Ghost Du Hongmo

Family

On top of the Seventh peak on the Seven Peak Mountain, hidden in thick forest and bushes, is two small huts.  One for an old man who liked to hunt and fish, the other for a young couple with a child of four years.  The child is drenched in sweat as she hold's her body still in a horse stance as the man she calls Master stares at her with a stick in his hand.  

"Hold."  He warned her as her small body starts to quiver from tiredness.  "Hold." 

Lihua straightens her back once again, holding on to the fighting stance.  Knowing this is just the beginning of her training.  

"Good.  You can get up now."  Nightmare tells her.  

Lihua falls down to the ground in exhaustion, knowing he would only give her five minutes to rest.  

"If Ghost sees you on the floor, she'll make sure you'll really suffer." Nightmare tells Lihua.  

As quickly as Nightmare tells the girl, she quickly sits up in a lotus position and starts cultivating the qi around her to wash away her tired body.  

"Too late."  Hongmo tells them as she walks out of the hut, carrying a tray with their breakfast on it.  "I saw everything already."  

Lihua inwardly groans at her mistake, but with the smell of their breakfast tempting her to ask for forgiveness, she breaks out of her lotus position and runs to Hongmo and hugs her leg.  

"Please forgive me this one time.  I know what I did wrong.  I will do better next time.  Just forgive me this one time!  Please!"  Lihua pleads as she stares not at Hongmo, but at their breakfast.  

"Cheeky girl!"  Hongmo says as she pinches Lihua's cheeks.  "At least pretend to apologize with sincerity and look at me when you do."  

Hongmo hands over the bowl of food to Lihua and watches as the child gobbles up the food in seconds.  

"Do you remember what we tell you every night?"  Hongmo asks her.  

"Yes."  Lihua nods up and down.  "You're helping me become strong, so no one would be able to hurt me or anyone who I care about.  And that one day, when I'm strong, you'll tell me the truth about my parents."  

"And who are we to you?"  Hongmo asks.  

"Truthfully, you and Nightmare are my godparents and Doc is my surrogate grandpa, but you three are also my Masters."  Lihua said as she looked down at her second empty bowl of breakfast.  "That in a year, I will be going back to live with my mother's family so I can learn how to behave with other people and know the ways of the world.  I will be staying with them for five years before coming back to live with the three of you to finish my training." 

"Good."  Hongmo said as she smooth Lihua's hair down.  "Grandpa Doc wants to take you fishing.  Go before I change my mind." 

The sad frown on Lihua's face quickly turned into a smile as she runs over to the second hut where Doc was waiting for the okay from Hongmo to take the child fishing.  Although he could see that Hongmo wanted to prepare the child for her future, in the end, a child is still a child and needs to do childish things.  That is why he was there for.  

Hongmo watches the two of them until they disappear into the forest.  Her worried heart couldn't seem to let go of the child she help raise for the past year.  Strong arms comes around her and wraps itself around her waist to comfort her.  

"She'll be just fine."  Nightmare whispers to her.  "She has three fearsome assassins as guardians to watch over her and teach her.  No one will be able to mess with her or her family.  No one."  

Hongmo nods her head in agreement as Nightmare turns her around to kiss him.  Their heated kiss consumed her every thought and every feeling.  She didn't even realize when he scooped her up and carried her into their small hut, where he had his way with her, the way she liked it. 

The End

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Thanks again for staying with me on this journey.  Although it took longer than the other two books that I wrote, I hoped you enjoyed it as well.  Thanks for all the love and support.  -ptd

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