Chapter 22: Saying Goodbye
In the sec of Flourishing Ancient Woodland, clan leader Vu paced back and forth outside of his dying wife's' door. The clan leader was overwhelmed with clan business, preparing for the death of his wife, the soon arrival of the other clans and to top it off, young master Vu had gone into his Mother's chambers and hadn't come out for two days. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, clan leader Vu knocked on the door.
"A-Zhan! Open this door now!", clan leader Vu raised his voice, trying to sound as firm as he could.
"Have you changed your mind about what I said?", the young master snapped at his Father from the inside of the chamber.
"They have been sent a letter along with everyone other clan, now please stop this! Come out and bathe at once, they will arrive soon!"
"I will come out when I am ready!", Vu Zhan yelled with a shaky voice.
"Hmmmph!", clan leader Vu flapped his wide sleeves, growing tired of fighting with his son and storming away.
Inside his Mother's chamber, Vu Zhan sat by the bed, holding his Mother's small, frail hand tight. "Mother.", the young master spoke as tears streamed down his face. "There is a way, I won't rest until you are saved."
Holding her sons' hand, lady Chiang, squeezed it tightly with the little strength she still had left. "My boy.", her weak fragile voice tried hard to project.
"Mother.", the young master spoke, as more tears streamed down his face.
"Do what your Father has asked, I will be here when you get back.", lady Chiang, spoke and she began to cough violently.
"Mother!", Vu Zhan cried. Letting his Mother's hand go, the young master grabbed a cup of water on the bedside table, helping his Mother raise her head to take a sip.
"I will be here when you come back, now go.", said lady Chiang with a small smile.
"Mn.", the young master nodded, pouting like a child as tears streamed down his face. Getting up and hurrying out of the room, Vu Zhan went and did as he was told.
In the main hall clan leader Vu sat anxiously as he was just informed that the other clans have arrived. Walking into the main hall, the Hai clan entered first, Clan leader Hai with his wife and daughter to his right, his son to his left, along with their group of disciples and servants behind them.
"Clan leader Vu.", clan leader Hai nodded, sticking out his hand and clan leader Vu stood, accepting his firm grip. Pulling clan leader Vu into an embrace, clan leader Hai spoke, "Brother, I am here, and I express my deepest condolences, please do not hesitate if there are any affairs that you need me to take over while I am here."
"I thank you.", clan leader Vu responded as the two pulled apart and in walked clan leader Ba and his clan, along with a minor clan. As the many clans entered the room and the clan leaders congregated in a group, the main hall was soon filled with chatter.
"Clan leader Hai, have you heard from clan leader Kang?", clan leader Vu suddenly asked causing the other two main clan leaders to snap their heads his way.
"Clan leader Vu, you have invited the Kang to your sect?", clan leader Ba asked, nonplused.
"I have, life is short.", clan leader Vu responded.
"Mn.", clan leader Hai added and suddenly whispers filled the room as the Kang clan entered into the main hall. No one would have ever thought that the day would come that the Kang clan would be welcomed into the Sec of Flourishing Ancient Woodland.
Huddled around each other, all the young disciples and young master's stared, shocked, just as surprised as everyone else to see the Kang.
"Hai-ge, can you believe it? Clan leader Vu hates the Kang, why are they here?", Ba Chen whispered loudly.
"Shh!", Hai Yin scolded as he stared at Kang Lei, walking with his head lowered behind his Father and Kang Yixing at his side.
Bowing and cupping his fist, clan leader Kang stopped in front of clan leader Vu and the others, greeting them all simultaneously. "Clan leader, my deepest condolences to you and your clan.", he spoke nodding, his clan behind him bowing after him.
"I thank you clan leader Kang.", said clan leader Vu and clan leader Kang stood. "May I have a word with you clan leader Kang?" Surprised, all the clan leaders stared at clan leader Vu? Why on earth did he suddenly want to hold a conversation with clan leader Kang?
As clan leader Hai and clan leader Kang eyed each other momentarily, clan leader Kang nodded, following clan leader Vu out of the main hall, everyone watching, quite curious what this was about.
In silence the two clan leaders walked, until clan leader Vu stopped at his office, opening the door and allowing clan leader Kang to enter first.
Nodding, clan leader Kang walked in and turned around to see clan leader Vu closing the door behind him. Raising his hands to make multiple hands signs, clan leader Vu, sound proofed the room.
With his brows tightly knit together, clan leader Kang eyed clan leader Vu cautiously, "What is it you wish to discuss?", his deep voiced vibrated as he spoke.
"Clan leader Kang, I know we have not gotten off on the right foot, but I wish to start over.", clan leader Vu began. "I have invited you here because my wife is going to die, no healers have been able to cure her illness."
"…", clan leader Kang said nothing as he listened attentively, just where was clan leader Vu going with this.
"You see, although I do not consider your way of cultivation proper, I am afraid I am in need of its use."
Clan leader Kang's lips parted as he heard this, "Say what you mean clan leader Vu.", he said firmly, his brows knitted together even tighter.
"I come to you at my lowest asking if you, a necromant, to resurrect my wife after she has passed.", said clan leader Vu, his brows furrowed, but his face anxious.
"Clan leader..", clan leader Kang began, but he was cut off.
"I will compensate your clan greatly, no matter the price. The other clan's do not have to know of this.", clan leader Vu urged, and a smirk made its way onto clan leader Kang's face.
"Does it look like I am joking clan leader Kang!?", said clan leader Vu, his tone firm.
"Clan leader Vu, do you take me for a fool?", said clan leader Kang.
"Clan leader Ka.….", clan leader Vu spoke, but clan leader Kang spoke over him, his deep voice rumbling.
"You have frowned upon the Kang simply because that is how you were raised. You look down on our means of cultivation and talk about us like were are dogs, yet you beg for my help when it suits you. I am indeed sorry that your wife will be taken from you soon, but do not insult the Kang by thinking that we will bend to your will simply because you asked nicely!", clan leader Kang raised his voice, making his way toward the door.
"Clan leader Kang! If you walk out of that door this will be your last chance to be my equal!", clan leader Vu threatened.
Stopping in his tracks, the large man cut his eye at the other clan leader, "Clan leader Vu, if you do not know by now, the Kang do not take too kindly to threats. Even if I wanted to help you, the Kang clan no longer practices necromancy.", said clan leader Kang, waving his arm to undo the sound barrier and exiting the room. As he opened the door, there stood the heir to the Vu clan, with a hopeful expression on his sad handsome face. Letting out a heavy exhale, clan leader Kang, lowered his head, "I am sorry, I cannot help you.", he said walking away, leaving the boy with tears streaming down his face.
"A-Zhan…", clan leader Vu walked over to his son, but Vu Zhan darted off down the hall. Letting out a sigh, clan leader Vu's eyes watered, there was nothing more that they could do, but wait.
Later that day, Madam Chiang passed on and the masses stood around, saying their good byes as she was beautifully decorated in a white robe laced with gold and white lilies placed all around her corpse as her final resting place was in a small boat. Holding his son tight in his arms, as he cried, clan leader Vu nodded to the disciples that pushed lady Chiang's body into the lake. Drawling back an arrow with the head on fire, a disciple of the Vu clan let it go, setting the boat and the madam a blaze. As the boat and his mother caught fire, young master Vu began to wail as did others, small cries sounding in the crowd. "Be strong A-Zhan.", clan leader Vu whispered to his son, hugging him tighter as he cried. "Your mother loved to go boating, and this way she will sail forever."
Hearing those words, Vu Zhan grew furious, pushing his Father away, "I hate you!", he screamed, causing a scene as every clan's eyes were on them.
"A-Zhan!", clan leader called after his son, but he kept running, suddenly stopping and glaring at clan leader Kang and his heir standing next to him. Kang Lei with a sad expression only stared back at the young master with tears in his own eyes, while Vu Zhan glared at clan leader Kang.
As clan leader Vu approached, the young master took off running again. Making his way after Vu Zhan, Hai Yin was suddenly stopped as clan leader Vu put an arm out in front of him. "He will need time, if you go after him now, he will do nothing, but say things he does not mean."
With tears in his eyes as well, Hai Yin nodded, glancing at Kang Lei before going to stand back with his Father. Letting out a heavy sigh, clan leader Vu nodded, thanking everyone for coming as he proceeded to the main hall where a meal was prepared for all guest.
In the main hall, all clan leaders sat together while the heirs in disciples sat together as well.
Staring down at his food, Kang Lei did not have much of an appetite, he didn't care for young master Vu as a person, but even he didn't deserve such misfortune.
"Young master, please eat something.", Kang Yixing advised.
"I am not hungry.", the young master protested.
"Young master..", Kang Yixing began to say, but was suddenly surprised as young master Hai sitting on the opposite side of the table placed his own desert on Kang Lei's tray.
"You must eat something.", Hai Yin spoke and with wide eyes, Ba Chen, Kang Yixing and everyone close by stared at Hai Yin and then at Kang Lei as the two made eye contact.
"…" not saying anything, Kang Lei nodded and began eating.
"Yes, yes eat Kang-ge, Hai-ge knows best!", added young master Chen as he continued eating as did everyone else, while Kang Yixing simple narrowed his eyes at the two. It always took him more than one try to get young master Kang to eat when he asked.
"Interesting.", he thought to himself.
As the young master's and disciples continued to eat, clan leader Hai walked over to the table, nodding to them all.
"Father?", Hai Yin spoke.
"Won't you three go and look for young master Vu? It is dark now and clan leader Vu has enough on his plate.", said clan leader Hai.
Nodding, the three agreed as did clan leader Hai, walking away, making his way back to clan leader Vu and the others.
Standing up from the table, the three young masters began to make their way out of the main hall with Kang Yixing following behind.
"Xing-ge, why are you coming along?", Kang Lei complained.
"Because we are in an unfamiliar Sect and you tend to get into trouble young master, clan leader's orders are to keep a close eye on you. Besides, is not it best to have an adult accompanying three children after all?", Kang Yixing responded.
"Shut up Xing-ge.", Kang Lei responded walking faster and Hai Yin cut his eyes at Kang Yixing.
"Young master.", Kang Yixing nodded and Hai Yin rolled his eyes catching up with Kang Lei.
"I think he is right, what if we run into trouble?", Ba Chen said running behind the two.
After searching through the forest for some time, the group of four still hadn't found young master Vu.
"Vu Zhan, where did you go? My feet are tired.", Ba Chen called out, throwing an arm around Kang Lei.
"Ba Chen, we have not been walking that long.", Kang Lei chuckled.
"But my stomach is full, do you not feel like a walking pot of soup?", Ba Chen complained, and Kang Lei let out a giggle.
Eyeing the two to his left, Hai Yin hissed under his breath and continued, walking faster ahead of the group until he stopped.
"Shh!", he said.
"There is some sort of knocking close bye.", Kang Yixing said and growing quiet, the group of four listened until they heard it again. Making a right, Hai Yin walked deeper into the woods, with the others following behind. As they got closer, they could hear yelling and what sounded like a metallic thud hitting against a tree.
"Dammit all to hell!", young master Vu yelled, hitting the trunk of a tree over and over with his sword as tears streamed down his face.
"Vu Zhan!" Ba Chen ran up, startling the young master.
"What are you doing here? Go away, all of you!", Vu Zhan yelled as he continued hammering away at the tree.
"Your Father is worried, let us go back.", said Hai Yin, his voice soft with a sympathetic tone.
"I won't!", the young master cried.
Letting out a sigh, Kang Lei walked over, grabbing Vu Zhan's hand, stopping him from hitting the tree, but Vu Zhan spun around shoving him roughly.
"Do not touch me! You piece of trash!"
"Vu Zhan, it is fine if you want to take things out on me but let us go back to the manor where it is safe, your Father is worried about you.", said Kang Lei, in a soft tone.
"What do you care!?", said young master Vu, shoving Kang Lei again with his sword still drawn in hand.
"Vu Zhan, I understand what you are going through.", Kang Lei tried to calm the young master.
"If you understand what it's like to lose the person you loved most in this world, then bring her back!", Vu Zhan yelled.
"Huh?", Kang Lei said confused.
"You are a Kang, and you practice necromancy so bring her back!", Vu Zhan yelled, grabbing Kang Lei by the collar with tears in his eyes.
With wide eyes, Kang Lei lowered his head, "I cannot do that.", the young master spoke.
"Why! Why can't you! What good is a heretical clan that does not practice necromancy?", the young master yelled, bringing his sword up to Kang Lei's neck.
"Vu Zhan!", Hai Yin yelled as he and Kang Yixing proceeded to advance over, as they saw that the young master was on the verge of losing his mind, but Kang Lei raised his hand, telling them to back off, and the three stood by, anxiously watching.
"Vu Zhan, please stop this, I cannot help you." said young master Kang, only sadness in his eyes as he stared back at Vu Zhan.
Young master Vu's hand's began to tremble as he lowered the sword from Kang Lei's neck with tears streaming down his face, "Then you are useless!", Vu Zhan cried, his voice shaky, as he took off running.
"Vu Zhan!", Hai Yin yelled, the group running after him and suddenly the ground collapsed, swallowing Kang Yixing and all the young masters underground!
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Ghostmane1991
Ghostmane1991 Thanks for reading and stay tuned, more to come! ^_^
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone