W-i W� Y鄋

　　W-i W� Y鄋 cried for his father. He was young when his mother and father escaped with him. The only family members he remembered was his father and his mother. However, his mother was fading from his memory now. It was his father who took care of him and kept him alive against all the odds.

　　Although W-i W� Y鄋 was young when his mother died, W-i W� Y鄋 remembered how his father was before his mother died.

　　There is a clear distinctive image in his head of his father before his mother died and how he changed after his mother died. His father thought that he didn`t know, but W-i W� Y鄋 could tell that his father had long lost the will to live. W-i W� Y鄋`s worst fear was that his father would give up and kill himself.

　　Others may not see it, but W-i W� Y鄋 could clearly see that his father was like a soulless puppet, although he laughed and smiled and made jokes. There was no joy, laughter, or happiness in his smiles and laughter. Life burned it all out of him. W-i W� Y鄋 had done many things to see if he could make his father truly happy again. So far he`s been unsuccessful, but he refused to give up.

　　W-i W� Y鄋 inwardly prayed as he cried for his father, who laid crying in his lap. He prayed that his father would find some meaning to live again. Deep inside, W-i W� Y鄋 knew that if his father didn`t find a meaning to life again. His father was going to either take his own life or put himself in a situation where he knew he was going to die. W-i W� Y鄋 selfishly wanted his father to stay with him. If his father left him, he would be all alone in the world.

　　In front of the massive table that held a ton of food and one spirit tablet with the character W-i. W-i W� Y鄋 inwardly prayed with all his might that his father would once again find a reason to live.

　　Jkn ZhMng X+n

　　Jkn ZhMng X+n knelt in a kowtow position in front of the memorial table designated for his family with his head resting on the floor and his face hidden. Inwardly he gave thanks in prayers to all the deities and his ancestors. He gave thanks for surviving, and for making it back safely. He gave thanks for clearing his family`s name and proving them innocent. He did not grieve for his family, nor did he mourn them.

　　There was a hidden secret of the Jkn family. It was that Jkn ZhMng X+n was actually the child of a high-class courtesan who died giving birth to him. At three days old, Jkn ZhMng X+n was secretly bought into the Jkn Family.

　　Strangely enough, at that time, Big Madam Jkn went in labor and gave birth to a son. She had given birth in the family`s country estate. During that time, Master Jkn got the idea to sneak Jkn ZhMng X+n into the Family. Master Jkn and Big Madam Jkn had a heated discussion in the birthing chambers after she finished giving birth. Later on, after Master Jkn came out of the birthing chamber. It was announced that Big Madam Jkn gave birth to fraternal twins.

　　To hide the secret, all slaves and servants in the country estate died of a strange illness that spread throughout the entire estate, killing all the servants and slaves in four days. Not one slave or servant was spared. Not even Big Madam Jkn long-time faithful personal servant.

　　No one ever suspected anything because Lord and Lady Jkn played sick for a week or two and Jkn ZhMng X+n was born sickly. Because of this, the son Big Madam Jkn gave birth to was seen as a lucky child of luck. It was said that Big Madam Jkn`s birth son was the only one in the whole country estate to `escape being sick.`

　　Sadly, behind the closed doors of Jkn Manor. Jkn ZhMng X+n was never treated kindly. When he was younger, he desperately sought his parents` love and attention. He couldn`t understand why he was never treated as good as his fraternal older brother.

　　He found out at a young age when he incidentally spilled hot tea on his older brother. Big Madam Jkn beat him within an inch of his life. Out of guilt to his wife, his father looked the other way and didn`t intervene. It was also out of guilt to Jkn ZhMng X+n that Jkn ZhMng X+n`s father later allowed him to escape with his life.

　　Jkn ZhMng X+n didn`t consider his parents to be bad people. Nor did he hate them or resent them. He understood his mother. What woman could tolerate a wild seed being forced on her in her birthing chambers after struggling between life and death to bring her child into the world?

　　His mother and father were some of the kindest people in the world. It was only when it came to him his parents were irrational. His mother had beaten him badly one time. After that she never touched him again, paradoxically she feared him. It was because of him she found out how poisonous and dangerous hate could be.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

　　Honestly, Jkn ZhMng X+n was glad and thankful to his parents. He was grateful that they didn`t leave him on the outside and at least bought him into the family and gave him a decent life. There is no mistake. He would have had a rough life had his father discarded him.

　　His birth mother was a high-class courtesan who loved his father beyond all reason. However, she knew her place in life. Jkn ZhMng X+n`s father was her first and only customer. Lord Jkn felt deep lust for Jkn ZhMng X+n`s mother, not love.

　　Master Jkn bought Jkn ZhMng X+n`s mother from her master. He pulled her out of a Green Mansion and set her up in a house on the outside. Jkn ZhMng X+n`s birth mother was a smart, quiet lady who never tried to reach above her station. It was because of her personality Master Jkn dared to set her up in a house on the outside. He knew that she was a sensible woman who knew her place.

　　His older `fraternal twin` never went out of his way to treat him bad or make trouble for him. His brother ignored him. Jkn ZhMng X+n`s feelings for his blood family died long ago. No one in the Jkn Manor treated him kindly. That is why he couldn`t find it in him to grieve or mourn them.

　　So he kindly burned incense and joss for them and sent them on their way. His friends were more than just friends to him. They were his family. They were closer than family, and he loved them with all his heart.

　　As Jkn ZhMng X+n knelt in the kowtow position. His shoulder started to shake as he knelt with his head on the floor of the raised platform. He began to cry. However, he cried for his martial brothers.

　　He cried for Mng Ti
n C醝, who screamed in rage and pain. He cried for Jiang T鄆 P韓g, who cried brokenheartedly in his wife`s arms. He cried for W-i Y襫g Mng, who was so weary he had to rest his head his son`s lap as he cried. He had no strength even to kneel. He cried for his brother`s son W-i W� Y鄋 who cried for his father. He even cried for his sister in law Jiang M韓 Yu�, who cried for her husband. His heart hurt for his brothers, who grieved and mourned their departed families.

　　The gathered crowd grieved and mourned with the four martial families. People once more begin to quietly come up and pay their respects to the departed family members of the martial families. They were careful not to disturb the grieving martial family members.

　　As the people who paid their respects descended the raised platform, some of them also accepted a willow branch from one of the servants Elder Wang charged with handing them out to people who felt that they needed for one.

　　The watchful Liu Residence guards stood guard over the person who they were charged with guarding. The Emperor had come earlier that night to pay his respects along with the Lord, Lady, and Heir of Wang Royal Manor. They were afraid that if they came while the families where grieving. They would only disturb the families who were grieving, so they came to pay their respects before the martial families came.

　　Instead of thinning out, the crowd seemed only to grow more and more in the Imperial square as people came and left. People had traveled from far and near to pay their respects to the departed members of the Martial Families. Even to the end, the martial families did what they could to protect the Imperial Family and the Tolling Lands.

　　Many people had refused to believe that the Martial Families plotted against the country. Even with all the `evidence` that was presented, many refused to believe it. Now, these people felt vindicated. They could not help but to travel all the way to the Imperial City to pay their final respects to the heroes they admired and honored. They felt it was worth it.

　　While the returned members of the four martial families grieved on the raised platform. Many of the mourners who had already paid their respects gathered together outside of the square and told stories of martial families. Many told stories of how the Jkn, Jiang, W-i, or Meng family helped them or a family member or a friend.

　　Elder Wang had already set things in motion. After he set things in motion, his job was done. Earlier on, he had paid his respects, ate some food, and then faded into the background. All of the servants working on the memorial were from the Imperial place and Wang Royal Manor. Elder Wang allowed supervisors and managers to handle everything and observed from the rear. He came forward only when his help was needed with a matter.

　　It wasn`t until several hours later, the enormous crowd in the imperial square began to thin out, and the returned martial family members expended their emotions and energy. It was already about the beginning of the hour of the Ox (1:00 AM to 3:00 AM).

　　Liu Ti醤 Q� never felt so exhausted in her life. The armor she had on felt like a big boulder. Behind her mask and under her armor, Liu Ti醤 Q� was drenched in sweat.

　　Every morning Liu Ti醤 Q� trained for approximately five hours. She was mostly strengthening and conditioning her body by building her stamina, endurance, agility, flexibility, and things of the like. She wasn`t weight train as of yet. Initially, Liu Ti醤 Q� had felt that she was doing okay compared to how weak her body was in the beginning. Liu Ti醤 Q� had already knew that she had a long way to go.

　　However, it was only now Liu Ti醤 Q� realized just how bad of a condition her body was still in. If she were attacked at this moment, she would be hard-pressed to protect herself.

　　In her past life, Liu Ti醤 Q� study several martial arts disciplines that taught her how to use an opponent`s movement or energy to her advantage. The thing was she felt so drained at the moment she wondered if she even had the energy to do so if she was attacked.

　　She decided to start training using strapped on weight. Liu Ti醤 Q� made a mental noted to have some weighted sandbags made that she could tie on as she trained.