I am currently standing in the dining hall, where both my parents are having breakfast at the dining table. As I entered both of them turned their heads to look at me. My father smiled and my mother rushed at me and firmly locked me in her embrace.
I tightly hug her in response. It has been 10 days since I have seen my mother. I dearly missed her comforting presence. As one who never knew familial love, this feeling of love showered over him left him with a mark deep in his heart. I tried to treasure these warm moments as much as possible, because I knew, that one day I have leave all this behind and walk my own path. That only made these moments all the more important.
She led me to the table and we silently shared a meal with all the family members around. Time to time, my father will take a look at me, as if hesitating to ask something. I know what he s thinking, so I stand up from my chair and walk to the centre of the room.
Both my parents look at me with a questioning look, but I silently activate both my First Chakra and Spirit energy in my Dantian. With that a Red aura envelopes my body along with the Spirit Sense Realm pressure. My parents react very differently from what I expected.
My mother had a look of pure excitement and happiness when she saw my cultivation states. But when turn my head to look at my father; his expression makes me feel a chill run down my spine. Even though it was only for an instant, I saw a sharp look flash across his eyes, in complete contrast with his usual playful expression.
But then his expression turns into an immense relief and gratitude. I did not understand why he would feel relief. Is it because as a son of mayor I can’t be considered a waste in terms of cultivation? Maybe that is so. But that expression does not match with my reasoning. Is it related to that incident which my father talked about? I don’t ponder much about this matter, as he promised to explain about it if I met his conditions. And it is only a matter of time, since I have succeeded.
“Azalon, you have reached 3rd stage of Spirit Sense Realm? And also a Red Level Knight?” my mother asks excitedly.
“Yes, Mother.” I reply with a happy feeling, since I did not want to never let these two people down.
“Hahahaha…” my mother laughs happily and a faint layer of tears could be seen at the ends of her eyes.
It seems that she took the words of that Head Elder deeply to her heart and she was worried about my future, even though she said that they would support me in whatever I did on that day. My father simply stares at me with a deep look as if brooding over something.
“Come to mother, Azalon. Let us celebrate this happy incident with a banquet.”
“No, Adelina. We are going somewhere today. It is very important and there is no time left. You know about that. We talked about it before right?”
“Ah, right. It’s just that my happiness clouded my mind for a time there.”
Hmmm… so my mother also knows about what my father is planning to do. Both of their faces are serious and I have a somewhat ominous feeling in my heart. After the breakfast, my father told me to follow him to his study.
We walked silently and once we entered his study, my father instructed the guards to not let anyone enter and even locked the doors from the inside. He sat down in his chair and o took mine across him facing each other.
He stares at me for a long time, before opening his mouth to talk.
“So, Azalon. You have met my condition and should I say even exceeded that. I did not expect to even cultivate to the 3rd stage of the Spirit Sense Realm.”
I don’t reply, waiting for the questions he really wants to ask and the explanation about that mysterious event. Seeing that I am not replying, he continued,
“How did you cultivate that fast? Master said that you don’t have the aptitude for Spirit cultivation. You couldn’t have deceived him with that much difference between you. So what happened?”
I long since expected this question and readied my answer.
“I just realized his plan. So I just did not refine energy at all for those 2 days. Naturally he felt that I did not have any aptitude for cultivation and as such did not see any worth in me. So he left without a single doubt in his mind.”
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“So you realized that he tried to rope you into his Sect, and make you into a bargaining chip to increase his influence. You have such high observational capacity at such a young age.”
For some reason, I started staring blankly at him. He seemed like a completely different person than his usual self. Even his presence has turned sharp as a sword when he said those words. If not for the fact that he looked exactly like my father, I could have sworn that he is a different person.
“You knew? Then why have you said nothing that day? If I had not recognized his plan, I would have really been taken away by him!”
His face turns somber and with a heavy voice, he said, “I will tell the reason for it, but not here. There are many eyes and ears attached to the walls and doors in this place. We will go that place and I will explain everything to you. You will understand everything once you hear my explanation.”
I turn silent as well. It seems something very important is going on here but I don’t have inkling on what the hell is it. He then lifts his head and stares at the ceiling with a distant look in his eyes.
“Go and get ready for the journey, Azalon. By the shortest, it will take 20 days to reach that place. Spend some time with your mother. We will leave in the late afternoon.”
With that, he dismisses me without providing me with a single bit of useful information except that we are going to a place and it is very far from here.
I decided to spend all the time today with my mother. I walk to the garden behind the mansion courtyard. That will be the place where she usually is at this time. Various plants with bright flowers and different trees bearing fruits fill the garden. All the maintenance will be under my mother’s meticulous directions and she spends most of the time in here looking after the plants and flowers.
I see her standing in the shade of the largest tree in the middle of the garden, looking into the distance with a sad look on her face. I slowly walk over to her and she turns her gaze over to me. A smile floats onto her face and she lifts her hand and beckons me.
I run over into her embrace and she sits sown on the grass, with me in her lap and a gentle smile on her face. We just sit there silently for a long time, enjoying the wind and the sweet fragrances of the flowers. She is the one who breaks the silence first.
“So, when are you going?”
“Father said that we will start in the late afternoon. Mother, do you know where he is taking me?”
“I know, but your father should be the one to explain the things to you. He told me all that, so that I will not have to worry about the both of you.”
So it is something that has to do with my father, and even my mother did not know until recently. I am even more curious right now, but I have a feeling that it is a huge thing, and it will have a great impact on my life.
As decided, I spent almost all the time with my mother. In the afternoon, I and my father walk to the mansion gates. But I don’t see any transport anywhere. I turn my inquiring gaze to my father, who feels the question in my eyes and replies in a low tone.
“We will be going by ourselves. Once we reach the city gates, we can go much faster. Just wait and you will understand.”
So we walk towards the city gates. The guards recognize my father and immediately salute. He gives the order for the gates to be lifted and we walk out the city. We then travel for some distance after which, my father stops and turns to me.
“Get on my back, Azalon. And hold tight.”
I try to question him, but after seeing his serious expression, I close my mouth and get on his back as a piggy back and hold him tightly. He then raises into the air and shoots across the sky at a very fast pace. An energy barrier is erected before us, so the wind does not bother me even at that speed of travel. I look into the distance in the direction we are travelling and all I can see is a chain of large mountains in the horizon. It seems we are travelling to those mountains. By my estimate, even with our present speed, it will take around 4 days to reach them.