Chapter 2 - Grandpa's Wishes

'What? You are leaving now?' Her grandpa shouted as he stood up and looked at Lu Yang Jie in disbelief. He couldn't believe that the soldiers could stoop down this low to even kill his daughter and come after his granddaughter!

He was already heartbroken from losing his precious daughter, there was no way he would allow his beloved granddaughter to be taken away from him.

'They killed your mother, that stupid bloody Emperor, it's all his fault! How can they bring you away? What will I do without you?' the old man complained as he slammed his hands on the table.

Lu Yang Jie pondered as she stared at her grandpa and he continued rambling on as he received no response from her.

'Don't even think about it! I will not let them take you away! Although my bones are old, I will fight them with my bare hands! They can only get to you when they get through my dead body!' Her grandpa snarled as he glared furiously at his simple wooden door, as if willing his eyes to shoot daggers at the soldiers stationed outside.

Lu Yang Jie chuckled as she heard what her grandpa said but she couldn't help but sigh as she walked behind him and massaged his shoulders slowly.

'They have so much manpower and weapons, how can you win them, grandpa?' Lu Yang Jie teased as her grandpa looked up and and glowered at her.

'Don't doubt this old man, little girl,' her grandpa chided and Lu Yang Jie laughed happily for the first time in days.

'I have to go to the palace, grandpa. I have some debts that needs to be collected from The Emperor. For what he has done to me and Mother these years, I'll never ever forgive him,' Lu Yang Jie gritted her teeth and grounded out her words. Just thinking about giving The Emperor a taste of his own medicine managed to satisfy her. There was no doubt that she was going to enjoy her time at the palace, slowly taking back what she deserved.

She was going to make them all pay, one by one. She was going to make The Emperor feel deep remorse and regret. And no one, no one at all, was going to stop her.

Her grandpa looked up and couldn't help but shudder at the cold glint in his granddaughter's eyes although he had known her for seventeen years already. However, his heart also felt strangely at ease when he saw the determined look on the little girl's face. He knew, then, that the soldiers would not even be able to touch a hair of hers. She was a true member of the Fu family, a true female warrior who fights till the end indeed!

Lu Yang Jie's grandpa was once the mighty General Fu. But somehow, all his power and status fell in just one night and he was forgotten by the whole continent. The terrible thing was, he had absolutely no idea who or what caused his downfall. A few years later, his daughter also got involved in all these mess. If it was not because he couldn't do anything at all, he would already have skinned the bloody Emperor alive!

'Yang Jie, you must avenge your mother! You must bring back the pride of your family! Most importantly, take care of yourself! I know revenge is very important, but don't ever do anything that would harm yourself,' Lu Yang Jie's grandfather held her hand tightly, his mouth trembling as if wanting to say more, but faced with the fierce look on his granddaughter's face, he could say nothing.

'Rest assured, grandfather, I will do you proud,' Lu Yang Jie promised solemnly as she tightened the grip on her grandfather's hands. Looking back one last time, she clenched her hands into fists, prepared to face her fate again, when her grandfather's voice stopped her.

'Wait, Jie'er, before your mother passed away, she left these papers with me. She was studying some rare medicine. Please take them and continue her legacy, I have no use for these papers anymore,' her grandfather say softly as he took out a wad of yellowed, folded papers from his robe.

Lu Yang Jie reached her hand out to grab the papers and her heart couldn't help but squeeze painfully at the sight of her mother's messy, scrawled handwriting. Which she would never be able to see again.

A deep sense of frustration she had never felt before instantly built up in her, and she could barely contain herself from screaming out loud. Her mother lived in poverty when she could enjoy a wealthy life because of them. Her mother escaped with her because of them. Her mother was forced to retreat into the mountains because of them. Her mother died because of them. It was all because of them! This was why it was so important to topple The Emperor. Bring down everything he owned.

Steeling herself and keeping a crazily calm look that was way too mature for her age on her youthful face, her eyes glittered with a new mission.

'It's time to avenge your death, mother,' Lu Yang Jie murmured, pushing the door open and flinching at the bright glare of the sun.

Maybe, just maybe, her fate would be as bright as the sun.