Chapter 105: The Fated Child
The Liu Clan home radiated with the warmth of a thriving family,
the air filled with the earthy scent of woodsmoke from the hearth
and the soft hum of qi circulating through the wards,
the morning light filtering through paper windows adorned with protective runes.
Eight years had passed since the clan's founding,
the hidden haven blossoming with small gardens and sturdy homes,
the laughter of children and the chatter of daily life a stark contrast
to the dangers lurking beyond its borders.
One crisp morning, Liu Ren returned, his long black coat dusted with forest debris,
carrying a half-dead boy, nine years old, his eyes black with a faint white glow,
the strange hue a mystery that sent a shiver through the clan.
"His name is Lin Xuan,"
he said, placing the boy gently in Luo Shuang's arms,
his gray eyes grave with a weight that spoke of secrets untold.
Luo Shuang cradled the child, her calloused hands gentle,
her voice soft with concern as she brushed dirt from his face.
"An orphan, Ren? Where did you find him?"
she asked, her brow furrowing as she felt his frail pulse.
Liu Ren shook his head, his expression hardening,
his voice low and deliberate as he met her gaze.
"No, Shuang'er. He's fate rewritten.
Keep him safe—he doesn't belong to this age, but he'll decide it.
His life is tied to something bigger, something I can't fully shield him from."
He knelt beside her, his hands trembling with effort,
forging three blood seals on Lin Xuan's soul with a faint shimmer of qi,
the air pulsing with a subtle hum as the seals sank into the boy's chest,
a protective measure against the forces he knew were hunting him.
As Lin Xuan recovered over the next few days,
his eyes turned crimson via an illusion technique Liu Ren applied,
a deliberate mask to hide the boy's true nature from prying eyes,
the process leaving a faint glow in the room as the magic settled.
Liu Ren watched silently from the doorway,
his mind a storm of memory and duty,
the weight of his past decisions pressing down as he guarded the child.
year later, the home filled with the cries of a newborn,
Liu Yang's arrival bringing a fresh wave of laughter and chaos,
his small fists waving as Luo Shuang cradled him, exhaustion etched into her smile.
Liu Ren laughed once, a rare, genuine sound,
watching Lin Xuan and Liu Yue spar in the yard with wooden swords,
their movements clumsy but earnest, a bond forming with each playful strike.
But that night, by a crackling fire in the family's main hall,
he gathered his sons, his voice a quiet whisper as he spoke.
"You are both mine—one by blood, one by fate.
Liu Yang, you're my heart's continuation; Lin Xuan, you're my soul's redemption.
May neither of you burn too soon—live long, and live well."
In the divine realm, the atmosphere crackled with tension,
a blazing figure pacing within the sealed domain, its voice a growl.
"Urgh, damn it! That ShenYi Ren is running again!
We can't let him rebuild—his companions must fall!"
"We must cleanse the entire domain!" another deity urged,
its white glow flickering with impatience.
Their master, halo cracked and voice gravelly, countered,
"We can't—it'd kill us too.
Besides, we still have to deal with Crimson Veil and Team Professor—
their members are hunting our weak to distract us from ShenYi Ren.
Focus on tracking him, not annihilation!"
In the mortal domain,seven years passed, Liu Ren sensed their gaze,
the celestial pulse sending a chill down his spine as he stood in the yard.
He prepared to leave, his red-black-haired youth companion at his side,
the boy's innocent yet cold face a mirror of Lin Xuan's,
his presence a silent reminder of the stakes involved.
Before departing, Liu Ren carved a stone tablet with a chisel,
its surface etched with runes that glowed faintly under his touch,
and placed it in Lin Xuan's room with a heavy sigh.
The tablet read: "Your fate is heavier than mine.
Don't let it weigh you down—find your own path, Xuan'Er."
Luo Shuang approached as he finished, her voice soft but firm.
"Ren, where are you going? You can't leave us again—
not with Lin Xuan still so fragile, not with Liu Yang just born."
He turned to her, his expression a mix of resolve and regret,
his hand brushing her cheek gently.
"Shuang'er, I have to. They're closing in, and I won't let them find you.
This tablet… it's for Lin Xuan. He'll need it one day.
Keep the clan safe—I'll return when I can."
She nodded, tears streaming down her face,
pulling him into a fierce hug as Liu Yue and the infant Liu Yang slept nearby.
"Promise me, Ren—come back to us,"
she whispered, her voice breaking,
her arms trembling around him.
He held her tightly, his voice a rough promise.
"I promise, Shuang'er. For you, for them—
I'll come back."
The child stretched into the afternoon,
the air growing heavy with the scent of woodsmoke and unspoken fears,
the mysterious savior's legacy and her protection a fragile hope.
Liu Ren whispered to the sleeping Lin Xuan,
"Grow strong, my boy—your story's just beginning."