The four of them were having their sweet moment. They were living in their world and didn't notice a group of people looking at them. That group didn't want to break their precious moment, so they kept quiet. But one boy in that group was patiently waiting for others to say something or the four of them to break their sweet moment. He had enough because he wanted to see his elder brother, and no one was saying anything.
"Where is Yichen gege?" Xuanji and Linglong moved away from the hug and looked for the source of the voice; even Sifeng and Minyan looked for the owner of the voice. That's when they noticed a boy, the same age as his son, standing near the doorstep, and they saw that seven more people walked up to him from behind the wall while the four of them were looking at them with surprise. Everyone had their head downwards because they were supposed to come tomorrow, not today.
"What are you all doing here?" Xuanji finally let her curiosity get the best of her. Eight people standing before them were friends with these four, but they all were from different Sects, which confused the four; they were supposed to come tomorrow and not today. Eight of them were looking here and there because they didn't know why they came early.
"Brother Liu, Ting Nu?" When Sifeng noticed that no one was ready to answer, he called two people's name who were older than all of them. There was a rule in Lize Palace that they weren't allowed to fall in love, but Yihuan couldn't help. He fell in love with one girl, but she was killed because the common people came to know that the child to whom she gave birth was half human and half demon.
Because of these rules, Liu Yihuan was an abandoned disciple of Lize Palace, but when everything was back to normal, Lize Palace decided to give him a chance. They thought of taking Yihuan back for Sifeng, Yihuan was his big brother, and he could depend on him for anything and anytime. Ting Nu is a water demon, meaning he is a mermaid; mermaids don't have legs, but they are fishtailed below the waist. So, to wander on land, he uses a wheelchair, and often his friends help him with that. They all have a very understanding bond, which strengthens the relationship between them.
"This boy", Yihuan slightly slapped someone's back who seemed very young in that group. That boy started to rub the place where he got hit and showed his puppy eyes to escape the situation. They were perplexed when they saw each other at the main gate of the Shaoyang Sect. They were supposed to come because the ceremony would start tomorrow, but for some reason, they all wanted to be there with those four today. They were missing each other, and the loneliness made them be there before the actual time.
"You can ask Ruo Yu, Little Silver Flower, Yu'er, Haoran, Jia Hao, or Yuze, why us?" Both of them simultaneously acted because they didn't know what to say.
Ruo Yu was a friend and then an enemy, but now everyone is friends and on good terms with him. His sister was captured, so he had to betray his friends. They all understand him because his sister was his only family, but now, he has a new family, and they no longer hate him; they are not enemies now.
Lu Yanran, or Little Silver Flower, was the spirit beast of Sifeng; she is a rat snake. Spirit Beasts are a group of unique species controlled by a master or simply friends sometimes. Sifeng and Yanran were in a blood pact that they would have a master and spirit beast relationship, but she fell in love with Sifeng. So, she found a way to break their blood pact and try to win him, but later, she understood Sifeng's feelings. Even if she tries for eternity, Sifeng will only love Xuanji and she can't change that. So, she decided to give Rou Yo a chance because he was the only one who would always stay beside her during hard times. She doesn't regret giving him a chance, and now they are leading a delighted family life.
Liu Yu'er is a half-demon and also the daughter of Liu Yihuan. Yihuan was a Golden Red Bird Demon, and everyone knows that. Everyone in Lize Palace was Golden Red Bird Demon. After the war between Heaven officials and Demon 1,000 years ago, they formed a righteous Sect to save themselves. Now, everyone knows the truth and accepts them, even if they are demons. Yihuan had to leave Yu'er because of Lize Palace, but now everything is back to normal, and he is happy to enjoy his time with his daughter.
Zhong Jia Hao and Zhong Yuze, sons of Chu Linglong and Zhong Minyan. They are twins like Linglong and Xuanji; Jia Hao is a few minutes older than Yuze. People around them say that the twins are so much like Xuanji and Linglong because they act like that. Yuze constantly stirs up some trouble, and Jia Hao is always there to help his younger brother; no matter what, they always believe each other and never lie.
Yu Haoran, son of Ruo Yu and Lu Yanran, is a very hard-working cultivator. His parents love him so much, and they help him with his cultivation. He is also a disciple of Lize Palace, as his father, Ruo Yu, is. Yuze is the one who asked the question which caught everyone's attention. They all have a very understanding bond, and no one wants to destroy that; they are a family.
"We are early because we are missing you all", Yuze immediately answered, earning a light chuckle from the others. Yuze is the youngest among them; they treat him like a baby. Yuze loves Yichen the most because Yichen always lets Yuze do whatever he wants, but that also doesn't stop him from loving his twin brother. He loves his twin brother more than Yichen, but there is no limit to love between all of them.
"One minute, where is Yichen?" Xuanji asked all of them because when she was preparing for the ceremony, she didn't see Yichen, and now everyone was present but not Yichen. Sifeng also started to look here and there; maybe, like everyone else, he would be hiding somewhere. Linglong and Minyan looked at each other because they also didn't see Yichen. Others just came; they definitely won't know where Yichen is.
Everyone is puzzled because no one saw him; Sifeng last saw him when he came to Sifeng's room to borrow some books, Xuanji last saw him when he came to drink some water, Linglong last saw him when he was passing by her, and Minyan last saw him at the peach forest, taking a nap like his mother. Xuanji was lazy in the past and always took a nap in the woods located on the mountain. Shaoyang Sect is situated on a hill between two or three peaks, while Lize Palace is between the sea, and a bridge connects it with the land.
"He might be in the peach forest the last place I saw him", Minyan quickly informed them about Yichen's whereabouts; maybe Yichen was still there. He didn't want to lose this opportunity to find the younger one because he never stayed in one place, he always liked to roam around.
The younger is practising his sword skills peacefully without knowing that a group of people is looking for him. He was napping on one of the trees in the peach forest but suddenly wanted to practice his skills because the Flower Ceremony was tomorrow, and he wanted to win it to make his parents proud. He is wearing a light green robe above three sets of clothes, and his hair is tied into a ponytail that perfectly moves according to the wind; a white ribbon is tied around it, which carelessly floats with the wind.
His life was perfect; Yichen had everything anyone would wish for, and he would use all his time in practice. He had an ideal family and friends who understood him but lacked LOVE. Till that moment, he never felt that special feelings for anyone. Yichen always wanted to meet his one and only, to feel what his parents felt toward each other. There are so many people around him, but they are always in one zone, a friendship zone. No matter what he does, he can't accept anyone around him to be inside his comfort zone. But he was happy because he knew that he would meet that particular person one day, someday.
Yichen held the sword and swung it around while bending his body backwards, creating a circle with the sword, which emitted a Maya blue colour. He got that from his mother because whenever she used her sword to bring forth the Ninth Heaven Fire, Xuanji used the same spell. When he created a perfect circle with his sword, he felt someone's presence in the forest. He suddenly broke his spell, which he was trying to cast with the help of the sword, when he felt two hands wrapped around his waist and a light slap on his head.
"I miss you", He heard his brother's voice; Yichen turned immediately and hugged him without wasting a second. Yichen came to know who slapped him when Yihuan again slapped him slightly. He backed away from the hug and rubbed his head, where Yihuan beat him. He looked apologetically at everyone because he knew why everyone was standing there with their hand folded against their chest.
"Can't you live for a second without practising?" Ting Nu gently shakes his head while looking at the younger and his mother. Because even if she is a War God, she doesn't like to practice spells or sword skills. They are different, but their love is the same, and Yichen is so much like his father that everyone agrees. Yichen slowly rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment because when he went to take the book from his father, Sifeng told him to enjoy the time left and not practice. But Sifeng caught him red-handed; he held the younger's ears and twisted them. Younger's body immediately reacted to the pain by putting both hands over his father's.
"It hurts", Yichen informed Sifeng like he didn't know about it. Sifeng took a deep breath before releasing his ear and looking at Yichen. While Yichen is rubbing his ear to reduce the pain, when he notices his father's scolding gazing, he gives an apologizing smile to his father.
"I want you to enjoy your time and not practice", Yichen knows that his father only wants his happiness, but he is just like Sifeng, with the same stubbornness. Yichen intends to make his parents proud of him and will do anything. In practice, Sifeng lost his young age and tried to run away from Xuanji. He doesn't regret anything or regret wearing the loveless mask for Xuanji.
When one wears a loveless mask, one must be emotionless, the worst torture of Lize Palace. Sifeng had to wear that mask because his feelings for Xuanji were more than just a friend and still are, love was forbidden in Lize Palace. He took the divine weapons of Rahu Ketu in his body to save Xuanji and had to stay away from her because he was afraid that he would destroy her life. Xuanji also would prefer to avoid her young age. He was compelled to practice spells and sword skills. In every step she took, Xuanji didn't know that Sifeng protected her from everything and even wore the loveless mask for her. She just wanted to enjoy her life, but he didn't know what enjoyment meant as he was born without six senses.
While trying to regain her six senses, she experienced a death situation that left some scar that wasn't visible to us, but Sifeng saw it and cured it with his love. Xuanji even opened the Stellar Soul Lamp to save Sifeng without even caring that the powerful demon Rahu Ketu would be free. Everyone knew the soul in the lamp would find his primordial spirit after being free, but no one expected it would be Xuanji.
When Rahu Ketu was free, he declared war because his best friend whom he trusted unquestioningly betrayed him a thousand years ago. At the same time, Bailin didn't know that a thousand years ago, when he created War God from Rahu Ketu's primordial spirit, Rahu Ketu was there to give him the good news that the war would end, and he was there to stop it. Bailin didn't know that he destroyed the peace they could have achieved a thousand years ago, but something good came out of it eventually. War God was emotionless, but her heart hurt whenever she was with Sifeng. She was emotionless because she didn't have a heart, so why did she feel hurt whenever she was near Sifeng? Linglong and Minyan always fight in the past and even now, but their love never decreases, no matter what.
"Wait a minute", Yichen suddenly remembered something and looked at all of them with a questionable look. He was having an internal battle while looking at them, and that question was confusing him a lot.
"Aren't you guys supposed to come tomorrow?" He asked them, but Yuze suddenly hugged and pouted. "Aren't you happy to see us today?" Yuze asked with a pout, looking like a small child. Yichen smiled and broke the hug to look at his younger brother carefully.
"Of course, I am happy to see you, but I wanted to know why all of you are early", Yichen was missing his brothers, so he was more than happy to see them early, but he needed clarification because all of them were here but not their Sect members.
"We were missing all of you, so we decided to come before our Sect", Ting Nu calmly informed the younger about their early arrival. Everyone smiled and looked at each other, and their eyes were talking a million words they couldn't express through the figure of speech.
"It is already night. I think we all need to go and rest as tomorrow is the Flower Ceremony", Sifeng spoke as everyone came out of their world and looked at Sifeng. What Sifeng said was valid because tomorrow was a special day for all of them. Every Sect was again gathered around to celebrate their harmony together. It was a moment to celebrate, and it was a moment to remember. The young cultivators stretched their arms forward, joining them together, and bowed ninety degrees to show respect. They all went their separate way, but all the young cultivators went to Yichen's room. Elders smiled while looking at them because they couldn't be separated. They envy the younger cultivators because they can live as they want, making the elders happy.
They all entered Yichen's room, and Yichen closed the door behind them after ensuring everyone entered the room. His room was kept neatly, a table was kept in the middle of the room, and the bed was kept on the left side. The books were kept neatly on the table, and a piece of paper was kept on top of the pile of books. The writing brushes were kept orderly on the pen holder, and a ceramic dish with ink involved grinding a mixture of hide glue, carbon black, lampblack, and bone black pigment with a pestle and mortar was kept below the pen holder. The bed sheet was ideally spread over the bed, which was held on the left side of the room, and a set of clothes was kept on top of the bed.
"Everyone prepared for tomorrow?" That statement didn't sound like a question because Jia Hao knew everyone should be prepared. It was a moment everyone had waiting for; they all had to wait for four years to make this ceremony happen. They wanted to show the elders their capability, they wanted the elders to be proud of them, and they wanted everyone to be happy.
Yuze took the clothes from the bed and took them on top of the pile of books, and then he lay on the bed. Everyone smiled while looking at the younger, and one by one, everyone fell asleep, but something wasn't letting Yichen sleep, and he didn't know what. Yichen stood near the door of his room and turned to look at his family. Yuze, Jin Hao, and Hoaran were sleeping on his bed. He smiled before opening the door carefully, not to wake anyone.
After stepping out of the room, he closed the door, and his body shivered a little when the cold wind brushed against his body. He put his arms on either side and exhaled to ease the cold, but he knew that wouldn't work. He slowly lifted his head and looked at the sky, something was different, and he had never felt this feeling. His heart was beating at an unknown pace; he thought this flower ceremony might become his life's turning point. He was feeling that he wasn't himself anymore; he was different. Yichen thought he didn't know himself anymore the more he stared at the night sky, the more he felt lost. They all went through hardship to attain peace, and they want to remember this moment to be placed. Yichen didn't want anyone to get worried because he was feeling different. This was the moment everyone looked forward to, and he didn't want to ruin it. So, he decided to bury this feeling deep inside his heart, and he will let the time help him find out. The flower ceremony will take place tomorrow, and he just wanted to be part of this happiness. Everyone wants their life like this, with no worries but only joy, or maybe this is the beginning of their happiness.