Part to the power of the universe

CHAPTER 5

THE FAMILY HE NEVER EXPECTED TO LOVE

That evening, Xuan Tian returned home to find the dining table covered with documents.

His father sat beside a calculator, while Margaret sorted receipts into small piles. Lily was doing her homework in the corner.

Daniel looked up. "You're back."

"What's wrong?"

His father rubbed his face. "The bank has sent another notice. If we don't make a payment soon, they may begin proceedings against the house."

Xuan Tian pulled out a chair. "How much do we need?"

Daniel gave a bitter laugh. "More than we can afford."

"That is not a number."

"Two million naira by the end of the month. And that is only the immediate amount."

Margaret put down her papers. "We have tried everything, Cooper. I asked relatives for help. Your father contacted former business partners. No one wants to get involved because of Marcus Vane."

Xuan Tian studied the documents.The William family had once owned three delivery vehicles and a small transport depot. After Daniel's accident, the business had suffered. Repairs, missed contracts, and loan payments had gradually consumed their savings. The house was the last major asset they possessed.

The original Cooper had understood the situation but had been too overwhelmed to help. He had responded to his family's hardship by withdrawing into himself, becoming an easy target at school.

Xuan Tian could not blame the boy. He had been young, frightened, and alone.

"Father," he said, "why did you borrow from Marcus Vane instead of a bank?"

Daniel looked embarrassed. "The business needed money quickly. At the time, the bank would not approve another loan. Marcus approached me through an associate. He claimed he helped struggling businesses."

"And you believed him?"

"I had employees to pay. I thought I could repay the loan within six months."

"What happened to the vehicles?"

"Two were repossessed. The third was damaged during a delivery accident. We couldn't afford the repairs."

Xuan Tian nodded slowly.The story was ordinary in its details, but the consequences were devastating.

He had conquered demonic emperors and survived battles that lasted centuries. Yet he could see that this family's suffering had been built from smaller tragedies, one accident, one desperate decision, one missed payment, one dishonest creditor.

Their lives had not collapsed in a single moment. They had been worn down.

Lily suddenly approached him with a folded piece of paper."Look what I drew."

It was a picture of the family standing outside their home. Four figures held hands beneath a yellow sun. Above them, written in uneven letters, were the words, MY HAPPY FAMILY.

Xuan Tian stared at the drawing. "Why did you draw this?"

"Because I want us to stay together," Lily replied. "Even when we're rich, I still want us to live here."

Margaret smiled sadly."We may not be rich, sweetheart."

"But Cooper will protect us."

The room fell silent.Lily said it with complete confidence.She had seen her brother beaten for years,she had watched him return home with bruises and pretend everything was fine. Yet one act of courage had convinced her that he could protect them all.

Xuan Tian looked at the little girl.Something inside him shifted.He had once possessed everything except peace. His disciples had feared him, his enemies had hated him, and his allies had admired his strength.

He had never known a home like this.A place where people worried about whether he had eaten. Where a child trusted him without asking for proof. Where a tired mother still placed food on the table despite having almost nothing left.

He understood then why the original Cooper had endured so much.He had been trying to protect the only people who loved him.

Xuan Tian folded the drawing carefully."I will protect you," he said.

Lily beamed."Promise?"

"Promise."

Daniel looked at his son for a long moment.

"Whatever has changed in you, Cooper, I am grateful you're still here."

Xuan Tian lowered his eyes.He could not tell them the truth. Not yet.But he could honour the life he had inherited.

Later that night, Xuan Tian sat in his bedroom and examined the black ring.The golden symbols appeared whenever he channelled spiritual energy into it. He had spent hours trying to decipher them.Finally, one line became clear.

CELESTIAL ORIGIN: FIRST SEAL INCOMPLETE.

Beneath it appeared another message.

HOST CONDITION: UNSTABLE.

He frowned,The ring was not simply an ancient relic. It seemed to be responding to his cultivation and his body.

He channelled a little more energy into it.A faint golden projection appeared above his palm.It showed a map of the city,Three points glowed.

The first was the abandoned railway chamber.The second lay beneath a mountain several kilometres outside Westbridge.

The third was directly beneath his school.Xuan Tian stared at the third point.The teacher who had watched him in the cafeteria came to mind.

He closed his fingers around the ring.

His immediate priorities remained clear, protect his family, investigate the debt, and restore his cultivation.But the ring suggested that Earth's secrets were much closer than he had imagined.

A message appeared across its surface.

SECOND SEAL, ACCESS DENIED.Then the projection vanished.

Xuan Tian leaned back."Very well," he murmured. "One mystery at a time."

Outside, a car stopped across the street.A man stepped out and studied the William family home.He took a photograph, then made a phone call.

"Mr Vane, the boy is behaving differently. He's stronger than we expected."

Marcus Vane's response was immediate."Bring him to me."

The man hesitated."And if he refuses?"

Marcus laughed softly."Then we will remind him what he stands to lose.”