Author's Preface
As So-Yeon watched on, Blue's body continued to convulse. Behind her Shenwu walked in, with the others behind him. Shenwu placed his hand on Blue's chest. "Hrmmm." Then he placed a hand on his head. "Very good." He took a step back and shook his staff, the rings rattled together. Golden qi erupted from his staff forming a protective barrier around Blue's body. The barrier seemed to pulsed. "It's as if it's responding to the strange energy radiating from the boy." Shenwu looked at So-Yeon. "Do not panic. I am not entirely certain as to what has taken hold of him... but I don't believe we need to fear it."
"Jiung... Jiung, please get up!" So-Yeon's voice was distant in Blue's mind. It was the only thing he could hear. Slowly, his eyes opened. The world around him was dim and covered in mist. So-Yeon wasn't there. Instead, a figure stood before him. One he knew all too well. "Grand... fath... er?" Blue managed the word, weakly."
The figure smiled gently. " My grandson, I wish we had more time. For now, know that I am always with you."
Blue tried to step forward, he couldn't move, it was as if he was chained to the ground. He struggled to make his legs move. He grunted and continued to try and move forward until Yoryeon's figure spoke again. " She will be protected, even while you are gone. Now... hurry ."
Blue struggled harder as the figure walked away. Slowly fading into the shadows. He reached his arm out in desperation. "GRANDFATHER!" He screamed. Yoryeon slowly dissolved into the mist. Gone.
Blue gasped, air flooded his lungs as his body jolted awake. Reality rushed back all at once as he opened his eyes. Above him shimmered a barrier of golden qi, it was warm and soothing. Beyond the barrier stood So-Yeon, behind her stood four silhouettes watching intently. Blue tried to move, his body wouldn't respond. Pain coursed through his body, what felt like fire searing his muscles with every struggle to respond.
A faint golden light flickered beneath his skin, in rhythm with his heartbeat. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move, but he could see his sister and she was smiling with tears running down her face. " What a strange dream. " Blue thought to himself as he stopped trying to move. He didnt realize his body was still trembling violently, reacting as if he was still in the middle of a seizure. And that dream, was far more real than he could possibly imagine.
Blue's body finally stilled, Shenwu lowered his staff and the barrier dissipated. He stepped forward and placed one hand on his chest, the other on his abdomen. Shaolin's qi flowed from his palms as he attempted to guide his qi through Blue's body. He was searching for damage, weakness, any signs that could explain the seizure. The moment Shenwu's qi got close to Blue's dantian, a violent surge of energy exploded outward, forcing Shenwu's qi back and out of Blue's body. The monk staggered backwards. "What?" Kang caught the monk. Shenwu looked at Kang. "This boy... his qi, his dantian. It's normal. His dantian is fixed, something inside of it forced me out." Shenwu gathered himself and exhaled. "That should be impossible."
Kang stepped forward, without hesitation he placed a hand on Blue's abdomen. For a moment he said nothing, then his eyes went wide. "Grandson... your dantian. It's healed."
Blue couldn't move nor speak, but he could hear everything. "Did he just call me grandson." He thought." Before he could process it, a faint glow flickered to life in front of Kang's face. Blue's system appeared.
[System Notification]
[Divine Energy Accumulated]
[Time To Recovery: 55 hours]
[Hurry, Champion. Murim will be fine for now.]
Blue's mind froze. "Those words, it's what grandfather said. What the fuck is going on? Who is this weirdo who called me grandson? None of this makes sense. I can't move, can't speak, but my dantian is healed?"
The weight of the questions forced Blue to close his eyes. There were too many questions, and too many answers he had yet to understand.
The next two days, Blue laid inside the hut unable to move or speak. So-Yeon was never too far away, in fact she was always too close. On the second day around noon, she heard her name being called. "So-Yeon! You have a visitor!"
She looked at Blue. "I'll be right back brother." She turned and left the tent. Outside, Shenwu walked into the clearing with three men behind her. One of the men ran up to So-Yeon, grasped her arms and shook her. "Where is Blue? Is he okay? Is he still alive? ANSWER ME SO-YEON."
"He is in there." She pointed to a hut. "Wu Jin... he can't move or speak." Wu Jin nodded and sprinted into the hut.
Sa Gwan and Mu Jang walked toward So-Yeon. "I'm sorry about your men. The monk here told us everything." Sa Gwan said. Mu Jang looked at the ground. "We left the compound as soon as your man told us what happened. We should've been with you guys." He took a step back and bowed.
"There's a chance you would've died as well if you tagged along." So-Yeon sighed. "Thank you for coming as quickly as you did. Come, I'm sure my brother would love to see you."
Just then Ilho and Jinhu came sprinting out of the forest. They stopped behind Mu Jang, Jinhu bent over with his hands on his knees, panting. "Slow down next time, damn."
Ilho chuckled. "Seriously you left us and some weirdo appeared in front of us. He said too weak, and then disappeared. I was for sure that we were dead." Ilho caught his breath. "Where's Blue?"
Shenwu laughed out loud and pointed to the hut. Everyone went inside where Wu Jin stood over Blue. As everyone entered Wu Jin turned toward So-Yeon. "Tell me what happened." Everyone sat as So-Yeon went into detail about the gate. How Blue came to be in the shape he was in. She turned to Wu Jin. "How did you find us?"
"We found the gate thanks to your man you sent back to us and his description of the gates location. We were about to enter and search for you." Wu Jin looked at Shenwu. "Then he came out of the woods and told us we were making a mistake."
"And Wu Jin was about to ignore him!" Mu Jang said.
Wu Jin sighed. "He told us, if we're looking for a purple haired beauty and a blue haired boy, we should follow him. So we did."
"Is that all he told you?" So-Yeon asked.
"It is." Wu Jin's eyebrows furrowed. "But that's a wierd question, am I missing something?"
So-Yeon stared at Shenwu. Shenwu chuckled and cleared his throat. "It wasn't my intention to deceive you. I knew you wanted to see them as quickly as possible." He stood and bowed. "I am the Venerable Shenwu, the once leader of Shaolin over one hundred years ago."
Everyone in the room went silent and wide eyed. Even Blue was shocked, still unable to talk. He thought to himself. "That's the monk grandfather told me about? No way, he looks younger than uncle."
"My comrades should be back soon." Shenwu looked at Ilho. "The one you had an encounter with in the woods happens to be one of them. It is better if they introduce themselves." Shenwu walked toward the door of the hut. "Shall we let the boy breathe for now. I promise you he is safe and in good condition."
Wu Jin nodded. "Come, let's leave Blue to recover." They all stood and took seats out on the logs by the fire. "My comrades are gathering meat and liqour from Chengdu. They should be returning shortly."
A few minutes passed as no one said a word. Ilho and Jinhu stared at the hut, while everyone else stared into the fire. Then two shadows appeared behind them. A boar was thrown in between them and the fire, onto the ground. One voice spoke. "The old lady made a fresh batch, this liqour will go perfect with the boar."
"This one is acceptable. This one is an oaf. That one," Wuxing Ye pointed at Wu Jin. "is the best out of them all."
Sa Gwan and Mu Jang stood and turned around. "Who are you to say I am an oaf." Mu Jang said as he stood and turned to face Shan Tie and Wuxing Ye. Sa Gwan also had stood and turned. Both of them stared at the men, and did not say another word.
Shan Tie looked at Mu Jang and simply smiled wide as Mu Jang stared up at him. Wuxing Ye reached over and removed the covering on Sa Gwan's face and stared into his eyes. "You've gotten taller." Wuxing Ye said, as Sa Gwan dropped to his knees.