Midwinter’s Dao and Memories

A biting wind swept through the imperial city, and in the blink of an eye, the heart of winter had arrived. A heavy snowfall had just blanketed the capital, but now the wind and snow were subsiding, and the long-unseen sun hung high in the sky, bringing a touch of warmth to the mortals within the city walls.

Chi Qiu had changed into her winter attire, a pristine white fur-lined robe. She held a broom taller than herself, diligently sweeping the accumulated snow from the courtyard.

“Little Chi, you could simply activate a spirit array to block the wind and snow. Why do you deliberately allow the heavy snow into the estate, only to clean it up yourself?”

Su Hanxing lounged lazily on a cold stone bench, a pot of cloudy wine placed on the stone table beside him, steam gently rising from its spout.

“You wouldn’t understand.” Chi Qiu glanced at the languid Su Hanxing, casually uttered a single sentence, then resumed her sweeping.

“Indeed, I don’t understand. I hope Miss Chi will enlighten me.” Su Hanxing’s face was slightly flushed, already showing signs of intoxication. He unsteadily rose to his feet, leaning closer to Chi Qiu with a teasing glint in his eyes.

“Don’t bother me.” Chi Qiu’s brow furrowed as she noticed the freshly swept ground had been sullied by snowflakes clinging to Su Hanxing’s footsteps. Slowly and deliberately, Chi Qiu carried her broom back to where Su Hanxing had left his tracks, continuing her meticulous work.

“I am cultivating.” Chi Qiu replied without lifting her head, having cleaned away the snowy traces.

“Cultivating? Are you perhaps cultivating your state of mind, like those Buddhist cultivators on Spirit Mountain?” Su Hanxing instantly thought of the Buddhist cultivators, who often trekked through mountains or meticulously cleaned their temples.

“Cultivating Buddhism requires purity of heart and few desires, abstaining from anger and delusion. It is incredibly difficult to achieve,” Su Hanxing’s voice wavered slightly. Believing Chi Qiu intended to cultivate Buddhism, he immediately tried to dissuade her.

“Cultivating Buddhism? What are you talking about? I am comprehending the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.” Chi Qiu paused her movements, casting a rather astonished look at Su Hanxing.

“As long as it’s not cultivating Buddhism, that’s good… But can one really comprehend the Great Dao this way?” Su Hanxing asked, bewildered.

“That’s precisely why you don’t understand. The Great Dao exists within all things in heaven and earth. A snowfall, a tree, a handful of soil—each contains a different facet of the Great Dao.” Chi Qiu continued sweeping the snow, explaining as she went.

Over the past few months, Chi Qiu had attempted to teach Su Hanxing the Dao of Flowing Water she had mastered. Yet, no matter how he tried, Su Hanxing could not grasp its profound mysteries. Ironically, through these months of teaching, Chi Qiu’s own understanding of the Great Dao had deepened considerably.

“Ah, this profound and abstruse Great Dao again… Well then, I won’t disturb you, Little Chi. Please continue.” Hearing that Chi Qiu was comprehending the Great Dao, Su Hanxing immediately waved his hand, retrieved his wine pot, and returned to the stone bench, content to admire Chi Qiu’s figure as she swept.

“Today is the Midwinter Festival. I need to visit a certain force. Little Chi, would you like to come with me?” Su Hanxing, now clad in a Tianyan Sect disciple’s robe, asked Chi Qiu, who was pruning plants in the distance.

“Is it a mission from the Tianyan Sect?” Chi Qiu paused her work, examining the neatly trimmed pine branches with a satisfied nod.

“Indeed, it is an internal sect mission.” Su Hanxing paused for a moment, then readily admitted.

“Then I won’t go. Remember to return early; we still need to spar.” Chi Qiu immediately lost interest upon hearing that Su Hanxing was going to complete an internal mission for the Tianyan Sect.

“Today is the Midwinter Festival. After I return, why don’t we go to the outer city? You stay in the estate cultivating every day, not stepping out for months. Aren’t you feeling stifled?”

Chi Qiu’s refusal was entirely within Su Hanxing’s expectations. He chuckled softly, planning to take Chi Qiu out of the estate once he returned.

“No, I still need to cultivate.” Chi Qiu rejected Su Hanxing’s suggestion.

“Cultivating every day, comprehending constantly—one must rest sometimes. I see your Falling Leaf Steps are already excellent, and you have no secret arts to learn recently. Why not come out with me for some fun? Perhaps you might even comprehend another Dao.” Su Hanxing earnestly pleaded.

The Falling Leaf Steps were a third-grade movement technique Chi Qiu had purchased from Qibao Hall along with the Profound Spirit Body. She had already achieved minor success with it.

“Comprehend another Dao?” Chi Qiu was startled by his words.

“Of course! Didn’t you say that the Great Dao is hidden within all things in heaven and earth? If you stay cooped up in this manor every day, you’re missing out on many Daos!” Su Hanxing blustered.

Forget it, I don’t believe you have such a profound understanding of the Great Dao, he thought. Su Hanxing shook his head, not truly believing his own words.

Su Hanxing’s progress in comprehending the Great Dao was astonishingly slow. In Chi Qiu’s view, even a mortal might surpass him. Such a poor talent for Dao comprehension, appearing in a cultivator with otherwise ordinary cultivation talent, was truly rare.

“When you visit the other force today, approximately how late will you be back?” Chi Qiu stood up, suddenly asking.

“I’ll definitely be back before nightfall.” Su Hanxing was unsure of the exact time, so he could only promise this.

“Before nightfall? Isn’t there a curfew? How would we go out to celebrate the festival then?” Chi Qiu asked, a touch of confusion in her voice.

“Today is the Midwinter Festival; there is no curfew,” Su Hanxing said with a smile.

“Then I’ll wait for you to return, and we’ll go out then.” Chi Qiu suddenly changed her mind, agreeing to celebrate the festival with Su Hanxing.

“Excellent! I must return quickly!” Su Hanxing was overjoyed to see Chi Qiu suddenly change her mind. Fearing she might waver again, he immediately activated the Starfall Step movement technique and departed from the estate.

Midwinter Festival, huh… Chi Qiu murmured softly, watching Su Hanxing’s retreating figure.

Chi Qiu’s sudden change of heart wasn’t because she truly believed going out would help her comprehend the Great Dao. Rather, she had suddenly recalled the scene from over a decade ago, when she had celebrated the Midwinter Festival with her parents. This memory had always been deeply buried in Chi Qiu’s mind, but today, it had resurfaced once more.

Father, Mother…

Chi Qiu silently gazed into the distance, her heart filled with unspoken thoughts.

“Little Chi—are you ready?”

Several hours later, Su Hanxing returned to the outside of Chi Qiu’s estate. He stood at the entrance, calling out loudly into the residence.

Accompanied by the sound of light footsteps, a white figure appeared at the estate’s main gate. Su Hanxing looked in the direction of the sound, only to see Chi Qiu, dressed in a white fur jacket, stepping out of the gate with embroidered boots. She had, quite rarely, styled her hair into a bun, securing it with a silver hairpin. Chi Qiu’s face was without a trace of makeup, yet her red lips and flawlessly pale skin offered a striking contrast, exuding a captivating allure upon closer inspection.

“Do I look good?” Chi Qiu smiled faintly, seeing Su Hanxing staring intently at her, his face filled with astonishment.

“Naturally, you look exceptionally beautiful.” Hearing Chi Qiu’s question, a subtle flush crossed Su Hanxing’s face. He scratched his head, giving a firm affirmative.

Chi Qiu nodded in satisfaction at Su Hanxing’s reply, then walked past him, heading towards the outer city without looking back.

“Little Chi, why are you… dressed up today?” Su Hanxing quickly followed Chi Qiu, asking after carefully choosing his words.

“I merely styled my hair into a bun. Is that what you call ‘dressed up’?” Chi Qiu cast a sidelong glance at Su Hanxing, who was walking beside her, and replied nonchalantly.

“Heh heh heh…” Su Hanxing didn’t know what to say, so he simply offered an awkward smile.

“In my hometown, the Midwinter Festival is a day when the souls of deceased loved ones yearn for their descendants. According to our customs, the Midwinter Festival is the coldest day of the year, and so, our relatives return to see if their descendants are well.” Chi Qiu shook her cloak, shedding the snowflakes from its surface, then explained to Su Hanxing.

“So that’s how it is…” Su Hanxing mused thoughtfully.

“That’s why I styled my hair into a bun, to fully reveal my face. If my parents’ souls truly return, they can see what I look like now.” A hint of sadness colored Chi Qiu’s voice.

As the one responsible for her plight, Su Hanxing naturally dared not say much at this moment. He stepped closer to Chi Qiu, then raised a hand to her shoulder, subtly pulling her closer with a gentle force.

“What, do you also wish to see my parents?” Chi Qiu asked, a touch of displeasure in her voice as she felt the pressure on her shoulder.

“I merely worry that Little Chi might catch a cold.” Su Hanxing thought for a moment, then offered a remarkably clumsy excuse.

“I am a God Concealing stage cultivator; I’m not afraid of the cold.” Chi Qiu turned to look at Su Hanxing, her gaze as if she were looking at an idiot.

“Hahahahaha…” Su Hanxing let out a few awkward laughs, his hand, however, remained on Chi Qiu’s shoulder.