The Clan Head of the Tai Clan could only furrow his bushy eyebrows as he began to read the newly arrived papers.
Entire warehouses had gone missing from other cities? Vanished like they had been ripped away from their very foundations? And they were all Ming Imperial assets?
What the Hell was going on?
*Thud!*
*PoofVanish Sound*
"Is that you, Nobi?" Clan Head immediately turned around, scanning the room, but saw nothing.
Sadly, all that the Tai’s Clan Head could find was a folded paper on his desk, alongside a large and strange-looking coffer.
Picking up the paper, he unfolded it and began to read:
━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━
I am sorry Old Master, but this Nobi has to follow after Young Master Fung first and foremost, if I am to fulfill the promise to both yourself and my own Dao, so I will be gone for a long period of time, if not forever.
The Young Master says that he is really sorry for the missing warehouses, and hopes that the contents of the box we left for you will help you recover the losses.
Also, the Young Master wants to leave a few words for you:
----
Hello Uncle Tai.
Inside the chest you will find certain body pieces that used to belong to me. Do not worry, they have been produced using a secret technique and I have not harmed or mutilated myself in any way, but they indeed used to be a part of me and they are infused with my true blood. Tell the Imperials to verify the components, and then acknowledge my death. Blame it on the Demonic Sect attack, and tell them that I got smashed by a Meteor Strike near the Hall of Medicine, and that those pieces were the only things that you could recover after my demise. If anyone asks, Senior Knight Fall will also corroborate your version of the story and say that he saw me die with his own two missing eyes.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
This unfilial son begs for your forgiveness, and wishes you only the best in your life from now on.
You have been more of a Father to me that my real one could have ever been, and I will forever be grateful for all of those years of safety and love that you have granted me, but it’s time for me to go out into the world and face it.
From now on, Prince Ming Tai Fung is dead, and only Fungus remains.
━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━
Sure enough, as soon as the Clan Head opened the lid of the coffer, a rather large pile of 90%+ filled Grand spirit stones shone in his eyesight, which were enough to recoup all of the warehouse losses 20 times over, and on the bottom, preserved in a large block of ever-ice, a left hand, a right ear and left-leg set of toes could be found.
"I see...so he has chosen to grab destiny with his own two hands." Thought Clan Head as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eyes while closing back the lid of the coffer. "You too were like the son I never had, Fung my boy."
"Well, then there is only one thing that this helpless “father” can do for his “son” one last time, no matter what the consequences may be." Clan Head thought while pulling out a blank sheet of parchment as he calmed his shaking hands before beginning to write.
*Scribble Scribble*
*Many flowery words and pointless formal official pleasantries*…it is with great Shame and Sorrow that I have to report to your Majesty Dihuang the Third, Holy Highness and Great Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Chosen Son of the Heavens and Protector of the People that your Son and my Ward, Ming Tai Fung, the 17th Prince in line for the Throne Of The Empire, has unfortunately succumbed to the machinations of the enemy during the assault of three Demonic Sects upon the Blue Mountain of Books....*even more flowery words and pointless formal apologies*...attached to this letter you will find whatever parts we could recover from his body, after the Demon’s Meteor struck the Prince. Please bury whatever is left of the Young Master among his true ancestors at the Imperial Mausoleum within the Forbidden City, and please forgive this humble servant for not being able to do anything to prevent his death. Nobody expected the attack on the Sect to arrive so swiftly, and even the protection detail that we had assigned to the Young Master got wiped-out together with him when he got crushed...*triple the amount of flowery words and pointless formal apologies*.
As the Clan Head finished his letter, he placed his Wax Seal on top of it, then chimed his bell for a servant to come pick up the letter up and then deliver it to the Ming Imperials as soon as possible.
"Screw the Imperials!" The Clan Head thought to himself. "They have always only been a threat to the boy’s life. Maybe by playing his cards this way, he’ll finally be able to find some peace at last. Wherever you are, Fung my boy, may the Gods watch over you."