Chapter 45: Confrontation - Red
*Clank*
The sound of chains rattling echoed in the small cavern, Shu He looked to the stalagmite he was formerly attached to, seeing a large arrow deeply embedded inside.
'Those aren't the usual arrows he uses… they're larger and probably heavier, suitable for his bow; He managed to snap the chain link with it!' He was surprised at the strength that the arrow wielded, yet he didn't let himself get distracted for too long as he quickly hopped on over to his mother's side.
"Mother-" He reached for her chains and began to tug at them with his hands, he cycled his now blue-gold qi through his body and to his upper muscles, allowing him to pull with greater strength.
*Crack* quite quickly the chains began to break, surprising him.
'Is the enhancement from this merged flame stronger? Normally it wouldn't be this easy'.
He even looked up at his mother's face to find her staring at the cracked chains in surprise as well, clearly she didn't expect her son to be able to break them.
"Shu He, protect your mother!" Shu Li's voice echoed from the other side of the cavern.
'No need to tell me twice!' He thought as the chains finally broke, freeing her, he pulled her away and hid behind some of the other larger stalagmites.
The cavern wasn't too large, it was oval shaped with him and his mother being at the furthest point, they could hide behind things to attempt to escape however the man, Tai Min was situated smack bang in the middle.
'With the agility he displayed before, and that weird ability of his, there's no way we'd just be allowed to escape like this… if it was just me on my own there'd be a better chance, but mother is here…'
On the other side of the cavern, two men was staring each-other down, Shu Li had his bow fully drawn and locked on to Tai Min, his body hid a slight shake of fear that was buried deep down within him.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Tai Min's voice carried a casual chilliness, it was filled with an eerie calm.
"Why are you here now?!" Shu Li couldn't help but yell back at him, he was having trouble keeping his emotions in check in front of this man.
"Meaning?"
"When you killed Haoxi, why did you do it, why didn't you appear before me then?!" The image of the dead man surfaced in Shu Li's mind, the fatal wound that was a trigger for him, the memories and feelings that had been buried being dredged up from the depths of his mind.
"Haoxi?.. Ah you're referring to that man a couple of years back, yes he did use that name didn't he; The answer is simple, it's the same as I'm doing now" He chuckled.
"Tying up loose ends." His voice lowered an octave as it felt like the cavern itself began to suffer from a chill.
"That man joined our group after you left, used it to make some quick money then jumped ship; You know I can't do with that happening, right? Shu Li?" He gestured to Shu Li in front of him, causing him to twitch slightly.
"You know right? You know what happens to people who betray me? You saw it that day right?"
Shu Li listened, sweat glistening on his forehead and neck, he drew the bows string as taut as possible.
"And yet… you… even though I saved your pathetic life, even though I raised you from a child, even though I gave you all you had, you threw it away! YOU BETRAYED ME! YOU LED THOSE PEOPLE TO US! YOU WATCHED AS YOUR ALLIES DIED HELPLESSLY! THEN YOU LEFT AS WE WERE LICKING OUR WOUNDS" The tsunami of bloodlust burst out before receding once more.
Tai Min picked a mask from his cloak, it was a simple cream dome shaped mask that covered his whole face aside from two simple slits for eyes, he adorned it and his bright red pupils that resembled the blood moon pierced through the slits.
"And all because… you felt guilty." It seemed like Tai Min calmed down in an instance.
"We slaughtered many innocent people, ruined the lives of countless others!" Shu Li almost screamed in return.
"So what?! The strong do what they want in this world! If they were in our position they would do the same! You know that don't you! Abandoned at deaths door by people who you thought were neighbours and fellow villagers, they didn't care a single bit as you walked on to your death march, left for dead!"
Shu Li shook his head at the mentioning of his past.
"I refuse to believe that, even now, in this village, I'm living peacefully with my family at my side, the people around me just want to live their lives, not everyone wants to put one another down, the world doesn't need to be like that!".
"So, because you managed to play with this make-believe notion of peace, you think everyone can be like that? Laughable, this world is filled with people suffering because of others, even the so-called peace that exists in this world only exists because of the suffering of others".
"That doesn't justify wonton slaughter! Every raid I participated in, every robbery, every bounty, I felt like I wanted to tear my own heart out, seeing the corpses, terrified faces and bleakness among those left behind, even though I knew nothing but suffering I knew it was wrong, I'm not the only one that feels like this, I can't be!"
Shu He listened intently as he hid behind the pillar, yet he couldn't find any energy in him to speak.
'I sometimes forget that my parents have a small view of the world, they've lived in small areas, interacted with a small amount of people, their view is undeveloped as a whole because of it'.
For Shu He, it was different, while he had lived in this village all this life in his other life he was exposed to the world as a whole, even when he was stuck at home in his earlier years or hospital bed in the later, he could access information about events past or present at any time though the internet.
The more you look around, the more your view will develop, there are many conflicting opinions or ways of life that people take, the actions they perform that in a vacuum, each single one can seem good, or correct, or right despite their conflicting ideologies.
That's why Shu He had concluded.
There was no correct answer.
From a moralist perspective, Shu He would agree with his father, especially since the society that he used to live in was built up on that exact thing, mutual trust and coexistence with others, there was no need for strength in that world because society as a whole completely trumped it, intelligence was far more valuable.
Tai Min had likely lived a life where if he wasn't strong he'd die, his perspective was that simple, survival of the fittest, or the strongest in this case, Shu He knew that even in his old world, this kind of thought process wasn't entirely gone, in many countries or smaller areas around the globe, those with power controlled those without.
The answer depended on the person and the circumstances, but no matter what there wasn't one 'right' answer.
'But… I wanted to live peacefully, just like father does; Yet this world seems to want to take that from me.'
He gripped his fist tight, power welled up from within.
"Enough" Tai Min's tone changed once more.
"I wonder, once you saw that corpse a few years back, did you begin to have nightmares? Flashbacks? Bad feelings? I know you, you bottle everything up, you were always too scared to talk, as soon as you thought about me coming after you, you became scared, right?"
A chill began to creep up Shi Li's spine, he felt something was wrong, he felt Tai Min had been acting oddly.
"As you should have been…." Tai Min's voiced weirdly echoed.
"TODAY, I'LL TAKE EVERYTHING FROM YOU, AND TAKE YOU LIFE RIGHT AFTER!" His voice reached a screech as he yelled out and his voice almost shook the cavern itself.
Shu Li waited no longer, his arrow shot forth with outstanding speed, heading directly for Tai Min.
At the same time, Shu He's pupils constricted to a pin needle size, his eyes had a gold glow as he stared at the shadow below Tai Min.
"FATHER, HE CAN MERGE WITH AND CONTROL THE SHADOWS!" He screamed.
Yet it was too late.
*Fwoosh*
The arrow pierced Tai Min's body… and went right through him.
Goosebumps rose on Shu Li's arms, his quickly began to look around to see if he could find him, knocking another arrow in the process, he looked towards the two hiding away and immediately started running towards them.
"SHU HE GET AWAY!"
Shu He was already in the process of moving, but the problem was his mother was with him, he wasn't large enough to carry her well, so he pulled her along.
He was scared witless, because he knew Tai Min was targeting them! With his Keen Sight he had realised sooner that something was wrong, the Tai Min that was standing and conversing with his father had a lower concentration of Qi, like it was a cheap knockoff.
Then he saw a minor wave of qi moving through the shadows which sent alarm bells ringing.
'Shit! He's too fast!'
Before he could even think for another second, a figure emerged from the shadow like a submarine breeching the surface…
And grabbed Shu An, the thin and long pale finger's forming a tight lock around her neck.
"MOTHER! LET HER GO!" Shu He acted on instinct, he dove beneath the large figure of Tai Min and aimed a kick towards the centre of his legs, with full reinforcement.
Yet the shadows wouldn't let him, they rose like tendrils and wrapped around his leg tight.
His grip was still locked firmly on his mother's hand, yet he was afraid he'd hurt her.
He put more Qi in to his lower body, forcing his leg down and breaking the shadowy grip.
"?!" A hint of shock rose in the red pupils hidden behind the mask.
*Pteeeew*
An arrow whistled though the air once more, narrowly missing Tai Min's chest as it cut the side of his body in passing drawing black blood underneath the robes.
"Annoying!"
*BANG*
Faster than he could see it, Tai Min's fist drove itself in to his temple, knocking him flying a few feet.
Yet Shu He had managed to protect himself with Qi this time, allowing him to remain conscious albeit dizzy.
He stood up, ready to approach again, yet he paused and so did his father.
Tai Min was holding his mother up by the neck from behind.
Shu Li had lost his grip when he was knocked in the head.
"TAI MIN!----" Shu Li's eyes were red as he dropped his bow and drew the saber at his side.
"Mother!" Shu He's heart sank to the depths.
In the grasp of Tai Min, Shu An looked at the two with a struggle, before settling her gaze on Shu Li.
"Shu Li… protect our child".
*SPLAT*
A red, clawed hand suddenly protruded from her chest, a beating object resting within.
Shu Li and Shu He, both became breathless at the sight, their faces paled.
*BA-DUM*
*BA—DUM*
*BA---DUM*
*BA-------*
*--------------------------------------------------------------------*
"SHU AN--------------------------!" "MOTHER--------------------------!"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
ShiroN3K0
ShiroN3K0 Ah, it happened.
Thanks for reading, as always comments and collections are largely appreciated.
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