Blood opened his eyes. The morning light forced him to shut them again, the breeze carrying with it the dense Heaven and Earth energy that poured through the wide window.
That same energy was the reason the Marble Clan had been reduced to a single family. Cultivators craved regions with dense Heaven and Earth energy, since it was the fastest way to ascend higher realms. With purer energy, one could move from lower to higher realms swiftly, unless hindered by some limitation.
Blood soon realized his little sister was already out of bed—it was still early; the morning light had barely settled across the manor.
He left the sickroom quietly, exchanging brief greetings with the head healer on his way out. Shortly after, his steps carried him upstairs, toward Ivory's room.
He found her tossing and turning on the bed when he opened the door.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Blood asked and sat gently on the bed.
Ivory turned her head and said in a light voice. "Hmm, I'm fine. Thankfully enough, I wasn't hit on the head." Her words made Blood smiled.
He chuckled, and in a teasing tone, "It would've been okay if you took the hit on the head, so long as it left no mark behind." Ivory smacked his chest immediately, perplexed by his words.
The wolf's strength had truly frightened her. It was her first time seeing such a ferocious beast.
"It was all thanks to you in the end." she said with a teasing smile, which hinted he had been the one who brought that headstrong beast home.
Blood grinned. "Yeah, it's all thanks to me. I'll surely make another huge impact next time—so long as you keep loving beast cubs."
Ivory laughed silently, shaking her head. "You better direct your target another way."
"Don't worry," Blood replied. "The direction is always fixed."
Ivory laughed even harder, her laughter filling the room.
Salza sat in the dining hall, his frown deepening as the sound of laughter echoed from upstairs. "The kids are at it again. There seems to be no end to their talk each time." he muttered.
It had been so long since himself had spoken lightly, not since the clan's setback. The weight of responsibility—and the Chief's constant pressure—was always on his back.
From the kitchen, Maria's voice floated out, soft but teasing. "Feeling jealous and apprehensive?" She carried a dish on a serving platter, her smile hidden.
"Humph, what's there to be jealous of, when I can enjoy every moment with you." Salza defended quickly, not ready for her jokes.
"Hehe! I won't pursue the matter. Call the kids downstairs, you've got a hard and tiring work ahead of you." she said, setting the platter down before disappearing back into the kitchen.
Salza suddenly bellowed, his voice carrying through the manor, "Heyy! Get down here, both of you, if you don't want your asses smacked!"
Maria shook her head, continuing her work.
Upstairs, Ivory raised her brows mischievously. "Hehe! He's definitely jealous. Doesn't he have a mate?" she uttered, looking toward Blood.
Blood burst into laughter at her words. If his father heard what she had said, his face would surely darken in the days to come.
"I heard youu!" Salza's voice thundered back.
Blood widened his eyes and tilted his head toward his sister, whispering with a grin, "You are in trouble."
"I didn't say anything." Ivory shrugged. "You clearly said that." she tutted and darted for the door.
"Hey, you can't do that." Blood was alarmed and shouted, chasing after her, though his pace was deliberately slower.
Ivory's laughter echoed from all sides, filling the manor with warmth.
___
Blood sat as if his buttocks were on fire, waiting for his mother's arrival. Only Maria could soften the cold glare of his father. It seemed Ivory's conviction had worked out.
Maria entered moments later, placing the dish neatly on the table. "Kiddo, your lessons are with me after breakfast. Your father has some work to do." she said. Her words instantly erased Blood's worries.
He knew he would be safe as long as his mother was by his side—there would be no spankings today.
Salza huffed but remained silent.
"Yes, mum. I'm happy to study and learn from you." Blood replied enthusiastically, his voice bright. But before he could bask in relief, a cold snort could be heard.
"What do you know!" Salza muttered.
Blood didn't mind. So long as his mother was there with him, he was untouchable. He had to make amends though. He delightedly served the food, making his father's dish concentrated and everyone started eating.
It seemed it really worked as there was a slight smile on Salza's stern face.
"When will the Central Academy go on their next break?" Ivory suddenly asked.
Blood immediately changed the topic without letting the matter standardize.
"What happened to the wolf? Was it captured?" He asked, turning his gaze toward his mother. He hadn't heard anything about it and was still quite interested in it.
Maria frowned at her son's behavior before she said, "You mean the one you let escape?"
"Huuh!"
Blood was taken aback. He hadn't expected that. There was no way he could have held the wolf back. It was like a strip of nylon caught in a violent storm. He was thankful they had managed to escape from it.
Maria's gentle voice shifted the conversation back to Ivory. "Your brothers will be back in three weeks. The mayor wants to host an exhibition between all the city's forces, so their return will take longer than expected." she said, her gaze softening.
Ivory was perplexed. "I thought the forest had been caught in chaos. How does the mayor still have time for an exhibition?" she asked, furrowing her brows. She had already heard words of the turmoil in the forest. That should have been dealt with first.
Blood himself thought her words made perfect sense. The matter regarding the forest seemed dire and demanded instant attention. An exhibition could wait.
Maria nodded, delighted by their deductions, but then explained, "The Mayor has been preparing the academies and sects for this exhibition. But with the sudden arrival of the strange phenomenon, the exhibition has been lengthened and put on hold. Still, they were told to continue preparing, while the insurgence in the forest is brought to rest."
Blood and Ivory were enlightened. The authorities were tackling the phenomenon while at the same time preparing for the exhibition. It seemed the matter of the forest was still under control.
Blood's curiosity had not faded. He quickly went to asked, "Mum, I want to know what happened with the wolf."
Salza's cold gaze immediately turned toward his son. He had remained silent ever since, pondering the strange phenomenon, when he heard his son's question. "What are you going to do with it? Punish an apprehended wolf or…" His words seemed to be testing Blood's intent.
Blood's eyes lit up in realization, not caring about his father's tone. "So… the wolf was apprehended, that's good." He was certain the wolf could not escape. How could it possibly escape his parents? They were strong experts. But—
How would a Rebound wolf perform?
His grin instantly faded at his mother's words.
"What's the grinning all about? The wolf did escape yesterday." she said, instantly breaking Blood's grin. They had only realized that when they arrived at the manor's gate.
"What! It escaped! But how is that possible?" Blood was in disbelief. If not for his mother's look, he would have thought they were playing with him. But how was it possible! He had always believed his parents could capture the beast as easily as lifting a hand.
Salza's cold voice cut through as he said, "It appeared the time wasted on you was enough for the wolf to make an escape." he berated. Even they were perplexed when they got the news.
Maria calmly explained, "The servants were bringing in supplies when the wolf escaped. Its speed was remarkably fast and caught them unaware. By the time the guards realized, it was long gone."
Blood shook his head dejectedly. So be it. Since the wolf had escaped, he would simply try again with another.
He finished his meal quietly, excused himself, and made his way to the manor's library. His mother would be the one to teach him. The morning had been hectic, maybe her lessons would steady his mind.