Chapter 8: How Awkward

The matter concerning the Su family was handled with extreme secrecy. Almost everyone who knew anything had gone there—and all had died there. Yet, the rest of the family remained completely unaware. Only one rather uninvolved elder remained, vaguely knowing that someone had gone in search of some treasure but with no clear understanding of the situation.

However, it had already been six consecutive days without their return, which was highly unusual. In the past, business trips never lasted this long. The Su family was merely a ninth-rank noble family in Bibo City, not a prominent martial clan. What could possibly take six days to complete? Moreover, all the important figures had gone, and none had come back—not even a single message.

The Su family was thrown into panic and secretly sought information everywhere. Inevitably, the truth could not remain hidden. After all, the Su family’s desperation was visible to those with keen eyes. With many people involved, some leakage was unavoidable. Gradually, sensational rumors spread that “all the Su family members had been wiped out.”

Surprisingly, those rumors weren’t entirely unfounded. Now, apart from the Su family, other clans like the Fang, Lü, Zhang, and Wei families were all stirred to action. Even the experts assigned to guard the Great Hall were urgently recalled.

Fang Che’s mother, Fang Qianyi, also returned exhausted from her journey. She had first gone to guard the Great Hall, completed her family tasks, earned contribution points, then sold some of the gains from outside, returning with empty sleeves but a fulfilled mission. Carrying some fine treasures she had procured for her son, she was just entering the home when her elder brother summoned her.

...

“What’s the matter?” Fang Qianyi had been away for half a month and was deeply missing her son.

“Come with me first,” Fang Zhenghang whispered, pulling his sister into the study.

“Che has changed a bit these days,” he said mysteriously.

“What kind of change?” Fang Qianyi asked.

“This kid seems to have altered somewhat. For the past few days, he hasn’t been cursing people. Well, not exactly no cursing—it’s just that now he only curses that guy the Su family bribed. He’s been gentle with everyone else. Also, he even called back the maid he had driven away.”

Speaking in hushed tones with furtive eyes, as if plotting a secret, Fang Zhenghang continued, “Little sister, I think this child has finally come to his senses, opened his eyes. At least, he’s no longer so hostile to the family. Although he’s still a bit defiant and resentful, I can feel he’s changed a lot.”

In the past few days, Fang Zhenghang had come twice when he could. Although Fang Che still maintained his usual detached demeanor, being neither warm nor cold, as head of the family with a lifetime of worldly experience, Fang Zhenghang could not help but sense the change. He had been quietly relieved for several days.

Now that his sister had come back, he had to share the good news.

“Really?” Fang Qianyi was pleasantly surprised.

“Yes, yes. So when you go back, don’t praise him too much. The kid is silently changing, and he’s embarrassed to show it clearly. If you praise him, he might feel awkward.”

“Hmm hmm hmm.” Fang Qianyi smiled with delight. “Big brother, you’re talking about good things, but why do you sound like you’re hiding a secret? Where’s the dignity of the head of the family?”

“Because of your son,” Fang Zhenghang said. “Che has taken a master, but it’s all very secretive. He won’t let anyone know. And this master of his is a real expert.”

“An expert? How powerful?” Fang Qianyi was curious.

“More powerful than us, more than the whole family,” Fang Zhenghang said seriously.

Fang Qianyi was shocked. “Could he be at the General rank?”

“Probably even higher,” Fang Zhenghang said. “I suspect he’s at the King rank.”

“King rank?!” Fang Qianyi realized the gravity of the situation and understood why her brother was so secretive. “There aren’t many King-rank experts outside the control of both sides, right? Which side is this master from?”

“How would I know?” Fang Zhenghang frowned. “That’s why I pulled you over to discuss it.”

“This kid is too reckless. How could he take a master without telling us first?” Fang Qianyi felt the problem was quite tricky.

...

The real issue now was that the master had already been taken. Whether the family accepted it or not, it was done and dusted.

If the master was from the Guardians, that would be better; but if not, what if something happened in the future?

“So... should we report this?”

Fang Zhenghang frowned. “How do we report it? I’m worried that if we report it, we might hurt the kid’s feelings.”

That was his true concern.

Fang Che was clearly changing for the better, but if the family reported the matter of his apprenticeship, making it a personal act separate from the family, what if the sensitive child took offense?

If it were his own son, it would be easy: a good beating would settle everything. But this was his nephew.

Hence, he had to discuss it with his sister.

Fang Qianyi snorted, “It must be reported, and the kid surely knows that too. The reason he kept it secret is probably to force us to report it—otherwise, why hide it?”

“You should go back and discuss it with him first,” Fang Zhenghang advised. “Better to be cautious. The kid has finally shown some improvement; don’t let us make him feel cold and say we’re cutting ties with him... that would be hard to fix.”

Fang Qianyi agreed and headed toward the courtyard.

She grabbed her son, who was practicing sword strikes, by the arm. “Che, I heard you took a master. Where is your master?”

Fang Che was startled.

He looked at his mother, slender and fair-skinned, tall—a genuine beauty. Yet her eyebrows were thick and sword-shaped, and her eyes bright and sharp. There was a well-known saying: those with thick eyebrows and large eyes are just like this.

She exuded a vigorous and heroic aura, and even calling her “dashing” seemed insufficient without adding “not yielding to men.”

She also seemed somewhat carefree, with a “free-spirited wanderer” vibe.

Fang Che admired such a personality in a woman.

Moreover, this was his own mother, which instantly filled him with warmth.

“My master went out... Mom, why didn’t you give me a heads-up before coming back?”

Fang Che’s calling her “mom” felt natural, as though the original self’s deep attachment to his mother still influenced him.

He himself felt no resistance.

To be reborn was a stroke of luck; inhabiting another’s body, shouldn’t he fulfill the filial duty?

Besides, he didn’t even know who he truly was—now, he was completely Fang Che.

So naturally, the woman before him was his mother.

“Do I need to notify you before coming back?” Fang Qianyi grabbed his ear and gave it a gentle twist. “Where’s your master? You’re quite bold to take a master on your own—what do you intend to do about this?”

Though her gaze was stern, her grip was light.

“What else can I do? Isn’t it normal to take a master myself? My master is highly skilled, a King-rank expert. I took him as my master to learn martial arts; isn’t that only right?”

“A King-rank expert?”

Fang Qianyi paused. “But the family must report to the Guardians of the Great Hall! What if he’s a bad person? Do you know your master’s background?”

Fang Che was puzzled. “Why should I know my master’s background? I’m just learning martial arts from him. Whether he’s good or bad doesn’t instantly change anything. Even if it affects me, it doesn’t involve the family.”

He added, “If the family needs to report, then report it. Otherwise, how could I secretly take a master? It’s just to learn some skills without implicating the family.”

Fang Qianyi’s beautiful eyes widened.

She smacked the back of his head with a clap, mock-scolding, “You really have some cunning!”

Afterwards, she rubbed the spot and laughed. “Mom brought back a lot of good things for you this time.”

Turning around, mother and son both froze in surprise.

Behind them stood Sun Yuan, who had only recently become a master himself.

He was staring at Fang Che with a peculiar expression.

...

Fang Qianyi immediately recognized him.

The moment was awkward beyond words.

She and her son had been discussing how to distance themselves if the master turned out to be bad—only for him to be standing right behind, listening.

As for Fang Che’s embarrassment, it was all an act.

“Master, you’ve been listening all along?” Fang Che asked sheepishly.

“If I hadn’t, how would I know my good disciple is so sly?” Sun Yuan said with a sly grin, neither fully serious nor joking.

Fang Che smiled. “That’s the proper way to handle things, Master. Even if you’re here now, I’d say the same. You took me as a disciple not because of my family, right?”

“That may be so, but...” Sun Yuan still felt something wasn’t quite right.

“If Master doesn’t agree, you can just expel me. I won’t blame you,” Fang Che said.

“That won’t happen,” Sun Yuan shook his head repeatedly.

How could a small family compare to his peerless prodigy disciple?

“So what you’re doing is actually right. You’ve thought this through carefully.”

“Thank you, Master, for your understanding.”

“No need for thanks; I’m your master, not someone else’s.”

“Yes, yes, Master is the best.”

Fang Qianyi was dumbfounded.

Could it really be handled this way?

She glanced at her son again, surprised at his gift for words.

She sensed something different about him, but aside from him seeming more handsome, she saw nothing else.

“No wonder he’s my child!”

Then she bowed to Sun Yuan and apologized, “Senior, the child is ignorant. Please forgive him.”

Sun Yuan rolled his eyes. “The child is well-behaved, hardly ignorant.”

Fang Qianyi swallowed nervously, secretly pleased, and asked, “May I ask your name, Senior?”

Sun Yuan replied, “Since I’ve taken Che as my disciple and you are his mother, calling me ‘Senior’ isn’t quite right. My surname is Sun, given name Yuan. In the martial world, I’m known as the Flying Blade King. You may call me Brother Sun.”

He truly was a King-rank expert—and the Blade King!

Fang Qianyi was no longer the same as Fang Che. A King-rank master was a towering figure for a ninth-rank family—almost a celestial being.

Who in this world could claim to be a king?

To reach the rank of King was no trivial matter!

One must reach the pinnacle of cultivation and combat strength, and dominate a particular field to claim such a title.

Fang Qianyi quietly rejoiced and earnestly said, “Brother Sun, it’s a pleasure.”

She pondered his origins, having heard the name vaguely before—he was a lone martial wanderer, known for walking the line between righteousness and wickedness.

Half her worries were eased. “Che has found a great master, so as his mother, I am relieved. Though the child is slow-witted, Brother Sun, please take good care of him.”

Slow-witted.

Sun Yuan felt a pang of discomfort in his chest and was tempted to roll his eyes.

Where on earth did she see any dullness in Fang Che?

In just three days, the boy had soaked up everything he taught, forcing Sun Yuan to find excuses to leave so he could arrange tasks for Che to enter the martial academy as top student and earn merit.

And yet she called him slow-witted?

...

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