sakura petals ; mo dao zu shi **HIATUS**

08. news of lotus pier

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The next few days Jiang Yīnghuā started to notice that her master was off. Like something was wrong. She just thought that it was maybe because she would be leaving soon to go back home and that maybe Zhi Ruo was feeling sad that she was going to leave but that wasn't the case. Jiang Yīnghuā just somehow knew that it was something else.

"Lady Ruo.. Whats wrong?" Jiang Yīnghuā asked. They were both in Zhi Ruo's study. Zhi Ruo herself was at her desk looking over some papers while Jiang Yīnghuā was seated in the seat in front of her.

Zhi Ruo sighed and set the paper down. "A-Yīng.. the truth is that I have been keeping a secret from you.. Not for to long but.. I guess to put it simply.. I tried to spare your feelings something that I had never done before.." Jiang Yīnghuā looked at her confused. "Lady Ruo.. What are you saying?" Zhi Ruo picked up another piece of paper and handed it to Jiang Yīnghuā with no words. Ruo bowed her head, a shadow covered her eyes.

Jiang Yīnghuā took the paper and looked it over. 'This.. This is A-Jie's handwriting!' She quickly opened it and began to read. As she read her excitement became smaller and smaller until it was no longer excitement that she was feeling. Instead it was dread.

"L-Lady.. Ruo.. What is this..?" Jiang Yīnghuā asked she looked up at her master whose head was bowed in shame. "It came a few days ago.. that was the last letter that came.. I-I tried to spare your feelings.. In the end I believe that I just ended up hurting you more.. Please forgive me, A-Yīng." Ruo muttered in shame. She had tried so hard to keep Jiang Yīnghuā safe from what had happened but in the end she knew that she could not shelter her anymore. 'She is apart of a main clan.. and I am not.. Of course she would want to know what was happening..'

Jiang Yīnghuā swallowed. She looked back down at the letter in her lap. 'W-was all this training for nothing..? T-There gone..! I-I never got to show them how much I improved..' Slowly the tears started to fall. She hadn't even noticed though. Zhi Ruo looked up at the sound of sniffling and say that the pink haired girl was crying. 

"I-I.. I never got to.. show them how m-much I improved.. L-Lady Ruo..." Zhi Ruo's heart clenched at this. She felt like crying herself. "I'm sure they are watching you and everyone from the afterlife. I'm sure that they would be very proud of you." Then she did something that surprised them both. Zhi Ruo got up out of her seat and sat down next to Jiang Yīnghuā and hugged her like a mother would to their child.

"There there.. Its okay.. I'm sure they are very proud of you.." Jiang Yīnghuā clung to her and started to sob. "Shh.. Its okay now..." Zhi Ruo began to pet her pink hair. 'I'm sorry.. A-Yīng.. I wished that this wouldn't happen to such a sweet girl like yourself..'

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After that Jiang Yīnghuā had fallen asleep and Zhi Ruo had carried her to her room and tucked her in.

'She will probably want to leave and search for her siblings as soon as possible.. In which case I can not stop her..' Zhi Ruo sighed for the 100th time that morning. 'She can be such a headache sometimes..' The black haired women smiled a little at that thought. 'I have taught her all I know.. Now it is her turn to see if she can put it to good use..'

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When Jiang Yīnghuā woke up again she felt groggy. She momentarily forgot what had happened the day before until it all came rushing back. 'R-Right.. I need to try and find e-everyone..' She sat up and lifted herself off her bed and went to change into her new clothes.

Not my art. Props to you if you were here to see the first image this is plan B

She packed up what little belongs she had and walked out of the room, only sparing it one last long look before she forced herself to turn around. She walked through the halls until she reached Zhi Ruo's study. She hesitated before she knocked on the door. "Come in.."

Jiang Yīnghuā opened the door and walked in. She was surprised to see her master standing in front of the door waiting for her. "I knew that you would want to go and leave as soon as possible.. So have a safe journey and remember to never return here. We can still exchange letters though, if you want. And remember that no matter what you do think of the consequents beforehand." Jiang Yīnghuā nodded. Sadness was clear in her green eyes. "I..I will miss you Lady Ruo." She bowed deeply. "Thank you for training me. I learned a lot and I had fun and enjoyed my time with you." Zhi Ruo smiled one of her rare soft smiles. "I will miss you too.. Please be safe." Zhi Ruo patted her head softly. "Now off you go!"

Jiang Yīnghuā nodded and smiled a little. "I hope to exchange letters with you soon." With that she waved her master goodbye and walked out of her study, through the hallways and out the door. She glanced back over her shoulder before turning to face the old dirt path that she had once trekked up before. This brought up memories of when she first arrived and how weak she had been then. 'But that's all in the past now! It's the present now and I'm much stronger than I was before!' She smirked before she started to walk down the dirt path. Leaving behind a life that she had wished to stay in forever..

Zhi Ruo had walked out of her little home to watch Jiang Yīnghuā leave. She smiled sadly. 'You came and made so many years of solitude fly away in just two years.. You have a bright future ahead of you.. Jiang Yīnghuā..' A single tear ran down her pale cheek. She gingerly touched it. "Look what you have done to me..A-Yīng... You made me cry.." She laughed softly and wiped the stray tear away, watching as the pink blob moved and got farther and farther away until it was no longer in sight.

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° Facts °

✿ The story is finally on a roll!

✿ Zhi Ruo didn't realize how attached she had become to Jiang Yīnghuā

✿ A-Yīng is what Zhi Ruo started calling Jiang Yīnghuā 

✿ Jiang Yīnghuā honestly didn't know what to expect coming down the mountain and back into the clans

✿ The letter that Jiang Yīnghuā received was written by Jiang Yanli a week after everything happened, So the letter told of the burning of the Cloud Recesses, the Grand Discussion Conference in Qishan, what happened in the cave with the Tortoise of Slaughter, the massacre of Lotus Pier, and that Zewu Jun had gone into hiding so their engagement was canceled for now

✿ Jiang Yīnghuā was saddened deeply by the fact the her soon to be husband had gone into hiding for she had really enjoyed his company and what little memories she had of him