Snow Lotus

一

Seventeen pairs of stern eyes bore down on Tang San, their white inner sect robes a stark contrast to his own. Golden Tang characters emblazoned on their chests identified them as elders, including the formidable sect head, Tang Da. They had effectively trapped him, leaving only the sheer drop of Hell's Peak behind him. A triumphant smile played on Tang San's lips as he placed three Buddha Fury Tang Lotuses on the ground. Twenty years of relentless pursuit, the pinnacle of the Outer Sect's challenges, were finally his. Yet, a strange peace settled over him. Rules, even the ironclad laws of the Tang Sect, seemed to fade into insignificance compared to this moment. Here, cradling the world's most potent hidden weapon, a thrill unlike any other coursed through the concealed weapon fanatic within him.

"Sect Elders," Tang San began, his voice surprisingly calm despite the gravity of his situation. "I understand the consequences of breaching sect laws. Entering the inner sanctum and acquiring forbidden knowledge are offences that cannot be tolerated. However, I swear on my life that the secrets gleaned from those forbidden scrolls will never leave these hallowed halls."

His gaze swept over the vast Tang Sect complex clinging to the mountainside, a place that had shaped him since childhood. It felt like a betrayal, this necessity to leave, yet his lifelong pursuit demanded it. The elders remained silent, their eyes fixated on the three Buddha Fury Tang Lotuses – a legendary weapon unseen for two centuries. The sheer power of these artefacts resonated with them, a potent lure that transcended even their loyalty to the sect.

A serene smile touched Tang San's lips. "Everything I am, all my skills and very life, I owe to the Tang Sect. Whether I live as a loyal disciple or die as a rogue ghost, I know you wouldn't allow the remains of a rule-breaker to defile this sacred ground. Therefore, I choose to return to the earth here, in Ba-Shu."

His tranquillity, laced with a hint of excitement, finally pierced the elders' stunned silence. As they looked up, a jolt of milky white energy erupted from Tang San's body.

"The Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record?" Tang Da exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief. The elders surged forward, bracing for the unknown after what could only be an explosive revelation. To their surprise, they found Tang San standing completely naked.

"Naked I came, naked I shall return," Tang San declared, a hint of defiance lacing his serene smile. "The Buddha Fury Tang Lotus are my final offering to the sect. I leave with nothing but my own skin. The forbidden texts lie hidden beneath the first brick in my quarters. With this, Tang San returns all he owes the Tang Sect."

A silent tear escaped his eye as a thought flickered through his mind: 'Tang Ling, my love, you are the greatest treasure I've ever known.' With a resolute leap, he launched himself backwards off Hell's Peak, disappearing into the swirling mist that clung to the mountain.

"Stop!" Tang Da roared, the realization of the situation dawning too late. The thick fog swallowed Tang San whole, erasing all trace of the young man who had devoted his life to the Tang Sect and the art of concealed weapons.

Meanwhile, a young woman named Tang Ling was racing up the mountain path towards the scene. Tang Da's beloved granddaughter and Tang San's childhood friend, her heart pounded with a terrible premonition. Tang San had left a note on her bed, filled with apologies for breaking his promise to never leave her side, for his capture, and for the inevitable pain his actions would cause. As she reached the cliff's edge, she witnessed Tang San take a final step back and plummet into the abyss below.

"No! Tang San!" Her scream tore through the air as she lunged for the edge, only to be restrained by her grandfather. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled against his grip, her body racked with sobs. Grief threatened to consume her as she witnessed the love of her life vanish into the depths. Overcome, Tang Ling fainted under the pressure point her grandfather applied.