I slowly drained those Spirit Jades in maybe ten or so minutes, the Qi inside getting siphoned out and pulled into my body to temper everything that it passed over, ranging from the muscles it swept across, the bones it caressed and the meridians that it filled.
The most obvious thing it tempered was my Spirit Root, which had continued to feast during these ten minutes as I provided it the nutrition that it craved, until eventually the two Spirit Jades in my hands grew a little colder and lost their luster, signaling that they were empty.
Now they were just a greyish green stone that looked a little pretty, and although the first instinct was to just toss them aside and forget about them, I had come to learn that people still liked this color and what it symbolized, so they bought these drained Spirit Jades to turn into pieces of jewelry and other accessories.
Cultivation was never a 'fun' thing to do even when you had Spirit Jades to help you along, so all of those ten minutes felt something like an eternity; I only really knew it was about that long thanks to my mental timer when it came to the things happening in the house, like Mother shouting for everyone to get ready for breakfast within the next couple of minutes.
Storing the two chunks of drained Spirit Jade into the chest again, I stood up and stretched before walking over to the washbasin, filling it with some fresh rainwater and then dipping a cloth into it as I started to wipe myself down.
Trying to completely remove the stench of sex from my body was a difficult ask without any soap, but I got enough of it that there was little need for me to worry after I put on a slightly heavier robe that could 'contain' my scent decently enough.
Plus I took one of the small jars that Leo gave me and dipped a finger into the paste within, gently rubbing that across my neck and wrists to further mask the scent around me; that somewhat sharp and sweet smell that this paste had was nice on the nose, and it also always reminded me that my brother would have a plethora of things to rely on to make a living.
Because I felt the need to mask my scent a little I was the last one out, and the knowing look that Mother gave me made me snicker quietly as I sat down and looked at the meal that had been pushed onto the table, which was one we had eaten for so many years now.
Oatmeal mixed with some berries and a dash of something or other inside that gave it just a bit more flavor to make it not an affront to your tongue; it was filling, had a bit of flavor that I liked, and it was a really nice source of warmth on these cooler mornings.
"Now Leo, you need to get bundled up and head with Giovanni down to the town. Remember, that Alchemist from the Sect is just going to ask you to do what you normally do already, so don't fret."
The moment we were done with our breakfast Mother immediately began to fuss over Leo, who smiled - rather nervously too, with his blue eyes flicking around the table before settling onto his bowl - and nodded in response, earning a soft sigh from Mother who reached over and patted his head.
"You'll do fine, Leo, you just need to believe in yourself."
Everyone nodded and gave him a smile to try and help bolster his confidence, which upon seeing that he blushed and nodded in return, looking like a little puppy that was happy with the attention yet uncertain what to do with it.
"And you, Isabella, need to keep cultivating. If you can make it to Seventh Foundation before the Elder arrives, that would be best."
Mother turned towards me and immediately hardened up, her eyes narrowing as she made it rather clear she hadn't 'forgiven' me for what happened this morning, yet she didn't tell anyone else about it either.
"Of course Mother~! Though, Father, are we gonna keep workin' the mines or..?"
Leaning back in his chair and staring at me for a moment, the old man tapped his finger against teh edge of the table before replying "These next few days, you need to spend 'em shorin' up that cultivation of yers. Nothing else, just that. We made enough coin last night to last us 'bout two weeks, so we're good for now."
He glanced down at his bowl - which had practically been licked clean at this point - and tapped its rim as he added "Woman, get me another.", earning himself a roll of the eyes from Mother as she stood up and fetched him another portion.
"And... well, 'sides, I could do with a bit of a break, y'know? All of us could... Ain't everyday that we get to just relax as a family, not ever since Giovanni got 'imself up into the city."
My older brother smiled and leaned back as well, accepting the ladle of extra oatmeal from Mother with a nod before saying "We'll start having more time for that in the future too, Father. Once Izzy here makes it into the Sect - and after Leo becomes that Alchemist's assistant - we'll all be up in the city. Might be a bit busy, but..."
That was when Mother chimed in again, a small smile on her lips as she said "Well, when all of you are busy working, your Father and I can just... enjoy life again. Take some walks, chat beside the fireplace...", trailing off there at the end as she left that rather... open ended.
Leo blushed a lot when he put two and two together, while I snickered and avoided the clean wooden spoon that came cracking down for my head, unable to help myself as I danced away from those blows and retreated to my room once more, even as Mother glared at me.
"If Father can even get it up~!"
Now the old man was glaring too, but as I slipped into my room I 'escaped' most of their ire for now and instead flopped back onto my bed, that grin fading rather quickly as the pressure returned manyfold...
However, alongside that pressure there was a renewed sense of determination to prove their belief in me right, and the first step in doing that was to do some boring, plain cultivation in hopes of forming that seventh bud completely - and officially reaching Seventh Foundation instead of being most of the way there.