The following morning at the Tao Hua Chuan Academy, the peach trees were laden with blossoms, shedding thousands of petals into the gentle breeze. But a different kind of fragrance permeated the academy that day. Everywhere, there was but one topic of conversation. Disciples wandered through the corridors, whispering to one another.

  "Did you hear that melody last night? The notes... they touched my very soul."

  Another disciple replied, "Yes, I heard it too. I haven't slept this peacefully in years. That melody was hauntingly beautiful."

  No one knew who had played it, but everyone recognized the intent behind the notes. They all felt that it wasn't mere music; it was love in its purest, most silent, and eternal form something that could not be understood, only felt. At the very back of the crowd, Yu Sui and Duie walked together, while at the front, Mo Yan led with a stoic, detached grace. As Mo Yan turned the corner of the corridor, he looked directly at Yu Sui with a calm intensity. Duie immediately looked away, but Yu Sui kept staring. For a moment, their eyes met as if receiving a blessing from a divine moment, until the crowd of disciples pushed them forward. Mo Yan's attention was forced ahead, but perhaps his soul was still looking back at Yu Sui.

  Duie nudged Yu Sui with his elbow. "Enough now. How much longer are you going to gawk at him?"

  Yu Sui gave a fake cough. "Ahem, ahem... right, fine. We should go too. Otherwise, who knows which crop we’ll be forced to harvest this time."

  Both of them burst into laughter, following behind the other disciples.

  [Flashback Ends]

  The rain continued to pour, its roar breathing life into the atmosphere. The silent trees swayed, but in one corner, there was a deathly stillness. Mo Yan stood there still, gripping Yu Sui’s wrist, gazing at him. He remained silent, trying to read the depths of Yu Sui’s tranquility.

  He didn't say a word. Even if he did, what could he possibly say? There was nothing left between them that wasn't already glaringly clear. A silence deeper than the screams of peace descended upon the room a silence that felt like molten lead dripping slowly.

  Far from these ruins, at the Xuemo Sect, Mo Yan’s disciples stood guard outside his chambers, entirely unaware that their Master was no longer inside. Su Nian and the others stood silently in the biting cold. But they weren't the only ones awake in the freeze; Duie had abandoned his warm bed and sat on the balcony of his room, watching the raindrops fall. Unwittingly, Su Nian’s gaze repeatedly drifted toward Duie’s balcony.

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  Back in the ruins, Yu Sui finally broke his silence. His wrist was still held in Mo Yan’s hand. He spoke, but his voice trembled with a desperate helplessness. He turned toward Mo Yan, his eyes filling with tears. He spoke as if every word was being forced out, as if uttering them was like carrying a mountain upon his chest.

  "Mo Yan... you don’t even know what I am. And yet, you return to me again and again... why? Mo Yan, can we not stay apart? Can we not stop pretending that we are anything to each other?"

  As he spoke, his eyes could no longer hold back the tears, and they began to fall like raindrops. But even heavier than the tears was the weight in Yu Sui’s words, crushing Mo Yan’s heart. Yu Sui spoke again, reaching out to straighten Mo Yan’s robes.

  "Listen to me, Mo Yan. You are a Sovereign. Chasing a demon like me does not befit your name. It does not suit you, Mo. You should stay away from me... far away. So that the world may grant you the respect you deserve. As for me? It is enough for me that you trust me, Mo. Staying away from me is the only right choice for you. Because my soul... it is forged from millions of vengeful spirits, demons, and wraiths. Every time I fight, I barely use a fraction of my power. But if I were to ever release my full strength by mistake... the entire world would burn. The world that you are a part of."

  Yu Sui moved closer to Mo Yan and pulled him into a tender embrace. But Mo Yan still hadn't let go of his hand. Mo Yan’s weeping face and flowing tears said only one thing: "No, Yu. You aren't going anywhere. The eyes and words of the world do not matter."

  But this was not enough against the iron resolve in Yu Sui’s heart. Yu Sui pulled Mo Yan into an even tighter embrace. After a moment, he pulled back and, with a look of profound satisfaction, touched the Sovereign’s crown on Mo Yan’s head with his cold fingers. He spoke with a groan of deep agony, his voice faltering and his gaze trembling.

  He whispered... "Mo Yan... one day I will be gone. No matter what happens, I must go. It is the only way I can keep you. To keep you safe. Let me go, Mo."

  He embraced Mo Yan one last time. Mo Yan felt as if he were breaking apart, piece by piece, from within. In that embrace was a finality like a flower curling into itself before the winter. Before leaving, Yu Sui spoke to Mo Yan for the last time.

  "My Sovereign... please stop following me. I am not worthy of you."

  And with that, he gently slipped his wrist out of Mo Yan’s hands. Into that very hand, he placed the ancient map and turned away. He stepped forward without looking back. Slowly, he disappeared into the darkness of the falling rain.

  And Mo Yan, who had been frozen until now, collapsed to the ground the moment Yu Sui vanished. His tears could not be stopped, and his voice seemed to have forgotten how to speak. His face remained expressionless, drenched in tears. His body shook uncontrollably.

  Because in that moment the moment Yu went away it wasn't just his heart that broke. His soul had split into two. One part remained here, and the other had likely gone with Yu Sui. Mo Yan lay collapsed by the doorway, staring into the empty, desolate space where Yu Sui had disappeared.