85 Bu Cai's Position

(Bu Cai POV)

(Seven weeks later)

In Chen Long's private training area, which was just a massive courtyard with tiled floors and a variety of weapons set up on racks, both Chen Fei and I were sparring intensely.

The cold morning wind blew as our swords clashed with one another. Each clash produced a resounding 'ting' sound that echoed throughout the entire courtyard.

We both had those cursed qi isolation bracelets around our wrists, meaning I couldn't abuse my sword Qi to steamroll Chen Fei.

But even without it, I still was in full control of the match. My technical skill with the sword was marginally better than Chen Fei's, therefore he was in a passive position most of the time.

Whilst fighting, Chen Long was on the side spectating whilst questioning our knowledge on certain subjects. Supposedly, this would help improve our ability to make rational decisions under pressure as well as help us revise our recently acquired knowledge.

"Bu Cai, how can a golden-tongued frog's poison be neutralised?"

"With a profound fire lingzhi, or a yang-attributed herb of that level."

I spat out the answer to my twenty-fifth question unhesitantly.

Chen Long seemed satisfied with my answer as he clapped and said happily,

"Well done, you can both stop now!

From this moment onwards, both of you can be considered knowledgeable amongst even the most studious, and well-educated of your peers... generally speaking.

As such, I'm now assured that you both won't die a pitiful death due to ignorance.

Henceforth, the second phase of training has officially reached its conclusion!"

As we heard his words, we immediately stopped the fight, hastily pried off our bracelet and then collapsed onto the tiled floor, panting heavily.

All the ground was uncomfortable, we were too exhausted to care.

But our exhaustion was insignificant compared to the immense amount of pride both Chen Fei and I felt!

Finally!

The torturous cycle of studying and circulating qi had come to an end!

Both Chen Fei and I looked at each other and understood what the other was thinking.

Freedom!

Unfortunately, Chen Long's following sentences hit like a ten-ton truck, and mercilessly flattened all our exhilaration.

"Don't get excited yet, your training isn't even close to finished!

Therefore, you'll be allowed one day's rest, then we'll be moving on to the last phase."

The joy drained from our faces, and Chen Fei seemed to be unwilling to accept Chen Long's words as he pleaded,

"You can't do this to me, father!

A single day's rest is nowhere near enough to make up for the mental fatigue caused by that damned training schedule!

Please have some mercy!"

Whilst he complained, I stayed silent, as I knew I was in no position to complain.

As an outsider, my position was already quite precarious, and although I had been treated very kindly by Chen Long, it did not mean I could talk back to him.

Even though I was not politically savvy or anything, I was still someone who had lived two lives and had a lot of life experience.

I roughly knew my own situation.

To go into detail, the clan consisted of two major factions.

And of those two, the only one I could rely on -and was stuck to- was Chen Long's faction- The Neutralists.

The other faction- The Bloodline Supremacists- hated my guts, therefore this ensured that any of the smaller factions would not deign to even think of taking me in- lest they offend them.

Leaving the clan was also impossible- I was certain of this.

Why could I not leave?

Two reasons.

Firstly, from the moment I joined the Chen Clan, the entirety of the Spirit Sword Sect and I became traitors to the Sky Sword Sect.

Normally, this would warrant a massacre or severe punishment, as the sheer notion of a subsidiary sect betraying the main sect was a huge slap to the main sect's face!

The only reason this 'punishment' had not happened yet was that the Spirit Sword Sect and I were now under the banner of the Chen clan, and therefore the Sky Sword Sect simply could not do anything to us- They were forced to hold back and let this humiliation slide!

But after I left the Chen clan, the protection provided would instantly disappear, meaning that my sect and I would have to bear the brunt of the Sky Sword Sect's fury!

As for the other reason?

Heh.

Back then, Chen Guanting gave me two choices.

Join the Chen Clan, or die.

It was obvious I never had the choice back then, so what would be any different now?

The moment I left the clan, I'd be killed.

In fact, now that Chen Long has used me as a pretence to push back the emperor's arrangements, I was in a worse situation than I was eight years ago!

This was because eight years ago the only incentive behind my death would be the fact that I'd disrupted the power balance between the major forces. If I had ended up with a terrible aptitude or made a big mistake causing me to become crippled, then I'd most likely be deemed no longer a threat and be let off with my life intact- Hence, leaving me some way out.

But with my mission of killing Long Tian, how could I possibly accept crippling myself?

As compared to the situation I was in now, even if I had the resolve to cripple myself I'd likely not be able to leave and stay alive.

After all, I was one of the reasons why the engagement between Chen Ru and Wu Hai, the fifth prince, was being delayed.

The emperor definitely wanted me dead!

It's no wonder Hou described joining the Chen clan as jumping into a deep hole!

There is no escape!

With these two factors in play, I've got no choice but to keep my head down and do what I was told.

Realistically, if we looked past all the prestige and riches, I was actually nothing more than a dog on a leash!

If Chen Long told me to go east, I wouldn't dare go west.

If Chen Long told me to jump into a pit of fire, how could I ever refuse?

This was because, ultimately, Chen Long and his faction are my lifeline.

Without them, I was as good as dead.

Anyways, simply put, I wasn't gonna bitch about anything.

Chen Long's genial smile turned into a frown when he heard Chen Fei's pleading, he snorted and then said in a tone void of any sympathy,

"I want to hear no complaints, Chen Fei.

Whether you like it or not, you will do the training."

His annoyed frown then morphed into an eerie smile- One so eerie that it sent a cold chill down my spine- and then said amusedly,

"I highly recommend you both get some nice rest during this interval, especially in the sleep department.

...As I'll assure you both, that you'll be missing it dearly."

After leaving that last warning, he disappeared, leaving the two of us in the training area with solemn expressions.

Both of us sat in silence for a while, contemplating Chen Long's words.

The first to break this silence was Chen Fei, as he asked with great angst in his voice,

"Hey brother, any ideas on what sort of devilish training he'll be employing next?

This one seems to be no joke!

Did you even see that creepy grin on his face at the end?!

I-I've never seen that expression on his face in my life!

For a moment... I couldn't even recognise him as my real father!"

I looked him in the eyes and shook my head, indicating that I didn't have any ideas, and instead said,

"Truthfully, I also wasn't expecting such a mood shift there, but so what?

Your dad was probably just angry at you for whining.

Rather than stressing about that, we should just do as he says, and get some well-deserved rest!

For example, I say we get some good grub to celebrate passing that shitty second phase, cause I'm fucking starving right now!

And who knows, we might have an idea by then?"

Seeing my unhinged attitude, Chen Fei's tense expression loosened as he smiled and said a bit more energetically,

"Yeah, I'm also a bit hungry now that you mention it.

Where do you wanna go for food then?"

I smirked hearing his question, and said enthusiastically,

"Glad you asked!

Since we have just gotten through phase two, I reckon we treat ourselves!

As such, I was thinking that instead of having food at home made by the servants like we always do, why don't we go out?

While we're at it, we could have a few toasts alongside it!

So, what do you say?"

Chen Fei nodded and said happily,

"YES!

Genius idea!

Just right that I need some nice wine to recover from all those bloody books!"

He then whipped out a majestic sword from his storage ring it had a slim yet long silver blade and a fancy wooden hilt which had a blue gem-adorned in it.

He then made it float using Qi to control it, and then stood on it.

Looking at the eye-catching weapon he had, I couldn't help but feel a bit envious of him.

A high-tier earth-grade sword!

This was a weapon of such calibre that even martial lord realm cultivators would kill for it, yet a mere qi-refining realm snotter was actually in possession of one!

To get such a weapon, one would require an incredible blacksmith- One seldom seen- to craft it with all his heart or get lucky and obtain it through a fortuitous encounter.

Needless to say, the reason why Chen Fei had one was solely due to the fact that he was the direct descendant of the clan leader, otherwise, he'd never gotten his grasp on an item of such value.

A notable thing to mention about weapons of that level was that even though a qi-refining realm could use it, this did not mean said cultivator could utilise the weapon to its full extent- In fact, they would struggle to bring out even 5% of it's true power.

But even so, with this great weapon, Chen Fei could defeat an inexperienced qi-condensation realm cultivator.

Yes...you heard that right!

He could cross realms using that thing!

If compared to my own sword, which only gave an added bonus of slightly better qi conductivity than a run-of-the-mill spirit sword, it might as well be a pile of shit.

Anyways, throwing those thoughts to the back of my mind, I withdrew my own weapon- An extremely basic and lacklustre sword- and got on promptly.

Soon enough, we both sped off across the horizon like badasses.

Time-wise, it was already around late morning and the sun was hanging high in the sky, shining brightly in all its glory.

As the refreshing wind blew, our robes fluttered and we went at a relaxing pace with the sunlight draping over us.

At this rate, we'd reach the nearest restaurant in the outer area in about fifty minutes, which wasn't bad considering that our starting point was at the patriarch's private training area.

To articulate the layout of the place, the patriarch's personal residence covered a large section at the centre of the innermost area of the entire Clan, the core area.

As mentioned previously, the core area was a place where only true, authentic clansmen resided, as well as where the supreme court and grand library were located.

In the southern region of the core area, was where most disciples resided alongside where the missions hall, battle arenas, and other useful facilities for disciples were located.

In the eastern region of the core area was the supreme court where elders discussed and judged important matters.

To the southwest was the grand library, where all the information and books were stored. The grand library also had a lot of martial arts, mystique techniques, and cultivation techniques, however, disciples had to go there personally to retrieve them and couldn't just teleport them out. Plus, they also needed a certain token to be able to choose techniques.

To the northwest was the nurturing area, and all the relevant facilities needed for it.

And finally, in the northeast area was where the treasury was located and the place where the grand-elders lived. By grand-elders, I mean the people with the highest authority in the sect and the people who attended the meetings in the supreme court, not the elders who manage the disciples and keep order.

After around thirty-five minutes of flying both of us were at the disciple's area, planning to exit the core area from the south. However, I suddenly had a fun idea and told Chen Fei through a communication token- which was a jade slip- to stop for a second.

He did so, and I brought up the topic of a popular new restaurant that had opened been opened up in the core area!

Now, this usually isn't a big deal as there are a few disciples who decide to try and set up a restaurant to rake in a bit more money.

But this place was different!

Apparently, this restaurant had some big wigs in the clan backing it, and provided some truly amazing dishes made of insane ingredients!

"Brother, I've heard that place has even roasted stuff like a Nine-Revolutions Mystic Loach for a snack!

"Since we've gone through that hellish study session, surely you know what that means!

"They've made a fucking top-tier earth grade alchemy material into a munch!"

Hearing my explanation, Chen Fei's eyes grew wide and he shouted,

"WHATTTTTT?!!!!"

After a few moments of shock, he regained his cool and spoke to me as if he were speaking an idiot,

"So... what you are suggesting is that we waste a lot of money to get something that is overall an unprofitable thing?"

Hearing him say such a logical thing made me even more surprised than when I heard about someone eating an earth grade material!

Has all that studying made him more mature?

I began to reply awkwardly,

"Uhm, if you put it like that, then I guess it isn't so good after all-"

"Sign me the fuck up!"

Chen Fei enthusiastically interrupted me, and then continued saying,

"I'm gonna eat soooooooo much of those high grade materials, that by the end of my visit alchemists all around the world will want my head!

"HAHAHA! Hurry up and lead the way!"

...Never mind, he may have gotten more childish instead.

...

After ten or so minutes, we got to the entrance of the restaurant. The entrance had a sign above it which had the words 'The Dantian's Desire' written on it.

Quite an apt name, if I were to say so myself.

The building was a multi-story pavilion that gave you a feeling of grandness and elegance due to it's beautiful design and giant size.

As we got off our swords and walked inside, a group of three people intercepted us.

As we say the faces and robes of the people, Chen Fei and I's happy smiles soon turned into disgusted frowns- As if we had just encountered a large pile of shit.

The group consisted of two boys and a girl, and all of them had mocking smirks on their faces as if they had found a fun thing to play with.

One of the boys quickly stepped forward and spoke to us saying,

"Ohhhhhh, will if it isn't the soon to be dethroned prince and the filthy outsider!

"I wonder what you both are doing out here when, quite clearly, your days are numbered!"

His arrogant smirk then shifted to an angry expression as he pointed at me and said,

"Especially you, inferior bastard!

"How has it felt living off our clans resources like a parasite, and living a luxurious life unfit for a commoner like you!

"It must've felt great, huh!

"Well, enjoy what you can as soon will come the day where I will be able to beat you like the dog bastard you are and kill you for daring to steal from our almighty clan!"

The other two people behind him also glared at me angrily as he spewed his bullshit.

All while hearing this, I could only let out a weary sigh and think to myself,

Fuck!

Out of anyone, why do we run into these bloodline freaks?!

Can't they just give a man a rest day, when a man needs one?

Tch, shitty world.

...

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Author's Notes:

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Any suggestions or feedback would be appreciated.

Sorry for the info dump, will make sure it doesn't happen as much for future chapters.