Retake *Discontinued*

Chapter Fifty-Five: The First at the City Lord's Mansion

It was a few days after the tournament; Nie Tai was meditating quietly in a small courtyard. A few birds landed around her, chirping and hopping about happily, and the sun was shining brightly. It was peaceful.

"Sister!" Called Nie Li, startling both the girl and the birds. Frightened, the birds quickly flew away; frowning at the interruption, Nie Tai turned to her brother with a questioning look on her face. Smiling, Nie Li continued, "Better start getting ready. The carriage is going to be here soon."

"I have everything in my storage ring. Is there anything that I'm forgetting?" She asked. Standing up, she brushed the dirt off of her pants and waited for her brother to reply.

"No, but you will be sending letters to us. Right?" Asked a worried Xiao Yun as she stepped out into the courtyard.

"Of course. And I'll be sure to make Xiao Li to write as well," affirmed Nie Tai, pulling her mother into a quick hug. Stepping back, they walked into the house and to the entrance where a carriage and an excited child were waiting.

"Good. Make sure that Nie Yu sends letters. I'm sure that her father will appreciate it," ordered Xiao Yun softly. The twins' father and uncle were hard at work in overseeing all of their duties and were not there to say goodbye.

"Yes. Now, we have to go. Be safe," said Nie Li, quickly hugging his mother.

"Will do. Don't get into too much trouble," replied Xiao Yun worriedly.

"No promises!" Called Nie Li as he hopped into the carriage. Shaking her head, Nie Tai smiled happily as she waved her mother goodbye. With a lurch, the carriage started forward and began their journey to the City Lord's Mansion.

"Big Brother, Big Sister, why are we going to the City Lord's Mansion?" Asked Nie Yu curiously. The little girl swung her legs as she waited for an answer.

"It's safer there. There, none will dare to attack us and the family will be safe," replied Nie Tai; although Nie Yu had asked this question several times, Nie Tai remained patient.

"Why would people attack us?" Asked Nie Yu with wide eyes. Nie Tai paused slightly: Nie Yu hadn't asked this question before.

"Because they are jealous of us. Your Big Brother and Big Sister are very influential! They naturally want our hard-earned knowledge!" Answered Nie Li confidently.

"Oh, then why don't they just ask nicely?" Inquired Nie Yu, continuing with her interrogation.

"That would be too easy. If it isn't difficult to obtain, then is it worth using the effort to obtain it?" Said Nie Tai slowly, answering Nie Yu's question with another.

"I guess not," said the little girl with a concentrated look on her face. Looking at the twins, she declared, "I'm going to take a nap!"

Without further ado, Nie Yu laid down and put her head on Nie Tai's lap. Within a minute, her breathing deepened and she was sound asleep. Chuckling quietly, Nie Li said, "I guess she is."

⧫⧫⧫

Stepping out of the carriage, Nie Tai happily stretched in the fading light. After spending most of the day travelling, she was glad to have finally reached their destination: the City Lord's Mansion. After her back gave a satisfying pop, she looked around and studied the surroundings. She immediately noticed how ostentatious they were from the large, extravagant columns decorated with engravings of demon-beasts, plants, humans, and animals that bordered the stone path into the estate. Looking up, she noticed that the ceiling was made of glass panelsーsome of which were stained, leaving spots of color on the path. There appeared to be no pattern to the ceiling's colors.