So Awkward—Please Support with Bookmarks, Recommendations, and Monthly Tickets

So Awkward—Please Support with Bookmarks, Recommendations, and Monthly Tickets

The Su Family had handled this matter with extreme secrecy. Nearly everyone who knew about it had gone—and all of them had died there.

Yet the family itself knew nothing at all.

Only one elder who was not really in charge had been left behind. He vaguely knew they had gone looking for some treasure.

But he did not know the specifics either.

Still, they had not returned for six days in a row. That was far from normal.

When had they ever taken so long to handle business outside? They were merely a Ninth Grade Family in Azure Wave City, not some true great martial lineage. What business could take six days and still remain unfinished?

And all the important people had gone, yet not one had returned—not even with a message?

The Su Family had long since panicked and secretly sent people everywhere to make inquiries.

And this matter could not stay wrapped in paper forever. After all, the Su Family's panic had been noticed by those with ulterior motives.

With so many people and so many eyes, a few scraps of information leaking out had been unavoidable.

Thus, it gradually turned into the shocking rumor that "everyone in the Su Family is dead."

And wouldn't you know it, those rumor-mongers had actually hit the mark with a single shot.

Now, apart from the Su Family, the Fang Family, Lu Family, Zhang Family, and Wei Family were all stirring restlessly.

Even the experts currently outside carrying out tasks for the Guardian Hall were being urgently recalled.

Fang Che's mother, Fang Qianyi, also returned this time, weary from travel and covered in dust.

She first went to the Guardian Hall, turned in her Family Task, collected her contribution points, then sold some of her gains from outside, her sleeves brimming with gold.

Carrying the good things she had brought back for her son, she was heading home when, the moment she entered the gate, her Big Brother called her over.

"What is it?" Fang Qianyi had been away from home for half a month and was missing her son terribly.

"Come here first."

Fang Zhenghang furtively pulled his younger sister into the study.

"A Che has changed a little these past few days."

Fang Zhenghang looked extremely mysterious.

"What change?" Fang Qianyi asked.

"That boy seems to have changed somewhat. These past few days, he actually hasn't cursed anyone. Well, not exactly—he only curses that fellow the Su Family bribed. He's very gentle with everyone else. And he even called back the maid he had driven away."

Even in his own study, Fang Zhenghang lowered his voice. His eyes darted about like a thief's. "Little Sister, I think the child has become sensible. He's opened his eyes to reason. At the very least, he isn't so hostile toward the family anymore. Though he still looks unconvinced and resentful, I can feel that he has changed quite a lot."

Over the past few days, Fang Zhenghang had found chances to visit twice. Fang Che had still maintained the original owner's persona, looking neither warm nor cold.

But Fang Zhenghang had been the Head of the Household and navigated worldly affairs his entire life. How could he fail to sense anything at all? His heart had been comforted for days already.

Now that his sister had returned, he had to share the good news no matter what.

"Really?"

Fang Qianyi was somewhat delighted as well.

"Mm-hmm. So when you go back, don't praise him or anything. The child is changing quietly, and he's embarrassed to make the change too obvious. If you praise him when you get back, he'll only feel awkward instead," Fang Zhenghang said mysteriously.

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm." Fang Qianyi's heart brimmed with joy, and she could not help smiling. "Big Brother, you're talking about good news. Why are you speaking like a thief? Where's the bearing of a Head of the Household?"

"Isn't it because of your son?"

Fang Zhenghang said, "A Che took a master, but he's been keeping it mysterious and refusing to let anyone know. That master of his is an expert."

"An expert? How expert?" Fang Qianyi asked curiously.

"Above us. Above our entire family." Fang Zhenghang was solemn.

Fang Qianyi was stunned. "Could he be General-level?"

"Probably more than that," Fang Zhenghang said. "I suspect he's King-level."

"King-level?!"

Fang Qianyi realized the gravity of the matter and understood why her Big Brother was being so secretive. "There aren't many King-level experts who have entered without being controlled by either side, are there? Which side is he from?"

"How would I know?"

Fang Zhenghang frowned. "That's why I pulled you over to discuss it."

"This child is far too rash. How could he take a master on his own without discussing it with us?" Fang Qianyi also found it troublesome.

The problem now was that he had already taken this master.

Whether the family acknowledged it or not, what's done was done.

If the master was on the Guardians' side, that would be better. But if he was not, what would they do if something happened in the future? "So should we report this?"

Fang Zhenghang frowned. "How are we supposed to report it? I'm worried that if we report it and hurt the child's feelings, what then?"

That was his real concern.

Fang Che was clearly changing for the better. But if the Fang Family reported his apprenticeship and made it into his personal matter, drawing a clear line between it and the family—

What if the child became sensitive again? If it were his own son, this would be easy. He could grab a stick and give him a good beating, and everything would be settled. But this was his nephew.

So he had to discuss it with his younger sister.

Fang Qianyi snorted. "It must be reported. And it's not as though he doesn't know these things. The reason he deliberately hid it was probably because he wanted us to report it this way. Otherwise, why hide it?"

"You should go back and discuss it with the child first," Fang Zhenghang said. "Be more cautious. The child has finally begun to change for the better. Don't let us make him cold-hearted again by saying we're actively drawing a line between ourselves and him... It would be hard to undo that."

Fang Qianyi thought that made sense, so she immediately headed for the small courtyard.

She grabbed her son, who was practicing sword cleaves, by the ear. "A Che, I heard you took a master. Where is your master?"

Fang Che jumped in fright.

He turned to look at his mother. She had a slender figure, fair skin, and a tall frame—an absolute beauty.

But her eyebrows were thick, sharp as swords.

Her eyes shone brightly.

As the saying went, thick brows and big eyes—that described her perfectly.

Her whole body exuded a vigorous heroic spirit. Even "valiant and dashing" seemed insufficient; one had to add that she yielded nothing to men! And she seemed rather inattentive to small details.

She had the carefree air of a woman of the martial world, unconstrained by trifles.

Fang Che had to admit that he greatly admired this kind of personality in a woman.

And since this was his Old Lady, a sense of closeness naturally welled up within him.

"Master went out... Mom, why didn't you let me know you were coming back?"

Fang Che called her Mom with remarkable ease. It was as if the original owner's deep longing for his mother still influenced him.

He himself did not feel the slightest resistance.

The residual instincts of this body had unknowingly guided him through that transformation. And he himself did not resist it.

Getting another life was already a stroke of luck. Since he was living again in someone else's body, shouldn't he fulfill filial duty for that person? Besides, I can't even figure out who I am. Right now, I am completely Fang Che.

Then naturally, the woman before him was his mother.

"Do I need to notify you when I come back?"

Fang Qianyi grabbed her son's ear and gave it a light twist. "Where's that master of yours? You've got some nerve now, taking a master on your own. What are we supposed to do about this?"

She looked fierce, but she had not used any force at all.

"What's there to do? Isn't it perfectly normal for me to take a master? My master is highly skilled. As a King-level expert, isn't it only natural for me to take him as my master and learn martial arts?"

"A King-level expert?"

Fang Qianyi froze for a moment. "But the Lineage needs to report it to the Guardian Hall! What if he's a bad person? Do you understand your master's background?"

Fang Che found that strange. "Why would I need to know my master's background? I'm only learning martial arts from him. Even if he's a good person, he can't make me soar to the heavens in one step. If he's a bad person, it has nothing to do with us. Even if it has something to do with me, it has nothing to do with the Lineage."

He said, "The Lineage can report it if it should. Otherwise, why would I secretly take a master? Wasn't it just to learn some skills without implicating the Lineage?"

Fang Qianyi's beautiful eyes widened.

Unable to resist, she smacked the back of her son's head with a slap, then laughed and scolded, "You brat actually have such scheming thoughts!"

After hitting him, she hurriedly rubbed the spot with her hand and chuckled. "Your mother brought you back quite a few good things this time."

When she turned around, mother and son both stopped awkwardly.

Behind them stood Sun Yuan, who had only become a master a few days ago.

He was staring at Fang Che with a peculiar expression.

Fang Qianyi immediately realized who he was.

In that instant, she was so awkward that she did not know what to do.

She and her son had been discussing how to sever ties if the other party turned out to be a bad person, and yet that very person had been standing right behind them listening.

As for Fang Che's awkwardness, it was entirely an act.

"Master, you've been listening the whole time?"

Fang Che asked with an embarrassed expression.

"If I hadn't listened, I wouldn't have known that my good disciple was so calculating." Sun Yuan spoke in a sinister, strange tone.

Fang Che smiled. "This is normal procedure, Master. Even if you were standing here right now, I would still say the same thing. You didn't take me as a disciple for the sake of my Lineage, did you?"

"Though that's true, but..." Sun Yuan felt that something was off somewhere.

"If Master disagrees, then expel me from the sect. I won't blame Master," Fang Che said.

"That won't be necessary, that won't be necessary."

Sun Yuan repeatedly shook his head.

How could a small lineage compare to his inheritor of the mantle, a Peerless Genius?

So he said, "Doing this is actually correct. You considered it very thoroughly."

"Thank you, Master, for your understanding and consideration."

"What are you saying? I'm your master, not an outsider."

"Mm-hmm. Master is the best."

At the side, Fang Qianyi was dumbfounded.

This... could be handled like this?

She could not help turning to look at her son. She had never noticed that he was so good with words before. She vaguely felt that her son seemed different, but after looking him over and over, aside from seeming a bit more handsome, she could not see anything else.

"As expected of the son I gave birth to!"

Only then did she greet Sun Yuan and apologize. "Senior, the child is immature. Please forgive him."

Sun Yuan rolled his eyes. "The child is very well-behaved. How is he immature?"

Fang Qianyi: "..."

She swallowed, then asked with secret delight, "May I ask Senior's honored name?"

Sun Yuan said, "Since I have taken Che'er as my disciple, and you are his mother, calling me Senior is not very appropriate. My surname is Sun, and my name is Sun Yuan. In the martial world, I am known as the Flying Saber King. From now on, just call me Brother Sun."

He really was a King-level expert.

And a Saber King at that! Fang Qianyi was not Fang Che. A King-level expert—within a Ninth Grade Family, that was a great figure standing above the clouds!

Amid the mortal dust of the world, who could become a king? King was not a title attained lightly! One needed both cultivation and combat power to reach a certain pinnacle, to stand at the summit within a particular field, before one could be called a king! Fang Qianyi was secretly delighted and readily followed along. "Greetings, Brother Sun."

In her heart, she pondered Brother Sun's origins. She vaguely recalled hearing this name before. He seemed to be a Rogue Cultivator of the martial world, conducting himself somewhere between righteous and evil.

Half the worry in her heart eased. "Che'er has encountered a famous master, so as his mother, I can rest easy. It's only that the child is dull-witted, so I'll have to trouble Brother Sun to put in much effort in the future."

Dull-witted.

Sun Yuan felt a blockage in his chest and nearly rolled his eyes.

Where did she see that her son was dull-witted?

He had emptied out everything this old man had learned in his lifetime in three days. It had forced him to find an excuse to hide outside, going to turn "advancing to a martial academy and becoming first place" into a task that could earn merit.

And she could still call him dull-witted?...

The monthly tickets are nearly at eight hundred. Everyone, put in some effort—our demands aren't high. Can we reach one thousand tomorrow?

The midnight update has been scheduled for release.

Even tomorrow morning's eleven-thirty update has been scheduled.

The weather is hot right now, and because of my bone problems I can't use air conditioning. During the hottest stretch, I basically can't fall asleep until the latter half of every night, so I really might not get up by eleven-thirty.

But the Beginning of Autumn has arrived, so it should get better in a few days.

Everyone, speak up more in the Book Review section and leave more chapter comments so I can see your feedback. Help me find some flaws while you're at it. While there are still few readers and it's all our own people reading, if you find problems, I can hurry and revise them. There'll still be time to welcome new readers.