My name is ... what is my name?I remember a time of having lived a quiet life in a small country village with my parents. We didn"t have much but we were happy.
My days consisted mainly of helping my dad to the field and my mom with the housework. In the afternoon I could play with the various children while we used to run in the village"s streets and invent new games.
But all this changed just before I was twelve.
In fact, several days before my birthday, I awakened something called spirit power. I didn"t know what it was but this event greatly amazed my parents who jumped for joy at the news. Apparently, from what they knew, awakening your own spirit power means being able to get rid of one"s condition as a mere human and become something greater, a martial artist.
Martial artists were the most coveted profession in the Rainbow Islandi. Not only because you could surpa.s.s your natural limits, but especially for the authority and the power arising therefrom.
The strongest martial artists are respected and revered more than kings or other n.o.bles. It wasn"t surprising that so many people wanted to become one. But unfortunately, only a few could awaken their spirit power and, between those lucky ones, only a few could reach a decent level and gain enough power to become important.
However I awakened it before being twelve years old, something that had never been heard on the Rainbow Island, since even the most exceptional ones awakened it much later than I did. So my parents were sure that I had the talent to reach the top and change my future.
Actually, I didn"t care much about this, I just wanted to be with my parents and spend the rest of the days in the village. But seeing them happy and proud of me, made me feel good and so I decided to follow their initiatives.
Being isolated from the main cities, it was necessary for us to undertake a long journey to be able to apply to one of the various existing sects, so that they could evaluate me and accept me as one of their disciples. The problem, however, was the money for the costs of this journey.
Being simple people, we didn"t have much money, but my parents worked hard and tried to convince the rest of the village to help me realize this dream. So, soon the village discovered that I had awakened my spirit power and they were all surprised, so much that they wished to organize a celebration in my honor - the genius and the hope that would have brought glory to our village and made it prosper, so they called me.
They hoped that by helping me, I would then help them once I established myself as a martial artist. It might have seemed selfish, but I knew the difficulties of a life like ours. So I decided that I would become a famous martial artist to help them as well as make my parents proud.
During those days, it happened that there were some strangers in the village that were seeking a place to sleep for a few nights before continuing their journey. It was the convoy of a famous merchant from a big city - the Green City.
When the inhabitants learned of his status, they proposed to let him help us. After all, he was a very important merchant and could easily put us in touch with the various sects, not to mention that in that way we could reduce the travel time as he had various carriages and horses at his disposal.
My parents thought about it and finally, convinced by the other villagers, they decided to ask the merchant for help. Dong Zhen was his name.
When he learned of my situation, he was very impressed and made great compliments to me and my family, proposing to accompany us for free and contact all his contacts so that I could be admitted to one of the most important sects.
His manner was kind and cordial. Since we were in difficulty on how to deal with the journey, this encounter appeared a sign of destiny.
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I remember that he too joined the celebrations and even offered some of his food and liquor to further enliven the evening. In the eyes of the whole village, he was a great merchant, very different from the leeches that city merchants were said to be.
But this couldn"t be further from the truth.
When everyone went to bed excitedly for the big evening and happy for my future departure, that merchant ordered his men to kill every villager.
My parents, my friends, every person I knew in the village was mercilessly killed before my eyes without me being able to do anything. My village was burned along with the pile of corpses acc.u.mulated until there was nothing left but ashes.
All that remained of my family, of my house, of my village was nothing but ashes that vanished in the wind.
All of a sudden, I found myself alone and abandoned in an unknown destiny without proof of my past if not my memories.
I was tied up and gagged and placed in one of the wagons as an ordinary commodity, until we reached the Green City. Then I was locked in a cell in a dark room and left there for who knows how long.
As time went on, I discovered that all this had happened because of my awakening - awakening one"s spirit power just before twelve was something too absurd to even conceive. The big sects, the royal families of the three kingdoms on the island as well as other various organizations would have paid handsomely for having me.
But Dong Zhen had bigger plans on me - he thought about a "special training" in order to be able to control me like a puppet, his puppet. In that way, he could have increased his power and made more money than let me go right away.
Thus they began the torture sessions to annihilate my personality. Because I was a precious commodity, they couldn"t hurt me too much, so they did it to others. Innocent people who were destined to suffer because of me.
I wanted to kill myself and finally finish this nightmare, but I didn"t have the courage. Soon my mind and my feelings began to blur until they almost died out. A bit more, and I would have lost myself, becoming just the sh.e.l.l of what was called a living human being.
But when all seemed about to come to an end, he arrived - a strange boy, carrying a spider and a snake that had a curious and playful behavior. There was also another spider on his head, but it was different from the other two animals, it was more regal and solemn, but at the same time so welcoming.
That strange boy brought me out of that cell and killed all those who had ruined my life. I was free and all those who threatened me were already dead, but by now I had forgotten what it meant to live and I didn"t know where to go. Nevertheless, he took me with him, taking me on his travels.
Thus began the days with that strange family. The only human being besides me was that strange boy, Hei, just him. But regardless, the relations.h.i.+p he had with the animals by his side was so beautiful and warm to look at, that I couldn"t take my eyes off, as if there were no differences between them, although they belonged to different species.
They gave me clothes, gave me food and put me back in strength. They gave me a name and started training me as a martial artist and in controlling my spirit power.
Yes, the very spirit power that I so hated and cursed. I would have preferred to throw it away, but it wasn"t possible. Instead I was increasing it as time pa.s.sed.
But one day something unexpected happened - the spider called Bao Bei shared with me the secrets and the dangers that this family brought with themselves. I was moved, I didn"t imagine that they would have such trust in me, who I was nothing more than an outsider picked along the road.
So I swore to myself that if I was destined to bring this curse known as spirit power, then I might as well use it to protect the happiness of this beautiful family. I had failed to protect my family, but I wouldn"t let that the same thing happened to them.
Nevertheless, the ghosts of the past continued to torment me anyway. In fact, they came back more alive than before, because now I had something to lose again. I was afraid and I was about to grope around again in the abyss, but they held their hand and led me to the bright but sweet light of the moon.
They promised to become my new family.
I couldn"t prevent the tragedy that happened to my family, and this sin will remain with me until the end of my days. But nevertheless, I will never let that happen to my new family, ever again. Even if it cost me my life. I will protect the sweet and warm smile I see every time Hei looks at his family and how they reciprocate his love.
For this reason... father, mother, excuse me. I will continue to live in the new road and with the new name that this family has given me. I will become a great martial artist and, when it is my time, I will be able to meet you head-on and tell you about the great adventures I have experienced.
*
Lian suddenly opened her eyes.
The nightmare of her past that was being shown in the illusion had disappeared and there was only the ceiling in front of her. Disoriented, she turned her head to the side and saw an empty bedroll that seemed to have hosted a person until recently.
She soon remembered where she was and what she was doing. With difficulty, she got up and walked slowly towards the exit under the astonished eyes of the people around her. But she paid no attention to that particular and kept walking.
Instinctively, she knew that that person was waiting for her outside and she wanted to meet him as soon as possible. She wanted to show him and the other members of their family that were watching from afar, that she had made it.
She had defeated the ghosts of her past, and from now on, she would continue her journey as Lian, the girl rescued by Hei, the martial artist trained by Beo Bei, the playmate of Ye and Xing.
*
When a couple of minutes had pa.s.sed, all of a sudden the doors leading to the dream trial building were opened. From there, came out a beautiful young girl with blue eyes and blue hair who was advancing with her head held high in a straight line. On her face, there was a slight luminous smile and her way of walking brought with her a feeling of lightness and elegance.
The looks all those present, whether they were the partic.i.p.ants for the trials or the inner members a.s.signed to control the situation, focus their attention on her, fascinated by her beauty but above all by the feelings that she was transmitting.
However, she didn"t deign to look any of them - for her, there was only one person in her eyes and he was in front of her in the front row, in front of everyone else, to reciprocate her smile.
The girl slowly approached the boy she was looking for, pausing a little before him as she looked him straight in the eye.
"Welcome back Lian, did you manage to close the accounts with the past?" Hei asked as he stroked her hair slowly and laid his hand on her head.
"Not really, I will never forget what happened. But it isn"t a reason not to continue living, not now that I have a family again. We do our best from now on, for our family. "
"Of course, for our family."
Hei smiled even more brightly and gently took Lian"s hand and carried her away from the crowd that had gathered around them. Lian, without showing signs of resistance, let herself be guided, enjoying the hard but warm touch of Hei"s hand.
From afar, Ye and Xing were dancing in circles, making excited noises in celebration as both Hei and Lian had pa.s.sed the trial without problems. Bao Bei, on the other hand, was observing the scene in silence and in a composed way, but inside she was experiencing great joy and pride.
Not only for Hei who was her son, but also for Lian.
From the girl"s smile, Bao Bei sensed that she had managed to overcome the traumas of her past and was finally ready for the future.
Lian wasn"t just a girl they had saved along the way, but she was a member of their family, like her cubs.
Meanwhile, some of those present had come to their senses and soon realized a small but fundamental detail. Soon another great emotion was created.
The time taken by Lian was seven minutes and fifteen seconds.
Although it was worse than Hei"s time, it still remained far better than that reached by the elders" personal disciples.
That a person had already been able to break the record that hadn"t been beaten since who knows how long was hard to believe, but now that another had been able to overcome it, it seemed absurd.
Unconsciously, due to Hei"s previous performance, inner sect members thought he might be able to do this. It was an incredible idea nearing the absurd, but considering the unknown origins of the boy and his potential, there was a very small probability that this could happen. Therefore, when this actually became reality, even if it generated great astonishment, it was something that could come to be accepted in a sense.
But Lian was different - she had never partic.i.p.ated in any exhibition organized by the sect. Indeed, according to the rules of the inner sect, she didn"t even have to be there, since she had only pa.s.sed through Hei. This made the others think that she was none other than Hei"s girlfriend or someone he brought with him in order to have some company. Someone who didn"t deserve to be there, and didn"t have the qualifications to be called their opponent.
Yet, they never imagined that not only was she more than qualified to stay in the inner sect, but she had a monstrous talent comparable to Hei"s.
Looking only at the result of the dream trial, theoretically she had all the necessary qualities to leave anyone in the dust, including the elders" personal disciples. The only one who was spared by that, was obviously Hei with a talent apparently superior to that shown by the girl.