Wu Jian and Wu Meiying returned home just in time for dinner. They sat in their usual place inside of the dining hall. Wu Jian glanced at his companion as he used his chopsticks to pick apart his steamed fish.

“Mei, what’s wrong? You’ve barely touched your food.”

Wu Meiying was a gifted Human Realm Cultivator. It wouldn’t be long before she reached the Anima Realm.

Because cultivators used chi, they consumed a lot of energy, and one of the more efficient ways to restore that energy was by eating. Wu Meiying, in particular, needed to consume more calories to help her recover the chi she used. She normally ate two times what Wu Jian did.

Seeing how she had barely touched her meal was worrying.

She smiled at him. “I guess I’m just not that hungry, but you’re right. I should eat more. I’m going to need the energy later.”

Wu Jian didn’t know what she meant, but Wu Meiying soon began eating. She quickly finished what was in her bowl, then had four more servings for good measure. He was relieved to see her eating now. However, he was also worried about what she had said.

Why is she going to need the energy later? Is something happening? Did she see something that will require her to have more energy?

He knew better than to ask. If Wu Meiying wasn’t telling him, then it was because she couldn’t. He knew that. But he was still tempted.

The evening wore on and Wu Jian soon traveled to his abode. He walked inside his bedroom and used a bucket and cloth to wipe himself down.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Jian, it’s Mei. Can I come in?”

“Hold on, Mei. Let me get dressed.”

Wu Jian finished wiping himself down, dried himself off with a towel, and donned a sleeping robe. Now dressed, he opened the door to admit Mei in.

“Hey, did you need some--mph?!”

His greeting turned into a surprised but muffled shout as Wu Meiying lunged forward and locked lips with him. Her warm mouth hampered his. Her hands went to his shoulders. Before he had time to even register what was happening, Wu Meiying had pushed him all the way back until he hit the bed.

“Mei, what’s--”

Wu Meiying still refused to let him speak. Wu Jian could only groan as she pushed her tongue into his mouth, as her hands made a mess of his hair.

There was something desparate about her kiss. Wu Jian couldn’t make sense of it. However, he could feel the desperation pouring from her.

He decided not to think too muc and instead let the girl indulge herself. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her close, and kissed her back.

Wu Meiying groaned in appreciation. She stopped running her fingers and trailed them down his neck, until she was opening the robes he’d just put on. Soft fingers probed his pectorals. They would have gone lower, but she was pressed against him. Wu Jian almost gave a startled gasp when she shifted and brushed against something bulging in his pants.

Wu Jian didn’t know how much time passed, but Wu Meiying eventually stopped and simply rested her head on his chest like she wanted to listen to his heartbeat.

“Dare I ask what that was about?” asked a slightly breathless Wu Jian.

“I just… want to be with you. Just for now. Just for tonight. Please?” Wu Meiying’s voice sounded so small, so weak. He’d never heard her sound like that.

“You’re always welcome to stay with me. You know that,” Wu Jian brushed her hair.

“Thanks.”

“Do you want to bury ourselves under the covers like we used to when we were kids?”

“Yes.”

Wu Jian got up and was about to move the covers, but Wu Meiying stopped him. He looked at her curiously.

“You should get dressed first,” she said.

He blinked, confused, but then did as she bade him. He removed his nightwear and put on a freshly washed training gi. That was another one of her instructions.

I knew it. Something is going to happen tonight. She can’t tell me because doing so will change the future… but dammit, I wish I knew what was going to happen so I can prepare.

Wu Jian let his thoughts settle as he ducked underneath the covers with Wu Meiying. The young woman pressed herself close. She twined her legs through his and hugged him as though afraid he would disappear. She didn’t say anything, just breathed deeply several times through her nose.

“Mei?”

“Let me stay like this.”

“All right.”

Wu Jian didn’t say anything more as he hugged Wu Meiying tightly. He must have fallen asleep at some point because the next thing he knew, he was being shaken awake.

“Jian! Jian! Wake up! You have to wake up! We’re under attack!”

The one shaking him was Wu Meiying, who now looked both desperate and determined. Wu Jian blinked several times as he tried to process what was happening.

“What… Mei? What’s going--”

“There’s no time! Get up! Get up now!”

The desperation in her voice was enough to jolt him awake. He leapt out of bed. The panther sleeping on the floor also woke up as though startled.

“You too, Yōuměi. Hide inside Wu Jian’s shadow and don’t come out until I tell you,” Wu Meiying ordered.

Yōuměi growled and leapt into the shadow at Wu Jian’s feet, disappearing with a ripple.

Wu Meiying grabbed Wu Jian’s hand and pulled him toward the window. She opened it and leapt out. He followed her.

“Mei, what’s going on--”

“Shhh!”

Wu Meiying pressed a finger to his lips. His eyes went crossed, but he went silent. Following the young woman, they traveled through the trees until they came upon a building. It was Father’s abode.

He glanced at Wu Meiying, who was biting her lip and blinking several times. She took a shuddering breath, then rushed through the door.

“Attack! There’s an attack! Wake up!”

Her loud shout was infused with chi and carried through the entire house. Loud thumping echoed from Father’s bedroom. An explosion followed by a crashing sound preceeded the wall blowing apart. A dark figure flew out of it and landed on the ground with a thump. This figure tried to get up, but Wu Meiying raced forward and swung her arm. Her hand was coated in a thick chi that shone like a vibrant star.

The figure’s head was removed from his shoulders.

Three people stepped out of the hole in the wall. Father, Mother, and Wu Taohua were still dressed in sleepwear. Mother’s robe was askew, but she was wide awake and staring at the now headless figure.

“Little Mei? Jian? What’s going on?” she asked.

“There’s no time to explain,” Wu Meiying said. “We’re under attack.”

Father furrowed his brow. “Then why haven’t the alarms--”

It happened so fast. A figure appeared behind Father like a ghost. Wu Jian didn’t even see it happen. All he saw was the hand that speared through Father’s chest, the blood that splashed against the floor, and the look of disbelief on Father’s face as the light slowly faded from his eyes.

“Yōushì!!!” Mother screamed.

“DAMN YOU!” Wu Taohua roared.

Unlike his mother, who had no combat ability, Wu Taohua spun around and unleashed a powerful blast of chi into her attacker’s torso. A bright light exploded from her palms.

Then it dissipated.

Wu Taohua’s eyes widened. “What?!”

“Aunty Taohua!”

The figure shoved Father’s body away. Wu Meiying rushed forward and struck the back of Wu Taohua’s legs, forcing her to the ground. A whishing sound like the air being cut echoed around them seconds later. The figure, a person cloaked in darkness so complete not even their eyes were visible, had swung their hand, which seemed to contain dark chi that looked like a knife.

While surprised, Wu Taohua was able to gain her bearings quickly. She kicked the figure’s shins. A loud cracking sound echoed from them. The figure didn’t so much as scream as they went down.

Wu Meiying grabbed the figure’s masked face and slammed them into the floor, which cracked and dented underneath them. The attack seemed to have broken their neck. The figure twitched several times before going still.

“Yōushì! Yōushì!”

Mother knelt beside Father and rolled him over. Blood gushed from the hole in his chest, which went all the way through. The floor would have been visible were it not for the crimson pool spreading out beneath him.

“Yōushì! No! No!”

Tears flowed from Mother’s eyes as she pressed her hands against his chest, trying to stem the flow of blood. Wu Jian was so shocked he could do nothing but stare at his Father’s corpse.

“Aunties! We need to leave! We have to leave now!”

“What are you saying, Mei?! I can’t leave my husband!” Mother cried.

“If you don’t, then all of us are going to die! Do you want that?!” Wu Meiying grabbed Mother by her robes and hauled her to her feet. “Me, Jian, you, and Taohua! All of us will die if we don’t leave right now! Do you want your son to follow his father?!”

“I… I…”

“I know this is hard. I know it hurts, but we… we need to keep moving… if we don’t… then the Wu Clan is finished,” Wu Meiying said, voice strained.

“Wu Meiying is right. We need to move,” Wu Taohua said.

Mother turned on her fellow wife. “How can you say that?! How can you be so… oh… Taohua…”

None of them had noticed it at first, but Wu Taohua was crying. Silent tears streamed down her face.

Wu Jian had never seen this woman cry before, not once, so the impact it had was far more profound than even his mother’s tears.

“We have a duty to our husband. We need to make sure Wu Jian escapes. So long as he is alive, our husband will have peace,” Wu Taohua said.

All the fight left Mother. Her shoulders slumped.

“You’re… right. I’m sorry,” she said softly.

“It’s fine. Wu Meiying, you seem to know what’s happening. I assume you saw something? Tell us what you can,” Wu Taohua turned toward the woman.

“We’re… under attack. I can’t tell you who is attacking us, but I know what they’re after,” Wu Meiying said.

“What are they after?” asked Wu Taohua.

“M… me…” Wu Meiying confessed, holding her left arm to her chest.

Wu Taohua and Mother sucked in a breath. Wu Jian only blinked.

“Dare I ask why?”

“I… I can’t tell you, but it has to do with my power,” Wu Meiying said.

“But how could they know about your power? We’ve always been very careful not to reveal it to anyone,” Mother inquired.

Wu Meiying shook her head. “They likely felt it when I broke through. Anyway, we can’t stay here and talk. Those weren’t the only people after me. There are more. They’re likely silencing the rest of the clan. We have to leave now before they find out those two didn’t finish their task.”

Wu Taohua and Mother obviously had plenty of questions, but they knew better than to ask right now. They were running out of time.

While the two women ran back into their room and quickly got ready, Wu Meiying knelt beside the still shocked Wu Jian. She placed her hands on his cheeks and lifted his face.

“Mei… Father… he’s…”

Wu Meiying stroked his cheeks with her thumbs. “I know this is hard, but you need to keep it together. Just for a little while longer. Just hold on for a bit more. Then you can release all those emotions. For now, you need to lock them away.”

Wu Jian sucked in a deep breath, then clamped down on the horrid emotions threatening to boil over. He got his bearings, stood up, and nodded.

“You’re right. Let’s go.”

Wu Taohua and Mother soon came back out, the former dressed in her kunoichi outfit and the latter wearing her robes. No one said anything as they raced outside. No one glanced at the corpse lying on the floor.

A bell sounded in the distance. It seemed someone had finally noticed they were under attack and sounded the alarm. Soon after, the sounds of battle and screams of the dying echoed around them.

Wu Meiying paid attention to none of this as she hurriedly led their group along. They traveled through several gardens, avoiding courtyards or any place with open space. Several times they were forced to take detours.

Wu Jian saw his clansmen dying in the distance. Some were stabbed. Some were beheaded. He felt sick to his stomach, helpess and weak, but there was nothing he could do.

They soon left the Wu Clan compound behind, traveling into the surrounding forests. Wu Meiying seemed to know where she was going.

It looks like we’re going to make it. Just a bit more, and we’ll escape. I just need to follow Wu Meiying. She can get us out of this. I know she can.

Wu Jian thought for sure that they would be able to get away, but then a sound echoed around them, and someone shoved both him and Mother to the ground. He was able to roll to his feet. His mother wasn’t so lucky.

He looked up. His eyes widened in horror.

Wu Taohua stood protectively in front of him, Mother, and Wu Meiying. Another one of those cloaked figures stood before her. Their hand was digging into Taohua’s chest. She gripped the figure’s wrist, gritting her teeth as she used all of her strength to prevent the hand from digging deeper into her chest.