"Young master, where are you!"
The maids and butlers frantically move furniture and search for hidden spots. A tall silhouette can be seen approaching the room. It enters, and a tall, muscular man is revealed.
"What is going on?" he asked.
A butler bowed, then replied, "Lord Patriarch, we can't find the young master anywhere. We've searched the house and yard, and he cannot be found. Please pardon our negligence, we are willing to accept any punishment!"
A sudden pressure shook the air. The man took a large inhale, "XINGYUN'ER! COME OUT NOW!"
From the roof, a tile is popped out of its place. A young boy can be seen jumping out of it. The moment he landed, he prostrated himself.
The boy was trembling and began to stutter, "Y-y-yes.. f-Father?"
The Father's fierce gaze seemingly pierced through the boy's soul. "Why are you prostrating at me?" the Father asked, "You've created unnecessary trouble for all of the servants, who are even willing to take punishment for not finding you. Turn to them and ask for forgiveness!"
Shocked, a few of the servants responded,
"How could we!?"
"Please don't worry about it, young master. It's but a duty for us!"
Despite their refusal, the boy stood up, turned towards, them, and prostrated. "Please forgive me for the trouble I have caused all of you! I won't do it again!"
Unsure of what to do, the servants stood there in a state of shock. The next, a feeling of joy rushed over them, and they all had one thought- what a great young man the young master was becoming.
What they didn't expect, however, was that the patriarch himself was so proud that he started crying, spewing out nonsense such as "I don't want him to get older!" and "I'm so proud to be his Father!"
…
"...isn't this a bit overboard?" I thought to myself as I remained on the floor, prostrating.
There was a sudden shift in the air, and the mood became eerie. "However... I feel like this punishment is still too light. Xingyun'er!"
"Yes, Father?"
"For the next two weeks, you'll have to do an additional two hours of cultivating, two hours of sword practice, and two more hours of education from the tutor! It's about time you start doing this regardless, you don't need six additional hours of free time to play hide and seek from the servants."
Out loud, I accidentally said, "Ah... seriously? This old fart is trying to kill me!"
Everything became silent. An uneasy pressure added weight to the air, it felt like gravity multiplied several times. I started to sweat, confused by what was happening.
"Did... did.. you just call... your Father, your very own Father, an old fart?"
I hadn't realized I said that out loud, and quickly tried to make up for it.
"What? Father, you must have misheard me. I was saying how my incredibly youthful Father is working hard to shape me into the best swordsman possible!"
I looked up and saw my Father was boiling. He walked to the wall and grabbed a wooden sword. It was then that I knew, I messed up. Big time. I stood up, took a deep breath, and yelped, "Mother! Save me!" as I was running throughout the entire house away from my Father.
Eventually, I reached my Mother and Father's room, where she opened the door. In a very gentle and comforting tone, she said, "What's wrong Xingyun'er?"
I was out of breath when suddenly, a figure turned down the hall and started bolting at me with a wooden sword.
"Get back here you brat! This 'old fart' will teach you a few lessons!"
"Mother, please help! All I said was a few kind words to Father, but he didn't appreciate them! He's been chasing me with a sword!"
A few minutes later...
"Aiz..." we both sighed hopelessly.
"The supposed strongest swordsman in the Upper Realm gets agitated over his son calling him an old fart? And you expect our son to be extremely patient and mature when he gets older, yet the example he has to follow is you!"
Then she turned towards me,
"Xingyun'er... you know it's not appropriate to call your father, or anyone for that matter, an old fart right?"
"Yes, Mother... I have learned my lesson."
She held her breath, then exhaled, "Good... good... now I don't want to hear anything about this again. Especially you, Sir Patriarch, messing up our own house! You have to help all of the servants clean everything up and repair everything you destroyed. Understood?"
"Yes Ma'am..." Father said as a saddened expression washed over his face.
…
Ah, I suppose now is as good a time as any to reintroduce myself.
My name is Shi Xingyun, and it has been seven years since the day I was reincarnated. As you might have guessed, my current life is far better than my last- immeasurably so. Not only was I born in the Upper Realm, but I also had the fortune of becoming part of one of its top three families.
The Shi family is legendary, renowned across the realm for producing unparalleled swordsmen. It's said that any swordsman trained by a Shi family member can ascend to at least the sixth level of the Sword Dao in their lifetime. This a remarkable accomplishment, considering that the pinnacle is level ten.
As for me, I've been receiving personal guidance from none other than the family patriarch, my Father. For the past two years, I've dedicated myself to mastering the sword. Father insists that perfection in the basics is the foundation of all success- a lesson he drilled into me since I was born. I'm on the verge of achieving it, and once I do, I'll be taking my first large step into the Sword Dao.
Recently, I've also begun cultivation. In just a few short months, I've reached the fifth stage of Qi Refining- a feat that would be impressive for anyone my age. While I won't deny my natural talent, let's be clear: this progress didn't come without effort. Talent alone means nothing without hard work, and I've spent countless hours honing my skills these past few years.
Three years from now, I'll be heading to the Eternal Sword Pavilion, the greatest swordsmanship academy in the Upper Realm. Until then, my path is clear- train, cultivate, and prove myself worthy of the Shi name. I refuse to go back to a life of poverty, and I will dominate this world with my power!