Yue Ran set his thoughts aside for now even if he was curious his curiosity wasn't greater than his reasons.
Sitting on the trunk a bit further away from Xue Hua, he let out a sigh
stretching his legs out for a moment as he caressed the pendant.
The surface was no longer smooth, the edges even started to hurt but he didn't notice the scratches on his fingers even if he did he simply ignored it.
This pendant was even older than him he didn't know by how old it really was but his master had always carried it with him before it ended up on his hands.
it was given to him when he turned twelve, or rather it would be more accurate to say that it was passed down to him.
Feeling the rough and chipped corners rub against his finger he felt as though his worries were getting pushed aside it had the most effective calming effect on him, much more than any herbs he believed that his master must've done something before giving it to him after all he was quite a crafty man,
the sun was bright almost piercing- since it was mid day,
he never truly liked the sun, sitting beneath a small shade he fixed the wrinkles on his robe but the sun somehow was not bothered by that and kept bothering him. Just as the cold was almost unbearable the sun when it did come out was just as bothersome mostly the blinding light. It was a wonder how the snow didn't melt even an inch.
While trying to avoid the piercing light he happened to notice the boy, his eyes fixed on him as he stared without moving a single muscle, he was so still that it almost felt unusual one could mistake him for a human-like doll if not for his chest rising up and down.
It took him a while to notice that he had been caught as his gaze wavered fumbling slightly back before quickly turning his head away, it seems he wasn't the sharpest tool around as it took him quite a while to realise and then respond.
Xue Hua squeezed his thumb as he quickly looked away, lowering his head, but now Xue Hua couldn't hide his ever changing tone on his ears as they got redder by every breath.
But unlike his expectations the kid turned again, with a big smile showing all his teeth trying to hide his embarrassment yet failing so obviously his face was not suited to lie.
He decided to play along since it was quite ridiculous, the boy had slightly pointed fangs and despite still being a kid his teeth were quite perfect.
But Yue Ran couldn't take his eyes away from Xue Hua's nest of a head which he called hair.
It hadn't even been long since they started walking and his hair was once again already a mess, Yue Ran was in disbelief, either the kid barely combed through his hair or it was just his special quirk.
A rather bothersome one at that.
Yue Ran could've just ignored it, but whenever he turned around and saw that nest of a thing it felt like something was nabbing at him, it was annoying.
Exhaling softly he looked at the awkward child.
"Sit" he only said a single word and Xue Hua moved approaching him closer than sitting on the soft snow below him.
Xue Hua was still moving around finding the most comfortable place for himself, so he did not notice that Yue Ran had taken out a comb.
it was made from bamboo, something he had carried with himself for a very long time, yet it was still in a decent condition almost as new.
Only after he had found a good position did he process what he was doing, turning his head he was about to ask why he had to sit below him
" gege why-"
He tried to turn his head to ask a question but felt Yue Ran's hand immediately turning it away fixing his head straight ahead then soon he felt a ticklish brush on his scalp sending a light shiver down his spine.
Yue Ran first detangled every knot gently with his hand, for a man void of emotions in his eyes, he had the gentlest touch.
Xue hua understood that he shouldn't speak now, but even if he was told to, he wouldn't be able to, after all
He had turned mute as all the words left him, his mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts and shouts that no scholar would be able to decipher.
His ears burned- feeling hot with each graze, that was the day he learnt that feeling ticklish could burn your ears too.
Since that day, Yue Ran had started braiding this little guy's hair for him.
Because of its length and thickness, it would catch a lot of snow and dirt during storms and end up very matted, it was troublesome and very sore to his eyes, at first he tried all sorts of hairstyles before settling permanently on braids.
Yue Ran had a very stubborn habit of keeping his hair prim and proper, most would say his hair was more tamed than any scholar or maiden.
Even as a kid he always wore his hair in a big single knot.
Or a ponytail, that was the case until his master began showing him many ways of doing a hair.
This for some reason was quite fascinating for him much more than any technique he was ever taught.
His poor master almost went bald before Yue Ran finally managed to get a braid right on him.
After a while they found a cave which they made their temporary home, the northern plains were vast, Its dangers were not less than the mountains.
The forest trees obstructed any view, so they were unable to find a village till now.
Unlike the howling winds outside, the cave was very quiet so quiet that the sounds of their breathing echoed and bounced off the walls.
It was very warm inside, a small fire cackling by the side, there were hardly any branches to be lit even after Xue Hua dug through the snow many times he only managed to find a handful.
Xue hua had been eating wild hares for a while now.
At first the immortal did all the hunting but soon, Xue Hua picked up on his tactics and managed to catch one himself.
Well...not without getting a huge smack on his cheek.
Yue Ran's fingers gently slipped through his soft hair releasing the braid that had become messy as they stuck out into a big mess.
Xue Hua felt ticklish each time those slender fingers brushed his scalp and neck occasionally, shivering ever so slightly.
In these moments he would become so quiet that he could hear his own beating heart that sometimes seemed to rush and get caught up in his throat, the walls were cold, as the stones stayed undisturbed before their stay.
Before them it lacked any sign of previous owners, there were no musky scent of animals nor the irksome scent of markings.
There were hardly any pests except a few silver shelled worms formed to survive under extreme cold.
Although he'd sit quietly behaving well without any big movement sometimes the immortal would notice his tensed shoulder and lightly press on them.
A strong aroma filled the cave, it could be described as sweet with a hint of floral that could be noticed occasionally, but he could hardly notice it as all his senses were fixed on the fingers that slipped through his hair.
As Yue Ran began combing through his hair, he pressed his thumbs together, his shoulders tense as he still didn't know what to do while waiting for Yue Ran to be done.
The silence was something where Xue Hua often agonized over what to do.
After yue ran was done with his hair he pulled out a thin rope from within his sleeve and tied the hair at the end to prevent it from coming loose.
The rope was red and made by tying multiple threads together.
He forgot when he got this or why but he was certain that this too was given by his master well now it more or less belongs to a certain child with wild hair.
Xue hua still could not get used to it even after it had happened many times he never ceased to be amazed each time
Feeling as though there really wasn't anything that immortal couldn't do.
"Gege"
He summoned all his courage despite his shyness,
As he gently felt the braids afraid that he might mess it up,
"Thank you..."
His voice was hardly a whisper as he tried to make himself smaller while saying this.
Yue Ran simply replied with a curt hum,
The time passed slowly in the north, but with him even silence who looked like they would drag till eternity seemed to fly by.
Xue hua slowly moved towards the fire, his eyes fixed on the meat that was finally cooked.
There were two hares being roasted by the fire pierced through with a thin stick, the child reached out about to grab it-
"It's hot be careful"
Xue Hua's mouth was already flooded just from taking in the scent.
Maybe it was because he was about to eat something he caught by himself, it felt like an achievement.
So he was extra eager.
But before he could reach out, Yue Ran suddenly stood up without a signal, taking Xue Hua by surprise when he saw him so alert.
"What's wrong-"
Before he could finish the sentence Yue Ran placed his fingers over Xue Hua's lips silencing him.
It was faint, but audible.
It was in moments like these that Xue Hua would remember that the person who saved him was actually an immortal not someone who should be hunting hares with a kid.
Being told to be quiet, what else could he do but obey?
Without any sound, he moved swiftly leaving the cave.
He found a pillar, it wasn't there the last time when they went hunting.
Carefully feeling the inscriptions on the pillar he narrowed his eyes.
"A barrier"
It was a unique technique used for creating defensive barriers, the words inscriptions were plenty and deep, with many spiritual stones inside as a faint chilling energy stopped at his fingertips.
A barrier to confuse enemies and beasts.
It was no wonder that they couldn't find any village.
However, the barrier felt weaker than it should've been.
These types of pillar formation created by using spiritual stones had to be replenished every five years so that they don't become useless
And this pillar likely hadn't been replenished in a while, and was growing weaker by day, probably why they couldn't see it before but it was now visible.
However, this type of technique had a fatal flaw.
Once someone was aware of its existence the illusions would no longer work on them.
Then finally his attention turned to the young man behind the pillar, being crushed by the woods he had on his back.
I wonder where he got so many dry woods
His gaze passed over him quickly.
A woodcutter so young wasn't rare but neither was it common.
The youngest woodcutter he had ever seen was merely 8.
He doubted if the child could even lift the axe properly but he never got to see whether the child could or not.
Because then, he too was only seven.
The war over territories had just ended then and there were many children working to fill their own bellies meaning if they failed they would simply pass over to the underworld to do more work according to their karma.
War orphans rarely had good karma.
shaking off the snow from this woodcutter, he grabbed his collar and simply began dragging him back to the cave where the kid was probably waiting anxiously, even forgetting about the food he had just been drooling over, thinking about this yue ran leisurely walked back.
.
.
Waiting was never really his strong suit
Xue hua didn't take long to figure that out, even when Yue Ran would go for only a moment to hunt for food he would find himself waiting anxiously, scratching and picking at his nails.
So when he saw a silhouette of a man from afar he felt relieved, as though the water around him had shifted from a frozen lake to a hot spring. He does not know where this anxiety comes from, but he doesn't want to think about it. Because after time passes it'll get better just like his wounds from that night.
Before long, he realized that yue ran wasn't alone, he was dragging with him...something? A beast? It had thick fur and was particularly...
He squinted his eyes to try and get a better view,
...unique, yeah that's what it was.
It was until he got closer that Xue Hua found out that the beast was a person. On his back was still a basket filled with firewoods which was now practically spilling over, his hands still tight gripping the straps nonetheless.
Seeing Yue Ran out him beside the fire Xue Hua's gaze curiously swept past that man
"A woodcutter" said yue ran before xue hua even opened his mouth, Yue Ran taking a seat took out a water pouch from within his sleeves one he had just recently melted for the child.
"A woodcutter...?"
The child came over, sitting on the ground below the immortal as he looked up to see yue ran's face.
"Is he dead?"
"No"
"That man is simply exhausted, and likely starving as well, now here-" he handed the water pouch to him, the man was still breathing however his face looked quite pale, making xue hua's heart tremble slightly,
I was like this too
He recalled the previous night, and could only remember how he must've been like this as well, hanging on the verge of death until this man suddenly showed up and gave him life.
Now he was doing the same to this man.
Yue ran simply tapping his fingers, looked at the child, whose face was only half visible from above, the hesitant yet obedient kid not knowing why he was given the water pouch was surely thinking silly thoughts.
Yue Ran tended the fire then with a gentle tone he told the kid what to do
"Pour it into that man's mouth then he'll wake up"