Over the past few days, Wang Zen was starting to be accustomed to the increased security and even his personal bodyguard Wei.

Zen also felt the environment in the mansion growing tense and tenser. It seems everyone knew of the impending doom that was coming, the servants, the visitors, the guards. It was starting to effect Zen. Making his training a little difficult with the feeling of impending doom.

The night came and Zen did what he did on most nights, meditate. Since he was healed from his injury to his diantian, he spent a majority of the night sleeping, only to really sleep early in the dark morning.

It was one such morning, where he stretched his legs. He looked to the side at Shibi. The Scorch Ape would usually meditate with him but Shibi would usually give up when it got too late in the night.

Zen yawned. “Come, Shibi.” He said quietly. “Let’s go to bed.”

He heard a groan and a flash of blue white that came from the seams of the door. The light changed from a deep blue to pure white before nothing.

Zen’s hairs stood on end. “Shibi…”

Shibi was already awake, his body growing warmer with heat.

Zen found his storage stone and touched it; the Zen Blade appeared from it. Zen slowly opened the door and peered out. Beyond his room, were four dead bodies. Two were the guards who stood in front of his door every night.

He looked around and saw Wei, lying on the ground in a puddle of blood.

“Wei!” Zen said as he ran to him. The man was unmoving, dead where he lay.

Zen looked on the ground, He saw a scorch mark extending from Wei’s body to the nearest door guard. It seemed Wei had attacked and killed one of the guards. Zen wondered why Wei would attack and kill one of his own and more importantly, who killed Wei?

Shibi screamed.

Zen whipped around and on instinct, raised his blade. There was a clang and the Zen Blade stopped what could have been a deathly stroke. Zen propped his palm behind his short dao to hold the attack at bay. The boy looked in horror at the face of his attacker, it was burnt with parts of it ashen and peeling off with a steady drool of blood painting his chin. The attacker’s right eye was red and he had a crazed look on his face. Zen was confused, as the man was wearing the uniform of a mansion guard, like Wei.

“Damn that Wei!” Blood spat out spat out of his mouth with every word. “He caught on to our plan before we could execute you but I survived. And now, I get to kill the City Lord whelp!”

The man’s ki began to roil and skyrocket. It was threatening to consume him as it grew outward, threatening to consume Zen, threatening to end his life.

Shibi screamed and there was a flash of bright red heat. The man shouted and recoiled back, grasping at his eyes. He swung his blade He swung the blade wildly in front of him. Picking his spot, Zen waited until he found and opening and then ran his blade through the man’s belly.

The attacker stopped moving and fell forward.

Zen took a moment to calm himself down. He looked at Wei’s body and frowned. Though he had not known the man for long, he had liked him.

“Thank you, Wei.” Zen said. “Wait my mommy!”

Zen took off running. He touched his storage stone and out came his mask. Putting on the mask, he called forth a sheath of his Zenblade.

“We need to warn mommy about all of this.” Zen said quietly. “But we can’t risk being spotted by anyone! There’s only a few people we can trust, so unless its Ding Wu, Jun Nee and Grandfather Jao, we cannot be spotted!”

Zen stuck to the shadows as he made his way through the mansion. Whenever he saw a guard, he made sure to hide from them. He eventually got to an empty hallway and cursed.

“I’m lost!” he said in a panic. “Damn this big mansion!”

“Shibi know way!”

“Really?” Zen said in excitement. “Then lead the…”

There was a heavy sound of boots. Zen looked around and ran to a room, he opened it and tried to shut it as softly as he could. The sounds stopped.

Zen looked around in the large space. He dived behind a trunk.

He heard the door of the room creak open. Squeezing himself into a tighter ball, Zen did not allow himself to even breath.

Confusion and fear welled within him as the two pairs of footsteps came closer and closer to him. Grasping the hilt of his sword he wondered, how could they sense him? He was wearing the Power level hiding mask, they should not be able to sense him even if they had some advanced sending technique. Then realised the problem.

He and Shibi exchanged looks and they both knew that they were not sensing Zen but Shibi!

Zen could tell what Shibi was thinking by looking into his eyes. The boy made it clear that he did not approve of Shibi’s plan. The Scorch Ape grew more serious, assuring that he would survive, that he was fast enough. A promised was asked by Zen and Shibi gave it.

All this passed through the long time companions with a series of looks. They had never done it before but it seemed the stressful situation had unlocked a communication between them born from a deep understanding and bond between both of them.

Shibi’s body flared to life as he leapt from behind the trunk. He screamed as he flew across the room, leaving behind flames wherever he touched. There were shots that flew everywhere but Shibi deftly dodged them before running out the door. The soldiers ran after him.

Zen peeked out from his hiding spot. The fake guards had left.

He exited his hiding spot.

“Great, Shibi knew the way and I am lost.” He looked left than right. “Anyway might be as good.” He turned left and continued running on.

Zen had to dive behind a statue as a group of men came out of a room. They all wore black clothing with a cloth on their face, making only their eyes visible. He noted the last one to leave taking special care to close the door. Once he was sure that the men were gone, Zen approached the door and slowly opened it.

The door led to a large room with a fountain at the center of the giant room. At the other side, there were two large double doors. There was a garden, with silver flowers that bloomed and glowed in the night. Zen had never seen this room before but if he had known it existed, he would have cultivated here.

The strange thing was a sphere of golden energy in the center. Zen approached it cautiously. Even though he had never wielded the energy himself, he still recognised it from the time his mother had used it to put out the fire that ruined the Li Family mansion. Even if he had not witnessed his mother wielding it, he still would be able to recognise the energy from how it made his bones tremble and his hair stand on end.

“Celestial Power,” he said.

The sphere flickered, growing brighter for a moment. Then someone stepped out of the sphere. The newcomer trampled over the flowers that grew in the indoor garden. It took a moment for the newcomer dressed in all black to adjust. He looked at Zen.

“Zen’er?”

Zen recognised the voice as he stared at the newcomer, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “Zheng.”