This was the first thunder of the year.
"Rumble..."
Spring thunder rolled on without end.
As though enormous stone millstones were rolling across the sky.
The swordsman's brow furrowed ever tighter. He glanced into the coffin behind him several times, then looked again at the Taoist priest by the door.
The Taoist priest was not very old, seemingly about the same age as he was.
Though he looked far younger, of course.
Before him was a small campfire, burning low as if he wished to save firewood; beside it lay a bamboo staff and a bedding roll stuffed full of luggage. A cloth pouch had been sewn onto the roll, and inside it was a Three Flower Cat. The cat was the beautiful one he had seen at the Willow Prefecture gathering a few days ago. Now it had poked its head out of the pouch, tilting it as it stared straight at him.
He had known several days ago that this Taoist priest was no ordinary man.
When he had entered just now, though the daylight was dim, he had still vaguely spotted a swallow in the nest beneath the eaves. There had been swallows in the sky a few days ago as well, yet swallows were rarely seen in this season.
Now he saw the Taoist priest reach into the bedding roll, as if to take something out.
The swordsman narrowed his eyes. Only when he saw that the man had merely taken out two steamed buns and some wild fruit did he relax somewhat. Yet through that motion, he caught sight of a pair of shoes within the bedding roll—
A tiny pair of girls' shoes, clearly worn before.
This Taoist priest traveled alone, with only a cat in tow—at most, perhaps a swallow as well. Why