Chapter 8

Ruth was overjoyed. She didn't expect to get what she wanted so quickly. "Let's go right now!" Ruth said, her eyes shining with happiness. However, Icarus shook his head. "There's no rush. I don't want to skip class." "What's the big deal about skipping class? Even when you're in class, all you do is lie on the desk and sleep. In any case, we can just ask for a leave of absence," Ruth said impatiently. She was so agitated that her face was a little flushed. "You're right. I feel sleepy, so I'd like to get some rest first," Icarus said before putting his head down on the desk. Ruth was vexed and anxious, but she couldn't do anything about it. Icarus slept for the entire morning as if nothing had happened. Many of his classmates thought Walter would come barging into class to look for Icarus, but even after four periods had passed, no one showed up. Even when Hank came to conduct his lesson, he didn't mention the incident this morning. It was as if it never took place. Thus, the students started eyeing Icarus in a new light. Not only was he Ruth's deskmate, but he even managed to get off scot-free after assaulting Leon. They used to think Icarus was an introverted loner, but now, they figured that perhaps he rarely spoke in class because he considered them too beneath him to spare them any attention. … In the afternoon, once school was dismissed, Ruth grabbed Icarus' arm. She was afraid he would sneak off without her. "Don't forget what you promised me this morning," Ruth reminded. "Take your hand off. I don't want any misunderstandings," Icarus immediately requested. Blushing, Ruth bit her lip and released him. What a scoundrel he was! Why was he acting like she'd taken advantage of him when all she did was touch his arm? He was so petty! She silently cursed at him. The two of them proceeded to exit the classroom, keeping a safe distance as they headed to the school gates. As soon as they stepped out, Icarus sensed hostile eyes on him. An SUV was parked across the road, and a few burly thugs were standing outside the SUV smoking a cigarette. Two of them sneered when they spotted Icarus. Evidently, these were Walter's underlings. Ruth noticed them too. She approached Icarus and said, "I'll get Uncle Isaac to chase them off." "Uncle Isaac?" Icarus repeated. "He's over there." Ruth pointed at a black Mercedes-Benz parked by the school entrance. "Uncle Isaac—Isaac Talbot—is my grandpa's adopted son. You could say he's in charge of keeping me safe now," Ruth explained as she led the way over to the Mercedes-Benz. Isaac, a middle-aged man with a prominent burn scar on the left side of his face, got out of the driver's seat. With just a single look, Icarus could discern that Isaac was a cultivator who'd reached the 8th stage of the refinement phase. In modern-day terms, he would be called an innate fighter. Meanwhile, Isaac also studied Icarus. "Uncle Isaac, over there…" Ruth walked up to Isaac and said a few things. Isaac nodded and went over to the thugs by the SUV. At first, the thugs maintained their domineering stance, pointing at Icarus as they brandished their metal batons. It looked as though they wanted to beat Isaac up too. But after Isaac said something, all the color drained out of their faces. The men quickly bowed in apology to him before scrambling into the SUV and fleeing. "I'm guessing this Uncle Isaac of yours is a pretty good fighter," Icarus remarked to Ruth as they sat inside the car. "Of course! Uncle Isaac is an 8th-stage innate fighter recognized by the Martial Arts Association!" Ruth declared proudly. "Oh? Are there stages to being an innate fighter?" Isaac was a little taken aback. "That's right. There are 12 stages of being an innate fighter. Anyone who's at least at the 8th stage is considered a truly exceptional fighter. Those who have reached the 12th stage are the all-powerful martial arts grandmasters. "When I was little, I once shook hands with Mr. Seagal, Riverton's renowned martial arts grandmaster!" Ruth shared triumphantly, her eyes sparkling. In other words, innate fighters were basically cultivators in the refinement phase. The stages for both were equivalents of each other. On the other hand, martial arts grandmasters were probably similar to cultivators who'd reach the foundation phase. Icarus wondered if that made him a 9832nd-stage innate fighter. It sounded pretty impressive. Isaac returned and got into the driver's seat. After starting the engine, he observed Icarus through the rearview mirror while asking, "Ruth, this is…?" Ruth made the introductions. "This is Icarus Frye, the disciple of Dr. Aldridge that we met the last time we went to the northwestern region. He's my classmate now." "Not for much longer," Icarus added. "Oh? You're the disciple of Salazar Aldridge, the genius doctor?" Isaac said in surprise, his brows lifting ever so slightly. In his eyes, Icarus seemed perfectly average in every way. There was nothing extraordinary about him. How could such an ordinary high schooler be Salazar's disciple? Ruth was young and innocent. Could it be that she'd been tricked? Immediately, Isaac had his guard up against Icarus. Meanwhile, now that there was a chance that Jeremiah's condition could be treated, Ruth was in a great mood. She kept talking throughout the car ride, even sharing stories about her childhood. Icarus wasn't interested in them, so he simply responded with absent-minded hums from time to time. Half an hour later, they arrived at the Talbot residence, one of the grandest villas in Hindale. Just in terms of size alone, it was over 20 times bigger than Icarus' rental. The classic style of architecture made the place exude an air of elegance and sophistication that exemplified the family's wealth. They passed by a large garden filled with potted plants as well as a manmade pond before entering the residence and heading into the living room. One of the maids came over and greeted, "You're home, Ms. Talbot." Ruth hummed in acknowledgment before asking hurriedly, "Where's Grandpa?" Before the maid could respond, a woman's voice came from the couch behind. "Your grandpa is currently being assessed by an expert from Centrone. Why are you looking for him in such a rush?" "Aunt Ramona," Ruth called out when she finally noticed Ramona Larkin, her eldest uncle's wife, sitting on the couch. "You brought a friend home, Ruth? Why aren't you introducing him?" The lavishly dressed Ramona looked at Icarus. "This is Icarus Frye. He's Dr. Aldridge's disciple, the one Fred and I met back in the northwestern region," Ruth said. "Oh? You're Icarus?" Ramona narrowed her eyes and she studied him carefully. Icarus nodded without speaking. "Are you sure you're Dr. Aldridge's disciple? I'm afraid you won't be able to bear the consequences of lying to us. I'll give you one last chance now. As long as you admit to lying, I promise we won't hold it against you," Ramona said with a sneer. She didn't believe that an ordinary teenage boy around Ruth's age could be Salazar's disciple, especially not one who just so happened to be attending the same school as Ruth. Clearly, Icarus was purposely trying to get close to the Talbots, or perhaps Ruth. This wasn't an uncommon incident for wealthy families like the Talbots. After hearing what Ramona said, Ruth's expression stiffened. She anxiously cried out, "Aunt Ramona, I invited Icarus over to treat Grandpa's condition…" "Treat his condition? Him? Hahaha. You're too naive, Ruth. I can guarantee that this person here has a questionable identity. He certainly is no disciple of Dr. Aldridge. He approached you with ulterior motives just so he could glean something from our family," Ramona declared with a derisive snort. "Didn't I say from the start that I'm not Salazar's disciple?" Icarus said while looking at Ruth. "See? He admits it now," Ramona chimed in contemptuously. "Technically speaking, Salazar was my disciple," Icarus added with a faint smile. Upon hearing that, everyone's expressions turned strange, including the household staff and Isaac. Did he go mad after his lies were exposed? How could he say that Salazar was his disciple? Even if they disregarded everything else, what about Salazar's and his ages? Salazar was already renowned across Dalsoria before he was even born! "What utter nonsense! Ruth, when you and Freddy told me about Dr. Aldridge's disciple after your trip, I genuinely felt hopeful, thinking that there's still hope for Dad. Who would've thought that all you found was a lunatic instead?" Michael Talbot, a bespectacled middle-aged man in a suit, entered the living room. "Dad…" Ruth called out meekly. Michael had a grim expression as he looked at Icarus and said, "Out with it. Who sent you to try and get close to us Talbots? If you tell us the truth, we'll consider sparing you. But if you don't… then don't even think about getting out of this so easily." Ruth's eyes pooled with tears. She'd brought Icarus back just so he could treat Jeremiah, never expecting that things would turn out like this.