The sun rose, casting its golden rays over the Yan residence. Inside, Yan Zi sat silently with his mother, Yan Mei, by his side. He had decided to stay close to her, knowing how fragile her emotions were after his father's disappearance. Yan Mei was preoccupied, her hands absentmindedly arranging a small table of tea, though her eyes seemed distant, filled with worry.
A knock at the door broke the silence. Yan Zi rose and opened it to find Yan Ru standing there, her warm smile a stark contrast to the tension lingering in the room.
"Yan Zi, can we talk?" she asked, her voice soft yet concerned.
Yan Zi nodded and stepped outside, closing the door behind him. They walked to the garden, where Yan Ru turned to him with furrowed brows.
"You've been acting differently since the battle," she began, crossing her arms. "What's going on with you?"
Yan Zi hesitated, his gaze fixed on the koi pond nearby. "It's nothing," he said, his tone guarded.
"Don't lie to me," Yan Ru replied, her tone sharpening slightly. "You disappeared for days, and now you're avoiding everyone. Where were you?"
Yan Zi sighed, knowing he couldn't avoid her questions. "I needed some time to think," he admitted. "I was practicing... refining my skills. I had to clear my head after everything that happened."
Yan Ru studied him for a moment, her expression softening. "It's about your father, isn't it?" she asked gently.
Yan Zi stiffened but nodded. "I can't stop thinking about it. He's missing, and no one knows why. Mother is so worried... I just—" He cut himself off, clenching his fists.
Yan Ru placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yan Zi, I know you're carrying a lot right now, but you don't have to shoulder it all alone. Your father is strong, and the clan is doing everything to find him. You need to trust that things will work out."
Yan Zi looked at her, his piercing blue eyes filled with a mix of frustration and determination. "I can't just sit and wait, Ru. I need to do something."
Yan Ru smiled faintly. "You're stubborn, just like your father. But remember, you're not alone. We're all here for you."
Her words offered a small comfort, though Yan Zi's resolve remained firm. As they returned to the house, the weight of the unresolved mystery lingered, setting the stage for the trials yet to come.
The day passed in a blur, and as the sun began to set, Yan Zi found himself alone in his room, the weight of the day pressing down on his chest. His mind was consumed by thoughts of his father's disappearance, the unanswered questions gnawing at him like an unrelenting storm. Despite the surface calm, a storm raged within him.
His gaze drifted over the room, but nothing seemed to bring him peace. His mother's gentle encouragement to rest still echoed in his ears, but the words seemed to fall flat. How could he rest when his father was missing? How could he allow himself the luxury of peace when there was so much left unresolved?
Sighing deeply, Yan Zi moved toward the window, his eyes catching the last rays of sunlight before the night fully took hold. His expression hardened, his jaw tightening with determination. I won't give up. I can't. He had always known that life wasn't kind to those who hesitated, but this? This was something much more dangerous, something far beyond his ability to predict.
Outside his room, Yan Mei watched him for a moment before entering with a soft knock. "Zi'er, you've been deep in thought all day. Perhaps you should rest, at least for a little while?"
Her voice was gentle, laced with concern. Yan Mei's features were etched with worry, but her motherly instinct to protect her son had always come first. Yet, Yan Zi shook his head slightly, not turning to face her as he stood by the window.
"I'm fine, Mother," he said quietly, his tone betraying none of the unease that gripped him. "I'll rest once I know everything is alright."
Yan Mei stepped closer, her eyes softening. My son... She could see the weight he carried, the burden of his father's disappearance pressing down on him. But she also knew the strength he held inside.
"Zi'er..." she began, her voice warm but tinged with sadness, "You've always been strong, but even the strongest of hearts need rest sometimes. Don't let the darkness of the unknown cloud your mind completely."
Yan Zi turned, meeting her gaze for the first time in hours. There was a quiet understanding between them, a silent exchange of emotions. Yan Mei's heart ached seeing him like this, yet she knew he was determined to carry the weight of this burden on his own shoulders.
"I'm not letting it cloud my thoughts, Mother," he replied, his voice firm, though there was a hint of exhaustion in his eyes. "But... I'll be fine. I just need to be here, to make sure everything is alright."
She hesitated, studying his face for a long moment, before nodding in resignation. "Very well, Zi'er. But do take care of yourself. Promise me that."
"I promise, Mother," he said, offering a faint smile.
As Yan Mei left the room, closing the door softly behind her, Yan Zi's thoughts continued to swirl. Something's off... He couldn't shake the feeling that the disappearance of his father was no simple accident. The fragments of information that he had pieced together were beginning to form a picture, but it was incomplete, hazy. There were things that didn't add up. Why wasn't there any sign of a struggle? Why did no one notice anything unusual?
Yan Zi clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing as the weight of his suspicion grew heavier. Who's behind this? And why does it feel like there's something they're hiding from me?
The night descended upon the house, the world outside growing quieter as the stars above began to twinkle, yet within Yan Zi's heart, there was only the sound of unanswered questions. The quiet unease continued to gnaw at him, but he steeled himself. I will find the truth, no matter what it costs. His resolve had only grown stronger as he pieced together more bits of the puzzle. He couldn't be sure of anything yet, but the pieces were aligning in his mind. And that feeling—that feeling of betrayal—it lingered, as if something far darker was at play.
As the last sliver of daylight vanished, Yan Zi made a vow in his heart. He would uncover the mystery of his father's disappearance, no matter what it took. The truth was out there, hidden behind veils of secrecy, and he would tear through them to find it.
The sun began to rise slowly over the horizon, casting a golden glow that filtered through the windows of Yan Zi's room. The warmth of the morning light did little to ease the heavy burden in his heart. His father's disappearance continued to linger in his thoughts, swirling like an ever-present shadow that he could not escape. The events of the past few days replayed over and over in his mind, each detail more puzzling than the last.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, Yan Zi couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong, that there was a truth hidden just beyond his reach. His gaze fell to the floor as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair, a sigh escaping his lips. What exactly happened?
He closed his eyes, trying to recall everything—the black-robed man, the attack on his mother, the failed attempt on their lives. Every small detail seemed important, yet none of them seemed to add up. He remembered the cold, calculated way the black-robed man had moved, as if he had known exactly where to strike. How could he have known where we live? The question lingered in his mind like a haunting melody, repeating itself with each passing moment.
Yan Zi stood up, pacing the room, his thoughts racing faster than his feet. The black-robed man was a mystery in himself. He was in the Spirit Awakening 1st Star realm, a realm inferior to that of any of the elders in the clan, Yan Zi thought, furrowing his brows in confusion. The elders were powerful. They had cultivated for decades, some of them even reaching the 4th or 5th Star of Spirit Awakening. And yet, this black-robed man—weak as he was—had managed to get close enough to harm his family. How could he have evaded detection?
Yan Zi's fingers twitched as his mind began to piece together the puzzle. If he had entered the clan residence before the attack, someone should have sensed his presence. Surely, the elders would have been able to feel his aura, especially the ones with higher cultivation. They were all capable of detecting the faintest of presences. But there was no mention of him being sensed by anyone.
A shiver ran down his spine as he realized the implications. That means he never entered the clan residence alone. Someone had to have been guiding him from within. The thought gnawed at him. Someone within the clan... someone close enough to help him avoid detection. Someone who knew the layout of the clan, someone who had access to the inner sanctum, to our home.
His heart skipped a beat. The pieces of the puzzle were slowly coming together, but the picture they formed was not a comforting one. Yan Zi stopped pacing and stood still, his eyes narrowing as his mind honed in on one crucial realization. The elders… He clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together. If it wasn't one of the disciples, then it must have been one of the elders. Only they would have the ability to move unseen, unnoticed. But who?
His pulse quickened as a wave of suspicion washed over him. He had seen the elders, interacted with them—some had seemed warm and trustworthy, while others had been cold, distant, or even hostile. Who among them could have betrayed the clan? The thought made his stomach churn. He couldn't ignore the possibility that the betrayal was already within their midst. Could it be the ones who smiled in his face, pretending to care? Or the ones who always had an agenda, never showing their true intentions?
His mind flashed back to the previous days, to the subtle things he had noticed but had dismissed in his turmoil. The strange glances, the hushed conversations between certain elders, the way some of them seemed overly concerned with his father's disappearance, while others kept their distance. Yan Zi had always thought there was something off about them, but now, he couldn't ignore it any longer. The more he thought about it, the more his suspicion grew.
His fingers tightened around his fist as his thoughts turned darker. But why would an elder betray the clan? Was it for power? Greed? Or was there something more? Perhaps it wasn't just about his father. Maybe this was all part of a larger conspiracy, a plan to take control of the clan, to shift the balance of power in their favor.
Yan Zi's mind raced as he tried to connect the dots. The more he thought, the more he realized that the black-robed man's arrival wasn't just an isolated incident. It wasn't just an attack on his family—it was an attack on everything his father had worked for. And whoever was behind this was playing a far larger game than he had initially understood. Was it possible that his father's disappearance had been orchestrated by someone within the clan?
A sharp, sudden tsk escaped his lips. He knew he was getting too deep into dangerous territory, but he couldn't stop himself. His father had disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and now, this black-robed man. There were too many unanswered questions, too many loose ends that he could not ignore. If I don't find out who's behind this, who can I trust?
He shook his head, pacing again. The more he thought about it, the more he felt the walls closing in. He couldn't do this alone, could he? But who could he trust? Every face seemed to hide something, every conversation seemed to mask a hidden meaning. Yan Zi closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing. He needed to find answers—and fast.
The world outside his room seemed to continue, peaceful and calm, as if nothing had happened. But Yan Zi knew better. It's all a lie, he thought bitterly. Everything is a lie. And only the truth will set us free.
As he stood by the window, looking out at the rising sun, his mind became resolute. I must find out who is behind all this—without anyone knowing. I can't trust anyone now. I will have to do this alone, quietly, and carefully.
His heart beat with determination, but also with unease. The truth was out there, hidden in the shadows of the Yan Clan. And it was only a matter of time before he uncovered it, no matter the cost.