IZUMI
Izumi already knew that today was going to be a very tiring day. The first stage of the competition was always very hectic. There are too many contestants of which majority of them gets eliminated. The first round was something that many trainers tend to avoid but one of the main advantages in this round is that one can easily distinguish the talented individuals. It's like picking gold among the stones. So, from each sect a representative was always present in every round.
She was not very keen to attend this stage preferring the later stages more but she had promised her husband that she would come. Now it was already past midday and she was very late. Izumi briskly walked towards the pavilion; her husband was probably waiting for her wondering her whereabouts.
When she reached the pavilion, she quickly walked towards the sitting area.
The pavilion was designed such that a square ground with open ceiling was in the middle of it with the guests and judges sitting around the four sides. She bowed to the elders respectfully and dutifully took her place next to her husband.
Kijuro Tokugawa, the heir of Tokugawa Clan, the grandson of the sect leader of Mount Haven, her silly husband was tensed with his body rigid. He was wearing the Tokugawa family colours, shades of green and white. He was a tall man with big stature and an aura that screams power.
Kijuro was known for his high intelligence and fighting skills but many doesn't know that the harsh looking man had the softest heart was one of the many things she loved about him. His care and protectiveness for his family held no bounds. As discreetly as possible Izumi placed a comforting hand on his thigh hidden under the many layers of their clothes.
Izumi felt the familiar bubble of Qi surrounding them, she knew her husband has done that for privacy. Even then keeping their voice down was always safer.
"You brewed the entire night yesterday; you didn't return to our chambers." Her husband spoke with steel in his voice. She had tried to be discreet about it but of course she should have known Kijuro always finds out.
Izumi sighed and decided to just speak honestly, it's just better this way.
"Anata (my darling), it was nothing complicated just some healing paste we were running low on the stocks."
Her husband just hummed as he went back looking at the contestants. But she knew better than that Kijuro was most definitely recalling the numbers in the stock list. And Izumi hadn't lied when she said they were running low.
With no other follow up comment, Izumi sighed in relief and decided to observe the contestants. But the relief was short lived because apparently her husband was not done.
"Yesterday there was an incident with the Kyotaro family boy." Kijuro stated expecting further explanation from her. Of course, he would have heard about that too.
"The situation was handled by Misa-chan smoothly."
Izumi was quite proud of her little sister-in-law and that fondness swept in whenever she spoke about Misaki. Afterall Izumi was the one who took care of her like her own child.
"Not smooth enough, there were some unwanted scuffles which was not required and it would not have happened if you had interfered." Kijuro spoke with more steel in his voice.
"I told you to stop spying on me, Kijuro-kun." Izumi spoke in resigned voice as this was a conversation which has happened multiple times between them.
"Nothing happens in this mountain without my knowledge, Izumi. As one of the top Martial Artist of this sect you should have put an end to it early on." She hated it whenever Kijuro spoke to her as she was just a cultivator in his sect not his wife.
"Nothing was going to happen to that brother and sister. I would not have let that whip touch them. Misaki-chan and Asami-chan both were present there. I wanted to give the kids an opportunity, they are the future of this sect. Lessons in classrooms can only do very little."
Izumi knew that she was right. She also knew her husband would agree. But she was annoyed and pissed at Kijuro for confronting her like this in public. It took every ounce of her strength to keep her face poker and maintain a serene smile.
"And what about the boy." It took a moment for Izumi to recollect who he was talking about, when she saw her husband staring straight ahead to a boy now walking to the stage.
"That's one good thing isn't it. He stopped the Imperial whip with his hands, now that's a talent Mount Heaven should try to rope in."
Kijuro just looked at her deeply and then went back observing the contestants again. After sometime the privacy bubble around them was broken which made Izumi relax knowing her husband was satisfied with the answers.
And that thinking was the mistake, she got careless. The few strands of her hair which were falling on her face was annoying her. She tucked them back and that exposed her bandaged hand to Kijuro. Before she can even retract it, they were caught in the tight grip of her husband and the privacy bubble went up again.
"You used your blood again." Kijuro hissed out anger evident in his words.
"I was trying a new recipe. It was just an experiment. Will you calm down please. We can discuss this later, please."
Kijuro had a very angry look in his eyes as he stared down at his wife. The grip on her hand tightened and then they were released.
She took her hand back and hid them back in her clothes. When she looked back at him, he was back observing the contest but the privacy bubble was still up.
"Later." Kijuro whispered as he brought down the bubble. Izumi knew that this conversation was far from over and she was dreading when that time will come.
to be continued-----------