Lin Yuan woke to the gentle sound of cooking and the warm aroma of porridge drifting through the air.
In the kitchen, Sect Leader Yuexian stood quietly by the stove, stirring with calm, practiced hands.
The memory of the previous morning flashed in his mind—when he had accidentally called her "mom." His face flushed slightly, but… it wasn't a bad feeling. In fact, it reminded him of something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Home.
Lady Yuexian glanced over. "What are you thinking about?"
Lin Yuan smiled faintly. "I was thinking about… our horse."
She gave a small chuckle but said nothing. For a moment, she almost asked him to call her "mom" again. But instead, she chose a different question.
"Tell me about your family."
Lin Yuan hesitated. "I can't really talk about them. But… if there's something specific you'd like to know, you can ask."
She shook her head gently. "No, it's alright. I was just curious. The truth is… I don't remember my own family anymore."
Lin Yuan looked at her seriously. "It's not your fault. My mother once told me: 'When you grow old enough, you start to forget your childhood.'"
He paused, then added with quiet honesty, "They say men shouldn't cry. But you're a woman… that means you're allowed."
That soft sentence undid her.
The woman who had led armies, held formations under siege, and stood firm when all others fell… suddenly couldn't hold back. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled silently down her cheeks.
She tried to remember—her family, her childhood, any warmth she once had—but all that came were images of loss. Friends who had died, fellow cultivators who had vanished, protectors who never returned. Her head throbbed with the effort of remembering.
Lin Yuan, without another word, sat down and began to sing softly.
Fragments of a Forgotten Past
*I forgot the past, it slipped away,
Like fading stars at break of day.
But when the memories softly call,
I see their shadows—one and all…*
*They fought for me, they bled, they fell,
In silent wars no words could tell.
I want to remember, to break this chain,
But my aching head screams with pain.*
*When I seek the tears I've never cried,
The mirror turns its face aside.
I fear the names I used to know
Will drift away like melting snow…*
*Please, just once—one single sight—
Of family lost to endless night.
Let me hold them in my mind,
Before the world leaves them behind.*
Someone said, "It's not your fault,"
But silence echoes through the vault.
If not mine—then whose despair?
What was our sin? Is that still there?
They say, "Move on, just walk ahead,"
But how do I move when they're all dead?
Their hands once held me in the fight,
Now I stumble through the endless night.
They fought to keep my breath alive,
Now I must learn—how to survive.
But what is life without their name?
Would living on not bear their shame?
Should I forget and leave them lost?
Turn from love and count the cost?
Or should I rise, though filled with pain,
And give their sacrifice a name?
Then let my steps be not in vain,
I'll carry both their love and pain.
With every breath, I'll guard their flame,
And give their silence back a name.
By the time the final note faded, Sect Leader Yuexian was crying openly—her body shaking with emotion she had buried for decades.
Qingxue and Xiao Hu entered the room quietly.
Qingxue whispered, "Is something wrong?"
Xiao Hu took on a tiger stance, growling deeply—a soul-shaking roar bursting from his chest. "How can I cry if I don't even know what happened?! Tell me!"
Lin Yuan, voice soft, said, "I don't know. I saw her cry, and suddenly I couldn't stop myself either."
Qingxue knelt beside Yuexian, hugging her tightly. "It's okay… share your pain. It won't feel as heavy."
She gently led the Sect Leader to her room and helped her lie down, then began giving her a light back massage to ease her breathing.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan wandered to the bathhouse and submerged himself in warm water, trying to quiet his thoughts.
To his surprise, Lady Mingyan was already there, also soaking quietly.
"You too? It looks like you are really my son. She hold his hand.Tiger shouldn't cry,they should shed blood.what do you think?" she asked.
He nodded. "I'm not sure if I want to remember or forget."
The two shared the silence. The water wasn't just warmth—it was a shield. When the mind faltered, the body remained strong. That was cultivation too.
---
By noon, Lin Yuan returned to the courtyard—and stopped in awe.
The entire garden was a **sea of flowers**.
Xiao Hu had picked every bloom he could find and scattered them around the courtyard like a festival of color.
Lin Yuan laughed softly, took his little brother's hand, and said, "Come on. Let's make something sweet."
The two of them made **traditional sweets**, working together until the courtyard filled with the scent of sugar and steam.
Lady Yuexian emerged at last, wiping her eyes and composing herself.
She paused at the sight of the flowers.
"Who did this?"
"I did!" Xiao Hu grinned. "Do you feel better? Flowers make beautiful people happy."
She blinked, surprised. "How do you even know that?"
"I saw a boy give flowers to a girl. He said it works. So…"
He picked a rose and held it out to her.
"You're more beautiful than flowers. You're my flower."
Tears welled again in Yuexian's eyes—this time from laughter. She knelt down, hugged Xiao Hu tightly, and kissed his cheek.
"Does it really work?" Xiao Hu asked with pride.
He tried the same trick on Qingxue.
She punched him in the shoulder."Be happy because I don't punch on your face "
Xiao Hu rubbed his arm. "Hmph. I think it only works on Taiyin Sect ladies."
They all burst out laughing.
"Brother," Xiao Hu said with a grin, "if you want to make someone feel better, smile first. Crying doesn't fix anything."
---
That afternoon, they visited the Moonmist Hall for a bath and returned with cold **spiritual watermelons**.
And that night, beneath the glowing Soul Tree, they sat together beneath the stars—quiet, close, at peace.
No one spoke. No one needed to.
A little family, not bound by blood… but by shared pain, healing hearts, and the small, quiet moments that make life beautiful.