Wei’s steps were slow as he made his way back to the small cottage where he and Meilin had been staying since their arrival in the village. His body was aching from the morning’s intense training, and his mind was still swirling with the revelations about his father. The weight of his legacy hung heavy on his shoulders, but it was a weight he was beginning to accept.

  The village was quiet, the sun dipping low in the sky, casting an orange glow over the rooftops. It was a peaceful place, but Wei knew that peace could be deceiving. The Stormblade Clan was still out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike. He could feel it in the air, a tension that seemed to grow with each passing day.

  As he approached the cottage, he saw Meilin sitting outside, her legs crossed beneath her as she meditated. Her eyes were closed, her expression serene, but Wei could sense the power that radiated from her. She was not just a healer, as he had once thought. She was a warrior in her own right, a master of the arts in ways he was only beginning to understand.

  “Did you find any clarity today?” Meilin asked, her voice soft but filled with purpose.

  Wei stopped, standing just a few steps away from her. “I don’t know if I’d call it clarity,” he admitted. “But I’m starting to understand... a little. About my father. About the power inside me.”

  Meilin opened her eyes, turning her gaze toward him. “Your father was a great man, Wei. He saw something in you long before anyone else did. That’s why he chose this path for you.”

  Wei frowned, sinking to the ground next to her. “But why? Why did he never tell me about it? Why did he keep so many secrets?”

  Meilin was silent for a moment, her eyes reflecting the fading light of the sunset. “Some truths are too painful to speak,” she said quietly. “Your father knew that revealing everything to you before you were ready could have destroyed you. He wanted to protect you... until the time was right.”

  Wei clenched his fists, frustration bubbling up inside him. “But now I’m supposed to carry his legacy, without even understanding why. How can I do that when I barely know who I am?”

  Meilin smiled, but there was a sadness in her eyes. “You will find your way, Wei. Just as your father did. It may not be easy, but the answers you seek are out there. In the world beyond this village.”

  Wei looked up at her, a question forming on his lips. “Did you know him well? My father, I mean.”

  Meilin’s smile faded, and she looked away. “I knew him better than most,” she said softly. “We fought side by side, once. In a time before the Stormblade Clan became the threat it is now.”

  Wei’s heart skipped a beat. He had never known much about his father’s past, only that he had been a warrior, a cultivator of great renown. But this—this was something different. “What was he like? As a warrior?”

  Meilin’s expression grew distant, as if she were seeing something far away. “He was powerful. Incredibly so. But more than that, he was wise. He never sought power for its own sake. He fought only when necessary, and always with a purpose. He believed in something greater than himself.”

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  Wei’s chest tightened. “And now I’m supposed to be like him. But I don’t feel like him, Meilin. I don’t feel wise or powerful. I just feel... lost.”

  Meilin placed a hand on his shoulder, her touch warm and comforting. “You don’t have to be like him, Wei. You are your own person, with your own path to walk. Your father didn’t want you to become a mirror of him. He wanted you to forge your own way, to find your own strength.”

  Wei’s gaze dropped to the ground. “But what if I’m not strong enough?”

  Meilin’s grip on his shoulder tightened. “You are stronger than you know. You survived the Stormblade Clan’s attack. You mastered the first steps of the Lightning Art in a matter of days. And you have the heart of a warrior, just like your father.”

  Wei remained silent, his thoughts swirling like a storm inside him. He wanted to believe her, but the doubts lingered, gnawing at him from the inside.

  Before he could respond, a rustling sound from the nearby trees caught his attention. He turned his head, his senses alert. Meilin’s hand slipped from his shoulder as she, too, stood and scanned the area.

  A figure emerged from the trees, moving slowly toward them. At first, Wei couldn’t make out who it was, but as the figure drew closer, his heart skipped a beat. It was Lei Feng, his face grim and his eyes filled with a tension that Wei hadn’t seen before.

  “Wei,” Lei Feng said, his voice low and serious. “It’s time.”

  Wei’s pulse quickened. “Time for what?”

  Lei Feng stepped forward, his gaze locking onto Wei’s. “The Stormblade Clan. We’ve received word that they’ve been spotted near the northern pass. They’re looking for you.”

  Wei’s blood ran cold. He had known this moment would come, but now that it was here, he felt the weight of it settle on him like a lead blanket.

  Meilin stood beside him, her expression calm but determined. “We’ve prepared for this,” she said, her voice steady. “You are not alone in this fight, Wei.”

  Wei looked between them, his mind racing. The Stormblade Clan—his father’s enemies—were coming for him. They wouldn’t stop until they had taken everything from him. But he wasn’t the same person he had been when they first attacked. He had changed. He had grown stronger. And now, he would face them.

  “I’m ready,” Wei said, his voice firm, though his heart still trembled with fear.

  Lei Feng nodded. “Good. But know this, Wei—the path ahead is dangerous. This fight is only the beginning. The Stormblade Clan is just a small part of the darkness that is spreading across the land. There are greater forces at work, forces that you cannot even begin to comprehend yet.”

  Wei clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. “Then I’ll face them. Whatever it takes.”

  Lei Feng’s eyes softened, just for a moment. “Your father would be proud of you, Wei. But remember—strength alone will not be enough. You must be cunning, you must be wise. And you must learn to trust the people around you.”

  Meilin stepped forward, her eyes meeting Wei’s. “We’ll be with you every step of the way.”

  Wei nodded, the fear in his heart slowly giving way to determination. He would face the Stormblade Clan. He would uncover the truth about his father’s legacy. And he would become the warrior he was meant to be.

  As the trio made their way toward the northern pass, Wei felt a strange sense of calm settle over him. The road ahead was fraught with danger, but for the first time, he felt ready to face it. His father’s legacy was no longer a burden—it was a guide, a beacon leading him toward his destiny.

  The Stormblade Clan would come, and they would try to destroy everything he held dear. But Wei was no longer the boy who had hidden in fear when they first attacked. He was a warrior now. And he would fight.

  But even as the path stretched out before him, Wei couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. There were greater forces at play, forces that he had yet to understand. And somewhere, deep in the shadows, a far greater enemy was waiting.

  The storm was coming.

  And Wei was ready.