As always, keep in mind that you are reading this from the biased viewpoint of the Main Character! Not everything is the absolute truth!

Hope you enjoy it!

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Chapter 8:

The day went by pretty quickly.

I decided to take a break from training and just enjoyed lunch and some chit chat with the girls (although half the reason as to why was because I was simply fed up with gathering Qi, it was an insanely slow and boring process).

Over time I learned more about the background of Hua Hong as well as Hua Ping and talks like this revealed quite a bit.

First of all, the two of them were basically infants when they arrived at the Li clan.

Their house and previous clan had been plundered and burned down by raiders and bandits that frequented the world outside of Dragon city.

Laws existed but criminal cultivators without any care for human lives did too.

Both girls had no idea what really happened back then but fact was that they had been sold as slaves and were brought up to be maids.

It seems that the reason as to why the clan went through such a long effort of providing food and education was so that their servants wouldn’t backstab them.

A dog rarely ever bites the hand that cares for and feeds it and the same logic applied in this case.

Other than learning customs and preparing for their life as servants of the clan, they couldn’t tell me much else.

They had lived a pretty sheltered life but still knew how harsh the outside world could be and how lucky both of them were to end up in this situation, as things could have easily gone a lot worse.

With no knowledge of their birth parents and the only familiar love known to them being the one that they shared between each other, I could imagine how their lives had been controlled by very strict rules that they normally followed down to the letter.

That also explained why opening up their shell proved to be such a hassle.

I knew I could trust them now, but I needed 100%.

They had to open up to me so I could be sure that they were my first real allies and people I could blindly trust, no matter what happened.

Having read countless Xianxia stories, I knew that if I wanted to survive in this world then I would need at least a few people that would stand with me through thick and thin.

For the simple reason that people in those stories either had bullshit luck or were unlucky to the point where even plot armor could barely protect them.

And here in this all too real world, there was no such thing as plot armor.

One thing that I could tell after talking with the girls for longer periods of time and getting their opinion on a few matters was that they were obviously curious about me.

They were closest to me so they experienced the change of personality and my actions first hand.

Without a doubt there were countless questions on their mind about me but their shell prevented them from voicing any.

When the day came that they honestly confronted me about what happened, that was when I could trust them 100% and also possibly tell them the truth.

But that was something for much later as their training seemed to be ingrained into their bones.

Seriously, should I ever meet this head maid then I am going to find out what it was that she did to reform these two like this.

Because it was starting to piss me off at this point.

And no, my mood had nothing to do with that I really just didn’t want to attend the banquet, that would be stupid.

Anyways, the day went without a hitch, peaceful and quiet.

One good thing about being in a powerful clan was that I didn’t have to worry about money or finding work.

It was true that if my strength was not high enough in a few years then I would be a bottom feeder and low person in the clan, but I would still be a part of it at the end of the day.

The kind of job I would do would be some kind of management position but no actual labor or proper education was needed for something like that, at least not in my case.

And should I stay at the top, well forget working at all.

The clan head would invest everything in me so that I could become a powerhouse that would represent and possibly even elevate the Li clan’s position.

A dream come true so to speak.

As I watched the sun slowly descend while tinging the blue sky in a pinkish color, a sigh escaped between my lips.

The banquet was not far away now and judging from the looks that I kept getting from both girls, it would be for the best if I started to get ready.

“Is it really necessary for me to attend the event?”

I asked Hua Hong for the 100th time like a whiny teen while she on the other hand only showed a dry smile.

“I mentioned this before but I will gladly say it again, as the Young Master of the clan and because someone specifically asked for you, not attending would be giving the other party no face. An unwise move no matter how one looks at the situation.”

Was I imagining her tone starting to get annoyed at the end there or was she actually starting to give me some sass?

Not dwelling on the matter I simply nodded and grudgingly resigned myself to my fate.

If you haven’t noticed it by now, I am the kind of person that likes things to go my way and hates doing something when I am forced to, childish I know but that is me.

Getting ready was simple enough.

Hua Hong decided that I would need to wear something that represented my status so she convinced (more like forced) me to put on a dark red robe with golden embroidered Chinese dragons.

The entire piece looked pretty good on me apparently and was close to a tent in size to fit around my gigantic form.

When I looked at my reflection in a pond after washing up and wearing the red robe I could only confirm that it did fit my new body pretty well.

It did have one downside though, the entire piece showed my muscles pretty damn well as it was tailored to emphasize the body.

Seeing my transformed body was not something I was used to yet and it made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

I would gather countless stares this evening and not only because of my increased height and wide frame anymore.

To call me male eye candy was not even a joke anymore since the girls were the living proof that my bulging muscles were attractive in a certain way.

If I could I would get rid of them to be honest as any kind of attention was a bad thing but because of the way I cultivated now, that was no longer an option.

The weapons that I normally hid on my body for reassurance, like the two crossbows that were strapped to my arms, the pouches of needles on my legs and the dagger that was in a breast pocket would have to be left behind this evening.

A shame really as I was starting to get used to having them on me and without them I felt strangely enough somewhat naked.

While we are on the topic, I did continue my training with these 3 different hidden weapons and have become somewhat comfortable with them.

I had increased my previous 5-8 feet shooting range with the crossbows to 12-15 feet.

The needles were still somewhat iffy in my fingers but I managed to shoot them into soft ground without a problem although I can’t say for sure that against flesh I would be able to do the same.

My most improvement was with the dagger.

The basic manual of the clan that Hua Ping had brought me before had a section about weapons and one of those included was naturally the dagger.

I was able to learn the basics of wielding this rather tricky instrument of killing and have become slightly proficient with it.

What I mean with that is that I knew how to not cut myself on accident when swinging right and left.

Not much else was achieved until now.

Compared to other Mc’s, I felt like I was greatly lacking as they seemed to instantly master nearly every martial art but as always, those were just stories after all.

When I compared their godlike talent of martial arts to simple decision making that they did, then I could only shudder in disgust.

I guess in that department I could be dubbed as a genius?

That wasn’t really accurate either but let’s settle on that for now.

Makes me at least feel a bit better about myself.

Hua Hong who normally stuck to my arm kept her respectful distance today.

I hadn’t really noticed it until now but she did change a bit since the first time I met her.

She was a lot more open about her feelings and tried to be in physical contact with me as much as possible but speaking her mind on the other hand seemed to be a different subject all-together.

Was it strange that I missed the feeling of her body leaning against mine while I walked through these halls?

It made sense that in an important meeting like this and especially one between different factions that she kept herself in check but that made me realize something.

What did the others from my clan think of us when they saw her clinging to my arm like that?

I mean I could guess the content of their thoughts but nothing positive came to mind.

In a way I couldn’t help but throw a glance backwards.

She walked together with her sister, wearing a dark green dress with small lotus flowers as well as bamboo plants sewn on it.

Did she realize that her actions were possibly ruining her reputation and spreading rumors behind her back?

I wasn’t sure.

At this point it was clear to me that she was far from dumb or unaware of her surroundings.

Hua Hong was a smart girl that knew how to hold herself in almost all situations and a good person at heart.

Maybe she knew the consequences of her actions even before she showed them in public.

Her eyes quickly found mine as I had been looking at her for some time now and a shy smile as well as blush spread on her cheeks, an adorable reaction which once again made me feel like an asshole.

Turning my head back forward, dark thoughts clouded my mind as I continued down the hallways, heading ever so slowly towards the center of the mansion.

Our destination wasn’t far away but my mind sure as hell was.

Was what I was doing really the right thing or was I in reality only playing around with the tender feelings of a poor girl that didn’t know any better?

Were my own goals really worth the lies, manipulation and misleading?

I mean I know I wasn’t a good person but what I was doing to Hua Hong at the moment while people talked behind her back without even being reassured by me that I felt the same about her…

It was cruel.

A lot worse than I initially thought.

Especially because chastity was a pretty big deal in my old world and here, even more so.

If a woman was ‘used’ here, her value as a human being, especially if she wasn’t married, dropped considerably.

Don’t ask me why all those noble cultivators or powerful people cared about something like fleshly innocents so much, but facts were facts.

Having rumors spread around you about something like that was bad for a girl here, really bad.

Goddamn, what the hell was I actually doing.

“Ah, Li Jun, good to see you!”

A voice resounded not far to my right, dragging me away from the depths of my mind and back to reality.

It took me a few seconds to actually realize that whoever it was that spoke was talking to me.

Even after nearly a month of time it was still somewhat odd to be called ‘Li Jun’ by everyone.

I was approached by a middle aged man who seemed to be around 40 years of age and sported a short goatee as well as sharp gaze.

Naturally, I had no idea who this guy was.

But fret not dear reader, Hua Hong is on the case!

Seriously, I need to thank her more for helping me out in situations like this.

“This is Mo Huen, dear friend of your father as well as manager of the clan.

Although having no direct blood in his veins to tie him to the Li clan, he is a merchant at heart.

Profit and friendship with the Clan Head have made him into an important figure and pillar of the Li Clan.

The Young Master normally always addressed him as Uncle Mo.”

Hua Hong said while keeping her voice to a whisper in my ear.

I am seriously contemplating if I should give her some kind of reward for always pulling me out of sticky situations like this.

“Uncle Mo, good to see that life has still not left those old bones of yours.”

I outwardly responded with a smile and my words were followed by a bear like hug as well as loud laughter of the man who I now knew was called Mo Huen.

Just by the way he treated me, it seemed like the previous owner of this body and Uncle Mo were considerably closer than anybody else I have met until now.

“It really is true what they say about your drastic change. Your body has grown big and sturdy beyond this old man’s imagination!”

He exclaimed while taking a closer look at my ripped chest and arms.

After a few second his eyes found my own again and just seeing the warm gaze and honest smile made me lower my guard somewhat.

I still had no idea who this man really was but he didn’t seem to be a bad person and had definitely cared for the previous owner of this body.

“I am sorry that I have not taken the time to speak with you until now Li Jun but work sent me into the Baras region to the west and I returned as fast as I could after getting news that you had woken up.

Seems I came just in time for a rather joyous occasion too.”

Mo Huen said while looking around at the gathered people who wore expensive and exotically colored clothes, not unlike my own.

“You call it joyous, I call it annoying.”

I murmured, still somewhat pissed off and from the corner of my eye I could see the grin that was starting to form on Mo Huen’s face.

“Seems what the rumors are saying is true, you are different compared to before. I am not sure if I should be happy or sad about this change.”

With a slight trace of melancholy visible on his face, Mo Huen accompanied the 3 of us towards the banquet and I was able to get to know this sharp eyed man a bit better.

He took my change of body and personality in stride as I was still his “little Li Jun” at the end of the day.

Whatever that meant.

It seemed as if he really liked to be called Uncle and when I addressed him once without it he had a look on his face as if I had just ripped his heart out so I quickly corrected myself.

Seriously, where did this creepy Uncle come from and why the hell do I have to be his nephew…

My own shit talking aside thanks to my horrid mood, Uncle Mo was a pretty alright guy as far as I could tell and I was already starting to like the man after only a few minutes of talking.

I am not sure if it was his personality or something completely else but he was the first person that I met with which I could genuinely convers and talk to.

No honorifics or exaggerated lip service, only a friendly chat.

God have I missed this.

I don’t want to bash on the girls but they always kept a respectful attitude towards me no matter what.

With Uncle Mo I could be a bit more balls to the walls and we had a rather interesting conversation about various females of the clan and their body shapes while Hua Hong and Hua Ping who were walking behind us tried their best not to blush or show disgust on their faces.

Yes, it was that kind of talk that I thoroughly enjoyed and I wasn’t the only one.

“Look at that one, good behind but rather lacking in the front. She would probably be good in bed but any kind of service will be lacking with her other assets, not to mention that her face is only so-so.”

Uncle Mo said while wildly pointing at a young woman not far from us.

I couldn’t help but think that he was right.

Others around us naturally started to notice the nature of our conversation as we slowly made our way through the hallways of the clan and various colorful expressions could be seen all around.

Uncle Mo apparently didn’t care what others thought and completely disregarded any angry looks he was getting from the partners of the girls he was loudly commentating on.

Despite this absolutely atrocious behavior that both of us showed, not even one person dared to approach us and my guess was that I had Uncle Mo’s status to thank for that.

A bright smile was on my face the entire time as the conversation topic shifted towards different positions and possible angles and I could hear a few faint hearted younger girls gag and grow pale when they caught wind of a sentence or two from our talk.

Seriously, props to Uncle Mo for pulling something like this in public with a completely straight face and no sign of shame visible on it.

In my heart I couldn’t help but be somewhat on guard while in the man’s company as he was still an unknown variable, but just from what I had seen until now, I really hoped that this Uncle Mo would be staying for a long time.

He honest to god seemed to be the most down to earth man I have met in this world until now.

“The Young Master is a pig, the Young Master is a pig, the Young Master is a pig…”

This quiet chant had been going on behind me for some time now and I decided to just tune it out while continuing my highly intellectual conversation with Uncle Mo.

Should I count it as a positive or negative that she was finally not afraid to speak her mind anymore even on the account that it was only so she could insult me?

Let’s contemplate this subject later.

Uncle Mo, Hua Hong, Hua Ping and I had a calm and steady pace with which we walked through the now packed halls leading us into a splendidly decorated and bustling room.

A dome shaped ceiling with countless gaps let in the fleeting sunshine of the setting sun.

Countless people stood or sat in the gigantic room and talked to each other.

Food and drink was abundant and tables were like stars in the sky as they filled the area.

When we entered the room, countless people instantly recognized Uncle Mo and started to hit up a conversation with him.

Judging by the sorry look he was throwing my way, they were not the kind of people he could just disregard so I waved him goodbye and left him to drown in the crowd that was starting to form around him.

I made no attempt to help or shift some of the attention he was getting on me as it seemed to be bothersome to deal with so I didn’t even try.

“Shall we find a place to sit down?”

I asked the girls and they readily agreed with slightly nervous expressions.

A gathering of so many important people naturally tugged a bit on their nerves and they tried their best not to bump into anyone or step on a foot or two.

Just maneuvering through the crowd would have been a hassle if it was not for my gigantic body that towered over nearly everyone present and intimidated quite a few people to the point where they stepped away way before I had to.

The girls stuck close behind me so that they wouldn’t get lost in the masses and we eventually reached a table that was empty.

All I could hope for as we sat down was that no one was going to bother us this evening but this hope was quickly crushed, as Xianxia logic wouldn’t allow something like that, naturally.

In a matter of seconds after sitting down, a female voice resounded behind us and I had an inkling that this was going to be a pain, just my gut telling me that really.

“Li Jun, is that really you?”

The surprise and awe in the question itself told me that the person who was talking knew the previous owner of this body (duh, I bet every single reader can already guess who she is).

As I turned around in my seat, a girl came into view that stuck out of the crowd like a peacock between swans.

She was beautiful, no doubt about that but just by her demeanor alone I started to detest her.

Don’t get me wrong now, she wasn’t even doing anything that would warrant detesting her but despite her surprised and stunned expression, an air of arrogance and superiority could be felt from her that was stifling.

It was clear as day that ingrained into her bones was an arrogance that could not be found in many people.

As if she was a Queen that looked down on everyone else from her throne.

And I was looking down on her.

Not because I felt myself to be above her, but because I literally was.

I did mention before that I was pretty tall so she had to look up to me to actually see my face.

Despite my instinct telling me that she was not the kind of person I wanted to deal with as she reminded me heavily of nearly every single villain that appeared in Xianxia stories who is first arrogant and pisses off the MC that way, I still put on a fake smile and greeted her back.

“It is nice to see you too, how are you doing?”

Once again, I had no idea who this girl was but I decided to just roll with it.

She took a while to examine my body and didn’t seem to be the least bit embarrassed about her obvious staring before finally responding.

“Good so far, better than you I heard. Did you really have to attempt suicide after I made my father cancel the marriage between us? Weakness like this was the reason that I didn’t want to marry you Li Jun.”

Ouch.

Talk about being a bitch.

Not only did the previous owner pretty much kill himself because of her, but she didn’t even feel the least bit sorry or apologized and instead criticized me right after seeing me again.

I can guess that in her mind I was bringing a bad rep to her and would have especially done so if this body had died but saying something like that in a Xianxia setting was throwing dirt on my ‘face’.

Well, I guess I at least know now what it was that happened to the previous owner of this body, she happened.

Don’t get me wrong, I like my girls to have a bit of fire and this girl, with her pretty dark blue eyes, smooth and perfect face as well as glittering long hair that reached down to her hip sure had some.

But there is fire, and then there is magma that burns you to death, and she was the later.

Just from this little bit that I talked with her, I could tell what kind of person she was.

“So what happened with your body? Why did you grow so tall and... big?”

She went on, not giving me even the chance to defend myself or say that I really wasn’t a wimp.

Did I mention that I didn’t like this girl yet?

“It just happened after I woke up and I have no idea why either.”

I said with a shrug while Hua Hong and Hua Ping had rather cold and distant expressions on their faces as they watched the pretty girl.

This was also the perfect time to send a pleading glance towards Hua Hong which she thankfully caught and also understood.

While leaning slightly forward she had her mouth close to my ear and whispered into it.

“Her name is Xu Luin Young Master, and she is a very hard hearted person. I would advise to be careful in her presence, especially any comments about her person are dangerous.”

This little bit of information was a godsend for me and I felt grateful towards Hua Hong as she leaned back once again.

Xu Luin thankfully hadn’t noticed our little exchange and sat down at our table without even waiting to be invited.

Arrogant as always I see.

I naturally hid my disgust and displeasure about her presence behind a steel like smiling mask while putting a plate of food invitingly before her.

“You think I am going to eat this garbage? My stomach will only get upset from food like this so don’t even think about it.”

She really wasn’t making it easy.

I could already see the eyelid of Hua Ping twitching in a dangerous way and quickly pulled the plate that I had offered to Xu Luin towards myself.

It was a dish that I had eaten quite a lot these past few days.

They called it a Commoner’s dinner here but I knew it under the name of Meat bun from my world.

What it really was in the end was a palm sized dough that was filled with meat and various other things like vegetables or even sweets.

The girls and a few cooks of the clan had naturally been surprised when I asked for this dish that was normally looked down upon by the richer people but I didn’t really feel like eating cow tongue or monkey brain, delicacies that only made me want to throw up.

Rice dishes with vegetables were good but eating a Meat bun once in a while really made the difference for my pallet.

Not only that but these Meat buns were a lot better than the ones back in my world so how could I resist this delicious temptation?

Should I say it was as expected when I noticed the disgusted look that Xu Luin was giving me when she saw me eating what she had dubbed as ‘garbage’?

Silence filled the table and quite a few good looking males of the clan approached us when they saw Xu Luin sitting there but that was only until they saw me.

They then immediately stopped and made a 180 degree turn which was pretty hilarious to look at after seeing it happen 5 to 6 times.

Seems I had unintentionally placed a seed of fear in many young men around my age when the rumors about my abnormal power up and huge body started to circulate.

Having no desire whatsoever to talk with this absolute bitch of a woman, a strange kind of tension appeared around the table and Xu Luin’s expression was visibly dropping by the second.

I could tell that she wasn’t happy and was already sighing internally but thankfully any kind of trouble or scene she would have made we were all spared from as another voice echoed into our direction.

“Li Jun, Xu Luin!”

A girl that didn’t look older than 12 with her baby face and small as well as stick thin body approached our table with rapid steps before sitting down next to me.

Hua Hong had previously sat there but immediately stood up when she recognized the girl, even though I naturally (as always) had no idea who this little loli was supposed to be.

She was currently staring at me with big eyes which I was already used to and I used the time in which she examined my body to do the same to her.

I have to admit that she was definitely pretty and very cute, especially when she growing some more curves later. The guys would probably line up for her then but at the moment her appearance didn’t stir my heart at all.

Unlike the time when I saw both Hua Hong and Hua Ping naked.

She had a baby face, cheeks that made her look like a little porcelain doll, curly dark blue hair that framed her face and wore a tunic that matched her hair color.

All in all, a cute little girl that gave me a much better impression than this other person that I don’t even want to mention.

“Xu Xie, how did you even find us in these masses?”

Xu Luin asked with an annoyed expression on her face.

That naturally made me like the new girl instantly a lot more when I saw that Xu Luin didn’t seem to have a good disposition towards her.

“What nonsense are you talking about, I would always find my big brother Li Jun no matter how many people there are. Even though he really is a lot… bigger now.”

Once again the little girl’s eyes started to wander over my muscular chest and arms.

“I am sorry I didn’t visit you sooner but my father forced me to cultivate behind closed doors for two months because of an unjust incident that I was blamed for so I wasn’t able to see you until now.”

“What unjust incident, you were peeking at naked boys from the clan while they were taking a bath. How exactly is that unjust?”

Xu Luin retorted and a terrifying murderous expression appeared on the previously cute, doll like face of Xu Xie.

Seriously, are all the girls the previous owner of this body associated with completely bat-shit crazy?!

Seeing the glare she was now getting, Xu Luin only wryly smiled.

“What, did you not want your ‘big brother’ Li Jun to know that his little Xu Xie is a girl with a perverted heart?”

She teased, throwing a powder-keg into the angry fire that raged in the other girl’s eyes.

“Make sure to wash your neck.”

Xu Xie said with a menacing look in her eyes that sent shivers down my spine.

I had read enough Xianxia stories to know that this little and innocent looking girl had just voiced a death threat.

“What, is the woman that is stuck in a child’s body going to go after me now? Well I better watch out then!”

Xu Luin said with an evil smile and just based on the immediate reaction of Xu Xie pulling a dagger from her robes, I could tell that she had hit a sore spot.

“I think it would be in everyone’s best interest if we all calm down a bit. Or do you both seriously want to embarrass your entire clan?”

Hua Hong said with a serious gaze.

“Oh shut it you stupid slut. After warming your bed every night this cheap maid is now also speaking for you Li Jun? Goddamn coward.”

Xu Luin ferociously said with venom laced words.

My own smile that I had forced myself to wear on my face finally broke away after this unwarranted verbal harassment of the only person that had stood with me ever since waking up in this new world.

For the first time in ages I felt real anger welling up inside of me but I suppressed it right away.

I could feel Hua Hong tense up behind me and could imagine her face but this was not the time and the place.

Don’t get me wrong, I would have gladly punched this girl’s teeth out but just like Hua Hong had previously said, no one wanted a scene here and now at this rather joyful event.

After a few moments in which everyone was glaring at the each other, Xu Xie finally put her dagger away again and Xu Luin arrogantly threw her head to the side with an audible “Hmph”.

Silence reigned around the table, longer than ever before.

I seriously couldn’t wait for this entire farce to finally end and was counting down the seconds.

“Well you guys are sure having a party here. One of your closest family members could have died the day before and you all would still wear happier expressions on your faces.”

Another voice chimed in from the right as a handsome and well-dressed male around my age approached the table.

“Took me long enough to find you big sister.”

He said while looking at Xu Xie.

Yup, this was definitely a loli now.

“Xu Feng, what are you doing here instead of looking for young girls to drag into your chambers? I am sure many of the Li clan’s young women would gladly spread their legs for you.

I mean you and your sister are already famous as the pervert pair of the Xu clan so no need to worry about reputation or anything that resembles something like that.”

The ever so charming Xu Luin spoke with a condescending glare that the young man called Xu Feng just laughed off.

He didn’t seem to be affected by the dangerous words that Xu Luin had just spoken aloud at all as if he had heard them a million times already.

An admirable attitude that I could only approve off, even though I did notice the murderous glint that appeared here and there in his eyes when he looked towards Xu Luin.

This girl sure knew how to make enemies right and left.

Instead of responding to Xu Luin, which he probably saw as beneath him (hah, serves you right bitch) he directed his next words towards me.

“So I heard an interesting rumor about you Li Jun and it is really hard for me to believe, but is it true that you had a match against someone from your clan recently and revealed the 8th layer of Foundation Gathering in your cultivation?”

One thing I do have to say is that the reactions of the people who had no idea about this and sat around the table were priceless and something I thoroughly enjoyed watching.

Xu Luin’s chin for example dropped to the point where it looked like it would unhinge itself at any moment and Xu Xie spat out a mouth full of tea onto the table and turned my way without even wiping away the liquid that was still dripping down from her face.

Everyone was looking at me with big eyes and I could see something click in their minds as they once again looked at my tall and muscular body.

“This has to be some kind of joke!”

Xu Luin shouted while standing up, drawing the attention of nearly everyone present in the room.

Seems like me trying to avoid a scene was just wishful thinking after all.

----

Well that sure is some cliffhanger right there (could have made it a lot worse but decided against it to avoid people getting theit panties in a twist).

Hope you had a fun time reading and comment anything you want below.

Wish you all an enjoyable evening and peace out! [th_099_.gif]