Xing-Fu opened the door and holding it said, "I want to show you something."
Longwei put on the fur coat. It was a bit longer and heavy. Feeling uncomfortable he said, "Master, where are we going? Why don't sit here. It is warm here. I don't want to go out. Look at this crazy blizzard out there."
Looking out of the door, he extended his hand and a big snowflakes harmoniously fell to his palm. There was nothing except the white nothingness. The blizzard, the wilderness and lonely house.
Xing-Fu without saying anything went out.
Even if it was hard to talk in such weather, Xing-Fu without any difficulties was able to talk. And his walk was so calm, not even the wind could shake him. It was like the blizzard was the part of him, or he was the part of the blizzard. Walking next to him, Longwei closed his face with the scarf.
"Do you know what is happening on the foot of the mountain? Do you know for what we are living?"
Catching the air with his mouth, Longwei hardly replied, "I know."
"Everyday, no, every minute, every second, warriors fight for our lives. They have become the part of the war, of the battle and they know nothing except the sound of their swords. They lost all their dreams, they gave up their fantasies, they forgot about their own life. And for what? For you and me. If not them, we won't be able to walk like this. This battle is the part of you and me. To protect what we have, this is our goal."
Leaving the deep footprints on the snow, Longwei thought for a moment, the words of Xing-Fu were swirling around his head like a blizzard. "My father told me about this battle. From the very childhood, this was my only fairytale. He was telling me about all kinds of warriors, about heroes, about their bravery. I grew up with his stories. And I always wanted to become the best warrior. Like you and my father. But then, he was chosen to go to the battle. I was very proud of him. You can't imagine how much I was proud. He was in the battlefield for three months. For three months I was waiting for him but then, I got news. He had died. There on the battlefield. I was still a little child. I was scared. So scared that I began to hate everything. I hated you, this battle, the blizzard, this mountain, I hated everything. And from that day I have decided that I will never become the part of this world. I will live by myself and one day I will be able to run away. Run away from here and forget about everything like it was a bad dream."
Xing-Fu stopped and deeply inhaled. His calm face was directed towards the sky. "I understand you. I understand. When your father had died, I was there. On the battlefield with him. I couldn't defend him. I couldn't do anything. All I did was just stand far away and look at him. I still can remember it as it was yesterday. Maybe it was my fault. I was his friend. But what if I wasn't? Maybe he would be still alive. Longwei, I am sorry for that. But what can I do now and what could I do back then? I understand your anger, your hatred. And you're wondering for what we are fighting and why this war doesn't have an end."
Leaning back to the tree, Longwei opened his face, his cheeks were red out of cold, the tear froze just under his eye. "Out there, far away from this place, there are millions of beasts. They are scary, they are powerful and they know no mercy."
"Yes, and we are defending our world from them. If not, our children, our houses, everything will be destroyed. This war have no end, this battlefield is always alive, but there is a reason for this. And for this reason we are living. To protect everything we have, this is the main goal of all of us."
Longwei approached Xing-Fu, his eyes were full of tears, the anger and hatred painted his face again. "But not my goal."
Saying this he quickly went away.
"Longwei! If it is not your goal, then what is your goal?"
Turning around, Longwei answered, "Make my father's wish come true."
"How will you do it if you hide in your cave? How will you do it if you live like a lonely wolf?"
Almost shouting he said, "This shouldn't be your concern." Smilingly he waved with his hand and bent a farewell.
Xing-Fu's voice was loud, so loud that it stopped Longwei who was already far away, "If you'll leave now, you will never be able to make his wish come true. You'll just hide in your cave, you'll live in solitude and with time you will become nothing but the part of this cold wind."
Longwei almost running, approached him, his face turned red out of rage. Standing so close to Xing-Fu, his breath was loud and deep, "You said the same things to my father didn't you? You said the same things and that is why he went to this battlefield. What kind of friend you are?"
Xing-Fu did not answer.
Longwei continued, "Do you think that I will listen to you? Maybe I look like my father, but I am not him."
"What are you gonna do then? Live alone and die alone? You're 25 soon. And you know what you should do when you turn 25."
Longwei shouted, "I don't want to have a child. I will never give a life to someone who will live here, among this coldness, and in the end will face the death in the battlefield." Looking straight at Xing-Fu emotionless eyes he added, "I won't obey you Xing-Fu. My father never wanted me to live like this."
He turned around again and wanted to leave but this time Xing-Fu put his hand on his shoulder. The hand was powerful, so powerful that Longwei couldn't move.
"Longwei, I have something to tell you. When your father and I, together joined the army of three clans, before going to the battlefield, he gave me a letter. He said that I should give it to you when you'll turn 25. I asked what he wrote there and why I should give you instead of him to which he replied, he said that in case if he would die. I don't know what he wrote there, but I am keeping this letter for several years already. I didn't open it, I didn't break my promise. I was waiting for your 24th birthday. And now when you are about to turn 25 I think I can give this letter to you. This is the reason why I was looking for you everywhere."
"Give me the letter and I'll leave."
Xing-Fu, took his cold hand, surprisingly enough his hand was warm in spite of such coldness. "I will give you this letter. But with one condition. You'll join my army."
Without hesitation Longwei replied, "NO."
"I am sorry but I won't give you the letter then."
Breaking into laughter Longwei exclaimed, "Look at yourself! The greatest Xing-Fu! I did not know that you can be so cunning. At your old age, you are still able to play tricky. Shame on you."
Still smilingly Xing-Fu said, "Stay in the army for one year, be the part of my clan, and then I will give you the letter. Only one year and then I will let you go."
The strong wind almost shook them both, hardly standing on their feet, they closed their faces.
"How should I believe you? What if there is no letter and you are just lying."
"My friendship with your father is very precious to me. I will never dare to lie to his son. And especially I will never lie about him and his words. Maybe our friendship is the only thing that left in my cold heart."
Holding the tears, Longwei clutching his fists looked away. After so many years, he thought that finally, his heart is no longer aching but now, hearing about his father again, his whole thoughts became blank. Feeling the weakening in his legs, he swallowed his feelings and whispered, "Only one year and then you will let me go and will never disturb me?"
"Yes."
