Ashes Of The War God

Chapter 2: The Sealed Memories

Chen Feng sat on the thin mat in the servant quarters. The small room smelled like mold and old wood. Rain leaked through a crack in the ceiling, dripping into a wooden bucket.

His few belongings lay scattered on the floor. Two sets of worn clothes. A wooden comb. A jade pendant he wore around his neck. It was the only thing he had when the Liu family found him three years ago.

He held the pendant up to the candlelight. The jade was dark green with strange marks carved into it. He had stared at these marks a thousand times, hoping they would unlock his memories.

Nothing ever happened.

"Still looking at that worthless stone?"

Chen Feng turned. An old servant stood in the doorway. Uncle Bo was the only person in the mansion who treated him like a human being.

"Uncle Bo. You should not be here. If the family sees you talking to me..."

"I am too old to care what they think." Uncle Bo stepped inside and closed the door. He carried a small cloth bundle. "I brought you some food. You will need strength for tomorrow."

"Thank you." Chen Feng took the bundle. Inside was steamed bread and dried meat. His stomach growled. The Liu family had not fed him dinner.

Uncle Bo sat down with a grunt. "I heard what the patriarch said. Fifty silver coins will not last long in White Creek City. The streets are dangerous for someone who cannot defend himself."

"I will manage."

"You are a terrible liar." Uncle Bo shook his head. "Listen to me carefully. Leave the city. Go south to Mountain Vale Village. I have a cousin there who runs an inn. Tell her I sent you. She will give you work and a place to sleep."

Chen Feng felt his throat tighten. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because I am old enough to remember kindness." Uncle Bo stood up slowly. "Also, I do not trust what I felt today."

"What do you mean?"

The old man's face grew serious. "That pressure in the patriarch's study. I was passing by and felt it through the walls. That was not normal. That was the aura of someone powerful. Someone very dangerous."

"But I cannot even cultivate basic energy."

"Maybe. Or maybe something is blocking you." Uncle Bo moved toward the door. "Either way, be careful. When you leave tomorrow, do not look back. This family has started to fear you. Fear makes people do stupid things."

After Uncle Bo left, Chen Feng lay down on the mat. Sleep would not come. His mind kept returning to that moment in the study. That flash of something inside him. That rage.

He closed his eyes and tried to remember anything from before three years ago.

Nothing but darkness.

Hours passed. The candle burned low. Chen Feng finally drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Then the dream came.

He stood on a battlefield. The sky was red. Bodies covered the ground as far as he could see. Thousands. Tens of thousands. The air smelled like blood and smoke.

A man walked toward him through the corpses. He wore golden armor that shined even in the red light. His face was blurred, but Chen Feng could feel the power rolling off him in waves.

"You were a god once," the armored man said. His voice echoed strangely. "The God of War. Armies fell when you lifted your hand. Kingdoms burned when you spoke. Even heaven itself feared your name."

"Who are you?" Chen Feng tried to speak but no sound came out.

"The question is who are YOU?" The man laughed. "They sealed you. Stripped your power. Locked your memories. They made you weak and threw you into the mortal world like garbage. But seals do not last forever. Already, cracks are forming."

The armored man reached out and touched Chen Feng's chest. Pain exploded through his body. He fell to his knees, screaming.

"When you remember everything, when your power returns, this world will shake. The ones who did this to you will pay. Everyone will pay."

The dream shattered.

Chen Feng woke up gasping. Sweat covered his body. His heart pounded so hard it hurt.

It was just a dream. Just a nightmare.

But his chest still hurt where the man had touched him. He pulled his shirt open.

The jade pendant around his neck was glowing. Soft green light pulsed from it like a heartbeat.

Chen Feng grabbed the pendant. It was hot. Almost burning. As he held it, images flashed through his mind. Not memories, but feelings. The weight of a massive sword in his hands. The rush of power through his veins. The sound of armies chanting his name.

Then the pendant went dark and cold again.

Chen Feng sat there in the darkness, his hands shaking. The dream felt too real. The pendant glowing was definitely real.

What if it was not a dream? What if the armored man was right?

A loud bang made him jump. Someone was pounding on the door.

"Chen Feng!" Liu Han's voice came through the wood. "Open this door now!"

Chen Feng stood up. His body ached but he moved to the door. When he opened it, Liu Han stood there with three guards. All of them held weapons.

Liu Han's face was twisted with anger. "You think you can threaten this family? You think we will just let you leave?"

"I do not understand..."

"The patriarch had a diviner read his fortune tonight. Do you know what the diviner said?" Liu Han stepped closer. "He said a calamity sleeps under our roof. A disaster that will destroy the Liu family if we let it live."

The guards moved forward, surrounding Chen Feng.

Liu Han smiled coldly. "So we decided. You will not be leaving in the morning. You will not be leaving at all."

One guard raised his sword.

"Tonight, you die."