Fresh Embers of Love

Chapter 30

QingWa Sheng-Da downed another cup of wine as he watched his cousin Fuzang sink down to the table. Fuzang didn't have much tolerance for alcohol. At least, not the alcohol from the Demon Realm.

Grandmother Liu Ying eyeballed him appraisingly.

"Come here, Sheng-Da" she said tiredly, getting up from her throne.

Sheng hurried to help his Grandmother, offering her his arm, which she took.

"Walk me back to my quarters" she ordered him.

Sheng looked back at Fuzang.

"Oh, he'll be fine for a few minutes" she said in a crotchety tone of voice.

Sheng grudgingly obliged her, feeling apprehensive.

"Sheng-Da, there is something I need to tell you. I think you are finally old enough to know."

He frowned. Grandmother sounded serious. She waited until they were in her room, before she said anything more, but first she cast a reveal spell to make sure no one was sneaking around. Sheng was intrigued. What could his Grandmother tell him that could possibly require this much secrecy?

"Sheng-Da" she began, sitting him down next to her on the couch. "You look so much like your Grandfather. I fear that his legacy will haunt you."

"What legacy?" he asked in confusion.

Grandmother took a deep breath. "Your Grandfather was the very last member of a special family. They had an extraordinary ability, and because of that ability they were hunted down and killed."

Sheng stared blankly at his Grandmother. He blinked.

"What?" He asked.

"Your Grandfather had to live his life in hiding, under a false name, fearing that if anyone found out about his heritage they would try to exploit him for it, or immediately kill him out of fear" she explained sadly.

"Wha... what kind of ability did he have?" Sheng asked with trepidation.

"He could create the 'Soul Destroying Arrow'" she whispered into his ear behind her hand.

Sheng looked at her in shock. He had thought the Soul Destroying Arrow was just a myth!

"How did they do that?" he asked in a whisper.

"I don't know" she replied, shaking her head. "It was something to do with their bones. My Muci talked about losing a certain amount of bone mass with each arrow."

"Are there any records?" Sheng asked her desperately.

"They were all destroyed in the purge" she told him. "BUT..."

Sheng hung on that word. Grandmother walked over to her desk, pulling out a drawer all the way and placing it on the floor. She then reached into the hole where the drawer had been, and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

"Your Grandfather wrote this, before he died, for his unborn child. Your Mother never showed any signs of taking after her father, and she left home so young, I just never gave it to her. I think, perhaps, this letter was truly meant for you." Grandmother placed the letter in his hand, and gave it a squeeze.

Sheng looked down at the paper in his hand in awe.

"Guard that well" Grandmother warned him.

"Yes, Grandmother!" he replied fervently.