Chapter 7 — From Ruins to the Dharma Lord's Throne

Tuyết Nhi opened the door to her room, before tying her hair into a neat bun as usual, her eyes were a little surprised to see Dịch Phàm standing there, her face pale and her eyes dark from lack of sleep.

"You look like you just saw a ghost," she said, pulling the door open wider. "What is up?"

"I need to show you something." Dịch Phàm held up the jade pendant in front of her, his voice trembling slightly. "And I need to tell you about last night's dream."

Tuyết Nhi listened silently as Dịch Phàm recounted the entire dream — the desolate battlefield, the shaman couple guarding the border, the name Hắc Diễm, and the scene of his parents being captured amid the enemy siege. When he finished, her face was completely serious, without any trace of morning lassitude.

"Hạo Nguyên and Thanh Hà," she muttered, her eyes narrowed as if trying to remember something. "These names... I heard my father mention them a few times when talking with the family elders. If I remember correctly, those are the names of two famous border magicians of the White Wing Alliance, who once commanded a defense army at Borderline Tàn Dạ before mysteriously disappearing in a major battle seventeen years ago."

Dịch Phàm's heart was pounding. "Seventeen years... that's exactly my age."

"Let me see that piece of jade pendant," Tuyết Nhi said, holding out her hand.

Dịch Phàm placed the jade pendant in her palm. Tuyết Nhi carefully turned it under the light, the sharp eyes of a famous dual-line mage scanning every line on the surface. "This is the family mark. I have seen similar marks in the Chiêu family's ancient library. Each famous family and each border army has its own mark engraved on the weapons or personal equipment of its members."

She turned the piece of jade to the back, where there was a faint engraving shaped like a swirling flame. "This could be the symbol of the Fire element's border guard army. If your father is really Tần Hạo Nguyên, and he possesses strong Fire spiritual roots like in your dream, then this piece of jade pendant is most likely part of his equipment."

"So that means..." Dịch Phàm swallowed, his throat dry. "My father is actually Tần Hạo Nguyên, one of those border magicians."

"I don't dare to say for sure just based on a faintly engraved symbol," Tuyết Nhi added, her voice cautious. "But with the dream you just mentioned, with two matching names, this possibility is not small. I will write a letter to my father, asking for more detailed information about the army that guarded the border in the past. He will know much better than me," Dịch Phàm nodded, both nervous and worried. Each newly confirmed piece of the puzzle both brought hope and made him feel heavier pressure about what lay ahead.

Tuyết Nhi nodded slowly, then her eyes suddenly lit up with a ray of hope. "Wait. If this piece of jade pendant really belongs to the border guard army, it may still retain some residual spiritual power. Large families often engrave small memory storage formations on the personal equipment of important members, in case of unforeseen events."

She closed her eyes, concentrated her Ice-Water spiritual energy, gently infusing a stream of delicate energy into the jade pendant. Its surface began to glow faintly, then slowly appeared a small three-dimensional image floating in the air — the image of a young man with a determined face, the same person Dịch Phàm saw in his dream last night.

"If you are seeing this recording," the man's voice rang out, deep but filled with fatigue and urgency, "it means I was not able to return to you as promised. My son, if you grow up and find this piece of jade, know that your father and mother did not die in the battle at Borderline Tàn Dạ. We were captured by Black Flame, the leader of the Dark Alliance, for a reason that I still do not fully understand—he said your parents' blood had special value for a certain plan involving the most ancient ruins on this continent." The image suddenly blurred, then continued. "I don't know if we will still be alive when you hear these words. But if you have awakened enough strength to find this piece of jade, be careful. Don't rush to find Black Flame when you are not strong enough. Find the White Wing Alliance, find my old comrades, they will help you. And remember, no matter what happens, we will always love you, Tần Dịch Phàm."

The image gradually disappeared, the jade piece returned to its normal appearance, no longer glowing. Dịch Phàm stood dumbfounded, tears rolling down his face without him realizing it until he felt the salty taste at the corner of his lips.

"My father..." he whispered, his voice choked. "He called my name. He knew my name."

Tuyết Nhi stood quietly next to him, saying nothing, just gently placing her hand on his shoulder, a simple but sincere gesture of comfort. She, even though she came from a famous, protected family, also understood the weight of this moment for someone who had lived seventeen years without knowing her parents.

"Do you want to watch that recording again?" She asked softly after a while, her voice was rare and gentle.

Dịch Phàm nodded, and Tuyết Nhi injected spiritual energy into the jade pendant again, so that the three-dimensional image of Tần Hạo Nguyên appeared again. This time, Dịch Phàm paid closer attention to every small detail - his eyes were determined but filled with endless anxiety, the scratches and dust on his cloak showed how fierce the battle had been, and the trembling voice mixed with determination in the last sentences. He tried to engrave every line of that face into his mind, as if afraid that if he didn't, this fragile image would disappear like last night's dream.

When the recording ended for the second time, Dịch Phàm took a deep breath, trying to calm down his surging emotions. "I will engrave this face forever. Even if I have to go to the ends of the continent, I will find him and my mother."

"So your parents are still alive, or at least, they were alive at the time this recording was made," Tuyết Nhi spoke after a moment of silence, her voice careful. "But seventeen years is a very long time, Dịch Phàm. I don't want you to get your hopes up too much without being prepared for the worst."

"I know." Dịch Phàm nodded, wiped his tears, his eyes gradually becoming more determined. "But whatever the outcome, I have to find the truth. I can't live my whole life with this question hanging over my head anymore."

"Then," Tuyết Nhi said, her voice suddenly serious and firm, "you will need more time to train before you can confront a force like the Dark Alliance. Black Flame is not an ordinary person — even my father, one of the four great lords of the continent, always spoke of him with special caution. You need to be much stronger than you are now."

Dịch Phàm clasped the jade pendant in his hand, clearly feeling the weight of that warning. He knew that if he only relied on enthusiasm and determination to rush into a confrontation with the leader of a dark alliance, he would not only put himself to death but could also cause his hope of saving his parents to vanish forever.

"Will you help me?" Dịch Phàm asked, his eyes full of hope but also a bit hesitant, as if he was not sure of the answer.

Tuyết Nhi was silent for a moment, looked deeply into his eyes, then smiled slightly - a rare and sincere smile that Dịch Phàm had never seen from her before. "My father will definitely not agree. But I have decided, Tần Dịch Phàm. From today, your journey is also my journey."

"I have to tell you first," Tuyết Nhi continued, her tone serious again, "my father will definitely object strongly. He has been worried about me since I was young, not to mention now I want to embark on a journey directly related to the Dark Alliance. But I will find a way to convince him. You can rest assured to focus on training, let me take care of the rest."

"Thank you, truly," Dịch Phàm said, his voice choked with emotion. "I don't know how to repay you properly."

"Don't worry about giving back." Tuyết Nhi smiled slightly, carefully put the jade pendant back into his hand, as if understanding its sacred value to him. "Please take care of it carefully. It is the only remaining thread connecting you to your parents right now."

Outside the window, the morning sunlight shined on the Tinh Quang plateau, dispelling the lingering fog from last night, as if signaling a new and challenging chapter waiting for both of them ahead.