Spring had arrived in the Sangha clan's village, but instead of the gentle renewal of life, the season brought with it an unexpected torrent of rain. It had been years since the skies had opened up with such relentless fury. Amidst the symphony of the storm, another, more urgent sound emanated from the private quarters of the Sangha clan.

Madam Sangha, heavily pregnant, had been caught off guard by the sudden onset of labor. The timing seemed ill-fated, as if the heavens themselves conspired to challenge her. As soon as she crossed the threshold of their home, her water broke, and the downpour intensified, as if nature mirrored her turmoil.

The household was thrown into chaos. Servants scurried to prepare for the birth, their movements frantic yet purposeful. Amidst the commotion, a sense of pity filled the maid's heart as she attended to the struggling madam, who had no control over the timing or place of this momentous event.

Outside, under the shelter of the porch, Lord Sangha and his trusted teacher waited anxiously. Hours passed, the storm showing no signs of abating, and their vigil stretched deep into the night. The rain drummed a relentless rhythm on the roof, marking the passage of time as midnight approached.

Then, just as the moon peeked through a break in the clouds, a strange new sound pierced the night—a cry unlike any other, rising above the din of the storm. It was a harbinger of something extraordinary, echoing through the chambers and beyond, carrying with it the promise of change.

---

"Un wa! Un wa!"

"My Lord! My Lord! Lady Mei... Lady Mei has given birth!" The maid dashed from the chamber to the waiting lord.

"Mei!" shouted the lord as he flung open the door.

"Congratulations, my lord. It's a boy," said the midwife, handing over the newborn.

The lord gently cradled his firstborn, tears filling his eyes as he smiled at his exhausted wife. Then placing the baby back rightfully into his mother's arms, he went to his wife's side.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"I'll never do it again," Lady Mei replied jokingly, watching her husband laugh before she closed her eyes to rest.

Suddenly, an old man followed into the chamber. He had a long white beard and eyes twinkling with wisdom. He was the Earth Master of the Sangha clan.

"Ha Ha Ha! What a joyful day indeed, and the rain has stopped its yapping too," the Earth Master exclaimed as he looked at the newborn child's face.

"Such a beautifully sculpted face he has." he chuckled with delight.

"Ha Ha, look, it's a full moon," said the Earth Master, drawing everyone's attention to the moon shining through the chamber window.

We everyone are overjoyed. Then the Earth Master took the newborn's palm and began telling his fortune.

For most fortunetellers in the kingdom, reading a baby's fortune from the palm was a difficult task because the faith lines were not visible enough. However, the renowned Sangha Earth Master found it to be child's play. Some might even say he was so powerful he could predict all the lady's future husbands with just a sniff. Although it was just a rumor, no lady in the world would let this old pervy man sniff them.

"Hahaha, I wonder how many heartbroken ladies are in his future," he chuckled

His pointy finger glade shifty on the new born tiny left palm. A short moment later, his expression changed. Without a word, the ever-so-cheerful master turned and he walked outside leaving everyone stunned.

The lord followed him into the garden, hoping it was just another one of his old pranks.

The Earth Master stood in the garden, staring at the moon with both hands behind his back, his thoughts unreadable. With his back still facing the lord, the Earth Master speaks.

"Li Wei, how long have we known each other?" the Earth Master started.

"What are you talking about? I have known you since I was just a child," the lord replied, feeling uneasy.

The Earth Master let out a long sigh and continued to stare at the full moon, then a serious tone left his lips.

"You know, in all my life I have never lied to you even once, so listen carefully, Li Wei." The Earth Master turned around, his eyes dead serious. "Kill that child."

The lord stood frozen, unable to utter a word until rage broke the silence.

"Wha... What are you talking about? My own son... WHAT HAS GOT INTO YOU?!" The lord's face changed from frozen to furious.

"LI WEI! I'm telling you to get rid of that child. He will be the death of our kingdom and himself," the Earth Master continued. "That child was born under the grave star of destruction, He possessed the power of the demon king, If you don't kill him now, many people will be dead. No, even worse, our kingdom will be destroyed because of him."

"WHAT! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" the lord shouted. "He is my son. What makes you think I would kill him?!"

The Earth Master's face remained stern. "Li Wei, the signs are undeniable. The rain, the timing of his birth, the stars—everything points to disaster. I do not say this lightly. This is a matter of survival for our people."

Li Wei's anger wavered, but his resolve did not. "He is my son, and I will protect him, no matter what."

The Earth Master sighed deeply, his eyes filled with sorrow. "Then may the heavens have mercy on us all."

"Li Wei!!!" The Earth Master suddenly stopped, his eyes filled with terror, and his face paler than before. It seemed he sensed something terrible approaching. "Li Wei, prepare the horses!!" he shouted.

Without a moment's hesitation, Li Wei stopped arguing with his teacher and dashed into the house to prepare everything. He also noticed strange creatures lurking in the dark.

"Not good, they are getting closer...1...2...5...6... there are 10 of them... and... here?" The Earth Master sensed the creatures' presence drawing nearer until they came to an abrupt stop. "Tsk, we are surrounded," he muttered, standing alone in the garden. He closed his eyes and used telepathy.

"Li Wei! Can you hear me?" He sent a message to his student.

"Yes, master!" Li Wei's mind connected with his teacher's.

"Good! Listen. We are surrounded by enemies, their auras are very powerful. This isn't a fight we can win. I have a feeling that they are after the boy"

"Was this planned?"

"It seems so, I think are planning to take away the boy and use his power from the start" 

"How long have they known this? Why can't we detect their presence?"

"Li Wei, They are only two people on earth whose present I can't detect, and it seems that one of them has come for us all" he continued 

"Li Wei, we can't kill them! So use every last bit of your spiritual power to shield away the curse" the Earth Master instructed.

"The only thing we can do for good is shield that boy's curse." his face mournful 

With that, the Earth Master began forming intricate hand signs, conjuring a large barrier to protect the house. His spiritual energy surged, creating a shimmering dome around the property. The shadows of the enemies flickered menacingly at the edge of the barrier, but they dared not cross it.

Li Wei held the frightened Lady Mei and Yue Liang close, his heart heavy with the responsibility. "I will do whatever it takes to protect all of us" he whispered under his breath 

As the barrier strengthened, the Earth Master took a deep breath and positioned himself at the center, channeling his power to its maximum potential. The enemies outside grew restless, sensing the formidable energy within.

"Makim, prepare the candles, bring as many as you can. Maka, go prepare a room for me," the lord commanded, carrying his wife to a different room.

"Wei, dear, what is going on? Will something bad happen?" Lady Mei asked, her voice trembling.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," the lord replied softly, giving her a light kiss and gently laying his wife down on a bed. After ensuring she was comfortable, he began drawing an ancient protection charm with the blood from his finger. He then carried the sleeping baby and placed him in the middle of the circle surrounded by numerous candles. The Lord closed his eyes and started chanting incantations.

Meanwhile, the Earth Master wrote a letter on a leaf with his blood. As the message was completed, the leaf burned into thin air with a soft woof.

BANG!!

Suddenly, A ball of fire the size of a cloud smashed toward the house. The barrier prevented the house from being reduced to ashes. The Earth Master strained to maintain the barrier against the relentless fire, that illuminated the entire forest.

The Earth Master shouted at the top of his lungs, "LI WEI! HAVE YOU FINISHED YET? I can't hold this anymore. IT'S TOO STRONG!" He tried his hardest to hold on to the barrier, but little by little, it started to crack.

With the last of the spell cast, Li Wei finished his chanting. He took off the Sangha crest, and placed it on top of the baby, covered in a black chain tattoo on all of his body, and then disappeared into his skin. The lord looked at Makim and said, "Protect Lady Mei for me," before dashing out to join his teacher's side. With Li Wei's assistance, the barrier grew even bigger and stronger. Just as everyone started to get their hopes up, another BAME shook the ground.

"What's with this crazy amount of power? I've never encountered such enemies before," Li Wei said, channeling his spiritual power, but feeling the exhaustion set in.

"Li Wei, I told you your boy is cursed, didn't I? Now look at what he has done," the Earth Master said mockingly.

"How is this his fault? Those bastards just want to create trouble. You should be blaming them instead!" Li Wei retorted.

A minute later, the last BAME shattered the barrier they had worked so hard to maintain, and many more balls of fire began flooding in.

"NO!" the lord shouted as he watched one of the fireballs hurtling towards the house.

"Li Wei, it's time. Now run!" the Earth Master tried to fend off the fire, but even he couldn't perform such a miracle.

"No.... if my family dies here, so will I." amid the face of death his voice stood firm and strong.

"Master, please promise me you will not harm my son. He is now our everything," the lord held his master's hands, forcing a promise on him.

The Earth Master looked at his student's face, with deep sadness in his eyes, and whispered, "If fate truly can change, I promise you I will protect him." 

The lord smiled brightly, turned towards his house, and uttered his last words, "Thank you, master... farewell," before running into the sea of flames where his master could see him no more.

The next morning, the rain began to fall heavily again. No one could see clearly, but all they found was an empty blanket and two burned bodies lying side by side. For days, rain filled the sky, and a belling rang announcing the death of Sangha's head.