Innocent Words of a Child

The woman who had just awakened was Bai Xuehua. Bai Xuehua had grown up in a world of ice and snow. In the past, she would often lie on the snow practicing her martial arts, and for the sake of cultivating her inner power, she had even lain in the snow for seven days and nights. Thus, it was no easy task for the snow to freeze her to death.

She had been unconscious, but was jolted awake by Xiaoyun's fall just moments ago. Fortunately, due to her grave injuries, the strike she delivered was weak and unintentional; otherwise, Xiaoyun’s life might have ended there.

After striking out, Bai Xuehua saw that her adversary was merely a young boy, shielding his face and staring back at her with a look of wonder and grievance. For a moment, Bai Xuehua was taken aback.

She sensed at once that she had acted wrongly—the child was just a boy, and she, who was known as the great sorceress, had lost her temper at a child. Somewhat embarrassed, she said, “Were… were you trying to save me? I think I may have struck you by mistake just now.”

Xiaoyun replied, “I wanted to save you, but I tripped and fell, and dragged you down with me. I didn’t mean to. You hit me just now, but let’s call it even.” Blushing, he explained what had happened.

Bai Xuehua listened and apologized, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to either. As for the eagle, it was my dearest friend. It once saved my life. Now that it’s dead, I’m heartbroken, and that’s why I acted as I did.”

As she spoke, she examined Xiaoyun more closely. Though his clothes were ragged, he was a handsome, refined youth, with an uncommon grace seldom seen in mountain children.

Hearing her words, Xiaoyun felt much better. He couldn’t help but study her in turn—Bai Xuehua was truly beautiful, with an elegance, purity, and ethereal grace that seemed carved from snow itself.

He gazed at her in a daze. Bai Xuehua noticed his entranced stare and felt a strange sensation within. Had he been a grown man, she would have met his gaze with a cold expression and the glint of frost in her eyes. But Xiaoyun was only a boy, his face radiating the innocence unique to children.

With a sigh, Bai Xuehua turned her eyes to her eagle. It was dead. She let out a faint sigh and said, “This was my dearest friend. Will you help me bury it?” Injured as she was, she lacked even the strength to dig a grave for her eagle.

To Xiaoyun, the dead eagle was of little consequence—at best, it would be something to brag about to his companions. But seeing how much Bai Xuehua cherished it, he used the handle of his axe to dig a hole and gave the eagle a proper burial.

Bai Xuehua bowed deeply to the eagle. In her heart, she thought, “As long as I live, Zhao Wuying, Long, Xiao Zhenfen, I will seek vengeance on you all…”

She rose to her feet, gently smoothing her disheveled hair and torn dress. Though wounded and a little bedraggled, to Xiaoyun she looked like a celestial maiden, so that he could not take his eyes off her, following her every movement.

He thought to himself, “She’s too beautiful. Though I met her once five years ago, my memory is now hazy. I only recall that the woman in white then had the image of a soaring eagle carved on her snow-white arm. Could it have been her? He wasn’t certain, but to find such a beauty in the snowy wilderness was nothing short of a miracle. Is she truly a celestial being? Watching her every gesture is an indescribable delight.”

Watching him stare, Bai Xuehua could not help but ask, “What is your name? How old are you?”

“Hmm?” Xiaoyun made a sound but did not answer, still gazing at her in a trance.

Bai Xuehua wondered if the boy was a mountain simpleton, but the gleam in his eyes was too enigmatic to be so easily dismissed.

Such innocence on his face, and yet there was an unfathomable depth in his eyes. Was this child truly just an ordinary mountain boy? Was his identity truly so simple?

Had she not been injured, Bai Xuehua would have left already—there was too much to be done for her to spare thought or time for the boy’s background. Though he was peculiar, she had seen many strange people before. But now, wounded and struggling to walk, her strong and lonely heart yearned for help, so she asked again, “Hey, what is it…?”

At last, Xiaoyun snapped out of his daze, blushed, and exclaimed, “Ah! You’re so beautiful… So beautiful, are you a fairy from the heavens?”

His honest, if irrelevant, answer left Bai Xuehua somewhat embarrassed. If an adult had said this, she would have taken it as mockery and grown angry. But coming from the lips of a guileless youth, it stirred something different within her.

It is said that a woman adorns herself for those who delight in her, and when someone sincerely praises her beauty, her heart is naturally gladdened. Bai Xuehua was no exception.

She had never before been praised face to face for her beauty, nor had she the time to care much for her appearance. Her mind was filled only with the bloody strife of the martial world and the fate of her family.

Yet now, hearing someone sincerely call her beautiful for the first time, she felt a strange, deep satisfaction. A blush rose to her usually pale cheeks. Before this innocent boy, her cold beauty could not conceal her inner warmth and loveliness.

Xiaoyun finally answered, “My name is Xiaoyun. Everyone calls me Little Cloud. My home is in the small mountain village below, about three or four li from here… How did you come to be lying in the snow? You don’t look like you’re from around here. Where did you come from? Did you really fall from the sky?”

Bai Xuehua gave a faint, bitter smile. “I came from outside. I got lost in these mountains and then ran into three bandits. I fled up and down the slopes to escape them. Though I got away, I was cold and hungry, and finally fainted in the snow.”

When Xiaoyun heard she was cold and hungry, he quickly took out two baked flatbreads he’d brought with him. “These are nothing special, but they’ll fill your stomach. Please, eat.”

Looking at the bread he offered, Bai Xuehua felt a helpless sorrow. Could she, Bai Xuehua, have fallen to such a pitiful state? Her pride and feminine dignity made her hesitate to accept the bread, though she was weak with hunger.

Seeing her reluctance, Xiaoyun said in surprise, “It’s very tasty. If you eat, you won’t be hungry.” Saying this, he pressed the bread into her hands.

Gazing at Xiaoyun’s innocent face, filled with sincerity and kindness, Bai Xuehua was moved. Faced with such genuine help, she had no reason to refuse. For the sake of tomorrow’s vengeance, she had to survive. She accepted the bread.

Seeing her take it, Xiaoyun clapped his hands and exclaimed with delight, “I’m so happy! I’ve made friends with a fairy sister.”

Bai Xuehua smiled wryly. “I’m not a fairy sister. Since you found me in the snow, just call me Sister Snow.”