Over the next few days, Blue wandered around Chengdu aimlessly. Sa Gwan was never too far away. One night Blue found himself back at the willow tree.
"What am I supposed to do now?" He shouted into the void.
He sat in the lotus position. He tried to circulate his qi.
[Denied]
He tried again.
[Denied]
Again.
[Denied]
"LET ME FUCKING FEEL IT! FUUUUUUCK."
The scream that followed was guttural. Birds flew from the tree, critters scattered away into the dark.
Two hundred meters away, in the tree line Yeol, Cheng and Sa Gwan crouched.
"This proves it...does it not?" Cheng asked.
Sa Gwan nodded.
"First. Why don't you ever speak Sa Gwan." Yeol looked at him.
He shrugged his shoulders and disappeared into the night.
Yeol sighed.
Cheng looked at him. "We found no trace of a second family. That boy seemingly came out of nowhere. He used your families qi. Then faltered in front of your niece."
"Which makes this all the more confusing." Yeol looked at Blue. "I suppose 20 years ago, if you said you saw a gate and monsters, you'd be considered a madman."
"Which is exactly why, reincarnation isn't so far fetched. Shaolin already lives and dies by it. So." Cheng said.
"I still don't believe it. There has to be a real explanation." Yeol replied.
"Then we watch him for a few more days. If Gyeom can't find anything further, then we approach the boy."
Yeol nodded in agreement and the two left Blue broken down, under the willow tree.
The next few days went by like the last. Every night Blue ended up under the same tree, the same lot Yoryeon would train him in. Still trying to circulate his qi. Denied every time.
The next night was different. Blue made his way to a hill just south of the willow tree. The hill was where his mother and father lay, next to them was a headstone for Yoryeon.
Wu Cheng and Yeol hid in a tree not far away. They both looked at each other as if a divine revelation hit them at the same time.
Blue looked at the headstones.
Tang Jinho - Father and Son of Tang
Tang Mira -Mother and wife of Jinho
Tang Yoryeon - Patriarch and Grandfather
Blue knelt down and placed a hand on the gravestones. "I miss you guys. Im so lost. I lost you, now ive lost the one thing that kept me close to you. Please, guide me."
Tears started streaming down Blue's face. Then two figures stepped beside him, knelt and bowed toward the gravestones.
Blue looked to his left and his right. "Wu Cheng? What are you doing here?" Blue wiped his nose. "And who is this?"
Blue looked to the man to his left. The figure dropped his hood. "Jiung?"
"U...Uncle Yeol? Is that really you?" Blue exclaimed.
Yeol looked over at Cheng. "You were right, old friend."
"Oh, now I'm old friend, not old bastard."
Yeol leaned in and embraced Blue. "How is this possible?"
Yeol released Blue. "Really, how are you... back?"
I... I don't know how. But I was reincarnated." Blue said.
"Oh the monks are going to love to hear this." Cheng giggled.
"Where have you been then? Why didnt you come find us? Why wait 15 years?" Yeol now was curious.
"I couldn't, I was in another world entirely. I only just came back, through the golden gate."
"Wait..." Cheng interrupted. "...A golden gate you mean, you have a system?"
"I do."
Yeol grabbed blue and shook him. "Then how the hell did you lose to that demonic brat?"
"My system... it... sealed my qi. I cant circulate it, access it."
Yeol and Cheng exchanged looks.
"That explains the other night then." Cheng said softly.
"The other night? You mean you've been watching me this entire time?"
"We have. At first we thought you may have been a child from an extramarital affair Jinho had." Yeol said calmly.
"What the hell? Why would you ever think my father would do that. He loved my mother and you know that!"
Put yourself in my shoes Jiung... Blue? What do I call you? He asked.
"Blue is fine uncle."
"Imagine if some wanderer showed up using the Tang family qi. With no ties to the tang family. So yes we followed you, until Cheng through a wild accusation around that you may be Jinho or Jiung reincarnated."
"Thankfully you're not Jinho. I'm afraid your uncle here may have killed him again if it was." Cheng chuckled.
Blue looked at Yeol. "Why would you be upset with father?"
"Because that bastard forced me to become the young leader and patriarch. He ignored orders for an arranged marriage with Namgung and ran off and got your mother pregnant...with you. Tch. Bastard."
Cheng laughed and Blue finally let a smile creep across his face. "He always laughed with grandfather about how you stomped around trying to make trouble so they would force him to come back and retake the young leader position."
"Damn right I did. Though it didn't work. Thats why when So-Yeon became strong enough. I stepped down."
"So-Yeon..." Blue whispered. "...I wanted to rush her and give her a hug. She looked like she's been through hell."
"She's not the same little girl anymore. That's for sure." Yeol exlaimed.
Wu Cheng leaned in. "She carries alot. Alone. Maybe suppressing your qi was a good thing."
Yeol nodded. "If anyone found out you had reincarnated, or even she found out at the tryouts. It would have turned ugly." Yeol leaned back.
"There's plenty of people who are willing to use any leverage they can to take her down, or get close to her" Cheng sighed.
"So, what are we going to do with you now?" Cheng smacked blue on the back.
Blue had his head down. "Maybe it's for the best. You're right, but before we decide what's next for me. What of my other siblings... Kwan, Ryul, Seori, Haejin.
"They have all found their places. Seori is with the Alliance strategist Jaegal Li. Kwan is a squad leader for the sword saint."
Cheng interrupted. "Ryul is training under my brother at Wudang."
Yeol sighed. "And Haejin... he... he made his way to the Heavenly Demon Cult. I hear Yong Ma took him under his wing. They call him the Pale Flame."
"Yong Ma? THE HEAVENLY DEMON HIMSELF? WHAT THE FUCK, HOW COULD YOU LET THAT HAPPEN."
"What a mouth you have on you now. We didnt let anything happened. And those stories are for another day. Now unless you have any bright ideas about your future. I suggest you follow us." Yeol stood and reached out his hand.
Blue stood. "Follow you where?"
"Silent Edge of course, I signed you up as a recruit under them didn't I?" Cheng laughed.
"I don’t like that tone. You're planning on torturing me aren't you?" Blue gave Cheng a not so friendly look.
"Not me personally, no." Cheng started walking away. "Come. Keep up now."
The three men headed toward Silent Edge's compound. Blue didn't know it now. But this was his first step toward what he was meant to become.