Ch. 27 - The Golden Bracelets

"Hold… grudges?", Tian Xin and Tian Mei asked in unison.

Neither of them understood what Xiao Huoyan had meant.

"Yes."

"I know that you think he tried to kill you on purpose, but how can you be so sure? What if it was all a misunderstanding? How can you hold a grudge towards someone without solid evidence of their deeds?"

"Tian Mei… That is not why I hold a grudge against him. My hatred for him goes deeper than just that."

"Then why do you hate him so much, dear?"

"Before Jin Long died, he told me a few things. I do not know if he also knew that uncle Niao was involved."

"Involved in what?"

Tian Xin suddenly got curious.

"… Involved in the attack that led to our first meeting. After I saved his life, he told me about why he ended up like that. Some people from the Jin Clan wanted to get rid of him, yet they were not his match. They were jealous of his strength. He was obviously many times stronger than them and they knew that very well, so they had to resort to vicious means in order to get rid of him.

They poisoned him with an incurable poison at a banquet and then prepared a sneak attack.

He barely managed to escape. He then arrived at my doorstep by mistake. I found him collapsed at the front door, so I cured him. We got quite attached to one another and he was very fond of both my cunning personality as well as my so called 'talent'."

At first, he had only planned on taking me in as a disciple, but he soon changed his mind and decided to adopt me as his son instead. He blew up the entire forest we were in for two reasons. One; He wanted to make sure that none of his enemies would be able to report to the Jin Clan about my existence. He wanted to make sure that I was safe. And two; He wanted to leave them a message. He wanted them to know that he, unlike them, was not afraid of death, and that he would make them suffer.

Everyone who is not stupid would be able to guess that he had already found someone to carry out his revenge.

Everybody knew that the most powerful person in that forest was the hidden expert. What they did not know was that the so called "hidden expert" have always been me."

"Hmm… I have a few questions.", Tian Mei said slowly.

"Ask away!"

Xiao Huoyan answered her with a bright smile on his face.

"How come you cured an incurable disease? Why did Jin Long try to hide your existence? How did you survive in the forest if he blew it all up? How do you know that Jin Niao was really jealous of Jin Long?"

"My blood can cure anything from fatal injuries to poisons and any diseases under heaven. That is why I do not get injured nor sick. Any wounds I get always heals almost instantly and I am immune to poisons and viruses. I just gave him a few drops of my blood and then he was back to normal already. Although the healing process is a little slower on others, he still recuperated rather fast.

Jin Long did not want someone to come after me, so he decided to hide my existence. At least until I would be able to protect myself. He knew that I was strong, but he also knew about the schemes of the outside world.

Which big brother would not feel jealous if his younger brother's talent surpassed him by leaps and bounds? Although there were seven years between them, Jin Long surpassed his brother in terms of cultivation prowess at the age of nine.

I survived in the forest because I am able to protect myself from my own explosions. I am the one who made the thing that blew up the forest, so of course I would be able to protect myself by creating a barrier around myself. A barrier that would remain intact even after such a major explosion.

I blame myself for Jin Long's death every day. If only I would have discovered my ability to change the shape of my barrier back then. I discovered it after the explosion, but then it was already too late. I could have saved him…"

"Do not blame yourself, little brother! It is not your fault!"

"Thank you, but--"

"'But' what? Stop worrying about that already! Why do you not worry about something else?"

"Hahaha, like what?"

"Like how I will beat you up! What did you mean by 'Which big brother would not feel jealous if his younger brother's talent surpassed him by leaps and bounds'?!

I am your big sister, your talent surpasses mine by leaps and bounds, but I am only happy that my dear little brother's a genius among geniuses! I never felt even the tiniest bit jealous of you! I will beat you to a pulp for insulting me like that, you little brat!"

Xiao Huoyan began to laugh.

"Hahahahaha!! You are right sis! It is all my fault for unknowingly insulting you! Please accept my sincerest apologies!", Xiao Huoyan said while bowing with a brilliant smile on his face.

"You! You dare mock me?! I will kill you; you brat!"

Tian Xin flew up from her chair as soon as she finished her sentence. She began to chase him around the table.

"Hahahahaha!!"

"Tian Xin, sweetie?"

"Yes, mom?"

Tian Xin answered but did not slow down even a little bit. She continued to chase after Xiao Huoyan.

"Do you mind chasing after your dear little brother outside?"

"Okay, mo--"

"--No need!", Xiao Huoyan said while lightly touching the mark on his hand. The mark looked like a golden dragon. It was truly beautiful.

As soon as he touched it, two golden bracelets appeared in his hands. They were also very beautiful.

"How did you… Why did you--?"

"--For you!", Xiao Huoyan said and gave them one each.

"What are these?"

"Bracelets!"

"I can see that, but I doubt that they are just simple bracelets."

"Hahaha, you are right mother! They are indeed not normal. I made them. These will allow you to pass."

"To pass?"

"Just put in a little bit of your spirit power in the bracelet and see what happens!"

Both Tian Mei and Tian Xin followed his instructions. They trusted him enough to know that he would not harm them, so they chose to silently obey. When they put in a little bit of spirit power in the bracelet, they saw how everything in front of them began to change.

A moment later they were no longer in the kitchen. They had somehow passed through to what seemed to be another world.