Their long journey eventually led them to the edge of a precarious suspension bridge. There, on the other side, lay their own bodies – seemingly lifeless, still as stone. Soldiers brought by Jihu stood guard, their faces grim. Jihu's gaze swept over the inert forms of himself and his friends, a pang of deep unease striking him before he began the required chant. A soft hum filled the air, and six wisps of light shot from the bridge, each seeking its earthly vessel. One by one, Jihu and his friends gasped, their chests rising and falling once more.
"Oh my God," Shu exclaimed, his voice a little shaky, "I'm back! It was so strange out there, but the journey was… strangely fun."
"Fun?" Ash groaned, rubbing his temples. "I felt terrible. Like I was drifting in nothingness."
"I thought it was exciting!" Ri interjected, her eyes shining with a strange exhilaration.
"Anyway," Raven said, his voice tight, "the stone we got after that ordeal is ours, but Fang, I'm not letting you off easy!"
Fang's eyes widened in alarm. "What? What did I do?"
Raven's voice was sharp. "What did you do?! If Ash hadn't come up with the right answer, we'd still be wandering around! You didn't even think about what was at stake! We could've died!"
Fang's face fell, his shoulders slumping. "I… I know. I messed up. I'm sorry, guys. It won't happen again."
Before Fang could dwell any further, Raven clapped him hard on the back, making him stumble forward. "Hey, you idiot! We were just joking! You're such a gullible fool!" He exclaimed. "You don't know what is a joke and what is serious!"
While his friends were squabbling, Jihu had been speaking quietly with the guards. After a brief exchange, he gave them an order. With a nod, they turned and began their return journey towards the palace. Free of their presence, Jihu walked towards his friends, his face serious. "If everyone could just calm down for a minute, there's something important I need to tell you," he announced.
Raven, ever the prankster, immediately threw an arm around Jihu's shoulders, playfully squeezing his throat. "Ooh, could it be? Are you finally going to propose to Ri?" he teased. Ri flushed crimson, glancing shyly at the ground.
Jihu's eyebrow twitched. "This is not a time for games, Raven. I'm asking you to be quiet because this is important, not for fun." His tone, sharp and serious, silenced even Raven. The others looked at Jihu, sensing a shift in the atmosphere.
"What Master Tao wants me to tell you… is that Mr. Sau is not my father. My father is Jing Li," Jihu finally revealed.
A stunned silence fell upon the group, Raven's jaw hanging open. He shoved Jihu away incredulously. "What are you talking about? I've known you since we were kids! Maybe Fang joined later, but I've known you forever! You've always called Mr. Sau your father!"
Jihu's face remained calm but his eyes held a deep sadness. "You've known me since the attack, twenty years ago, right? You may have heard that after that attack, the king of the Fox Clan changed. My mother died in that attack, and my father locked himself away. My uncle took the throne. Since I am the future king, my uncle had to introduce me as his son, so I can be the king of the Fox Clan in the future. Since my mother died, I haven't seen my father until today. No one knows who my real father is. And no one even knew that my real father was actually Jing Li." His confession hung in the air, heavy and unexpected.
Ri's voice was soft, laced with concern. "Do you… do you know where your father is?"
"Yes," Jihu replied, his voice gaining strength. "He is in the palace, but he's been in his room these past twenty years. He hasn't allowed anyone to enter. I don't even know if I can go in."
Raven, recovering from his shock, clapped Jihu on the shoulder, his usual jovial tone returning, albeit with a hint of gravity. "We'll go with you, bro. We're best friends. We won't abandon you. We don't care if your father is real or fake."
Raven turned to the others, his voice booming. "Guys! Who doesn't care who Jihu's father is?!"
Shu, Ri, Ash, and even Fang shouted in unison, "We don't care! We're friends! That's what matters!"
Jihu's heart swelled with emotion, his friends' unwavering loyalty a balm to the years of secrecy. He held back the tears that threatened to spill, his voice thick with gratitude. "Thank you, everyone. Let's go. We have to keep moving forward." With a deep breath, Jihu turned his back on the suspension bridge and set a new course. The journey was just beginning because they have to win this war and destroy the enemy from the root...✨
But amidst the relief and the sheer realness of being grounded again, Jihu felt a knot tightening in his chest. He stood still, the others moving slightly around him, stretching limbs that felt both familiar and strangely distant. His brow furrowed, and a cloud settled over his features. He seemed to hesitate, caught between the triumph of return and a burgeoning dread.
Raven, ever perceptive, was the first to notice Jihu's distress. "Hey, Jihu? What's wrong? Everything alright?" he asked, stepping closer.
Jihu sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked genuinely upset. "I... I don't know what to do about my father," he admitted, the words heavy. "How am I supposed to face him? It's been years... years since he left that room." The weight of the estranged relationship hung in the air between them.
Before anyone else could speak, a gentle hand landed on Jihu's shoulder from behind. Ri. She stepped beside him, her presence a quiet strength. "Why are you worrying?" she said softly, her gaze steady. "We're all here. You don't have to face your father alone. We'll all go with you."
Her simple reassurance, echoed in the firm nods from the others, eased some of the tension in Jihu's shoulders. They were a unit, bound by trials and loyalty.
As promised, they made the journey back to Freedonia, the land they called home, and specifically to the heart of the Fox Clan territory. The familiar sights and sounds were comforting after their time away. They were met near the clan hall by Mr. Sao, a man whose face usually held a stern kindness, but who now looked a little impatient.
"Ah, Jihu! You're finally here?" Mr. Sao said, his eyes sharp. "Why now? You were meant to meet Master Tao days ago. Did you get the stone?"
Jihu straightened, taking a deep breath. "Yes, Uncle," he replied, clearly and distinctly. "I got one piece of the stone. I'm here to get the other one... from my father."
Mr. Sao paused, his expression shifting from expectation to mild surprise at being addressed as 'Uncle' so openly, in front of Jihu's companions. The whole world knew – or thought they knew – that since Jihu's mother's death and his father Jingli's subsequent withdrawal, Mr. Sao had stepped into the role of Jihu's guardian and the public face of the Fox Clan leadership. The surprise registered on Mr. Sao's face.
Jihu understood his uncle's unspoken question. He offered a small, reassuring smile. "It's alright, Uncle. They know," he said, gesturing to his friends. "They know you are my uncle, and that Jingli is my father."
Understanding dawned fully in Mr. Sao's eyes. He nodded, a flicker of something complex – relief? sadness? – passing over him. "Very well," he said, his voice softening slightly. "Follow me. He's... in the usual place."
He led Jihu and his friends through the compound, the air growing heavier with each step towards the private quarters where Jingli had secluded himself for two decades. They stopped before a large, carved door, silent and imposing.
Jihu stood before the door, his heart hammering. This was it. Years of silence, of separation, culminating in this moment. But then he felt the warmth of Ri's hand finding and gripping his, and saw the resolute faces of Raven and the others standing close, an invisible wall of support surrounding him. He wasn't alone. He wasn't the frightened child left behind.
Drawing strength from their presence, Jihu raised his hand and knocked. Not timidly, but with the firm, confident rap of someone who had come with purpose and allies. He knocked with the strength of shared burdens.
A voice, deep and resonant but tinged with weariness, answered from inside. "Who is it? Jihu?" The voice paused, then continued, flatly, "If you came for the stone, I will send it out to your uncle. I wish to be alone for a while longer."
Jihu's heart sank. Disappointment washed over him. After all this, just a hand-off through Sao? But as the disappointment threatened to overwhelm him, a hand tightened on his, strong and unwavering. Ri. At the same moment, Raven clapped a hand on his other shoulder.
"Woah there, bro," Raven's voice was low but firm. "Your exam isn't over yet. What are you getting scared about now? I'm right here."
Ri didn't speak, but her grip on Jihu's hand was eloquent. It conveyed support, presence, and the silent promise she had made earlier. I am by your side as your loved one.
bolstered by their unwavering support, Jihu took another steadying breath. He wouldn't back down now. Not when he had his family – his true family, those who stood with him – right here. He knocked again, louder this time, and didn't wait for a response.
"Father," Jihu called out, his voice clear and strong, echoing slightly in the quiet corridor. "Open the door. I have something important to talk to you about. And... I want to introduce you to some people who are very dear to me."
Silence stretched, long and heavy. Jingli, who had withdrawn from the world, who hadn't directly addressed his son in years, who had remained cocooned in his grief – he couldn't remain silent after hearing his son, for the first time in what felt like an age, express a desire to introduce his cherished companions. It was a connection, a fragile thread of life reaching into his solitude.
Slowly, the heavy door creaked inwards.
The man who emerged was indeed Jingli. He had a powerful physique, suggesting years of discipline even in isolation, but his face was lined, his eyes held a deep, ancient sorrow that belied his physical strength. Yet, there was an undeniable aura about him, a faded majesty that spoke of a time when he hadn't just been the recluse, but the vibrant, respected leader, perhaps even king, of the Fox Clan.
Jingli's eyes, dark and searching, fixed on Jihu first. Then, they widened slightly as he took in the figures standing beside his son. They stood close, not just friends, but protectors, an almost palpable, invisible wall of defense around Jihu. His gaze swept over Raven's steady stance, over the others, before stopping abruptly on Ri.
She stood slightly forward, holding Jihu's hand tightly, her face a study in quiet strength and deep affection for his son. The sight jolted Jingli. For a fleeting, agonizing moment, twenty years vanished. He saw not Ri, but another beautiful woman, long gone, holding his own hand with that same fierce, loving grip. The past slammed into the present, blurring his vision. He couldn't fully grasp who the girl holding Jihu's hand so possessively was, only that the gesture pierced his heart with the force of a forgotten memory.
He tore his gaze away, his voice regaining its somber weight. "You have a great test ahead of you," Jingli said, addressing Jihu but his words seemed to encompass the group. "I can only give you a stone. I have no power left to give you anything greater. I am older than you, and have more experience... though much of it is in loss." He paused, that deep sorrow evident. "Twenty years ago, I lost the person I loved most." His eyes flickered towards Ri for a beat, then back to Jihu. "Fight this war with all your heart. But at the same time... protect the person you love. Don't let them be left behind... as I was."
Without another word to Jihu, Jingli turned slightly towards Ri. In a gesture that was both unexpected and deeply paternal, he raised his hand and gently placed it on her head. "Protect my son," he said, his voice softer now, the command absolute. "From today on, my son is your responsibility."
He withdrew his hand from Ri, then reached into the folds of his simple robe, producing a shard of glowing stone. He placed it in Jihu's hand, his fingers closing over it for a moment. He then placed his other hand on Jihu's shoulder, the weight of it both a physical touch after years and a transfer of expectation. "Come back victorious," he said, his voice regaining some of its old strength.
Jingli turned then, ready to retreat back into the shadows of his self-imposed exile.
"Father!" Jihu's voice was a raw appeal. "Can't we... can't we be like before?"
Jingli stopped, his hand on the doorframe. He didn't turn back. His back remained a barrier, but his voice, when he spoke, was calm, measured, yet held a hint of something tentative. "You come back victorious in the war," he said quietly. "I... I will try my best, my son."
With that, Jingli slipped back through the doorway and into the inner labyrinth of his house, leaving Jihu standing there, the stone heavy in his hand, his friends surrounding him.
They had spoken very little after so many years, father and son. Yet, perhaps, their brief, poignant exchange held more truth than a thousand forced conversations. The sharp edge of anger Jihu had carried, the resentment born of abandonment, seemed to dissolve. Replaced not by perfect understanding or immediate reconciliation, but by something quieter – a fragile sense of connection, a shared pain, and a faint glimmer of hope in his father's final words.
A peaceful, albeit slightly melancholic, smile touched Jihu's lips. He looked at his friends, the people who had stood by him, who had given him the strength to face this moment. He wasn't alone. Not anymore.
With a final glance at the closed door, Jihu turned, tucking the stone safely away. "Let's go," he said, his voice steady. And surrounded by his companions, his chosen family, Jihu left the hushed corridor and stepped back into the world that awaited him, ready for the test ahead.