A continent shrouded in war was a dispirited continent. Perhaps in some small places, that gloom was less apparent, and people could even laugh and enjoy warmth, living lives most others would envy. Ultimately, though, none of it was secure, just like the season of light snow, which slipped into people's sight without warning and descended in silence.
The sky was gray as the scales of a black fish. There was no wind, yet the leaves trembled, resisting the disturbance of one eight-pointed snowflake after another.
The light snow fell like rain, lowering the temperature and soaking the earth. As time passed, silver wrapped the grass, white willow fluff settled on the treetops, pebbles vanished beneath the snow, and snakes and insects disappeared. Even hearing a birdcall became a luxury. On the rare occasion someone heard a few, it was enough to boast and marvel over.
Inside and outside the window had become two separate worlds. Sitting cross-legged on his bed with his eyes closed, Zeng Mu could sense everything beyond the window. For the past seven days, he had spent almost all his time in his room cultivating elemental power. Aside from exchanging a few words with Kanni each night, he had neither gone out nor spoken to anyone.
Neither Ma Linya nor Yenaier had come to see him in the past few days. The former was presumably busy taking advantage of winter's approach to gather wild winter herbs with the other Elemental Healers, stocking up against future need, so naturally she had no time for him. As for the latter, she had no reason to seek him out again. After all, Yenaier had already made her feelings perfectly clear. If she could not resist coming to find him every few days, she would not be Yenaier, the female