John remained comfortably nestled in his mother's arms when the great doors of the hall suddenly swung open with a resonant boom.
A marching contingent of warriors stepped inside.
Their entrance was precise and disciplined, boots striking the polished stone in perfect unison. Behind them followed a mixed honor guard, warriors of the Li Clan and soldiers of the Land of Earth.
The difference between them was immediately apparent.
The Li Clan warriors wore pristine grey robes, their uniforms adorned with the golden Li clan sigil embroidered proudly over the left breast. Their movements were elegant and restrained, like blades kept carefully sheathed.
The soldiers of the Earth Dominion were another matter entirely.
They wore heavy iron armor, dark and battle worn. Bronze toned robes hung beneath their plated cuirasses, while helmets crowned with crimson plumes concealed their faces in shadow. Red tassels and belts marked their ranks, swaying with each deliberate step.
They looked like men who had marched through war and expected to do so again tomorrow.
At the head of this formation walked a single figure.
Tall.
Imposing.
He wore light grey steel armor polished to a muted sheen, layered over flowing white robes whose long sleeves fluttered softly as he walked. His stride was calm, unhurried, the kind of gait possessed only by men who feared nothing and nobody in the room.
His golden eyes swept across the hall.
And then locked onto Yue Li.
Her beautiful face shifted instantly.
Shock, and Relief.
Then smoldering rage.
A horn sounded somewhere beyond the gates.
The announcement echoed across the hall.
"We, the Li Clan, welcome our Clan Leader and Grand General Lord Yu Shang Li!"
Every person present bowed.
Every person…
Except one.
A lithe figure wrapped in black silk shot forward like a streak of lightning.
"You missed our son's birth, you ass!"
Yue Li's voice cracked like a whip at Shang Li psyche.
Before Shang Li could even react, a small bundle was shoved violently into his arms.
John whos golden eyes widened with confusion and then revelation.
The Grand General scrambled for half a second before catching the baby properly.
"W-well, I'm here now, aren't I?" Shang Li protested as Yue Li immediately began assaulting him with a barrage of slaps and kicks.
"I was busy! But now I'm here for our son, our… what's his name again? Something with a J?"
He ducked sideways to avoid another strike.
Yue Li froze mid-attack.
Her crimson eyes narrowed dangerously.
"It's John."
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
"Tell me, my beloved… have you not been reading the letters I've been sending you?"
A vein pulsed faintly on her forehead.
"Or have you simply been too busy… entertainingotherwomen?"
Her hands clenched slowly in front of her, as if strangling an invisible mistress.
"You had better have been busy in battle."
"Because believe me, mister…"
"I will find out."
Shang Li nodded vigorously.
Understood.
No further explanation required.
He quickly lifted John up, examining him closely.
"John, huh? What a strange decision for a name."
He sighed.
"If only I had been here to stop that injustice."
"You and me both, pal." John agreed internally.
From up close, the resemblance between father and son was obvious.
The golden eyes were identical.
But where John's hair was a lighter brown, Shang Li's was darker, nearly black.
The general himself stood nearly two meters tall, his physique broad and powerful like a fortress carved from muscle and bone. Even without trying, his aura filled the hall, immense, steady as a mountain only slightly weaker than Yue Li's blazing presence.
A warrior.
A commander of countless warriors.
A man who had stood atop battlefields and the bodies of fallen combatants.
Yet when he looked at John…
His eyes crinkled warmly.
"I heard you're already pretty strong, John," Shang Li said with a grin. "I hope you grow up to be just like me."
Then he leaned closer and added quietly,
"But take some advice from your old man."
"Be very careful about who you marry."
He chuckled.
A playful slap from Yue Li struck his shoulder.
"I told you," she said irritably, "his name originates from elsewhere. I already gave him a proper one."
"If you have complaints, take it up with–"
Her words were abruptly cut off.
Shang Li leaned forward and kissed her.
Deeply.
Suddenly the entire hall instantly developed an overwhelming interest in anything that was not the married couple.
Battle hardened soldiers turned their heads.
Servants stared at the floor.
Even the clan warriors suddenly found the architecture fascinating as if they had never noticed how tasteful the clans tapestries were.
Meanwhile, John dangled awkwardly in his father's grip, his golden eyes darting between his parents.
"My dad is such a knucklehead."
He internally wept while producing convincing baby coos.
Shang Li bounced him lightly, clearly enjoying himself.
Nearby, Yue Li watched the two of them with a smile brighter than the day she first held a sword.
"Our John will become an extraordinary figure one day, don't you think?" she asked softly.
Shang Li nodded thoughtfully.
"He will."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"We should begin training him as soon as possible. The sooner he grows stronger, the better his chances of entering the Earth Dominion Sect."
He frowned.
"Fourteen years and nine months…"
"That doesn't sound like enough time."
For a moment his expression darkened with calculation.
Then it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"What's wrong, my love?" Yue Li asked, a hint of worry entering her voice.
Shang Li tilted his head slowly.
"Nothing."
He looked down at John.
"…But I could have sworn he just gave me the finger."
John immediately switched back to innocent baby noises.