Uncle Tao is scary

After finishing the afternoon's accounts, he didn't waste a single second. While carefully putting the papers into his bag, with a determined look in his eyes, he slipped out of the Prosperity Pavilion and disappeared down a quiet alley.

On his way, his eyes darted around the market stalls until he spotted a vendor selling cheap masks. He quickly bought a silly-looking chicken mask, hoping it would be enough to hide his face.

A knot of fear and excitement tightened in his stomach. Getting caught by either the powerful Wang family or the ruthless Wu family wouldn't be a joke.

Chen Yang was extra cautious as he moved through the busy city streets, his senses on high alert, like a little mouse trying to avoid cats.

Finally, he reached the wealthy district where the Wang Clan lived, a nervous thrill buzzing under his skin

He pulled out the ten posters he'd painstakingly written by hand that afternoon. They felt flimsy in his sweaty grip.

Quickly and skillfully, he plastered them on different walls all over the Wang Clan's neighborhood, making sure they were in places people would easily see.

Each poster practically screamed in big, messy letters: "Wang Family Head's Wife CAUGHT! Secret Love with Young Master of Wu Family! Seems the old man just couldn't keep up – they say she likes someone young and full of energy who can go all night long..."

The details were pure fiction, of course, but Chen Yang had made them as juicy and believable as he could, hoping to stir up maximum trouble.

Seeing the bold headline and the spicy, detailed description he'd managed to cook up, Chen Yang couldn't help but give himself a mental thumbs up. "Not bad for a simple accountant," he thought with a smirk.

Now that his little mission was done, he didn't linger. He needed to get out of there fast. His heart hammered against his ribs with a mix of adrenaline and fear.

He slipped back into the alley, took off his mask with shaky hands, and changed back into his normal clothes.

He rushed towards his house, his mind already racing with what might happen next. However, as he turned into the familiar alley leading to his home, his smile disappeared.

Standing at the other end, blocking his way, was Uncle Tao. His right eye was swollen shut, a nasty purple bruise bloomed on his left cheek, and his usually neat hair looked like a flock of angry birds had nested in it – or rather, where it hadn't been yanked out by Aunt Jiang.

His eyes were bloodshot and burned with a raw, terrifying anger that made the hairs on Chen Yang's arms stand up.

Uncle Tao looked like a cornered wolf, ready to tear anyone who came near him to shreds.

Chen Yang's stomach dropped. He tried to look casual, pretending he hadn't noticed Uncle Tao's battered state, and quickened his pace, hoping to just walk past.

But Uncle Tao started walking slowly towards him, his every step radiating a heavy, menacing power that made Chen Yang's muscles tighten.

Panic flared in his chest. He broke into a run, his desperation lending speed to his legs. He fumbled with his rusty keys, finally managing to jam one into the lock, his hands shaking so badly he almost dropped them.

He pushed the door open and slammed it shut behind him, the flimsy wood offering little comfort.

He quickly slid the old wooden bolt across, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He could hear heavy footsteps slam against his door for a moment, followed by a frustrated, animalistic growl.

Then, the heavy thudding faded away down the alley.

Chen Yang leaned against the door, his legs feeling like jelly. "Well, he definitely got a beating from Aunt Jiang," he thought, his voice barely a whisper. "And he looks like he suspects I was the one who told on them about them going to the Blossom Pavilion with those ladies."

"For now, I need to stay invisible to Uncle Tao. If he catches me , I might not even recognize what's left of me afterwards," he thought, swallowing hard.

He quickly locked the wooden bolt, his hands shaking.

Suddenly, a loud banging echoed through the door. Someone was hammering on it with a lot of force!

Bang... bang...

"Shoot! Uncle Tao seems to have gone crazy! What should I do?" Chen Yang looked left and right, trying to see if there was any way to escape.

Chen Yang grabbed a thick wooden stick leaning against the wall, getting ready for whatever was coming.

"You little brat!" a loud voice roared from outside. "Show yourself! I'll see how long you can keep hiding inside your house!"

"Because of you, Di is in bed and can't even stand up on his own! Your Aunt Dai nearly beat him to a pulp!"

A burst of loud laughter followed, mixed with coughs.

"Damn, I was just talking with him, and I even had to take a few punches myself..." Uncle Tao mumbled, either to himself or to Chen Yang.

Saying that, the laughter died down, and Chen Yang heard footsteps coming near. This time, it stopped right outside his door.

A tense silence filled the air. Then, the door creaked open just a little, and Chen Yang saw Uncle Tao's furious face.

His eyes, still burning with anger, locked onto Chen Yang. But just as quickly as the anger appeared, it changed to a hint of amusement. A slow, humorless smile spread across Uncle Tao's lips.

"What a troublemaking little brat," he chuckled, his voice low and dangerous. "Looks like you've got his talent for causing trouble like your father."

Hearing that, Chen Yang almost dropped to his knees to apologize to Uncle Tao.

What was the point in wasting time?

He went down on his knees and started begging for forgiveness, promising he wouldn't tell Aunt Jiang anything more about him going to the Blossom Pavilion in future.

The sudden change in Chen Yang's attitude stunned Uncle Tao for a moment, and then a wide smile appeared on his face.

"You little rascal, you know when to back down, good... but brat, because of you, an innocent man like me – got his eye and face pretty messed up. You have to buy me the most expensive jar of wine in the Blossom Pavilion!"

Hearing that, Chen Yang quickly agreed.

"Okay, Uncle Tao, I'll buy it for you and Uncle Di."

As if a thought struck him, Uncle Tao quickly said, "Ah, no... no... not from there! I'm not setting foot in that place again anytime soon. And you don't need to apologize or make up to that old Di; he deserved it. Just give me three silver coins as a medical fee."

Hearing that, Chen Yang didn't hesitate. He slipped the three silver coins to Uncle Tao through the crack in the door. Uncle Tao took them and left.

Seeing Uncle Tao finally leave, Chen Yang couldn't help but slump down against the door, his body feeling like it had turned to jelly.

"Ding,Exposure successful ; Congratulations host for getting twenty five years of cultivation and five years of alchemy experience [x2 for host being too old.]"

Hearing sudden system prompt Chen Yang couldn't help but jump.

"Damn twenty five years of cultivation and five years of alchemy experience x2 which is fifty years of cultivation and ten years of alchemy experience with this I might directly take off ."

Without hesitation Chen Yang accept the reward.

"Congratulations to the host for receiving the reward: 50 years of cultivation ; 10 years of alchemy experience"

As a massive surge of memories instantaneously flooded into his mind, making Chen Yang roll on the ground on pain."