A Vow Reborn

Chapter 14:

A Vow Reborn

Yun Feng stirred, his mind clouded with confusion as he slowly regained consciousness. The last thing he remembered was the terrifying maw of a crimson lion closing in on him, ready to end his life. Yet now, he found himself lying on a bed, surrounded by an odd sense of familiarity.

His eyes fluttered open, revealing the ceiling of a room that was both familiar and strange, as though it belonged to a distant memory. The walls, adorned with old scrolls and faded paintings, evoked a sense of nostalgia that tugged at his heart.


He felt smaller, weaker, and as he lifted his hands to his face, he was shocked to see the hands of a sixteen-year-old boy—his hands, but from a time long past. Panic surged through him. What is this? he thought, his mind racing. Wasn't I about to be killed? How did I end up here, in my teenage body?

Before he could process this bizarre situation, a soft sound drew his attention. He turned his head to the side and saw her—his mother, seated beside the bed, her face etched with worry even in sleep. Her hair, once a glossy black, now bore the streaks of grey that he remembered so vividly.

She looked so real, so alive, and Yun Feng's heart clenched painfully. She had been dead for years, lost to the cruelty of fate. Yet here she was, alive, and watching over him as if nothing had changed.

He barely had time to comprehend the impossible when his mother stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, and as she saw him awake, her face transformed from worry to overwhelming joy.

"Feng'er! You're awake!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with a mix of relief and excitement. She reached out, her hand brushing against his cheek as if to confirm that he was truly there. "Thank the heavens!"
Without another word, she shot to her feet, her frail form bursting with a newfound energy. "I'll get the doctor! Just hold on, my dear!" she said, rushing out of the room before Yun Feng could even respond.

Left alone, Yun Feng tried to make sense of it all. His surroundings, his mother, his body—it was all too real, too vivid to be a dream. This room... He looked around, recognizing the details that were deeply embedded in his memory. This was my room when I was a teenager... How can I be here? His thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief. Wasn't I fighting a beast? How did I end up here? And why do I look like this?

As he struggled to make sense of the situation, the door creaked open, and his mother re-entered the room, followed by an old man. The man's age was evident in his every movement, his back slightly hunched, his face lined with the wrinkles of a life well-lived. His eyes, however, were sharp and alert, brimming with the wisdom of years. He approached Yun Feng's bedside with a calm demeanor, his experienced hands already moving to check Yun Feng's pulse.

Yun Feng watched as the old man conducted his examination, his mother hovering anxiously by his side, her hands wringing together in worry.

After a few moments, the old man sighed and looked at Yun Feng with a mixture of concern and reprimand. "Young man, you need to be more careful," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "If you keep getting into fights like this, you might not wake up next time. Sometimes, it's better to run than to stand and fight."

Yun Feng's mother nodded vigorously, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Yes, listen to him, Feng'er! You're always so headstrong, always getting into trouble. You need to stop this! I can't bear to see you hurt like this anymore."

The old doctor finished his examination and gave a slight nod to Yun Feng's mother, indicating that there was no immediate danger. With one last look at Yun Feng, he turned and quietly left the room, leaving mother and son alone.

As soon as the door closed, Yun Feng's mother burst into tears, her composure crumbling as she took Yun Feng's hand in hers. "Feng'er, please, you have to stop being so reckless! I don't want to lose you," she cried, her voice breaking with emotion. "You're all I have left. Please, promise me you'll stay out of trouble."

Yun Feng stared at his mother, her tears, her pleas—this was a scene that had played out twenty years ago, a moment he had almost forgotten. It was before he had met his wife, before he had become a father to his twin daughters.

Back then, he had been a rebellious teenager, constantly getting into fights with other clan members. This time, it was because of a skill scroll he had bought in the marketplace, something he had paid for fairly, but the son of an elder had coveted it. When Yun Feng refused to hand it over, he was beaten nearly to death.

The memory flooded back, clear and painful. His mother had always worried for him, always tried to protect him in a world that saw him as nothing more than the son of a slave wife, a talentless wastrel who couldn't even cultivate. And in the end, despite all her efforts, she had met a tragic end, one he was powerless to prevent.

Yun Feng's heart tightened at the thought. He had been helpless then, but now... Now he had a chance to change things.

A new resolve took root in his heart. He would not let history repeat itself. He would protect his mother, protect his family, and he would not fail them again.

With tears in his own eyes, Yun Feng leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his mother, holding her close. "I won't fail you this time, Mother," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I'll make sure you don't have to worry anymore."

His mother stiffened in shock at first, but then her expression softened, and she returned his embrace, her heart swelling with warmth. She held him tightly, her tears soaking into his tunic, but this time they were tears of relief.

"My dear Feng'er," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "You've never spoken like this before..."

Yun Feng tightened his hold on her, feeling the weight of his past decisions and the determination to change them. "I promise, Mother. I'll make things right."

For the first time in a long while, Yun Feng felt a sense of purpose, a direction to guide him through the confusion and chaos of his past and future. As he held his mother close, he vowed to himself that this time, he would carve out a different path—one where those he loved would be safe.

This time, he would not fail.