Remembering You For Eternity

2.45 Aftermath

Upon hearing the sharp intake of breath from Zhu Hong, as if the Sage was going to choke, YuLan dropped to a kneel.

Behind her, Zuo ZhouLei followed suit.

"This disciple is unfilial." YuLan bowed her head lowly and touched her forehead against the floor.

Silence befell. YuLan did not know what to say further, despite the long speech and reasoning she had prepared beforehand. Prior to arriving at Chun Ping Gu sect, YuLan had forbidden Zuo ZhouLei to say a single word in front of her Shifu.

Although Zuo JinHai still stayed with Zuo BingTan at the Imperial Palace to look after several logistics and cleaning up of their battle's aftermath, Sage Shen Zheng and Shen Wei followed Zuo ZhouLei and YuLan to Ping sect. At the moment, the two Wu Shan's personages were waiting in an abode prepared for guests, at the area usually used by outer disciples, in front of Yin Lake.

Despite their goodwill, YuLan asked Sage Shen Zheng and Shen Wei to wait for them. Sage Shen Zheng had wanted to also persuade Zhu Hong, but YuLan knew her Shifu's temper more than anyone. Nevertheless, at the moment, YuLan was glad she had at least Zuo ZhouLei behind her. He was like a strong wall that she was sure would always be there, to support her should she fall, or hold her if she needed something to lean on.

She knew she needed him - even if it was only his mere presence - at this moment, more so than ever before. She could feel Zhu Hong's fury and sorrow suffocating her.

"Come closer!" Zhu Hong's voice was hoarse, ladened with a tint of grievance. YuLan shuffled on her knees forward, understanding that she was not allowed to walk on her two feet yet.

All those modern self-respect values, all those human rights had completely been thrown out of the window. At least towards Zhu Hong, YuLan felt that she owed the latter that much respect, that much reverence.

She finally was able to see Zhu Hong's shoes and the hems of the latter's white robes. From above her, Zhu Hong demanded,

"Your arm!"

YuLan's heart sank. She knew what her Shifu wanted to see, that Zhu Hong would soon just be unable to see. Everything had come to this moment, but YuLan had no regrets. Across two lifetimes, she had fallen in love with the same man. Despite him not remembering her, she remembered him. With that fact, there was no way she would give up on her chance to be with him.

YuLan lifted her hand, the one that used to bear the red cinnabar mark. The touch of Zhu Hong's reaching hands felt cold to YuLan, as her Shifu slowly lifted her sleeves, exposing her flawless inner elbow. It was completely unblemished and devoid of any marking.

"I thought it was a misunderstanding, a cruel joke of some sort." Zhu Hon's raspy voice sounded like a choke, gripping onto YuLan's arm. The force of her grip was strong, but YuLan let her Shifu do as she pleased,

"Very good! What a good disciple! For a man! For a man, you have thrown your future away, smeared mud onto your Shifu's face, and let down the whole sect!!"

Zhu Hong pulled YuLan's arms, forcing her to finally stand. Feeling a bit dizzy from the sudden movement, she finally lifted her head to meet Zhu Hong's reddened eyes. The Sage put her palm onto YuLan's ribs, where her Zhong Dantian was,

"If you want to go with him, I will take away your cultivation. Ping sect has given you your cultivation, to forsake the sect is to forsake your own... ." Zhu Hong paused, then a deep frown formed on her brows. Her eyes began to widen as her palm indented further to the fold of YuLan's robes, probing with her own Qi into YuLan's Dantian.