Skyfire Avenue

All preparations for the transmutation process were completed. Li Ke addressed them once again. “Now we will use the alien methods to increase your strength. Once you have achieved Nirvana I will pass on Ultus’ lineage to Lan Qing. From that point you can begin to practice the Strategy.”

Lan Qing nodded slightly. The Pharmacist looked on with sorrowful eyes. Li Ke said the words lightly, but she knew that once he passed the inheritance to Lan Qing her husband would be gone. Already it was clear to everyone that Li Ke’s spirit had begun to fade. It seemed he could vanish at any moment.

Lan Jue looked between the two. “We will watch over you. Qianlin’s Domain in particular will help keep you safe.”

Both Lan Qing and the Pharmacist nodded.

“Lan Jue. Thank you,” Li Ke said suddenly.

Lan Jue shrugged. “Just doing my duty,” he replied.

“I mean, about Jun’er.” A bitter pain crossed Li Ke’s ghostly face. “I was never able to fulfil by obligation as her father. You’ve helped remedy that. Thank you. I chose not to reveal myself to Jun’er because she already has a father – you. Don’t misunderstand, my meaning is that you are far more qualified to guider her as a father than I. I have already failed her too much, and I don’t wish to negatively influence her life any more than I have.”

Lan Jue’s surprise was palpable. Inwardly he lamented these star-crossed parents and the agony they’d suffered! Were it not for the misfortunes they’d suffered this man would have lived to be a modern luminary.

“However...” Li Ke hesitated, then dropped his head. “I have to trouble you with a request. Bring Jun’er. I’ll just watch from afar, I won’t say anything. Is this alright?”

His voice shook. The fluctuations of his emotional state was reflected in his translucent body, which began to flicker.

Lan Jue nodded. “Alright, I’ll bring her here.” He left to do as he’d been asked.

However, after just a few steps he stopped and turned back to look at him.

“Brother Li,” he began. “Or... perhaps brother in law [1. Since he refers to the Pharmacist as sister. This is actually more familiar than ‘Brother Li’.]. I must ask, do you really believe Jun’er doesn’t understand what’s happening? She may be young, but that girl has more wisdom than most adults. That’s even before you consider her inheritance from the Clairvoyant. She knows, she just hasn’t said anything. She doesn’t want to heart you... or perhaps it’s to protect herself.”

Both Li Ke and the Pharmacist shook at his words. They looked at him, shocked.

Jun’er knew? She already knew?

Li Ke stared in surprise, the Pharmacist couldn’t help but stare. She couldn’t help but feel like she’d been neglectful of the girl lately. Lan Jue seemed to know her better.

Lan Jue looked from one to the other. “I feel sorry for Jun’er, but she’s more mature than you give her credit for. You’ve been living in your own world, but I think you need to ask her what she thinks. Brother, you don’t want to speak with her because you’re afraid to cause her pain. But if she knows her father’s back, and you say nothing, what sort of damage do you think that will cause? I hope you both speak with her. It may hurt, but at the very least she’ll have the memory of her real dad. She’ll remember that her father really did come back. At least for a moment your family was whole.”

“Of course I’ll always be a father to her, that won’t ever change. I’ll protect her with my life and I promise that nothing will harm her so long as I draw breath.”

Li Ke felt like he’d been struck by lightning. His mind was muddled, he didn’t know what to say.

“I think A-Jue is right. Some things have to be faced, no matter how unpleasant. Maybe for her, what you think is the right decision may not be the best one.” Lan Qing added his opinion.

Li Ke floated silently in the sitting room. He wasn’t sure what to say, didn’t know what to do. He was entirely at a loss.

Lan Jue didn’t wait for him to answer. He simply turned and left to fetch Jun’er. Whatever Li Ke’s decision he would bring her here so they could be face to face. They were, after all, family.

When Lan Jue returned, holding Jun’er in his arms, there were several more people in the sitting room. Lin Guoguo, Ke’er, and Xiuxiu were in attendance.

Lin Guoguo had come at Lan Jue’s request. She would be the one to strip Lan Qing and the Pharmacist of their memories, so the secrets of the transmutation technique would be lost forever. There was no stronger Adept than Lin Guoguo in the realm of psychic power.

Xiuxiu and Ke’er had come with her. They had not had an opportunity to see their boss in some time so they aimed to advantage of this opportunity.

Mika was gone. Zeus’ Amazons were now only three.

Jun’er was dressed in a white fluffy princess’ skirt, with her hair combed and pulled into a pony tail. Her big eyes were dull and sightless, but beautiful nonetheless. They were like windows into an endless universe. In her hands she bore the Eye of Tomorrow, the crystal ball the Clairvoyant once used to influence the flows of human destiny.

When he saw her Li Ke’s spirit floated forward, but stopped ten meters from where Lan Jue stood. The three amazons jumped when he did, unaware of what was happening. They looked at each other in surprise and alarm.

Lan Jue looked at Li Ke, but spoke to Jun’er. “Mommy’s here, little one. How about you play in here for a little while?” He knelt and put her on the floor before taking her hand and leading her to the Pharmacist.

Li Ke watched as Lan Jue and Jun’er passed him by. He remained silent as Lan Jue placed Jun’ers tiny hand in her mother’s. Jun’er held tight to her mother, blinking her sightless eyes.

The Pharmacist looked down at her, then at Li Ke floating nearby. She fought to keep her emotions under control so that they wouldn’t burst out. Her lips quivered from the effort of keeping tears from her eyes.

Jun’ers expression was calm and sweet, appearing blissfully unaware of what was happening. She lifted her hand, bearing the Eye of Tomorrow, and pointed it at Lan Jue. “Daddy, can you hold this for me, please?”

“Ok.” He said. Lan Jue took it from her, and in his hands it looked like a perfectly normal glass bauble.

“Daddy... come!” Jun’er called out again, but when Lan Jue looked toward her, the young girl’s hand wasn’t stretched toward him. One hand held tightly to the Pharmacist’s, while the other reached for Li Ke.

This touching moment struck everyone, filling their hearts.

Li Ke looked at his daughter, not daring to believe. He rubbed his spectral eyes then looked again to make sure she was pointing his way.

The Pharmacist, in her shock, looked at Lan Jue, but he shook his head. He didn’t tell Jun’er anything. What he said had been true – Jun’er knew.

Of course! She was the Clairvoyant of the new generation, bearer of the Eye of Tomorrow. How could she not know her own blood was present?

“Jun-... Jun’er.” At last Li Ke spoke, and he hurried to her side. He knew he was a spirit and could not touch his daughter, but he threw open his arms anyway and tried to hug her. Everyone’s eyes were wet with tears. For a father to be unable to hold his daughter, the sorrow of it was unspeakable.

Jun’er’s placid face bore a faint smile and she opened her own arms to accept him. She moved in perfect time with her ghostly father, though she could not see!

“I can feel you, daddy. Don’t feel bad, it’ll be ok when you come back.” Jun’er comforted him through her tiny smile.

The Pharmacist couldn’t contain herself any longer. She pressed herself into Qianlin’s arms and cried against her shoulder.

Li Ke’s body shook. He felt like his whole body was on fire, and nothing was important except this little life in front of him. The worry over aliens, the swords... all of it melted away when that little girl called him daddy. The pain and sadness that had consumed him for so long disappeared. She’d called him daddy.

Li Ke, choked with sobs, kept his arms around his daughter though the effort was fruitless. Jun’er stood happily within his supernatural embrace, smiling contently.

“Daddy, don’t cry. Having the whole family together is a happy thing! Now you don’t worry, I’m going to look after mommy. You have to be good, too.”

Jun’er’s sweet voice was like crystal bells in his ears. He hated himself. He hated that he’d decided to leave his wife for that cursed mission. If he’d refused he’d have been with her all along. Maybe she wouldn’t have been blind.

But in all the universe there was no cure to take back regrets.

Jun’er lifted her arms and rested them around his phantom neck.