Conflicted between his better judgment and the overbearing desire in his heart to reveal the truth to his mother, Chi Cheng clenched his fists. He knew perfectly well that Chi Yulan was not a woman who accepted mere explanations to satisfy her investigative streak.
She would delve into a matter until there was not a single loophole left.
"It's pointless to lie to me, Ah Cheng." Chi Yulan reminded her eldest son, folding up his pants to his knee so she could get a better visual of his injury. "You best tell me everything from start to finish."
Chi Cheng remained silent for a few minutes, contemplating the best route and believable explanation to present to his mother. Especially since the inner turmoil of whether he should expose that he accidentally drank a few drops of the Grandmaster's blood or find a scapegoat in the equation.
'Han Yijun…' Chi Cheng was enlightened with a sudden tempting thought. 'But then I'll also have to lie... never mind, I'll use his name well."
Mentally sighing as he prepared to resolve this dilemma, Chi Cheng finally decided to speak. He related the events that transpired since his arrival and during the archery test, naturally omitting the issue with Han Yijun and the finer details of what Shan Liying's true intentions were.
Chi Yulan listened attentively to her son's explanation, her expression tensing now and then whenever he briefly mentioned the Shan Clan.
"Wretched Earth Sect…" Chi Yulan cussed under her breath, visibly displaying her distaste for the Shan Clan. "They have always been our rivals, it's not unthinkable to assume that wench had an ulterior motive to eliminate you both from the Archery round."
"It was a simple misfire, mother…" Chi Cheng reached for his mother's arm, gently rubbing it to soothe her anger.
On the contrary, Chi Weiran didn't utter a single word. The details of the incident didn't sit well with his assessment of the situation at the time. However, he didn't dare doubt his older brother's words.
"So, you accidentally drank Han Yijun's blood because his hand was injured and he tried to make you drink water with the very same hand?" Chi Yulan deduced from Chi Cheng's explanation which appeared believable.
"Yes…" Chi Cheng nodded somberly, feeling the guilt sting his heart but he refused to reveal anything that would exacerbate his mother's impression of the Grandmaster.
Placing her hand on the swollen area of Chi Cheng's leg, the Grandmistress traced the outlines of blue and purple shades that were a sign of the injury's poor condition.
"You were treated by Han Zhimin, a royal physician, yet your leg has not even healed?" Chi Yulan clicked her tongue in disappointment. "His talents are utterly useless. What can one even achieve with ice healing?"
"He treated me well, mother. Even an injury like this is difficult to-"
"Ah-Cheng," Chi Yulan interrupted her son, angling her gaze to look at him pensively. "Your condition is getting worse. As much as I despise the Han Clan, an injury like this should have been a trivial matter for Han Zhimin. Your body keeps rejecting any intake of Qi so only herbal treatments can be used for you."
Somewhere at the back of his mind, Chi Cheng had always been painfully aware that his current body posed many obstacles and was detrimental to his well-being. However, hearing the reality of it from his mother was more unsettling and disappointing.
Sighing at the hopeless expression on her eldest son's face, realising her words were too direct, Chi Yulan retrieved the dagger from her sleeve.
"If you cannot be healed with Qi, then I will use my blood." The Grandmistress declared, swiftly making an incision on the swollen area of Chi Cheng's leg.
He grimaced when the blade pierced his flesh which was tender and raw, shaking his head disapprovingly at his mother's idea.
"Mother, please don't…" Chi Cheng pleaded desperately. "Using your blood for healing will only shorten-"
"Be quiet!" Chi Yulan hissed. "Wei'er, hold both his legs together."
Adhering to his mother's command, Chi Weiran seated himself at the foot of the bed and firmly held down his older brother's legs.
Chi Yulan then made an incision along her wrist, using the precision of her skills to control the blood that immediately oozed out; avoiding any drops from spilling onto the sheets or floor. Her blood flowed out like threads, ones that seemed to have a mind of their own, infiltrating the incision she made on his leg.
Chi Cheng felt a needle-like sensation spear through his blood vessels when his mother guided her blood into his bloodstream. The properties of her blood, rich in potent Qi and carrying specialised cells, targeted the damaged bone.
A bead of sweat broke out along Chi Yulan's forehead when she felt Chi Cheng's body reject the underlayer of Qi in her blood. Yet, she persisted through his body's defences by lessening the amount of Qi she fueled into him.
These specialised cells assessed the fractured bone, initiating an immediate process of regeneration. The procedure was excruciating as the Qi within her blood re-aligned and re-connected to the bone. Gradually, the fractured bone reformed itself to its original healthy shape.
Breathing heavily, Chi Yulan healed the incision with her blood and the incision on her wrist immediately closed when she completed her task.
"I did what I could." Chi Yulan gestured for her younger son to re-bandage Chi Cheng's leg. "But your body will not heal until you've consumed more of Han Yijun's blood."
"Why?!" Chi Cheng's head perked up, biting through the pain he could still feel from his bone settling back into place.
"You have traces of potent energy in your bloodstream, but they are very faint," the Grandmistress explained. "Your body didn't seem to reject it and I believe that the only reason you had any recovery progress on this injury was because of the small amount of blood you consumed."
"Won't this trigger the seal?" Chi Cheng's gaze fell on the seal marking on his mother's forehead.
"It will. What I did is not enough to completely heal you. I simply shifted your bone back into place but it needs the initial energy that came from Han Yijun's blood to repair itself completely, or it will unalign again and result in a more severe injury. Once you've had a fair amount of his blood, I will put the seal on you before the Emperor is alerted."
'I dug my own grave…' Chi Cheng rubbed his forehead with his forefingers. 'It was the Grandmaster's blood I tasted… how can I explain all this to him and find a way to drink his blood? I'll have to think of something.'
"I will speak to Han Yijun and explain it to him." The Grandmistress offered, reassuring her eldest son.
"No," Chi Cheng declined calmly. "Please, let me explain it to him."
"This seal," Chi Yulan pointed to her forehead. "Many think it is a measure to suppress our abilities because of how dangerous and wild blood cultivation is but it's necessary for the Emperor's operations. In truth, it simply suppresses our bloodlust or from consuming anyone's blood madly. We are simply beasts…" Her tone softened, an underlying hint of disgust and pain in her words. "Hounds to be collared because of how wild we can run…"
"I don't think anyone could ever put a leash on you, mother." Chi Cheng laughed heartily, distracting his mother's mind from morbid thoughts.
"She's likely to whip them first," Chi Weiran joined in, grinning. "Who could ever dare to tell you what to do? You've already been giving Grandmaster Han a difficult time."
"Hah! You boys have gotten cheekier," Chi Yulan chuckled, her thoughts settling peacefully. "I am sorry I cannot be the ideal mother you both deserve, but I promise that I will always be here for both of you."
'And I'm sorry that I'm not the son you think I am…' Chi Cheng smiled sadly.