Skyfire Avenue

“Alright... okay!” At last Li Ke was able to fight through his emotion to get the words out. Just seeing his daughter pushed all other thoughts out of his head. With a sharp sigh he appeared to come to a decision. Standing, he turned back toward Lan Qing.

“I’d like to ask for your help.”

Lan Qing nodded. “Of course, upperclassman. I’ll do whatever I can.”

Li Ke spoke with quiet determination. “I want you to help me become the true sword spirit of Ultus.”

Lan Qing paused, and the Pharmacist stopped her crying to turn back around and look at them. Neither quite understood what Li Ke wanted.

Li KE turned to the Pharmacist. “I’m sorry, little Yue. I can’t hold it back anymore. I need to be selfish.”

She looked back, her tear-soaked eyes confused.

Li Ke pulled his spectral face in to a tight, bitter smile. “I’m sorry, I lied to you. The mark of my spirit can’t stay locked in Ultus. It is a legendary weapon, incomparably sharp, and it will carve away the last vestige of my soul once my will vanishes. Reincarnation teaches that when our life force passes it is born again in a new body, but I don’t want that. Being born again is a fantasy, and even if it were real it would mean I’d forget all that has happened this life. I lied and told you there was a chance to bring me back because I wanted you to seek happiness for yourself. As I am now, an errant soul in a sword, I cannot perform the duties and responsibilities of a husband. I know you, more than you’d probably like to admit. You’ll be by my side so long as my spirit remains. But if you tie yourself to the dead you can’t leave a real life. So I chose the possibility of reincarnation, and chose to hope you might find a way to be happy.”

“But now that I see my daughter I don’t want to. I may not have the qualifications to be a real father, but at least I may be able to see her every day. I can watch my treasure flourish. Even just watching would fill my heart with contentment. If I become a sword spirit I can remain here with her.”

“You fool.” The Pharmacist spat the word, her voice bitter. “Do you think I didn’t know you were lying to me? I just wanted you to have your lie because it comforted you. Your face becomes so serious every time you lie. You haven’t changed in all the time we’ve been together. If your spirit vanishes I refuse to live without you.”

“No!” Li Ke’s anger flared. “Jun’er is already missing a father. How could she go one without you?”

The Pharmacist shot back with cool conviction. “How can you be selfish, but I can’t?”

Li Ke stopped. He glanced at Jun’er nearby, still bearing the small smile on her face. “I’ve made my decision, to become the spirit of Ultus and remain. I’ll live so long as the current master of the sword draws breath. I’ll be able to watch my little girl. But little Yue you must promise me that you won’t throw away your life.”

The Pharmacist walked over to Jun’er’s side, knelt, and picked her up. She hugged the small girl tightly against her. Li Ke’s dedication to his choice was firm and fervent. He floated over to Lan Qing, then nodded that he was ready.

“Come with me.” He turned and left the room. Lan Jue, Qianlin, the Pharmacist, Jun’er, and the three amazons remained behind.

Ke’er, Xiuxiu and Lin Guoguo’s eyes were red. They were not immune to the emotional scene they’d witnessed.

“Mommy, you should go look after daddy. Daddy Lan Jue is here with me.” Jun’er cutely offered.

She nodded, ran her hand along her hair, and gave her small cheek a kiss. She put her down and left to join the two men.

After she was gone, Jun’er lifted her face toward Lan Jue. “Am I a good girl, daddy?”

Lan Jue knelt and wrapped her in a hug. “You little thing. It’s okay to cry if you want to.”

She wrapped her tiny arms around Lan Jue. Then, with tiny sobs, she cried into his shoulder.

No matter how much wisdom she possessed or how mature she was, Jun’er was still a child!

Lan Jue gently stroked her silk-like hair, eyes heavy with a sad and tender love. She really was a good girl. She’d told her mom to leave for a reason, so that she could let her pain out. To understand this at six years old was incredible.

Xiuxiu, Ke’er and Lin Guoguo quickly gathered round to comfort the little girl.

She didn’t cry for long. After a minute or so her tears stopped falling and her sobs ceased. She slowly lifted her head.

As Lan Jue wiped away her tears, Jun’er muttered at him. “Daddy, I’m scared. I’ve seen some really scary things... that daddy, dead. Mommy, dead. They don’t want me.”

He gently patted her back. “Impossible, they both love you more than anything. How could they not want their little Jun’er? And you have me! Daddy Lan Jue will be with you forever.”

“Ok.” Jun’er’s tiny voice replied. She hugged him tighter. He kissed her forehead.

Suddenly Jun’ers head shot up. She looked off in a seemingly random direction. “Daddy, be careful.”

Lan Jue had quick reaction times and no reason to doubt the little girl. The moment she spoke the words. He took her and the three amazons and hurled themselves toward Zhou Qianlin.

A beam of purple light struck where they’d been kneeling half a breath before.

An aura of creation and destruction raged around them, fluctuating chaotically. Even though Lan Jue had the perception of a Nirvana-level Paragon he had not felt any indication this power was coming.

Jun’er lifted her hand and a sparkling light filled the room. A dimness then overcame them as a twinkling backdrop enveloped everyone like a blanket of stars. The ship disappeared. Suddenly everyone found themselves in a boundless universe.

They could see four twinkling violet dots in the distance, but they closed in quickly to surround Lan Jue and the others.

The twinkling starlight gave their attackers pause before they were engulfed. Lan Jue responded quickly by holding tight to Jun’er and reaching out with his other hand. In a flash fo red, Captus appeared in his grip.

The violet light subsided as a vortex of red light appeared and began to drink it up.