066. Unexpected Consequences

As the mountain mist began to disperse and reveal the dawn, the courtyard was already empty, with no trace of the jade-green stone tiles or the people who once walked there. The eaves, with their dragon-like carvings, gleamed with the golden hue of the rising sun. In the distance, a few fallen petals drifted, caught in the gentle morning breeze, circling above the ancient steps before vanishing silently.

Yet, there was still someone who lingered in the courtyard, unwilling to leave, his gaze fixed on the direction of the mountain path, as though waiting for someone to return.

"Master Yan?" a voice called softly.

He instinctively followed the sound with his eyes. The speaker was a young woman standing beneath the eaves, her pale green robes fluttering, her slender fingers gently pressing down the corners of her sleeves, her expression calm and reserved.

For a moment, the two stared at each other in silence, and it seemed as if the entire world had paused for this brief encounter.

"Is it time to depart?" the woman asked quietly, her lips curving into a faint smile. "Have the others already left?"

He nodded but said nothing.

The atmosphere was strange, but neither of them broke the silence. They simply stood there, looking at each other, as if there was something unspoken between them.

Suddenly, a commotion sounded from the path outside the courtyard. The woman's eyes sharpened, and in a flash, a shadow dashed past the gate, shattering the stillness.

The gathered people, startled by the sudden movement, all looked in the same direction and exclaimed in unison, "Master Yan!"

He frowned, unable to comprehend what was happening.

The woman's eyes swept the crowd, and then she caught sight of the running figure.

It was a young man, his hair disheveled, dashing straight toward Master Yan. Without hesitation, the woman stepped forward, her body blocking the youth's path, and with a flick of her sleeve, she forced him to stop.

"Master Yan!" the youth called out, raising his head and meeting the eyes of those around him.

The courtyard returned to silence. The youth lowered his head, his eyes reddening, his fists clenched so tight that his knuckles turned white, but he said nothing more.

No one spoke, yet in their hearts, everyone knew what this moment meant.

After a long pause, the youth finally raised his head and said, his voice trembling, "They've all gone, haven't they?"

Master Yan did not answer.

The atmosphere was heavy, but no one dared to break the silence. Only the woman who had stopped the youth gently let go, quietly stepping back to the side, leaving the two standing face to face.

"Master Yan," the youth called again, his voice hoarse.

Master Yan looked at him, his expression unreadable. He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he simply patted the youth on the shoulder and turned away in silence, leaving the courtyard behind.

The woman's gaze lingered on the youth, her lips parting slightly, as if wanting to speak. Yet in the end, she said nothing, merely watching the youth's figure grow distant and blur in the mist.

After a while, the woman sighed softly and looked up at the sky. "So it is, after all," she whispered, her smile tinged with melancholy.

She looked down at the stone steps beneath her feet, her fingers gently brushing her sleeves, feeling the cold wind that swept through the empty courtyard.

The woman turned and walked back under the eaves, her figure gradually merging into the shadow cast by the morning sun, until all that remained was the faint fragrance of her passing.

In the silence, the courtyard returned to its former emptiness. Only the fallen petals on the ancient steps bore witness to those who had gathered and departed.

The mountain breeze, carrying with it the scent of dew and pine, swept through the courtyard, erasing the last traces of their presence.