The Promise

Picking up the book, Tylem thoroughly examined it, brushing the dust off the cover.

The glare from the sunlight irritated him slightly. Wrinkling his eyes, Tylem read the book's title.

"Soaring Above the Great Dragons."

[What an arrogant name.]

Pondering over the book, Tylem slowly flipped through the contents, taking in each word very carefully. Fortunately, the manual seemed to be prepared for people like him; it was written in the language of Hua nationals.

Even without comprehending the contents, a unique enlightenment began to wrap itself around Tylem.

With Tylem reading the book in interest, time slowly passed like that. When the child finally put the book down, there was no special reaction. To the ball of light, it was shocked by the outcome.

In its mind, Tylem should have been rejoicing over the fact that the cultivation manual was special, as it clearly meant that he could turn his miserable life around. Shouldn't he be shouting in joy right now?

For some reason, however, Tylem sat motionless without saying anything. It was a mysterious sight. It was only when the loud sirens came blaring from the outside that he seemingly awoke from his stupor.

Hearing the loud police sirens blaring outside his house, Tylem thought about where he could store the book for easy retrieval in the future, but his brows tightened after some thought. Truth be told, he never wanted to return to this house, so he wished to carry the book with him.

Just when Tylem was getting worried about where to store the book, a mysterious connection formed between him and the ball of light. Rather, it was as if the connection had always been here.

"Store."

The simple word came to Tylem from seemingly nowhere. Following his soft voice, the thick book he had been holding instantly vanished without a trace, making him question if it was ever there in the first place.

* * *

"Captain Emily, how much longer until we arrive!"

Tension grew amongst the police officers. From what the dispatcher had told them, this was a horrendous case where child abuse was taken to the next level.

"There's no need to ask. We're here."

Stopping the police car outside the small cottage house, Officer Emily bit her lips in rage. Being a mother herself, she was furious about how a parent could be so heartless to their child.

The information from the dispatcher was not clear. Furthermore, it was a frightened child reporting the crime, so there may be some holes in detail. The dispatcher had warned them to be on their toes.

Hardening her heart, Officer Emily was prepared for the worst. If she happened to see an unmoving little body on the floor… she was afraid that she would break the law tonight, delivering swift justice to the cruel mother.

Instructing her fellow officers to swiftly surround the cottage house, Officer Emily signaled for the muscular male behind her to knock down the door. Near her waist, she tightened her hold over a certain killing object, a cold glint flashing through her beautiful eyes.

Bam!

"Police! Do not move!"

Soon, the police officers had finally arrived, kicking down the house's front door in a rushed style.

Seeing the policemen break down his childhood home, Tylem shook his head while walking toward them in an unhurried manner. In the end, he would be sent to the orphanage once more; he had no other blood connections.

However, before he could take a single step, the beautiful officer at the front instantly swept him into her embrace, as if she was a teleporting superhuman.

"The child is safe! I repeat the child is safe!"

"Little Friend, everything will be fine from now on."

The soothing fragrance of a beautiful young woman in her prime wafted into Tylem's nose. Crinkling his little nose, his handsome face showed visible bother.

Due to years of malnourishment and abuse, Tylem's figure was much smaller than the average eleven-year-old boy.

Hidden in Officer Emily's embrace, it wasn't long before the other police officers had completely searched the entire house from top to bottom, flipping countless portraits over.

This beautiful young officer was the person in charge of the police team sent over today. Looking at the muscular officer who had kicked down the door, she waited for him to report the details.

"Captain Emily, erm."

There was a troubled look on the muscular officer's youthful face. It was his first time as an officer to see something so vicious. In response, Officer Emily snarled.

"Just spit it out!"

Hearing the unbridled authority in his superior's voice, who happened to be around the same age as him, the muscular officer did not dare to delay his report.

"The child's mother has left us. It seems to be a case of suicide. The medic team is trying to bring her back."

Widening her beautiful eyes in shock, Officer Emily hurriedly blocked the child's ears while ordering the muscular officer to bring the child back to the safety of the station.

No child should ever have to hear or see such a thing.

Rushing to the crime scene, Officer Emily showed no pity upon seeing the lifeless corpse; instead, she thought about how a mother could be so irresponsible. If she were to know the exact details of what this so-called mother had put her child through, she would likely tear this corpse to pieces.

"Preserve the corpse and the crime scene!"

Nevertheless, Emily would carry out her assigned duty as an officer.

* * *

Chengyang Village.

The light from the local police station stood out amidst the nighttime darkness.

Inside a modern three-story building, a lot of whispering went on amongst the workers.

Having the child go through a hospital check, the results sent back were nauseating enough to make Officer Emily vomit up everything she had eaten both today and yesterday.

The number of child abuse marks over Tylem's body was sickening. In the hospital, the doctors in charge had never seen such a terrifying case of a mother abusing their child to such an inhumane extent.

Drinking a cup of warm hot chocolate, Tylem calmly thought about his mother. If people were to say that she was the worst mother in history, it would be hard denying this point, but he thought that at the very least he had been given both food and a roof over his head.

However, he wasn't the least bit sad about her death. Rather, he was quite relieved.

"When I was little, I just couldn't imagine the nightmare of my Mom dying."

"So when it happened, I didn't know how I could live on, spending years in endless guilt and sorrow."

The feeling of being hopeless. Tylem remembered it far too clearly.

The cold air brushed against his pale forehead. Without hope, everything else was just floating clouds.

Closing his eyes, Tylem's train of thought was interrupted by a gentle feminine voice.

"Little Friend, if you are willing, I will take care of you forever."

The declaration was calm, blunt, and resolute without any hidden intentions. Officer Emily had overheard the investigators. This pitiful child, after such a traumatic event, did not have a single relative to care for him.

The wheels of fate were already changing. In his previous life, this righteous woman had not offered to take him in. In fact, he had never even seen her before. It could be attributed to the fact that he did not dial for help before.

When the other officers looked at Emily, they all sighed in unison. This beautiful, talented woman had come to their lowly department on exchange for a short while.

From what the officers had heard, Captain Emily was supposed to have returned to the capital before noon. Now, it was already nighttime, and she still showed no signs of leaving.

Lifting his face to meet Officer Emily's soft gaze, Tylem said nothing in response, and he just weirdly looked at her.

"If you follow me, I promise that, for as long as I'm still alive, you will never lack any love."