Suddenly, everyone froze. Not far beyond the broken shrine gates,beneath an old flowering tree, stood a young woman dressed in simple pale robes. It was Yue ning.She looked peaceful, completely different from the woman they had witnessed in the memories. Beside her was a tiny child, no older than two or three years old, wobbling clumsily across the grass on unsteady little legs. The little boy couldn't speak properly yet. Soft babbling sounds escaped his lips as he stretched both tiny hands toward Yue Ning, his bright eyes sparkling with excitement. "Mm... Ma..." he mumbled, stumbling forward.
Yue Ning's expression softened. A warm smile spread across her face as she hurried forward and knelt before him. "Slow down!" she said gently, brushing the child's messy hair away from his forehead. "You'll fall if you run like that." The little boy giggled happily, reaching toward her face with both tiny hands. Yue ning laughed quietly and lifted him into her arms with surprising ease. "There you are!" she whispered, kissing his forehead tenderly. "Mother is here."
The child buried his little face against her shoulder before peeking back out and patting her cheek with his tiny palm.Yue ning laughed again, tears quietly gathering at the corners of her eyes despite the smile on her face. "You're becoming heavier every day!" she teased softly. "How is Mother supposed to carry you forever?" The little boy only answered with another happy laugh before grabbing one of her fingers tightly with both of his tiny hands.
Yue ning lowered her gaze toward him, gently wiping a streak of dirt from his round little face with the edge of her sleeve. "Look at you!" she murmured affectionately. "Your face is covered in dirt again." She smiled helplessly before lightly tapping the tip of his nose. "You know..." Her voice became softer. "Whenever you make that stubborn little face..." She chuckled through tears. "You look exactly like your father." The child blinked at her, clearly not understanding a single word, then smiled anyway before clapping his tiny hands excitedly.
Yue ning laughed from the bottom of her heart and hugged him closer, resting her forehead gently against his. "Your father would have spoiled you so much!" she whispered. "He would've carried you everywhere and taught you all kinds of terrible habits." She smiled through trembling lips. "Then I'd have to scold both of you together." The little boy reached up and touched the tear sliding down her cheek with innocent curiosity. He tilted his head before softly patting her face again. "Ma..." Yue Ning closed her eyes for a brief moment and gently kissed the tiny hand touching her face. "I'm alright!" she whispered. "Mother's just... thinking about someone she misses very much." The child answered by wrapping both tiny arms around her neck in a clumsy hug. Yue ning's shoulders trembled.She hugged him tightly.
Not far away, everyone watched in complete silence. Even Yan Luo,who rarely showed emotion, slowly lowered the flames dancing around his fingertips until they disappeared entirely.Lin chen felt his throat tighten as he watched the little boy laughing so innocently in Yue ning's embrace.He quietly wiped the corner of his eye before whispering almost to himself, "...She became a mother." Chen Yu stared without blinking, still struggling to process what he was seeing. "So this..." he murmured slowly, "…this is the child Shou Heng begged her to live for?"
Zhao Ming's gaze remained fixed on the little boy, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the talismans at his waist. "Where is he now?" he asked quietly. "If these are memories... then where did he go?" No one answered. Xu Yang simply stood there watching her smile at her son.So this was the future Shou Heng protected with his own life, he thought silently. He never asked Heaven to spare him... He only wanted these two to keep living. Beside him, Hei Long lowered his head. His fingers unconsciously brushed the petals of the flowers he carried.They felt strangely warm in his hands, as though they too were responding to the lingering emotions surrounding the memory.
The little boy laughed again, his tiny hands reaching toward the colorful wildflowers growing beside the stone path. He leaned forward curiously, his little fingers brushing the soft petals.His eyes sparkled with delight as he pointed at the flowers and looked back at yue ning. "Mm... ah..." he babbled happily, bouncing excitedly in her arms. Yue Ning followed the direction of his finger and smiled with gentle affection. "You like the flowers?" she asked softly. The child nodded enthusiastically, waving both tiny hands toward them again.
Yue ning carefully bent down, picked a single small flower herself, and tucked it gently behind the little boy's ear. He reached up with both hands, touching it with innocent curiosity before breaking into another bright giggle. Yue Nlning couldn't help laughing with him. "There!" she whispered, kissing his forehead. "Now you look even more adorable." The little boy clapped happily.
Yue ning brushed his soft hair away from his face and looked at him with eyes overflowing with warmth. "You know..." she murmured quietly, "your father loved flowers too." Her smile became gentler, touched with quiet sadness. "Whenever he saw beautiful flowers, he always wanted to show them to me first." She lowered her head and lightly rubbed her nose against the child's tiny nose, making him squeal with delighted laughter. "I think..." she whispered, tears gathering in her eyes, "you inherited that from him."
The little boy simply smiled back at her without understanding, reaching up to pat her face with his tiny hand. Yue ning closed her eyes for a brief moment before kissing his little palm."Mother promised your father!" she whispered softly. "I'll protect you." Her voice trembled slightly. "I'll watch you grow." She hugged him a little tighter. "And one day... I'll tell you how wonderful your father truly was." The child rested his head against her shoulder peacefully, his tiny fingers tightly holding one of hers.
The warm scene slowly began to fade.Yue ning held the little boy tightly against her chest, gently stroking his soft hair one last time.She closed her eyes, and although her lips barely moved, her voice echoed throughout the entire mountain. "My son..." she whispered. Her arms tightened around him for a brief moment. "Mother is sorry..." Tears slipped silently down her face. "I'm... so sorry..."
The sunlight dissolved into countless fragments of light, the flowers vanished one by one,and Yue ning's figure gradually became transparent.The little boy reached toward her in confusion, making soft, frightened sounds that he was still too young to turn into words.His tiny hands desperately grabbed at the empty air as though trying to hold onto someone who was already disappearing. Then, like mist beneath the morning sun, both mother and child vanished completely. Silence swallowed everything. Even the wind stopped blowing.
For a long time,no one spoke.The broken shrine stood quietly around them, carrying only the lingering sadness left behind by the memory. Chen yu slowly looked around the empty courtyard, his brows tightly knitted together. "What... happened to them afterward?" he asked in a low voice. "What happened after Yue ning disappeared?" His grip around the golden staff unconsciously tightened. Yan Luo lowered his eyes before speaking quietly. "Did the child survive?" His usually calm voice carried an unusual heaviness. "Or did he disappear together with history?"
Zhao Ming slowly clenched both fists until the talismans crumpled slightly in his hands. His jaw tightened as he stared at the place where the memory had vanished. "Or..." he said quietly, "…did history erase him too?" No one answered. Lin chen lowered his head, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "That's... cruel." He swallowed hard, trying to hold back the tightness in his throat. "He was only a child." His eyes slowly reddened. "He never even got the chance to know his father."
Xu Yang remained silent, staring at the empty space where Yue Ning had stood only moments earlier. His expression gradually darkened. "Shou Heng sacrificed everything..." he murmured. "Yue Ning lived only because of that promise..." He slowly closed his eyes. "…and that child had to grow up carrying both of their burdens." Even Zhao Ming quietly looked away. No one could imagine how lonely that child's life must have been.
Suddenly, a warm light appeared. Xu yang instinctively lowered his gaze.The rose mark engraved upon his wrist began glowing brilliantly beneath his sleeve, pulsing with a gentle golden radiance that spread across his entire hand. "What..." Xu Yang whispered in surprise. "It's glowing again." At the exact same moment, Hei Long froze. He slowly looked down at the white flowers in his hands.
Before his eyes, the tightly closed buds began blooming one after another. Fresh petals unfolded gently, releasing a faint fragrance that drifted through the ruined shrine. Even more astonishing, flowers began blooming across the broken courtyard itself. Tiny white blossoms pushed through cracked stone, spreading outward in every direction until the lifeless ground was covered with countless flowers.
Chen yu noticed and turned toward Xu Yang. "Xu Yang!" he called. "Your hand!" Zhao ming's eyes widened as he pointed toward Hei long. "Look!" he exclaimed. "His flowers!" Yan Luo narrowed his eyes, carefully observing both phenomena. "Those two reacted at exactly the same time." His expression gradually became serious. "That can't be a coincidence." Hei Long silently stared at the flowers blooming around his feet, genuine surprise filling his usually calm face. "…They've never done this before," he whispered. He gently touched one of the newly opened blossoms with trembling fingers. "Not once."
Xu Yang continued studying the glowing mark on his wrist.The warmth spreading through it felt strangely familiar,"I don't think this is random!" he said quietly. "Something awakened when we saw that memory." Chen yu stepped closer, carefully examining the fading light. "Do you think..." he began cautiously, "…it's connected to the child?" Xu Yang remained silent for several seconds before slowly shaking his head. "Maybe." He looked toward the blooming flowers once more. "Or maybe it's connected to something even older." The golden light gradually faded from his wrist until the rose mark returned to normal. At nearly the same moment, the flowers surrounding Hei Long stopped blooming, leaving only a sea of fresh white blossoms covering the ruined courtyard.
Chen Yu looked at mountain. "Whatever those signs mean!" he said, "we don't have enough answers." Zhao Ming nodded in agreement. "And every answer only seems to create more questions." Yan Luo crossed his arms thoughtfully. "If we keep chasing guesses," he said calmly, "we'll never stop the threads before they act again." Xu Yang slowly lifted his head and looked toward Lin Chen. "You're right!" he said firmly. "We don't have time to figure this out here." His voice became steady once more. "Take us to the person you mentioned."
Lin Chen nodded without hesitation. "This way." He pointed toward the narrow mountain path leading deeper into the forest. "His home is hidden beyond the northern cliffs." Xu Yang looked at everyone one last time. "Let's move." Without another word, the group gathered themselves and followed Lin Chen into the mountains, leaving behind the silent shrine where flowers still bloomed among the broken stones.
The mountain path grew narrower with every step they took. Towering ancient trees blocked most of the sunlight, leaving only scattered rays that slipped through the thick canopy above. Cold mist drifted silently between the trunks.Strange herbs covered both sides of the trail, their leaves glowing faintly with different shades of green, blue, and silver. Some released a sweet fragrance into the air while others shimmered with tiny droplets of dew despite there being no rain. A clear stream flowed gently beside the old stone path, its water so pure that the colorful pebbles beneath could be seen perfectly. The only sounds were the quiet flow of water, distant birds hidden somewhere in the forest, and the soft footsteps of the group as they followed Lin Chen deeper into the mountains.
Lin Chen slowed his pace and pointed ahead. "We're almost there!" he said quietly. "He doesn't like visitors, so... try not to anger him."Chen yu looked around cautiously. "You're telling us that now?" he muttered. Zhao Ming adjusted his belt and sighed. "Let's hope Xu Yang remembers how to speak politely." Xu Yang didn't even glance back. "If he knows about the Threads, I don't have time for polite greetings." Yan Luo folded his arms as he walked. "That's exactly what worries me." Hei Long remained silent at the back of the group, his eyes quietly following the white flowers he carried. For some reason, they had not withered despite everything they had been through. He lowered his gaze briefly, wondering why they still felt strangely warm in his hands.
The forest suddenly opened before them. Standing alone beside the edge of a steep cliff was a small wooden house that looked older than the surrounding mountains themselves. Moss covered parts of its roof, while hundreds of carefully dried herbs hung beneath the wooden eaves, gently swaying in the breeze. Strings of jade wind chimes dangled from every corner of the house, producing soft, crystal-like sounds whenever the mountain wind passed through them. Countless clay jars filled with herbs lined the porch, their lids carefully sealed with faded talismans. Nearby, rows of medicinal plants grew in perfect order, each separated by small stone borders. The entire place carried the peaceful scent of medicine, fresh earth, and mountain rain.
Outside the house sat an white hair man dressed in simple gray robes. His long white hair flowed over his shoulders like snow, reaching almost to the ground as he calmly ground herbs inside a heavy stone bowl with slow, steady movements. He never looked up. It was as though he had known they were coming long before they had arrived.The group stopped several steps away. For a brief moment, no one spoke. Xu Yang was the first to move. Without hesitation, he walked straight toward the old man until only a few steps separated them. He didn't bow. He didn't greet him. His expression remained firm as he looked directly at the white haired man. "Tell me!" he said without wasting a single word. "How do we destroy the threads?"
The grinding stone stopped.The white hair man slowly lifted his head.His eyes rested on Xu Yang before quietly sweeping across every face standing behind him. His gaze lingered briefly on Hei Long, then on the fading flowers in his hands, before shifting toward the mysterious mark hidden beneath xu yang's sleeve.A faint smile appeared on his weathered face."Destroy them?" he repeated softly. "Interesting."
Chen Yu stepped forward, unable to hide the urgency in his voice. "You know about them?" The old man nodded only once. "I know enough." Yan Luo narrowed his eyes. "Then tell us." The white hair man looked back at the herbs inside the stone bowl before continuing to grind them."Some questions," he said calmly, "cannot be answered." He crushed another leaf beneath the stone. "Only survived." Lin Chen quietly lowered his head. Even now, hearing those words sent a chill through him. He remembered standing before this very house months ago, frightened and searching desperately for Xiao Ye. White haired man had spoken with the same calm voice back then, saying things Lin Chen hadn't understood until much later.
Xu Yang frowned. "We're not here for riddles." His voice grew sharper. "People are dying. The Threads are growing stronger." His fists slowly tightened. "If you know something, say it." White haired man looked at him again, completely unmoved by the frustration in Xu Yang's voice. "Young man..." he said quietly, "impatience has never uncovered the truth." He pointed lightly toward the mountain behind them. "Mountains have stood here for thousands of years because they never rushed." His gaze slowly returned to Xu Yang. "You, however, have only just arrived."
Zhao Ming exchanged a glance with Chen Yu before speaking carefully. "If the Threads continue growing..." he began, "they'll eventually consume countless lives." His voice became quieter. "We're not asking for secrets. We're asking for a chance." White haired man remained silent for several moments before closing his eyes briefly. "Tell me first..." His calm eyes opened once more. "When you say you wish to destroy the Threads..." He looked directly into Xu Yang's eyes. "…are you trying to destroy the Threads..." He paused. "…or the man who created them?"
Xu Yang's expression slowly stiffened. Until this moment, he had never truly separated the Threads from Shou Heng himself. Chen Yu lowered his staff slightly, his brows knitting together in thought. Zhao Ming quietly looked down,while Yan Luo's sharp eyes remained fixed on the white haired man without blinking. Lin Chen felt an uneasy chill crawl down his spine. Hei Long stood silently among them, the white flowers in his hands trembling gently as though responding to the conversation.
Xu Yang finally answered, "If destroying the Threads means killing Shou Heng..." he said slowly, "then I don't want that." His eyes hardened with determination. "I want to stop the destruction, not erase the person who suffered." White haired man studied him quietly without speaking. Chen Yu stepped forward and nodded. "He's right. Shou Heng isn't our enemy." His grip around the golden staff loosened slightly. "His pain is." Yan Luo folded his arms and spoke in a calm voice. "The Threads are nothing more than grief given form." He looked toward the distant mountains. "If grief disappears, perhaps the Threads disappear as well." Zhao Ming frowned thoughtfully. "But grief isn't something you simply cut apart with a sword." He sighed quietly. "If it were that easy, none of this would have happened."
The white haired man's faint smile deepened ever so slightly. "Good!" he murmured. "At least one of you is beginning to ask the correct question."He slowly set the stone grinder aside and rose to his feet. Though his movements were slow, there was a strange steadiness to them, as though every step had been measured over countless years. He walked toward one of the wooden shelves beside the house where dozens of strange objects rested beneath layers of dust. There were cracked jade ornaments, faded scrolls, ancient bells, weathered wooden carvings, and stones carved with symbols none of them recognized.
His hand stopped before a small wooden box no larger than both palms together. He carefully lifted it from the shelf and brushed away the dust. The box was carved from dark sandalwood, its surface engraved with countless intertwining vines that surrounded a single flower blooming at the center. Without a word, he opened it.
Inside rested a small crystal object shaped like a fully bloomed flower. Each transparent petal shimmered faintly with silvery light, and at its center floated a tiny droplet of golden radiance that never touched the crystal itself. The air around it felt unusually calm, washing away the lingering heaviness that had followed them from the shrine.Everyone instinctively stepped closer. Lin Chen whispered, "It's... beautiful." Hei Long stared silently at the crystal flower. For reasons he couldn't explain, the white flowers in his hands began glowing faintly again.
The white haired man carefully lifted the crystal flower from the box. "This," he said quietly, "is called the Heart Blossom." He turned it slowly in his fingers as light danced across its crystal petals. "It cannot kill the Threads." Xu Yang frowned immediately. "Then what use is it?" The white haired man looked at him calmly. "Because the Threads were never born from life." He gently held the crystal flower toward Xu Yang. "They were born from a heart that refused to let go." His voice remained soft. "A sword cannot cut regret." He paused. "Fire cannot burn memory." His eyes settled on the crystal flower. "Only something capable of reaching the heart buried beneath those memories can weaken them."
Chen Yu looked uncertain. "You're saying... this flower can reach Shou Heng?" The old man nodded slowly. "Perhaps." Zhao Ming blinked. "Perhaps?" White haired man smiled faintly. "Nothing involving the human heart is ever certain." Yan Luo narrowed his eyes. "And if it fails?" White haired man answered without hesitation. "Then the Threads will continue growing until there is nothing left to remember."
Xu Yang slowly reached out and accepted the crystal flower with both hands. The moment his fingers touched it, the golden mark on his wrist glowed warmly beneath his sleeve. At the same instant, Hei Long's white flowers bloomed wider than before, releasing countless tiny petals that drifted gently through the mountain air. White haired man quietly watched both reactions before nodding to himself. "So..." he murmured. "The mountain was right after all." His gaze shifted toward the distant horizon. "Your meeting was never an accident."