"Ling'er…"
Xue Yin's voice was soft, almost hesitant.
Xue Ling did not respond.
She sat quietly on the worn log, her gaze fixed on the distant city below the cliff. The wind moved gently through her hair, but she remained completely still.
Too still.
Inside her heart, two emotions clashed violently.
Part of her burned with anger.
Another part—one she had buried for years—felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
Her sister was alive.
Yet that very fact reopened wounds she had tried so hard to seal away.
Right now, she didn't know which emotion she should follow.
Anger…
Or forgiveness.
"Lady Ying…" Xue Ling murmured faintly to herself.
Her fingers tightened slightly against the wood beneath her.
"What should I do…"
The person she had become today existed largely because of Lady Lan Ying. It was Lady Ying who had guided her when she had nothing, who had taught her that anger was often nothing more than an excuse—an easy way to run from pain rather than face it.
And now…
Xue Ling simply sat there, unable to move forward.
Behind her, Xue Yin slowly approached.
Step by step.
When she saw that Xue Ling did not react, she hesitated for a moment before gently sitting down beside her.
Not too close.
A small space remained between them.
The silence stretched on.
Two sisters sitting side by side, separated not by distance—but by years of pain neither of them knew how to begin speaking about.
Xue Yin sat quietly beside her sister, her fingers fidgeting slightly in her lap. She wasn't sure what to do with her hands, or even how to sit properly in this moment. For the first time in years, she was sitting this close to Xue Ling—without pain, without madness clouding her mind.
For the first time in twenty years, her body was finally at peace.
Her curse was gone.
The poisonous torment that had gnawed at her flesh and soul every second of every day had vanished as if it had never existed.
When she had awakened earlier, she had taken a short nap while recovering.
Just a brief one.
Yet it had been the best sleep she had ever experienced.
For two decades, every night had been a battle. Sleep rarely came, and when it did, it was shallow and restless, constantly interrupted by waves of agony tearing through her body. She had grown used to living in pain—to the point where she had almost forgotten what it felt like to exist without it.
But today…
Today she had closed her eyes and drifted into sleep without pain.
No burning in her veins.
No suffocating weight in her chest.
Just quiet.
Just rest.
Even now, sitting here, her body felt light—almost unfamiliar in its comfort.
Xue Yin slowly turned her head.
Beside her, Xue Ling was still staring into the distance, her gaze fixed on the city far below the cliff.
The wind brushed gently across her hair, but she didn't move.
Xue Yin watched her for a moment, unsure of what to say.
The silence between them stretched on, heavy with everything that had never been spoken.
"Is it true…"
Xue Ling's voice finally broke the long silence between them. She did not turn her head as she spoke, her eyes still fixed on the distant city below the cliff.
"Do I… bear a cursed bloodline?"
Xue Yin lowered her gaze. The question was simple, but the weight behind it was crushing.
"Yes."
The answer came quietly.
Xue Ling's fingers tightened slightly against the wooden log beneath her. For a moment she said nothing, as if letting the truth settle into her heart. "Then why… did I end up like you?"
Her voice was calmer than before, but there was a faint tremor in it.
Xue Yin drew in a slow breath. "Because it was sealed."
She paused, the memories of that day rising in painful clarity. "On that day… they only managed to seal your power."
Her voice softened as she continued. "I didn't get that chance."
She turned slightly toward her sister, though Xue Ling still refused to meet her gaze.
"You… and our foster parents managed to escape. I had to take a different route."
The wind passed between them again, stirring their hair as the silence returned.
Then Xue Ling spoke once more. "You promised to find me."
The words were quiet, but they carried years of buried hurt. "Why… why didn't you find us?"
Xue Yin's hands slowly clenched together in her lap.
"I did," she said softly.
"I tried." Her eyes fell to the ground. "For twenty years… I searched for you."
She let out a faint, shaky breath.
"I met thousands of women and young girls named Xue Ling."
Every name had sparked hope.
Every face had crushed it again.
"None of them were you." She closed her eyes briefly. "And all that time… I endured the pain of this curse."
The quiet between them grew heavier.
After a moment, Xue Yin spoke again, more carefully.
"How are… foster mother and father?"
Xue Ling's gaze never left the distant city.
"They passed away."
The words drifted into the air like falling leaves.
Xue Yin froze. Her breathing stopped for a moment as the meaning struck her.
"…No."
The word escaped her lips almost soundlessly.
"Foster father was looking for you too," Xue Ling said quietly, still staring into the distance. "They raised me until I was ten."
Her voice remained steady, but there was a faint heaviness beneath it.
"Foster father passed away first… then foster mother."
Xue Yin's chest tightened.
"The village we lived in… foster mother contacted some people she knew and arranged for me to enroll in the Heavenly Sword Villa," Xue Ling continued. "She did it because of my early talent."
She paused briefly.
"I didn't want to go. But foster mother's health was declining every day."
The wind passed through the cliffside again.
"After foster father died… she fell into depression."
Another pause.
"She eventually passed away as well."
Xue Yin's hands began trembling.
"She was buried in a place only a few villagers know."
The words struck like a blade.
Xue Yin lowered her head as tears began forming in her eyes.
"No… I'm sorry…" Her voice cracked. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
The apology came again and again, as if twenty years of guilt had finally burst through the walls she had built around her heart.
She hadn't even had the chance to ask their forgiveness.
Xue Ling finally spoke again.
"Foster father and mother already forgave you."
Xue Yin froze.
"They understood what people like us are."
Her voice softened slightly.
"They hoped every day that one day… we could become a real family again."
Xue Yin said nothing.
The silence between them grew heavier.
"After foster mother died…" Xue Ling continued slowly, "I was angry."
Her hands tightened slightly.
"I was angry at you." She finally admitted it openly. "Because you never found us."
"I'm sorry…" Xue Yin whispered again.
But Xue Ling continued. "When I arrived at the villa, I used their resources to cultivate."
Her tone became more matter-of-fact now. "By the time I was sixteen, I had already reached the Peak Earth Profound Realm."
Xue Yin slowly lifted her head in shock.
"I became the genius of the villa… even surpassing the sons of the sect master. I knew it was related to that cursed bloodline."
But then Xue Ling gave a faint, bitter smile. "However… I had one problem."
"My anger."
She exhaled quietly. "I refused the villa's control. And I ended up beating several elders."
Xue Yin blinked in disbelief.
"They wanted to know why I could cultivate faster than everyone else," Xue Ling said. "Why I was such a genius. I don't want to them to find out about the lineage foster mother wants me to never spoke about."
Her eyes hardened slightly. "But who wants a genius with uncontrollable anger?"
She shook her head faintly. "I refused every attempt they made to mold me into their perfect disciple. So the villa made a decision. Their greatest genius…"
"…was exiled."
Xue Yin's breath caught.
"I was assigned as an Imperial Protector." Her voice carried a trace of irony. "A sixteen-year-old Imperial Protector."
She looked out toward the distant city again. "To outsiders, becoming an Imperial Protector would sound like an honor. But to the Heavenly Sword Villa… …it was exile."
Neither of them spoke for a long while. The wind moved softly across the cliff, carrying the distant murmur of the city below. The silence between the two sisters was no longer tense, but it was still heavy with years of memories.
"You should be lucky," Xue Ling said quietly after some time, her eyes still fixed on the horizon. "That I don't have the temper I used to."
She turned her head slightly toward Xue Yin.
"Otherwise… we'd probably be fighting right now."
Xue Yin lowered her gaze but did not reply.
A faint smile appeared on Xue Ling's lips.
"That was when I met Lady Lan Ying… and her daughter, Cang Yue."
Her voice softened as the memories surfaced.
"She reminded me a lot of foster mother. Even when I was angry… she spoke gently. She never scolded me harshly."
Xue Yin listened quietly.
"Whenever I lost my temper," Xue Ling continued, "she would make me hammer nails into a wooden plank."
Xue Yin blinked slightly.
"At the beginning, there were so many planks filled with nails. Every time I lost control, I had to hammer another one in."
A small, nostalgic smile lingered on her face. "But slowly… the number of nails started to decrease."
Her gaze softened further. "She was always kind. And spending time with Yue'er helped calm me as well. I didn't want her daughter to be afraid of me."
She paused briefly. "Lady Lan Ying guided me the way a mother would."
The wind passed through the cliffside again. "When she was poisoned, she still told me to let go of my anger. I spent days searching everywhere for a cure."
Her voice lowered slightly. "But she passed away… smiling."
"She entrusted Yue'er to me."
Xue Yin finally spoke again, her voice quiet.
"I'm… jealous of her."
Xue Ling did not react immediately.
"She was there for you… while I…" Her voice trailed off.
Xue Ling looked forward again.
"I remember the day we buried her very clearly."
Her eyes grew distant. "Lady Lan Ying looked incredibly beautiful even in death."
"The elders of the Cang Family wanted her to be cremated… but Emperor Cang Wanhe refused."
Xue Yin slowly turned toward her, listening. "He didn't even allow the palace servants to touch her body."
Her tone carried deep respect. "Only Yue'er and I were allowed to bathe her and dress her in her burial clothes. Yue'er was only ten."
"We gave her the finest garments we could find."
Xue Ling inhaled slowly. "She looked radiant… even in death."
"And there was a fragrance around her body. A scent I had never encountered before."
Her eyes closed briefly.
"It was calming. Gentle… almost sacred. I still wonder what kind of cultivation technique she practiced for such a fragrance to remain even after death."
The wind rustled through the trees below. "She was wrapped in white cloth and placed inside a special coffin."
"When it was time to bury her, the Emperor ordered a courtyard built for her."
"It wasn't extravagant," Xue Ling said softly. "Just a quiet courtyard. Plain and simple."
"Only three people were allowed to attend the burial. The Emperor… Cang Yue… and me."
"No one else."
Her voice became solemn.
"She became the first person in the Cang Family to be buried instead of cremated. Every other member of the family had been cremated. But not her."
Xue Yin remained silent as she listened.
"The Emperor and I dug the grave ourselves. We buried her with our own hands. A simple stone marked the place."
Xue Ling looked down slightly.
"Even now… the air around her grave is still fragrant."
"Only the Emperor, Yue'er, and I are allowed to enter that courtyard. A special barrier protects it so no one can disturb her resting place."
"Not even the Emperor's wives or sons are permitted to enter."
She paused.
"That's how deeply she was loved."
The wind passed between the two sisters again.
"Back at the tournament," Xue Ling continued quietly, "Yun Che spoke about righteous and pious women."
"At the time, I didn't fully understand what he meant."
Her gaze lifted toward the sky. "But seeing how the Heavens seem to favor women like Lady Lan Ying… even after death, she was still favored. She didn't have strength or skill. All she have was kindness and patience."
Her voice grew calm and firm. "I decided something."
She looked ahead quietly. "I want to become someone like her."
"This Lady Lan Ying…" Xue Yin spoke quietly, her voice tinged with envy. "She holds many memories in your life."
"Yes…" Xue Ling replied softly. "I once spoke to her about you."
Xue Yin's fingers tightened slightly in her lap, but she said nothing.
"I asked her… whether I should forgive you."
The words hung between them, carried gently by the wind.
Xue Yin lowered her head.
"Lady Lan Ying told me that I shouldn't carry anger in my heart," Xue Ling continued. "She said anger clouds judgment. A grudge is something that keeps living inside the mind, growing larger the more you think about it."
Her voice was calm, but thoughtful.
"She said if I truly wished to avoid becoming that kind of person… I should stop feeding those thoughts. Because actions born from anger only fuel the demon inside us."
She paused.
"That demon makes us hurt people we were never meant to hurt."
Xue Yin remained silent, listening.
"She told me… I would understand the answer myself when I met you again."
The two sisters sat quietly for a moment.
Finally, Xue Yin spoke again, her voice fragile.
"Am I worthy of such forgiveness?"
Her hands trembled slightly.
"I never found you… Our foster parents were buried without ever knowing I was still alive."
Her throat tightened.
"Right now… even the smallest fragment of your forgiveness feels like a luxury I don't deserve."
Xue Ling did not immediately reply.
Instead, she looked toward the distant battlefield where everything had ended earlier that day.
"I kept thinking about it during the battle," she said quietly. "King Alugang was chasing you… and I saw how much you had endured."
She turned slightly toward her sister.
"What kind of illness did you suffer from… before Yun Che cured you?"
Xue Yin slowly raised her hand and touched her own cheek.
"A parasite," she answered softly.
"It entered my body and survived by feeding on my energy." Her fingers lingered against her skin, almost as if she still couldn't believe what she was feeling.
"It preserved my youth… but it gave me nothing but pain." Her voice trembled faintly. "It made me stop eating. Stop drinking."
"It aggravated our cursed bloodline and drove it out of control." Her gaze lowered. "I couldn't even get close to people. The parasite would enthrall almost every man who came near me."
The memory made her expression tighten. "Still… I kept searching for you."
"For twenty years." She inhaled slowly. "Enduring sleepless nights and endless pain."
Her voice grew quieter. "I became like a white doll."
"A body that couldn't cry… couldn't eat… couldn't live like a normal person."
"For twenty years I survived only on energy."
Her fingers brushed her cheek again.
This time, she felt warmth.
Softness.
The healthy color that had finally returned to her skin.
"I can open my mouth again… I can cry…"
Tears streamed freely down her face.
It felt as though twenty years' worth of tears were finally pouring out all at once.
"I feel thirsty."
Her voice trembled again.
"And hungry."
Simple sensations most people never thought about.
But to her…
They were feelings she had missed for two decades.
Xue Ling studied her sister quietly for a moment. Then, without saying anything, she stepped forward and sat down on the snow in front of the log.
From her spatial ring, she took out a small picnic basket and a metal flask-like bottle. It was one of Yun Che's strange inventions—a vacuum bottle he once proudly claimed could keep water hot or cold for more than ten hours.
Xue Yin watched curiously.
Xue Ling opened the basket and slowly began taking things out.
First came a small pot of hot beef stew. Steam still rose gently from it. She poured the stew into a bowl and placed it on the snow across from where she sat. Then she poured a cup of hot Japanese tea from the vacuum bottle—something Retsu had prepared earlier—and placed it beside the bowl.
She never once lifted her eyes toward Xue Yin.
Yet the moment the scent of the stew drifted through the cold air, something inside Xue Yin stirred violently.
Hunger.
An overwhelming hunger she had not felt for twenty years.
Her body reacted instinctively to the warmth and aroma.
"I… didn't know what else to bring when meeting you," Xue Ling said quietly.
Her hands rested lightly on her knees.
"Even though I was angry… I still prepared this." She let out a faint breath. "As the Grand Imperial Protector of the Cang Family, I usually eat palace food prepared by royal chefs."
A small pause followed.
"But… I've never actually cooked for myself before."
Her mind briefly drifted to the previous day.
When she had approached Retsu and awkwardly asked if she could teach her how to cook beef stew.
Retsu had immediately understood her intention and patiently taught her everything she needed to know.
This stew…
Was Xue Ling's first attempt at cooking.
Xue Yin slowly stepped forward and sat down on the snow across from her.
For twenty years she had never eaten a single meal.
The parasite had robbed her of that simple human need.
She picked up the spoon gently, almost as if afraid the moment would disappear.
Then she took her first bite.
The warmth spread through her mouth.
And suddenly—
Tears burst from her eyes.
Not because of the taste.
But because it was the first meal she had eaten in twenty years.
For two decades she had lived like a lifeless doll, sustained only by energy while her body forgot the meaning of hunger.
And now…
The heavens had given her first meal back.
A meal cooked by her own sister.
Xue Yin cried as she continued eating, tears falling into the bowl while she tried to steady her trembling hands.
Across from her, Xue Ling quietly watched.
She said nothing.
But she finally understood.
For twenty years, her sister had become someone admired for her beauty—desired by many, feared by others.
Yet behind that flawless appearance…
She had silently endured pain, hunger, and sleepless nights for two decades.
Xue Yin finished the entire pot of stew.
Every last drop.
She held the empty bowl in trembling hands, as if reluctant to let go of the warmth it had given her. Tears streamed endlessly down her face while she tried to steady her breathing.
"I'm… sorry… I'm sorry…" she stammered through sobs. "It's been so long since I last ate… and it's your cooking… I… I…"
Her words dissolved into quiet cries.
Before she could finish, Xue Ling had already moved.
She was kneeling in front of her now.
"That's enough," Xue Ling said softly.
Her voice carried none of the anger that had once burned inside her.
"Even though I was angry… I was also relieved."
Her gaze softened.
"Relieved to see that you were still alive."
"And that you were well… after Yun Che cured you."
"Ling'er…"
Before Xue Yin could say anything more, Xue Ling leaned forward and pulled her into a gentle embrace.
It wasn't tight.
It wasn't desperate.
It was calm.
Warm.
"After twenty years," Xue Ling whispered quietly, "I can finally see you again."
She rested her chin lightly against her sister's shoulder.
"As for forgiveness…"
Her voice softened further.
"I forgave you a long time ago."
Xue Yin's body shook violently in her arms.
"Ling'er… why…" she cried. "I was unfilial… I failed our foster parents… I failed you…"
Her voice cracked.
"Why won't you hate me…? Please… just hate me… despise me…"
Xue Ling slowly shook her head.
"I can't."
Her arms tightened slightly around her sister.
"Yes… I was angry."
"Very angry."
"But I don't want to push my sister away for something so trivial."
Her voice carried quiet sincerity.
"You suffered for twenty years."
She gently brushed a strand of hair from Xue Yin's face.
"Can I at least be grateful… that I was able to see you again?"
A faint tremor entered her voice.
"I'm sorry too, Yin'er."
"You suffered so much."
"Please…"
The dam finally broke.
"WAAAHHH—!"
Xue Yin cried out toward the heavens.
Her voice echoed across the quiet cliff as she collapsed fully into her sister's embrace.
For twenty years, she had endured pain without being able to cry.
The parasite had turned her into something like a living doll—unable to eat, unable to sleep, unable even to release her sorrow.
Now the tears came like a storm.
Despair.
Pain.
Loneliness.
The countless sleepless nights.
The moments she had wished for death… while the faint hope of seeing her sister again forced her to keep living.
All of it poured out at once.
And for the first time in twenty years—
Xue Yin cried openly in her sister's arms.
Xue Ling tightened her embrace around Xue Yin as her sister cried into her shoulder. At first, she had only meant to comfort her, to let her release the pain that had been trapped inside her for twenty years. But slowly, the tension she had held inside her own heart began to crack.
Her shoulders trembled.
For years, she had never allowed herself to cry.
Not when their foster father died.
Not when foster mother followed soon after.
Not even when Lady Lan Ying, the woman who had guided her like a mother, was buried beneath the quiet courtyard of the Cang Family.
She had stood strong through all of it, carrying the weight of those losses in silence.
But deep inside her heart, there had always been something she never admitted out loud.
Envy.
Whenever she saw sisters together, she felt it.
Retsu and Nemu.
Mai and Mei.
Chu Yuechan and Chu Yueli.
They laughed together. They fought side by side. They were never alone.
Each time she saw them, a quiet loneliness stirred inside her chest.
She had lost her own sister long ago.
Or at least… she believed she had.
But now, as she held Xue Yin tightly in her arms, that loneliness finally began to fade.
Her anger dissolved the moment she understood the truth.
Xue Yin had never abandoned her.
Her sister hadn't built a peaceful life somewhere else while forgetting her.
Instead, she had been suffering—enduring unimaginable pain for twenty years while still searching for her.
Xue Ling buried her face into her sister's shoulder, her own tears finally falling freely.
To hold her like this again…
To know that her sister was still alive…
In her heart, she silently thanked the heavens.
For returning her long-lost sister back to her.
======================
The VTOL had never actually left the area.
Instead, it hovered quietly above the cliff, its cloaking field rendering it invisible against the sky. Through the artificial viewing panels, the group inside could see everything clearly below.
More importantly, several of them could hear the conversation as well.
With their developed haki, Yun Che, Retsu, Nemu, Cang Yue, Xia Qingyue, and Chu Yueli could perceive every word spoken between the two sisters.
It had been Cang Yue who asked them to stay.
She had been worried that Xue Ling, with her long history of anger, might do something drastic when finally confronting her sister after twenty years.
But what they witnessed instead was something completely different.
The Xue Ling they knew—someone once known for her violent temper and uncontrollable anger—had become calm… patient… forgiving.
Cang Yue watched quietly from the window.
Inside her heart, she silently thanked her mother.
Lady Lan Ying had been the guide Xue Ling needed.
She had taught her how to control her anger.
She had shown her how to become someone kinder.
Someone like herself.
Nearby, Yun Che leaned against the console, watching the reconciliation unfold below through the viewing panel.
A faint smile formed on his face.
"Well," he said quietly, "I think we should head back now."
"It would be rude to keep watching them like this."
Cang Yue nodded slightly. "Yes… Big Sister always tries to act composed and cool. But she really missed her elder sister."
Yun Che crossed his arms lightly.
"Retsu and I only cured Xue Yin's illness," he said. "The rest was up to her."
"Fixing the past… reconciling with her sister… those are things no one else can do for her."
"They simply needed to see each other again."
Retsu stood quietly nearby, watching the sisters below through the window.
A faint nostalgia lingered in her eyes.
"Seeing them like this…" she said softly, "makes me want to cherish Nemu even more."
Her gaze lowered slightly. "I want to appreciate the life I have now… and thank the heavens for giving me a sister to care for."
Once, she had been cold.
Heartless.
A woman who carried out orders without hesitation, even if it meant killing thousands.
Back then, Nemu had only been a modified soul slave.
Someone she barely acknowledged.
But now…
Now Nemu was her sister.
And Retsu had long since sworn that she would never allow Nemu to suffer again.
Yun Che smiled gently and reached over, patting Retsu on the head.
"Nemu might grow stronger," he said, "but she'll always need you."
"Not as a master."
"Not as a guide."
"Just be there… as her sister."
He chuckled softly. "She might look stoic most of the time, but Nemu really, really loves you."
At that moment, Nemu turned toward them. "Yuu-sama, I've finished—"
She didn't get to finish her sentence as Retsu suddenly pulled her into a tight hug.
"Nee-sama?" Nemu blinked in confusion, surprised by the sudden embrace.
Retsu simply smiled softly.
"It's nothing." She gently held the younger girl. "Nee-chan just really loves you."
Nemu paused for a moment.
Then she returned the embrace. "As do I, Nee-sama."
Her voice remained calm, but sincere.
"I swear… I will grow stronger for you."
Through her haki, Xia Qingyue could feel them clearly—the relief, the warmth, the sorrow that still clung to certain hearts.
Her thoughts slowly drifted to her own mother.
For years, she had wondered whether she would ever see her again. The uncertainty had once weighed heavily on her heart. But now she trusted Yun Che. When he spoke of such things, he never spoke without reason. He was certain that her mother was somewhere within the Moon God Realm, alive and well.
That belief alone was enough for her.
One day she would see her again. But until that day arrived, she needed to grow stronger. Strong enough to reach the place where her mother waited.
Nearby, Chu Yueli watched the sisters below through the viewing window, a gentle smile resting on her lips. The scene reminded her of the moment she and Little Fairy had reconciled after so many years apart.
To see Xue Ling reunited with her sister filled her with quiet happiness. It also made her appreciate her own sister even more.
Her thoughts wandered to the woman Xue Ling had spoken of earlier—Lady Lan Ying.
A righteous and pious woman.
A woman who seemed to be favored by the heavens themselves.
Chu Yueli wondered what kind of person she must have been to change someone like Xue Ling so profoundly, and to raise someone like Cang Yue. One day, she decided, she would visit the courtyard where Lan Ying was buried. She wanted to see the resting place of the woman whose presence still seemed to linger even after death.
Across the cabin, Jin Zhuo let out a tired sigh.
Zhong Chuke was currently lecturing Tian Xi and Yao Yao, who sat quietly like children caught misbehaving. The two girls had only recently stepped into the Throne Realm, and during the battle they had clearly pushed themselves too far.
Both of them groaned softly as Zhong Chuke continued his lecture, reminding them about restraint and awareness in battle.
"I'm sure Sister Ling will be happy from now on," Cang Yue said quietly as she looked out the window toward the cliff.
Yun Che nodded.
"Well, we should head back," he said. "I'm sure Mulan has already finished handling things on her side."
Jin Zhuo sighed again.
"It's a shame my daughter had to manage the household while her father was busy fighting a war."
Yun Che gave a faint smirk.
"Look on the bright side," he said. "The Shu Family's attack has already been dealt with. Mother in law seems to repel it perfectly."
He glanced down at the report being transmitted from one of Nemu's drones, his expression shifting slightly.
"However…"
Jin Zhuo frowned.
"However?"
Yun Che read the report again before answering.
"It seems Mulan is currently dealing with the ancestor of the Zhu Family."
Jin Zhuo's eyes widened instantly.
"He's—"
"Che'er!" Jin Zhuo suddenly rose to his feet. "We must go there immediately!"
Yun Che nodded. Besides, he and Nemu wanted to see the artifact that they completed.
Before giving the order to depart, he looked one last time toward the distant mountain where Xue Ling and Xue Yin remained on the quiet cliff.
A small smile crossed his face.
His part in their story was finished.
What happened next… belonged to the two sisters.
============================
Xue Ling and Xue Yin lay quietly on the snow, their fingers tightly intertwined as if letting go would cause the other to disappear. Above them, the night sky stretched endlessly, filled with countless stars shining through the cold mountain air.
Around them, the battlefield still bore the scars of the earlier fight. Charred ground and the crater left from Nemu's battle marked the landscape. Yet the violence of the day felt distant now.
Snow began to fall slowly.
Soft flakes drifted through the air and settled gently around the two sisters.
Xue Yin was still crying, though now she wore a faint smile.
"You know… you can stop crying," Xue Ling said quietly. "You've been shedding tears for quite a while now."
Xue Yin let out a soft sigh.
"Can you blame me?" she replied. "I held back twenty years' worth of tears."
She gave a small, tired laugh.
"I might be a Monarch now… but I'm still a woman."
Her gaze remained fixed on the sky.
"Do you remember, Ling'er?" she asked gently. "I used to bring you out to stargaze like this."
Xue Ling nodded slightly.
"I remember."
"You used to tell me how small we were compared to the heavens."
Her voice softened.
"I really missed this… stargazing with you."
Xue Yin squeezed her hand gently.
"Then you don't have to miss it anymore," she said. "From now on, we can stargaze whenever we want."
The two of them watched the stars in silence for a moment before Xue Ling spoke again.
"Yin'er…"
"What kind of curse are we suffering from?"
Xue Yin's smile faded slightly.
"Ling'er… what I'm about to tell you…"
Her voice grew serious.
"…is the family secret I've carried all these years."
She hesitated briefly.
"It was known only to me… and our foster parents."
"Not you."
Xue Ling turned her head toward her.
"Why?"
"Because you were too young."
Xue Yin exhaled slowly.
"This secret… is what destroyed our Gesun Kingdom."
Her voice carried a heavy weight.
"It's a burden I've carried alone."
Xue Ling frowned slightly.
"Our kingdom?"
Xue Yin nodded.
"Ling'er…"
"We are the crowned princesses of the Gesun Kingdom."
Xue Ling immediately turned toward her in disbelief.
"Princesses?"
"Us?"
Xue Yin gave a faint, bitter smile.
"To be precise…"
"We are the princesses who inherited the Legendary Enchantress Bodies."
Xue Ling's brows knitted slightly.
"I've heard that name before," she said slowly. "But what exactly are the Enchantress Bodies?"
Xue Yin stared quietly at the stars before answering. "The Enchantress Bodies… are what make us natural geniuses bloodline cursed. Our bloodline is the vessel that carries them."
Her voice remained calm, but heavy with history. "The Enchantress Body is meant to appear in twins. Sisters born from the same blood."
"The last time it appeared was three thousand years ago… during the era of the Moon Empress."
"Twin sisters were born with it and they created the Gesun Kingdom. Their bloodline eventually became the royal line of our Gesun Kingdom."
She paused briefly.
"And after three thousand years… the Enchantress Bodies appeared again."
"Within us."
Xue Ling blinked in confusion.
"Wait… you said it only appears in twins. But I'm younger than you by seventeen years."
Xue Yin nodded slowly.
"That's true."
"For three thousand years, many twins were born within the royal family."
"But none of them inherited the Enchantress Bodies," Xue Yin continued quietly. "The Enchantress Bodies are considered sacred among our bloodline. Those who possess them are destined to become unparalleled geniuses. Cultivation barriers hardly exist for them. From the moment such a child is born, they are raised with the expectation of becoming Monarchs to protect the kingdom."
She turned her head slightly toward Xue Ling.
"Then… I was born. I possessed the YinEnchantress Body."
Her eyes dimmed faintly as the memory resurfaced.
"That alone shocked the entire palace."
"Because according to the ancient records, the Enchantress Bodies could only appear in twins."
She let out a slow breath. "But seventeen years later… you were born. And you possessed the Enchantress Body as well."
"The Yang Enchantress Body."
Xue Yin closed her eyes briefly as the old memories passed through her mind.
"That moment… caused a sensation throughout the entire palace as mother was able to conceive again after sixteen years given birth to a girl with the second Enchantress Body."
Snow continued falling softly around them.
After a moment, Xue Yin spoke again.
"You always wondered how you were able to become such a genius with so few resources," she said gently.
She squeezed Xue Ling's hand. "We are the same, Ling'er. The Enchantress Bodies grant extremely fast cultivation."
Her voice carried quiet certainty.
"When you told me earlier how you became a prodigy at the Heavenly Sword Villa… how they wanted to exploit your talent…"
Xue Yin smiled faintly. "I immediately understood. You had only awakened a partial portion of the Enchantress Body's power."
Xue Ling stared at the sky, listening.
"There is only one drawback to the Enchantress Body," Xue Yin continued.
"The legends say the body is divided into two halves. One half is Yin. The other is Yang."
She turned slightly toward her sister.
"I inherited the Yin half."
"And you inherited the Yang half."
Xue Ling frowned slightly.
"The Yang side carries a certain side effect," Xue Yin explained softly. "It makes the bearer prone to bursts of anger."
Xue Ling blinked. "My anger… came from that?"
"Yes." Xue Yin nodded gently. "But I truly owe gratitude to Lady Lan Ying."
Her voice carried sincere appreciation. "She changed you. The bearer of the Enchantress's Yang side."
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"I'm quite certain that if you were still the person you used to be… I would probably be kneeling and begging for forgiveness again and again right now."
Xue Ling remained silent for a moment.
Snowflakes landed softly on their hair and clothes.
"…I didn't know that," she finally said quietly.
"When you were born with the second Enchantress Body," Xue Yin continued softly, her eyes still fixed on the stars, "the Sacred Ground — Sun Moon Divine Hall discovered it."
Her fingers tightened slightly around Xue Ling's hand.
"They wanted both of us."
Xue Ling remained silent, listening.
"They came to take us away from our parents." A bitter smile crossed Xue Yin's face. "Of course… our parents refused."
Her voice grew heavier. "But the Sun Moon Divine Hall is not a power that accepts refusal."
"They sent Monarchs after us."
Snow continued falling quietly around them.
"Our parents were Monarchs as well," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "But they could not retaliate against Monarchs of a higher realm."
She swallowed softly.
"The Gesun Kingdom fell overnight, Ling'er." Her gaze dimmed as the memory resurfaced. "A puppet ruler replaced our royal line."
"The palace… burned."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The cold night wind moved gently across the mountain.
"We managed to escape," Xue Yin said after a pause. "But we had to hide."
"For twenty years."
She turned slightly toward her sister.
"As for you… foster mother and father never told you the truth."
"You grew up in blissful ignorance, unaware that you carried a bloodline so powerful."
Xue Ling exhaled quietly.
"When you told me about your exile from the Heavenly Sword Villa," Xue Yin continued, "I was actually shocked."
Her lips curved faintly.
"That exile… saved you."
Xue Ling blinked.
"If the villa had kept you as their prized genius, your talent would have spread across the continent."
"And once the Sacred Ground noticed…"
She didn't finish the sentence.
"But because you were exiled," she continued gently, "your genius disappeared from the spotlight."
"I thanked the heavens for that."
"When you became the Imperial Protector, your existence became even more hidden." Her voice softened. "And because Lady Lan Ying changed you…"
"Your anger gradually disappeared."
"The traits of the Yang Enchantress Body were suppressed." She smiled faintly. "To the point that the Sacred Ground never even realized you existed."
Xue Ling turned her head slightly toward her. "She… indirectly hid me?"
Xue Yin nodded slowly. "Whether she realized it or not… only the heavens know."
Her eyes softened. "But I'm truly grateful."
"I'm grateful that you were hidden from the world."
Xue Ling stared at the stars above.
"…Ignorance really is bliss."
"Yes." Xue Yin gave a quiet nod. "It is."
"What happened to our parents?" Xue Ling asked quietly.
Xue Yin's gaze remained on the stars above as she answered.
"I don't know." Her voice carried the weight of uncertainty she had lived with for two decades. "The last time we escaped, foster mother and father took you through a hidden route."
She paused briefly. "I fled through the river."
Her hand tightened slightly around Xue Ling's. "Our parents stayed behind to hold the pursuers off."
The memory flickered faintly in her mind. "The last thing I remember… was seeing the palace burning in the distance."
Her voice softened. "They most likely sacrificed themselves to buy us time."
Xue Ling stared silently into the sky. "I don't even remember their faces."
Xue Yin closed her eyes briefly. "Dead or alive… we don't know."
"All I know is that their bodies were never found."
Snow continued falling gently around them.
"Is it possible they could still be alive?" Xue Ling asked after a moment. "What was their cultivation?"
"Our parents were Monarchs," Xue Yin replied.
"But like I said… we don't know what happened."
"It's been twenty years."
Xue Ling nodded faintly.
"I see…"
Another quiet pause passed between them.
Then Xue Ling spoke again. "Have you ever gone back to the Gesun Kingdom?"
Xue Yin shook her head slightly. "No."
"The Sun Moon Divine Hall took control of it overnight." She turned her head slightly toward her sister.
"Ling'er… if we were to regain the full power of the Enchantress Bodies…"
Her voice hesitated. "Have you ever thought that maybe we could—"
"No."
Xue Ling answered before she could finish.
Her voice was calm, but firm. "If you're suggesting we return and reclaim our roles as princesses…"
She shook her head slightly. "I'm not interested in doing that."
"Ling'er…"
Xue Yin's voice carried hesitation, but Xue Ling shook her head gently before she could say anything further.
"I am Xue Ling, Grand Imperial Protector of Blue Moon Princess Cang Yue," she said calmly. "The daughter of the late Lady Lan Ying."
Her fingers tightened slightly around Xue Yin's hand. "I am also the guardian of her resting place."
Her gaze remained fixed on the stars above. "I will not abandon them to take up a role I never chose… even if that role is to become the princess of the Gesun Kingdom."
Xue Yin said nothing.
The wind passed quietly between them.
"Even if we somehow managed to reclaim the kingdom one day," Xue Ling continued softly, "I would still choose to remain by Yue'er's side."
Her voice carried quiet determination. "I promised her mother."
"And I intend to keep that promise until my dying breath." She exhaled slowly. "One day… I want to be buried beside Lady Lan Ying."
Her eyes softened. "So that when I meet her again in the afterlife… I can face her proudly."
Snowflakes continued drifting down around them.
"And besides," she added calmly, "I have no desire to become a ruler."
"We spent twenty years living in hiding, Yin'er." Her voice carried a quiet certainty.
"I already have a life."
"I already have a purpose."
"And I am grateful for it."
She paused before adding one more thought.
"Even if we reclaimed the Gesun Kingdom through the power of the Enchantress Bodies… it would only paint an even bigger target on the backs of our descendants."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The only sound was the soft whisper of snow falling around them, settling gently on the ground and on their clothes.
Xue Ling's cheeks suddenly flushed faintly.
Her words about descendants lingered in her mind longer than she expected.
Unbidden, a face appeared in her thoughts.
Mihawk.
She turned her gaze slightly away from Xue Yin, embarrassed by the sudden thought.
Another quiet reason she had never considered returning to rule the Gesun Kingdom surfaced in her heart. Mihawk was not the kind of man who seemed interested in status or royal titles. If anything, he appeared to value strength, independence, and a life unburdened by political chains.
Perhaps… he would prefer an ordinary woman.
Not a princess.
Not a ruler bound to a throne.
Even Lady Lan Ying is an ordinary woman. A woman she strives to be.
Xue Ling let out a faint breath. Part of her wanted to be someone who protected the people she cared about—not someone who governed them from afar. She had already chosen her role long ago.
She was a guardian.
A protector who stood beside those she had sworn to defend.
First Lady Lan Ying. Then Cang Yue.
And now… her sister.
She smiled faintly to herself.
She was never meant to be a ruler.
But she was exactly where she needed to be.
Then Xue Yin smiled faintly.
"I see."
She squeezed her sister's hand gently. "Then I will follow you."
Xue Ling turned her head slightly. "You don't wish to reclaim the Gesun Kingdom?"
"I do," Xue Yin admitted quietly. "But if that day ever comes… I would rather entrust the kingdom to rulers who do not carry the Enchantress bloodline."
She looked back up at the sky. "The Gesun Kingdom became famous because of the Enchantress twins."
Her voice grew thoughtful. "The Sacred Grounds have probably been watching it for centuries."
"And the moment they discovered that the bloodline had returned… they moved to either claim it… or destroy it."
She sighed softly. "Even if I'm currently a Sixth Level Sovereign Profound Realm cultivator… the Sacred Grounds possess more than one Monarch."
"I cannot defeat all of them alone."
Xue Ling nodded slightly.
"I understand."
"If the Gesun Kingdom were suddenly restored… it would mean the Enchantress heirs had returned."
She gave a faint smile. "That would place a massive target on us again."
After a brief pause, Xue Yin spoke again. "If possible… could you put in a word for me with Princess Cang Yue?"
Xue Ling blinked. "For what?"
"So that I may become her Imperial Protector as well."
Xue Ling turned her head fully toward her sister.
"You… what?"
"Aren't you known as the Fairy of the Northern Mountain?"
Xue Yin chuckled softly. "That's just a title given by the people of this province."
"To be honest… I've just been freeloading at the sect there in exchange for protecting them."
She looked at her sister warmly. "But now I've found you, Ling'er."
Her voice softened. "And from now on, I want to watch over you."
"Never leaving your side again."
A playful smile appeared. "And besides… this way I can finally work properly instead of freeloading."
She hesitated briefly before adding one more request.
"And… if it's possible…"
"May I visit Lady Lan Ying's resting place?"
Her gaze grew sincere. "I want to see the woman who unknowingly protected my sister from the world."
"The woman who helped you become someone capable of forgiving me."
Xue Ling smiled faintly.
"Of course."
She tightened her grip on Xue Yin's hand. "You have a lot of time to make up for those twenty years."
Her voice carried a teasing warmth. "And I have no intention of letting you out of my sight again, Yin'er."
"Still… I can't help wondering how someone like me could be healed," Xue Yin said softly as she gazed at the night sky. Her voice carried lingering disbelief. "That Yun Che… he's truly something else."
Even now, a part of her feared the pain would return—that the parasite would attack her again and drag her back into the same endless torment. But the pain was gone. Completely gone.
Xue Ling let out a quiet sigh as snowflakes drifted down around them.
"He's a rascal," she said with a faint smile. "But he's someone I respect."
Her gaze remained fixed on the stars above.
"As for the Gesun Kingdom… it's not our time yet. There's nothing we can do right now."
"Indeed," Xue Yin replied quietly.
"One day we'll deal with it," Xue Ling continued. "But even if both of us reach the Sovereign Profound Realm, it still won't be enough."
Xue Yin chuckled softly.
"Right now, we're surrounded by masters who could topple entire empires if they wanted to."
"Masters?" Xue Yin asked curiously.
"The one who healed you. Yun Che," Xue Ling answered calmly. "That's the master I'm talking about."
Xue Yin thought about it for a moment.
"He also knew about our Enchantress Bodies," she said slowly. "Who exactly is that boy?"
Xue Ling shook her head faintly. "Yin'er… even I'm baffled by that man."
Her tone grew cautious. "But I have no intention of crossing him. He's Yue'er's consort, after all."
She paused before continuing.
"And honestly… I'm more concerned about the people around him."
"Around him?"
Xue Ling nodded.
"One day… they'll become masters that the entire continent would hesitate to provoke."
She recalled everything Yun Che had already done.
He had stirred the Empire, solved conflicts across multiple regions, and was now entangled in the affairs of Jin Province. He had even provoked the Wu Clan, challenged powerful sects, and crossed paths with the Four Great Sects of the Blue Wind Empire.
Xue Yin blinked in surprise.
"That sounds reckless. Does he have some kind of powerful backing?"
"He does," Xue Ling replied. "But strangely… I've never seen him rely on it."
Xue Yin frowned slightly.
"But the Sacred Grounds are different."
Xue Ling smiled faintly.
Over the past few days she had watched Yun Che gather powerful figures around him.
Yun Che.
Mio.
Retsu.
Nemu.
Cang Yue.
Chu Yuechan.
Chu Yueli.
Xia Qingyue.
Jin Mulan.
Lin Yueru.
None of them were simple figures. Each possessed the kind of presence that suggested they would one day shake the entire continent.
Xue Ling herself had gradually grown closer to that group.
Deep inside, she knew something. One day, those people might become the key to reclaiming the Gesun Kingdom.
But she wasn't waiting for that day because it was her duty as the crowned princess. She only wished to reclaim the kingdom their parents had built.
And once that was done… she could simply return to the life she preferred.
Being the Grand Imperial Protector was far easier than ruling a kingdom.
All she had to do was wait.
Train.
Awaken her full power.
And when the time came… reclaim what was once theirs.
Xue Ling smiled softly. "Yin'er… be patient."
"For now, we'll remain hidden. We'll train together and hone our strength."
She glanced toward the distant sky. "Yun Che possesses knowledge far beyond the masters of this continent."
Her voice softened. "All I ask… is that we remain together again."
She squeezed her sister's hand gently. "If you ever wish to return to the kingdom without me… I'll understand."
Xue Yin immediately shook her head.
"No." Her voice was firm. "Even if we reclaim the kingdom one day… I'll stay with you."
She laughed quietly. "And besides… if I stayed there, I'd just end up freeloading again as a protector."
Xue Ling laughed softly. "You really hate freeloading, don't you?"
"Of course," Xue Yin replied with a smile. "All I ever wanted… was to find you again."
"To be with you."
"To protect you."
Her voice grew softer. "Even if we never restore the Gesun Kingdom… as long as I can stay with you… that's enough for me."
Xue Ling squeezed her hand warmly. "Don't worry, Yin'er."
"I'll protect you."
Xue Yin laughed faintly. "I'm the older sister, you know."
"Older or not," Xue Ling replied with a teasing smile, "we're sisters, right?"
A quiet moment passed beneath the falling snow.
Then suddenly—
Snore…
Xue Ling blinked and turned her head. "Yin'er?"
Xue Yin had already fallen asleep beside her.
Xue Ling couldn't help but smile.
Her sister probably hadn't slept properly for twenty years.
Now that her curse was gone… and now that she had finally found her sister again… her body had finally allowed itself to rest.
Xue Ling gently brushed the snow from Xue Yin's hair.
"Sleep well, elder sister," she whispered softly. "I'll always be here from now on."
She looked up at the quiet sky filled with stars.
Then she smiled faintly. "Sorry, Yue'er…"
"I'll stay here until tomorrow."
Thats all that matters.
The two sisters had finally found each other again.
The anger that Xue Ling had carried for so many years quietly faded away, replaced by something far warmer. The sister she had once believed lost forever was now beside her once more, resting peacefully in her arms.
It would take time for them to truly know each other again. Twenty years had passed, and both of them had walked very different paths through life.
But this time, Xue Ling would face that time with happiness.
Because the sister she had longed for all these years was finally here again.
For a brief moment, her mind wandered.
What if she had never been sent to the Heavenly Sword Villa?
If that had happened, she might never have met Lady Lan Ying. Without her guidance, perhaps her anger would have consumed her completely. Perhaps the Sacred Ground would have discovered her long ago.
And Xue Yin…
Without Yun Che curing her, without the strange chain of events that had led them here…
Her sister might have died alone, consumed by that terrible parasite.
Xue Ling shook her head slightly, dismissing those thoughts.
No more what-ifs.
She turned and looked at the sleeping face of her elder sister.
Snowflakes continued to fall softly around them.
As much as she had once resented the Heavenly Sword Villa for exiling her… it had ultimately led her down the path that brought her here.
To this moment.
And right now—
That was all that mattered.