Blossoming Path

How long had it been?

Windy hissed low, his pale scales disappearing against the frost-covered ground as he slithered through the snow. The sting of failure gnawed at him, sharper than the icy wind. His ambush had failed, leaving his body battered and his pride in tatters. The best he could do was slither around, avoiding the man's attacks with evasive movement.

Behind him, heavy footsteps crushed the snow. His instincts screamed to flee, to vanish into the safety of the deeper woods.

But he didn’t.

The serpent wanted to ask himself why, but deep down, he already knew the reason.

The cold bit into him, numbing his pain, but it was a double-edged sword. The snow sapped his strength, and he couldn’t linger here long.

The hooded man’s voice rasped through the quiet. “Hiding, little snake? I’ll tear you out by your fangs.”

The serpent burrowed into the snow, leaving faint tracks leading one way, then doubled back silently. His pale form weaved through the frost like a phantom, coiling beneath another drift. His tongue flicked again, tasting the air. The man’s injured arm hung stiffly at his side, the deep gash still raw despite his lack of reaction to the wound.

'That’s the weakness. That’s where I strike.'

With a burst of motion, Windy launched himself from the snow. His tail whipped forward, qi sharpening its edge as it cracked like a whip toward the man’s wounded arm.

The hooded man spun faster than Windy expected, his glowing eyes flaring with anticipation. His injured arm shot up to block, but the tail strike landed, splintering bone further. Without giving the slightest regard to his wound, the shadow raised his working arm for an attack.

The man’s claws lashed out in a vicious arc, and Windy twisted desperately, his body contorting mid-air. He evaded the worst of it, but the claws grazed his tail, sending him spinning into the snowbank. Pain flared, sharp and biting, as crimson streaked the frost where he landed.

It was terribly difficult to deal with someone who was driven by madness to kill the other person without caring about their own life, regardless of the martial art’s level.

Windy hissed, coiling defensively. His mind raced. 'He’s too strong. Too fast. I can’t match him head-on. Cunning alone won’t save me.'

A memory flickered in his mind—Tianyi’s erratic movements in battle, her unpredictable rhythm that seemed to defy logic. She hadn’t abandoned her butterfly instincts; she’d transformed them into something more.

Windy’s coils tightened beneath the snow as realization dawned.

Your dao is slowly forming.

The hooded man tore through the snowbank, following the serpent's false trail, his claws ripping into roots and frost alike. Windy waited, silent, until the man turned his back.

This time, he moved differently. Not just a predator, but something more. Something deadly.

Windy slithered low through the snow. The cold bit deep into his body once more, but he welcomed the sharpness—it kept him present, grounded. Each movement was measured, deliberate, as the hooded man’s enraged roars echoed through the forest. Snow churned, branches cracked, and the oppressive weight of malevolent qi bore down on the clearing like a smothering fog.

His tongue flicked, tasting the air. Blood, decay, anger. But Windy’s own qi was dangerously low, flickering like the last embers of a dying flame. The fight had gone on for too long.

He slithered beneath a snowbank, his body coiling tightly. Pain flared in his tail, where the man’s claws had torn through his scales, but he didn’t let it distract him.

'This ends now. One way or another.'

The hooded man staggered into the clearing, his movements wild, erratic. Snow caked his bloodied claws, steam rising from his cracked lips.

Moments of clarity broke through Windy's haze of exhaustion. The serpent’s way had always been stealth, patience, and precision. Yet now, he saw the need for something more. The image of Tianyi, darting unpredictably through the air, weaving her butterfly instincts into a dance that transcended logic, flickered in his mind.

'Adapt,' he realized. 'The serpent waits, but it can also strike from angles unseen.'

Snow churned as he moved in sudden, erratic bursts. He used low-hanging branches to disappear and reappear. He coiled around loose snowbanks, his pale body merging with the frost to confuse the man’s senses. Each feint pushed the hooded man closer to blind rage.

The man’s claws tore through a snowbank with terrifying force, scattering white powder into the air. “You slippery little—!” His words were cut off as Windy darted past him, a blur of motion that left only the faintest trace in the snow.

Each feint drained Windy’s qi further. His breathing grew labored, his scales dulling. He had to finish it now.

The hooded man’s eyes flared with malevolent light. He paused suddenly, his wild thrashing replaced with calculated stillness. Windy froze, his tongue tasting the shift.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

'A trap.'

The man feigned an opening, his injured left arm hanging loosely. Windy hesitated for a fraction of a second but knew he had no choice. He struck.

The moment his tail lashed out, the man twisted, his claws slicing through the air with blinding speed.

Time seemed to slow. Windy’s body coiled instinctively, his mind racing. And then, an image.

Kai, deflecting a blow with an effortless motion, redirecting its force.

The serpent didn’t think. He acted.

As the man’s claw descended, his body moved in a flowing, wave-like motion. He didn’t meet the strike head-on but shifted just enough to guide the attack past him. The force of the man’s blow struck empty air, his balance faltering as he stumbled forward.

'Now.'

Windy twisted, his body coiling upward like a whip. His tail lashed around the man’s arms, tightening with brutal precision. His fangs sank deep into the man’s neck, injecting every last drop of venom stored within him.

The hooded man roared in fury, sinking his teeth down on his serpentine body. He tore into Windy’s scales with a brutal ferocity that sent waves of agony coursing through the serpent’s body. Each strike bit deeper, shredding flesh and muscle, and with every tear, the man's corrupt qi seeped into Windy’s wounds like a toxic fog. The invasive energy burned, spreading through his veins and coiling around his core like a living parasite.

Windy hissed in agony, his body trembling under the relentless assault, but his coils only tightened.

'A serpent doesn’t have to fight head-on,'

The venom worked quickly, coursing through the man’s veins like liquid fire. His movements grew weaker, his snarls fading into ragged breaths. Still, Windy didn’t loosen his grip. He couldn’t. If he let go, it would all be over.

'It waits in silence, coils its prey, and leaves nothing but bones.'

The man collapsed to his knees, his claws falling limp at his sides. His body convulsed once, twice, before finally going still.

Windy uncoiled slowly, his battered body trembling with exhaustion. He slithered back, his vision swimming, but he refused to fall. He raised his head, tasting the air one last time.

The malevolent qi that had tainted the clearing was gone. The suffocating presence that had hung over the forest like a storm cloud had dissipated, leaving only the faint metallic tang of blood on the cold wind.

Windy collapsed into the snow, his body coiling instinctively as pain radiated through him. His scales, once pristine and shimmering, were now marred with blood, torn in jagged lines where the hooded man’s attacks had struck. His breath came in shallow gasps, each exhalation a faint wisp of steam that dissipated into the frost-laden air.

The world blurred around him. The snow seemed colder now, not a numbing reprieve but a creeping chill that threatened to steal his remaining strength. He could feel his life slipping away, his qi reserves drained to nothing, his venom depleted.

Yet, in the stillness, a strange peace settled over him.

'I did it,' he thought, his tongue flicking weakly. 'I protected them. Even if I end here, Tianyi and Kai will be safe.'

The sound of a faint chime cut through the quiet, the Interface’s notification resonating in his mind.

Quest: Path of the Serpent has been completed.

You completed the quest with additional challenges. Your efforts do not go unnoticed.

Windy hissed faintly, amused despite himself. 'What good are rewards if I’m not around to claim them?'

The thought gnawed at him as his vision blurred, but there was no bitterness. Just the quiet satisfaction that came from knowing he had done what he set out to do.

His vision dimmed, and he let himself sink deeper into the snow, his thoughts drifting to the ones he fought to protect. Tianyi’s sharp wit and the subtle grace with which she fought. Kai’s unyielding determination, his fumbling kindness. They would go on.

And that was enough.

Just as his consciousness began to slip away entirely, a faint voice pierced the haze.

“Windy? Are you still alive?”

The serpent groaned internally. Of all the moments for Tianyi to arrive, why now? He was at death’s door, bloodied and broken, and yet the thought of her seeing him like this sent a surge of embarrassment through him.

He uncoiled painfully, lifting his head with a hiss that was meant to sound defiant but came out pitifully weak.

'Of course I am,'

Tianyi stepped into view, her antennae twitching faintly as she scanned the clearing. Her usually flawless appearance was disheveled—her hair singed at the edges, her robes charred and torn in places. The faint scent of smoke clung to her, and the fissures along the exoskeleton of her arm gleamed faintly in the moonlight, showing signs of corruption.

Windy narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze taking in the signs of battle. 'The shadow. You… fought one too,' he said, his voice quieter now.

Her wings folded tightly against her back as she knelt beside him. “Yes. But we’ll talk about that later. You’re hurt.”

He hissed faintly, trying to shift away. 'I’ll be fine.'

Tianyi didn’t respond. She placed her hand gently on his scales, and a soft pulse of qi radiated from her palm. Warmth spread through his battered body, washing over the deep wounds and malignant qi.

The pain dulled, then faded, as her energy worked its way through him. For the first time since the fight began, he could breathe without agony clawing at his chest.

As the tension in his body eased, his vision dimmed again, this time with a strange sense of relief.

“Let’s go home.” Tianyi said softly, her voice steady despite her own injuries.

Windy felt her arms lift him gently, cradling his weakened form. He let himself relax, the fight finally over, the weight of survival no longer his alone to bear.

And for once, as darkness claimed him, he felt safe.

SCENE BREAK

I paced the edge of the forest, the frost crunching beneath my boots as the winter wind bit into my skin. The chill seeped through my robes, but I couldn’t bring myself to retreat to the warmth of the house. Not when they were still out there.

The treeline loomed, a silent wall of shadows and snow. I stared into the darkness, searching for any sign—anything to prove that Jian Feng’s words weren’t hollow, that trusting the Verdant Lotus Sect hadn’t been a mistake. The waiting gnawed at me, an itch under my skin I couldn’t scratch.

Trust. Believe in the sect. Let them handle it.

Jian Feng’s voice echoed in my mind, but the words felt hollow now. How could I sit idly by while they risked everything?

I crossed my arms, gripping the fabric of my sleeves tightly to steady my trembling hands. Every passing moment felt heavier, the silence pressing down on me. The shadows beneath the trees shifted, but it was only the wind stirring the branches.

Still nothing.

My breath hung in the air as faint wisps of steam, dissolving into the cold. I felt the weight of the winter evening pressing against me, the fading light casting long, creeping shadows over the snow.

A flicker, faint and fleeting, brushed the edge of my consciousness. I froze. The bond I shared with Tianyi stirred, weak but unmistakable. Her presence, faint and frayed, but alive. A wave of exhaustion, worry, and relief flooded through me.

“Tianyi,” I whispered, the word barely leaving my lips before my body moved.

I bolted toward the forest, my boots slipping on the icy ground as I pushed through the underbrush. The sharp sting of branches scraping my face didn’t register; my focus was on that faint connection growing stronger with every step.

“Tianyi!” I called out, my voice cutting through the cold air.

The faint hum of her wings answered first, a sound that made my chest tighten. I broke through the thick brush, the snow crunching underfoot, and finally saw them.

She stood at the edge of the forest, her wings folded tightly against her back. Her figure was small and fragile-looking, but her posture was steady. In her arms was Windy, his pale scales dulled and marred with streaks of blood.

“It's me!” I shouted, my breath catching as I reached them. “Are you—what happened?”

She met my gaze, her antennae twitching faintly. Her face was pale, her features drawn with exhaustion, but her grip on Windy was firm despite the fissures along her forearm.

“We’re alive,” she said simply, her voice steady but quiet. “But the shadows… they attacked us.”

My heart sank. “There were? How many?

She nodded, her expression grim. “Two. The Verdant Lotus Sect’s disciples… the immortals… they died.”

Her words hit like a physical blow. I stared at her, my mind racing to process what she was saying. The Verdant Lotus Sect had sent three second-class disciples, and they were gone? The realization settled heavily in my chest. This was far worse than any of us had anticipated.

“What about Windy?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Tianyi looked down at the battered serpent in her arms. “He fought against a shadow. But it's strong. Too strong. He held his ground until I found him.”

My gaze fell to Windy’s motionless form. His once-pristine scales were torn and bloodied, his breaths shallow and uneven. The sight of him like this made my stomach twist.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to steady my breathing. “We need to get him inside. Both of you. You’re hurt.”

The cold wind bit at my face, but I barely felt it. My thoughts churned as I reached out, carrying her like a priceless vase, fearing a single misstep would shatter her delicate form.

Whatever this was, it wasn’t just an isolated threat anymore. The Verdant Lotus Sect had been decimated. This was only the beginning.

I glanced back at the forest one last time, the treeline standing silent and unyielding against the darkening sky.

“Let’s get home,” I said finally, my voice low. “We’ll figure this out. Together.”