Ice Time: Cry of the Cold

"Sister, don't go, Sister, don't leave me, Sister, Sister..."

On the sickbed, the boy, still in a coma, suddenly muttered as if suffering from delirium, his hands flailing wildly in the air, as if trying to grasp something.

A young nurse cleaning nearby heard the sound and hurried to the bedside. Seeing that the boy, who had been unconscious for two days, had finally made a sound, she shouted excitedly, "He's awake, he's awake, he's awake! Xiao Cheng, Xiao Sui, go quickly and notify Miss Shinobu! This dead person is finally awake."

The nurse called Xiao Cheng ran out of the room quickly, while another nurse named Xiao Sui came to the bedside.

"Qi An... Qi An, give... give me back my sister, Qi An, don't go, you... you come back. Sister, Sister..."

The two young nurses stood cautiously by the sickbed. They wanted to step forward to check the situation but were afraid of being scratched by this person who seemed like a madman. So, they stood aside, waiting for Miss Shinobu to arrive while observing.

"Do you think he's crazy?"

"He must be crazy. Who is Qi An? He keeps shouting, 'Qi An, Qi An, give me back my sister.' Do you think this Qi An might be the one who abducted his sister?"

The nurse called Xiao Sui pouted, putting on a thoughtful expression. She first nodded, then shook her head.

"When Miss Shinobu brought him back, he was almost dead. Sister Xiao Kui said his village was attacked by demons, and he was the only survivor. Could it be that this guy named Qi An took his sister and left him to the demons?"

"Then why is he still alive?"

"Maybe he's an unlucky person that even demons despise."

"An unlucky person? Xiao Sui, don't scare me."

"..."

The two chatted back and forth, discussing as if no one else was around.

Suddenly, the boy's hoarse throat uttered the word "Qi An." As these two words tumbled out, the boy's voice roared like a ghost on the wilderness.

The two young nurses had never heard a human make such a chilling sound. They were immediately frightened and huddled together.

"Crazy, crazy, he's really crazy, he... has he turned into a demon too?"

As soon as the words fell, the boy on the sickbed suddenly opened his eyes, sat up, and his neck stiffly turned towards the two. As his entire body was wrapped in bandages, turning like this made him look exactly like a zombie.

The two young nurses, already startled, saw this scene and their hair stood on end. They turned to look at each other, as if trying to confirm if they were seeing an illusion. When they saw the fear in each other's eyes, they paused for a moment and then let out pig-like screams simultaneously.

One closed his eyes and fainted directly, while the other screamed and scrambled out of the room.

"It's... it's a zombie!" The scream echoed throughout the Butterfly Mansion's courtyard.

The boy sat on the bed, breathing heavily. As his breathing gradually stabilized, his mind also cleared.

It turned out it was just a nightmare.

The boy raised his head and looked around blankly. White walls, glaring sunlight, simple furniture. Looking down, he saw a snow-white quilt filled with the smell of medicinal water.

Where is this?

Why am I here?

What was that screaming sound just now?

A zombie?

Did someone die?

The boy tried to figure out what had happened to him, but as soon as he tried to recall, his head involuntarily began to ache.

"Sister, Sister, hurry up and come, my head hurts so much."

The boy clutched his head in pain, wanting to seek his sister's help. But after calling out "Sister" twice, he suddenly realized something and froze on the spot.

So, it wasn't a dream. Everything that happened was real. That man killed everyone in the village and took his sister away.

The boy's eyes gradually shifted from initial confusion to sadness and anger. He threw off the quilt, endured the tearing pain all over his body, and got out of bed. He staggered towards the door.

After a few steps, his legs gave out, and he fell to the ground with a thud. The boy seemed not to feel the pain and continued to crawl towards the door with all his might.

The little nurse who had fainted nearby just woke up. Seeing the mummy crawling on the ground like a maggot, she fainted again from fright.

Xiao Cheng, along with Shinobu Kocho and others, stepped into the courtyard. They saw the boy had already crawled out of the sickroom and was descending the wooden stairs. His hand slipped, and he tumbled down the stairs.

"My, my, he's quite spirited. He's almost dead, yet he can still crawl here. What an interesting child."

Shinobu Kocho stood not far from the boy, just watching, letting him roll on the muddy ground without moving.

Kanao Tsuyuri's gaze was vacant, with a smile on her face.

Xiao Qing and Xiao Cheng hid behind Kanao Tsuyuri. Without Shinobu Kocho's order, they wouldn't dare to step forward to help this thing, whether it was human or demon.

"He... he's not dead, is he?"

"Where's Xiao Sui? Why don't I see Xiao Sui? Could she have already been eaten by a demon? Sob, Xiao Sui..."

Perhaps startled by the nurse's cries, the boy's fingers moved, and then his entire body began to move. His hands gripped the ground and continued to crawl forward. His face, wrapped in bandages, showed no expression, only a pair of fierce eyes were visible.

The boy crawled towards the courtyard gate. As he passed by Shinobu Kocho, he paused. He remembered this scent, the scent of Wisteria, just like his sister's, and those beautiful purple eyes.

Shinobu Kocho's expression gradually became serious. Her expression only turned serious when she was extremely angry.

The nurse also stopped crying and looked at the boy with shock. In her entire life, she had never seen someone so reckless with their own life.

"Blood... blood, he's bleeding."

On the ground where the boy had crawled, a few blood-stained pebbles stood out conspicuously in the dirt.

"What a disobedient child. Xiao Qing, Xiao Cheng, take him back to his room."

Shinobu Kocho's expression returned to its relaxed state as she muttered to herself, "Looks like he'll need to be bandaged again. He really doesn't make things easy." With that, she walked into the room.

"Don't touch me, I'm going to save my sister. You two scoundrels, let me go!" the young man struggled desperately.

"Sc... scoundrels? Xiao Qing, he actually called us scoundrels, sob sob."

"We're so cute, and he called us scoundrels. Unforgivable!"

Xiao Cheng rained a flurry of punches down on the young man's face.

"Xiao Cheng, be gentler, don't beat him to death. Wait a moment, let me."

"..."

Two days later, in front of the corridor of Oyakata's Mansion, Shinobu Kocho knelt on one knee.

Master Kagaya Ubuyashiki stood in the shadows of the corridor, accompanied by his two daughters, Hina and Kana.

Although his smile was as gentle as ever, the scars on his face were initially quite chilling.

"Master, did you summon me?" Shinobu Kocho asked.

"Shinobu, I heard you brought a young man back from White Snow Mountain?"

"Replying to Master, I did bring back a young man."

"How is the child's condition?"

"His body is fine now, but his spirit has been greatly stimulated. Since waking up, he's been sitting on the steps by the entrance, without sleep, for two days."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki wore a gentle smile. "It seems he's another peculiar child. It was the same situation when you first met your sister Kanao, wasn't it? What do you think of this child? Would you be interested in taking another successor?"

Shinobu Kocho paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Thank you for your concern, Master. While this child is indeed very good, I am content with Kanao. Besides, Butterfly Mansion is full of girls, and having another boy would be quite inconvenient."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki didn't seem bothered by Shinobu Kocho's refusal. "Indeed, that was my oversight. What do you think of the child's aptitude? Has he practiced any martial arts?"

"I can't tell yet, but judging by his physical condition, he likely has some foundation."

Shinobu Kocho smiled, as if thinking of something amusing, and continued, "Master, I actually think that child is quite similar to Mr. Sanemi. Both of them are the type to risk their lives."

"Sanemi? Heh heh, Sanemi is good, but I don't want everyone in our Demon Slayer Corps to be like him, fighting recklessly. Not everyone has Sanemi's physique. Let's put this matter aside for now and discuss it after the child has fully recovered. By the way, do you know what the child's name is?"

"Bing Shi Han Zhi Qi!"