Star of Another Day

The towering Tenglong Snow Mountain pierces the clouds, perpetually cloaked in ice and snow. It stands as a sacred, inviolable peak for the people of the Snow Clan. Yet today, halfway up its slopes, five uninvited guests have appeared. Wrapped in thick coats and carrying large packs, each of them holds two slender metal sticks. With every step, they forcefully plunge the sticks into the snow to brace against the fierce winds, struggling to keep from being blown over as they trudge along the mountain path. Leading the group is a slender young girl. Despite the difficulty of each step, her stride is firm, exuding a relentless determination. In stark contrast is a skinny man at the rear. His exaggerated steps betray his struggle; even though a burly man carrying a huge pack shields him from some of the wind and snow, he still stumbles with every step, grumbling, "Why forsake comfortable days for this toe-freezing adventure on Snow Mountain? The King must be growing senile to believe the wild tales of that mountain envoy and even consent to your naïve request." His loud voice is mostly swept away by the wind. A slightly plump girl in the middle, irked by the intermittent complaints, turns halfway and retorts, "Then why did you come? Weren't you the one begging the King to join, all to pester my sister, Mengwei? Now you play the coward in the face of hardship. I wonder how you'll ever inherit your father's title." Her voice, laden with sarcasm, reaches the man in fragments through the howling wind. The man snaps back, "Yuqing! What right does a mere maid have to lecture me? Be careful, or I might skin you alive when we return." Yuqing sneers and turns back, muttering, "Bravado masking cowardice." The elder walking second in line admonishes them, "Enough, both of you. These harsh conditions demand vigilance. We can't afford to overlook any danger." He then addresses the girl at the front, "Mengwei, how much farther to the main peak?" Mengwei turns, her voice clear and bell-like, "According to Elder Xue's records, once we pass the Panlong Stone ahead, we'll see the passage to the main peak. The path will get steeper and more challenging. We should rest and replenish our energy in the lee of Panlong Stone before making the final ascent." Despite the foreboding journey ahead, her voice betrays excitement. The skinny man scoffs, "Elder Xue returned from his last journey barely sane. A blind man could see he'd lost his mind, leaving only a disciple waiting at the mountain's base..." He glances at the elder with a sneer, "And yet you believe his words, his writings!" The elder rebukes him sharply, "Yunbo, shut your mouth. You're not worthy to mention Elder Xue. When he commanded respect, your father was still in diapers. It's not your place to judge." Suddenly, the silent, luggage-carrying giant utters a sound and points ahead. "What is it, Yunzhuang? What do you see?" Yuqing asks with concern. Following his gaze, they see intermittent flashes of light near the distant main peak, bringing a smile to Mengwei's lips. "A ghostly shimmer?" Yunbo mutters, "The old man wasn't lying after all..." Ignoring him, the group quickens their pace, soon reaching a wind-sheltered clearing beside a cliff. From its edge, clouds swirl in a bottomless abyss. Mengwei halts abruptly, signaling for silence. "Listen, there's a strange sound." The others stop and listen intently. A distant rumbling grows louder, rapidly approaching. "It's a Snow Qilin Beast! Be careful!" Mengwei cries out. As she warns them, the giant Yunzhuang reacts instantly, pulling a thick iron rod from his back and swinging it at the charging beast. The creature, mid-air, cannot dodge and is struck hard in the abdomen, letting out a pained howl before tumbling on the ground and then lunging at Yunbo, who is paralyzed with fear. Mengwei swiftly skates to his side, pulling him out of harm's way just as the beast nearly pounces on him. Enraged, the Snow Qilin turns towards Mengwei. For the first time, Mengwei gets a clear view of the beast. It is covered in long white fur, with silver scales encasing its belly. Its large head has tiny slit-like eyes and a wide mouth with four protruding fangs, its nose black and protruding, exhaling white vapors. Most peculiar is its tail, seemingly two tails intertwined, merging at the end into white fur. Mengwei leaps up to evade the charging beast, gracefully flipping over it. Behind her is a cliff; the Snow Qilin, driven by pain, charges blindly forward and falls off the edge. As Mengwei lands, the beast's tail suddenly lashes out, entangling her foot and pulling her off the cliff too. "Miss!" Yuqing, closest to her, reaches out, their fingertips barely touching before Mengwei plummets down. In a flash of cold light, Mengwei pulls out a moon-shaped knife from her waist, then disappears from view. "Miss!" Yuqing cries out in despair, tears streaming down her face. The elder, however, remains composed, patting her shoulder and saying, "Don't panic," as he runs to the cliff's edge. Peering down, he sees only a misty expanse, revealing nothing. The elder calls down the cliff, "Mengwei, are you alright?" "I'm fine!" Mengwei's voice rises from below. Yuqing, hearing Mengwei is alive, hurries to the cliff's edge and pulls out a rope from her bag. "Miss, don't worry, I'll lower the rope and pull you up." "No hurry, there's something unusual down here I want to bring up. Pull up the rope when I say so." "Alright." Yuqing lowers the rope, and Yunzhuang comes over to hold it. Yuqing looks up at him and smiles sweetly; he returns the smile with a simple, sincere one. Soon, Mengwei calls from below, "Pull now." Yunzhuang pulls with all his might, and before long, Mengwei is hoisted up from below. The group gathers around to see Mengwei holding a flesh-colored plant, with small semicircular petals covering a larger semicircular base. Up close, a faint fragrance is discernible. "What do you think this is?" Mengwei asks the others. Yuqing and Yunzhuang shake their heads. Yunbo, feeling embarrassed for his earlier inaction and near demise, stands a bit farther away, silent. Only the elder, after pondering a while, ventures, "Could this be the Xueshan Garan? How did you get it?" Mengwei replies excitedly, "Exactly, Xueshan Garan. The Snow Qilin wrapped its tail around my foot and dragged me off the cliff. I had no choice but to cut off its tail as I fell. In my panic, I grabbed some branches, and that's when I found this Garan growing nearby." The elder muses, "I've heard that Xueshan Garan grows on sheer cliffs, but never imagined it'd be beneath this one, no wonder it's so rare." Mengwei smiles, "This plant can prolong life and is greatly beneficial to health. Offering it to the Snow King will surely please him." After their close call, the elder suggests, "Let's rest here for a while and continue our ascent in the afternoon." Mengwei agrees, "Okay." Although anxious inside, she remains cautious. This sacred peak, seldom climbed by the Snow Clan in a century, is not only treacherous but also home to fierce beasts. A single misstep could be fatal, especially as they approach the summit. They sit in the sheltered area, each quietly eating their rations, lost in their thoughts, an eerie silence enveloping them. Yuqing turns to the elder, "Elder Xue, what exactly happened back then? We youngsters have only heard of General Zhiyong's renown but know nothing of his adventures. Could you tell us?" The elder seems lost in thought, his gaze distant, as if transported back to that night many years ago. Then, seemingly changing his mind, he says, "Alright, I'll tell you what happened. Let the young ones know about the God of War, Zhiyong!" He casts a glance at Yunbo, still annoyed by his earlier rudeness. "It was fifty-two years ago..." His voice trembles slightly. "That year, our King was young, never imagining he'd one day lead the Snow Clan as an illegitimate child. But his elder brother always saw him as a thorn in his side, plotting to eliminate this threat." "The old King was aging, and the elder prince was ambitious, unwilling to wait for the old King's passing. He plotted a palace coup, intending to kill the old King and frame our King. Fortunately, Master Zhiyong learned of the plot in time and rescued our King from Xuecheng." Everyone had heard fragments of this history, but listening to the elder's deep voice recount it in the desolate snow mountains made it feel immediate and intense, as if they were back in the tense days of Xuecheng. The elder continues, "The elder prince, cunning as he was, had spies throughout Xuecheng. The moment our King fled, the prince sent assassins after him, determined to kill him swiftly." "Master Zhiyong planned to seek support from the King's uncle, who was commanding an elite force at the border against the Sha Clan. But the prince had sealed all routes to him. In a desperate bid, Master Zhiyong led our King up Tenglong Snow Mountain, hoping to reach the border through the perilous West Peak." "They fought and fled, reaching halfway up the mountain, both injured, surrounded by pursuers. Their only option was a fight to the death." "Facing thirty-three skilled attackers, Master Zhiyong fought fearlessly, as did our King. In this life-and-death struggle, they tapped into their deepest reserves of strength, fighting to a standstill." "But outnumbered, they were eventually overpowered, their lives hanging by a thread. Then, a fierce snowstorm hit, making it impossible to stand." "At that moment, something extraordinary happened. Almost everyone saw a purple flash atop the mountain, feeling their minds sway, their wills weaken, some even going mad and vomiting blood." Yuqing murmurs, "Ghostly Shimmer..."