(Bu Cai POV)

Seeing him grin at the fact that I could dodge him, only made me angrier.

I was about to talk some sense into him when he started to speak,

"Young Master truly given me another surprise this time, not only could you perform so well on the training. You even became a sensation throughout the city!"

"You couldn't imagine how shocked I was after hearing that our young master actually got one of the top positions in the tournament and was even able to keep up with the infamous Song Ju!"

My anger subsided a little after hearing his praises and I lifted my head up higher whilst replying,

"Hmph, Of course I would shock the city. My name wouldn't be Bu Cai, if i didn't shock everyone with my unparalleled skills."

"Seems like you have severely misjudged my talents Hou."

Just as I was about to keep praising myself, Hou burst into laughter and interrupted me,

"HAHAHHA, I knew well how much you were capable of after watching you train for months. Don't think I don't know that you have definitely used some incredibly impressive herb or technique to improve your self. Now Spill it you little brat!"

"How could you go against your parents teachings and accept bribes from people as insidious as members of major sects?!"

He soon grabbed onto my ears and pulled tightly,

"This is on behalf of your father, I just came back not too long ago from telling him about how impressive you are and here you are making silly mistakes like getting into debt!"

"Which sect was it!"

Just as I was about to scream from the pain I shouted out to him,

"WAIT, I CAN EXPLAIN!"

...

"NO LOANS, I PROMISE!"

...

After hearing, this the iron grip on my poor left ear loosened and the pain stopped, and he then asked,

"Well then, if you say it like that I can't help but think you have done something much worse, perhaps steal?"

"Maybe you promised to do something unreasonable?"

...

"OI!"

I intercepted his defamation, and began to speak,

"You senile old man, you are just like my stupid father! Do you really take me as someone who would put his future in jeopardy over some herb?"

I did indeed do such a thing, but that was unintentional! How was I supposed to know cockroach was gonna become a 'Return Of The Immortal Emperor" troupe due to a fucking small scam?!

"I got that herb through just means!"

"And that just mean is MY luck!"

"Do you really think a Son Of Heaven like me would not be blessed!"

"just you wait, In a couple years you'll be taking loans from me!"

He looked at me incredulously and said,

"Are you sure you didn't do anything sketchy?"

"I am not doubting your words young master, but a herb that could improve your strength in such a major way is surely something that is not cheap."

I replied,

"Of course. I can promise on my name."

"Now that we have gotten over this, why don't you start telling me about how mother and father are doing?"

I then opened my door, and we both headed in for a talk.

He then told me about how everything is going fine, and that they both miss me, and hope that they can see me soon.

Chang Wu is still being the arrogant bitch he always is, and that father of mine has recently gotten even more powerful through comprehending something.

That old man must have gotten depressed over my disappearance and hence caused him to have enlightenment.

I genuinely felt the happiest I have been all the time here by being able to hear about them.

Although this place has it's entertainment, luxuries, and interesting sights.

At the end of the day, it still isn't my true home...

*Sigh* When will I be able to return in peace.

I still have a bunch of stress piled on my back:

-Having to fit in with the Chen Family.

-Getting Shields *Cough* Young Masters on my side to distract Long Tian.

-Gain enough strength to oppose Mr. Godking...

Pain.

...

Soon the conversation steers towards me again, I answer that everything is fine and I blurt out that I chose to go to the Chen Family to be nurtured...

*Silence*

What's wrong?

Hou's eyes widen and he screams louder than I would have ever expected this man's vocal cords could ever take him,

"WHAT?!!"

He seems to be trembling from, fear?

Am I missing something?

Isn't this supposed to be a time to rejoice, and jump up and down, over the fact that I coped us some top tier connections and backing?

He takes a bit to calm down and says in a grave voice,

"There is no more turning back for you now Young master..."

WTF, Why are we talking like I am about to die?

"Although I am unsure why they would allow you to join them, this is certainly a major boon for us."

"However it can also be called a calamity to you..."

*Gulp* Hey Hou, what you trying to say here?

Am I going to be tortured or something, That Chen Guanting guy didn't look like too bad of a person.

Sure he can read minds, sure he threatened a child like me, But he isn't the devil... right?

The sudden change in atmosphere also made me start to feel trepidation for his next words.

He says in a grim voice that carries some pity,

"The Chen Family; Although regarded as mighty Grand Dukes in the Empire who hold more authority and power than any other of the major forces, they also have to bear something no other family does..."

"The burden of being the dogs of the Royal Family."

He then paused for a moment.

Hey, What the fuck?

What's with all the pauses?

Are you purposely trying to make this a bigger deal than it actually is?

It's not like being under the order's of the royal family is too b-

Hou disrupts my thoughts by continuing,

"Although on the surface this may sound fine, It is a prospect that leads to a deep hole of dirty secrets and webs of lies and deceit, that is all piled up on countless corpses of innocent and evil alike."

"Although I am not aware of all the details, as someone who has heard things and seen things during my time, I can assure you that once you get entangled in this mess there is almost no way out."

...

What the fuck is this?

Some secret backstory that Long Tian skips over due to his over powering might?

As I become more confused by his seemingly nonsensical words, he stands up abruptly and speaks again.

"I will tell Master about this, although we won't be able to do much it is still better for your father to know of it."

Don't leave me hanging like this!

"Wait! Isn't every family is bound to have a dirty secret or two?"

" It can't be that bad... right?!"

...

He looks back at me just as he was about to open the door, and says something that opened the door to a whole new world of speculations, that could complicate my killing of Long Tian.

It also changed my perspective of the seemingly simple major forces and the empire as a whole,

"How could such peaceful times exist for millenia in a world that revolves around survival of the fittest?"

"How could an Empire last for such a long time without falling or changing ruler ship at all?"

"An empire is built off the foundation of many sacrifices and corpses, not just the founders, so how much bloodshed was made for such peace?..."

"That is all that someone as young as you should know, perhaps I have talked too much in fact. Your father never wanted you to get caught in this mess."

"Goodbye Young Master..."

He then left with short goodbye.

Is this what it is meant by never judge a book by it's cover?

I've always envisioned this to be some real life novel where everything is just about the MC and his breeze through life. Therefore I have looked at everything superficially and taken these major forces as mere stepping stones, who are just two dimensional characters who will act just like depicted in the novels; Dumb, arrogant and shallow.

But now reality has truly struck me.

This isn't some sort of Xianxia novel that is filled with some simple villains and one sided people.

Although some parts do follow the general idea.

This is a real world were everything uncertain and gruesome is hidden under a veil.

...

And I am now in the middle of this clusterfuck with an added burden of dealing with Long Tian.

Fuck. My. Life.