcoming the initial shock, Wen Kexing couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. A Xu, on the other hand, gently leaned on Wen Kexing's shoulder and fell fast asleep. Upon closer inspection, there was a discreet, restrained smile on A Xu's lips.

  10 years after Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing mastered the Combined Six Cultivation Methods

     Under the snowy mountains where A Xu and Wen Kexing lived, there was a warm, little town. Cottages lined the streets haphazardly like ant hills. But at night, weary travelers from faraway lands would perceive a hazy fire-glow, emitting from the drawn windows of the cottages, as mothers tucked their kids into bed with the "Good Night's," "Sweet Dream's," and all. Meanwhile, the kids snuggled up in their blankets like peas in a pod. They bereaved their mother to tell them another bed time story about the Changming Mountain Sword Immortals, who lived  on the snowcapped mountain peaks, just a mile away.

      Then, the mothers would scratch their foreheads and try to weave through the tucked away myths in their brains. The end of the bedtime story usually went along these lines: "And they lived happily ever after. If you squint your eyes at the snowy mountains, maybe you'd see the Changming Mountain Sword Immortals perched on twin peaks, sipping wine gourds, basking in the sunlight, and huddling together like a pair of lovebirds."

      One night, the town was ten times as busy as ever. Chengling and his daughter strolled down aisles upon aisles of festive stalls. Lanterns in all shapes and sizes, from coral peach fish lanterns with a thousand scales to white lotus petals arranged in an oriental fashion, attacked A Xiang's senses. Firecrackers exploded and tickled the air in synchronization with A Xiang's racing heartbeat. Meanwhile, piping hot cabbage buns, roasted duck, and soy sauce sent an aromatic scent at every turn. 

      Simultaneously, Chengling and Nian Xiang rubbed their red, frostbitten hands in the wake of a merciless gust of wind. Wordlessly, Chengling upturned a thumb at the cabbage bun stall, with a sparkle in his eye. Nian Xiang perked up at that very thought, and subsequently dragged Chengling by the hand to the dumpling stall. As Chengling retrieved his wallet from his baggy pockets, numerous fireworks skyrocketed to the stars. The color pallet of the fireworks-- evergreen, violet, festive red, and pearl white-- reflected on the awestruck townsfolk. A Xiang gradually loosened her grip on her father's skirts, and a seed of a thought dawned on her, What would it be like to live in a place like this? Children rolled up in New Year's clothes like spring rolls, giddily pranced around at their front door with the flying sparks of the red firecrackers. All of a sudden, A Xiang's and a stranger's eyes met. The eye-catching stranger in question appeared far removed from the crowd, and time seemed to stand still. The stranger in white was a grown-up man with an angled, masculine face, with just a tinge of an otherworldly aura, and faintly rosy cheeks from the bitter cold. A Xiang thought, staring contest?

      Meanwhile, the cabbage bun  her father just acquired tumbled to the ground in her peripheral vision. Flabbergasted, the owner of the bun stall slowly descended into madness, pointing a callused forefinger at her father, but the chef could only squeeze out a single word, "Y-you. . . You. . . " To her surprise, A Xiang saw the stranger's plain yellow lantern tumble to the ground as well, and sequentially get snuffed out by the snow. Before A Xiang could connect the dots, the stranger bit back tears, and outstretched his arms. Her father ran up into the beautiful stranger's arms.

      "Master," Chengling's muffled voice cracked ever so slightly. 

      "Silly disciple. Why are you crying? It's only been a few years," Zhou Zishu reprimanded sternly, as if not a second had passed since the scorching summer when Chengling toiled away at the Nine Swift Moving Steps. "Be a man," Zhou Zi Shu insisted as he pulled free of Chengling's embrace.

       "Golden bean Chavalier, how come gold beans (tears) are dropping out of your eyes again?" Nian Xiang pointed a finger at Chengling, shamelessly doubling over in laughter. Chengling scrunched his eyebrows in consternation. 

       "Who's this?" A Xu inquired, even though the answer was crystal clear. Chengling started and furiously gestured for A Xiang to come over.

       "This is my daughter, Zhang Nian Xiang. 'Nian' as in remember. 'Xiang' as in water," Chengling said. Meanwhile, A Xu pursed his lips, suppressing a storm of intersecting joy and grief. 

      "Can I . . . Call you A Xiang?" A Xu faltered, as he directed the question at the oblivious little girl. A Xiang cocked her head sideways, looked at him in a new light, and then fidgeted to herself demurely.

      "Everyone calls me A Xiang. Take your pick. Nicknames are meaningless to a hero," A Xiang recited the martial arts world phrase, loud and clear, so all nearby passerbys swiveled their heads to turn around and look at her curiously.

      "So you're a hero?" Chengling poked fun at her.

      A Xu shook his head with eyes twinkling. Another round of fireworks shot up to the sky, illuminating their faces with splashes of red, orange, and pink. As A Xiang tugged at Chengling's ponytail in payback, A Xu thought to himself, Zhang Nian Xiang, the daughter of the chief of the Five Lakes alliance, wouldn't need to suffer like Gu Xiang the Amethyst Fiend. Little A Xiang, your grandfather masters and your father will always be there for you. Lao Wen, hang tight, wait till you see her. 

      "Are you guys cold? Anyone down for cabbage buns? Since I sabotaged your last one," A Xu asked and swiveled around on his heel. "Eh? Where's my disciple's wife?"