The crowd was silent.
Utterly silent.
Only hearts were beating and breaths were flowing
But minds… they were still.
And once again, a wave of unease crept into Wang Gung's heart.
He was anxious…
What if Yu Sui wasn't here?
And that fear…
It wasn't his alone.
Joye, Shu Bi Suan, Ming Heng, and Zhi Yao..
They too were troubled.
Their heavy faces said it all:
Today may have been a sacred day,
A day of joy and divine significance…
But to them,
It felt like a final test of the heart.
Especially for Wang Gung.
His heart refused to think,
Terrified of the thought…
That Yu Sui might not be present.
Behind him stood Joye, Shu Bi Suan, Ming Heng, and Zhi Yao
All in complete silence,
At the very end of the crowd.
Joye understood the torment in Wang Gung's mind.
After all, Yu Sui was his husband
Bound to him not for one life,
But for twelve.
How could he not think of him every moment?
And Shu Bi Suan…
His eyes were like a sea,
Overflowing with longing.
He remembered the day
When sister Wuzu and Grandmaster Yu Sui made a promise to him.
---
Flashback
It was the day Mo Yan's spiritual powers were forcefully stripped from his body by Master Shen Jichuan's ancient incantations.
Yu Sui had taken him
To a place that resembled hell,
To save his life.
Later, he left him safely guarded with three undead guardians
And walked away alone.
Wuzu walked beside him,
But always a few steps behind,
Eyes lowered.
For her, to walk ahead of her king
Or even meet his gaze uninvited
Was a sin.
Though she was a cursed soul…
Her reverence and devotion toward her king were boundless.
Yu Sui was thinking
About the day he saved Lao Duan's life,
From himself.
And since that day,
One thing had never stopped haunting him:
"How could such an innocent child be denied love?"
He had heard the silent cries in Lao Duan's soul.
He felt sorry for him.
But still
To gain his twisted father's affection,
Lao Duan had chosen a dark path.
And that…
That was unforgivable.
He had to be punished.
Yet
There was something about it that didn't sit right with Yu Sui's heart.
Wuzu, walking beside him,
Could hear the echoes of his sorrow.
She, too, felt pain for Lao Duan
The boy who had probably spent his life aching,
For just a single, loving touch.
Just to hear the words:
"Well done, my son. I'm proud of you."
But fate…
Fate had other plans.
And now, he was to die by the hand of the very man
Who harbored the deepest compassion for him.
They arrived at the house
Its walls surrounded by protective spells cast by Lin Chaoyuan.
But those meant nothing to a Black Heaven King.
Yu Sui entered.
Wuzu remained outside.
Inside sat Lin Chaoyuan, bound in sacred chains,
Flicking holy river water with frantic hands.
Yu Sui looked at him with pity.
Not for the man himself
But for Lao Duan,
Who foolishly believed such a heartless being was his father.
This man wasn't even worthy of being called human.
Then, Yu Sui's eyes fell on Lao Duan standing silently inside.
And Yu Sui's heart… melted.
That poor child.
But now was the time for reckoning.
He made Lao Duan, like a puppet, kill Lin Chaoyuan with his own hands.
Yet even now,
Some trace of emotion lived in Lao Duan's hollow soul.
He collapsed beside the corpse.
And then
He cried.
Not softly.
But with a voice so broken,
It could tear hearts apart.
Yu Sui… shattered at the sound.
And then....Lao Duan cried out:
"All I ever wanted… was love.
Or even just a word of praise.
I worked so hard.
I killed innocent lives
Even when I didn't want to
Just to make you proud.
Why?"
Wuzu was still there.
She turned her face away.
She couldn't bear the sight either.
At last
Yu Sui broke his silence.
His trembling hand reached forward.
And gently
He touched Lao Duan's back.
Not with command…
But with love.
A father's love.
A brother's pride.
Lao Duan went still.
His sobbing stopped.
He looked at Yu Sui.
His eyes
They were like a child who had finally found his lost toy after lifetimes.
Yu Sui couldn't bear to see them.
He pulled Lao Duan into his embrace.
And in that sacred moment
He made a vow.
Like a flower whispering to winter,
Before it returns:
"Lao Duan, I promise you…
In the next life,
I will be your brother.
And I will love you endlessly."
Wuzu placed her hand on Lao Duan's head,
Like a mother teaching her child:
"And I… I will become your sister too.
The sister of you…
And our King."
For the first time
A smile bloomed on Lao Duan's lips.
Like spring,
That forgot to arrive for centuries
And then burst into bloom all at once.
But to seal the next life,
A sacrifice was needed.
And Lao Duan, smiling,
Offered his soul and body to the flames.
His sacrifice ensured that in the next birth,
The bond between the three would remain eternal.
Flashback ends...