Awake

Song Huo stared dumbly at the jade bottles on his hand. 'Where did she get these?'

"Uncle, apply it to my father's wounds so it stops the bleeding and heals faster. He should wake up soon..Give him the essence pill when he does."

"Jia'er, where did you get these?" To his knowledge, his niece was never trained in Alchemy.

He wouldn't be surprised if she had made tea, since she has been taught since young and has already mastered the Tea ceremony. But Alchemy?

"I refined it myself, uncle.." Seeing that her uncle couldn't believe that she was able to do it, she had to explain it a little more. "I found books about alchemy in the book pavilion and in the underground chambers. I have studied it since I realized it would be useful.. Especially with my father not being conscious yet.."

Understanding dawned on Song Huo. He felt a pang in his heart.

His niece had to start learning these things after her near death experience. Perhaps she realized that after what she went through, these skills are proven to be useful. The romance novels won't heal her father's wounds. It also won't help her rise in cultivation. Now that her focus has shifted, she is even better in martial arts. If before she learned it because she was told to do so and that she was inspired by heroism from the books she read, now she needs to train in order to protect herself and her loved ones better.

He was relieved that she had come to this realization but felt guilty at the same time. If only he was able to protect her better that time. If only he and his brother were more powerful, then who would dare attempt an ambush?

But as the saying goes, everything happens for a reason. Perhaps her near death experience served as a catalyst for her to take cultivation seriously.

Song Jia wasn't clear on what her uncle was thinking at that moment but she could guess from his forlorn expression that he was saddened for her.

"Good.. good.. I knew you were an intelligent girl! As long as you put your focus into it, you will surely achieve great things!"

How hard she must have worked to be able to learn medicine, alchemy and even rise in rank in just a few days!

Speaking of which, he was really amazed at her progress. Not anybody could rise in ranks just by pure hard work.

"Mmmm.." The man lying on the bed stirred awake.

Gasps could be heard from the uncle and niece.

"Brother.. You're awake!" Relief washed over him. He glanced at his niece. 'It happened just the way she said it would!'

"Father.. You're okay now.." She squeezed his hand.

"W-water.." He croaked. His throat felt dry.

His eyes wandered around the room in confusion.

On the side, Song Jia went to get warm water from the bedside table and poured it on a cup.

"Brother, do you remember what happened?"

Song Xia's brows knitted together. He had forgotten the events from 2 months ago. His mouth opened and closed, unable to utter a sound.

"Here, father.. Drink some water.. Take it slow.." Song Huo helped him sit up slightly as Song Jia brought the cup to his lips.

Song Xia took a sip little by little before lying back down.

"Brother, Jia'er.. What are you both doing here?" He was confused why his younger brother and his daughter were in his chambers.

He wondered why his throat felt dry and his muscles ached, as if he had been asleep for a long time.

"Brother, do you not remember what happened?"

"Jia'er.. Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be preparing now? For the Tranquility Conservatory?"

Song Huo was taken aback. 'Has he forgotten what happened?'

"Jia'er.. It looks like his memory about the incident has disappeared."

"It's okay Uncle. He has just woken up. He'll be back to normal soon."

"What's going on?" Song Xia's heart trembled.

"Brother, don't worry about it now. What's important is for you and Jia'er to both be okay."

"Uncle, the pill.." Song Huo gave back the jade bottle to Song Jia who poured one out and brought it to her father's lips.

"Father, take this pill."

"This.." His brow frowned.

"It's an essence pill.."

He opened his mouth and let his daughter feed him the pill. When he swallowed it, he looked at the two before him, seeking answers.

"You have been unconscious for weeks, brother. You both were heavily injured after being ambushed by assassins when we were on the way home from Tranquility Conservatory."

His eyes widened, shell-shocked. 'We were ambushed?! My daughter and I were injured?!'

He quickly turned to look at Song Jia and search for injuries. But there was none that he found.

"I'm okay now, father. But what the people outside know is that I have died and they have already buried me." She patted his hand, trying to assure him.

"How? How did this happen?!"

"Brother..we have investigated this matter. It's best if you keep the information to ourselves for now. Especially when you have yet to regain your strength."

"Who? Who did it?" Fury began to boil inside him.

"It's the Second Wife." Song Huo felt disgust and hatred as he spoke the words.

"What?! No!! Why would she do that? Impossible!"

"What?! No!! Why would she do that? Impossible!"

Song Xia could not believe what he had just heard. His wife didn't seem capable of doing such a thing! She had always been gentle, mild-mannered, loving and an ideal wife and mother to their children. Although she never birthed the two girls, she had always shown how she cared for them.

"We thought the same as well before. But what we found are the facts."

"How? She's not capable of doing such atrocity!"

Song Huo sighed. "We don't know her motive. But we know that she ordered them to do it. We will investigate further, maybe she's in cahoots with somebody else. Once our investigation has concluded, only then we will understand why she did it. It's best if you don't change your behavior towards her. Father has instructed to keep mum about this matter so it won't affect our investigation and further endanger Jia'er."

He was dumbfounded at his brother's words. 'What does he mean?'

"Further endanger my daughter? What exactly do you mean?"

"Brother, although you have suffered heavy injuries and have only woken up now, Jia'er's injuries were worse. Also, when I found you, you were already in the hands of one of the assassins. And yet, he didn't carry out the finishing blow. He only injured you, enough that you wouldn't be able to protect Jia'er. The doctor even said that she will die.. So we speculated that she could be the target all along. We've come up with a plan to conceal the fact that she's alive so she won't be targeted again. Or at least until she has become stronger so she could defend herself in case we're not with her."

He turned to look at his daughter, his eyes glistening as he looked at her with guilt and a bitter smile. "Jia'er, I'm sorry. Father is so useless. I was unable to protect you.."