Mo Yan looked at him, quiet for a second… then spoke.
"Because I don't care who you were."
"All I care about… is who we are now."
The butterfly vanished.
The bond glowed-unbroken.
The Last Vow of the Masters
The battlefield was quiet now.
All that remained were shadows, blood, and breathless silence.
Mo Yan tried to stand, his sword trembling in his grip. But the wound in his leg pulsed with pain-and his body gave out once more.
He collapsed.
"Tch…"
Yu Sui caught him before he hit the ground.
His own shoulder was still bleeding, but he ignored it—he had to.
"If we don't move now," Yu Sui said through clenched teeth, "they'll find us again."
Without waiting for a reply, Yu Sui bent down and lifted Mo Yan onto his back.
Mo resisted.
"Yu, you're injured too"
"Shut up," Yu Sui snapped softly. "You carried me through worse in the training years. Now it's my turn."
As soon as he lifted him, the sacred bond between them blazed brighter-stronger than before. The threads glowed across their backs, wrapping their fates even tighter.
But they were too focused to notice.
---
The two stumbled back through the forest and reached the old ruined temple.
Inside, the elders turned in alarm.
Master Fung Shu Ri, Master Kin Lishuan, and Master Chui Yong rushed forward.
They saw the blood. The exhaustion. The broken armor. The fire in their eyes.
And their hearts sank.
"These boys…" Chui Yong whispered, "they carry the weight of our sins."
Mo Yan was gently set down beside the boy, who ran to him and hugged his arm.
Silence filled the temple.
And then
Chui Yong stepped forward, voice quiet but steady.
"Mo… listen to me."
"We… can't go any further. This is where our path ends."
Mo Yan tried to protest, but Chui Yong raised a hand.
"We are only holding you back now."