9 Liu Tian's Worries

Liu Hei continues walking towards his own pavilion. Closing in, he notices that the decorations that were earlier placed on his pavilion are now removed. Only the faint breathing and steps he takes are audible. A very mild but cool breeze blows through his pavilion which makes his cloak flutter. He keeps walking until he reaches the entrance.

At this point, he notices that his father is standing at the gate with his back leaned against the column. He seems to be staring at the sky as a look of sadness can be seen on his normally expressionless face. As a man of few words, it can be seen on his facial expression normally filled with valour and pride seems to have been slightly diminished.

Hei looks on his father's expression with a slightly unhappy and thoughtful face. "Let's go inside…father." Liu Tian sighs heavily and follows Hei as they both enter the Black Night Pavilion.

The grass in the entrance seems to be gently swaying when Hei walks in like I dog that has finally seen its master return. The night seems to darken by a few shades and an eerie silence seems to creep out from a nearby abyss. Liu Tian looks around suspiciously with an 'huh'. Hei consciously conceals his natural aura quickly. Things seem to 'settle' a bit as Liu Tian looks on Hei with a face filled with suspicion.

Hei walks to a simple stone table that is made from a black looking rock. Matching chairs are actually placed around the table. The light from the moon and stars can be seen gently illuminating the yard as both man and boy, father and son, take a seat.

Liu Tian stares at Hei with an intense and focused expression. It seems he wants to understand this son of his which has given him surprise after surprise since the day has begun. Hei also looks back at his father. While his face appears to be calm and indifferent, in his mind, he is actually pondering about the events of the day that is supposed to be a day of celebration.

As the inspection continues, Liu Tian's expression slowly softens. He sighs once again as he seems to try gathering his thoughts. It appears that some sort of internal struggle seems to be happening. He finally gives out, "What happened to your bloodlines?" Hei replies blandly, "I dunno", causing Liu Tian to furrow his brows. "I want…to talk to you about the Shui Heavenly Astral Clan…"

A look of interest finally appears on Liu Hei's face. This causes Liu Tian to have a look of displeasure and urgency. "Stay away from that clan…evil, they are evil…"

Shock covers Hei's face as he processes the words of his father. "Evil…Shui Heavenly Astral Clan is evil?" Liu Tian nods faintly, "Very evil…your uncle, my sworn brother lost his life due to the one known as Shui Meixiang…"

Hei shakes his head as he remembers Shui Ling and Shui Meixiang. Their innocent and beautiful expressions, kind and caring dispositions with a charm that could cause the collapse of nations without end; these characteristics seem to be what Hei actually associate those 2 to.

He slowly calms down however and replies with a bit of curiosity, "Father would not make false claims..." "Yeah, I wouldn't randomly slander…especially the wife of my deceased sworn brother."

"It started when we were children. A clan that is now on bad terms with us was once one of our great allies. My sworn brother came from this clan. Like me, he was the son of the clan leader and future heir. We met at Shui Meixiang's 16th birthday party."

"He liked her from we were children while I never really cared since your mother and I had an arranged marriage. Unfortunately, Shui Meixiang always made moves against me secretly."

Hei thinks to himself, "Player for a father, this is interesting."

"Eventually, I married your mother which I thought would decrease the pestering from her. Sadly, it only increased. She would sneak away from her clan to come here. To help with my situation, I invited my sworn brother over all the time to not only get her off my back but to also give him a chance at the girl he loved."

Liu Tian seems to have a slight smile as he reminiscences. "He managed to 'woe' her eventually. They eventually married and their clans became very close. Many years passed and she got pregnant. Only Shui Meixiang, my sworn brother and I knew of this."

"Unlike the other clans which for the most part gave out simple details on the cultivation art they use, the Shui Heavenly Astral Clan is a bit different. All their clan leaders are women, they always produce daughters and all the men generally hide in their clan, never to show their faces. While this is a bit suspicious, no one truly looked into the matter simply because certain details of a clan are only for its members. On a night like this one…my sworn brother called me with his Astral Transmission Token. He said it was an emergency."

Clear emotions of sadness and anger can be seen on Liu Tian's face. He actually grits his teeth and tries to calm down. After a few moments, he finally is able to continue speaking but in a very faint voice of clear anger.

"He was actually running from…a group of women. All of them were from the Shui Heavenly Astral Clan. I helped him to fight them off and we managed to escape. By the time we left and thought everything was fine, he told me a few things."

"He made sure to tell me," "The Shui Heavenly Astral Clan is a bunch of evil women. The men that are allegedly in their clan are actually all under mind control. Their wills are already gone…Those women…their bloodline is not simply water related but specifically, the devouring of water."

"Their bloodline makes them produce only females, their talent is naturally good and they are extremely beautiful and can easily win one's heart. Their cultivation method revolves around devouring the astral essence of their partners. They are all devourers. They will drain you until you become a lifeless puppet." "Even though he knew how evil that clan really is…he really was in love with Shui Meixiang."

Sadness and pain can be seen in the eyes of Liu Tian. Hei looks at his father with sadness, pity and curiosity. "How did Uncle die? I thought you saved him." Liu Tian shakes his head with guilt. "I lead him to his death…"

"He told me that once someone has exceeded going to bed 9 times, then they are already lost. I couldn't save him. He used pure willpower to tell me everything as a warning. He even begged me to not kill Shui Meixiang and to protect the child he has gotten since it's his bloodline nonetheless."

"It isn't your fault father. You couldn't have known. Maybe she planned it to be like this…She probably knew you never liked her and had her eyes on Uncle…"

"I try to think the same but…his clan doesn't think so. Now, we are on horrible terms and never speak at all. His father cried blood for 3 days and 3 nights before closing the gates of the clan. Even now, no one from the clan has actually interacted with anyone outside…They will probably attack us soon."

"Do you understand why I am telling you all of this?" Hei nods slightly, "I have a faint idea father but please elaborate." Liu Tian nods in appreciation. "I think that Shui Ling has her eyes set on you. She cannot be trusted at all. Furthermore, there are multiple clans that might attack us at any time. While we can fend off the strength of a single clan, 2 will be too much."

"What is worse…in this world, resources and power is what rules. While it seems that all us Heavenly Astral Clans are on good terms, not everything is that simple. If 2 clans decide to destroy a single clan then the others might just chip in to get a slice of the shares."

"If you look on today's events, it could be said that it was all possibly orchestrated by the Shui Heavenly Astral Clan. Others wouldn't be able to come to this conjecture due to not knowing certain things. I think they wanted to know about your potential since you're always silent…and you more than impressed them."

"Those hungry aquatic devourers will definitely try their best to get to you. If my guesses are right, the stronger the potential of the person they 'cultivate with' the more benefits are reaped."

Hei nods in understanding. "Do not worry father, I will take care of myself and be very vigilant of the Shui Heavenly Astral Clan." Liu Tian pats Hei on his head. "Little Hei, only if it were that simple. Many things are happening."

"The Wang Heavenly Astral Clan is on completely bad terms with us. The Zhu Heavenly Astral Clan is slowly being divided due to your aunt. She has her own faction in her hopes of being the one to succeed your grandfather's position of clan leader."

Hei sighs a bit and looks to the sky. "Everything is…complicated." Liu Tian shakes his head. "Even in our clan…things are getting heated. There are many clan members who are 'dissatisfied' with your behavior. This is due to my cousin's followers."

"He is the son of my deceased uncle. You probably have heard the name Liu Tu before. His influence is no less than mines simply because his father was a war hero who even saved grandfather's life by sacrificing his own."

Hei calmly looks on his father but in his mind he secretly remembers the name Liu Tu. "Alright Liu Tu, you're on the Hei List too. Since your existence proves to be a problem, I will personally deal with you."

Liu Tian looks on the glint of light in his son's eyes and has an even more worried expression. Liu Tu is actually on a special mission where he has to monitor some 'things'. It is a very secret mission which is why he is not here. It's been 7 years since he has been away. The pressure isn't so bad for now but the coming days will be extremely rough for the 3 of you."

"Protect the precious ones known as your sisters. As an older brother, it's not just your responsibility but should also be your instinct. They are tender and kind at heart but I can tell you're more…'serious'. They are currently recuperating and will be back to normal in a few days if they rest well."

"Your mother is worried about you; she can't help but feel scared for you 3. There are many things I want to tell you but I cannot because you're simply too weak right now. When you get your astral spirit or spirits, then you can finally begin cultivating."

Resoluteness and utter seriousness can be seen in Hei's eyes as he nods strongly. "I will protect my family." Liu Tian slightly smiles but his look of worry can still be seen slightly on his face. A light glints in Hei's eyes as he looks on his father seriously, "Father, I need your help."

A bit of curiosity is seen on Liu Tian's face as he nods, "Anything for you Little Hei." "Then I will be straightforward…I want to make a suitable area to slowly comprehend my bloodline along with other laws possibly. I also want to make my body stronger…"

"Little Hei, what do you mean? You want to make a suitable area for strengthening the body? There are many tablets for that." "No father, I would prefer to take things slowly. Instead, I would prefer various herbs that are still alive which are related to lightning, fire and darkness."

"Various herbs relating to these elements would be really good. If you can…I dunno…get 3 Astral Law Veins and 3 Astral Spirit Veins relating to these elements…that would be good to. Please do not question my decision but I feel like this would suit me well. My bloodline tells me so…"

Liu Tian looks on Hei with an odd expression. "Fine, I will not question your requests and try to fulfill them as best as possible. However, this will be under one condition." "Name your condition father. If I can accomplish it then sure, I will do it."

Liu Tian looks on Hei with hesitation but then blurts out, "Have you ever seen a giant, towering black silhouette?"