Path of One's Own
Wu Changkong's words hung in the office's quiet atmosphere, a formal invitation laid upon the table of their futures. For most in the room, it was a dream offered—a chance to step onto the legendary stage of the Tang Sect.
Tang Wulin's eyes shone with a fervent, almost reverent light. The Tang Sect was the stuff of the bedtime stories his parents had told, the bastion of heroes from the history books. "I'll join!" he declared, the words bursting forth with unshakeable conviction.
Xie Xie, after a brief moment of weighing family expectations against personal ambition, nodded decisively. "Me too."
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, initially worried their failure in the trial had closed doors, were met with Wu Changkong's reassurance. Their Martial Soul Fusion Skill was their unique key. Relief and determination washed over them. "We choose to join," they affirmed in unison.
Then, all eyes turned to the two who remained silent. Yao Xuan and Gu Yue sat side-by-side, their composure a stark contrast to the excited energy around them. They had not stirred at the mention of the legendary name.
"Yao Xuan, what about you?" Wu Changkong asked, his gaze probing. He had expected this moment, yet hoped differently.
The room fell still. Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi stared at their captain in bewildered surprise. The Tang Sect was refusing the Tang Sect?
Yao Xuan met his teacher's gaze, his expression respectful but unwavering. "I'm sorry, Teacher Wu. I don't wish to join the Tang Sect."
A collective, soft intake of breath came from the other four boys. "Why?" Tang Wulin blurted out, unable to comprehend. "This is the Tang Sect!"
Yao Xuan's voice remained calm, a river of certainty running beneath. "My apologies. My path lies elsewhere. I have a preference for the Spirit Pagoda's direction of research and their philosophy regarding soul beasts and human coexistence. It aligns more closely with my goals." It was a half-truth, diplomatically framed. He couldn't speak of the deification of a tyrannical hypocrite, of future crimes against the woman beside him.
Beside him, Gu Yue's silver eyes widened a fraction. A complex wave of emotion passed through them—first surprise, then a dawning, profound warmth that softened the usual analytical sharpness. 'The Spirit Pagoda? He chose… my side? Without knowing my full identity, his path instinctively converges with mine?' The Na'er within her felt a surge of pure, uncomplicated joy: Big Brother Xuan was choosing their side.
Wu Changkong, however, did not look angry. He was a pragmatist. He turned to Gu Yue. "And you, Gu Yue?"
"My choice is the same as Yao Xuan's," she said, her voice clear and firm. She leaned imperceptibly closer to Yao Xuan, a subtle alignment of their stances. "Moreover, I have already undertaken certain… commitments with the Spirit Pagoda. I cannot join another organization."
Wu Changkong's eyebrow lifted slightly. "Oh? You're already with the Spirit Pagoda?" This was a new variable.
"Yes, Teacher Wu," Gu Yue confirmed with a nod.
A brief silence settled. Wu Changkong looked at the two most talented students he had ever encountered, a flicker of genuine regret in his stern eyes, quickly masked by professional acceptance. "Alright. I understand. Everyone has their own ambitions. The Tang Sect has never been an organization that forces membership. You need not worry." His voice was even, teacherly. "Even if you do not join, as your teacher, I will continue to instruct you to the best of my ability."
Internally, however, his mind was already analyzing, strategizing. 'The Spirit Pagoda moved fast to secure Gu Yue. But Yao Xuan… he only expressed a preference. There is no formal bond yet. The boy is pragmatic. If the Tang Sect can demonstrate greater tangible benefits, a clearer path to the peak for someone of his talents… the situation is not yet settled.' He saw not a closed door, but a more complex negotiation.
"Now," Wu Changkong said, shifting the focus, "for those who have chosen to join, there are procedures and introductory materials. Follow me. Yao Xuan, Gu Yue, you are dismissed. Remember, the winter break begins tomorrow. Prepare accordingly."
As the others rose, buzzing with a mix of excitement and curiosity about their captain's decision, Yao Xuan and Gu Yue stood as well. Their eyes met—a silent, deep conversation passing in an instant. In his gaze, she saw the unspoken promise: 'My choice is you. Our future is ours.' In hers, he saw the layered response: the sovereign's approval of a strategically sound alliance, and beneath it, Na'er's radiant, trusting happiness.
They walked out of the office side-by-side, leaving the whispers about the Tang Sect behind. The corridor of the Technology Hall felt different now. A line had been drawn, a path chosen.
Once they were alone in a quieter hallway, Gu Yue slowed her steps. "The Spirit Pagoda… you did not have to say that for my sake," she said, her voice low. It was a test, a probe to understand his true reasoning.
Yao Xuan stopped and turned to face her fully. "It wasn't just for your sake," he admitted honestly. "The Tang Sect… its history is glorious, but its present is built upon a rigid worship of the past. I've never been one to kneel before statues, especially those with feet of clay. The Spirit Pagoda, for all its flaws, looks forward. It seeks new solutions. And," he reached out, his hand gently brushing a strand of silvery hair behind her ear, his touch lingering for a moment, "it is the path that led me to you. That makes it the right path."
Gu Yue's breath caught. The analytical part of her noted the critique of the Tang Sect's ideological rigidity—a perceptive and daring observation. The rest of her, the part that was increasingly in charge when she was with him, simply felt the truth of his final words resonate in her soul. The silver light in her eyes shimmered, not with dragon majesty, but with a tender, human emotion.
"The winter break," she said, changing the subject, yet her tone was intimate. "My home in Tian Dou City. The Spirit Pagoda's headquarters are there as well. Perhaps… you could see both."
A small, knowing smile touched Yao Xuan's lips. "I'd like that. Very much."
Their path was set. They had declined one legacy to protect another, far more precious one—the fragile, burgeoning future they were building together, one honest choice and one whispered promise at a time. The Tang Sect might loom large in the world's imagination, but for the Ancestral Dragon and the Silver Dragon King, a different destiny was being written, and it began with walking away, hand in hand.