The journey to Twin Lotus Peak was silent.
The wind blew cold through the shattered valleys, whistling across ruined stone pillars and withered trees. This mountain once stood as a sanctuary between two mighty flame sects—now it was nothing but ash and forgotten vows.
Long Feng moved like a shadow, his spiritual presence concealed completely. His feet touched the cracked stone lightly, but his heart felt heavier with each step.
He hadn't been here in over a century.
And still… he remembered everything.
> The scent of the lotus blossoms.
The echo of her laughter during quiet flame training.
The soft press of her forehead against his when their Qi synchronized for the first time.
Now there was only silence.
And the smell of dust.
---
The Reunion
She waited for him on the peak.
Lan Xueyin.
Saintess of the lost Lotus Flame Sect.
Once the most brilliant flame cultivator of her generation… and the woman who abandoned him on the battlefield.
She stood tall and calm, her violet robes fluttering against the cold wind. Her long white hair shimmered like frost under moonlight, and her silver eyes were unreadable as they met his.
Long Feng stopped a dozen paces from her.
Neither spoke for a long time.
Then—
> "You look older," she said softly.
He raised an eyebrow. "You expected me to remain the same?"
"I expected you to hate me more."
"I did. For a while."
Her lips curved into the faintest shadow of a smile.
---
Truth Beneath Ash
"I suppose you want answers," she said, turning her gaze to the ruined shrine behind her. Half the roof had collapsed. Moss covered the stone dragons at its base.
"I want the truth," Long Feng replied. "Even if it cuts."
She exhaled, long and slow.
"The truth is…" Her voice trembled faintly. "I chose my sect over you."
"You let me die."
"I had no choice—"
"No," he cut her off sharply. "You did. You just didn't choose me."
The silence cracked like ice.
Her hands curled into fists at her sides.
"I was twenty-three," she said. "Newly named Saintess. My sect was cornered by the Divine Court. They said if I stood with you, they would erase the Lotus Flame line from the heavens."
"And so you let them erase me instead?"
Her voice broke. "I had to save my people!"
He laughed bitterly.
> "And yet here you are, standing alone on the ashes of a sect that no longer breathes."
> "Tell me, Lan Xueyin… was it worth it?"
---
Sparks of Old Pain
She didn't answer right away.
Instead, she stepped closer. Her presence was warm—too warm. He could still feel the way her flame used to wrap around his when they cultivated together. Familiar. Dangerous.
"I regretted it every day," she said. "But regret doesn't change history."
"Then why summon me now?" His voice was steady, but inside, something twisted.
"I saw your name surface again," she whispered. "I felt your flame. And I knew… they'd come for you again."
His eyes narrowed. "Who?"
"The Divine Remnants. The ones who orchestrated your death… and mine."
> "You think I died by betrayal, Feng."
"But I was betrayed too. I was marked. Hunted. Just like you."
She pulled back her sleeve—revealing a long scar shaped like a lotus petal, burned into her flesh.
> "They turned my own sect against me after I refused to lead them in the Second Godfall War. I've been hiding ever since."
Long Feng stared at the mark, heart silent. The burn was real. The pain in her voice, real too.
Still… he didn't lower his guard.
---
The Hidden Trap
"I need your help," she said.
"Speak clearly."
She stepped closer.
> "The assassins hunting you—they're not just from Blackshade Hall. They're being fed names… from someone within the Crimson Flame Sect."
His expression darkened.
"You have proof?"
She reached into her sleeve and tossed a small talisman to the ground.
A surge of spiritual energy burst outward, and an illusion shimmered into the air: an image of a Crimson Flame elder speaking in hushed tones to a hooded assassin.
> "He's gaining strength too quickly. I want him gone before the Flame Trials."
The image vanished.
Long Feng's jaw tightened. His flame stirred.
"Elder Bai Wen."
He wasn't surprised.
Just… disappointed.
---
Unfinished Flame
Lan Xueyin looked up at him. "You can't trust anyone, Feng. Not in that sect. Not even the girl with the soft eyes. Mei Ling, was it?"
His gaze snapped to hers.
"Leave her out of this."
Her voice was gentle now. "You protect her. I see it."
"You don't know her."
"I know the way you look at her."
A flicker of old pain danced in her eyes. "It's the way you used to look at me."
He stepped back.
"I didn't come here to relive what we lost."
"Didn't you?"
Her hand reached toward him.
He caught it halfway—stopped it gently—but didn't let it touch his chest.
"I need time," he said.
"I've waited over a hundred years."
"Then wait a little longer."
---
Dawn Over Ashes
As the sun rose over the shattered mountaintop, Long Feng stood at the edge of the cliff, wind blowing his hair back, eyes fixed on the horizon.
Lan Xueyin stayed behind him.
"We're both broken things," she said quietly. "But broken things can still burn."
He didn't turn around.
> "I burn for something else now."
He stepped off the cliff and vanished in a burst of golden flame.
---