Farewell Xiao Isey

Feng Ye Isey was upset about the girl's decision to become a holy lady. He was frustrated about the fact that he can't do anything about it. Having all these thoughts in mind, he reached the Guaxngi mountain, near the border of the Southern River.

The alignment of stars wrote his future and somehow Feng Ye Isey was not okay with it. He still vividly can recall that day when his love life was doomed.

Only a week had passed since he returned from Hua Sha mountain. After his father's mysterious death, he was sent to Hua Shan mountain for cultivating and harness his powers that were flowing in his veins under Sage Gao Shu. He was one of the peculiar and puzzling sages with his reputation infamous for not accepting any disciples strangely accepting Feng Ye Isey as his disciple. He remembered his master telling him about this particular constellation and the importance of the Holy Lady in Guangxi kingdom, however, he didn't finish his lecture that day, and surprisingly, they never continued it ever.

Stars in the sky form a formation with three constellations each having a star called Castor as the centre in every constellation. It happens only once in 75 years and it happened on that very particular night only when he thought about confessing his love. These alignments were interpreted by the priests and a date, time, and the zodiac sign was concluded from it. On that very date and time, all the girls born under the selected alignment were selected and among those, the priestess of the main temple would choose the most suitable one by performing a ritual to become a Holy Lady.

When the girls turn 18, an adult ritual called ji li is performed where the girl's hair is pinned up. It is also called a hair-pinning ceremony. On the National youth day when all the girls turning adults in that year come to the temple for the blessing of the priestess, that is when the priestess does her magic to find the girl. Priestess uses her magic to perform the activity. She connects with the ancestors of the kingdom and asks them to give her signals for the right girl. The priests had a small crystal ball that glows whenever the girl is near it.

Isey saw the girl, Zhi Yin, then and there.

He saw how the priestess announced his love of life as the future Holy Lady of Guangxi kingdom. His innocent heart got its first heartbreak. As Feng Ye Isey was absorbed in his past sudden footsteps awakened him. He slowly turned to his side and noticed that Zhi Yin was standing near him. They both stood there in silence for a while as if both were absorbing the silence before the storm and preparing themselves to lose each other. The wind was blowing calmly and smoothly yet it was not enough to soothe them. The battle they were internally fighting was hard and their inability to do something was chaining them, making them suffocate.

After a long silence, Feng Ye Isey sighed and broke the silence saying, "Can't you disagree for the position? Is it necessary for you to do it?". Zhi Yin didn't speak for some time as if trying to tell him her answer through her silence. Zhi Yin toughed herself and said, "yes".

Despair filled his heart as he asked, "Even after knowing the cost you have to pay for it? Even after knowing that I won't be able to meet you in the future like now?"

"yes"

"why?", he wants to know what is holding her to refuse the things which she actually doesn't even want.

"Xiao Isey, I belong to a poor family with hardly an income source to live for the four of us. I have to work on farms with my father and mother to earn. My sister wants to study medicine, but she can't because we don't have enough money. If becoming a holy lady can bring fortune to my family then I won't deny it."

Zhi Yin and her family lived a very poor life. She never had a life like other women where they dress up and the only job was to cook and clean. She and her mother have to work both at home and in the field to meet their needs. Her sister is still young, so she stays at home to take care of it. Their fields also aren't big enough and since they live on the countryside they had to bear transportation costs also for making their crops sold. Even after selling they can hardly afford two-time meals for the four of them. If becoming a Holy Lady can help her family to live a standard living, then she has to do it because that's what her family wants her to do it.

Although her family can enjoy the benefits, there are also some edges that she has to face. He and she both knew that once she became the Holy Lady, she wouldn't have the right to be with him. He can't feel for her what he feels now. She has to remain single forever and serve the kingdom and bear the burden of bringing peace to them. She would be secluded from all the happiness that every normal girl can have. The power that Holy Lady holds is not something to be taken as a joke. She has the strength to deal with all the negative and positive energy and channel them to change the empire's fate. Though she holds this much power still she is bound to the royalty as she would be forced to take the oath to serve the kingdom.

Feng Ye Isey thought that emotions and the fear of the emperor might change her decisions. "Do I have any importance in your heart? Can't you deny it for me? You know, in the future you would be alone, and I can't be there for you. You would have to deal with the royalty every now and then and in the kingdom, everybody knows, even the wind knows, that dealing with the emperor is not a cup of tea. Even after that?".

"yes"

"What is the point of all this when you won't even get to live with your family? What is the point of giving up on your life when you can't even be with them to live?"

"Xiao Isey, it doesn't matter whether I live that life or not. This is not something that I want but I have to do it whether willingly or unwillingly because this has been decided."

Feng Ye Isey didn't know what he should do to convince her to deny the proposal, but he was ready to go any bounds for her sake. He was desperate enough to plead her to deny it, "Please, deny it. Say it just once that you will deny it and I can solve it. We can run away from here and live in another kingdom. I have some money saved so we can start a new life there. I will take care of your family also."

Zhi Yin's eyes turned watery as she replied "Then what? Even if I deny it, do you think the Royal family and the nobles will leave us? They will chase us and make sure to make us suffer. It would be the right thing if I accept it willingly and serve them for the rest of my life."

No amount of persuasion worked on Zhi Yin and it pained Feng Ye Isey to lose his first love. He felt like he lost the battle he fought for long. He was helpless, frustrated, weakened. He didn't know when a tear escaped from his eyes until she wiped it off. It was at this very moment that her resolve and determination were shaken, it took a lot of strength and determination from her to calm herself.

She also burst into tears. It was like all the struggles she had, were flowing through her tears. She fell down on her knees and cried all her heart out. Feng Ye Isey didn't know what comforting words he should say to make her stop crying because he too was on the edge. He was just standing still.

They didn't know for how long they were like this.

Finally, her tears dried as she looked up and realized they both were in the same state. They both want to change the situation, yet it was only a wish which could never come true.

After a long time passed, no one said anything but Zhi Yin stood up and left. She didn't look back and decided to follow her fate.

"Farewell Xiao Isey"