The weather had turned.
The sunlight no longer bloomed across the land....it cowered, hidden, as if afraid.
Snow still fell from above, but now the sky was wrapped in a shroud of thick, black clouds. Damp was in the air.
In the medical wing where their parents rested, silence reigned.
Hearts, minds, and souls were lost in thought, a shadow of dread lingering in the air.
The light in the room had dimmed....
The sun had retreated behind the heavy clouds, vanishing from sight.
Outside the gates of the Hei Lin San Sect, preparations were already underway.
The horses stood ready, nostrils flaring, eager to charge forward at full speed.
Their riders.....Yu Sui, Mo Yan, Duie, Wey Xiong, Su Nian, Wuzu, and Lao Duan...kept their swords sheathed for now… but soon, those blades would taste blood.
The snowfall was growing heavier, but in their hearts, a volcano had already erupted.
No more delay.
They had already waited too long.
One by one, they mounted their steeds.
Masters Chang Shi, Lee Wen, and Zu Gushion remained behind...ready to face any threat that might come, and to care for their parents while they were gone.
Yu Sui extended a gentle hand, helping Mo Yan into the saddle.
Then, before climbing onto his own mount, he closed his eyes.
From the crown upon his head, the twin phoenixes burst forth with a roar like that of lions, seizing the sky above them.
Only then did he mount his horse.
His voice...gentle, yet carrying the weight of thunder.....rang out to the Masters who stood below:
"Until we return, do not leave this Sect. Protect all of our parents."
The moment the words left his lips, the reins snapped taut....and the journey began with blazing force.
The three Masters stood silently, watching the riders vanish into the storm....snow exploding beneath the pounding hooves. They knew not what trouble awaited, only that their path led directly into it.
At the front rode Yu Sui, guiding them with certainty.
He knew the road well, yet the snow grew thicker still, and the sky seemed to darken as though the heavens themselves had fallen into grief.
Their speed was relentless.....so fast it seemed they were not riding over snow, but flying across the wind itself.
And their destination.....
The Xuemo Sect.
A place that had already endured wounds beyond counting.