Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Lei Gong made a small cut on Amu's body, then squeezed out a few drops of blood and mixed it with a special ointment. He carefully applied the mixture to Danny's wound. Almost immediately, the bleeding slowed and stopped.

"So Amu's blood really has such strong healing properties?" Li Ji finally understood why Amu always recovered from injuries so fast.

"This is just the beginning," Lei Gong said. "Stopping the bleeding isn't enough—he's lost too much blood. We need to replenish it."

He picked up a small cup from the ground, held it under Amu's wound, and collected more blood. Then, with practiced hands, he plucked one of Amu's long feathers, stripped away the soft down until only the hollow quill remained, and used it as a makeshift straw—placing one end in the cup and the other to Danny's lips.

…

After a while, Lei Gong spoke again. "Alright. That's enough for now. Now, explain. This child isn't your prey, is he?"

His eyes sharpened. "It's better not to lie, Li Ji. Children can make mistakes, but denying them—that's worse."

"No, no, Master! How could I possibly think that?" Li Ji panicked. "Do you think I'm that heartless?"

At the mention of his name, Amu gave an indignant chirp, clearly displeased to be lumped into the accusation.

"I was out looking for prey when two bodies suddenly fell from the mountain," Li Ji explained. "Looked like hikers who lost their footing. I checked their belongings and found three passports. The only one still alive… was him—Danny Rand."

He chose not to mention the exact circumstances of Wendell Rand and Heather Duncan's deaths. It wasn't relevant, and going into detail might arouse unnecessary suspicion.

Lei Gong nodded slowly. "Go on."

"I climbed the cliff they fell from and found Danny stuck on a small tree halfway down. He was seriously injured, and there's no real medical care nearby. So… I brought him back to Kunlun."

He left out the rough parts of the rescue, thinking it'd just worry Lei Gong unnecessarily.

"The medical care around here *is* lacking," Lei Gong agreed. "Those village doctors barely have anything beyond penicillin."

Then, something clicked in his memory.

"Rand… That surname sounds familiar. More than ten years ago, I met a man named Rand. He nearly became an Iron Fist… but gave up. He saved Amu when it was just a hatchling." Lei Gong paused, a rare softness in his voice. "That's why we allowed him to stay."

Li Ji blinked. "Wait… so Wendell Rand didn't save Duan, but Amu? The plot's different from the stories I remember, but not by much."

After thinking a bit, he asked, "Master, was that man's name Wendell Rand?"

Lei Gong's eyes widened. "You know him?"

Li Ji nodded solemnly. "He's one of the ones who fell. Wendell Rand… and another woman."

"No way…" Lei Gong's voice dropped. "Wendell knew Kunlun like the back of his hand. He wouldn't just fall. He even learned some of our martial arts—not a master, but agile enough."

He looked thoughtful, then added, "And even if it was an accident, all three falling in the exact same spot? That's too coincidental."

Li Ji could almost *see* the gears turning in his master's head. The man might seem like a relic from the past, but his instincts were sharp.

"Wendell once faxed me," Lei Gong continued, "Said he and his partners had started a large company in America. One of them—Harold—also liked martial arts. He wanted to visit Kunlun someday, with his family."

He paused.

"If I had to guess… Harold's the one behind this."

Li Ji gulped. *He figured that out with nothing but a memory and a hunch. That's scary.*

Then Lei Gong looked at him again, this time more serious. "I've decided. I'm going to take Danny as my apprentice. Any objections?"

"Huh?" Li Ji scratched his head. "I'm getting a junior brother now?"

"Yes." Lei Gong nodded. "I was going to send him away once he recovered, but with his parents gone and his ties to Kunlun… I think it's best if he stays."

Li Ji had no objections. That was what he'd hoped for when he brought Danny back anyway.

Lei Gong studied him for a moment. "Why so quiet? Are you unhappy?"

He sighed. "I know fate's plans. The next Iron Fist is likely to be him. But your talent is great, Li Ji. You can break free of fate's shackles."

"No, no, Master, I'm not upset!" Li Ji quickly waved his hands. But Lei Gong only smiled, as if he didn't believe him.

"It's good to have a younger brother to push you to train harder. You can't keep running around hunting every day just for a little extra meat. Yes, eating well is good, but starving a little won't kill you. Cultivation is the proper path!"

He launched into another of his long-winded lectures. Li Ji tried his best to stay respectful, but inwardly, he felt the familiar sensation of his ears growing calluses again.

"Master, wait, wait!" Li Ji finally interrupted. "I have a question!"

Lei Gong paused. "What is it?"

"I didn't finish hunting earlier because I was busy saving Danny. Can I still go out now?"

"…Get out."

…

Later that night, Danny opened his eyes.

"You're awake," Li Ji greeted him in English.

Danny blinked at him, then asked in Chinese, "Aren't you Chinese? Why are you speaking English?"

"You know Chinese?" Li Ji was a little annoyed. "I've been talking to you in English this whole time!"

"I understand Chinese. Who's Danny, anyway? Is that supposed to be my name? And where… where am I?"

His tone was calm—so calm that it startled Li Ji. But the content of his words made his brows furrow.

"…What? Amnesia? Seriously?" Li Ji muttered, rubbing his chin. "This really is one of *those* classic moments."

He looked Danny over and sighed.

"Well, I better ask Master before I go telling him anything."

…

"You're saying Danny has lost his memory?" Lei Gong repeated.

"Yeah. Seems like he forgot who he is or what happened. But he still understands things and reacts normally," Li Ji said.

Lei Gong was quiet for a moment.

"…It's fine," he said at last. "He's still young—only nine years old. It's okay if he forgets a few things."

******

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