When you know that her father, Jin Hai, was the primary person responsible for destroying the magical weapons of enemies—and even of allies among sorcerers, warriors, and titans who lived and perished under the edge of the sword or the torment of thunder—and when you realize he was the one who made the final decision to burn what remained of their memories in the Celestial Kingdom…What would you think?
You would certainly believe—almost be certain—that he was a harsh, difficult, cold-hearted man. A ruthless tyrant who cared for nothing and no one. A man who erased the last traces of others and had them destroyed in the Sacred Furnace without mercy.
But the truth is the complete opposite.
Her father, Jin Hai, lived up to his name—calm as the sea, from youth until the silver of age settled upon him. He was gentler than a lilac blossom, tender and kind like a cool summer breeze. His personality was soft, and his spirit was like a pure white cloud untouched by darkness.
He never left his palace—not even to attend the burning ceremonies at the mystical furnace. He simply signed the council's decisions, approving what the Elders agreed upon, and left the rest to his competent assistants. The presence of the Furnace Guardian, that ancient elder, spared him much of the burden. That elder had been entrusted with the furnace for thousands of years, ever since retiring from his former position.
So Jin Hai spent most of his time lightly tapping the crystal of his ring until Huo Feng—the little breeze—awakened, and he would take her on their usual stroll through the palace gardens. He read her stories and told her tales about a beautiful world he and his wife once lived in… a distant world called Planet Earth. He wanted desperately to tell her about her mother every moment, so she would never forget her—even though she had never met her.
But those precious moments did not last long, not after that cursed day in the Celestial Kingdom.
That evening—and unlike his habit—Jin Hai removed his ring. Suddenly his assistant entered, carrying a tray containing magical tools and the destruction report from the council. He placed it before him on the table, waiting for him to mark it with the ring.
As he finished, a soldier from the main palace of the Elder Council burst in, panting, blood covering him. He said: "Forgive me, Lord Jin Hai. The enemy has breached the third gate. The council requests your presence immediately to support them until Warlord Wu Xin returns from the battlefield at the border."
Jin Hai did not think twice. His usual calm shifted instantly into deep worry. He stood up abruptly, grabbed his sword, and shot out like lightning—no, he was lightning in that moment. He forgot about burning the tools he had approved for destruction, and forgot about his daughter who rested inside the crystal.
When he reached the gate, he found most of the council fighting bravely to defend their sky against an enemy that had long stalked them—both openly and in secret.He drew his sword and fought all who stood in his way, with courage at times and recklessness at others. His only concern was the safety of his kingdom, his clan, and above all… his daughter.
He suddenly froze when he remembered her. He looked at his hand and found no ring.He had left it on the table when he rushed out—an unforgivable mistake. A mistake that cost him his life before it cost hers.
In those brief moments when he remembered his daughter and realized the ring was missing… he vanished from existence. A treacherous arrow had pierced his heart, shot by an unknown assailant—perhaps a soldier of shadows… or perhaps not.He tried desperately to pull it out, but he could not. The arrow's head was covered in barbed spikes—every movement deepened his agony.
An enemy wearing a mask approached him, staring with cold, merciless eyes, and whispered in his ear:
"Don't try. Even if you manage to pull it out, its poison will finish you."
Jin Hai didn't pay him any attention—his pain came not from the arrow, but from the thought of his daughter. He wanted to rip it out just so he could reach her, hide her, protect her before she disappeared forever.
The masked man smirked."I see you're determined… Let me help you."
Without warning, he yanked the arrow out violently. Its vicious, spiked head shredded Jin Hai's heart in the most brutal way imaginable.
No one ever thought that such a gentle heart would meet such a horrific end.
Jin Hai collapsed to his knees, leaning on his sword—Lightning Blade—with his other hand clutching the heart that threatened to burst from the agony.He began crying bitterly for the fate his mistake had written for his daughter.Then he wailed loudly, begging her for forgiveness, begging for mercy, shouting as hard as he could—hoping she might somehow hear him.
His back bent under the weight of pain and sorrow, his head lowered in shame before the wife he would soon meet—after breaking his promise and failing to protect the treasure she entrusted to him.
The masked man approached him, staring strangely at him. For a brief moment his expression shifted—sadness, misery, as if remembering some distant grief. But he erased it from his eyes in an instant.
He smiled a disgraceful smile and hissed in his ear like a serpent:"When I find her—and I certainly will—I'll tell her everything that happened to you.So don't grieve too much for leaving her, for I'll send her to you soon.I'll make sure she joins you."
He laughed mockingly and walked away without looking back. Though he stood close, Jin Hai—struggling for breath—could not recognize him. The only thing etched into his fading memory was the wicked, deceitful glint in the man's eyes.
And what an expression it was… No—what a tragedy.
For merely thinking of his daughter in a critical moment cost him his life…And forgetting her in another moment cost hers.