As I returned,
I saw Gǔlóng Shu waiting for me—
Fully clothed and smiling.
She spoke softly.
"How is she?"
Her voice was low as she continued.
"Mìngjiè Xiānlù…
It's been a long time since I last saw her.
Not since the Battle of Longing—
When we all turned on each other,
And when you vanished."
"She is adjusting to my return.
In her way, she is more possessive.
She doesn't like it when I'm gone for too long;
She thinks I might disappear again suddenly
And make her feel alone once more.
It's fine.
I understand her feelings.
I don't want to do that to any of you.
After all,
I might have hurt my lovers,
But I also hurt my friends
And companions
Who I left behind.
Everyone was impacted in some way.
Some people just handled it better than others."
"Come take my hand," she said.
"I want to show you something—
An inheritance I discovered long ago in this realm."
I followed her
Deep beneath the surface of the sea
Until we reached a haunting sight.
There,
I saw many corpses—
Dead cultivators
Surrounded by treasures.
I looked at her
And noticed the sadness on her face
In this place.
She spoke,
Albeit reluctantly.
"This is where we fought many battles.
So many innocent people died here
Because of us.
We rallied against each other,
And chaos ensued when you left.
Everyone turned on one another,
Killing each other.
I buried this place long ago.
But it became an inheritance
When I returned."
—
Gǔlóng Shu gestured toward the quiet pond,
Where the lotus pulsed faintly
With ancestral light.
"It absorbed everybody," she said.
"And became the inheritance here—
A lotus of longing,
Seeded by grief and supremacy.
I wonder—
Do you want it?
Or will you pass it to one of your disciples?"
—
I watched the petals shift,
Each one holding echoes of the fallen.
"I'll divide it," I said.
"There's enough for all four.
They can take most of it.
I'll only absorb a little."
She tilted her head.
"As you wish, husband."
I had already told them.
Of course I had,
Before I teleported them here.
They arrived in silence,
Each one stepping into the stillness.
Then they looked around.
And saw the countless bones.
Cultivators from every species—
Some familiar,
Some so ancient or obscure
That even my disciples couldn't recognise them.
A battlefield, yes.
But more than that—
A grave of longing,
Of ambition,
Of restraint undone.
One of them whispered,
"Were they all seeking the lotus?"
I didn't answer.
The lotus pulsed behind me,
Quiet and knowing.
—
"Go and claim the inheritance.
Nothing will stop you.
That lotus is longing
For someone to embrace it.
So go and claim it.
You will understand the world
A bit better
When you absorb the lotus.
But you will also witness
The battle that happened here—
And perhaps understand
The myths and stories
You once heard as a child."
They didn't question
Why my master Gǔlóng Shu was beside me.
Instead,
They went to absorb the inheritance.
They entered a dream state,
Seeing the great battle
That happened here
An eternity ago.
I watched them,
Ensuring nothing disturbed their trance.
But my gaze drifted inward—
Into the dream state,
Where the past refused to stay buried.
—
The battle unfolded.
I saw many cultivators.
Mìngjiè Xiānlù wielded her emerald bone axe,
Carving through tide and flame.
I witnessed Gǔlóng Yáo and Gǔlóng Shu
In their dragon forms,
With lightning and the sea
Responding to their breaths
Like old companions.
And I saw my lovers.
One moved in serpent form,
Striking at the Luan.
Another roared in tiger form,
Claws flashing.
The three of them fought—
Not against enemies,
But against each other.
There were many others involved.
My lovers did not die,
But their followers did.
They were torn apart
In the wake of divine fury,
Caught between devotion
And destruction.
—
After the battle was over,
Only they remained.
My lovers were still fighting each other,
Hoping I would return
Immediately
To stop them.
But I did not.
So they continued
Destroying everything
In their wake.
—
I opened my eyes
And realised
I had absorbed a bit of the inheritance.
I looked at Gǔlóng Shu,
And she smiled at me.
I embraced her,
And we remained silent.
I didn't need to mention it.
She cried a little,
Feeling guilty.
But we stood there quietly
While I kept an eye
On my disciples.
We were back at the Gǔlóng Shu residence.
She made tea,
And we enjoyed it in peace and quiet.
We didn't talk;
We didn't need to.
We simply sat near each other,
Savouring the lovely tea she had brewed
And watching the stars twinkle above us.
—
Then she spoke softly,
But her words carried weight.
"My sister will be arriving soon.
She doesn't know you're at the sect.
I promise she won't cause you any trouble—
Not in front of so many people."
She paused,
Allowing the steam to rise between us.
"You and the other disciples
Will be competing for the title
Of number one disciple.
I want you to claim it.
It's time for you to stop messing around…
Husband."
"As you wish, dear wife," I said.
She smiled,
And among all the stars scattered across the sky,
She stood out the most.
I observed the disciples of the Black Dragon Sect
Competing fiercely
For the title of number one.
Men, women—
Even children—
Were vying for the honour,
Including my own.
Among them,
One man caught my attention.
His demeanour was sharp,
Almost antagonistic,
Like a blade unsheathed
But not yet swung.
He ended up facing my disciple,
Princess Lianhua Tianchen.
"I hear you're a princess," he said,
Circling her.
"A spectacular one at that.
Might I know where you come from?"
"If you beat me," she replied,
Her voice calm,
"You may know.
Though I doubt you will."
They fought for fifty rounds.
Steel clashed,
Footwork blurred,
And the crowd held its breath.
In the end,
Her blade rested against his throat—
Silent.
Final.
"You lose," she said.
"Yield."
"I yield," he breathed.
"You win."
—
Then came her younger brother,
Prince Mingyu Tianchen.
His opponent was a woman
With a teasing smile
And a voice like silk.
"Aren't you a little cute?" she said.
"Why don't you give up for Senior Sister
And let her win?
I don't want to hurt that pretty face of yours."
"Thank you for being so kind," Mingyu replied,
Bowing slightly.
"But I wish to be treated as an equal.
If you can beat me,
Then carry on.
If not…
I hope you won't hate me for winning,
Pretty senior sister."
—
Princess Lianhua Tianchen turned to me,
Her gaze sharp and accusatory,
As if I were guilty of something unspeakable.
I transmitted a thought to her,
Quiet and direct.
"What is it?"
She didn't hesitate.
"Did you teach my brother
To flirt with women like that?"
I smiled,
Just enough to be infuriating.
"No.
He's a natural."
She narrowed her eyes,
Caught between disbeliefAnd resignation.
"That's worse."
I offered a shrug,
Feeling both defensive and amused.
"He's just an innocent little boy.
He's blunt, that's all."
Lianhua didn't blink.
"Innocent?" she echoed.
"He called her pretty
And asked not to be hated for winning.
That's not blunt;
That's tactical."
I chuckled in response.
She sighed—
A kind of sigh only older sisters know,
One that carries a mix of pride and concern.
"He's going to break hearts
Before he breaks through," she said.
—
"Don't worry," I said,
My voice steady and reassuring.
"He's the kind of boy
Who will grow up
With only one woman in his heart.
He knows how to use charm, yes—
But he will never give his heart away lightly.
Only to one person.
I can tell.
He's a sweet boy."
—
Lianhua studied me,
Her expression softening
Just enough
To reveal the storm beneath.
"You sound like you've seen his future."
"I've seen enough
To know things
Without using my abilities
To know everything."
She looked away
Toward the duelling platform
Where Mingyu stood—
Smiling, respectful, radiant.
"Then I hope the world doesn't ruin him
Before he finds her."
I looked at them both—
Princess Lianhua Tianchen
And Prince Mingyu Tianchen—
Siblings bound by blood,
Destiny,
And the quiet ache of greatness.
"Don't worry," I said,
My voice steady.
"You both have a bright future ahead of you.
I can tell that
Without using foresight,
Without peering into knowing everything."
Lianhua tilted her head,
Half sceptical,
Half hopeful.
"You sound certain."
"I am," I replied.
—
Mingyu laughed softly from a distance,
As if he'd heard without hearing.
"Why do you doubt your creator—
The one who forged your ancient clan?
I know I'm right.
You can trust me," I said.
I smiled back at her, gently.
"It's not doubt.
I just want to know
A little more than I should…
I suppose."
I smiled at that.
—
Her brother didn't hesitate.
He beat the woman
With the same ruthless precision—
Fifty rounds,
Just like his sister.
No flourish.
No mercy.
Just inevitability.Then he turned to me,
Grinning as he ran forward.
"Look!
Did you see that?
I won!"
—
Princess Lianhua Tianchen spoke to me again.
"Master,
Do you intend to lose intentionally,
Or will you strive to win
The title of number one disciple?"
"I'm going to win."