A breeze swept through the trees, raining flowers upon us as we stood opposite each other. I sprang at his blindfolded side first, hoping to take him by surprise. Liwei flung his stick up to block mine, withdrawing quickly to strike my calf. I hissed, whirling to stab him in the chest. A breath whooshed from his lips as I darted out of his reach, a moment before we flew at each other in earnest. The peace of the forest disintegrated with the crunch of our feet against the stones and dried leaves, the crash from our colliding sticks. I could not help a rush of admiration for his technique—his fierce attack yet swift recoil, each move controlled and yet free. Our match was closer than expected, and I hoped with some luck I might win. Spotting an opening, I lunged forward—but he leaned back low, my stick slicing through empty air. Before I could retreat, his hard blow knocked the stick from my hand.
I stifled a cry, struggling to conceal my frustration. “If it had been with the bow, I would have beaten you with both of my eyes closed.” Grabbing a bun from the basket, I tossed it to him.
He caught it but offered it to me at once. “Here, you have it.”
“It’s your prize.” Picking up a pear, I sank my teeth into its ripe flesh, its sweet and fragrant juice filling my mouth.
When he tried to give it to me again, I shook my head. “Do you want to challenge me for the right not to eat it?” I asked archly.
He shot me an icy look before biting into the soft bread. It smelled delicious, the rich fragrance of roasted pork wafting toward me.
“Make sure you don’t choke on it,” I said with an unfeigned smile.
Hunger was a small price to pay for the irate expression that flashed across his face. I had lost the match yet somehow gained the advantage. Gazing into the overcast sky, I marveled at how everything seemed more beautiful. Even the rain clouds were no longer gloomy and threatening, instead imbued with dark majesty.
After we had eaten, he poured me a cup of wine. As the delicate fragrance of osmanthus sprang in the air, I stilled, recalling a forest of moon-white blossoms.
My fingers clenched around the cup as I lifted it in a toast. “May you always be happy.”
His gaze rested on me. “If I’m always as happy as I am now, that would be the best wish of all.”
The wine slid down my throat with a heady warmth. After we had drained our cups, he refilled them and raised his to me in turn. “May all your dreams come true.”
I wondered what he would think if he knew what they were. For a long time, my dreams were about regaining what I had lost in the past. However, since last night, or perhaps even before—a hope for the future had taken root in my heart.
“What are your dreams?” he asked, just as he did yesterday, as though he had plucked the thoughts from me.
“To be with my loved ones,” I said, after a pause. It was the truth, but the hollow type which was gilded in deceit.
As his eyes darkened and he leaned closer, my breathing quickened.
“But I’ll settle for beating you today.” I blurted the first thing in my mind, cursing myself when he drew away.
He clasped his hands behind his head as he lay down on the grass. “Care to make good on your big words from earlier?”
“Why not? I won’t take it easy on you just because it’s your birthday.” I was not as confident as I sounded; I had never shot blindfolded before.
A golden bow materialized on the ground before us, exquisitely carved with feathers curling along its limbs.
“I wanted to show this to you,” Liwei said as he rose to his feet. “One of the most powerful weapons in our treasury. This might be a good chance to test it.”
I picked it up, my fingers tingling where they touched the metal. “Where are the arrows?”
Liwei moved behind me, our bodies mere inches apart. With his arms stretched out on each side of me, he guided me to raise the bow and draw its silvery string. My pulse raced and my head spun. I would miss any target in our current position, even if it were five paces away.
A flaming arrow formed in my grasp, crackling as though alive. Startled, I would have dropped the bow but Liwei’s grip tightened over mine. When we finally loosened our hold over the string, the arrow vanished.
“There are few weapons as powerful in existence. Each arrow from the Phoenix Fire Bow can cause grave injury with just a single strike. But only those with a strong lifeforce can wield such a weapon effectively,” he cautioned.
I stared at the bow, recalling the faded cover of the mortal book. Was it true, that my father had used a bow of ice to bring down the sunbirds? An enchanted weapon from the Immortal Realm?