MTLNOVEL Chapter 25: 21 years ago
The Land of Blossoms and Secrets
The cold mist parted like silk being pulled aside by invisible fingers.
As the heavy doors opened with the shimmer of an ancient seal, Mo Yan and Yu Sui stepped into a breathtaking hidden valley. What awaited them inside was far from ordinary — a paradise untouched by time. Verdant hills wrapped around the valley, and in the center stood the legendary Cold Sect of Mist.
A servant in light eligent robes greeted them with a graceful bow.
"Welcome, Master Mo Yan. Welcome, Master Yu Sui. The Grandmaster has been expecting you."
Startled, they exchanged glances.
How does he know our names...?
They were led past serene gardens, rippling lakes, and crystalline lanterns into an enormous stone library .... one that breathed the scent of time and secrets. Inside, it was silent. Only three people stood within those sacred walls.
The Grandmaster, draped in silver-blue robes with her white hair tied high, entered without a word. From the shelves that towered like ancient mountains, she pulled out a weathered book bound in blue silk.
The cold mist parted like silk being pulled aside by invisible fingers.
As the heavy doors opened with the shimmer of an ancient seal, Mo Yan and Yu Sui stepped into a breathtaking hidden valley. What awaited them inside was far from ordinary ...a paradise untouched by time. Verdant hills wrapped around the valley, and in the center stood the legendary Cold Sect of Mist.
A servant in light green robes greeted them with a graceful bow.
"Welcome, Master Mo Yan. Welcome, Master Yu Sui. The Grandmaster has been expecting you."
Startled, they exchanged glances.
How does he know our names...?
They were led past serene gardens, rippling lakes, and crystalline lanterns into an enormous stone library .... one that breathed the scent of time and secrets. Inside, it was silent. Only three people stood within those sacred walls.
The Grandmaster, draped in silver-blue robes with her white hair tied high, entered without a word. From the shelves that towered like ancient mountains, she pulled out a weathered book bound in blue silk.
She opened the book.
And she spoke.
"Let me take you back… 21 years ago."
Flashback
The Xuemo Sect.
The world was very different then. There was peace.
Nestled among soft hills and embraced by whispering rivers, the Xuemo Sect had always been a sanctuary of beauty and harmony. It wasn't known for its strength in war, nor for its politics .... but for something far more divine.
It was known for its seasons.
Every year, when the season of peach blossoms arrived, the entire sect would transform into a pink-and-white dream. The air would grow sweet with fragrance. Petals would fall like snowflakes, dancing on the wind, catching in the hair of passing children and resting softly on the still waters of sacred lakes.
At the heart of this magic was the River of Vows ... a gently flowing river so pure, they said it could reflect a person's true soul.
And in this sacred season, lovers from every corner of the five realms would come to Xuemo. Not to fight. Not to pray.
But to perform a ritual that had been passed down for centuries.
❇️ "If two souls in love offer five peach blossoms to the River of Vows, the river shall bless their bond for eternity." ❇️
On that day, petals would rain endlessly from the trees. The river would carry those blossoms into the horizon, shimmering like silk under the sunlight. That day the river fills up with flowers as if there is a flood of flowers Because on that day not just one but lakhs of people come to the river to get their love blessed, there are loving couples everywhere
The ritual wasn't just a custom it was a belief, a promise, a whispered dream shared between hearts. It was said the river had a soul of its own. It watched. It listened. And sometimes… it chose.
But I don't know who cast an evil eye on the Xuemo sect and it got destroyed.