Thunder rumbled in the distance, echoing across the snow-laden woods. Heavy snow descended from the darkened sky, thick and blinding, blanketing the world in an endless sheet of white. It struck the sagging roof of the abandoned cabin in soft but relentless waves, muffling the world in a quiet tension.
Elder Hwayeon sat by the single wooden cot, her sharp eyes resting on the unconscious girl wrapped in layers of warm fur. Sohee's breath was faint but steady. The bitter cold had dulled her already fragile condition, and traveling further tonight would be too dangerous. They had found temporary refuge in what looked like the remnants of a woodcutter's lodge—long deserted, its walls weathered but intact.
Hwayeon stood slowly, her robes rustling softly. The pressure in the air shifted. Something—someone—had entered her sensing range.
She stepped to the cabin's entrance, calmly pushing open the half-broken door. Snow rushed in with the wind, but she remained unmoved.
Two figures stood outside, their silhouettes barely visible through the curtain of falling snow.
The first was a tall, weathered man whose powerful frame radiated killing intent, even at rest. His eyes glinted like a predator's under the stormy sky.
Beside him, her deep violet robe trimmed with emerald green fluttering in the wind, stood a young woman with a cold, elegant face. Her posture was proud, her gaze sharp beneath the falling snow.
Elder Hwayeon's eyes narrowed.
"I recognize that robe," the woman said, her voice steady despite the snowstorm. "Ice Blossom Sect. Are you affiliated with them, Elder?"
Hwayeon remained silent.
The woman took a step forward. "That girl you carry—she belongs to our sect. Return her to us."
"And the boy?" the man added, his voice gravelly. "Where is he? The one traveling with her."
Hwayeon exhaled slowly, her breath misting in the frigid air. "I do not know of any boy."
Her hand rested calmly on the hilt of her blade. "As for the girl—she is now under the care of the Ice Blossom Sect. I will not hand her over."
"You dare—!" the man snarled, stepping forward. Snow kicked up around his feet as he charged, arm surging with Qi.
In a flash, he struck.
But Elder Hwayeon was faster.
Steel rang as her sword left its sheath, the blade shimmering with icy energy. Sparks flew as their auras collided, a shockwave blasting snow in all directions.
The wind howled.
And the fight began.
The clash of their swords rang out in the night air, the sound of steel against steel nearly drowned by the howling storm. Elder Hwayeon and the weathered man from the Tang Sect, Tang Xian, moved with the precision of seasoned warriors, their strikes and counterstrikes blending in a deadly dance of martial skill and raw power.
The snow continued to fall heavily, swirling around them, a blinding white curtain that made the world seem distant and cold. Hwayeon's movements were sharp, fluid, like ice cutting through the storm. Her sword crackled with a frozen aura, each strike leaving a trail of frost in the air. Tang Xian matched her blow for blow, his own Qi a serpentine, venomous force that threatened to overwhelm her defenses.
But as the fight drew on, it became clear that Tang Xian was losing ground. His movements were growing slower, his strikes less precise. The storm seemed to swirl around Hwayeon as if the very elements were rallying to her side.
With a snarl, Tang Xian stepped back, sweat beading on his brow despite the cold. He glared at Hwayeon, his breath heavy. "You're strong, elder, but not unbeatable," he growled.
Before Hwayeon could respond, the air seemed to shift. A soft, cold voice rang out from behind him. "Indeed. The power of Snow Empress is not something we can easily overcome."
Tang Meiyin stepped into the fray, her violet green robe fluttering like a specter in the storm. Her icy gaze locked onto Hwayeon, a subtle smile playing on her lips. "It seems you've been too comfortable fighting one opponent, Elder."
Without hesitation, Meiyin raised her hand, and in an instant, she sent a blast of poison energy toward Hwayeon. The attack was swift, deadly, but Hwayeon's reflexes were faster.
She spun, her blade cutting through the air with precision, deflecting the poison—but now, she was facing two opponents. The odds had shifted: two against one.
Tang Xian, seeing his chance, charged once more, this time with Tang Meiyin at his side. The two fought in perfect harmony, a deadly combination of poison and Qi, but Hwayeon was still holding her ground. Her sword whirled in the air, deflecting strikes, her every movement an embodiment of elegance and power.
"Impressive," Tang Xian growled, his body shifting with the flow of his Qi. "But you won't be able to hold out forever."
The battle raged on, snow swirling around them like a violent storm. Despite the combined efforts of the two opponents, Hwayeon remained an immovable force, her blade dancing through the air like a tempest, cutting through their attacks with ease.
Finally, after a few more strikes and clashes, both sides paused, breathing heavily. The snow around them seemed to settle, the storm calming ever so slightly. Tang Meiyin stepped back, her eyes narrowed with calculation.
"Ice Blossom Sect is famous for a reason," she said, her voice calm despite the intensity of the battle. "The snow is her ally."
Tang Xian grunted in frustration, wiping the blood from his lip. "Tch."
Meiyin's gaze remained fixed on Hwayeon, her eyes sharp. "Not in this weather. She's too strong here."
Tang Xian clenched his fists. "Damn it... we can't win like this."
The storm hissed around them, a cruel reminder that the snow answered to someone else tonight. His breath came in sharp, frustrated bursts.
Tang Meiyin turned her gaze toward Elder Hwayeon. "Elder," she said evenly. "Between that girl and the young man traveling with her... we care more about the young man. Where is he?"
Elder Hwayeon didn't flinch. Her expression remained unreadable, carved from stone and frost. "He is not here," she replied simply.
No further explanation. No hint of deception. Just a wall of silence.
Meiyin studied her for a moment, eyes narrowing, trying to read between the lines—but there was nothing. Just snow and stillness.
"Very well," Meiyin said finally, exhaling slowly. "Let's consider this a sparring match between sects. No grudges."
Tang Xian glanced at her, brows furrowed. "But Miss—"
"Enough." She cut him off without looking back. "What matters now is our main objective. Shin Jiho is our priority."
She turned, her violet and emerald robe swirling as she stepped away into the storm. Before disappearing fully into the snowy veil.
Tang Xian hesitated but followed, his steps heavy, reluctant.
At the threshold, Elder Hwayeon remained still. Her sword no longer drawn, but her stance still guarded. She watched their figures fade into the white, not relaxing until the snow had buried their tracks.
Inside the cabin, behind wooden walls worn by time, Sohee remained unconscious—unaware that danger had come and gone. For now.