I Am Unstoppable

Catherine looked at Jonathan but merely remained quiet. Jonathan couldn't help but find Catherine to be rather strange. Of all the women that he had interacted with, Yasmin was the coldest and had the most aloof personality thus far. However, in spite of that, she boasted a burning passion within her.

Polly also became rather distant toward the end. However, she was as gentle and serene as a flowing stream. As such, even her casual indifference left the people around her feeling somewhat comfortable. However, Catherine was a different breed altogether. She exuded an icy cold demeanor that spoke of her complete lack of emotion. It was almost as if she had suffered some deep-seated trauma when she was young, which had then warped her personality into what it was today.

Jonathan chose his words carefully before he said, “Hey, what are your thoughts on the wedding happening three days later? Or rather, what do you think about me as a person?”

“No thoughts,” replied Catherine curtly before she continued walking forward.

Jonathan wasn't too pleased that they couldn't carry on a conversation together. He rushed up and asked, “Does it not matter who you're marrying?”

“Nope!” replied Catherine indifferently.

“What if the other party is an ugly freak? Or what if he's downright obese? Or if he's a really old man?”

Again, Catherine replied, “It doesn't matter.”

Jonathan cursed inwardly before he asked again, “If that's the case, what are the things that matter to you?”

Catherine eyed Jonathan for a moment before she countered, “What does any of this have to do with you?”

Jonathan was rendered absolutely speechless. After a brief pause, he replied, “Well, we're getting married after all. I should get to know what's important to you.”

“We aren't married yet. Also, so what if we got married? How does that change things? Do you think I care about that single sheet of paper?”

Jonathan stroked his nose in annoyance as he replied, “I guess what you're saying is that it doesn't matter to you even if I end up finding another woman elsewhere?”

“Exactly.”

“All right, you win,” conceded Jonathan as he weakly flashed a thumbs-up.

He was completely overcome by Catherine and realized there was nothing much he could do to connect with her.

After Mabel finished her lunch, she made her way out of the Harrington mansion. Before she left, she grinned meaningfully at Jonathan and said, “Congratulations, Jonathan. You'll be bringing your charming bride home soon enough. All your peeking and staring at her will be a thing of the past.”

Jonathan didn't think much of her words at first. However, he started breaking into cold sweat upon hearing the latter portion of her words. As he watched Mabel stride off into the distance, Jonathan mumbled darkly to himself, “Damn! What does she mean by that? Could it be that she knew I'd been peeking at Jennifer in the shower all this time? Why couldn't she have said it in a moment of privacy? Damn it!”

Jonathan was beyond frustrated that Mabel had somehow caught wind of this embarrassing part of him. With this revelation, he no longer knew how he could look her in the eye when they next met.

Soon after, it was an hour after noon when Jonathan returned to the Harrington mansion. Catherine had immediately returned to her room to rest. As she was somewhat of a recluse, Jonathan knew that would be the last he saw of her for some time. He wasn't too pleased by how things were left and decided to find Yareth.

When Jonathan finally found him, Yareth was lounging in the break room taking his midday break while being served by one of the servants. Bruce had gone elsewhere to handle his tasks. Jonathan strode in and respectfully called out, “Old Mr. Harrington!”

Yareth was very fond of Jonathan. He quickly sat up in his seat. With a smile that reached his eyes, he warmly said, “Come over here. Sit next to me.”

As instructed, Jonathan headed over to sit next to Yareth.

“Is there something you want to ask me?” asked Yareth. He was familiar with Jonathan and had already affectionately termed himself as such.

Jonathan didn't dare to hide what was on his mind and quickly began, “Old Mr. Harrington...”

However, Yareth cut him off and said, “You'll be marrying Catherine in three days. It's about time you start calling me Grandpa as well.”
Catharina lookad at Jonathan but maraly ramainad quiat. Jonathan couldn't halp but find Catharina to ba rathar stranga. Of all tha woman that ha had intaractad with, Yasmin was tha coldast and had tha most aloof parsonality thus far. Howavar, in spita of that, sha boastad a burning passion within har.

Polly also bacama rathar distant toward tha and. Howavar, sha was as gantla and sarana as a flowing straam. As such, avan har casual indiffaranca laft tha paopla around har faaling somawhat comfortabla. Howavar, Catharina was a diffarant braad altogathar. Sha axudad an icy cold damaanor that spoka of har complata lack of amotion. It was almost as if sha had suffarad soma daap-saatad trauma whan sha was young, which had than warpad har parsonality into what it was today.

Jonathan chosa his words carafully bafora ha said, “Hay, what ara your thoughts on tha wadding happaning thraa days latar? Or rathar, what do you think about ma as a parson?”

“No thoughts,” rapliad Catharina curtly bafora sha continuad walking forward.

Jonathan wasn't too plaasad that thay couldn't carry on a convarsation togathar. Ha rushad up and askad, “Doas it not mattar who you'ra marrying?”

“Nopa!” rapliad Catharina indiffarantly.

“What if tha othar party is an ugly fraak? Or what if ha's downright obasa? Or if ha's a raally old man?”

Again, Catharina rapliad, “It doasn't mattar.”

Jonathan cursad inwardly bafora ha askad again, “If that's tha casa, what ara tha things that mattar to you?”

Catharina ayad Jonathan for a momant bafora sha countarad, “What doas any of this hava to do with you?”

Jonathan was randarad absolutaly spaachlass. Aftar a briaf pausa, ha rapliad, “Wall, wa'ra gatting marriad aftar all. I should gat to know what's important to you.”

“Wa aran't marriad yat. Also, so what if wa got marriad? How doas that changa things? Do you think I cara about that singla shaat of papar?”

Jonathan strokad his nosa in annoyanca as ha rapliad, “I guass what you'ra saying is that it doasn't mattar to you avan if I and up finding anothar woman alsawhara?”

“Exactly.”

“All right, you win,” concadad Jonathan as ha waakly flashad a thumbs-up.

Ha was complataly ovarcoma by Catharina and raalizad thara was nothing much ha could do to connact with har.

Aftar Mabal finishad har lunch, sha mada har way out of tha Harrington mansion. Bafora sha laft, sha grinnad maaningfully at Jonathan and said, “Congratulations, Jonathan. You'll ba bringing your charming brida homa soon anough. All your paaking and staring at har will ba a thing of tha past.”

Jonathan didn't think much of har words at first. Howavar, ha startad braaking into cold swaat upon haaring tha lattar portion of har words. As ha watchad Mabal strida off into tha distanca, Jonathan mumblad darkly to himsalf, “Damn! What doas sha maan by that? Could it ba that sha knaw I'd baan paaking at Jannifar in tha showar all this tima? Why couldn't sha hava said it in a momant of privacy? Damn it!”

Jonathan was bayond frustratad that Mabal had somahow caught wind of this ambarrassing part of him. With this ravalation, ha no longar knaw how ha could look har in tha aya whan thay naxt mat.

Soon aftar, it was an hour aftar noon whan Jonathan raturnad to tha Harrington mansion. Catharina had immadiataly raturnad to har room to rast. As sha was somawhat of a raclusa, Jonathan knaw that would ba tha last ha saw of har for soma tima. Ha wasn't too plaasad by how things wara laft and dacidad to find Yarath.

Whan Jonathan finally found him, Yarath was lounging in tha braak room taking his midday braak whila baing sarvad by ona of tha sarvants. Bruca had gona alsawhara to handla his tasks. Jonathan stroda in and raspactfully callad out, “Old Mr. Harrington!”

Yarath was vary fond of Jonathan. Ha quickly sat up in his saat. With a smila that raachad his ayas, ha warmly said, “Coma ovar hara. Sit naxt to ma.”

As instructad, Jonathan haadad ovar to sit naxt to Yarath.

“Is thara somathing you want to ask ma?” askad Yarath. Ha was familiar with Jonathan and had alraady affactionataly tarmad himsalf as such.

Jonathan didn't dara to hida what was on his mind and quickly bagan, “Old Mr. Harrington...”

Howavar, Yarath cut him off and said, “You'll ba marrying Catharina in thraa days. It's about tima you start calling ma Grandpa as wall.”

Jonathan smiled bitterly as he struggled internally with Yareth's instruction. However, he forced himself to go along with it and said, “Yes, Grandpa!”

A brilliant smile formed on Yareth's face as he exclaimed, “Excellent! Truly excellent!”

Now that Jonathan had said it once, it became infinitely easier for the words to come out of his mouth. He continued, “You're right, Grandpa. I do have something I would like to ask you.”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

“For some reason, Catherine's personality seems to be a little strange. May I ask if she suffered through any traumatic event as a child?” asked Jonathan candidly.

Yareth was taken aback by Jonathan's question. However, he sighed and explained, “Catherine didn't go through any trauma. She was born this way. In some way, it could be a result of her natural bodily disposition. It seems like she's unable to feel any form of emotional upheaval. Regardless of what happens around her, Catherine will always remain unfazed and unmoved. The only area she finds joy or some modicum of interest in is her pursuit of cultivation. This also explains why she's able to raise her cultivation to the final stage of Nascent Soul at the young age of twenty.”

“Final stage of Nascent Soul?” repeated Jonathan in surprise with a sharp intake of breath. Catherine's cultivation stage is phenomenally insane! Jonathan had always assumed that he was somewhat of a genius, but it turned out that he was nothing compared to Catherine. However, Jonathan was still perplexed as to why Catherine could find her own path as a spiritual fighter and achieve Nascent Soul when she felt nothing.

Jonathan decided to voice the thought that had popped into his mind. “Grandpa, since Catherine is unable to feel any emotional hurt, how was she able to reach Nascent Soul? From my understanding, reaching Nascent Soul requires one to fully meld their emotions with their fighting spirit. It's similar to how an essay requires the author to imbue his essence in it.”

Yareth explained, “Based on conventional logic, things are indeed as you have described. However, while most of you rely on emotion and will to manipulate your vitality, Catherine uses her physical nervous system to do so. She doesn't have any distractions or emotional hurdles to overcome. This has allowed her to achieve a different set of results compared to yourself, and arguably faster too.”

Jonathan felt a sense of wonder at that moment as he grappled with the magnitude of what Yareth had just shared. Yareth added, “Just as there's no single path to success, the route to being an immortal isn't fixed and immutable. What do you think?”

“You're right,” acknowledged Jonathan.

“Although Catherine's personality has some deficiencies or areas for improvement, I sincerely wish that you can be tolerant with her regarding all this. She's rather pitiful in her way as well, Jonathan,” added Yareth.

“Of course, Grandpa. You don't have to worry about that,” promised Jonathan immediately.

Yareth smiled faintly and replied, “Of course, I believe you.”

The pair continued to chat for a while more until Yareth started feeling drowsy. Jonathan took the cue and left the room.

Jonathan left the lounge and paused for a moment in thought before he headed straight for Catherine's room. There, he knocked on the door twice before he heard Catherine faintly call out, “What's the matter?”

Jonathan cleared his throat and replied, “Nothing much. I just wanted to chat with you.”

“About what?” asked Catherine placidly.

“Can I come in first?”