Blind and Bereft

[WANE] Chapter 1 | Sound of Snow

| C O N T E N T |
WANE | 屠梦之渊 Floating Abyss Palace Arc
Chapter 1 - Chapter 34
NEW | 青山盘龙 Jade Dragon Mountain Arc
Chapter 35 - Chapter 56
WAX | 舞尽红海 Dance End in Red Sea Arc
Chapter 57 - Chapter 80
FULL | 无色郁金 Discoloured Tulip Arc
Chapter 81 - Chapter 91

***

People meet and part, the moon is full and wane; life can never be perfect.

Jingrui stood in silence under a waning moon, letting the soft flame from the lantern in her hand shine onto a trail of blood upon the white snow.

Within the stillness of the night, Jingrui could hear her own heartbeat like drums. Her breathing rose into the cool wintry air in puffs as her ears pricked up. A distant melody from a guzheng¹ wreathed around her, drifting from the peach blossoms forest ahead.

Nights like this reminded her of tales of monsters and supernatural beings her sister, Jingyi, always told her of before she left for the Heavenly Palace fifty years ago. Jingrui shivered and tugged the fur coat tighter around her body, wanting to run back into the compound and sit within the embrace of a warm fireplace.

Don't ever think of running back to the compound until you find our master!

Her senior, Xiao's, voice roared in her head. She gritted her teeth, cursing under her breath. That was right. She couldn't go back until she found her missing master.

For centuries, being a disciple cultivating for immortality under Master Liyu, there was not a day Master had left the compound. So, when he went missing for less than a day, she was forced by her demeaning senior to help look for him.

And she must add, look for him on a snowy night accompanied only by a pallor, crescent moon.

Once she found Master, she would tell on Xiao and make sure Master punished him for making her, his favourite, youngest disciple, suffer. And one day, when Sister Jingyi visited the Red Valley on her day off from working as a palace maid, she would make sure her sister divorced her senior.

Jingrui let out a sigh. Before that time ever came, she would have to survive the night. Her heart raced as she took another glimpse at the splattered blood trail that led into the forest veiled with darkness.

Her stomach churned. Even though she had attained immortality through cultivation, she had always been, as her senior would say, a spoiled brat. She loved mischief, and she savoured youth more than anything. For that, she had never thought of honing her martial arts nor let Master's teachings get into her skull. A situation like this bestowed her with fear, no different from a mortal, because whatever creature of Hell lay ahead, she wouldn't be able to defend herself from it.

She bit her trembling lip and closed her eyes. The Red Valley had always been the safest place within the four seas and eight deserts—and the whole realm of immortal. It laid at the bottom of secluded cliffs with a protective barrier at the top of the cliff faces cast by Master. She was safe. Everything was fine.

Besides, she was Li Jingrui, the beloved disciple of the Red Valley. She was not taught to fear a blood trail nor the strange melody that haunted the night. What if the blood trail had something to do with why Master went missing? What if he were in trouble?

Her eyes snapped open. She had to follow it.

Her clammy hands shook, and she clutched tighter onto the lantern to prevent it from slipping down.