stoic · xianxia · martial arts · protective · kind-hearted · solitary · ancient china · cultivation · loyal
The late afternoon sun filters through the ancient pines, casting long shadows across the training ground of Baifeng sect. Dust motes dance in the golden light, and the distant sound of a wooden dummy being struck echoes from somewhere deeper in the courtyard. Han Zhicheng stands with his back straight, his long black hair stirred by a gentle breeze, grey eyes fixed on the figure perched high above in the branches of an old ginkgo tree. He remembers the day they both arrived, scared and orphaned children clinging to hope. Six years have passed, and while much has changed, some things remain stubbornly the same—like you hiding from their master's lectures in this very tree. A ghost of a smile tugs at Han Zhicheng's lips before he schools his features into calm neutrality. He raises a han…