Chapter 8 — From Ruins to the Dharma Lord's Throne

News of Tuyết Nhi's decision spread to Chiêu Bách Uyên's ears faster than she expected. Just three days after the conversation in the dorm room, a splendid magical carriage bearing the Chiêu family crest appeared at the gates of Tinh Quang Academy, and Tuyết Nhi was summoned to meet her father immediately.

The private living room for famous families visiting the academy was lavishly but coldly decorated, with white marble walls and ancient paintings depicting the glorious history of the Chiêu family through many generations. Chiêu Bách Uyên sat in a large armchair, looking majestic with silver hair and the cold eyes typical of a patriarch who had ruled a famous family for twenty years.

"Tell me again," he spoke, his voice low but carrying enough weight to make the air in the room freeze. "Are you planning to give up your position as the best student in the Main Area, give up the path that has been laid out to become the youngest elder in the Chiêu family's history, just to follow an anonymous orphan looking for his parents in a place that could be the lair of the Dark Alliance?"

"Father, Dịch Phàm is not a nameless pawn," Tuyết Nhi replied, her voice was calm but determined. "He awakened the Mixed Origin Spiritual Root, a spiritual root that no one on this continent has seen in over a hundred years. And his parents are Tần Hạo Nguyên and Liễu Thanh Hà — two names that I remember you mentioning with respect."

Chiêu Bách Uyên paused for a moment when he heard those two names, his eyes flashed with something unpredictable - maybe a memory, maybe a calculation. "I remember correctly. Tần Hạo Nguyên was one of the best captains of the White Wing Alliance, an old friend of mine when I was young. The disappearance of him and his wife during the Battle of Tàn Dạ was a big loss for the alliance."

"Then I understand why you have to help Dịch Phàm," Tuyết Nhi said, her voice somewhat more earnest. "If his parents are still alive, we cannot let them continue to be imprisoned."

"This is not as simple as you think, Tuyết Nhi." Chiêu Bách Uyên stood up, walked to the window, looking out at the large courtyard of the academy. "Black Flame is not a petty robber. He is the leader of an entire dark alliance, possessing enough power and troops to make the entire White Wing Alliance wary for nearly twenty years. If you embark on this path, you are betting your life, and possibly the Chiêu family's honor, on a war that we are not prepared for."

"I don't ask your permission to go into battle right now," Tuyết Nhi replied, her eyes never avoiding her father's stern look. "I just ask for permission to accompany Dịch Phàm during his training, to help him be strong enough before actually facing the Black Flame. We still have to find out a lot more information, and have to explore other ruins to find exact clues about where his parents are being kept. It's not a reckless decision, father, but a necessary journey."

Chiêu Bách Uyên was silent for a long time, his eyes still looking out the window, where he could see in the distance the figure of Dịch Phàm practicing alone at the East training ground, putting all his effort into each movement even though he was tired.

"Do you know," he finally spoke, his voice slackening a bit, "how I saw Tần Hạo Nguyên fight at another frontier battle, many years before the Battle of Tàn Dạ? He was the type of person who was willing to sacrifice everything to protect his comrades, to protect the people he loved. If his son had inherited even a small part of that quality, perhaps... you wouldn't have chosen the wrong person to accompany you."

Tuyết Nhi raised her head, a ray of hope flashed in her eyes. "So dad agrees?"

Chiêu Bách Uyên pondered for a long time, his fingers lightly tapping the armchair, seemingly considering the responsibilities of a father and the responsibilities of a homeowner to the entire clan. "Do you know how much damage the Dark Alliance has caused to the White Wing Alliance over the past twenty years? Not just the Tàn Dạ battle. There were at least five other large and small battles, each time leaving irreparable losses. I don't want you to become one of those losses."

"I understand the risks, father," Tuyết Nhi replied, her voice not wavering at all. "But I also understand that, if everyone chooses safety and ignores injustice, the Dark Alliance will continue to rage forever. I want to contribute my part, no matter how small, to change that."

"I do not agree to let you rush blindly into danger." Chiêu Bách Uyên turned around, his eyes serious again. "But I won't stop you from training with him, under one condition. You must promise me that, before actually confronting the Dark Alliance, you two must be strong enough, must be thoroughly prepared, and must have support from the academy and the White Wing Alliance. I don't want to lose you because of a rash decision at your youth."

"I promise, father." Tuyết Nhi bowed her head, her voice sincere.

Chiêu Bách Uyên nodded, then suddenly smiled slightly, a rare smile that softened the permanent severity on his face. "You're grown, Tuyết Nhi. I can't keep you in a glass cage forever. But remember, the Chiêu family's honor and strength are always behind you, whenever you need it."

He stood up, walked to his daughter, put his hand on her shoulder, his eyes suddenly became distant as if recalling something from the past. "I still remember, the day Tần Hạo Nguyên married Liễu Thanh Hà, I was one of the guests present. They are a happy couple, always believing in righteousness more than anyone I have ever known. If you can really help their son reunite with his parents, it will be a meaningful deed, worthy of the Chiêu family's honor more than any other fame."

Those words made Tuyết Nhi emotional. She bowed her head to thank her father, then left the living room with an even stronger determination than before.

After the meeting with her father, Tuyết Nhi found Dịch Phàm at the East training ground, where he was still practicing alone, sweat drenching his robe even though it was cool afternoon.

"You practice so hard," she said, sitting down on the edge of the training ground, observing him.

Dịch Phàm stopped, panted, and turned to look at her. "How was meeting your father?"

"He agreed to let me accompany you," Tuyết Nhi replied, then briefly recounted the conversation. "But on the condition that we must prepare thoroughly before facing the Black Flame. That means you need to train even harder, Dịch Phàm, and I will be here to help you."

A feeling of deep gratitude rose in Dịch Phàm's heart, to the point that he didn't know how to express it in enough words. "Thank you, Tuyết Nhi. I... I don't know what I did to deserve a companion like you."

"Don't thank me yet." Tuyết Nhi stood up, brushed the dust off her dress, her eyes returned to their familiar seriousness. "I will not hold back when training you. The road ahead is still long, and you need to get a lot stronger if you want to stand a chance against Black Flame and save your parents."

"I'm ready," Dịch Phàm replied, his eyes as determined as a fire that would never go out. "From today, teach me everything you know."

Tuyết Nhi looked at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled, a smile that no longer had any arrogance or reserve, but was full of sincerity and trust. She never thought she would bet the entire planned future of a famous lady on such an impulsive decision, but facing Dịch Phàm's steady eyes, she knew she would not regret it.

Tuyết Nhi nodded slightly, a light smile flashed across the corner of her lips before disappearing, giving way to the stern look of a teacher about to begin an arduous training journey.

Before leaving the academy, Chiêu Bách Uyên also stopped by Principal Hầu Đạt Sơn's office for a private discussion. Neither of them knew the exact content of that conversation, but from the next day, Dịch Phàm noticed that the academy began to add a number of special training sessions just for him, along with the periodic appearance of an old professor specializing in the history of alliances, who often told him old stories about the White Wing Alliance and the frontier battles of the past - small but precious pieces of the puzzle, gradually filling in the gaps about the past that he had never known.

In the distance, the sunset dyed the sky red on the Tinh Quang plateau, like a promise of great challenges waiting for both of them ahead.