"Your family neglected your part of the deal, Xia!" gritting his teeth, Bai Cheng shouted angrily at the Xia family head.
Bam. Bai Cheng's fist landed on the round table, he couldn't control himself anymore.
The sturdy table didn't even shake as the power behind Bai Cheng's fist was so strong that it made a clear hole with his fist's outlines.
Boom. The aftershock crushed the table to small pieces of dust. The whole room was filled with dust. The dust flew for a second though, as Xia Feng burned it into nothingness right away.
"Because of YOU! Because of YOU, millions of lives were lost, and 30% of my territory was taken away by the dragons!" Bai Cheng continued with a red face.
He was sure of the Xia family's conspiracy with the dragon clan against him.
"Now you want my daughter to marry your useless son?" Veins bulging, Bai Cheng's hands were so clenched that blood started dripping on the floor.
He was mad at the Xia family for their betrayal and he was even angrier at himself, because he wasn't strong enough.
His wife, Bai Juan, had to exhaust herself almost to death and lose half of her cultivation strenght, just because he couldn't be there for his family in time.
"This may be your 'playground', Bai, but you are NOT TO INSULT ME AND MY FAMILY!" retorted loudly Xia Feng. "I will give you 10 years, after that... You know what will happen!" he turned and left with stomps.
His black hair turned a shade of dark red as his figure faded away. His strong feet were on fire, thus, leaving scorched marks on the floor, leaving the still fuming Bai Cheng behind.
...
"Papa!" 8 y.o. Bai Ling, ran towards her father, feeling a little scared from the earlyer explosion.
Bai Cheng hugged her with emotion "Don't worry child, papa will always protect you!" Hiding his bloody hands under his sleeves.
"And if i can't, I will find someone else, who can..." he made an oath to himself as well.
"Cheng..." Bai Juan, now looking pale and just as small as her daughter, slowly approached her husband.
"Juan..." Bai Cheng took her in his arms, too, and kissed her on the forehead.
No words were needed as they both understood what would happen in the future. This tragic fate they shared, could break the hearts of many.
It was obvious what would happen to this poor father and his family after 10 years, no matter if they agreed or not to the Xia family's proposal.
After the time period they were given, war would start and the once prosperous territories under Bai Cheng, would soon fall, along with his death.
....
"I am sorry Cheng, but I cannot help you fend off the Xia family anymore. They are too powerful for any kind of negotiation." responded Kai. "I have a duty towards my people and I hope you understand."
Kai was once a member of a team with Bai Cheng. And although this team didn't last long, they managed to click with eachother.
Going for treasure hunting, they went trough a lot of sorrow and happiness in a short amount of time.
The team was composed of 10 cultivators when they started, but alas... fate wasn't always merciful.
They got the treasure they were searching for, but were also the only lucky people to manage to escape.
And the price they had to pay was the same treasure, responsible for their teammates' death.
After that close to death experience, they stayed in contact for hundreds of years and helped one another, becoming significant figures in the cultivation world and good friends.
...
Life is the biggest hope one can have. As long as one is alive, there was a tomorrow. This doesn't mean it can't turn into one's biggest desperation though.
Now, Bai Cheng was sitting alone with Bai Juan, leaning on his right arm. And while their child was asleep, he was thinking.
Desperation... He was desperately thinking how to save atleast his family. Everything else didn't matter at the moment.
The lands were infinite, and wealth could always go back to him in the future. He didn't think of the people that much either as they would be safe if they surrendered.
Family on the other hand, was irreplaceable. There was no point in living without it, Bai Cheng thought.
"Let's run Juan... We will take the kid and go far away... ." Bai Cheng proposed under the moonlight. His silvery eyes were filled with determination as his curly hair that touched his shouders, moved gently with the breeze.
"You know better than me that we can't escape, no matter what we do, Cheng..." Bai Juan replied calmly. Although she looked like a child now, she still had a demeanor of a mature woman.
Her composure and elegance alone could amaze humans or creatures alike.
"I already asked everybody I know for help, only to be turned down by them..." Bai Cheng replied with sorrow.
Everybody looked at their own interests and Bai Cheng knew this very well, but he could do nothing about it.
"Juan..." he turned his head and said softly after hald an hour of thinking " I think I have a plan..."
He shared his thoughts with Bai Juan.
...
A few years have passed and Bai Ling was now a disciple of 'Golden Crow' sect.
Her talent was as high as the skies, and a few elders even fought for her. In the end she became a core disciple and that made Bai Cheng and Bai Juan happier.
They could somewhat relax while knowing that Bai Ling had a sect behind her.
After all, they didn't know if they were going to survive in the future.
"And now, the last step..." Bai Ling's parents looked at eachother.
They had to search for a suitible partner for their little Ling. Someone to take care of her, and guarantee her safety in the sect...
Although Bai Ling was beautiful and with extremely high talent, nobody would marry their child to her due to the Xia family's announcement.
Not even the families with powerful cultivators would want to enter a dispute with the collosus, named 'Xia family'. After all, the pillars of the families were in seclusion and had no interest in helping unless the family faced unavoidable danger.
Bai Ling and her parents had to go to the lower realm for that.
....
Days turned to months and months turned to years as Bai Cheng became more and more anxious, as he couldn't find a suitible partner for Ling. She was 11 y.o. already, close to her 12th birthday.
He couldn't accept that Ling would have to become a slave in the Xia family for the rest of her life.
The sect would protect her if she had already a partner, due to the rules it followed strictly. But if she didn't, it would be a different story and Xia Feng could use his connections to corner Bai Ling.
In the end Bai Cheng made a contract with a godly creatue, out of desperation. He gave half of his life span to obtain enormous amounts of fate for his daughter.
Shortly after, the family was led by the creature to a world, dominated by humans...They stopped at the territory of Cloud Empire.
"This is where your fate will change..." The last worlds of the godly creature were Bai Cheng's last hope, so he followed it's instructions, world by world.