Mu Lan narrowed her eyes. "……And why do you think such weird thing will be in my blood?"
"Because it was me who saved you from the scientific lab in Japan." A muscled man came forward and knelt down in front of her.
From the very beginning he was quiet. Now as he opened his mouth, other stopped speaking. Mu Lan guessed that he was the team leader.
"….You…..?" Now she got her answer. She was wondering from the start who saved her from there since no one knew her. 'So, it was him.'
The man put his hand on her head. "You grew up before we had time to get old, dear one." His voice was warm and soothing.
For some reason, there was a turmoil in Mu Lan's heart. She suddenly felt like crying. She controlled her emotions and asked, "What did you save me for?"
"Because in return you gave me something valuable." The man replied.
Mu Lan asked, "How did I give you a valuable thing when I had nothing with me? What did I give you?" Her voice exceptionally softened.
The man smiled lovingly as he patted her head like she was his daughter. "You gave me a heart which I never had."
She had no word for that. "Then what happened?"
"We raised you." He said.
Because the moon light was directly hitting her eyes, she couldn't see the twinkling eyes of that man. He was amused to remember some old memories.
"…..You raised me?" Mu Lan could hardly believe what he was saying.
"Do you want a prove?" He calmly asked.
"Of course." Mu Lan said. She was curious to know what prove they had.
"On you left breast there is a mark of a cobra. In the full moon, bath in the lake water and it will come up." He answered,
"….Huh?" Mu Lan wasn't sure whether to get angry or to stay calm. 'Are they pervert or something?'
Mark said from behind, "We raised you mean you bathed you, dressed you, fed you, took care of you. You were a kid you know."
Mu Lan sighed in relief. 'Oh, yeah, I was a kid back then. It was normal.' It was too much for her to take all these news at once. Her brain was also confused and stopped working properly. "But how did I get the mark?"
"We had practiced ancient arts. After we passed the exam, we had naturally given the mark. As you were with us, you had practiced the same thing. You passed the last trial. That's why you have the mark." The man in muscled said.
"What did I practice?" Mu Lan asked.
"You will know when you regain your memory." The man said.
"What? Come on! Why won't you tell me?" She was dying to know everything.
"We already told you too much. We are working so hard for you and yet there is no simple 'thank you'." One of them who complained her being annoying said.
"Oh, shut up grandpa!" Mu Lan scolded him.
Others laughed. Event he muscled man also couldn't help chuckling.
"Even though she lost her memory she scolded him just like when she was a kid." The skinny man laughed till he bent down.
The man who was scolded glared at Mu Lan. Though she couldn't see, she felt the burning gaze. But she ignored him.
After the atmosphere became lighter, Mu Lan asked, "You said that you are here to protect me. But why was I in China and when I was hurt, where were you people?"
The muscled man's smiling expression turned serious. "You wanted to go back to take what's yours and told us not to help you. You wanted to live without our protection. Though we didn't listen to you and protected you from many things, before you went to Italy, you threatened to leave us if we follow you. And you went there and faced the danger alone."
He looked guilty and he had a hard time facing her. He touched her back and hugged her tightly. "I couldn't protect your heart. I'm so sorry little one."
If she wasn't stubborn to threaten her life, they would have killed that ruthless man for breaking her heart. They really couldn't do anything except for watching. Only they knew what hell they were in.
Mu Lan felt him trembling as she was silent in his arms. She felt safe in his arms. The tears she was holding back fell from her eyes. 'So, this is how it feels to be with family.' She thought.
Others were silent too. They were also feeling guilty for not protecting her.
Mu Lan smiled after a few seconds and said, "Thank you not protecting me. If I wasn't hurt, if I didn't lose my memory, I wouldn't have a new life and I couldn't dream to have a new family. Now that I have the best of the best man by my side, you can be rest assured."
The man hugged her even tighter. "You are right. This Mu kid is good. He will cherish you."
"Then don't feel bad. Because everything that happened, it happened for a good reason." Mu Lan hugged that man. She remembered something and asked, "But what about the men who are after me? Do they know where I am?"
"They are not only after your blood but also the gold key." Mark said from her left side. After drying his body, he dressed up.
"What gold key?" Mu Lan asked. She was already free from hug.
"It's a key that has something which other people wants to have. It's our treasure." The skinny man replied.
The muscled man described the whole thing. "We had a disciple who betrayed us and sold our secret to the other people. Though we killed the traitor but the work was already done. Mafias from different counties started to look for the treasure. Without the key they can't find it so you the key keeper took the key and hid it somewhere even we don't know where. We wish to take it from you, that way you will be safe. But the thing is, you don't have your memory."
