"Sour Radish Bitch!"
Jonathan cursed, clutching his left thumb tightly, a pained expression on his face.
Eric was in the living room, flipping through the newspaper. Hearing his father's voice, he put down the paper and rushed to his side instantly.
In the barn, Jonathan clutched his bleeding finger and said helplessly to Eric, "An Owl was hiding in the haystack and pecked my finger when I wasn't looking."
"An Owl?"
Eric didn't know there would be such a thing in the barn.
"There are more rats in the barn, so it's not uncommon for Owls, which prey on rats, to appear here to hunt," Jonathan explained to Eric.
Although Jonathan explained it as an accident, he still couldn't escape Martha's complaints.
"If you had worn gloves, you wouldn't have been pecked by the Owl."
"I don't think it's about the gloves," Jonathan said while bandaging his finger. "No matter how thick the gloves are, an Owl with a sharp beak could pierce them. However, the Owl's appearance isn't a bad thing. At least most of the rats and Batman in the barn have disappeared."
"You always have your reasons, Jonathan." Martha, who was cleaning the kitchen sink, turned to her husband and said.
"Nature always has its reasons, don't you agree, Eric?" Jonathan, whose finger was bandaged, winked at Eric.
Eric smiled and said nothing.
"Sometimes your father is just so eloquent, Eric." Martha finished cleaning the sink, walked out of the kitchen, and said to Eric, "The reason I moved from Metropolis to Smallville wasn't for dazzling glory, but because someone told me: we would never make a lot of money or travel the world, but he would love me for a lifetime. Faced with such sweet talk, I momentarily forgot to refuse."
"Sigh." Jonathan feigned a sigh. "It seems someone misses the scenery of Metropolis."
"Well, sometimes I do."
Listening to his parents bickering, Eric's lips curved slightly, and a smile appeared on his face.
"By the way, has Clark not returned yet?" Martha suddenly mentioned her eldest son.
"He's practicing football at school," Jonathan spread his hands helplessly. "I now believe he's deliberately staying with the team to avoid seeing me, just to escape the awkward silence."
"Don't say that, Jonathan." Seeing her husband's dejected mood, Martha held his hand to comfort him. "Clark will always understand your intentions."
"I hope so!" Jonathan sighed helplessly.
After dinner, the reporter Eric had located with his super vision finally moved.
Eric, who had been waiting for his prey to act, stood up and stretched.
Whoosh!
The curtains at the window seemed to dance as if blown by a strong wind.
The next second, his figure vanished from where he stood.
Reporter K, or Chris, after leaving Lex Luthor's residence, drove towards his own home.
The car bounced on the uneven road, and dim, flickering lights illuminated his calm face.
After driving for half an hour, the car stopped at a detached villa on the outskirts of Smallville.
Chris got out of the car and entered the old villa, which was enveloped in darkness and heaviness.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
In the corridor, which smelled of decaying wood, Chris's footsteps echoed clearly in the silent night.
On the gloomy corridor walls hung several paintings.
The first painting depicted an Owl perched on a branch outside a window, its eyes emitting a strange red glow as it watched the scene inside the room.
The middle painting was the classic scene from the New Testament, Hebrews, "The Blasphemous Death of Aaron's Sons."
In the painting, Aaron's sons—Nadab and Abihu—were burned by heavenly fire sent by God because they privately offered unauthorized fire, thus profaning God.
The last painting in the corridor simply depicted a black Owl mask with ancient patterns.
"Creak!"
Pushing open the door, Chris entered the room.
He put down his briefcase and took out an Owl mask from the cabinet, very similar to the one in the corridor painting, and put it on his head.
Then he opened his laptop and connected the projection equipment.
The remotely connected image instantly projected onto the wall.
The other end of Chris's connection was a small, impressive council chamber.
The walls of the council chamber were decorated with stained glass and several murals depicting religious and knightly styles.
The seats in the council chamber were arranged in a staggered, tight formation, all black. Several aristocratic men and women, dressed in black formal wear and wearing Owl masks, sat on them.
"Chris." The person in black robes and a black Owl mask sitting at the head of the council chamber asked Chris, who was on the remote video call, "You were ordered to monitor Lex Luthor of the Luthor Family. Are you convening the entire council now to provide us with important intelligence?"
The black-robed person's voice was deep and magnetic, exuding an inviolable aura of authority.
"Yes, Speaker, I have gained Lex Luthor's trust."
"Very good! We are rooted in Metropolis, once standing behind every wall, hidden in every shadow. A mere whisper from us made Metropolis tremble; even a falling leaf required our permission. In the Golden Age, we stood at the pinnacle of Metropolis! We were also the masters of this city, but…"
The Speaker's tone shifted, "The rise of Luthor Corp has cut off the council's path and placed it in opposition to the council. Little do they know that our first drop of blood is the beginning of all things! Only destruction awaits the Luthor Family!"
After the Speaker finished his declaration against the Luthor Family, Chris continued his report: "Lex Luthor previously asked me to investigate the Smallville High School prom case, but a few days ago, he suddenly ordered me to investigate two high school students."
"High school students?"
"Yes, Speaker, and he seems very wary of these two high school students, even showing a sense of fear."
The black-robed Speaker on the remote video paused for a moment and asked, "An existence that frightens Lex Luthor? Didn't you previously tell us that Lex is so calm and intelligent that his heart is almost entirely filled with reason? Such a person, would he also have an existence he fears?!"
"Although it sounds incredible, it is indeed true," Chris said respectfully.
"Tell me the names of those two who concern Lex."
"Yes, the other party is from Smallville—"
Before Chris could finish speaking, the remote connection to his laptop suddenly disconnected.
The projection equipment also turned off instantly.
"Interesting! The Council of Owls?"