The hollow echoes of Zhao Xing's seclusion cave were as deafening as the toll of a bell at close range. As intimate as he'd grown with his seclusion cave abode in the past six years, its silence still ruffled him. "Six years," Zhao Xing said softly, "...and I still haven't repaired my Core Dantian."

He took a deep breath for the thousandth time, forcing himself to concentrate. He released his Qi from his Soul Dantian and felt his meridians sizzle as if they were being seared with fire.

This was the sign of meridian shrinkage, the result of him overusing his meridians. It was an unconscious method where the meridians shrank, forcing him to stop using his Qi carelessly.

"I should've listened to Su'er," Xing said softly, feeling his meridians expand as an ironic smile crept across his face because he knew the irony that caused it.

Susu had always told him his callousness would be his downfall. As much as he feigned ignorance, it was true. Now, he was but a sliver of his former self. He was capable of fighting for only two to five minutes before his meridians betrayed him.

"No," he said aloud, feeling his Qi dissipate from within his Core Dantian. "They didn't betray me. I did that on my own with my lack of practice...but it still hurts to know that even after this time...I...still haven't improved."

As frustration began to brew within him, Xing ground his teeth, feeling his jaw stiffen. He tried to settle his heart and calm his mind, but that was to no avail.

He swirled his Qi within his Core Dantian, only to feel his Qi dissipate through the cracks, wisping away into his body.

Sweat began to run down his forehead, then his back, but Xing wouldn't stop. He continued for an hour without relent. He eventually took a short break but continued for a further two hours until...he finally gave up.

A loud boom reverberated throughout the seclusion cave, and Xing felt his right hand pulse from the pain of punching the wall. He gnashed in annoyance once again, failing to harness his Qi in the way he could have years ago...

"You do know, instead of destroying your seclusion cave...you could simply leave..." Bo Ying said coyly.

"Is that an invitation to spar?"

Bo Ying chuckled heartily, leaving his laugh to echo throughout the cave abode, making Xing's eardrums vibrate from the sound. "Sparring and meditating, Brother Xing, are two different things. You're good at one, but the other, you're like a child on its mother's teat!"

Xing snatched up a pebble and finger-flicked it to his right. The pebble shot past Ying like an arrow and hit the wall with a loud thud.

Ying didn't cower from the 'attack'. His lips curled into a beaming smile, and he flapped his elongated sleeves as he turned away from Xing.

As he walked towards the wall, he plucked the pebble from it and circled it in his hands as he walked back towards Xing, whose face was painted with annoyance. "Are you done being childish?" Ying asked coyly.

"When have I ever been childish?"

"The very day you left your mother's womb!" Ying said with a laugh.

Xing grunted in annoyance, then shook his head. He knew all too well that Ying was always ready to remind him how childish he was. Not like he cared. He was the Sect Master of the Purple Mist Sect and was revered by everyone within the mountain.

Everyone, but his daughter...Zhao Li.

"How's Li'er? Has she asked for me?" Xing asked, his voice tinged with a mixture of hope and guilt.

Bo Ying's face hardened, deliberately ignoring the question. "I saw her yesterday. She's growing quickly, Brother Xing. Her reading has improved significantly."

Xing's shoulders slumped at the indirect rebuke. "Two months... Has it really been that long since I've gone down to see her?"

"Yes, it has. I've been going down the mountain regularly to teach her characters. She's quite proficient now."

"I... I promised her I'd visit. How is she faring in the village?"

Bo Ying's eyes narrowed. "That's not something I can answer for you, Brother Xing. You should go down and ask her yourself."

Xing ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident. "I know, I know. It's just... the village, the people there..."

"Are you her father or not?" Bo Ying cut in sharply. "Your daughter needs you, regardless of your feelings about the village."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"You're right," Xing admitted, his voice low. "What of Su'er? Has there been any word?"

"No, not yet. But when she returns, she'll want to know why you've been absent from Li'er's life."

Bo Ying's words were sharp, his disapproval clear. Xing felt the weight of his negligence settle heavily on his shoulders.

"I... I need to see her. Is she still staying at the same place?"

"Yes, with your sister. But Xing, don't just drop in. She deserves better than that."

Xing nodded, shame coloring his features. "Thank you, Ying. I'll go to her now."

"Good. And Xing? Don't make promises you can't keep this time. That child has had enough disappointment."

Zhao Xing's jaw stiffened, and he tried his best not to grind his teeth. He hated how easily Bo Ying could get under his skin.

"Brother Ying," he said calmly, "can you remove your acupuncture needles for me?"

"Why? Five hours haven't passed yet."

"I know, but please remove them."

Ying narrowed his eyes suspiciously and began tapping his foot. "Hmmm," he said, then slowly began circling Xing, looking at the acupuncture needles protruding from Zhao Xing, which made him look like a human porcupine.

"I can't remove them yet. The Qi swirling within your Core Dantian is still unstable..."

"I know, but we've been trying this new acupuncture treatment for months, and I've yet to be able to seal the cracks of my Core Dantian. This isn't working."

"I never promised we would seal the cracks within your Core Dantian, Brother Xing. I said I would try to help you. But please understand, the poison that stirred within your Core Dantian when it was expanded was why your Core Dantian cracked."

"You've already explained that!" Xing snapped.

"I know, but your impatience is the problem. Despite your annoyance with the acupuncture treatment, hasn't it allowed you to increase your usage of your Core Dantian?"

"Barely..." Xing hissed.

"Barely?" Ying laughed. "Let me remind you, Brother Xing. You could barely use the strength gained from the Accentuation Realm. You could barely shred a tree trunk. Now you're not only able to do that, but you've regained a decent amount of strength you've lost."

"But I still don't have access to the meridians that came with the Accentuation Realm!"

Ying sighed, then turned around, bringing himself in front of Zhao Xing, whose head was permanently fixed to the ground. "Are you truly worried about losing access to those meridians, or are you worried about Zhao Li?"

"Both. I can't protect Zhao Li if I don't have the strength to do so!"

"You may not have the strength to do so, Brother Xing, but do you think she cares about your strength? She only cares for your love...and you clamoring yourself in this cave doesn't help."

"I'm not clamoring!"

"Whatever, Brother Xing...just bear in mind that six years have passed, and Sister Susu will eventually return. When she returns, what do you think she'll say, seeing you in this state?"

"Su'er wouldn't care if I fell in a pool of wine."

"You're right about that," Ying said with a smile, "but she'll be concerned if Zhao Li is overly attached to you."

"Zhao Li is—"

"Don't be a fool, Brother Xing. You might try to ignore it as much as you try, but we both know Li'er worships the ground you walk on!"

"The ground I walk on is filled with knives, swords, and blood. I don't want any of that for her."

"You're doing her a disservice, Brother Xing."

"A disservice?! Brother Ying, I do not want her to have a hard life. As an Axsumite, her life in Huaxia is already hard as it is. Do you know what they would do to her if the Imperial Family found out we've been taking care of her?"

"That's exactly my point. She needs to be able to fend for herself. Imperial family or not, have you forgotten what you told me happened?"

"Of course, I haven't forgotten...that's why she has never left this valley, nor shall she."

"Nor shall she?" Ying scoffed, waving his elongated sleeves in front of Xing's face. "Did you think Master wanted to train Susu? He didn't, but he had no choice. She had to be trained, or she wouldn't be able to fend for herself, Brother Xing. Sometimes, I wonder if all you care about is what you think...and not what is going on. When Su'er returns, I guarantee she will take Zhao Li from you and train her HERSELF."

"HA! She wouldn't dare; she doesn't have the strength to do such a thing! I'm here, Senior Brother!" Xing growled.

"Senior Brother? Brother Xing...you're mistaken about one thing. Master Chaoxiang told Susu to gain the strength needed to protect Li'er. If she returns, that means she will have the strength to do that."

Zhao Xing didn't respond. He sat there, contemplating Bo Ying's words wisely. In Zhao Xing's mind, Zhao Li was his daughter, his to protect, his to clothe and feed, but mostly...his to love. How could he allow Su'er, his Martial-Sister, to just take her and make life difficult? After all, they've only spent six years together.

No, Xing said to himself calmly, Zhao Li will always be by my side...six years and beyond. He curled his lips into a smile, and he opened his eyes for the first time in four hours. He looked up at Bo Ying and smiled smugly. "If Su'er can defeat me, I have no problem with Li'er leaving," he said, lying through his teeth.

Bo Ying shook his head and turned away from Zhao Xing, slowly walking away from him, disappointed in Xing's words. As he walked away, his mind wouldn't let him just walk away, so he stopped, turned around, and scanned Zhao Xing once more. His jawline protruded slightly, showing not just his anger but his disappointment in Xing's words.

"I'm disappointed in you, Brother Xing," Ying said softly. "I truly am. It's one thing to be arrogant, but to be a cripple and arrogant? That's not you. I know you love Li'er more than you do yourself, but don't let your love for her make her life much more difficult than it can be. We all had a hard life, but thanks to Master, we came out good, didn't we?"

"We did," Xing said stiffly.

"Then do what must be done for Li'er. Stop keeping her in this valley as if it's some cage!"

"You bastard!" Xing hissed, but it was to deaf ears, as Ying had already left the seclusion cave, forcing Xing to deal with his words on his own.

That's what Xing hated about Bo Ying: he had a knack for pissing him off with his words, which usually ended in his defeat.

Ying could never best Xing in a fight, but he used his words to break Xing's concentration, something he despised about his Martial Brother. The only problem this time was that his words not only stung, but they also made him feel weak for the first time in years.

Am I caging Li'er up? he asked himself. "No, I'm not caging her up...I'm protecting her. Yes. I am protecting her!"

That was the conclusion he always came to, but the one question Zhao Xing never asked himself was: was he wrong in his thoughts? The answer would certainly be no, because Zhao Xing...never thought he was wrong.

Not now.

Not ever.