Several days passed. Mu Chen managed to gather what little money remained, while Patriarch Wenhuan grew increasingly concerned. For this was the Crown Prince Heng Yao Ren's final chance.
Across from Mu Chen's modest stall stood his uncle Wu Dao's Shao Yi Mian Shop. Wu Dao's daughter, Shao Lin Zu, often shared meals with Ai Ning. Her brother, Ming Yu Jin, was one of Mu Chen's closest friends. The two young men frequently journeyed together to the Xueyin Bai Han Sect to purchase redwood, while behind them, Lin Zu and Ai Ning always looked after one another.
This day was no different. Mu Chen had once again departed for Xueyin Bai Han Sect. It would take him several days to return. Before leaving, he entrusted Ai Ning's care to Ming Yu Jin and Lin Zu, confident in their loyalty. Both siblings never failed to honor that trust.
Behind the shop, Ai Ning sat quietly in her small room. From its window, the marketplace and her brother's stall were clearly visible.
She sat at the table, Ming Yu Jin and Lin Zu at her side. Her expression was tinged with sorrow, for her beloved brother Lian Jue was absent. Her melancholy seemed to spread through the room like the faint fragrance of flowers in bloom.
To dispel the gloom, Lin Zu suddenly spoke in a playful, teasing tone:
"I wonder what will happen to us once we enter the academy. My father has already packed up all of our belongings. Honestly, it feels like we're being thrown out of our own house!"
Her mock complaint coaxed a fleeting smile from Ai Ning.....but just as quickly, the smile faded. This time, her eyes welled with tears. The sudden heaviness silenced the room.
Startled, Lin Zu and Ming Yu Jin exchanged a glance before quickly moving closer, their concern written plainly across their faces.
"What is it? Tell us," they urged.
With trembling voice, Ai Ning revealed the truth:
"Since the announcement from Cang Ming Yuan Academy, my brother has been so downcast. The money we saved… it's enough for only one of us. We are no members of some great clan to be granted free admission."
Her voice cracked, her tears spilling freely.
"He refused to take the admission for himself. Instead, he gave me everything, telling me that if....if in fifteen days he could somehow gather enough, then he would join me at the academy. But if not…"
She could not finish. She broke down weeping, her sobs echoing in the small room.
Lin Zu and Ming Yu Jin felt their hearts seize. To witness such cruelty.....forced upon such a tender soul by the cold fist of power, by the merciless weight of this world....was unbearable.
Meanwhile, far away, Mu Chen walked under the guise of purchasing timber. In truth, he had gone to meet someone…
An old companion.
So old, that his name existed only in whispers.
Autumn draped the world in its fleeting splendor.
The morning breeze carried the fragrance of blossoms, and by evening, the sky blazed crimson, as if the heavens themselves were painted in fire.
Mu Chen had departed the day before. Now, it was Ai Ning, Ming Yu Jin, and Lin Zu's turn to leave.....officially, to enroll at the academy. They carried everything they needed: wealth, knowledge, directions… and eyes filled with brilliance.
Yet Ai Ning's heart was heavy. The shimmer in her dreams seemed to be left behind, like dust upon the shutters of her closed shop. Her gaze drifted once more toward the road where Mu Chen had vanished yesterday. Lin Zu and Ming Yu Jin understood her turmoil. They reassured her softly, telling her that they had absolute faith in elder brother Lian Jue...he would surely find his way to the academy.
With that, the three lifted their belongings and set forth. Ahead lay the place where their futures would gleam brightest.
It took them two days to ascend the towering Jinghua Yulian Mountains, at whose peak stood the hallowed grounds of legacy.....the most exalted institution, the birthplace of sages and warriors alike. It was here that even Patriarch Wenhuan himself had once been forged.
At the foot of the mountain, they reached Bai He Hall, the grand entryway. Thousands of disciples streamed through its arched gates, clad in garments of every hue. Yet this was no ordinary threshold. From here on, the rules of Cang Ming Yuan Academy began.
The three were instructed to purify themselves, then don the robes of their station.
A master with a commanding presence stepped forth, his voice carrying across the hall:
"Here, every disciple must obey the rules. Until you earn a title, you shall wear the garments of your clan.....or, if you belong to none, the sky-blue robes of the unbound."
One by one, he called the great clans:
"Huoling Jinyan Sect, Jinyan Clan!
You shall wear golden robes, as befits your lineage."
"Xueyin Bai Han Sect, Bai Han Clan!
You are honored guests of the academy...but bound by the strictest rules. Your white robes must remain pure, your snow-lotus sigil unsullied. You must know every detail of its meaning."
"Lingjian Zishui Sect, Zishui Clan!
You shall wear violet robes, your sigil ever kept close to your heart. To wear the garments of another clan....or of the uninitiated.....is forbidden."
The moment the names of Bai Han and Zishui Clans were spoken, a ripple passed through the hall. From the rear came the sound of synchronized footsteps. The crowd parted instinctively.
Disciples clad in white and violet advanced as one. At their head strode Patriarch Wenhuan himself, his bearing like thunder held in check. At his side walked his daughter, Wushi Taoyi. And between them, tall and unwavering, was none other than the Crown Prince....Heng Yao Ren.
Behind them, eleven disciples of the Yan Sect followed with perfect discipline.
Not a single head turned to the side; their gazes were fixed straight ahead, their pace steady and commanding.
Ai Ning, Ming Yu Jin, Lin Zu, and countless others looked on in awe. For many, it was the first glimpse of the Patriarch's daughter.....and of the elusive prince himself.
They passed without pause, without word, yet their very presence changed the air. For the brief moment they crossed the hall, the world itself seemed to hold its breath.
Somewhere far away from it all ....
The Shenzu Wey Mountains breathed serenity...lush valleys, emerald forests, cascading waterfalls painting silver ribbons across the cliffs. Mu Chen knew these paths well. He had come here countless times under the excuse of collecting rare timber. Yet, after what had just transpired, even these familiar woods felt strangely foreign… as if the mountain itself was holding its breath.
Flashback.
The previous day, Mu Chen had departed the Huoling Jinyan Sect with a casual claim: "I'm going to fetch timber."
But that was never the truth. His true purpose lay hidden.
The trail he walked was a living corridor of nature.....trees arched above like a vaulted ceiling, birds sang in fragmented melodies, cicadas hummed, and autumn leaves drifted lazily, whispering as they touched the earth. Mu Chen's pace was unhurried, deliberate, as though his very steps awaited someone.
Then.....
From the shadow of an ancient grove, a soft yet firm voice broke the silence.
"Our Shu An… Hoi Ye Shi.
Welcome to the Shenzu Wey Mountains."
The voice was delicate, almost like silk wrapped around stone.
Mu Chen turned.
There, bowing with flawless grace in robes of white, stood none other than Wushi Taoyi, daughter of Patriarch Wenhuan.
When Mu Chen's eyes fell on her, he gave a faint smile. But it was not a smile of joy; it was edged with coldness. Though the two had fought side by side in the same faction for some time, their alliance was one of necessity, bound only by money. Nothing more.
In truth, Mu Chen despised Wushi Taoyi. Though he never showed open disrespect, neither did he ever offer her genuine regard. To him, her clan bore a guilt equal to his mother's death.
"Oh… Shi Ye Hoi, is it?" Mu Chen's lips curled slightly as he spoke.
"Thank you for the welcome. So… does someone once again require the 'Shuang Ying'...the Twin Shadows....to act? If yes, then let's settle the matter quickly. I still have plenty of other things to do."
But Taoyi did not answer. Her gaze lowered, lashes trembling as though her heart wrestled with words unspoken.
Mu Chen stilled. He had seen this before...her silent plea, her eyes heavy with the same request she had made time and time again. He already knew what she would ask of him… and what his answer must be.
Before he could speak, the sound of approaching steps broke the fragile moment. Dry leaves cracked beneath measured weight, heralding a presence impossible to mistake.
Mu Chen tensed.
From the shadows emerged a towering figure, solemn as the mountain itself.....Patriarch Wenhuan.
He moved to stand beside his daughter, his presence eclipsing the air like a storm front.
And though Mu Chen's sharp eyes searched, the meaning behind this sudden summons remained elusive.
Why were they here? What truth did they wish to unveil upon this quiet mountain?