Mother-Son Promises

Over a room in the Xie's state, Nair was combing her beautiful silvery-white hair, making the last touches in her appearance before attending her son's wedding.

Suddenly, Nair's body stiffed, she turned around finding a hooded person there. She hadn't felt him coming, seemingly as if he had appeared from thin air. Appearing like that, Nair thought he was either an assassin or Bian, in either case, the answer was the same.

She launched forward, four rings appeared around her, 2 yellows and 2 purple, one purple one shining as she shot her palm open forward to the intruder, her hand gaining a metallic glow while the intruder lifted his right arm.

"Pang!" Nair's palm crashed over the intruder's forearm, her attack stopping still, not being able to push him even an inch.

"Attacking without knowing who it was. It seems that I learned it from you" The intruder said cheerily.

Nair opened her eyes wide as she was able to recognize the intruder "H-haotian?"

"Long time not seeing you, mother" The intruder took out his hood, revealing his black hair and deep purple eyes and a warm smile.

"Haotian!" Nair beamed in joy, even some tears leaving her eyes. She lowered her arm, withdraw her spirit and stepped forward, enclosing Haotian between her hands. She couldn't help to be touched, her little son had grown so much in these almost three years, already becoming taller than her.

"Madam! Something happened?!" From the door, shouts of guards were heard, having detected Nair's spirit and the sound of clash.

Nair looked at her son before turning to the door "There's nothing to worry, all it's fine. I was only practicing. I'm yet to be changed so please refrain from entering."

Listening to Nair, the guards quickly accepted her excuse, the Xie Clan really not knowing anything from Nair and not daring to offend her.

Thanks to the intrusion, Nair regained her cool, turning towards her son with a serious face "What are you doing here, Haotian? You shouldn't be here, all the Tè Clan is here for Yuan's wedding.

"I'm precisely for that mother. I came here to stop the wedding and rescue Lingling from the Tè Clan" Haotian explained.

"You know that poor little girl?" Nair asked curiously.

"We are friends. Well, it would be better to say that she is Biyun's friend. After we left the clan, we traveled a little, finally joining Heaven Dou Academy. There we met Lingling."

"Biyun is alive?" Nair said in shock and joy. Seeing the state that she was in when they left the clan, Nair was sure that she wouldn't be able to live much time, wanting her to at least be free in her last moments.

"Yes" Haotian started summarizing very quickly their travel, skipping the specifics of his spirit and the dangers to his life.

"I'm very happy that you three are fine and enjoying your life" Nair smiled "But that's more to escape before you are discovered. Don't waste your freedom, Haotian."

"I know mother." Haotian nodded "But I can't abandon Lingling. I know that she barely shows any emotion and is very blunt and direct, but she had suffered a lot all her life, she had suffered more than enough for a lifetime. She doesn't deserve to be caged over the Tè Clan and left in misery under those bastards that would only treat her like an object."

Nair was touched by his words, she really also thought the same thing, but she couldn't avoid being worried "But what's your plan? Would you take her away and escape? The Tè Clan might not have discovered you yet, but they aren't so silly, they would investigate and if you are Lingling's companion at school, they would find you. Would you run away forever?"

"You don't need to worry, mother. I have met powerful people outside, strong enough to protect me, at least until I become strong enough." Haotian explained "Then, with my own hands, I would destroy the dammit Tè Clan, killing than bastards of elders and freeing you from its chains."

"No, you won't!" Nair said seriously, shocking Haotian "As I told you before, you didn't need to worry about the clan, live your own life and forget about us. Don't let be eaten by the demons of the past. As I saw your brothers grow, I felt pained seeing the ideas and thoughts of the Tè clan growing in them as your father. You were the only one that was able to go against them, not letting affect you. Please, don't fall low only for them."

"How could I abandon you and forgive those bastards after they hurt Mei and Biyun so much?!" Haotian answered offended.

"Haotian, The Tè Clan is not so weak as it seems and has vast connections, you won't be able to face the consequences of destroying it, even if you are able to kill the elders." Nair said solemnly.

"They have a backing?" Haotian quickly realized the meaning of his mother's words. Remembering his time at the clan, his father and grandfather needed to regularly leave the clan to make some missions. It should be they working for a larger clan or...

Haotian's eyes went wide as he realized it, the most probable force that a hidden clan without morals like the Tè Clan would be joined "Is the Tè Clan part of Spirit Hall?"

Nair blinked in surprise at Haotian's deduction "Yes. For hundreds of years, they had been part of Spirit Hall, working for them in exchange for resources. Their importance over Spirit Hall had even grown these years thanks to your father and brothers' strength, plus Bian's ability to spy is highly regarded."

"Of course" How could the Tè Clan take people such as Meijing and Biyun, children of the most important clans under the nose of Spirit Hall that wanted their clan's destruction? How could they have the information about their attacks? They were part of it. Most probably Bian's being part of the mission and taking advantage to kidnap the children.

'Luckily I didn't directly attack the clan with the Seven Treasure Clan's forces' Haotian thought 'I could have early started the continental war before I'm strong enough to protect myself in it and killing thousands.'

"This makes everything more difficult" If the Tè Clan took Spirit Hall's help to catch them, escaping would become far more difficult once they are chased. 'I won't be able to use outside help, at least until the war starts. Meaning that I can only rely in my own strength to destroy the clan, making it an internal clash.'

'If it's like this, how could I save Lingling?' Haotian made a thoughtful face.

"Haotian, you shouldn't put so much weight under your own shoulders" Nair put her hand over his shoulder, comforting him "If you want to save Lingling, I have a method."

"What is it?" Haotian asked intrigued.

"It would require strength and you might lose the chance, it would depend on your power" Nair explained "Over the Tè Clan the heir is the one considered to be the strongest and have the greatest potential, Yuan being recognized as such and being named as the next head. However, there's a way to take his position. As you are similar in age, your combat progress would be a show of your talent and potential, so using your status as the head's son, you can challenge Yuan for the heir position."

"So I shall aim for the heir position?" Haotian asked, thinking about it.

"This wedding is only a show between the Tè Clan and the Xie Clan to make their alliance, marrying the heir of both clans" Nair explained "If you are to become the heir, Yuan's wedding would be canceled and Lingling would become your fiance."

Haotian nodded. That way it would be all an internal struggle, there's no need for external forces to act "I should be able to cancel the wedding like this and even gain some time between a new wedding with the excuse of me becoming the new heir, delaying the ceremony and the official alliance between the clans. Two birds with one shot."

"Yes. But you shouldn't be too confident about it" Nair warned him "Yuan is incredibly strong, already having reached the Spirit Ancestor realm and even being able to face Spirit Kings."

"Don't worry. I'm very confident in my strength" Haotian reasurred.

Nair couldn't help to be worried but anyway, she nodded "In this kind of challenge killing is forbidden to create more pressure and let another take over in the future, pushing people to be stronger."

"Okay" Haotian nodded "When would be the best moment to have the challenge?" Haotian said thoughtfully "In the middle of the ceremony would be a good moment, all the clan would be there, making it impossible for Yuan to negate or try any trick, even if I really doubt him doing it, the elders might try something but they wouldn't dare to lose face beside all the Xie Clan" 'It would also make it more impactful, causing a stronger impression to Lingling.'

"It's a good time, but before anything, you should promise me two things," Nair said seriously "If you don't accept it, I would inform your father and stop you, making sure that you don't clash with the clan. So you should accept it or abandon and leave now."

"What things?" Haotian asked seriously.

"First of all, never kill your brothers or father" Nair said seriously "Yuan had been influenced by the elders, being rotten by them as they took advantage of my demands of keeping you safe back then. However, you are family and I don't want to see you killing each other. So you had to promise."

Looking at his mother's seriousness, Haotian knew how important was family for her. 'She should have learned of me almost killing Yuan on my escape, she must be terrified of we killing each other, even when he is rotten, she firmly loves her family. That's why she is too good for such a clan.'

"I promise" Haotian nodded "And the other?"

"Finally, if you win, you should take care of Lingling and if you lose, you'll need to abandon her. In each of the cases, you should abandon the clan, never coming again. The Seven Treasure Clan is powerful, they wouldn't dare to chase you there, stay there or hideaway, completely forgiving about us." Nair said seriously.

"I can't accept that!" Haotian answered offended "I won't abandon you and let those bastards continue hurting others. They must be destroyed."

"Haotian, revenge would only cloud your feeling" Nair said "Also, you don't need to worry about me. I would be safe thanks to your father."

"But!"

"Haotian. Your father, greatly cherished me, protecting me for the clan. But don't confuse that act as him going against the clan. He had grown in the clan and his belief are greatly linked to it. He might protect me or let you escape, but he would stand over the clan overall. If you try to destroy the clan, you would need to face him, him betting even his life to protect the clan. Please, promise me. Abandon us."

Haotian remained silent, thinking about it. Finally after a minute, he talked "I can't accept it."

"Haotian" Nair said worriedly.

"I can't abandon and forget everything that you do for me. But..." He said seriously "I won't try to destroy the clan. Instead of destroying it, I would reform it. I would clean all the vermin and grow it to a new height, reborning into a new clan that you can be proud of being part of it, mother."

"It isn't so easy, you'll need to face against every elder, Yuan and even your father" Nair said worriedly.

"Don't worry. I would keep my first vow. I won't kill them or even hurt them. I would become strong, strong enough to make their resistance useless. And overwhelming strength that doesn't let any resistance" It might sound impossible to others, but with his spirit, Haotian was sure that he was capable. Once he reaches Spirit Sage, he was sure to overwhelm everyone under the Titled Douluo realm.

"I vow it. I will save you, mother. And I would save our family" Haotian said decided.

Seeing his decided eyes, Nair was touched. She thought it was impossible but seeing him new possibility seemed to open over her. A future with all her family together, living in harmony while making the Tè Clan anew.

"Yes" Nair smiled, tears falling from her eyes.

...

"I'm Tè Shenti!" Haotian shouted over all the wedding crowd as he pointed at Yuan "As the second son of the head, I challenge you Yuan for the heir position!"