Chapter 5 The Sad Memory “Dad, Mom. . . ” From far away, the soft sound of a little child reached their ears. The b.l.o.o.d.y place horrified him; some people were still fighting in the distance. Yi Zhizhu took little steps to search for his parents in the bodies laying on the ground. “Dad . . . Mom . . . where are you? Don’t scare me. . . ” He was choked with fear, trying to move aside a body that lay atop someone who looked like his mother. “Mom . . . how are you? . . . Wake up. . . Wake up and say something to Zhu. . . ” He found that this was indeed his mother. But she felt cold and her eyes were closed, which frightened him. “Haha. . . Here is an escaped little fish,” somebody said with a malicious laugh. “You made my mom like this?” Though he didn’t understand what death meant, he had an idea that Mom being in this state was not good, and he didn’t want her to be like that. So, for sure, the man standing in front of him was not a good person. “So you are the son of that b.i.t.c.h! I can’t let you live. . . ” The man raised his wide blade to slice at him. The little boy was frightened by this change and he closed his eyes. “Sow . . . pat . . . ” Some hidden weapon flew into the air and struck the wrist of the man; with a clang, his blade fell to the ground. “Who is it?” the man yelled angrily. They saw a man in gray clothes who was carrying a b.l.o.o.d.y body under his arm run quickly toward them, and he took up Yi Zhizhu to fly away. The man lost sight of him before he got the chance to see the man in gray’s face clearly. He stamped and cursed furiously. Soon he thought of something and he ran toward the inner yard. After a while, the man led some wounded people back with him and told them, “Search every inch until you find him! He is still alive!” All of them followed his order and obliged. “Burn this place!” The man waved his hand to give the order. Soon, a thick smoke lit up and wafted from the inner yard and throughout the whole villa. “Zhu. . . ” His dad, Yi Renyuan, was almost out of breath. He called his son to come closer. “Dad. . . ” Yi Zhizhu managed to climb over to him, staggering along the way. Seeing this bloodied man before him, he couldn’t accept that he was looking at his father, who was always strong and bright. His body was covered with wounds deep and shallow. He couldn’t face such terrible pain. “Zhu, Dad is going to see your mom. You will stay here with the housekeeper.” He was gasping heavily. Each sentence he spoke brought fresh waves of pain. Yi Renyuan knew he had only a little time. His throat was full of the sweet taste of blood. “Zhu, promise me,” his father told him with a stern att.i.tude, “that you’ll study martial arts from the housekeeper. I know you are a clever boy. I don’t need to tell you everything; you already know what happened to our family. Remember this: any time is the appropriate time for revenge. Don’t rush. If someday you truly avenge us, live with the housekeeper in the woods and never come out.” His father began coughing up blood. “Dad. . . ” The boy’s plea was full of sorrow. “Housekeeper,” the man continued giving his orders, taking Zhu’s little hand and placing it in the housekeeper’s hand. “I trust Zhu to you right now. Only you are trustworthy! You followed me since childhood and I know that you have wisdom, though you were always hiding it from me. I knew . . . I always knew. . . Promise me, you will take good care of the young prince. . . I . . . I am not satisfied with this situation. . . ” He felt colder and colder. “Master, don’t speak so much! I will take good care of the little prince. You . . . you can leave without worries. . . ” Though the housekeeper was strong, he couldn’t help but let the tears falls. “Thanks! I leave you with this burden!” Yi Renyuan finished his last will and closed his eyes, as if relaxed. “Master. . . ” The housekeeper bowed on his knees and cried loudly before the recently departed. “Dad. . . ” Little Yi Zhizhu was shaking his dad’s body but he couldn’t wake him up. “Little prince, release your hands and let the master go,” the housekeeper advised. “No. . . No. . . Dad is fine. He only went sleep. He will wake up later. Dad . . . wake up. Tell us that you are only sleeping. . . Dad, you answer me. . . ” Yi Zhizhu took a firm hold of his father’s arm, not willing to let go.