On a snowy night, at the fork in the road below the mountain.
A little boy was practicing his swordsmanship. Every movement carried something of the clear, ethereal grace of the Daoist arts.
The blade did not shred the drifting snowflakes. An invisible current seemed to flow from its tip, gently drawing them along with its edge.
He performed every move with care.
When he sheathed his sword, the falling snow around him paused slightly before resuming its natural descent.
He looked down. There was no snow on the ground beneath his feet, but the cleared patch was not round enough.
That troubled him.
A Yin Soul drifted past along the road, dazed and muddled. Since it did not turn onto the mountain road, Black Snake could not be bothered to care where it went and simply ignored it.
He swept his foot a few times, stirring snow over the exposed earth, then sat quietly beside the road, idly watching the snow bury the traces of his sword practice.
Two people trudged along the road that snowy night, their heads lowered.
Their steps sank to uneven depths. Occasionally, they slipped on stones hidden beneath the snow and nearly fell.
The man in front looked sorrowful and hurried onward, as though some heavy burden on his mind were driving him.
Human and ghost passed each other without incident, each going their own way.
The snow stopped in the latter half of the night.
An unprecedented stillness lay over heaven and earth. Under the moonlight, the snow glimmered a deep, pale blue.
Black Snake turned toward the end of the road. A white deer was carrying someone on its back, leaving neither tracks nor the slightest sound as it ran.
Moonlight spilled over them. Their outlines were distinct, yet had an unreal