Son,

The time approaches where your role will become critical. What you have accomplished to date is an excellent precursor to the responsibilities awaiting you. Joining her faction, being seen as a leader, becoming a close and trusted confidant… these have all been leading to what comes next.

While your planning and strategy have been excellent, your strength is only adequate. Despite that, you have been provided all the tools necessary to advance while in the spirit realm. Your last missive assured us that your power will be sufficient, if barely so, once you enter the next stage. We are forced to believe you, but know that your brothers and fellow clan members – many stronger than you – have been given their own assignments and will have their own specific responsibilities. Some involve advancing themselves, some gathering resources, and others battling and defeating threats to the clan and the empire. They will do their duties as they have been guided to do throughout their lives. However, the overriding responsibility of your fellows, beyond all others, will be to replace you if they must. They will fulfill that responsibility at any cost.

I remind you of this: no matter your ambitions, your duty, above all else, is the girl. You believe you can guide her. You have insisted repeatedly that she will only become a threat if she herself is threatened. Those two statements cause us to doubt in your assessment, but we will stay on this path you have crafted for now.

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We cannot overemphasize the importance of this task. If you are unable to use your power, use other methods. The best solution is for her to attach herself to either ours or the Gui clan. While the Ling would be acceptable, our information states she has had neither contact nor any connection to them at this time. Either way, Fenghuang Yu must be tied to this empire’s future. Or terminated if she refuses, for the risk is too great.

Little choice remains. War is coming. Possibly a great war if the seeds planted eons ago are allowed to grow and bloom. Everything our information is telling us is that this empire will be fighting a rebellion soon. But the Bao and Shen clans are minor in the face of what we believe is ahead. But in this adversity is also opportunity. She may be the key. Or she may simply be a weapon.

The Long clan has been interfering from the outside – has already interfered from what we have been able to determine – in this girl’s path. Her supposed master is chief among them. Our clan, as guardians of the empire, cannot let those without the empire’s best interest in their hearts have her… one way or another.

The responsibilities on your shoulder are great, my son. Yet, do not waver in your duty and commitment to your clan and your empire. You will be given one final item when you meet with your fellow clansmen outside of the spirit realm. I will not reference its name here, but I believe you know what it is. Only three remain and the elder council agreed to entrust this to you… with great reservation. Prove our faith true.

Your Father

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