Chapter 18: Lies

Thunder Clouds Sect - The Sect Master Private Garden

"So this is what regret feels like?" Xue Fuyi said, while looking at the night sky, his son beside him standing silently and just watching as he drowned in his regrets.

They were both in his personal garden, something that was rather new, as he had commissioned to impress his late wife. Flowers of all colors dotted the surrounding space, creating a vivid space straight from an artist's mind. It was beautiful, of that there were no doubts, but Xue Fuyi hadn't visited it in years, not because it displeased him, but because it only brought forth memories, he wished he could forget.

The pain of an immortal that loses his most precious loved one is great. For even if they know that they are not, in fact, eternal, they subconsciously believe that nothing can kill them, especially the ones that they love.

When an Immortal faces that simple but devastating fact, they consider it being their last test before they continue to advance, will they wither under the sorrow that the absence of the ones that they love had left? Or will they continue to move forward, carrying the memories of their loved ones with them as they continue to rise in the world, reaching new and greater heights than before?

In the Immortal Realm, the rate of those that suffered the first is small, mainly because not only of the private acceptance of the inevetable, but also because they have those that can help them get back up. Friends, family, all gathered together to make sure that they can move on from and not wither.

In Xue Fuyi's case, he had his son, and other members of his clan that were not against him for either political or other reasons. But now he couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, he committed a mistake with his daughter.

"Why did you call me here, father?" His son asked, speaking for the first time since he entered the private gardens.

"I called here son, to ask you a question" Xue Fuyi said, before he turned from the sights around him and focused his full attention on his son. "Was it by your design that your sister grew so powerful?"

It was a suspicion Xue Fuyi had right after the Ninth Prince and his entourage had left, taking his daughter with them, because logically the timeline of events didn't add up, there was no way the Prince and his entourage, which a member was a Grand Imperial Elder that had the personal ear of the Emperor himself, would have gone on their way to make so that Xue Lihua could finally advance at speeds unseen even in the most prosperous days of the sect.

There was simply no way.

But, before all of that had happened his son had requested a personal audience with the Ninth Prince after he had defeated the foolish scion of the Heavenly Thunder Sect, something that could be seen as the beginnings of a at least a cordial relationship between the Ninth Prince and the Thunder Clouds Sect, indeed that was what he had thought, but then Tengfei went and brought his sister along, which confused him as for why he did that.

After all, there was nothing that his sister had that could bring the gaze of an Imperial Prince, much less a Grand Imperial Elder, who would definitely dislike such an union and would try their hardest to make so that his highness attention was brought elsewhere. She had no cultivation, and while she had the seeds of a great beauty, there were not very present.

But even then Tengfei went and brought his sister along despite knowing these facts, and Xue Fuyi couldn't help but suspect the nature of the event. Because his son's recent movement have been very suspicious recently, especially with the fact that his personality had become very different from before. While before his son was all smiles and laughter, now he had become brooding and serious man. A stark contrast to what he was before.

Xue Fuyi had ignored it partly because he had been glad that his son was finally growing up and taking his responsibilities seriously. But now...

'What if...' Xue Fuyi thought as he looked at Tengfei with a suspicious gaze. 'What if this man in front of me is not my son?'

---

'Well, that came quicker than expected,' Xue Tengfei thought as he looked at his father, who was rightly suspicious about his recent actions.

Privately, he always knew that this confrontation was going to happen. His sudden change in personality made sure of it. Which is also why he made plans in case his father did something foul against him, but he felt that the possibility of those events happening was low but not unexisting.

Which is why his primary plan was not to confront his father, but to say a lie so ridiculous it would pass off as being the truth. For the subject of the lie was someone that his father would take extremely seriously, no matter what.

First, he did all the theatrics. He sighed, he closed his eyes; he shook his head, and then he stared at his father with determination and slight sorrow.

"It was mother, she told me what to do to make sure that my sister grew as powerful and talented as she did" Tengfei lied through his teeth, but he trained for this and his past life's skills really came forth, the amount of times he had to lie there, saying that he was not the disgraced son of the Xue Clan and just a simple retainer were all humiliating but now he could use that particular skill of his to advance with his plan.

"Y-your mother? She is alive?" His father said, a shocked expression on his face.

Tengfei did not allow the relief he was feeling to appear on his face.

"Yes, she appeared before me recently and told me exactly what to do"

"We-well, did she say... anything else?" His father asked, curiosity and happiness oozing from his tone, now that he believed that his previously thought to be deceased wife was alive after all.

"No, father believe me, I tried. I wanted to know where she was all this time. Why did she fake her death, but she said nothing about that, only gave me orders and instructions," Tengfei answered, fake frustration in his voice as he voiced the 'truth' to his father who was believing every single word that he spoke.

Really it was almost pathetic, almost, because Tengfei couldn't say that if someone had used the same trick in him, he might have fallen victim as well, so he wouldn't judge.

His father nodded sadly. "That seems like her... I assume she is also the reason you have improved so much in such a short time? As well, how you found the 1,000-year-old Thunder Lotus Flower?"

The Thunder Lotus Flower was a spiritual flower that could help any practitioner of the Tempestuous Elemental Arts. Making so that they could advance faster, no matter which realm they were in. Tengfei knew of a Thunder Lotus that his ex-rival had harvested, which he only knew because he boasted about them loudly in fact, and so in his new life he could take advantage of that.

Many would ask why he didn't use the lotus for himself, he would answer that the benefits provided by it would be useless and he already knew where another was anyway, even if it was of a much lower potency. By giving it to his father, he guaranteed his father would finally breakthrough into the True Immortal Realm after spending centuries in the Demi-Immortal Realm. 

This meant that his Sect would grow in importance in the eyes of the Imperial Court. Which meant that whatever the Heavenly Thunder Sect had made so that the Emperor would turn his back on them had a much lower chance of succeeding. And also made sure that more resources would enter the sect, which would allow the sect to develop further than before.

"Yes"

"I also assume that she ordered you not to reveal anything to me"

"Yes"

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His father once more sighed. "I am not even surprise, she must have been furious with me." 

Tengfei said nothing, because he knew if what he had spoken to his father was true, then he would be one target of her fury as well. After all, he could see so clearly now, his sister was not at fault for the death of their mother. It was something that can happen even in the Immortal Realm with its inhabitants naturedly stronger bodies.

That he had to suffer the same level of hatred and scorn as his sister to see that was both ironic and sad. He was so used to being at the top and so angry at his sister for something she had no control over that he never even bothered to speak with her.

He knew she would likely never forgive him for not being there when she needed him, and frankly, he was fine with that. Now that her future was brighter than his own could ever hope to be, she would be happy, maybe even get the family that she deserved.

"Anyway, that was not the only reason I called you here," His father said, his tone serious, causing Tengfei to get out of his own personal musings.

"There have been reports of our spies that the Heavenly Thunder Sect has sent forth agents to cause trouble with our operations in our borders"

Tengfei raised a eyebrow. "They broke their promise?"

His father scoffed. "Officially? Of course not, these are just loose cultivators that another force has contacted for to hamper our operations. But we all know better, don't we?"

"Indeed," Tengfei said with a nod. "I assume you want to do something about the situation, father?"

"Yes, and no. I have already instructed Elder Han Ye to deal with the situation. You are merely going to help him in some matters, but the entire operation will be under his control"

Elder Han Ye was the mastermind of the Thunder Clouds Sect that held control of the spies and assassins of the Sect, as he was the leader of the Shadow Hall, so it made sense that control of the operation would fall under him.

"I see... I must also make a good impression upon Elder Han, don't I?" Tengfei asked.

"Indeed, you are our Sect's most promising disciple and many Elders already want you to become my successor, but they are those that do not want you to become the new Sect Master if I either enter seclusion or die, for many reasons, winning over not only Elder Han but other Elders as well, would greatly help with your future ascension," His father explained causing Tengfei to think.

Did he really want to become the Sect Master? While the position certainly offered benefits, he wasn't sure that he truly was someone that could lead an entire Sect; he knew how to fight against his enemies, but he didn't know how to manage a Sect as large as the Thunder Clouds Sect, that had operations in multiple different regions each with their individualities.

Even before he had suffered as he did, Tengfei never really bothered to become the new Sect Master as he cared more for advancing his personal cultivation than bothering with all the problems of the Sect. And while his temperament really did change, the same thought applied through for different reasons.

"I don't think I am the one who is suitable to lead the Sect in the future, father" Tengfei said, causing his father to show a shocked expression at the fact that Tengfei had refused the opportunity to ascend into the most desirable position in the entire Sect.

"Why not?"

"I do not have the skills to make so that our Sect will continue to prosper. I do not know how to manage all the large-scale operations that the Sect daily does, nor do I know how to carefully manage all the relationships that we currently have with our allies and vassals."

His father's shocked expression gave way to a thinking one before he said. "Indeed, you are not the best candidate for a future Sect Master since you know nothing of how to manage all the parts of our Sect"

Tengfei gave a wordless nod while at the same thinking who would be more appropriate for the position of future Sect Master. Maybe Brother Zhang Bai would be a good Sect Master. He was a good meditator and administrator, and he did not have enemies besides the petty ones, so he would be a good pick for the future Sect Master.

Although he is not the only one, it will be good if they make a proper list before any decision-

"Then you only need to gain experience in these matters!" His father announced joyously.

'What?' Was the single thought that appeared in Tengfei's head after he heard his father's proclamation.

"Go help Elder Han, and after that, we will talk again. Do not worry, my son, you will gain experience in those matters and you will become one of the greatest Sect Masters of our sect!"

Tengfei wanted to scream at his father that he got everything wrong, but that would be both inappropriate and might add more wood to the fire. So he nodded with a mental sigh before he asked if he could leave the gardens. Fortunately, he was given permission.

When he got back into his room, he immediately went to bed, and went to sleep, wanting to get away from the fact that he was now being groomed to being the next Sect Master when he really did not want the position, since he knew they were better options than himself and they were being passed over in one of the most clear examples of nepotism he ever saw.

Before he closed his eyes and went to the blessed land of dreams, he wondered if anyone was in the same situation as him.

---

Imperial Academy - The Residence of The Ninth Prince

"Why are we doing this?" Feng Cai couldn't help but to ask towards his new instructor, an elderly man that had just broken through and entered the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

"These matters will greatly help you in the future My Prince" The Elder answered vaguely, like he knew something that Feng Cai didn't.

'How does learning imperial economic matters help my future' Feng Cai thought with confusion, before he remembered something else. 'Wait of course! Why didn't I think of that before, if a protagonist says either makes so that I for some reason be exiled and my titles stripped off, or make so that I don't have any other resources or power base by destroying the Empire, then I can use these new things I learned to to back up'

Nodding at his perfect logic, Feng Cai refocused at his new lesson, this time with far more focus than before. After all, his paranoia was very much justified considering which tropes ruled over this crazy new world he inhabited.