Xue Feng's Suspicions, Meeting Mother
A few courtyards away, in Xue Feng's office, the shadow once again appeared.
However, compared to Xue Bai's dark room, Xue Feng's office was fully lit, and under the light, the shadow's identity was revealed.
It was Xiao'er, Xue Bai's usually cheerful and naive maid.
While Xiao'er was Xue Bai's personal maid, Xue Feng was still her Master at the end of the day, so when Xue Feng ordered her to sneak into Xue Bai's room, she couldn't refuse.
However, even if Xue Feng hadn't given her the order, she would've tried to sneak in any way to find out what happened with Xue Bai.
His weird performance in the morning was extremely weird, and Xiao'er became concerned. Even if Old Lu said that there was nothing wrong, maybe the old man was a quack?
Xiao'er cared for her Young Master very much and wanted to know if anything happened to him.
After she entered Xue Feng's office, Xiao'er respectfully handed Xue Feng her copied version of Xue Bai's scroll and stood at his side, waiting for his judgment.
"Celestial Void Fruit, spatial element Martial Veins, Huo Clan, Huo Long…."
The more Xue Feng read the scroll, the more his eyebrows furrowed. The scroll consisted of two main things, where and when to find a treasure and a person to contact.
However, they didn't make sense to Xue Feng. A natural treasure that was worth looking at for him would never grow in such a remote region, let alone a legendary low Heaven-grade one.
And as for Huo Long, while Xue Feng knew of his existence, his life was something that he could end with a simple order to a nearby guard. So why would his son want to build a friendship with him?
But, what confused Xue Feng the most was that both of these things would only come into value in the far future. So how did his coarse-mouthed shut-in of a son know all of this?
Yet no matter how much Xue Feng thought about it, a reasonable answer never came to him.
There was only one thing that he was only sure of. Xue Bai was hiding something.
Though Xue Bai was completely healthy after the fall, somehow, the fall gave him some future information. Whether the information was accurate or not, only time would tell.
"Xiao'er, continue to stay by Bai'er. If you encounter things like this again, bring them to me, but unless anything important happens, don't do anything that could raise his suspicions." Then, with a hypothesis in mind, Xue Feng ordered Xiao'er before leaving the office.
"Yes, Master!" Accepting his command, Xiao'er quickly left the office, returning to the maid dormitories to maintain her image.
Surprisingly the naive and cheerful maid, Xiao'er, was actually a cultivator!
While she wasn't as strong as Xue Feng, Xiao'er still had more than enough strength to elude the still-mortal Xue Bai.
Ignorant of what happened in his father's office, Xue Bai slept soundly and only woke up until the dawn of the next day.
Then, after stretching and wiping his eyes, he climbed out of bed. Going back to his desk, he pulled out his poorly hidden future plans from the book and planned to hide them. Xue Bai then took the scroll and hid it under his mattress.
While he had access to spatial rings without any Spiritual Qi to activate them, they were just hunks of metal to him. So until he awakened his Martial Veins, he had to resort to this basic form of hiding.
After making sure, there were no bumps in his mattress Xue Bai left his room.
In Xue Feng's office, two people stood silently across from each other. One was a burly two-meter-tall general, the other a child so delicate and beautiful you could've mistaken it for a porcelain doll.
After a minute of silence, Xue Feng broke the silence, "So you're telling me you want to learn how to use the sword."
"Yes, I am your child. So it should be without question that I know how to use a sword. And I think now is a great time for me to start." Xue Bai replied.
Looking at the frail 7-year-old in front of him wanting to learn how to use a sword, Xue Feng didn't know what to say. However, the world was cruel. If someone wanted to become stronger, who would dare laugh at them?
It was respectable to have the will to become stronger. Laughing at someone who wanted to would only show your insecurities or deformed personality.
But the person who wanted to become stronger was his own son.
And as a doting father, Xue Feng naturally didn't want any harm to come to Xue Bai.
However, without any reason to deny the child, Xue Feng did what any father would do in such a conundrum; deflect the problem.
"Go ask your mother. If she says yes, we'll start tomorrow."
Unwilling to be sent away, Xue Bai asked, "You're the man of this household. Shouldn't you have the power to make such a simple decision?"
"Your mother has always been overprotective of you. If I let you train and she disagrees, I wouldn't hear the end of it for months." Xue Feng waved his hand, indicating that the conversation was over.
Xue Feng did have a point there, but from what he knew about his mother, even if she agreed, it would be very tame training from guards.
Xue Bai didn't want to be coddled during training. Instead, he wanted to be trained by his father, a true swordsman who earned his duke title through battle and bloodshed.
However, seeing his father's face, Xue Bai knew he wouldn't get through to his father, so he left the office and started to make his way to where his mother lived.
–
Xue Bai's mother, Li Rou, lived in the core region. However, since Xue Feng usually spent his days in the office or commanding the guards, she usually stayed in a courtyard near the maid dormitories.
Li Rou was originally a famed archer in the Great Xuan Empire and the little sister of Xue Feng's sworn brother Li Huo.
However, after the three stepped away from the battlefield and received their aristocratic titles, Li Huo served as a matchmaker for the two, and they eventually married.
Now in an era of peace, Li Rou revealed her gentle side and began to focus her time on alchemy and raising natural treasures for the dukedom instead of the archery and war games she was once famed for.
After becoming an alchemist, Li Rou also transformed her secondary courtyard into an expensive and valuable herb garden. In fact, should its value be evaluated, it would make her one of the wealthiest people on the Southern Continent.
These were all of the details that Xue Bai was able to remember of his mother from the game. Beyond that, the woman was an enigma. However, he didn't have much more time to think as he noticed that he had finally reached her courtyard.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped in.
This time he wouldn't take no for an answer.
Once Xue Bai entered Li Rou's courtyard, he immediately noticed the extensive greenery throughout it.
Various fruit trees and beautiful shrubbery littered the garden giving the courtyard the atmosphere of a forest but still managing to maintain the noble identity of a Duchess.
However, the picturesque scenery wasn't what Xue Bai came for.
Looking around the bright green shrubbery for his target, Xue Bai eventually found his mother.
Like it was pulled out of a painting, Li Rou was in a picturesque position.
Sitting peacefully in the center of the garden, with a pail in her left hand, she tended to a large tree that sat in a large plot of dirt all by itself.
Though Xue Bai had no Martial Veins, he could very easily see that the tree she was tending to was something special.
"Mother, I want to learn how to use the sword." Xue Bai asked boldly.
It was better to be confident and ask this question, and by stating his demands first, Xue Bai thought it would raise his chances of Li Rou saying yes.
Li Rou, however, continued to tend the tree in front of her as if she didn't hear Xue Bai.
Seeing this, Xue Bai sighed. While he hadn't gained many memories from his predecessor, he remembered what she was doing. Li Rou had wanted a daughter, and with how beautiful Xue Bai was growing up, she treated him like one.
Dressing him in fancy dresses and teaching him how to use makeup and other womanly activities was normal for the young Xue Bai.
This was also the reason Xue Bai didn't want to ask his mother for permission. She had always treated him as the daughter she never had, and in this situation, their desires were complete opposites. She wanted him to learn tea ceremony, while he wanted to learn how to fight with a sword.
However, this time, Xue Bai wouldn't take no for an answer, so he tried to persuade his mother.
"Mother, surely you must know what I'm here to ask for. Yes, while I know you don't want me to learn the sword and continue to be your little child, the world is dangerous. And while I can't cultivate yet, it's still extremely important for me to start practicing early. The earlier I begin to train, the better I can protect myself, you, and Father."
Hearing Xue Bai's convincing argument, Li Rou's body shivered for a moment. However, she didn't respond and continued to tend to the fruit tree.
Xue Bai didn't see this small action and thought that Li Rou was still ignoring him, so he moved in closer to speak again until he heard her sigh.
"Bai'er, I'm not against you training for the future. I'm just scared for you. The cultivation world is dangerous and full of treachery. And while I know with our standing in the Empire, you will eventually have to enter it, as your mother, how can I not worry?" Li Rou finally replied.
Xue Bai was shocked. He hadn't expected such a response. However, he could understand how Li Rou felt.
The child she raised so preciously now wanted to learn how to fight. It was obvious how she would feel. But the world was dangerous, and avoiding the fight would only bring more danger. Only by facing the opposition head-on could he ensure his safety.
Just as Xue Bai was going to respond, his mother finally turned and looked at him. At this time, Xue Bai also finally got his first look at his mother in this life.
Unlike the burly and ferocious-looking Xue Feng, Li Rou looked both gentle and elegant. With smoothly combed-down black hair that was held up by a black crown, she looked graceful.
Coupled with her blood-red robes and lips, Li Rou's appearance was a beautiful contrasting color that made Xue Bai give a secret thumbs up.
Li Rou didn't notice this and instead spoke up for the first time since Xue Bai walked in.
"I will allow you to practice. However, I don't wish for you to learn the sword first from your father. So instead, I will teach you archery first."
Xue Bai's face lit up for a moment when he heard Li Rou's first words, but once she finished her sentence, it darkened.
Yet before he could say anything, Li Rou interrupted him and continued.
"And before you say no, this is the most, I will compromise. So it's this or nothing." Li Rou spoke bluntly.
Seeing her look so obstinate, Xue Bai knew he wouldn't be able to change her mind.
However, he also began to think about her offer.
Xue Bai felt he would eventually learn archery, so why not learn it from a famed archer like his mother?
Plus, the spatial attribute Martial Veins that he planned to get synergized well with archery.
Just imagine the idea of teleporting a volley of arrows in front of the enemy or making an arrow change directions mid-flight.
Even just thinking about doing such a thing excited Xue Ba's inner otaku.
And knowing that his mother wouldn't change her decision any time soon, Xue Bai agreed.
"Then when can we start, Mother?"
"There's no rush, Bai'er. You're still young. We will start next week. Mother needs time to prepare a training schedule and a place for you to practice comfortably," Li Rou gently said before a glint flashed into her eyes, and she continued, "However, there are some new dresses I bought. Follow me. You can try them on."
Xue Bai had turned to leave after hearing the first part, but when he listened to the second part only started leaving faster.
Expecting this, Li Rou swept her arm, and a gush of fiery wind sent Xue Bai tumbling backward into her arms.
"Bai'er, it's only a few dresses. It won't take long. You can leave after I see how they look on you." Li Rou spoke as she carried Xue Bai into her bedroom.
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