I alone am the Honoured One!

Zhao Tian held her tightly, feeling the warmth of her body pressed against his chest as her silent sobs dampened the fabric of his robes.

The rain had stopped long ago, leaving behind only the soft dripping of water from the eaves and the faint rustle of wind brushing past the corridor.

Three months… three whole months locked in his pill room, refining medicines.

He was so absorbed in that goal that he didn't once asked about Ji Shuang.

Not once had he thought to check how she was doing.

How foolish…

Now… Ji Shuang had no one left.

No one but him.

A pang of guilt stabbed through his chest.

He pulled Ji Shuang closer, resting his chin gently atop her head.

Her long purple hair tickled his cheek, and he could smell the faint floral fragrance of her, lavender and dew.

She whispered again, voice muffled against his chest "Do you know how much it hurts every time I walk into the courtyard and don't see her there anymore? Or when I pass the Alchemy Chamber and it's empty?"

He could only say "I'm sorry…"

Ji Shuang leaned back slightly, just enough to look up at him.

Her eyes, though swollen and red-rimmed from crying, still glowed with their usual purple brilliance.

"Don't say sorry." she said softly.

"Just… don't leave me."

She raised her hand and gently brushed his cheek with tender fingers.

Zhao Tian looked at her… and for the first time, he saw not just the Sect Master.

He saw her. Ji Shuang... the woman who had stood beside him even when he was lost in grief.

The woman who had fought for him, bled for him, and now… wept for him.

"I don't want to lose you," she whispered in desperation.

"I know Jing'er meant the world to you. I know that. But Tian… so do you to us. Not just to me. To the others."

His chest rose and fell, heavy with emotion.

"…I thought," he began

"if I could just find a way to bring her back… everything would make sense again. That the guilt would go away."

Ji Shuang reached up, cupping his face with both hands "The guilt will never go away, Tian. You just learn to live with it. But you don't have to bear it alone."

A long silence followed.

Wind fluttered the hanging lanterns nearby, casting dancing shadows across the corridor.

Somewhere in the distance, an owl called softly.

Zhao Tian lowered his gaze, then slowly leaned forward until his forehead rested against hers.

A tear slid down her cheek and he gently wiped it away with his thumb.

She didn't say anything in response.

Instead, she let out a slow, trembling breath and leaned into him.

Ji Shuang's breathing began to slow, though her fingers remained curled tightly around the folds of his robes.

A long moment passed in silence. And then, quietly, she spoke...

"My father died like a month ago... he stopped taking medicines for his disease and finally accepted his death."

"I didn't cry because I know he lived a fulfilling life."

"And in the funeral… I was standing in front of the Wing Masters and Sect Elders… all those faces, all those expectations, staring back at me and waiting for the Sect Master to be strong."

"So I was. I stood tall. I gave a speech. I performed the rites. I didn't let a single tear fall."

Then, a soft unexpected chuckle escaped her lips, "You know… I've always hated how composed I look in front of everyone. Like I'm some unreachable Sect Master that people have to bow to. But with you…"

She glanced up, smiling through her tears.

"…I can finally be myself."

Zhao Tian smiled gently. "Then keep being yourself."

Eventually, Ji Shuang pulled back slightly, sniffling and wiping her eyes "I have always respected you."

"...as a cultivator, as a man. But Tian… if you die chasing an impossible hope, I will never forgive you because you left us behind."

With a deep sigh, she spoke "I know what Yao Jing meant to you. I won't even pretend to understand the pain you feel."

"But… do you know how much it hurts to stand here, watching you throw yourself into danger again, for someone who's gone… while the ones still here... still breathing, and you act like we don't matter."

Shaking her head, she spoke "Do you think I would cry for just anyone and beg anyone to stay?"

Her voice softened, "I'm the Sect Master of the Jade Eclipse Sect. I've buried comrades. I've watched people fall."

"I've had to sign off on the deaths of disciples I raised like my own children. I remember their names. Every single one."

"I had to write letters to their families, explaining how bravely they fought, how honorably they died. And with every name I wrote… another piece of me died, too."

She lowered her head slightly, her forehead nearly resting against his "But I'm tired, Tian… tired of loss. Of sending people off and wondering if they'll come back. Of pretending I'm unbreakable when I'm not."

"I... I don't want to lose you too, Tian."

Zhao Tian's gaze quivered hearing her words and he closed his eyes for a moment to regain his composure.

Her hands trembled "I know you're not doing this out of recklessness or selfishness. You loved her deeply. And you want to bring her back."

"But… what if you die before that happens? What if the rupture takes you? What if your body is found broken on some barren plane, and we're left here—waiting, hoping… and then mourning?"

She shook her head, "I can't go through that again. I won't."

"You are the only one left for me, and I don't want to lose anyone again, Tian."

Another streak of tear caressed down her cheek "Please... listen to me."

His jaw tightened as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

And for the first time in a long while… he hesitated.

His hand slowly rose, covering her hand as he gently closed his eyes.

The night had never felt so heavy.

"…Ji Shuang," he said softly, barely able to get her name out.

"I… I don't know what to do."