Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The physical cold of the Frostveil Realm was a minor inconvenience for cultivators of their caliber but it felt especially cold to the princess today. The psychological chill of the dead city was a much heavier burden that spiritual energy could not block. They were walking through a sprawling graveyard and the silence pressed against them like a heavy physical weight.

The group navigated through a maze of shattered buildings and destroyed towers until they reached the edge of the royal grounds. The secondary armory stood before them but it was just as empty as the other places.

Ren Shu and two other disciples stepped forward to inspect the heavy steel doors. The metal was dented and scarred by age but it remained firmly intact. It looked like the Hollow Husk had mostly ignored this particular building during their horrific feast because there were no large gatherings of life force inside to draw their endless hunger.

The disciples pushed the heavy doors open with a loud groan of protesting hinges. The interior of the armory was vast and incredibly dark. Elder Cai manifested a glowing orb of light from his palm and sent it floating up to the high ceiling to illuminate the space. Empty weapon racks lined the stone walls and a thin layer of dust covered the polished floor. It was a sterile and secure environment that offered a place to establish their temporary camp.

Elder Cai immediately began issuing orders on what everyone should be doing. The ten elders took up key defensive positions near the entrance and along the structural weak points. Ren Shu directed the disciples to clear away some fallen debris to make a wide open space in the center of the hall. The young swordsmen and swordswomen moved with practiced efficiency while keeping their weapons within easy reach. They understood the terrifying nature of the enemy that had ruined this empire and no one dared to relax their guard.

Yuehan walked over to an empty stone bench near the back wall and sat down slowly. The younger female knelt beside her and tried to wipe the dirt from the royal garments with trembling hands. The middle aged man and the skilled swordsman stood guard on either side of the bench while keeping a wary eye on the bustling disciples.

Yuehan was trapped in a cage of silent despair while her three people were unsure what to do as well. She did not cry though but she also did not speak. She simply stared blankly at the stone floor while her mind struggled to process the devastating reality of losing everything in a single night. The initial shock had worn off and left behind a freezing numbness that suffocated her spirit.

Li Yu stood a short distance away and observed the tragic scene. He recognized that hollow stare because he had seen it on his own face back then as well. It manifested as a deep void that starved the body and paralyzed the soul. The mind simply refused to accept the finality of the loss.

He knew that offering words of comfort would be useless right now. Telling her that time heals all wounds or that her family would want her to be strong were just empty phrases that meant nothing to a broken heart. In fact, it made the person saying it feel much more better than the person it was being said to. What she needed was not a lecture on resilience or a philosophical discussion about life or what lays beyond it. She needed something practical to pull her back to the physical world and break the paralyzing numbness.

Li Yu decided to act and focus on the simple things first. He walked to a cleared section of the stone floor away from the main patrols and accessed his spatial ring.

A large bronze cauldron materialized and settled onto the stone floor with a heavy thud. Li Yu knelt beside the cauldron and used his natal flame as a steady and smokeless flame while casting a warm orange glow across the dark corner of the armory. The sparks of lightning coursing through the flame was under his complete control at this point and only helped instead of hinder.

The sudden appearance of the fire drew the attention of a few nearby disciples but they remained quiet and respectful of his actions. They had seen him cook before and have enjoyed his food as well during the memorial over the last few days.

Li Yu pulled several large flasks of clear spring water from his storage. The water hummed with rich spiritual energy gathered from the pristine rivers near Silkwood. He poured the water into the bronze cauldron and let the steady flames bring it to a gentle boil.

Next he brought out high tier ingredients he had stored for more special occasions. He placed a large cut of Jade Horned goat meat onto a wooden cutting board. The meat was marbled with rich fat that provided immense physical nourishment and fortified the blood. He drew a simple knife and began slicing the meat into thin and even strips. The rhythmic sound of the blade hitting the wood became a relaxing noise in the quiet hall.

He added the sliced meat into the boiling spring water and the rich aroma immediately began to fill the cold air. Li Yu did not stop there and retrieved several stalks of Crimson Sun mushrooms and a handful of fragrant root vegetables. These herbs were specifically chosen for their ability to soothe Qi and warm the internal meridians. He chopped the vegetables with practiced precision and tossed them into the simmering broth.

He stirred the contents of the cauldron with a long wooden ladle as the spices mingled with the spiritual essence of the meat and created a thick savory scent that pushed back the stagnant odor of the ruined city. The steam rising from the bronze pot formed a small cloud of comforting warmth and the smell did not hurt either. Since everyone here was a bit on edge, the comforting smell eased everyone’s tensions by just a bit more.

The Heavenly Sword Sect disciples were cultivators who could easily survive on pills for months at a time without feeling any physical hunger. They relied on ambient Qi to sustain their bodies. However the smell of fresh hot food prepared with high tier ingredients touched a primal part of their human nature that was tough to ignore. Several of them opened their eyes and looked toward the corner with undisguised longing. The harsh reality of the frozen graveyard outside was momentarily forgotten in the presence of a proper meal.

Elder Cai walked over and stood next to Li Yu while keeping his voice low.

"You are very skilled at this, Holy Son," Elder Cai observed with a faint smile touching his wrinkled face. "The aroma alone is lifting the morale of everyone present, including myself. The environment out there is harsh but the silence of this dead city is what truly drains the spirit. They need something normal to focus on. It would seem you have quite the abilities of a leader."

"A warm meal does more than just fill the stomach," Li Yu replied while adding a pinch of crushed sea salt to the broth. "It reminds the body that it is still alive. It forces the mind to focus on the simple act of eating and enjoying rather than the vastness of the tragedy around them."

Ren Shu approached the cooking station and offered a polite bow. "The area is secure and the first watch is in position. Is there anything I can do to assist you, Li Yu?"

"You can help me serve it when it is ready." Li Yu said while handing the disciple a stack of wooden bowls from his ring. "Make sure every disciple gets a portion at that time. The spiritual energy in this broth will help ward off the gloom of the Frostveil Realm and keep their senses sharp while we wait for Elder Huo Zheng to return with news from the Worldkeeper."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Ren Shu accepted the bowls and began distributing them among everyone present. Instead of serving it to them, he figured they can just get it themselves when it is ready since he might not be around. The disciples accepted the bowl eagerly and couldn’t wait for the food. Li Yu’s meals were well known among them at this time and they knew it was going to be good.

A while later the food was ready and the sound of quiet sipping as well as contented sighs began to echo through the stone hall. The simple act of eating together brought a sense of shared humanity to the desolate ruins. They were far away from their home and facing a terrifying enemy but they were enduring the hardship as a group. The disciples and elders from the Heavenly Sword Sect were sword fanatics but that did not mean they could not empathize. They knew the person that was hurting the most right now was the princess who had lost absolutely everything.

Li Yu filled four bowls with the richest portions of the meat and the most fragrant mushrooms for the ones that needed it most. He turned away from the bustling disciples and walked slowly toward the back of the hall where the Frostmoon survivors were resting. The skilled swordsman tensed and placed a hand on his hilt as Li Yu approached but the middle aged guardian quickly gestured for the younger man to relax.

"I brought some food," Li Yu said softly while lowering the wooden tray with the bowls on them onto a small stone block near the bench. "The broth is brewed with Crimson Sun mushrooms and spring water. It will help soothe your internal state and provide some energy."

The middle aged guardian bowed. "You are too kind, Holy Son. We have not eaten since before the attack began."

The younger female who turned out to be the main maid for the princess wiped her red eyes and accepted a bowl with trembling hands. The skilled swordsman took a bowl as well and offered a quiet word of thanks. They both began to eat slowly and the rich warmth of the broth brought a noticeable flush of color back to their exhausted faces.

Yuehan did not move to take a bowl though. She remained seated on the stone bench and stared blankly at the floor. She did not even acknowledge the steaming bowl placed right in front of her. Most likely she did not even register anything was happening around her at all.

Li Yu did not push the tray closer and he did not urge her to eat. He simply sat down on the cold stone floor a few feet away from her bench once again and did nothing at all. He held his own bowl of broth in his hands and let the steam warm his face as he prepared to eat. He took a slow sip and savored the savory flavor while the ingredients worked to replenish his soul from the events of the day. The goat meat had become incredibly tender from the long boil and the seasoning of the broth was perfect. The only thing missing here was some bread to dip.

They sat in silence for a long time. The sound of the wind howling outside the thick steel doors provided a harsh contrast to the quiet comfort inside the hall. The guardians finished their meals and stepped back a few paces to give the princess and the Holy Son a semblance of privacy. They were unsure of what to do to help the princess either and Li Yu seemed like the best candidate right now to lift her spirits if anyone was going to do it.

"When I lived in the lower realms," Li Yu spoke suddenly to the princess. His voice was calm and even. It did not carry the tone of a lecture or a pitying speech. It sounded like a man simply sharing a memory with the empty air even though it was obvious he was talking to. Yuehan blinked slowly but she did not turn her head to look at him.

"I belonged to a place called the Green Mountain Sect," Li Yu continued while staring into his soup. "It was not a grand empire and everyone was relatively weak compared to how we are now. It was just a collection of simple buildings on a lush mountain. But it was my home. I knew the names of the elders and I knew the faces of the disciples who practiced throughout it."

He took another slow sip of the broth.

"One day, a much stronger force was fighting around the area. The sect was not even its real target." Li Yu said. "They struck without warning and they struck with overwhelming power. I was not there when the attack happened. When I returned the entire mountain was gone. The buildings and more importantly the people I cared about were gone. Everything was gone."

Yuehan shifted slightly on the stone bench. Her hollow eyes flickered toward Li Yu for a fraction of a second before returning to the floor. She was listening to his words but she also did not know what to say.

"I remember standing in the ashes and feeling like the sky had fallen on my chest," Li Yu recalled softly. "The silence was the worst part. A place that was always filled with laughter and the clash of training swords was just dead quiet. I could not breathe properly and I could not think. My mind just kept replaying the tragedy over and over again trying to find a reason or a logic that simply did not exist. I cried for a long time on my knees when I saw the sight and realized what had happened."

Li Yu looked up from his bowl and turned his gaze toward the young princess.

"I was there for a long time and I forgot about everything else," he told her honestly. "I thought that if I acknowledged anything else then it meant I was moving on. It felt like a betrayal to the people who died to care about something as simple as a warm meal for example. But the truth is grief starves the mind, just as much as it starves the soul. I am not saying you need to be okay right now or even several days from now. But trust me when I say you will be okay eventually and a good start would be this warm bowl of soup."

He reached out and gently nudged the steaming bowl of broth closer to her on the stone block.

"You do not need to be strong right now," Li Yu said with gentleness. "You do not need to lead an empire and you do not need to figure out what happens tomorrow. You just need to take a single sip. You need to keep the internal fires burning so the despair does not win."

Yuehan stared at the wooden bowl. The rich aroma of the spiritual meat and the fragrant herbs drifted up to her face. Her body instinctively wanted it, as if knowing it would do her good even if her mind wanted to reject the comfort. For one reason or another Li Yu’s presence and his shared story of his own loss compelled her into action. She slowly reached a trembling hand out and her fingers brushed against the warm wood of the bowl. Yuehan hesitated for a long moment while a fresh tear slipped down her cheek.

Li Yu did not say anything else and gave her the time she needed to act if she was going to do so. He just sat there and offered a quiet presence of support while she fought her internal battle.

Yuehan eventually picked up the bowl with both hands. The heat radiating from the wood felt like a lifeline in the freezing despair that surrounded her. She lifted the bowl to her lips and took a small hesitant sip.

The rich and savory broth washed over her tongue. The spiritual essence of the Crimson Sun mushrooms surged through her throat and spread a comforting heat directly into her chest. The warmth slightly chased away the freezing numbness that had gripped her heart since the moment she realized her family was gone.

The physical sensation of having that warmth triggered an emotional release. The tension in Yuehan's shoulders dropped drastically. She lowered the bowl and let out a shuddering sob that she didn’t realize she was holding back. She closed her eyes and the tears began to flow freely down her face. It was no longer a silent and hollow weeping. It was a loud and heart wrenching cry of grief.

The middle aged guardian stepped forward with a pained expression but Li Yu held up a hand to stop him. He knew she needed to let the pain out as he had once done. Holding it inside the frozen cage of her mind would only destroy her and break her spirit permanently.

Yuehan wept openly in the safety of the stone armory. She cried for her father who had sealed her in the dark to save her life. It was probably one of the very last things he was able to do. For some reason that thought was especially clear in her mind, that her father in his last moments was thinking of her and protecting her. She cried for her brothers and her people who were consumed by monsters. She cried for everything.

Through her tears, she took another sip of the broth as a subconscious movement. She held the warm bowl tightly against her chest and allowed the heat to anchor her to the physical world. She was the last royal of the Frostmoon Empire and she was surrounded by ruins but in this quiet corner of the shelter, she was not alone.

Li Yu sat beside her on the cold stone floor and quietly finished his own meal. He did not offer any more stories or words of advice. He just stayed there and proved that the warmth of shared humanity could push back even the darkest shadows of the Frostveil Realm. The icy despair gripping the young princess had finally begun to thaw.