Till The End Of The Moon [SEASON- 2]

3. Conflicted emotions.

The sky had turned a shade of crimson, as the moonlight began to brush against the hills.

Li Susu stood by the window of her quiet hut, the same one where she had spent countless hours watching over her daughter, teaching her what she had learned in her immortal years.

But now, the silence was deafening. Her heart had never felt so heavy, so lost. Her daughter-Tantai Jiang-was gone.

The familiar weight of responsibility crushed her chest, every breath a reminder of her divine power, which, for once, felt like a curse. She had the strength of twelve gods, yet at this moment, it was her heart that felt fragile.

She paced back and forth, her long robe trailing behind her like the fog creeping in with the dusk.

There was a stillness to her steps, yet an urgency thrummed beneath her skin. Her mind whirled with questions she could not answer.

Li Susu (whispering to herself): "Where could you be, Jiang? Why would you run away? You were so young... You didn't know the truth... Why didn't you trust me?"

Her fingers brushed over the last place Jiang had been, the cushion on which her daughter sat every day. A small toy, a braid of hair, a book-left untouched.

And then, the unbearable thought struck her like an arrow through her heart: What if Jiang never returned?

Her voice cracked as she whispered, her emotions threatening to spill over.

Li Susu (softly): "How do I tell you that the father you're searching for is no longer here?"

She let the words linger in the air for a moment. She could almost feel the weight of them pressing down on her chest.

A single tear fell, but she quickly wiped it away, as if doing so would absolve her of the weakness.

Li Susu (determined): "No. I can't allow myself to crumble. She's my daughter. I will find her, no matter what."

The gods granted her power, but it was her heart that guided her. And now, her heart was guiding her southward, toward the Sanguo Kingdom, where Jiang's soul seemed to have found a connection.

Through the threads of her divine senses, she knew that her daughter was not far.

But there was something else. A man, the one she could not see clearly. Her powers told her that Jiang was with him. But why couldn't she see his face? There was an unsettling fog over him.

She clenched her fists, determination carving every line of her face.

Li Susu (to herself):I'll find you, Jiang. And this time, I'll keep you safe."

But little did she know, the man Jiang had found was more than just another stranger.

He was the one she had loved for centuries-her very soulmate-the one she thought she had lost forever. Tantai Jin.
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Kingdom of Sunghao.

A small hut hidden deep within the forest, Miang Tao looked down at the unconscious girl in his arms. Her small hands gripped the hem of his sleeve, her tiny form warm against him, though her breath came in shallow bursts.

He couldn't help but feel something-something powerful-stir in his chest. A connection, something ancient and undeniable, flickered in his heart.

As he lay her down on the rough wooden cot, he gazed at her face, his fingers trembling as they brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.

(He had no memories of his past life, but a deep, aching emptiness gnawed at him.)

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Tantai Jiang stirred slowly, her small hands gripping the blanket beneath her as she blinked her eyes open.

The hut was dim, lit only by a flickering candle. Her head was heavy, and her mouth was dry.

Tantai Jiang (softly):
"Where am I...?"

She sat up, confused and disoriented. The man who had carried her-Miang Tao-stood across the room, his back to her, his shoulders tense.

The warmth of his presence was undeniable, though. A strange comfort she couldn't explain.

Tantai Jiang (hesitantly):
"Are you... my father?"

Miang Tao's body stiffened at her words. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second, a flicker of recognition sweeping through him like a tidal wave. His chest tightened, but he couldn't bring himself to answer.

Miang Tao (softly, almost to himself):
"Your father...?"

Tantai Jiang didn't understand the pause, but she was a child-her mind was simple, her heart innocent.

Tantai Jiang (with hope):
"My mother told me that my father was brave. And that he was out there, saving the world. She said... she said he would come home to me."

Her voice was soft, full of longing. In her innocent eyes.

Miang Tao (quietly):
"I'm not... who you think I am, little one."

But the words didn't land, and Tantai Jiang-too young, too hopeful-held on to a different belief.

Tantai Jiang (with a small, trembling smile): "I don't believe you."

Her words hung in the air. For Miang Tao, they were like a punch to the gut. He wanted to deny it, wanted to push her away, but something in his chest burned.

He didn't know who he was, but hehe knew one thing: he couldn't abandon her.

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Chapter ended.
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