The heavy snow outside showed no sign of stopping.
In the dimly lit corridor, only the flickering candlelight could barely illuminate the path ahead.
Suddenly, the crisp sound of bells echoed in the darkness, the candle flame swayed, and in the hazy gloom, a shadow draped in black could be seen slowly making its way to the other end of the corridor.
Perhaps it was the loose robe he wore, but his steps were so slow and light that even the insects behind him could easily overtake him.
Yet this careless pace gave rise to an unnatural sense of eeriness.
As he passed by a candle, the faint light finally outlined his features.
He was tall, and even though the heavy robe he wore was broad and thick, it could not hide the full swell upon her chest. From this alone, it was clear she was a woman.
Her cheeks were hidden beneath a Yanggu Mianju, the weak candlelight could not penetrate those pitch-black hollows, yet faintly, the woman’s eyes could be seen—eyes beautiful and deep like emeralds soaked in ink.
Those pupils were so cold and profound, as if she could see through all the darkness of the world and pierce every thought in a person’s heart. Yet the loneliness within them was even deeper than the snowy mountains outside. Just staring at them for a while, it seemed as if silent sighs echoed by the ear.
Her hair was exceedingly long, trailing on the ground behind her, the black locks soaked by the wind and snow that drifted into the corridor.
Many Ling Dang and colorful Bu Diao were tied to her hair, each step she took setting the bells into a crisp, pleasing chime, and the ribbons swayed gently with the wind.
Not only that, but her bare ankles and wrists were also covered in bells and cloth strips.
These Ling Dang and Bu Diao carried their people’s faith through centuries, as well as centuries of foolishness and laughter. Each ring of the bell was believed to drive away evil spirits from the tribe, and each sway of the cloth strip was thought to bring hope and blessings.
Though these things were tied to the body, the place where they were knotted the tightest was within their hearts.
The bells of the tribe had never ceased, nor had the swaying of the cloth strips. Some, seeing this, wailed and wept, some remained silent and alert, but more were those who burst into shrill laughter driven by the wildest faith in their hearts.
Those sounds echoed in her mind, but she remained silent and solemn, her face beneath the mask an unknown expression.
“Clap, clap, clap…”
Behind her, sudden hurried footsteps could be heard.
The sound was light, easily recognized as a child’s.
“Don’t go!”
A voice as clear as a mountain spring rang out from behind the woman, its owner seemingly angry, her tone forceful and aggressive.
“You there! Where did you take Luo Ya?”
“….”
The woman paid her no mind, still slowly moving toward the end of the corridor.
“Mmm! I’m talking to you, didn’t you hear me?” The little girl ran past her and stood in front, blocking her way.
The hollow eyes beneath the Yanggu Mianju looked down, and only then did she see the little girl’s true appearance.
She looked to be about twelve, exquisitely pretty and adorable, her bright eyes as clear as spring water, and the long snow-colored hair down her back drew a gentle sympathy, like a blossom of pure snow.
Although her face was sweet and innocent, her huffy expression made her look rather spoiled, and her tone made it clear as well.
With her hands on her hips and a finger pointed at the woman’s masked face, she shouted again, “Tell me! Where did you take Luo Ya?!”
The woman remained silent, trying to step around her from the side, but the little girl quickly noticed and stubbornly blocked her path again.
“You’re not leaving until you tell me!”
The two stood in silent standoff—the woman looking down at her without a word, as if waiting for her to move aside, and the little girl standing firm, hands on hips, waiting for her to give in.
“Seertuya!”
From behind came another rush of hurried footsteps, but this time, it was a boy.
“Brother, why did you follow me?”
The silver-haired boy hurried to Seertuya’s side, pressed her head down, and bowed deeply to the woman.
“I’m so sorry, Lady Priestess! My sister is causing trouble for you!” “I’ll take her back for punishment right away!”
As he spoke, he grabbed Seertuya’s hand, ready to pull her back the way they came.
But even then, Seertuya remained as stubborn as ever, shouting and struggling to break free from his grip, her unruly behavior throwing the boy into a panic.
“I’m not going back! If I can’t find Luo Ya, I’m not going anywhere!”
“Don’t be so willful! If Father finds out you sneaked out and spoke rudely to the priestess, we’ll both get a beating!”
“I—I won’t!!”
She wrenched free of his hand and ran back in front of the woman.
“Tell me, why is it that whenever my friends get sick, they’re always taken away? Where exactly are they taken?!”
The woman stayed silent, then extended a pale, jade-like finger from her wide sleeve and pointed out the corridor toward the snowy mountains.
“What… do you mean?”
“Stop making trouble, little sister!”
The boy tried to pull her again, but she dodged him.
Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed the woman’s hand.
“Take me to her!”
With that, she pulled the woman along, hurrying toward the end of the corridor.
The woman was much taller than her, and being pulled along, she had to bend slightly to keep her balance.
“Sis—sister!!”
The boy, terrified by the sight, rushed to block Seertuya’s path.
“Let go of her, sister! This is too disrespectful!”
The path ahead blocked, Seertuya stopped abruptly, and the woman stumbled forward, almost falling to the ground.
With a crisp chime of bells, the two of them tumbled together to the floor.
“L-Lady Priestess!”
The boy instinctively stepped forward to help, but his hand stopped halfway as it neared the woman’s wide robe.
He didn’t know why, but he seemed afraid to touch her. When he realized it, he hurriedly stepped back, putting more distance between them.
Seertuya’s small body was pinned beneath the woman. Rubbing her aching head, she slowly opened her eyes.
The Yanggu Mianju was right in front of her face. Only then did she truly see those cold, frosty eyes beneath the mask.
But… her pupils trembled. There seemed to be an unfamiliar emotion swirling in those eyes—she couldn’t tell if it was hatred, or love.
Before Seertuya could get a clear look, the woman quietly stood up.
The pitch-black hollows of the Yanggu Mianju stared down at Seertuya, sending a chill up her spine.
“W-what are you doing?”
The woman walked over, removed one of the Ling Dang from her wrist, and handed it to Seertuya.
Seertuya didn’t understand, but took the bell, then looked to the boy for help.
At that moment, she saw the boy trembling, a look of fear she had never seen before on his face.
“L-Lady Priestess, perhaps you should reconsider? My sister is much too unruly, surely she’s not the right choice! Maybe… maybe you could consider someone else…”
His tone was hurried and anxious, but the priestess paid him no attention and turned to walk away down the corridor.
The boy, seeing this, fell weakly to his knees and said with the last of his strength, “I understand, Lady Priestess.”
“Hey, you still haven’t taken me to Luo Ya! You can’t just leave!”
Seertuya tried to chase after her, but this time the boy angrily grabbed her tight.
“Ouch! You’re hurting me, brother!”
The boy’s eyes were dark. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice, “Come with me… to see Father. And the Holy Maiden.”