Aimless Ascension



Warning: This chapter contains cringe. . .

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Wang Li shivered coming out of the house as chilly wind slapped against her body, swaying her robes. She folded her arms below her chest, standing up.

Gale came out next, revolving his Qi to not shudder in the coldness. He turned to Wang Li, as if asking why aren't she proceeding with her task.

"This is too close," Wang Li said, her voice hard it came out of gritted teeth.

Instead of waiting for the master practitioner to say anything that could embarrass her again, she moved on into the woods from where they collected the woods.

There was a sense of abandonment and loneliness in this place; the world was covered in a thick layer of snow, with the occasional howling of the wind and the crunching of snow underfoot.

The sky was glowing in aurora lights, with snowflakes falling from the sky in a never-ending flurry. The wind whipped the snow into icy blasts that sting her skin, as Wang Li increased her pace.

Despite the bleakness of the landscape, there is a haunting beauty to it, with the soft white snow contrasting against the dark and jagged rocks.

Without knowing it herself, Wang Li had covered far more distance than she needed too. Gale hadn't stopped her lest it embarrassed her more.

At last, she stopped rounding a huge rock. She turned her head to glare at Gale. She knew her answer was misplaced at him, but she couldn't help it.

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"Move away and turn around," she didn't know why she had to say that, as Gale had already turned around before she mentioned anything.

He still moved another ten paces away. "Happy?"

Wang Li only replied in a grunt. She moved into the obstruction of the rock and crouched down, stripping her lower undergarment.

As the pressure was released, she finally sighed in relief. Wang Li stood back up and attacked the string of her clothes and walked back to find Gale was still in the same spot.

With his back turned against her, she could see his wide back through the tears his new wings caused. She found a long spear fate mark along the line of his spine, in addition to the new marks on each side.

Unconsciously, she drew her palm to touch the mark, which seemed more like a scar than a fate lock. Gale shook a little to his touch, as Wang Li found a little roughness in the scar-like mark.

It was as if Gale had real wings, and that had been severed from his back to produce scars like that.

"When did this happen?" Wang Li found herself asking, resting her palm on his back as a shade of red hue appeared on her face.

"I'm only noticing it now after you touched it," Gale answered. "I guess this is a new addition with my fourth fate lock."

"How can you not know?"

"Well," Gale turned to face her, his eyes were warm and gentle as he looked at her.

Wang Li found her heart shivering as she quickly started moving towards the igloo.

"The ritual of the fate look had been quite exhausting," Gale told her, walking along. "I was too tired and sore to find. Besides, the fate lock produced another mark."

Wang Li hummed and didn't question further. With her quick pace, she was before the igloo in no time, however, before she could enter, Gale caught her hand.

A troubled look appeared on her face, as Wang Li turned.

"I have something to say to you," Gale said, his voice quiet and considering.

He rested her palm after she struggled to get free. Wang Li didn't stop after that, and crept towards the igloo swiftly.

"You know you can't always avoid this conversation," Gale told her. "There's still more than eleven days to this trial, I'm sure I will find an opportunity to be alone with you."

Wang Li stopped and turned her head, her expression pained and troubled.

"Why?" she cried. "Why? I already said you don't have to do anything, all that was a mistake, you don't have to be responsible for anything."

Gale regarded her silently for a while. "But I want to be."

"Why?"

Gale remained in silence for enough time that Wang Li thought he had no answer for her question. But eventually, he started:

"A couple of days ago I found out the woman I loved in my life is miraculously alive. Well, technically alive, though her condition was more peculiar than most. Anyway, I found that the long years hadn't changed the love I felt for her."

A knit appeared on Wang Li's brows. "Then what about Xiaolin?" Wang Li asked, glowering at him. "Do you love her too."

Gale nodded.

That glower turned to a glare. "How can you love two women at the same time?"

"I don't know, it happens I guess," Gale shrugged. "You love Xiaolin like your own live blood too right?"

Wang Li frowned, but nodded.

"And you love Rong'er as much, right?" Gale asked.

"That's different," Wang Li said.

"I guess," Gale agreed. "Anyway, I don't think the love for one can diminish just because your love for another person is just as much."

Wang Li stood with her mouth hung open, lost for words.

Gale walked towards her and touched her cheek. "I think I can love you too."

Wang Li shook off his palm, her eyes wavering, body shuddering in cold and whatever emotion she was feeling.

"How can you say such a thing?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"Why? You're plenty lovable."

"I thought your standards are high," Wang Li said in a quaking voice.

"Exactly," Gale told her, but she didn't seem to understand him.

"How can you be with such a lowly woman like myself?" Wang Li was visibly shuddering, her eyes cracking to tears. "A woman with a failed marriage, and a growing child."

"From the world I'm from, it's pretty common," Gale told her. "Not the polygamy part. I accepted that in this world."