The news of Jin Huang Xiu’s passing spread like wildfire, almost overnight.

It had been surprising, devastating even for some, but most definitely quite the unexpected news to ever be attached to the famed Jin Huang Xiu.

The man—renowned for his unparalleled beauty and seemingly boundless talent and power—was hailed like a deity who graciously descended from the high heavens to bless mortals and cultivators alike with his presence. He was a one of a kind genius that shows up every few thousand years. To think that he would ever die, while the whole cultivation world knew that he was close to ascending immortal godhood like many of the illustrious Jin family, was almost impossible to imagine.

And yet, it was the sad reality.

The Jin family were nothing short of devastated. The valley from which they hail from seemed to be surrounded by a thick layer of gloom. It was said that his young, fairy-like sister retreated to her room and refused to come out; sealing herself to a fate of being consumed by grief. The young lord of the household could not help his sister or himself, almost becoming an unfeeling shell of a man. A hundred others from the family’s many branches mourned along with them, for the second son was beloved and respected.

The heavens seemed to weep along with them for it endlessly rained for many days. No one saw sunlight for several consecutive days. Some say it is the Jin Family ancestors who were now residing in the high heavens who are bringing the rain, their grief manifested in a torrential downpour.

His Sect, the Snow Peony Sect, was at a loss on what to do. Many had fought over the coveted title that the situation had become too much for the head disciples to handle.

It became so difficult that the previous leader had to return from his seclusion to fill the sudden void. 

Countless rumours have spread about how his passing went about but the most commonly heard one was that he died after having fought valiantly in a fierce battle. No one knew whom he had fought with or even if his opponent had died or lived on.

But that was the story many went with. It was the story that the Jin family would rather stick with.

No one would dare to believe that the deity-like person was actually more human than most people would assume.

No one would dare to think that Jin Huang Xiu, the peerless Flower in the High Peak, had died as an emaciated shell of a man who used to have everything until he lost what he ought to have cherished more.

No one would dare believe that he died from being consumed by so much grief from his broken heart upon losing the one person he’s come to love and cherish and yet never had the chance to express those sentiments.

It was so, so pathetically human; that way to die.