The Fourth Rite – The Soulblades of Devotion
Once again, Yu Sui and Mo Yan were led to the Temple of the Goddess of Love, now bathed in the soft glow of twilight. Awaiting them inside was Lady Shiyan Lee, who stood beside a richly adorned table. Upon it lay two identical swords, glowing faintly under the sacred lantern light.
Without a word, Lady Shiyan Lee stepped forward and handed each of them one sword.
"These blades," she declared, "are not weapons....but mirrors to your souls.
If they are lifted without guilt, the bearer will feel great inner pain
Or so the legends say.
But such a day will never come.
These blades shall never be stained,
for they are bound not to blood… but to love."
The swords were masterpieces....finely engraved, each with the image of a lotus in full bloom....a symbol of the beauty and rare worth of their love.
The temple was once again filled to capacity. On the table, the two blades lay side by side, exactly alike, as if forged from the same breath, the same vow.
Lady Wang Ayi stepped forth once more.
"These blades," she spoke with calm authority, "are the second mark of your married life.
As time passes, their edge will grow sharper...
Not to wound, but to protect.
And should they ever be used for punishment,
A pure love will grant the guilty soul release, not pain
Even if that soul is your enemy."
The crowd fell utterly silent.
Mo Yan and Yu Sui bowed low before the swords, then reached out with reverent hands and grasped their hilts.
As they rose, cheers broke across the temple like waves upon a sacred shore.
---
The Final Rite – The River of Blossoms
By now, night had fallen, and the sky wore a shimmering veil of stars. It was time for the fifth and final rite.
The couple was led to the Sacred River....its banks surrounded by thousands of blooming peach trees, their petals cascading gently into the water like whispers of old promises.
The sun had just set as they arrived. Moonlight danced upon the river's surface, mingling with the floating petals. There was a stillness in the air, a hush born not from silence but from the completion of a great struggle...one that had finally ended in peace.
Even Duie and Su Nian, quietly and unnoticed, found their way to the riverbank. Some in the crowd still glanced toward them with knowing smiles...gentle, sweet, as if recognizing a new love just beginning to bloom.
The Sacred River needed no decoration.
Nature had already prepared it....for this day, for this love.
---
The Offering of Petals
Yu Sui and Mo Yan stood hand in hand at the water's edge.
Lady Wang Ayi gently took their hands and pressed them together, palm to palm.
Upon their united hands, she placed five peach blossoms, each glowing softly in the moonlight.
Then, with reverence, they released the blossoms into the water.
And one by one, every couple in the crowd followed....offering their five blossoms with hearts full of love.
Among them were Duie and Su Nian, their eyes never leaving the couple before them.
They understood, then.
A new petal of love had bloomed in their hearts too.
The river became a flowing sea of petals....
water carrying love across time and memory.
The entire shore glimmered with soft light.
Then Lady Wang Ayi and Lady Shiyan Lee turned to the crowd and, with powerful voices, proclaimed:
"From this moment forward,
Yu Sui and Mo Yan are, before the eyes of heaven and earth,
Husbands in sacred union."
A thunderous cheer rose up, powerful enough to wake the sleeping woods.
Even the corners of the forest trembled with celebration.
---
A Sacred Ending
After some time, the crowd slowly began to disperse.....hearts full, eyes misted, souls content. The wedding was complete.
One by one, people disappeared into the gentle night.
Duie and Su Nian too began walking toward Duie's home.
Duie looked around, searching.
"Where's my sister?" he asked.
Su Nian replied softly,
"She's probably gone ahead… already at home."
And so, the forest grew quiet once more.....emptied of voices, but never of love.
Only two souls remained, sitting silently by the riverbank.
Mo Yan and Yu Sui.
---
Moonlight and Petals
Night deepened.
The silver moonlight shone down, reflecting upon the soft pink-and-white petals still floating on the river's surface.
In this perfect stillness,
There was nothing left to say,
Because love… had said it all.