Skyfire Avenue - Chapter 865

Chapter 865

Chapter 865: Daddy… Come!

Right now the only thing they could take faith from was the ringing son of the Banishing Blades . The sound of their long-awaited union rang with such ferocity that the strength within them was evident .

All preparations for the transmutation process were completed . Li Ke addressed them once again . “Now we will use the alien methods to increase your strength . Once you have achieved Nirvana I will pass on Ultus’ lineage to Lan Qing . From that point you can begin to practice the Strategy . ”

Lan Qing nodded slightly . The Pharmacist looked on with sorrowful eyes . Li Ke said the words lightly, but she knew that once he passed the inheritance to Lan Qing her husband would be gone . Already it was clear to everyone that Li Ke’s spirit had begun to fade . It seemed he could vanish at any moment .

Lan Jue looked between the two . “We will watch over you . Qianlin’s Domain in particular will help keep you safe . ”

Both Lan Qing and the Pharmacist nodded .

“Lan Jue . Thank you,” Li Ke said suddenly .

Lan Jue shrugged . “Just doing my duty,” he replied .

“I mean, about Jun’er . ” A bitter pain crossed Li Ke’s ghostly face . “I was never able to fulfil by obligation as her father . You’ve helped remedy that . Thank you . I chose not to reveal myself to Jun’er because she already has a father – you . Don’t misunderstand, my meaning is that you are far more qualified to guider her as a father than I . I have already failed her too much, and I don’t wish to negatively influence her life any more than I have . ”

Lan Jue’s surprise was palpable . Inwardly he lamented these star-crossed parents and the agony they’d suffered! Were it not for the misfortunes they’d suffered this man would have lived to be a modern luminary .

“However…” Li Ke hesitated, then dropped his head . “I have to trouble you with a request . Bring Jun’er . I’ll just watch from afar, I won’t say anything . Is this alright?”

His voice shook . The fluctuations of his emotional state was reflected in his translucent body, which began to flicker .

Lan Jue nodded . “Alright, I’ll bring her here . ” He left to do as he’d been asked .

However, after just a few steps he stopped and turned back to look at him .

“Brother Li,” he began . “Or… perhaps brother in law [1 . Since he refers to the Pharmacist as sister . This is actually more familiar than ‘Brother Li’ . ] . I must ask, do you really believe Jun’er doesn’t understand what’s happening? She may be young, but that girl has more wisdom than most adults . That’s even before you consider her inheritance from the Clairvoyant . She knows, she just hasn’t said anything . She doesn’t want to heart you… or perhaps it’s to protect herself . ”

Both Li Ke and the Pharmacist shook at his words . They looked at him, shocked .

Jun’er knew? She already knew?

Li Ke stared in surprise, the Pharmacist couldn’t help but stare . She couldn’t help but feel like she’d been neglectful of the girl lately . Lan Jue seemed to know her better .

Lan Jue looked from one to the other . “I feel sorry for Jun’er, but she’s more mature than you give her credit for . You’ve been living in your own world, but I think you need to ask her what she thinks . Brother, you don’t want to speak with her because you’re afraid to cause her pain . But if she knows her father’s back, and you say nothing, what sort of damage do you think that will cause? I hope you both speak with her . It may hurt, but at the very least she’ll have the memory of her real dad . She’ll remember that her father really did come back . At least for a moment your family was whole . ”

“Of course I’ll always be a father to her, that won’t ever change . I’ll protect her with my life and I promise that nothing will harm her so long as I draw breath . ”

Li Ke felt like he’d been struck by lightning . His mind was muddled, he didn’t know what to say .

“I think A-Jue is right . Some things have to be faced, no matter how unpleasant . Maybe for her, what you think is the right decision may not be the best one . ” Lan Qing added his opinion .

Li Ke floated silently in the sitting room . He wasn’t sure what to say, didn’t know what to do . He was entirely at a loss .  

Lan Jue didn’t wait for him to answer . He simply turned and left to fetch Jun’er . Whatever Li Ke’s decision he would bring her here so they could be face to face . They were, after all, family .

When Lan Jue returned, holding Jun’er in his arms, there were several more people in the sitting room . Lin Guoguo, Ke’er, and Xiuxiu were in attendance .

Lin Guoguo had come at Lan Jue’s request . She would be the one to strip Lan Qing and the Pharmacist of their memories, so the secrets of the transmutation technique would be lost forever . There was no stronger Adept than Lin Guoguo in the realm of psychic power .  

Xiuxiu and Ke’er had come with her . They had not had an opportunity to see their boss in some time so they aimed to advantage of this opportunity .

Mika was gone . Zeus’ Amazons were now only three .

Jun’er was dressed in a white fluffy princess’ skirt, with her hair combed and pulled into a pony tail . Her big eyes were dull and sightless, but beautiful nonetheless . They were like windows into an endless universe . In her hands she bore the Eye of Tomorrow, the crystal ball the Clairvoyant once used to influence the flows of human destiny .

When he saw her Li Ke’s spirit floated forward, but stopped ten meters from where Lan Jue stood . The three amazons jumped when he did, unaware of what was happening . They looked at each other in surprise and alarm .

Lan Jue looked at Li Ke, but spoke to Jun’er . “Mommy’s here, little one . How about you play in here for a little while?” He knelt and put her on the floor before taking her hand and leading her to the Pharmacist .

Li Ke watched as Lan Jue and Jun’er passed him by . He remained silent as Lan Jue placed Jun’ers tiny hand in her mother’s . Jun’er held tight to her mother, blinking her sightless eyes .

The Pharmacist looked down at her, then at Li Ke floating nearby . She fought to keep her emotions under control so that they wouldn’t burst out . Her lips quivered from the effort of keeping tears from her eyes .

Jun’ers expression was calm and sweet, appearing blissfully unaware of what was happening . She lifted her hand, bearing the Eye of Tomorrow, and pointed it at Lan Jue . “Daddy, can you hold this for me, please?”

“Ok . ” He said . Lan Jue took it from her, and in his hands it looked like a perfectly normal glass bauble .

“Daddy… come!” Jun’er called out again, but when Lan Jue looked toward her, the young girl’s hand wasn’t stretched toward him . One hand held tightly to the Pharmacist’s, while the other reached for Li Ke .

This touching moment struck everyone, filling their hearts .

Li Ke looked at his daughter, not daring to believe . He rubbed his spectral eyes then looked again to make sure she was pointing his way .

The Pharmacist, in her shock, looked at Lan Jue, but he shook his head . He didn’t tell Jun’er anything . What he said had been true – Jun’er knew .

Of course! She was the Clairvoyant of the new generation, bearer of the Eye of Tomorrow . How could she not know her own blood was present?

“Jun-… Jun’er . ” At last Li Ke spoke, and he hurried to her side . He knew he was a spirit and could not touch his daughter, but he threw open his arms anyway and tried to hug her . Everyone’s eyes were wet with tears . For a father to be unable to hold his daughter, the sorrow of it was unspeakable .

Jun’er’s placid face bore a faint smile and she opened her own arms to accept him . She moved in perfect time with her ghostly father, though she could not see!

“I can feel you, daddy . Don’t feel bad, it’ll be ok when you come back . ” Jun’er comforted him through her tiny smile .

The Pharmacist couldn’t contain herself any longer . She pressed herself into Qianlin’s arms and cried against her shoulder .

Li Ke’s body shook . He felt like his whole body was on fire, and nothing was important except this little life in front of him . The worry over aliens, the swords… all of it melted away when that little girl called him daddy . The pain and sadness that had consumed him for so long disappeared . She’d called him daddy .

Li Ke, choked with sobs, kept his arms around his daughter though the effort was fruitless . Jun’er stood happily within his supernatural embrace, smiling contently .

“Daddy, don’t cry . Having the whole family together is a happy thing! Now you don’t worry, I’m going to look after mommy . You have to be good, too . ”

Jun’er’s sweet voice was like crystal bells in his ears . He hated himself . He hated that he’d decided to leave his wife for that cursed mission . If he’d refused he’d have been with her all along . Maybe she wouldn’t have been blind .

But in all the universe there was no cure to take back regrets .  

Jun’er lifted her arms and rested them around his phantom neck .