Love and Crown

When I woke again, I found myself in a dimly lit stone chamber. Reaching for my waist, I realized Yang Liu Feng was gone. Feeling around my body, I discovered a thick quilt covering me, with equally thick padding beneath. Yet despite this, a bone-chilling cold still seeped through.

Wrapping the quilt around myself, I sat up and surveyed the small stone room by the faint light on the walls. The construction was meticulous—the stone walls, floor, and ceiling were all exceptionally smooth, without a single visible seam.

Suddenly, a clear voice came from behind me: "Don't bother looking. This place is solid—we can't escape."

I turned quickly and saw a figure curled up against the wall not far from me.

"Zhong Lin?" I recognized that voice.

She lifted her head, revealing large dark eyes and a pointed chin—it was indeed the Zhong Lin I'd met at Tranquil Wind Tower.

I moved to sit beside her. "How did you end up here?"

"Drugged unconscious, woke up here," she replied languidly.

Remembering my purpose, I hurriedly said, "Mu Yan isn't the one who killed your family. He was with me that entire night."

Her body stiffened unexpectedly, and she answered coldly, "I know it wasn't him."

I was stunned. "Then why did you tell others it was him?"

Zhong Lin gave a bitter laugh. "True, it wasn't him. But what difference does it make? They were still people from his Phoenix Come Pavilion. Blaming him isn't unjust at all!"

I was shocked. "It was really people from Phoenix Come Pavilion who killed your family?"

She nodded slightly, hugging her arms as if cold. "They drugged us first, then barged in when we were weak, arrogantly declaring they were from Phoenix Come Pavilion. They dared reveal their identities because they thought none of us would survive... But I lived. My parents shielded me with their bodies—I was covered in their blood. Everyone thought I was dead too..."

Her voice suddenly turned shrill. "Mu Yan... he was sworn brothers with my third brother. He promised he'd always protect me... Yet he let those people storm into our home... So what if I accused him? That ungrateful—"

Slap. I struck her across the face.

She stared at me blankly, her thin face already streaked with tears.

"Don't hurt Mu Yan like that," I said, lowering my hand and turning away from her gaze. "One day, you'll regret this."

After a long silence, she suddenly spoke. "You think I've gone mad?"

I took a deep breath and shook my head. "If I were you, I'd be even madder."

She let out a hollow laugh and said no more.

Seeing her emotional turmoil, I didn't press further.

Though imprisoned in this dungeon, I still had doubts about the Zhong family massacre.

If, as Zhong Lin claimed, Phoenix Come Pavilion had exterminated the Zhong family, why would they imprison someone like me who appeared out of nowhere trying to prove their innocence? Wouldn't they instead exploit me?

But if the massacre had no connection to Phoenix Come Pavilion, there'd be no reason to lock me up either.

In those brief moments, I'd pieced together the sequence of events. If my guess was correct, the Zhong family massacre was indeed related to Phoenix Come Pavilion—but clearly, neither Mu Yan nor the Pavilion Master had been involved.Could it be internal strife? In this dungeon, I wasn't worried about being silenced, so I could only wait and see.

Before long, footsteps approached, and a food box was passed through the small square opening under the iron door. A polite voice said, "Please enjoy your meal." Could it be that staying here drives people mad? You two should stop quarreling—why bother with lunatics?"

I walked over to take the food box and smiled. "Thank you."

Zhong Lin sneered, "Such hypocrisy."

Opening the box, I found it divided into three layers, containing not only three or four dishes but also a flask of wine and a plate of pastries.

I smiled at Zhong Lin. "See? They're treating us quite well."

Zhong Lin remained cold. "Poisoned, no doubt?"

I chuckled, arranging the dishes on the floor. Taking out the wine flask from the bottom layer, I shook it with pleasant surprise. "Still warm—perfect for warding off the chill."

Zhong Lin snorted disdainfully.

Pouring the wine into the provided cups, I realized it was premium Jinzhou Bamboo Leaf Green Wine.

Bamboo Leaf Green—that person's favorite. During meals, he'd always have a small red clay stove on the table, warming this very wine. Its fragrance, carrying a faint bamboo leaf aroma, brought a sense of calm.

In the stone chamber, time blurred. Judging by the meals, Zhong Lin and I had been here three or four days.

For the first two days, Zhong Lin refused to speak. Gradually, she softened. We'd sit together, chatting idly—about her favorite cosmetics, or the novels I'd recently read.

Such carefree days weren't unbearable... yet I still longed to escape this dungeon.

On this day, when the caretaker delivered the food box again, I took it. Estimating he hadn't gone far, I winked at Zhong Lin. "Begin."

Understanding, Zhong Lin suddenly shrieked, "The food's poisoned!"

I grabbed dishes from the box, smashing them loudly to the floor while shouting hoarsely, "Zhong Lin! Zhong Lin! Help! The young mistress has been drugged!"

Zhong Lin lay sprawled dramatically but shot me a glare, muttering, "Drugged? Am I a rat...?"

Ignoring her, I kept yelling, "Help! Someone's dying!"

Footsteps soon approached outside. The same caretaker rushed to the door asking, "What happened?"

Pushing Zhong Lin's limp form, I injected a tearful tremor into my voice, acting convincingly, "I... don't know. She ate and just collapsed..."

Skeptical, he asked, "Really?"

Switching to indignant grief, I cried, "If you want us dead, say so! Why poison us? We can't escape anyway!"

Hurriedly, he said, "Wait here," unlocked the iron door, and rushed in.

As he neared, I struck—elbowing his nape. Zhong Lin sprang up, fingers darting to seal his chest's major acupoint. Without a sound, he crumpled.

We quickly searched him for keys and fled.

Before us stretched a passage. Escape proved unexpectedly smooth—past that door, we encountered no other guards.We made our way to the end of the tunnel and discovered a living quarters for guards. Not only were there complete bedding and daily necessities, but also several sets of spare uniforms for disciples of the Phoenix Come Pavilion. To my surprise, my Yang Liu Feng was also among these items.

Zhong Lin and I each picked up a disciple uniform to wear. I tucked Yang Liu Feng securely at my waist and used the key to unlock the iron door above the tunnel, climbing up from underground.

The exit was beside a lotus pond, and across the pond stood the waterside pavilion. Judging by the direction, the stone chamber we were in must have been beneath this pond—no wonder it was so chilly even in early summer.

Dressed in the Phoenix Come Pavilion disciple uniforms, we were about to sneak out when a disciple approached us. After glancing at us, he smiled and turned away.

Zhong Lin and I exchanged puzzled looks, only to hear increasingly urgent alarm bells ringing from all directions.

I had thought these uniforms would at least fool a few people, but they turned out to be completely useless!

Sharing a glance with Zhong Lin, we immediately bolted.

The scenery rushed past as we fled blindly. In a moment of distraction, we somehow ended up back in the courtyard where the Pavilion Master of Phoenix Come Pavilion resided.

A woman in white emerged before us, her eyes sharpening as she barked an order: "Stop those two!"

Disciples hurried over from all sides at her command, drawing their weapons and charging toward us. Flustered, I pulled out Yang Liu Feng and retreated to the roadside, watching helplessly as a flurry of blades and swords closed in.

A descending blade intercepted the sword aimed at me—Mu Yan had arrived, blocking the path in front of Zhong Lin and me with his weapon.

The woman in white was the same one I had seen in the carriage that day. Narrowing her eyes, she spoke coldly: "Hall Master Mu, are you siding with outsiders?"

Mu Yan chuckled lightly, raising his short blade. His usually lazy voice turned icy: "Step aside, or don’t blame my blade for being ruthless!"

The disciples hesitated at the sight of Mu Yan. Seizing the moment, he reached back to grab Zhong Lin’s hand: "Follow me out."

Zhong Lin froze, then abruptly pulled her hand away. Mu Yan was taken aback.

This young mistress, now was not the time for tantrums. I quickly grabbed her hand and nodded at Mu Yan: "Let’s hurry."

Mu Yan nodded, leading the way with his blade drawn. Zhong Lin and I followed closely. The disciples, lacking orders to pursue, didn’t put up much resistance.

Before leaving, I glanced back. Through the beaded curtain of the waterside pavilion, I faintly saw the woman in white standing beside a figure in green, seemingly reporting something. The distance made their figures indistinct—was this the yet-unseen Pavilion Master of Phoenix Come Pavilion?

Mu Yan knew the paths better than we did. Following him, we soon reached the outer wall. With one arm around each of us, he leaped over it.

Landing safely on the other side, Zhong Lin and I steadied ourselves, but Mu Yan stumbled slightly. I hurried to support him: "You were badly injured just days ago. Don’t push yourself."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zhong Lin tremble, but she remained silent, biting her lip and turning her face away.

Before Mu Yan could speak, a glint of light flashed beside us.With a flash of an extremely fine silver thread, a clear voice rang out: "Hall Master Mu, isn't it rather inappropriate to privately take people from the Pavilion Master's dungeon?"

Without hesitation, Mu Yan swung his blade. A cold gleam flashed as a sharp "ding" sounded—the silver thread swiftly retracted. Mu Yan took a step back, glancing at the scratch on his short sword, his voice icy: "Hall Master Nie."

The newcomer was dressed in white, his delicate features almost feminine, yet his thin lips and narrow phoenix eyes carried an inexplicable chill. Behind him stood a row of Phoenix Come Pavilion disciples armed with crossbows.

With a flick of his fingers, he retrieved the silver thread he had just unleashed, his other hand tucked into his sleeve. His expression was blank, his slightly narrowed eyes glinting with a faint icy-blue hue: "Hall Master Mu, bring these two women and come with me."

Mu Yan said nothing. In a swift motion, his short sword lashed out, aiming straight for Hall Master Nie's throat.

From Nie's sleeves burst forth strands of silver light, blooming like a layered chrysanthemum. His arms spread wide, the silver threads between his fingers crisscrossing as they shot toward Mu Yan.

Mu Yan's blade gleamed cold as water, sweeping forward in an instant to strike at Nie Hanrong. Nie sidestepped lightly, his fingers twitching as the silver threads intertwined with a hiss, swiftly coiling back like tangled rays of light, relentless in their pursuit.

This was the signature technique of the Silver Radiance String Sect. Within Phoenix Come Pavilion, Nie Hanrong, Hall Master of Well Wood Hall, was currently the sect's foremost master. Their disciples wielded weapons of extremely fine yet resilient steel wires—thin yet lethally sharp, capable of killing without a trace.

Nie Hanrong was the most skilled practitioner the Silver Radiance String Sect had seen in decades. Even before joining Phoenix Come Pavilion, he had ranked among the top ten masters in the Martial World. Countless heroes had met their end unknowingly beneath his Silver Radiance Strings.

Mu Yan, still recovering from severe injuries, was clearly struggling. His short sword flickered back, the blade screeching as it sliced through the silver threads—but they were only delayed for a moment. With a sharp "shick," the sword, sharp enough to cut gold and jade, shattered into pieces. Mu Yan flipped backward, barely dodging the overlapping threads.

A few bloodstained fabric scraps fluttered to the ground as a fresh wound appeared on Mu Yan's arm. He stretched out a hand and called, "Give me a sword."

Zhong Lin was still stunned, but I immediately tossed Yang Liu Feng toward Mu Yan: "Use mine."

Mu Yan caught Yang Liu Feng just as Nie Hanrong pressed forward, his silver threads already snapping toward him.

Yang Liu Feng was a soft sword, using flexibility to counter flexibility. For a moment, it held back the silver threads' assault. Amid the swirling silver light and the dance of blades and threads, Mu Yan and Nie Hanrong's figures became nearly indistinguishable.

As the battle raged, my palms grew clammy with sweat. I quickly surveyed the surroundings—this was an empty street flanked by high walls on either side. One side bordered Phoenix Come Pavilion's courtyard, while the other likely belonged to another estate. Few pedestrians were around, though the distant bustle of a crowded main street was faintly visible.

Thinking fast, I seized the opportunity while Mu Yan held Nie Hanrong at bay. Grabbing Zhong Lin's hand, I sprinted toward the main street. Once there, we could easily lose ourselves in the crowd.

But we hadn't gone far when Zhong Lin suddenly gasped and stopped.

I turned back—and my heart clenched. The Yang Liu Feng I'd lent Mu Yan had snapped in half. With the sword broken, Mu Yan was immediately at a disadvantage, wielding the shattered remnant as he desperately fended off the relentless silver threads.Before I could say anything, Mu Yan, struggling against the enemy, actually found the breath to complain amidst the crisis: "Why is your sword so useless!"

If it weren't for the razor-sharp Yang Liu Feng, any ordinary sword would have long been severed under the terrifying Silver Radiance String, wouldn't it?

I was so furious I could barely breathe: "I lent you my sword out of kindness, and now you dare blame me because your poor skills got it broken?"

Mu Yan looked even more disheveled now, with several new wounds on his body and a gash on his handsome cheek, his face covered in blood, adding a touch of ferocity.

Nie Hanrong narrowed his eyes, speaking as he fought: "Hall Master Mu, it's not too late to turn back now."

Mu Yan suddenly laughed: "Enough, stop going easy on me. Aren't you afraid the Pavilion Master will punish you too?"

Nie Hanrong paused, then snorted coldly. By now, he had retreated beyond the range of the archers. The silver threads in his hands rustled sharply, suddenly twisting as several strands wrapped around Mu Yan's legs. With a flick of his wrist, he yanked Mu Yan to the ground, shouting: "Fire—"

"Thwack!" The sharp sound of an arrow cutting through the air—not from the archers—came from behind us. A single arrow pierced through the rain of silver threads, grazing Nie Hanrong's cheek before embedding itself with a dull thud into the wall behind him, its tail still quivering faintly.

A few strands of silver thread slowly drifted to the ground—the arrow that had shot through the air had severed Nie Hanrong's Silver Radiance String.

The sound of hooves echoed as a group of fully armored cavalry, weapons in hand, appeared at the mouth of the alley. Among them stood one man not clad in armor, dressed instead in pristine white robes, his slender, pale hand gripping a jet-black strongbow, making his skin seem like jade.

He lightly flicked the hair ribbon resting on his shoulder, smiling elegantly: "Well? Who dares cause trouble in Jinling City?"

I gaped and blurted out: "Xiao Qianqing."

The man before me was Xiao Qianqing—who should have been in the capital—yet here he was in Jinling.

Seeing my wide-eyed astonishment, he looked down at me with an amused smile: "You're quite a mess this time too."

Whether by coincidence or design, Xiao Qianqing always seemed to appear at my most disheveled moments, witnessing many of my embarrassing states.

I cleared my throat, feeling slightly awkward: "It's not that bad."

Xiao Qianqing chuckled and straightened up. When he turned to Nie Hanrong, his voice turned cold: "The magistrate of Jinling informed me the city has been restless these past few days. Displaying such force now—are you planning a rebellion?"

As soon as Xiao Qianqing spoke, a bearded officer behind him stepped forward and bellowed: "His Highness the Regent Prince is present! Who stands before us? How bold! Retreat at once!"

Nie Hanrong still held the severed silver threads in his hand. He smiled faintly, retracting the threads as he stepped to the side of the road, gesturing for the archers to withdraw. Bowing, he said: "We commoners were merely entangled in a private dispute and inadvertently disturbed Your Highness. We beg for your forgiveness. However, the conflicts of the Martial World are intricate—pulling one thread moves the entire web. Should Your Highness intervene, it may require considerable effort."

Xiao Qianqing scoffed: "This prince cares not for your petty affairs. I merely came across an old friend and wish to take her back." With that, he ignored Nie Hanrong, bending down to extend his hand to me. "Mount up."I quickly pointed to Mu Yan and Zhong Lin and said, "These two are my friends. I need to take them with me."

Xiao Qianqing didn't even glance at Mu Yan or Zhong Lin before nodding. "Since they're your friends, they can come along."

I placed my hand in his and let him pull me onto his horse, secretly relieved that Xiao Qianqing had arrived just in time.

With a show of might, Xiao Qianqing led the procession of gleaming-armored soldiers, escorting me, Mu Yan, and Zhong Lin to the imperial family's villa in Jinling.

Once we had all caught our breath and settled in the flower hall, I turned to Mu Yan first. "Is the Zhong family massacre connected to Phoenix Come Pavilion?"

Mu Yan, still pale from his untreated wounds, leaned against the table and glanced at Zhong Lin before answering. "It is, but it wasn't ordered by the Pavilion Master. It was carried out by those who oppose him."

After a moment's thought, I was slightly surprised. "Do these people intend to use this incident to stage a rebellion within Phoenix Come Pavilion and seize power from the Pavilion Master?"

Mu Yan nodded, then looked at me and Zhong Lin. "The one who locked you up was likely the Pavilion Master. The exits of that dungeon are all within the courtyard where he resides, and it's usually abandoned. I didn't even know when he had imprisoned you there."

"I can guess his intentions..." I mused. "The person guarding us these past few days treated us well. I suspect your Pavilion Master might have been protecting Zhong Lin and me."

Mu Yan frowned. "Now we roughly know who's behind this. If it's them, they'd likely try to silence you and Xiao Lin. Before openly confronting them, hiding you in the dungeon was indeed a safe measure."

Zhong Lin, who had been silent all this while, suddenly spoke up. "Li Xiyan... I saw him that night with my own eyes."

This girl—if she hadn't been at odds with Mu Yan and had revealed the murderer earlier, we wouldn't have had so much trouble.

Mu Yan was silent for a moment before saying, "It was indeed him. He was among the first to join Phoenix Come Pavilion, back when Feng Yuanjiang was still the Pavilion Master. Back then, they took on any job and killed anyone, with almost no rules. After the current Pavilion Master took over, he established many rules. But Li Xiyan secretly handled a few shady deals and was severely reprimanded by the Pavilion Master. Who would have thought he'd still refuse to repent and now even attempt a rebellion?"

He paused before continuing, "Actually, your escape was poorly timed. This afternoon, the Pavilion Master had arranged a meeting with the leaders of various sects at Phoenix Come Pavilion—first, to thoroughly investigate the Zhong family massacre, and second, to prove the Pavilion Master's innocence. He planned to apprehend the rebellious disciples in one fell swoop then."

Hearing this, my eyes lit up. "So there's a good show to watch today! Let's go back, disguise ourselves, and sneak in. Zhong Lin can expose Li Xiyan as the real culprit on the spot, and we can see how this scoundrel gets what's coming to him."

Mu Yan nodded. "I must return as well. Right now, I'm the prime suspect. If I'm not there when the sect leaders arrive, the Pavilion Master won't be able to explain my absence."

Just then, I heard a soft chuckle beside me—it was Xiao Qianqing, who had been quietly listening to our conversation.

I raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

Shaking his head with a faint smile, he said, "Looking at you like this... you're practically delighting in the chaos."

I cleared my throat. "Why did you suddenly come to Jinling? Is something happening here?"Xiao Qianqing tilted the corner of his mouth and smiled slightly with his head cocked. "What? Must I only come when there's business?" He paused, the faint smile still lingering on his lips. "Can't I just come to see you?"

The light in those pale phoenix eyes was too dazzling. For a moment, I was stunned into silence before managing a faint smile without responding.

Xiao Qianqing continued to gaze at me with a faint smile, saying nothing more. The room fell into silence for a moment.

Mu Yan went to tend to his wounds, and Zhong Lin followed him.

It was just past mid-morning, still early, leaving only Xiao Qianqing and me in the flower hall.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Qianqing called for a maid to bring a pot of wine.

Remembering the warm Bamboo Leaf Green Wine from the secret chamber, I smiled and said, "Bring Bamboo Leaf Green."

Xiao Qianqing didn’t comment, simply waving the maid away.

The wine was soon warmed and served. The finest Bamboo Leaf Green from Jinzhou, poured into a secret-glazed official kiln cup, shimmered with a golden glow.

Xiao Qianqing traced the rim of the cup with his finger and spoke quietly, "I came to find you this time for a reason. The mausoleum is nearly complete."

I was taken aback. The mausoleum he referred to was the Imperial Mausoleum currently under construction.

Due to the emperor’s sudden demise, the grand mausoleum had not been finished in time, and the imperial coffin had remained in the Hall of Ancestral Worship, awaiting the completion of the tomb for burial.

"When the time comes to confer the posthumous title and preside over the rites, your presence will be required," Xiao Qianqing said calmly.

I lowered my head without responding, staring at the cup before me. At some point, I had begun drinking only Bamboo Leaf Green.

The finest Bamboo Leaf Green from Jinzhou, golden in hue; the Hebei variety, pale green; the homemade southern version, light jade—each cup swirled in my hand, sliding coolly down my throat. Always Bamboo Leaf Green.

"Still thinking of him?" Xiao Qianqing’s lips curled slightly as he spoke lightly, "It’s been half a year since he passed. Time to let go."

My fingers tightened around the cup. I stood and smiled. "Once the mausoleum is ready, I’ll return. Even if I’m lazy, I won’t neglect such matters." Placing the cup on the table, I added, "I’m tired. I’ll rest for a while."

With that, I turned and left the flower hall, descending the steps. Outside, the midday sun of early summer blazed brightly. I looked down at the delicate shadows cast by the lush purple jasmine in the flower beds upon the green bricks.

The sunlight burned warmly against my skin. Summer had arrived in the south.

Raising my hand, I saw a long red mark on my palm—an imprint left by gripping the cup. It didn’t hurt much, but it lay right across the center of my palm’s lines, glaringly conspicuous.

What was I thinking? That person had been gone for five months and seventeen days.

Fumbling in my sleeve, I retrieved the Yang Liu Feng sword I had picked up. Running my fingers over its cleanly severed edge, I noted how it had broken cleanly in half. The seven characters inscribed upon it—"What grieves me most is parting year after year"—were now scattered across the two broken blades.

In the afternoon, the four of us disguised ourselves and blended into the bustling crowd heading toward Phoenix Come Pavilion.

Before we even reached the vicinity of the pavilion, we spotted numerous solemn-faced martial heroes lining the streets.

Martial World figures had flocked in droves. Phoenix Come Pavilion had opened its main gates, setting up tea and seating in the spacious front courtyard to receive guests.

The leaders of the two great sects, Shaolin’s Xuezhen Dashi and Wudang’s Qiu Sheng Daoren, were present that day. Heroes from all corners had gathered in the front courtyard. The four of us squeezed through the crowd and found seats in a corner of the courtyard.I scanned the area and noticed that in front of the Vermilion Bird Tower at the center of the front courtyard, a row of wooden tables and chairs had been arranged facing the seats of Xuezhen Dashi and Qiu Sheng Daoren. Nie Hanrong, the woman in white I had often seen by the Phoenix Come Pavilion Master’s side, and several others who appeared to be key figures of the tower were seated there. Only the first seat—reserved for the Pavilion Master—and the third seat—Mu Yan’s—remained empty.

The Phoenix Come Pavilion was divided into seven halls based on the Seven Mansions of the South: Well Wood Hall, Ghost Metal Hall, Willow Earth Hall, Chariot Water Hall, Wings Fire Hall, Star Sun Hall, and Net Moon Hall. Among them, Well Wood, Ghost Metal, Willow Earth, Chariot Water, and Wings Fire Halls were established in various regions, each overseen by a hall master to consolidate the Pavilion’s expanding influence. Meanwhile, Star Sun and Net Moon Halls were located at the main headquarters in Jinling, assisting the Pavilion Master in handling affairs. The two hall masters were his most trusted right-hand men. Mu Yan was the master of Star Sun Hall, while the woman in white I frequently saw by the Pavilion Master’s side was Su Qian, the highly relied-upon master of Net Moon Hall.

The sky had been overcast earlier in the afternoon, but now a cool breeze swept through, dispersing the dark clouds and gradually brightening the courtyard. Yet, the Pavilion Master still hadn’t appeared.

Casually, I asked Mu Yan beside me, “Your Pavilion Master is taking his time.”

Mu Yan replied, “Our Pavilion Master is in poor health and rises late in the afternoon.”

Recalling the faint scent of medicine I had noticed in the carriage and the secret passage, I nodded. “I see.”

Suddenly, it occurred to me that I had only heard the Pavilion Master’s surname was “Bai” but didn’t know his full name. Smiling, I asked, “Mu Yan, what is your Pavilion Master’s full name?”

Mu Yan chuckled. “You travel the Martial World, yet you don’t know our Pavilion Master’s name?” With a light laugh, he answered, “Our Pavilion Master’s name is Chi Fan—‘Chi’ as in ‘the slow tolling of evening bells,’ ‘Fan’ as in ‘a lone sail on the distant horizon.’”

Chi Fan—Bai Chi Fan.

The clamor in the courtyard suddenly quieted as all eyes turned forward. The Phoenix Come Pavilion Master had arrived.

With a clatter, I stood up abruptly, knocking over the table in front of me. Cups and teapots tumbled to the ground. Mu Yan exclaimed in surprise, “Young Mistress, why the hurry?”

From behind the trellis of roses at the corner of the courtyard, a young man emerged, walking slowly. Clad in a Blue Gown, he approached the central table but did not sit. Instead, he gave a slight nod in greeting to the assembled crowd.

His gaze swept across the vast courtyard, and through the crowd, our eyes met.

At this moment, the distance between us felt immense—as if an entire world stood between us.