Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 917: Family

Zhan Tian analyzed Li Canghai with a sharp and calculating look. He noted the profound Qi reserves and the steady foundation. They knew of one another before Zhan Tian left for the crusade but Canghai had only married Tielan long after the Worldkeeper had departed.The Worldkeeper took a sudden and explosive step forward. He pulled his massive fist back and launched a brutal strike directly at Canghai's chest. The ambient pressure in the courtyard spiked violently as the kinetic force of the punch tore through the air.

Tielan was a bit surprised but she did not move to intercept.

Li Canghai did not flinch because he had fully expected a test. He planted his feet firmly into the ground and channeled his own Qi. He brought both of his forearms up in a perfectly aligned block to meet the Worldkeeper's fist, projecting Qi around his arms to take on the blow.

The impact sounded like a thunderclap.

The shockwave blasted the grass flat across the entire courtyard. Li Canghai's boots slid backward, carving two deep trenches in the stone path but his posture remained completely unbroken. He absorbed the terrifying force and slowly lowered his arms.

Zhan Tian stared at him for a fraction of a second before a massive and boisterous laugh erupted from his chest.

"Good!" Zhan Tian bellowed as his aura retracted instantly. He stepped forward and slapped Canghai hard on the shoulder. "Very good! I would expect my son in law to be at least that powerful. You hold your ground well, brat."

Zhan Tian opened his massive arms and pulled Canghai into a crushing hug.

Canghai grunted slightly under the immense physical pressure but he smiled and hugged the old warlord back. "It is truly an honor to welcome you back. We have missed you."

He meant it sincerely. Li Canghai had grown up hearing the legends of the Worldkeeper. His own father and Zhan Tian were his two greatest personal heroes. To have one of them finally return from the abyss was a massive relief.

The heavy tension of the war finally lifted from the courtyard. The three of them sat down on the ancient stone benches beneath the spirit tree.

For the next three days the three of them did absolutely nothing related to their titles. They did not issue orders and they did not review ledgers. They simply existed as a family for the first time ever.

They cooked meals together using a simple fire. They drank aged wine that Canghai had kept stored away for centuries and they talked late into the night. The conversations started with small things. Zhan Tian asked about the changes in the clan architecture and the new generations of disciples. Tielan shared stories about her early days in command.

Eventually, the conversations turned to the heavy events that had occurred while Zhan Tian was away. Canghai and Tielan carefully explained the shifting political landscapes, the various skirmishes and the long struggle to maintain stability. Zhan Tian listened intently, finally understanding the true weight his daughter had carried.

To make up for his absence, Zhan Tian emptied his vast spatial storage.

He showered them with gifts like a madman. He piled the stone benches high with the spoils of his endless crusade. There were perfectly preserved cores from Ancient Dragons that pulsed with primal heat. There were the severed horns of Void Chimeras that radiated pure spatial energy. He handed them rare spirit herbs harvested from the corpses of Eclipse Swarm Queens and supreme grade metals pulled from the shattered remains of enemy fortresses.

It was a staggering fortune but Zhan Tian tossed the items onto the table as if they were cheap trinkets. On the afternoon of the third day, the atmosphere finally shifted. The small talk and catching up was exhausted and the mountain of treasures had been stored away safely.

Zhan Tian poured himself a final cup of wine and set the clay jug down. He looked directly at Tielan and Canghai. The jovial grandfather persona receded slightly, replaced by the serious focus of a grandfather.

"We have caught up on the past, at least the major details." Zhan Tian stated firmly. "Now it is time to handle the present. I am back now. The perimeter is secure. It is time to let my grandson know the truth and bring him back into the family."

The courtyard fell completely silent. Tielan looked down at her hands with her fingers tightly gripping her teacup. Canghai shifted uncomfortably on the stone bench. They exchanged a long and hesitant glance.

Zhan Tian narrowed his eyes at their reaction. "Why the hesitation? What is there to fear with me standing right here? I would love to see any of these empires try to do a single thing to my grandson while I draw breath! Or do you think I am too weak to protect my own blood?"

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"That is not it at all, Father." Tielan answered quickly. "We know your strength. We know you could crush any direct threat."

"Then what is the problem?" Zhan Tian demanded, crossing his massive arms.

"We are worried about the schemes and the unknown enemies in the shadows." Canghai explained calmly. He poured another cup of tea to steady his nerves.

"Knowing that he is a descendant of both the Li Clan and the Zhan Clan as well as our son and your grandson puts a massive target on his back. A target vastly larger than the one he carries now. The three of us are incredibly strong but how many enemies do we have combined? Countless. We have accumulated a sea of hatred over the centuries."

Tielan nodded in agreement. "Direct confrontations are easy to win. But poison, assassination arrays and political manipulation are much harder to defend against constantly. Right now, he is relatively unknown. If we reveal his true lineage, every enemy we have ever made will focus their fury on him just to hurt us."

Zhan Tian thought about their reasoning. He knew they were right about the cowardly nature of their enemies. But he shook his head stubbornly.

"It does not matter." Zhan Tian said as his voice was carrying an unyielding weight. "He is my grandson. I must see him. And he deserves to know who he is. He deserves the protection and the resources of his true family."

Canghai sighed heavily. "We would agree with you immediately if he was not doing so incredibly well."

Zhan Tian frowned. "What do you mean?"

"If he was struggling," Tielan said softly, "if he was just a normal cultivator trying to scrape by, we would bring him back right now without a second thought, especially with you back to shield him. But he has done so amazingly nearly and entirely on his own."

She looked at her father with a mixture of immense pride and deep sorrow.

"He forged an incredible physical foundation without the Zhan Clan resources." Tielan explained. "He mastered supreme laws without the Li Clan archives. He built his own strength and forged his own path through mostly his own abilities and fortune. That is what makes this decision so incredibly hard. He is doing so great and growing up so well on his own. We fear that by pulling him back into the structured hierarchy of our clans, we might accidentally cut off his natural path to the peak."

Zhan Tian leaned back against the stone bench and rubbed his bearded chin. He processed their fears. They were both worried about his safety and about stifling his potential. They had watched from afar as their son performed miracles and they were terrified of ruining the masterpiece he was building.

"There will never be a perfect answer to this." Zhan Tian finally said, his voice unusually gentle. "The future is uncertain. Bringing him back into the fold might stifle his growth, yes. But bringing him back might also provide him with the final piece of enlightenment he needs to break through. You cannot be sure which path is best."

He looked between the two parents.

"Maybe bringing him home will make him even better." Zhan Tian suggested.

Li Canghai looked down at the stone table. "I honestly do not know. Being a parent is incredibly tough. Every choice feels like it carries the weight of a realm."

Zhan Tian nodded slowly. He understood that burden perfectly. "It is tough. And I will honor whatever choice you two make. I have already made Tielan suffer so much on her own by leaving for the crusade. I will not force my will upon your family now. I will spend the next lifetime making up for the time I lost with you both and him. But you must make a decision."

Tielan and Canghai sat in silence for a long time. The warm afternoon breeze rustled the leaves of the ancient spirit tree. They thought about the years they had spent away from Li Yu. They thought about the pain of his isolation and the incredible resilience he had shown.

Tielan finally looked up and met Canghai's eyes and he gave a decisive nod.

"Enough is enough." Tielan said while her voice firmed up with resolution. "We have hidden in the shadows for too long. With you back, father, he deserves to know his family. We should reunite."

Zhan Tian smiled broadly. The tension in his broad shoulders melted away. "Excellent! I cannot wait to properly meet the brat!"

The Worldkeeper clapped his hands together and was clearly energized by the decision. He looked over at Canghai.

"Speaking of reunions," Zhan Tian said. "Where are your parents, Canghai? I expected the old monsters to come out and gloat about their grandson's achievements by now."

Canghai's expression darkened slightly. The joy of the moment faded into a solemn quiet.

"They are still missing." Canghai replied softly. "They led an army into the outer zone. They entered the structure we call the 'fortress.' But the moment they crossed the threshold, the entrance sealed shut behind them. No one has been able to open it or go inside since."

Zhan Tian frowned deeply. "Missing? Have you checked their life tokens?"

"Their soul lamps are still burning brightly in the ancestral hall." Canghai confirmed. "They are alive but they are trapped. We have tried everything to breach the fortress but the arrays are beyond our current comprehension."

Zhan Tian sighed and rubbed his face. The cosmos was always filled with endless complications. "I hope they come back safely soon. We need all the old bones sitting around the table so we can have a true family reunion."

The Worldkeeper looked up at the sky. The afternoon light was beginning to fade into a soft twilight. He thought about the empty seat at the table.

"I wish..." Zhan Tian murmured to the open air with his voice carrying a sudden sadness. "I wish your mother was here to see this, Tielan. She would have loved to meet her grandson."

Tielan reached across the stone table and placed her hand over her father's massive and scarred knuckles. Her own eyes grew misty as she remembered the warmth of the woman who had passed away long before the crusade began.

"I miss mom as well." Tielan said quietly.

They sat together in the fading light and were bound by the heavy weight of their shared grief and the terrifying hope of their impending reunion.