Ch. 10 - Thank You

"Enough with the nonsense!"

"Foolish."

"You are the only one here who is foolish! Before I kill you, I would like to know why no one knows of your son?! How were you able to hide such a thing from the entire world?!"

"... He is not my real son…"

"Oh… then that is interesting! Who is your son's real father then?"

"I do not know…"

"Then, who is his mother?"

"You are not qualified to know! You do not deserve to know who she was!"

" 'Was'? Then she is dead?"

"That is none of your business!"

"Does he know that you are not his real father?"

"Of course, he knows! I would never hide something that important!"

"Then--"

"--What is up with all of these questions all of a sudden?!"

"Did I ever force you to answer? I will admit that my voice might have been a little threatening, but if you would' have wanted to keep it all a secret, then you would have taken those secrets with you to your grave, right?"

"I-I…"

"I understand that you care for this boy, but why are you willing to risk your life just so that he might escape? Since he is not your biological son, do you really think that he will avenge you?"

"He might not be my biological son, but in my heart he is just as important! I know he will avenge me! He already has the power to wipe all of you bastards from The Jin Clan!"

"Then why is he not here, wiping us all out?! Why is he escaping if he is that powerful?!"

"Because he is obedient... I-I told him to leave..."

"WHY?!"

"Because… I want him to have a normal childhood. Even though I know that it is quite impossible, since he is such an outstanding little boy, his achievements will be way better than mine. He is already stronger than me by far. His future is limitless!"

"You are so naïve! Did you really think that we would believe you? A five years old child can not possibly be stronger than The Golden Dragon, Jin Long of The Jin Clan, himself!"

'The Golden Dragon…', Xiao Huoyan thought to himself. ''Jin' as in 'Gold' and 'Xin' as in 'heart'. So that is the meaning of the name he gave me...'

"I am not lying. The very first time we met, he saved me from your poison, and later on the same day, he almost killed me. Do you really think that I would swallow my own pride and praise a child whom I have only known for 2 days, to this extent?! Please tell me, who is naïve now?!"

"You…! You better say your last words quickly, or you will die with all of those 'oh-so interesting' words stuck inside of your stupid little brain, while rotting in hell!"

"Oh, me? I am going to heaven to wait for my that lovely son of mine. I know he will not forget about me. He will come to see me once he becomes an Immortal!"

"He? An Immortal? Do you really think that he will be able to become that powerful?! Not even you could achieve that with your talent, and you are already around two hundred years! Stop fooling yourself!"

"Who is fooling himself? I only spoke the truth!"

"You…! Prepare to die!"

"... I was just about to say the same."

"Wha--?!"

"--Since I am bound to perish today, why not take all of you with me?"

Jin Long sneered while taking something out of his pocket. A small, beautiful orb. This one was somewhat different from the ones used for erasing or sealing memories. It did not erase minds. It erased people. That small little orb was only as big as an eyeball, yet it actually contained eleven different kinds of spirit essences. Jin Long had asked his son to make it, right before they set out into the forest.

This orb was basically a bomb!

"What the hell are yo--?!"

"--My dear son… I am sorry for destroying your home, please do not blame me too much!"

"Of course I will not blame you! You will be my father through life and death, no matter what! I-I will miss you… Please wait for me! I promise to come see you as soon as I achieve Immortality!"

Hearing his dear son's voice, Jin Long got startled. He turned around and smiled at his son for the last time.

"I will miss you too… Protect yourself well! I will be waiting for you..."

Then he used the scroll that his son had given him together with the orb to detonate it. People could hear the loud bang from miles away.

Xiao Huoyan, who had been in the middle of it all, just smiled bitterly while a single tear made it's way down his rosy cheek. There were not even a corpse left from his father. The explosion had turned everyone in the entire forest, into ashes. Ashes to be blown away by the wind.

"Before you died… I made a promise which I intend to keep! Please wait for me..."

Xiao Huoyan's eyes were now filled with determination. He understood that those who had been in the forest, were not the only ones who had schemed against his father.

He knew that he had to revenge his father, but he also understood that now was not the right time.

"As a start, I should probably use the orb… It is only half a year. Soon enough, I will remember you again."

Xiao Huoyan began to activate the orb with a bitter smile on his face. Then he fell to the ground with his memories temporarily sealed. He knew that they would come back after half a year, yet he did not want to forget his dear father for even a second.

He did not lay there for long. Soon after he fell to the ground unconscious, many people came by to see what had happened. Everything within the entire forest had turned into ashes. How could people just ignore that?

Many people came rushing to see what had caused all of this destruction. But when they found nothing but ashes and a little boy laying on the ground, they all got extremely shocked.

"This boy… Could he have been the one who destroyed the forest?"

"Do not be silly! How could such a small little boy have done all of this. It must have been that old expert whom had a fight and decided to spare this child!"

"Do you mean the expert that was rumoured to live inside the forest?"

"Who else would be able to cause such a big explosion?!"

While the people who had all come rushing were discussing what they thought had happened, Xiao Huoyan slowly began to regain consciousness.

"Hm…?"

"He woke up!"

"The boy woke up!"

"Do you think he knows the hidden expert?!"

When they saw that Xiao Huoyan had woken up, they all began to discuss even more eagerly.

"QUIET!!"

"… He spoke!"

"Yes, I did. I am not mute, if that is what you thought."

Everyone shut their mouths, and it became as quiet as if everyone had gone mute. Xiao Huoyan heaved a deep sigh of relief.

"Finally some silence…"

"E-excuse me, d-do you know who d-did all of this?"

"I… I can not remember."

"What do you mean you 'can not remember'?!"

"I mean exactly what I said! I… CAN NOT… REMEMBER!"

"Then, do yo--"

"--Enough already!"

"Why are you in such a bad mood? You should be happy! You actually survived such a huge explosion!"

"Oh, as if you are one to talk! I bet you would be in just as mad of a mood as I am if you had been the one who just lost all of his memories! I can not even remember my own name, and this annoying headache is not making me any happier!"

"…"

Everyone went quiet again.

"… Make way… make way… ouch, careful! Geez!"

A man tried to force his way through the crowd.

"Who are you?"

"You do not remember me?"

"No, I do not."

"I am your dear father! How can you not remember me? Oh, poor son! I will take you home right away!"

"… You are lying…"

"What?"

"I said, YOU ARE LYING!"

"… You… You can not be serious, right? I am your father!"

"No, you are not!"

"Did you not say that you had lost all of your memories? Stop with all this nonsense and come with me now, okay?"

"No… I might not remember who I am, but I know that you are not my father! My father gave his life to protect me from them!"

"Who are 'them'?"

"I-I… can not remember… I just know that you are not my father."

"You…!"

The man walked closer to Xiao Huoyan, raised his hand and was about to slap him. Then another unknown man came and grabbed his wrist.

"What kind of father would hit his dear son in public?"

"I-I-I…"

The unknown man turned to Xiao Huoyan and smiled.

"Your father sent me."

"My father is dead!"

"He sent a letter."

"Proof?"

"He told me that there is a letter in your pocket. A letter that you are not allowed to read until we arrive at a place far from here."

"How much do you know about me?"

"I know that your name's Jin Xin and that you are five years old. Your father also told me about you being special. He said you have special abilities that can not be revealed."

"What ability?"

"He did not say."

"…"

"Do you want to come with me?"

"... I do not know why… but I feel that you seem very familiar…"

"Well I am your uncle after all!"

"… My uncle?"

"Oh, how rude of me! I forgot to introduce myself! I am Jin Niao of the Jin Clan, your father's older brother."

Hearing who the strange man was, the crowd all dropped their jaws.

"I-if The Golden Bird, Jin Niao of the Jin Clan, is that little boy's uncle… then does t-that not mean that his f-father is The Golden Dragon,J-Jin L-Long of The Jin Clan?!"

The man who was about to hit Xiao Huoyan before finally understood who he had been messing with. His face turned ashen as he just stood there in complete shock.

"Jin… Long… It sounds somewhat familiar."

"How do you mean 'familiar'?"

"Important."

"Then that is a good start! He said that you would regain your memories in half a year, but that you would possibly be able to recall some fragments from your memories before that."

"…"

"Shall we take our leave now?"

"… Fine."

"Great! Just take my hand."

"Okay…"

As Xiao Huoyan grabbed his uncle's hand, they both flew up in the sky, leaving the crowd beneath them, shocked beyond belief.

"Are you sad?"

"I do not know…"

"You do not know?"

"I just want to regain my memories."

"Well, I have good news!"

"What?"

"Since you are almost six years old, I can help you awaken your spirit essence and check your spirit power as well as your talent! To be able to make my brother take you in as his son, you must be quite an extraordinary child!"

"… So, this Jin Long is not my real father?"

"I am afraid he is not… Do you hate him for it?"

"No… I am happier…"

"Happier?!"

"Yes…"

"Why?"

"Because that shows that he is a good person. He must have loved me a lot to have given me the name 'Jin Xin'. Someone who takes another child as their own and treats them with love, can not be a bad person."

"Hahaha… You are right!"

"Too bad I will never see him again…"

"Do not be so sure! He told me about a promise between you two--"

"What promise?"

"He were not willing to tell. He just said that it had to do with both of you meeting again, and that you would remember it once you regain your memories."

"… I know my son will come to see me once he becomes an Immortal…"

"What?"

"Nothing… I just remembered something…"

"Oh, okay."

"Then, where are we going?"

"To his home. He said that everything he owned belongs to you now."

"Really?"

"Yes! He also said that I must protect you with my life. He said that you can not get agitated or stressed."

"Why?"

"Because then, something bad will happen."

"…"

"I know it is hard to take in so much information, especially since you have lost both your memories and your father--"

"--That is not it…"

"Then, what is it?"

"I am just…"

"What?"

"… Thank you."

"For what?"

"For taking care of me when we have only just met."

"I promised my brother that I would."

"That is not an excuse. You could have killed me, or simply just watched as that strange man from back then, would take me away. You did not have to do what you did, yet you did. Thank you…"