Lu Zheng walked behind Lu Shantian to his quarters where he and Song Bing lived in Juanshei Sect.
"Hmm. The beast should stay outside" Lu Shantian said heavily as he took off his shoes.
"I understand" Themur replied. He didn't dare pull a tantrum before a Void Passage realm expert.
Lu Zheng also took off his shoes before entering the room with Lu Shantian. Inside, his mother laid on a bed with her eyes open, as if she were staring at something distant.
Her body shimmered with darkness which caused her to convulse frequently. Her face was also very pale. She was a shell of her previous self.
"Mother…" Lu Zheng knelt by her side. Even though she wasn't his real mother, he had grown to love her.
"Who did this to her?" Lu Zheng asked Lu Shantian. From what he could see, those were the injuries from battle.
"You don't have to worry, I have killed the perpetrator. For now, she only wants to see you" Lu Shantian said solemnly before leaving.
"Zheng'er" Song Bing held Lu Zheng's hand as she coughed.
She turned her face to him and smiled: "You've grown into a big handsome man. I'm proud of you [cough]"
"I…" Lu Zheng wanted to speak.
"No, let me finish" Song Bing's voice was faint. "In this world [coughs], bad things befall people easily, especially the weaker ones. I want [coughs], I want you to remember this. Though the path might be rough, you must focus on your goal. Advance your strength so you can protect your loved ones because in this world, the weak have no say. Also remember to have fun. And do not forget, I love you"
Lu Zheng felt his throat was filled with something and couldn't speak. Song Bing's hand let go of his hand and her pupils dimmed as all signs of life left her body.
"Crack"
Her face cracked as her body began to turn into dark particles that floated upwards before eventually disappearing along with her soul.
– She was dead.
Lu Zheng clenched his fist as pain coursed through him. He stood up and covered Song Bing's body with her bed sheet before turning to leave.
At the door, he muttered: "I will not forget, mother"
Lu Zheng walked out of the door and cleared his heart. His resolve strengthened once more and he swore that day that he would never let anyone bully him.
~I will become the strongest person in the world, and then I'll kill you, Long Aotian~
Lu Shantian stood outside and nodded his head at Lu Zheng. He knew that Song Bing's time was already up.
"Come, I have a gift for you" Lu Shantian smiled.
"What is it?" Lu Zheng asked curiously.
"Just follow me. The beast can come too" Lu Shantian replied.
With Themur, Lu Zheng followed Lu Shantian to an open space. The space was similar to Lu Clan's Martial Zone except that it was bigger.
"Where is the gift father?" Lu Zheng looked around but saw only empty space.
"Before that, I want to see your battle strength. Let's spar" Lu Shantian's lips curled into a smile.