Wandao 011
The wind ceased, and the clouds lay still. The night was as calm as water. Outside the Trial Valley, the forest basked in a serene, silvery glow.
Wan Xiaochuan sat quietly atop a moss-covered boulder, his Wind and Thunder Sword resting across his knees, its blade faintly reflecting the moonlight. His eyes were closed, his spirit still immersed in the soul-stirring resonance of the day's "Dual-Heart Sword Bond." The remnants of that thunderous sword soul had yet to fade. In his dantian, spiritual energy churned—wind and thunder, two opposing forces, coiled like silver serpents, clashing through his meridians in waves of violent turbulence.
He drew a deep breath, attempting to calm his breath and mind—when suddenly, a soft laugh rang out behind him, light and tinkling like silver bells swaying in the breeze.
"You're sitting here spacing out. Were you thinking about me?" came a voice, gentle and teasing. It was Reni.
Wan Xiaochuan slowly opened his eyes and turned to look. From within the shadows of the night, she stepped gracefully into the open, clad in a flowing violet robe. The hem of her skirt brushed silently over the grass and leaves. Under the moonlight, threads of silver shimmered within the folds of her garment—a natural radiance drawn from spiritual essence, like stardust resting between her brows.
He stared for a moment, stunned, then turned his head away abruptly. His voice lowered, a little awkward, "No... I was just... sensing the sword soul's resonance."
"Aww, and here I thought you were going to admit it," Reni said as she settled herself on another stone beside him, her legs swaying lightly, hands resting on her knees. A glint of playful amusement sparkled in her eyes. "But just now, you really did look like you were thinking of me."
Wan Xiaochuan was momentarily speechless, the unexpected teasing rendering him tongue-tied. The corners of his mouth twitched, but no suitable reply came to mind.
He never thought of himself as someone poor with words, yet whenever he faced Reni, a strange and indescribable sense of awkwardness took hold. She wasn't like the shy village girls he'd known, nor was she like the cold and aloof sword cultivator maidens of the sect. She was lively, spirited, mischievous—and at times, could stir one's heart in unexpected ways.
A soft breeze rustled the treetops, bringing with it the faint chill of night dew.
"I know there's a lot you want to ask," Reni said, her voice suddenly soft, like a gentle stream winding through the woods. She gazed ahead into the glimmering forest light. "You want to know what I really am. How I could bond with you. Why I chose you—just a newly-initiated cultivator, barely past the first threshold."
Wan Xiaochuan said nothing. He simply turned his face toward her. Her gaze was serene, like a moonlit spring, reflecting the unspoken ripples of his heart.
"I'm not some lofty sword spirit, nor a so-called chosen one." She smiled faintly, voice hushed. "I'm Reni. And it just so happened... the moment your blood touched the sword's heart, I felt—you were someone I could walk this path with."
His throat tightened, and after a pause, he finally asked in a low voice, "So... do you truly reside within this sword?"
"In a manner of speaking," Reni's eyes shimmered under the moonlight. "More precisely, my spirit is bound to this sword by some fateful thread. Perhaps an unfinished bond from a past life, or perhaps the beginning and end of something in this one. Who can say for sure?"
"Then... will you stay with me?" he asked softly, the words barely more than a whisper.
Reni did not answer immediately. She rested her head gently upon her knees and gazed at the dim, distant moon.
"Maybe. As long as you don't disappoint me... As long as you remember the wind and the sword's song tonight."
The two fell silent. The night deepened. In the distance, the chirping of insects and the occasional rustle of beasts added a touch of wild life to the forest stillness.
Wan Xiaochuan suddenly spoke. "I never thought I'd end up on this path... cultivating, encountering so many strange things. I left that small village just days ago, and yet—it feels like a lifetime."
"That is the way of the immortal path," Reni murmured. "You haven't even truly stepped through the gate, and already you walk the diverging paths of wind and thunder. Wan Xiaochuan... your name contains ten thousand fates and ten thousand tribulations. You were never meant to be ordinary."
He pressed his lips together, placing the Wind and Thunder Sword flat upon his knees, eyes fixed on the swirling currents of wind and lightning dancing along its engraved runes.
"And you?" he asked. "Reni, what is it that you want?"
Reni didn't reply right away. She slowly raised a finger and drew a circle in the air, as if tracing something distant, unreachable.
"I want to see my own future—to be more than a sealed sword soul... more than someone's shadow or tool. I want to truly exist. To live. To laugh. Like all of you—have memories, have a story."
Wan Xiaochuan looked at her, his heart suddenly stirred. In that moment, he understood—this girl before him was not just a sword spirit.
She was her own being—Reni, with emotions, memories, and dreams.
He nodded slowly, his voice firm, "I'll help you realize all of that."
Reni turned to him, and suddenly smiled. "Then remember what you've said tonight, Wan Xiaochuan. When wind and thunder are forged together, the path of ten thousand truths shall begin."
Beneath the moonlight, the two figures were gently embraced by the night wind—like a pair of young adventurers at the crossroads of stars and fate, binding themselves to a vow at the very start of their journey.