Zhang Jian ripped up a piece of his robe to tie around his head, prevent most of the bleeding. "If I leave a trail of blood they will find the body in no time." Plans and calculations ran through his head, he eventually concluded "I cannot keep this a secret forever, maybe a few weeks. I will face dire consequences."
As the house came into view, the sun faded underneath the horizon. This was the moment betwixt day and night, the sun gone and the moon not visible, the lights from the stars just barely dim. Zhang Jian trudged into his house, looking for his mother.
Li Rou, Zhang Jian and Zhang Feng's mother, found her son passed out on the ground. Zhang Jian was bleeding badly from his head, he was never beaten so badly in the past.
Li Rou shrieked, all the servants had left to their quarters earlier for their respective meals. There was nobody but her that could help her son at that moment.
Zhang Jian awoke in bandages, his mother by his side. His robes were still bloodied, his face was wiped of most traces of blood. His bun was undone and the hairpin kept aside, Zhang Jian's hair flowed freely from his head.
The bandage formed a ring around his forehead, which covered the wound on the front and back of his head, on his forehead a red wet circle of blood could be seen on the bandage in contrast to the white.
"What happened to you?" Li Rou said weakly, she looked like she was crying. Zhang Jian sat up, his hair naturally parted to two sides flowing to just beyond his shoulders. With grim and sorrow eyes he said "I killed him, I killed Father." He did not turn to look at Mother.
Li Rou's hands cupped her mouth in shock, her eyes widened at the news. After a moment of silence and disbelief, she lowered her hands and began to grasp the situation. "I-I understand. I wont tell anyone." Zhang Jian turned to look at her in confusion. "Why? When I have just murdered my father in cold blood?"
Li Rou had a soft smile on her face, looking at the floor she answered "Because I care more about my son than that pig." Li Rou lifted her hand and tousled her sons hair, their was a brief heartfelt moment between the two, the two that suffered from that man. All that was left was to make sure his grave wouldn't drag them in.
"Mother. Zhang Feng and I have no future in this village, I am thinking of fleeing tonight." Li Rou understood very well what Zhang Jian said, a sad expression could be found on her face "I just wish I could have protected you better my son. Maybe, if I had done something earlier.."
"It is far too late to think about what could have been. Get ahold of yourself Mother, the future is bright and clear." Zhang Jian stood up, he was going to get Zhang Feng and flee the village. But there was a few problems.
"Wait, you need money right?" Li Rou got up as well. Zhang Jian resembled her greatly, Li Rou had Jade eyes, smooth black hair and before all the torturous years she used to have a proud smile on her face almost every day.
But the resemblance did not stop at looks, she was a cunning and calculative woman, just not on Zhang Jian's level of insanity.
...
Zhang Feng has stood in his grandfathers study for about an hour now, Grandfather sat cross-legged in the center of the room, Cultivating.
The sun has set, the room was dark, the shouting that could be heard across the house had faded. He wanted to get this over with quickly and go help his brother.
"Zhang Feng, my dear grandson, tell me what your Grade is." Grandfather slowly opened his eyes, filled with half-hearted expectations and disappointment. "D grade, can I leave now?" Zhang Feng had felt a bit mad, Grandfather has done nothing to keep his own son in control and he expects his grandchildren to care about what he wants.
Grandfather took a deep sigh, he got up from the floor. "Tell me little Feng, what can I do now? My son was a failure, and now my last hope as well." If there was a light in the room, it would have shown Zhang Feng's face of utter disgust.
"I think you are overstepping your boundaries a bit, to decide how someone's future will be solely on their talent is nothing short of stupidity." His head tilted to the side, his eyebrows furrowed and the face muscles clenched around the bridge of his nose.
"What are you saying, Boy?!" Grandfather lit a candle, he was going to put it down on the table but Zhang Feng had surprised and angered him with his insolent words. "I am saying that you should know your place, Old Man." Zhang Feng replied with the same attitude.
"YOU-" Grandfather was interrupted by the door bursting open, the yellow orange-ish light of the house leaking through. Zhang Jian stood at the door, with his hair down. Blood ran down his face from his forehead. Covering his face, neck and robes in a deep red.
"Enough, whatever you were talking about does not matter anymore." Zhang Jian stared at Grandfather, for a brief second Grandfather was scared.
Returning to his stern expression shortly after "You dare enter my study without permission!? And why are you bleeding?" The latter was a question Zhang Feng wanted to ask as well, the anger faded and turned into curiosity and worry.
"I killed Father" Both Zhang Feng and Grandfather had opened their mouths in disbelief. It sounded impossible, a Rank 1 cultivator defeating and murdering a Rank 2 on the day of his awakening.
"Impossible! How could this be? Stop lying to me child!" Grandfathers grey eyebrows furrowed as he was in disbelief. "I have A Grade talent, killing an F Grade like Father is not a problem in the slightest."
"You will listen to my words now or the entire village will hear of this incident. Got it?" It suddenly clicked for Zhang Feng what was happening. He sneered and looked at Grandfather "I was going to ask you earlier to make Brother Jian the successor, but your arrogance has escalated the situation to this stage. Grandfather, this is your loss!"
Having no choice but to listen to the brothers, Grandfather was blackmailed into giving 100 Yin tokens, along with food and clothing for their journey.
After the boys said their goodbyes to their mother, they left quickly. Abandoning all hope of a future in this village, abandoning their duties as Successors and abandoning the Lan Tian clan. Li Rou could only wish them the best and hope for their success in life.