I went to sleep and woke up the next day at the rooster's crow, I once again looked at the ceiling in front of me which had become oddly familiar now and couldn't help but sigh at remembering the last thought I had yesterday .
I was able to confirm that the panel in my mind can only help me achieve Great Success level of mastery over my Martial Skill and I believe that techniques were the same as well, it was a bit disappointing, but I still accepted it begrudgingly, thinking that at least I'm able to raise my Mastery to that level .
If someone were to hear my thoughts, he would probably curse me to death, that's the Great Success realm of mastery, how many people were aiming to achieve to get close to that realm in their entire lifetime, yet they might be unable to successfully achieve it without a fateful encounter and a great opportunity .
These were the kind of thoughts that helped me in feeling better about myself and it wasn't like there is no more ability to reach the Perfection in the Martial Skills, all I would need to do, is exercising enough with them to gain enough experience and insights, then I believe achieving perfection will be in sight .
I got up from the bed and stretched my sore body, the straw bed was a nightmare to the back, it felt as if I was sleeping directly on the floor, but that wasn't the only reason to why I was stretching and my body soreness, yesterday practice with crouching Tiger really took a toll on my body .
I was forced to practice that Martial Skill for over than 40 times, before I was finally able to raise my Mastery in it, I wanted to get started with Charging Tiger Martial Skill as well, but found that I had already consumed my Blood Qi and the notifications telling me that I kept on using my Life Force to execute the Martial Skill absent-mindedly, but luckily with the panel interference, my Life Force didn't get damaged .
Life Force was also linked to my Blood Vitality and was also affecting my Blood Qi as well, so it was important not to exhaust it or else I might have ended up like Lu Jiu a long time ago if not for the existence of the weird panel, I found that I left the door open yesterday and saw sun rays began appear on the doorstep .
I was mesmerized by the scene for a little period of time, but then I shook my head sighed and began to prepare my breakfast after I finished washing my face up using the well water in the bucket, I had brought in yesterday, I suddenly stumbled upon something as I walked up to the bucket, I looked down and saw that the weird pouch was still on the floor and I almost instantly slapped myself .
The harmonious atmosphere of a morning that I was having dissipated in an instant and I remembered that I still hadn't hid that time bomb away before I slept yesterday and even left the door open, perfect, just perfect .
Luckily Lu Tu didn't come back or else, even if I had ten lives, I would still lose them all, if a word of what was going on here were to be reported, I hurriedly checked outside that no one seemed to be walking or snooping around and then calmed down a little and strapped the pouch for now in my belt and washed my face and ate my breakfast, consisting of vegetables and meat .
Eggs in this world was actually more pricey than meat, but I was now not lacking in money, I had 6 silver taels on me already and more left to be cashed out, but it was better to buy food and not use much money in the family complex, after all I was still nothing but a family slave, so suddenly getting this much money will make people suspicious and that's the last thing I wanted to do .
After finishing my breakfast, I reminded myself that since I wasn't currently leaving the Lu Family, I needed to pay the rent money of the hut, relieving myself for continuing to be in debt to this family, even though I shouldn't go throwing money around, at least spending that amount was still a bit permissable, I hope .
As I finished my contemplation, I heard the familiar ringing of the bells from yesterday and I already accustomed to what I need to do, but surprisingly unlike yesterday, I didn't felt like someone else was pulling my body towards the courtyard, I couldn't help but be reminded of how the resentment that the original Tian Long left had already dissipated, I inwardly hoped that this guy have a happy next life and discarded the subject .
Thinking that there was no need to dwell on it any further, I readied myself and Just as I took the first step out of the door, I remembered that I had strapped the time bomb earlier to my belt and hurriedly retreated back to the hut, I kept wrecking my brain searching for any kind of solution for this predicament .
I can't just go around walking with the bulging pouch in my waist, people might also recognize the pouch to be different than normal and some might even know to whom did it belong to, after dwelling on it for a bit of time, I decided that the best solution was to bury it down .
I dug a place in the muddy floor beneath me with quite ease and put the pouch inside and buried it, I believed that for now this solution would suffice, my cloth pouch had the 6 silver taels in it, so it was bulging as well, but its appearance wasn't out of the ordinary, washing my hands, I took everything that needed my attention and headed to the outer courtyard .
just as I reached the courtyard, I sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere in the outer courtyard, some were acting more weirder than others, some were frightened that goes especially for those lackeys of Deacon Lu .
Lu Jong and others like him seemed to be out of breath, they were now facing the scornful gazes of many people, some even showed a killing intent towards them, these guys seemed to have been a nuisance towards almost everybody when Deacon Lu was still around, but now, now they were no longer had the backing the depended on when they harassed others, so they will get what was coming for them .
If not for the fact that Lu Jong's performance yesterday acted as some kind of deterrent, I believe that most of them would have been beaten up by now and laying down on the floor like dogs, but due to the other guys being cowards, that didn't happen .
But those weren't the only guys who had weird expressions on their faces, there were a few others who were staring intently at the inner gate leading to the inside of the house, some wore expectant expressions and other looked a bit wary .
But as if the lesson from yesterday wasn't enough to state that I wasn't to be trifled with, I heard a sneer coming from behind me and someone suddenly stood out from the other guys pointing at me and saying :
Look at that stupid idiot, he isn't even aware that his backer, instructor Lu had also left the family as of yesterday, so no one would come and save him, if we were to decide beating him to a pulp .
I turned to look at who was saying this and found that the guy who was saying this, was none other than the guy who was beaten to one yesterday, some people in this world seemed to be in love with blowing smoke and here I thought that he would have at least learned from yesterday's lesson, not to fan the flames anymore .
Using Crouching Tiger, the guy who was pointing at me suddenly saw me in front of him like a ghost, I heard a few gaping voices behind me, but didn't turn to them, instead I stared at the guy from before who was at loss of what just happened, but I then saw him tripping backwards and falling on his butt, I hadn't even laid a finger on him, yet he kept on yelling, saying :
You, you, ..... .
" What you, say what you have to say if you have the guts or get out of my sight, you are an eyesore .
I squinted my eyes at him and tried to imitate the stare my senior brother gave me the other day, I saw that it seem to be still effective, I saw the guy's frightened expression grew even more intense and saw his eyes suddenly darted forward, I tracked where his eyes were looking and saw that he was actually looking at Lu Jong .
Again, that guy seeing me looking at him shifted his gaze and unlike before, he had genuine expression of fear this time around, comprehending what might be going on here, I helped the guy that was quivering up and patted his shoulder, even though that seemed to unsettle him even more, after I saw his bruised face, I took pity on him .
I leaned closer to his ears and whispered, saying :
" Even though money is good, if it was earned through helping in plotting other, might lead only you to suffer and you will only have yourself to blame for that .
I let him go and he looked at me surprised and his expression softened a little, he also stopped quivering and looked at me with bewilderment at first, but I felt that he seemed to be contemplating on my words and I saw that he suddenly looked at me with gratitude then he cupped his fists at me and was about to thank me properly, but then the inner gate doors suddenly got opened .
The same guards from yesterday entered one after another, all went in, my face happened to meet the grimaced face of one of the guards, one that almost taught me a lesson yesterday, his back was bent forward as he walked, it was like he had grown a hunchback all of a sudden, the moment his eyes met mine, he glared daggers at me .
I was confused about his reaction, but then had some inspiration and remembered the lashes he was rewarded yesterday, it does seem that he lacked the correct method to achieve a breakthrough .
I couldn't help but chuckle at this thought, even though I was laughing at him for another matter, seeing me laughing like this almost made him go berserk, if not for the fact that he was held back by the other guards and the fact that the clerk had already taken a seat, he might have really risked it all and attacked me .
I also understood that what I did before was indeed wrong, I shouldn't have provoked Old Han like that, the grudge between the two of us will only deepened like that, but I guess that it was already too late for reconciliation at this point .
The clerk began calling the names in the book one after another as before, yet unlike yesterday, once my name got called, I was about to respond, when the clerk suddenly looked at me and said :
The family is willing to allow you to change your family's name to Lu, once you do so, you will be free and your name will be inscribed in the Family's Ancestral Hall, what is your say on this, do you accept ? .
The moment his words fell into the ears of everyone present, the entire place went into complete uproar, the guards were suddenly releasing their Blood Qi from their bodies, forcing all the servants that were beginning to make a ruckus to settle down instantly, for some reason I felt sweat drops appear on my forehead, but after trying to remove them, I found that there were nothing on my forehead .
After whatever the guards did or used, the scene settled down, silent, the whole scene now turned into silent, I saw that the clerk too seemed to be like all the other servants and was stunned in a same fashion, but other than the illusion of having sweat drop on my forehead, my state was still the same as before, even though the clerk was like this, he was still staring at me waiting for my answer with interest .
I was first unable to comprehend what he was saying, what changing my family's name to Lu, what inscribing my name in the Family's Ancestral Hall, what was the meaning of this, but then my memories were suddenly refreshed and I was able to recall what that meant .
The Lu family was offering me an olive branch, no it was more accurate to say that they were offering an olive tree, the Lu Family wanted me to join them as an official family member, not in name, no, inscribing my name into the Family's Ancestral Hall, meant that I from now on will be one of the young masters of the Lu Family, that why both the guards and the other servants were this shocked .
" Sorry, Clerk Lu, tell the Lu Family that I indeed appreciate their kindness, but sadly my name was the only thing left I had from my parents, I'm not willing to change it, so I politely refuse .
Presumptuous . ×100
My ears buzzed from how many people cursed my actions in unison, I saw that even the guards were suddenly startled by my blatant refusal, not to mention the other servants, but I expected as much already, so it wasn't much a surprise for me, but I was just taken aback by the sudden burst of curses aimed at me .
As if that wasn't enough, I saw old Han suddenly aiming the spear in his hand forward and taking a step forward towards me, but just as he did, the clerk raised his hand and motioned for him to stand down, the old guard snickered a little in annoyance, but still complied without saying a word, I couldn't help but look at the clerk in front of me in surprise .
Just from his reaction before, I could tell that he was weak in terms of Martial Arts, but it seem that he had quite the authority over the guards at least, me looking at him, made him look at me as well and he said with a grave tone :
Are you certain of your choice, I was ordered to ask only once, but seeing that you might have quite the potential and you catching the interest of the young master Lu Jian, I urge you to reconsider .
This talk about catching one of the Lu Family young master's eyes indeed alarmed me a little, but only a little, my decision was final, no matter how much they offered me, clearing my throat and acting as if I was was hesitant and considering it in mind, then I said :
" Please relay my best regards to the young master and tell him that I'm not worthy of his praise and tell him that I apologize for betraying his expectations .
Unlike before as I finished saying this, he didn't try to dissuade me again, he finished his business and got up from his seat, then said loudly to everyone present :
You will all be going to the inner courtyard to pay your respect to Deacon Lu's body and you will attending the Funeral Ceremony, so you better brace yourself .
I was finally beginning to get a grasp of why those guys were so expectantly looking at the Inner gates, I won't say that I wasn't curious, but unlike them who were so enthusiastic about seeing what was on the other side, I was more fearful from what was on the other side of that gate, believing that whatever was there, it might be quite dangerous .