The Voyage In The Blizzard - Chapter 50
“You must be worried. Not every 24-year-old soldier suddenly becomes the teacher of an entire clan. Longwei, don’t hide it. I can see that you are worried. Today is this day. The last fight on the training field.” said Baofeng-Xue as he wandered around the room.
While tidying up his boots, Longwei remained silent and ignored him.
The coldness of the early morning gave him unpleasant sensations.
“Today, we will all see who and how can survive the first battle with those creatures. I confess, I’m a little worried. I spent so many years in this village.. After my father died … Longwei, are you listening to me?”
“Yes.” Longwei replied quietly by lacing up his boot.
“You don’t think about the fight at all? And you don’t think about your future at all. You don’t think about it? Am I right?!”
Without answering, Longwei got up and walked to the window. Outside, all of the First Clan soldiers were already standing in a row and waiting for him.
Baofeng-Xue approached him. Standing at close range, he loudly said, “You are thinking of Lei. What an idiot you are. If I am right, you better think of yourself. You have been entrusted with such an important role. You have become a teacher and Xing Fu respects you very much. He respects you because he respects your father. Longwei, not everyone at your age reaches such heights.” Putting his cold hand on his shoulder, he continued, “Xing Fu’s motives are clear. He wants to create a great warrior out of you. And you should not miss this chance. With your strength, you may change this world. But allow some kind of love, some feelings take possession of you is an impermissible stupidity.”
As if missing his words, Longwei turned and looked into his eyes. “Come on, probably everyone is already waiting for us.”
“Did you even hear what I said? Longwei!” After hitting the wooden table with his fists, Baofeng-Xue grabbed his hand. “Forget about these feelings. If this time everyone finds out about them, it will be hard for you and for Lei. And do you really want to ruin yourself and Lei like this?!”
Freeing his hand, Longwei answered without looking, “Don’t worry brother.”
Going outside without a cape, Longwei immediately felt a piercing wind. A thin black leather vest did not protect him from the cold at all. Specially dressed in light clothing, Longwei was fully prepared for battle. And even having gathered his hair in a bun like Lei, he himself did everything that Lei did once, without noticing it.
“Longwei is here!” someone exclaimed and instead of shutting up and tightening their muscles everyone began to ask him various questions regarding the fight.
“In the fight with Ye Ying, can we use those knives?”
“Longwei, do you think my strength will allow me to win?”
“Teacher, I did not sleep at all at night. I could not even close my eyes. And all because of this Ye Ying. And I thought how nice it would be if those who lose, they would be removed from the army. I don’t think that I will be able to defeat this giant.”
“There are only a few of us, but those beasts are many. Whether you are weak or not, you still have to go to the battlefield.”
“Shut up all of you!” Baofeng-Xue exclaimed. Continuing to stand beside Longwei, he looked at everyone. And at one glance it was clear that all the soldiers were deeply frightened.
Longwei squeezed out a smile and said, “I know you’re scared. Ahead of you is not training, but a real battle. The battle for survival. There will be no longer long runs, long fights with each other, empty talks during push-ups. Laughter in the middle of fencing. It’s over. Therefore, now, facing an incomprehensible future, I know how you feel. After all, I feel it too. None of us knows if we will survive our first fight. Will we return home and then go back to the battlefield after a while? We do not know anything. And it scares. But sometimes, fear gives you strength. If you are afraid of the future, then let this fear absorb you. And when you are faced with the task of surviving, this fear will help you. Fear is an instinct for self-preservation. So do not try to seem brave and cold. After all, the truth is that we are all deep inside, always afraid. Even if we hide this feeling behind a cold mask.” After being silent, Longwei dropped his eyes. Steam escaping from his slightly parted mouth clouded his face. Clenching both hands in fists, he took a deep breath and said, “It doesn’t matter who your teacher was, after all, fear is your best teacher.” Looking around everyone and fixing his gaze on Baofeng-Xue, Longwei nodded his head and pointed his hand forward, “So let’s go to our uncertain future.”
Walking in unison, the soldiers whose eyes were directed straight ahead, as if in secret from each other kept the words spoken by Longwei.
Noticing the guards of the Second and Third Clans in the courtyard of the Main House, Longwei realized that he was probably late.
Sensing the impending panic, Longwei tried to repeat the words of Baofeng-Xue in his head. “No one should know. If everyone knows, Lei may meet his end.” Repeating this over and over, Longwei was already inside the Main House without noticing it.
Once empty and cold room was now filled with candle fire and faint warmth.
Loudly and confidently walking forward, Longwei threw his head high and tried not to look for Lei among the crowd of soldiers who stood on both sides, creating a passage between themselves to the center of the hall.
Due to the bright lights that were everywhere, Longwei’s face shone with freshness and exquisite beauty, showing his delicate features in the best light.
The silver-colored iron barrette that perfectly held the bun of his hair reflected the lights giving shine to his black hair.
The tall figure moved forward smoothly and elegantly, but at the same time sharply and belligerent. Slightly wrapping his right hand around the sword which brilliance dazzled everyone, Longwei felt like he had been walking for an eternity. And all was due to the fact that Lei, who was standing next to Xing Fu and Sun, did not take his eyes off him.
“And here the soldiers of the First Clan have arrived. You are taking too long.” said Sun looking at Xing Fu.
Without looking in his direction, Longwei bowed to Xing Fu. “Master.” He spoke softly.
Xing Fu rose from the throne with joy in his eyes. With both hands holding his white cape, he said, “Longwei, I think you and your soldiers are ready.”
“Yes Master.”
And only now, looking up, Longwei with his peripheral vision, noticed the figure of Lei on the right side of him. With all his might, trying not to turn in his direction, Longwei went back to his soldiers.
With a wide smile, which surprised everyone, Xing Fu said, “I had no doubt that Longwei would not cope with this task. Lei, when you were their teacher, they did not look so brave and confident. Now just look at them. They are already ready to face those creatures. ”
Seizing a moment, Sun said, “It’s so good that your clan has a new, young teacher. But don’t talk as if the best teacher in all three clans is Teacher Longwei. Here is Teacher Lei, I’m very proud of him. And I promise that my soldiers will surprise you all. I’ll tell you a secret, they have completely changed.” Smiling, Sun looked at Longwei, but he completely ignored him.
Sitting on one of the chairs, dressed in a heavy fur coat, the head of the Third Clan made an incomprehensible sound. Stopping his icy gaze on Yue Liang, he said, “I hope you taught my son everything you know. I hope you do not fail my expectations? If my son is the same as he was before, then I will be very disappointed in you Longwei.”
Laughing slightly, Xing Fu said, “Don’t make pressure on my soldier before the last fight. Or do you want him to lose all his confidence?”
Skipping unimportant conversations, Longwei stood looking straight ahead as if he had lost the power of speech and thought. The lights of the candles around him seemed imperceptible to him, dim compared to Lei’s eyes, which had been riveted to him for several minutes.
The noise in his ears turned into an unpleasant ringing in his mind. Thoughts flew away, feelings washed over like waves, and the impending dangerous tension in his body made his heart stop beating.
Feeling the beads of sweat on his forehead, Longwei was still able to wonder how love can control the soul and mind.
Interrupting his condition in Oblivion, Sun, approaching him, brushed off a strand of hair and, as if for the first time, threw a curious look at him.
“Longwei, how ill-mannered you are. Don’t you think that you should show honor to your teacher Lei. After all, he created a teacher of a whole clan out of you. Show some respect.”
Sun’s slyly polite words hit Longwei harder than a sword.
Agreeing with him, Xing Fu said, “Sun is right. Longwei, greet your teacher properly.”
The heaviness in his legs that prevented him from moving forward was weaker than his desire to look at Lei at least once.
Not noticing how he approached Xing Fu, Longwei addressed everyone before looking at Lei. His voice trembled, his heart echoed everywhere. Forgetting everything that Baofeng-Xue told him and about the danger, Longwei dared to say, “I know that it is not accepted in this world to have feelings. Especially to love someone. Love makes you weaker, which is inadmissible on the battlefield. But when you love someone everything ceases to matter. ” Turning to Lei, finally, after so much time looking into his sparkling eyes, Longwei smiled and walked up to him. Touching his hand, Longwei sharply, unexpectedly for everyone, said, “I am ready for anything, but I cannot stand it any longer. Master, I am no longer able to hide what I feel for Lei. I love him. I love him with all my heart and with all my soul.” Squeezing Lei’s hand, Longwei fixed his gaze on Sun and continued, “In this world, everyone will do everything so that you are not happy. Master Sun, alas, your threats do not scare me anymore. Since I found my happiness, I am afraid of nothing now. Your blackmail is no longer valid. Master Xing Fu, I will tell you two things that I was silent about. First, Sun, he is hiding in his home one of the beasts. And he wants to go against everyone using the powers of these creatures. And second, I love Lei.”
The ringing in his ears was quickly replaced by Lei’s voice.
Looking in front of him as if under a spell, Longwei could not do or say anything.
“Longwei?”
“Longwei are you okay?”
The voices sounded distant, as if he was very far from everyone, somewhere on the island around which there were noisy waves.
“Teacher Longwei!”
Not knowing who the voices belonged to, Longwei drifted on the surface of his consciousness until he felt Xing Fu’s heavy hand on him.
“Longwei, are you feeling bad?” he asked looking at him with concern.
Sinking into his illusions, Longwei, as if waking up from a dream, muttered something but immediately came to himself and said, “I’m fine. It’s okay. Master, there are many soldiers, so it’s better to start early. Why don’t we start now?”
After waiting for all three heads of the clans to leave, Baofeng-Xue quickly led Longwei aside.
“You are not plotting anything, are you? Longwei, if you reveal yourself, then Xing Fu will not spare you.”
“I know. Stop saying the same thing over and over. Let’s go.”