Su Mo drank that pot of meat broth for a long... long time...
He wanted to keep drinking the broth and wait for someone to knock on the courtyard gate...
He waited a long, long time...
Until frost coated even the firewood in the stove, until the broth in the pot froze solid, until thick snow piled up on both sides of the courtyard gate...
Wind and snow descended upon the world, a boundless expanse of desolation.
Su Mo waited in vain in the courtyard for half a month. He had already grown terribly weak and seemed liable to die at any moment, yet an unknown aura within his blood seemed to keep repairing his grievously wounded body.
After an unknown stretch of time, two knocks finally sounded at the School's courtyard gate again. Su Mo looked up, but no one pushed the gate open and entered.
Su Mo hurried to his feet, stepped into the snow, and pulled open the courtyard gate. The opening gate pushed the snow inside the courtyard to either side.
"Sir..."
A woman stood outside. Su Mo remembered her; she was the mother of one of the School's pupils. Her face was weathered and haggard, but as she looked at Su Mo, it was filled with sorrow.
Su Mo looked at the woman and said hoarsely, "Come inside and talk!"
The woman shook her head, seemingly burdened by deep worries. Her lips parted as though she wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing.
Seeing her hesitate, Su Mo said, "Whatever it is, you can tell me."
The woman glanced inside the School. Seeing how empty it was, she hesitated again and again, but still said nothing. She simply turned and left, returning to the wind and snow.
Su Mo looked back