Upon the shimmering surface of the lake, the two swans drifted side by side, their silhouettes a testament to the ethereal beauty of their spiritual dance. Nearby, two local girls, drawn by the allure of the white water lilies, approached the bank to pluck the blossoms.

  "Look how beautiful these flowers are! Let’s go get them," Yi exclaimed, reaching out.

  But Yun, walking calmly behind her, moved to stop her. "Yi, plucking these flowers is considered a sin against nature. Stay away from them."

  Yi huffed in annoyance. "Keep your wisdom to yourself!"

  However, as she stepped forward to reach a lily, her gaze fell upon the two swans floating in the center of the lake. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Is that... a pair of swans?" she whispered.

  Following the direction of Yi's finger, Yun looked at the lake. "So what? It is a pair preparing for their union. What is so strange about that?"

  Yi stepped closer to Yun, her voice hushed. "But that’s the point, Yun! Look closely... both of those swans are male. How can they be preparing for a union?"

  Yun looked at them again. She had realized long ago that both were males, but she remained unperturbed. "And what is wrong with that? Look at their dance their bowed necks, their foreheads pressed together. They are mirroring one another. Just like humans, when one begins to love another, they mirror their companion. They have chosen each other. Does that trouble you?"

  Yi made a face, looking back at the swans before whispering, "But how will it happen? They are both male. I... I want to see. I’ve never seen such a thing."

  Yun felt a flicker of objection. She grabbed Yi by the wrist and led her away toward another secluded part of the lake, stopping beneath an ancient weeping willow. Yi snapped at her, frustrated, "Yun! Why did you bring me here? I wanted to see their love. I’ve seen the love between a male and a female many times, but never this. Let me go!"

  Yun tightened her grip. Yi struggled to break free, but it was futile. Finally, Yi cried out in desperation, "I just want to see how two males unite!"

  Suddenly, Yun pulled Yi closer, her gaze sharpening with an intense, burning fire. "The union of two males," Yun said, her voice low and piercing, "is exactly the same as the union of two females."

  Yi stared at Yun’s calm face with wide eyes. "Ah?? What do you mean?"

  In one swift motion, Yun undid Yi’s hair and loosened the belt of her robes. With a delicate push, she pressed Yi down onto the soft earth. As Yi tried to rise, Yun loomed over her, pinning her wrists. Her face remained a mask of tranquility, but her burning breath, her heated skin, and the fire in her eyes sent a jolt through Yi’s entire body. Yi’s breath hitched; she found it impossible to inhale through her nose, and her lips parted in a silent gasp.

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  Yun leaned down, her nose almost brushing against Yi’s. "When nature unites two souls," she whispered, "it does not look at gender. We must respect these tender, sacred moments of union."

  Yun leaned further, her heated lips claiming Yi’s in a deep, soul-searching kiss, as if she wanted to merge her very breath with Yi’s. Helpless, Yi could only feel the rising heat of Yun’s body. She felt something profoundly sacred, as if Yun’s soul were entering her own. Her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet, her lashes grew damp with unshed tears, and her breath stopped in that singular, eternal moment.

  Simultaneously, out on the lake, the swans began to bind themselves in a sacred covenant. The lake became a witness to a magnificent union. Even the fallen petals of the lilies drifted toward them, as if nature itself were setting its seal upon their love.

  Elsewhere, a different scene was taking shape.

  Gu Zong stood frozen. He looked at his trembling hands, trying to understand the erratic pounding of his heart. His mind was screaming: "Wuang Shi is not well! So why are my hands shaking like this?"

  He looked at the unconscious Wuang Shi. His eyes seemed to plead for mercy; his very legs begged him to move. Taking a step that felt as heavy as a mountain, Gu Zong finally reached Wuang Shi’s side. When he saw Wuang Shi’s back, his breath caught the white robes were entirely soaked in crimson.

  Gu Zong’s eyes tore open. A flash of memory struck him like a searing brand: he remembered Wuang Shi saving him from drowning at the waterfall, where he had glimpsed the old whip scars. He remembered Han Juan Hao’s brutal lashing in the forest. These memories erupted in his mind like fresh wounds.

  Falling to his knees beside Wuang Shi, Gu Zong’s eyes turned red as tears began to flow. He gripped Wuang Shi’s shoulders with trembling hands, lifting him gently.

  "Wuang Shi... why did you have to do this? And for me? For a servant?"

  his voice cracked. His lips quivered. Steeling himself, he looked toward the north toward the home of the Jiuhuang Yin Zither.

  Gu Zong hoisted Wuang Shi onto his back. Wuang Shi’s face was so close to his own that their lips were separated by an impossible distance. Without looking back, Gu Zong marched forward.

  After an arduous journey, Gu Zong finally arrived at the cavern of the lake contour the sanctuary of the Jiuhuang Yin.

  From the outside, the cave looked ordinary. But as Gu Zong carried Wuang Shi inside and walked a short distance, his senses were overwhelmed. Hidden within the cave was a lush, verdant valley. In the center, a waterfall plummeted from thousands of feet above. The roar of the falling water was so thunderous that it startled Wuang Shi awake.

  Suddenly, Wuang Shi shoved Gu Zong away, causing both of them to tumble onto the soft, emerald grass. Shocked by the sudden push, Gu Zong looked back to see Wuang Shi struggling to stand, glaring at him with sharp, piercing eyes. But within seconds, Wuang Shi’s strength failed him, and he stumbled again.

  Watching Wuang Shi’s stubborn display, Gu Zong remarked, "Wow, typical Prince Han Wuang Shi. Glaring is more important to you than living, isn't it? You could at least say thank you. You know, you’re actually as heavy as a tiger! My spine nearly snapped, and here you are staring at me like that. Have some shame, Wuang Shi!"

  In response, Wuang Shi reached for his sword and drew it, his eyes burning though he still could not find the strength to stand.