When I arrived at the entrance, I saw the 6 disciples waiting for me. We were of the same integration. We had received our ribbons the same year and had studied together. They greeted me. I waved to them to get going. I turned back to the gate of Yunshen Buzhi, then joined them.

Our journey to Xi'an lasted four days. I had appointed Tian Yi to assist me. He was serious, thoughtful and knew how to keep quiet. When we arrived in Xi'an, I entrusted him with the hunting. All the disciples understood that I would not speak. If they had any questions to ask me, they would make sure that the answer was yes or no.

Once settled, we went to the village chief so that he could explain to us what was going on and that he could show us the places that were causing problems. Back at the inn, I signaled to Tian Yi to follow me to my room. There, I gave him a letter in which I explained him the steps to follow for the next night's hunt. I also told him that I had to leave for 3 days and would join them here as soon as possible. Given their experiences, I knew that there would be no problem. Tian Yi looked at me but did not ask any questions. He greeted me and left the room.

The next morning, I headed to Qishan. In the late morning, the black mountain appeared before my eyes. The closer I got, the faster my heart beat. I knew that there was little chance that I would find anything of my love, but I had to try. In the late afternoon, I arrived in front of the palace of Wen Ruohan.

Nothing had changed, whether it was the buildings, the statues... or the esplanade where the final battle of my beloved had taken place. I was heading towards the rocky outcrop that overhung the precipice. The more I advanced, the more the last images of his face falling into the void invaded my mind. At the edge of the abyss, tears were streaming down my face. I let myself fall to my knees and started to scream my pain. Here, in the silence and darkness of the night birth, I finally let my emotions overflow. I had been holding them back for 3 years, 3 years that I kept this pain and rage inside me because I had been taught never to show what I felt. But I couldn't take it anymore. I collapsed on the rocks, my body shaking with sobs, curled up like a child. I lay there on the ground until my tears dried up. I laboriously got up and headed for the buildings. It was time to sleep. But first, I had to ask the same question I asked every night: Wei Ying can you hear me? But as always, no one answered. Tomorrow at dawn, I would descend into the abyss with the infinitesimal hope of catching a glimpse of your presence. I would lie down and fall asleep.

Like every night, the nightmares came back to haunt me until the early morning.

When I opened my eyes, the sun was not completely up. I headed for the path where I had seen Jiang Cheng come down 3 years earlier. It took me almost 2 hours to get to the bottom.

I started to inspect the place. I turned over every stone, looked in every gap. I looked for traces of a fall, scratches on the rocks...but nothing. I knew it was unlikely I would find anything, but my heart wanted to hold out hope....now I had to face the facts. I would find no trace of you. Time must have erased everything. Nothing could prove who you had once been in this place.

Night was falling. I decided to go back up to the plateau. In the darkness, my ascent was longer. My tears had started to flow again.

It is exhausted that I arrived at the top. After having invariably asked the same question and having received no answer. I fell asleep with a feeling of emptiness such as I had never felt before. Strangely that night, it was not my usual nightmares that came to fill my sleep, but this magnificent dream where you were waiting for me at the edge of the cliff in Guzu.

When I woke up, the emptiness was still there, but my heart had calmed down a bit. You would always remain in my soul and in my mind. I did not know why your body had not been found, nor why your spirit could not be contacted, but you would exist in me forever. I will never forget what we had been, what we had experienced, your laughter, your smile, the way you teased me, our fights, your mischief, everything that made you you!

I turned back one last time to the promontory above the abyss and took the way back to Xi'an.

Farewell my love.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)