But after kissing him, her gaze remained clear as she looked openly at Tan Lin. Her voice was steady, yet carried an indescribable seriousness.
"My feelings... you should know them, Elder Brother.
"But my path, Chi Yao's path, does not lie in love between man and woman, nor in staying together day after day.
"What I did today is an end to that rainy night hundreds of years ago, when we climbed the cliff together... and also an end for myself."
At this point, she paused and turned her gaze toward the direction Chi Xuan had left.
Then her voice grew lower, taking on a rare note of earnest pleading.
"If we meet again in the future, however you choose to treat me, Elder Brother, it does not matter. Whether we support each other through hardship or forget one another in the world, my heart lies with the Great Dao. I have my own path to walk, and I do not care too much about such things.
"But Xuan'er..."
She looked at Tan Lin. Her eyes were sharp as swords, yet concealed deep helplessness and affection for her younger sister.
"Xuan'er is different from me.
"She seems free-spirited, lively, and carefree, but in truth, she loves deeply. Once broken, she finds it hard to recover.
"Today, she gave up her Origin. It may seem as though she has let go, but that lingering hope in her heart... I fear she will never be able to sever it in this life.
"I ask for nothing else. I only hope that, Elder Brother... if there is a chance in the future, if your paths cross again, when the realm is at peace, or when you yourself feel that the time is right and you can accept Xuan'er...
"I know that before you