Chapter 90: Talk Gone Wrong! I
Vivian sipped on her steaming hot herbal soup as she looked at the dark forest through the window of the small wooden cabin she was living in.
The soup tasted a hundred times better when it was raining outside and Vivian couldn't let go of the chance to indulge herself in this small fantasy of hers.
Despite being a Martial King herself, Vivian still didn't like stepping out of her humble abode on a rainy day. Forest would appear creepier than usual due to the darkness cast over by the inky clouds, which spooked her to the core.
She sighed, letting out a foggy breath. This night was going to be long and she would have to stay awake till the rain stopped to get a wink of sleep.
After all, she was in the middle of the forest; alone and slightly scared. If only she was allowed to rent a room in the village her life would've been so much better and more comfortable.
Vivian's growing worries were pushed aside when she heard the footsteps outside her cabin. It was of someone bearing a familiar aura. One that made her happy and annoyed at the same time.
"Vivi, are you there?" Her grandfather's voice called for her after he knocked on the door.
'Urgh, at least he has learned to knock instead of simply barging in unannounced.'
Vivian took some comfort in the fact that he had finally decided to respect her privacy. She had been nagging him about it for most of her life.
"Coming!"
As she opened the door with a strained smile on her face, her grandfather nodded at her and stepped inside her cabin. Immediately, his brows furrowed in disappointment as he took in the interior of her untidy and decrepit cabin.
"Vivi, I am disappointed," Ronan tutted in disapproval. "You should take care of your home."
His gaze trailed across the worn, wooden floorboards landing on the threadbare armchair rocking back and forth beside the crackling fireplace.
Ronan took his seat and found to his discomfort that the hearth offered nothing more than a flickering warmth against the chill of the surrounding forest.
A simple wooden table was standing nearby, worn and chipped, accompanied by a solitary chair. Upon its surface, remains a bowl of half eaten soup. Nearby, a single bed covered in faded sheets offered a place for respite, though its wear and tear hinted at the countless nights of restless sleep.
Vivian pressed her lips tighter as she held back the urge to retort and closed the door with a loud thud. She did not consider this as her home; only a place to sleep when she wasn't out doing her work.
"I have been busy lately. I will clean up when I am free," She said half heartedly, something that didn't go unnoticed by the old man's sharp senses.
"Sigh, you still do not appreciate what I have done for you, do you?" Ronan sighed, his face a mixture of pain and frustration. "You would've been chased out of the elven territory if I hadn't intervened!"
"Hmph," Vivian turned her head to the side— her arms crossed in front of her chest— not willing to face her grandpa.
"Trust me, it is better to live like a pariah in these woods than to be out alone in the human domain. They will hunt you down as soon as they realise your heritage and you will be shipped off to Varn as a slave!"
"Do you want some soup?" Vivian chose to ignore his words. It was not the first time he had repeated those reasons for making her stay in the forest.
"Vivian, don't try to change the topic!" Ronan glowered. "You're the only family I have left. I will not have you shipped off to some distant continent! Do you hear me? You will stay here and take care of your house!"
"Fine!" Vivian glared at her grandfather and deflated after seeing he was not budging from his stance. "I will keep it clean and tidy."
"Good!" A warm smile spread across his face as he gestured for his child to sit down near him. "How is your cultivation progressing? Have you faced any problems? You can always ask your Grandpa if you have any doubts."
Vivian brought the chair near the fireplace and sat opposite her grandfather. "It's fine, I don't have any problems."
"I see," Ronan nodded. "Have you made any new friends? You know, aside from Luna?"
This is what he was here for. He needed to make sure that she stayed away from that brat.
"No one talks with me other than Luna. How am I supposed to make any friends—oh, wait," Vivian paused as she remembered something. "I wouldn't call them friends but I did get to meet three humans! They were nice enough to play along with my antics."
"Was it by any chance a man and two women?" Ronan's face darkened as his granddaughter nodded excitedly.
"Yes, they were. Grandpa, do you know them? Can you tell me more about them? I wouldn't mind being friends with them. Even if they're humans, they're not bad!"
"Cough!" Ronan's face darkened immediately. Dread settled in his heart as he scolded himself for not warning her before. If only he didn't have to keep an obsessive priestess in check, he could've been here before she had met him. "No, I don't know them!"
"Vivi, do not make any contact with them again, understood? Avoid them from now on. They're not good for you! Especially that man, he is dangerous!"
"Hehe, does that mean you know them? Don't lie to me, Grandpa!" Vivian bounced on her chair, excitedly.
"Huh? I don't know them! I already told you," Ronan averted his eyes. "I-it was a rumour. Yes, I've heard rumours about them! It's not good, Vivian. Stay away from that group!"
"Hmph, you shouldn't trust rumours. They are all bad. There are rumours about me being a witch who lives in the woods to hunt animals for sacrificial rituals!" Vivian scoffed. "Would you believe those rumours about me, Grandpa?"
"Of course not! It's rubbish," Ronan shook his head vehemently. Anyone who called his cute granddaughter a witch was a hellion. "I know you. I have seen you grow up. How can I trust those rumours?"
"See? We shouldn't be quick to judge someone without giving them a chance to prove themselves," Vivian beamed, relieved that he was on her side. "Grandpa, you're the one who taught me that, and yet you're not following your own words."
"Don't argue with me, Vivian!" Ronan thundered, his fist balled up in anger. "Stay away from him, it's final!"
"Nope. Not happening!" Vivian shook her head. "I will decide for myself if they are dangerous or not."
"Why are you so stubborn? I am doing this for your own good! Nothing good will come of it by involving yourself with him." Ronan banged his hand on the armrest, frustrated with his granddaughter's childishness.
"Remember who you are! You are better than arguing with your Grandpa!"
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone