Once again, under the guidance of the blue butterfly,
Mo Yan and the others began walking along the riverside path.
Above them soared Bai Long, circling like a jeweled ornament adorning the heavens. The golden sunlight caught his shimmering form, making him even more resplendent. All around, the trees danced softly in the cool breeze, and the river...roaring at full strength....added a tranquil, almost sacred murmur to the air.
But not everyone was at peace.
Mo Yan, Su Nian, and Duie carried unrest within their hearts. On one side weighed the concern for Yu Sui, on the other loomed the shadow of Lao Duan.
Their eyes, again and again, drifted toward those following behind.....Joye and Shu Bi Suan.
Yet Wuzu could sense what they could not express:
They harbored suspicion toward Lao Duan.
And if that suspicion remained unspoken, unanswered… then…
The thought alone filled her eyes with tears.
She could bear it no longer.
With trembling steps and a heart heavy as stone, she came forward and stood before Mo Yan. Bowing with deep reverence, her voice quivered and cracked as she spoke:
"Your Majesty… there is something I must confess...
It is about my brother, Lao Duan…"
Su Nian and Duie were stunned.
Lao Duan… had a sister?
A flood of unspoken questions filled their eyes...shocked, puzzled, and shaken.
Time passed.
Their journey halted once again.
The wind had grown stronger now, and the river's roar louder than before.
Under the thick shade of a great tree, they all sat in silence.
Their eyes glistened with tears, falling like soft rain.
Pity, honor, sorrow, and love welled up within their hearts, mingling in a rare stillness.
Wuzu had told them everything.
About Lao Duan's past life.
All the darkness, the pain, the choices that weren't really choices.
And now...
She looked to Mo Yan with only one plea....forgiveness.
But how could one deny forgiveness…
To the one who had been pardoned by Yu Sui himself?
To the one Yu Sui had chosen to protect?
Mo Yan's whole life was for Yu Sui, Yu Sui's decision was his decision. Perhaps Lao Duan had already received forgiveness from Mo Yan when Yu Sui showed him mercy. Mo was still as devoted to Yu Sui and his Decisions as he was before and will be in every lifetime. He was forgiven when Yu Sui forgave him, now he just had to follow a ritual.
Forgiveness could not be spoken.
It had to be shown.
And so, without a word, Mo Yan drew out a white silk handkerchief from the folds of his robes and handed it to Lao Duan.
It was a sacred symbol.
A custom known to all.
An unspoken declaration:
The heart has been cleansed.
Forgiveness has been granted.
Smiles blossomed across weary faces.
Respect for Master Yu Sui and Mo Yan surged within Su Nian and Duie, deeper than ever before.
The journey resumed.
But unease lingered.
Especially within Duie.
He and Lao Duan had always clashed.
They were fire and ice, never meant to mix.
Yet… something had shifted. A flicker of pity.....quiet, unfamiliar.....had bloomed in Duie's chest.
As he walked, thoughts swirled within him.
He realized just how different their lives had been.
All Duie had was his sister....and Su Nian, the only anchor in his life.
Still, the absence of parents had always haunted him.
But now…
After hearing Lao Duan's tale, a chilling thought struck him:
"If parents are like that…
Then maybe it's a blessing I had none at all.
Perhaps it's better they abandoned me at birth.
At least I was spared the kind of pain Lao Duan endured."
His eyes welled with unspoken sorrow.
He thought of his sister.
In Lao Duan and Wuzu,
He saw the reflection of his own bond....with the only family he had ever known.