The boy worked in Cloud Tavern peacefully, his days felt fulfilling. There was no danger nor schemes, just him and Old Man Ouyang making food and serving them. He even learned how to make food, at least this world’s cuisine. It was impressive that people didn’t know the joy of eating fried food.

One day, he and the Old Man were standing in the backyard looking at a bird. It had white feathers and a red plume on its head. Its beady eyes had fear in them.

“Do you have holes in your head?” the Old Man scolded. “What’s this about ‘life is precious’?”

“I’m just saying that not everyone can kill,” the boy explained himself.

“No, that’s grossly underestimating people,” the Old Man shook his head. “People can kill, and not just chickens. Some people can kill others without the slightest remorse. And an aversion to killing will only hasten your death.”

The boy wore a grim look. He remembered the murdered couple he had buried with his own hands. Were the murderers truly unrepentant?

“Here,” the Old Man handed the boy a cleaver. “Kill it and set your mind.”

“Haah~” the boy sighed and hesitantly took the cleaver from his hands. Looking at the chicken, he took deep breaths before raising the cleaver. Closing his eyes, he chopped the cleaver down.

Khek! Thud!

The chicken didn’t even have the time to squawk before it was decapitated rather messily and its head fell to the ground.

The boy slowly opened his eyes and saw the head-less chicken’s thrashings slowly come to a halt. The cleaver was stained with blood and some of it had gotten on his hands as well.

Urp!

The urge to vomit had come and he could feel bile at the back of his throat. He strongly held it together and swallowed it back.

The Old Man had also noticed it and couldn’t help but remark, “You have good willpower. Many would be vomiting incessantly right now.”

“Damn it, old man!” the boy scolded. “You’re going to turn me into a vegetarian!”

“Ho?” the Old Man raised an eyebrow, “You can curse?”

“Is that something to be surprised about?”

“Haha!” the Old Man laughed. “I never thought you’d ever curse seeing as how polite you’ve been.”

“I don’t like to curse,” the boy shook his head. “It’s rude.”

The Old Man sighed. Just where did this lad come from…?

“Hey, old man!” the boy called out.

“What is it?”

“Do you think that Mr. Lin swings that way?”

“What?” the Old Man choked on his saliva. Where did that come from?

“I mean, every time he comes, he seems to be rather interested in me,” the boy recounted how Mr. Lin would keep asking him personal questions and stared at him before complimenting his looks.

The Old Man had a hand over his mouth as he struggled not to laugh. Eventually calming down, he explained, “Boy, have you seen yourself? Everyone who comes here stares at you!”

“Elder,” the boy’s eyes widened and he shuddered, “D-Do you run a tavern for homosexuals?” That would explain everything! The men were all gays and the women were all lesbians. Why else would they keep staring at him? In his horror, the boy had neglected the fact that lesbians had no reason to stare at him much less want him.

“Brat!” the Old Man had popped a vein.

“Elder, no matter whom you like, I’ll respect you regardless!” the boy bowed earnestly.

The Old Man was about to faint from anger. Why is this brat so infuriating?

“Lad, speak one more word and I won’t cook food today!”

“Ah?” the boy was startled. Why did the old man get angry? In the next moment, the realization hit him and he nodded, “Okay!”

He then left the old man and went back to his room. The old man sighed in relief but heard the boy muttering quietly, “It seems the topic of his lover is taboo. The old man must’ve really loved him…”

The old man clenched his aching heart lest he gets a heart attack.

----------------------------------------

As the boy spent days and days with the Old Man, his knowledge about this world expanded.

Cultivators were the norm everywhere even though the percentage of ordinary people was higher. Cultivators would be given important positions everywhere. And Sects that he had heard of previously were just a sort of institution for Cultivators where they would be groomed and aim to be a major power. Only powerful Cultivators could establish a sect.

There were many Sects in the Xi Kingdom each filled with powerful Cultivators. The Sects didn’t mess with the Kingdom and vice versa. It seemed that the forces were at a stalemate. Though it wasn’t because of the Xi Kingdom being too strong but because of conflicting interests. The Sects themselves compete with one another and if they tried to deal with the Kingdom, their competitors might just attack them.

And even if the Sects came together to take over the Xi Kingdom, the fight would have severe casualties on both sides and the division of Xi Kingdom would be much more troublesome. Thus, the Sects and Xi Kingdom were at equilibrium.

Aside from this, external powers were also a factor. The Xi Kingdom only housed Second and Third-Tier Sects. Being a Second-Rate Kingdom itself, the pressure of neighboring Second and First-Rate Kingdoms wasn’t low. Problems like these existed in every Kingdom.

Kingdoms were divided into three types- First, Second and Third Rate. After First-Rate Kingdoms came Empires also divided in a similar way. The Sects were divided into four types- First, Second and Third-Tier. The Old Man wasn’t too knowledgeable about the last type of sect but it was an existence even mightier than First-Tier Sects.

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Empires only housed the upper-ranked Sects. There were also alliances within Kingdoms and Empires but as of now Xi Kingdom wasn’t in any alliance neither were the neighboring Kingdoms.

Sects themselves also followed one of two ways- The Orthodox Path and The Corrupt Path.

Though the boy had a feeling that the Orthodox Path wasn’t as Orthodox as they claimed to be.

Other than that, Mr. Lin seemed to have become somewhat enthusiastic whenever he saw him. Somehow, Mr. Lin gave him a foreboding feeling but he couldn’t tell whether the danger was to his chastity or himself.

Unlike every day, the boy wasn’t helping out in the tavern today. He was out on the streets to buy some clothes. One of Old Man Ouyang’s customers was a tailor named Chun Li. She was a woman in her thirties and wore purple whenever the boy saw her. She was also a bit touchy-feely, hugging the boy every chance she got.

He came in front of a shop and looked at the signboard. “Chun Tailors, huh?” the boy mused. It was nothing unusual seeing someone’s store named after themselves. Most of them were shops inherited from their predecessors.

He opened the door and went inside but before he could speak, he felt to arms come around him.

“Ah, you’ve finally come to see this big sister!” Chun Li had pulled the boy into her embrace.

“Sis Li, I can’t breathe,” One would think being squished into someone’s breasts would be heaven but all the boy was feeling was the feeling of being suffocated to death.

Only after being satisfied did Chun Li let him go. The boy gasped for air.

Chun Li went back to the counter, “So, why did you come to see this Big Sis?”

“I want to buy some clothes!”

“Oh?” her eyes lit up. “What do you want?”

“Do you have like a sort of catalog?” the boy scratched his head awkwardly. “I don’t know much about clothes.”

“I do! Come here, handsome.”

The boy narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Coming up to the counter, he saw a book with yellow pages resting there.

Chun Li opened the book, “Look here, there are different types of robes you want.”

“Ooh!” the boy marveled. There were just too many options. Chun Li chuckled seeing the boy.

“What do you recommend Sis Li?” the boy looked at Chun Li.

“Hmm?” she fell into deep thought. She kept looking at him and imagined him in different clothes before shaking her head. This cycle went on for quite a while. There was no helping it. The boy looked handsome in everything!

“Sis Li, how about a blue outer robe which is loose and a white inner robe which is tight?[1]”

“Yes…” Chun Li’s eyes shone. “That works, especially the deep blue color. It’d go well with your eyes!” She then opened another book and came close to the boy.

“Let’s get your measurements, shall we?” she suggested with gleaming eyes.

“…sure,” the boy resigned himself to his fate.

The boy returned to the tavern as the sun was going down. Chun Li took full advantage as a tailor and squeezed him quite a bit in the name of ‘taking measurements’.

Kachak!

The boy entered the tavern. Old Man Ouyang and Mr. Lin were talking with some drinks and food on the table in front of them.

“Ah, boy!” the Old Man looked at him. “You’re back in one piece!”

“Oh, and how many pieces were you expecting?”

“I wasn’t expecting you to come back at all!” Old Man Ouyang chuckled. “So, did you get your clothes?”

“I did, a blue and white one,” the boy admitted.

“Good choice! Goes with your eyes,” the Old Man remarked.

“Ahem!” Mr. Lin coughed.

“I see,” Old Man Ouyang seemed to have remembered something. He looked at the boy, “Mr. Lin wants to talk to you about something.”

“Understood,” seeing Old Man Ouyang’s solemn look, the boy didn’t ask too much.

The Old Man left the room and the boy took his seat. He looked at Mr. Lin who was no longer as enthusiastic or cheerful as usual and looked a bit serious.

“Let me introduce myself,” Mr. Lin patted his chest. “My name is Li Yan.”

The boy was stunned. The Li clan head?

“Yes,” Li Yan seemingly understood the boy’s thoughts and affirmed his suspicions.

“And what does the Li clan head require from me?” the boy asked. There was no reason a big shot such as Li Yan would seek out an orphan like him.

“I’d like you to work for me.”

“I refuse.”

“Why?” Li Yan was startled. Any ordinary man would jump at the chance yet the boy in front of him didn’t even think about it and refused outright.

“Can Sir Li guess the difference between working in this tavern and working under yourself?”

“Better opportunities, better income, and a rise in status,” Li Yan replied unhesitatingly.

“That’s true!” the boy nodded. “But those are all positives!”

“Undoubtedly!” Li Yan narrowed his eyes. “Your point?”

“All good things must be gained with a price and the price for working under Sir Li is peace. Can Sir Li honestly say that the employees working under you aren’t in danger?”

“They are-” Li Yan paused.

“They are in danger. Sir Li’s enemies or rivals in this town are the Murong and Wang clans,” the boy shook his head. “Normal people wouldn’t want to attract the ire of Murong Fei who is known to be cunning nor the cruel Wang Lao.”

“They wouldn’t dare!” Li Yan hit the table in front of him.

“Sir Li is stronger than them yet not cruel nor cunning enough. If not for Sir Li’s strength, the Li clan would have been destroyed.”

“That’s…true,” Li Yan said resignedly. He then looked at the boy, “You’re becoming more and more to my liking.”

"The inter-clan tournament is only five months away," The boy adeptly changed subjects. "Has Sir Li prepared well?"

“What can I do? It’s all up to that lass,” Li Yan shook his head.

“What can you do? Encourage her, soothe her, help her, there are many things Sir Li can do. It’s whether or not Sir Li will do those things.”

“Absolutely!” Sir Li had a fire burning in his eyes.

“The month I spent with the Elder has taught me many things as well as the fact that this is the first inter-clan tournament. Does Sir Li understand what this means?”

“I don’t,” Li Yan frowned in incomprehension.

“It means that after the tournament is over, the power structure of Huangye town will change forever. The winner of the tournament will have one of the Sect’s backings, raising their clan’s status. After this tournament, the other two clans will join forces to resist the influence of the clan that won the tournament.”

“This!” Li Yan's eyes widened as realization finally dawned on him.

“This point has already been grasped by both Wang and Murong clan heads. Nowadays, all you can hear is both clan heads and their children entering seclusion together. It’s obvious that the clan heads are going all out to nurture the participants.”

“Boy, you’ve understood this much?” Li Yan asked in surprise.

“No,” the boy shook his head. “Outsiders will always have the superior perspective. Even the common people of Huangye town have guessed this much.”

“Boy, I’ll ask you again. Would you like to work under me?”

“I-” Before he could refuse Old Man Ouyang’s voice sounded from behind, “Take his offer, boy!”

“Elder, why?” the boy frowned.

“Because I won’t be here anymore!” Old Man Ouyang shook his head.

“You-!” the boy couldn’t comprehend.

“I have finished what I came here to do, so I’ll be leaving. Go with Li Yan.”

“I…see…” the boy had sorrow and reluctance written on his face. He took a deep breath and steeled himself. “I thank Elder for his kindness and guidance!” he kowtowed.

“Get up!” the Old Man pursed his lips and walked away. He put a pouch on the counter and left the room, “Take this when you leave.”

The boy left the ground and turned towards Li Yan. He bowed, “I accept your offer and come under your care!”

Li Yan smiled, “Call me Master and go get your stuff; we’ll leave right away!”

“Understood, Master!” the boy stopped bowing and went upstairs to gather his things.

He entered the room which he was using. It was plain, only a bed and a chest of drawers. He only had 3 sets of clothes, the one he took from the house, white sleepwear, and one he wore when he worked in the tavern. He took a bag and stuffed all the clothes inside as well as all of the money he’s saved which was close to 85 silver taels.

He gathered everything and left the room but not before shooting the room one last melancholic look. After all, why wouldn’t he be sad? He woke up in an unknown world and this was his first home. He was close to the Old Man but maybe the latter didn’t feel the same way. After all, the Old Man was the first person he truly knew in this world. But that wasn’t the case for the Old Man; maybe for Old Man Ouyang, the boy was a passerby. Someone, he would never meet again.

The boy sighed and stopped thinking about these things. He went downstairs and saw Li Yan standing next to the door.

“Come, let’s leave!” Li Yan beckoned.

“Yes, Master!” Li Yan bowed slightly. He grabbed the pouch the Old Man left him from the counter. He left the store, walking behind Li Yan.

He opened the pouch, inside were silver taels. The boy shook his head and stuffed the pouch in his bag. “No amount of money can substitute the joy of companionship…” the boy murmured to himself.

As they walked on the streets of Huangye town, a figure on top of the tavern looked at them going further and further away. The Old Man had a sad smile on his face.

“Until we meet again,” the Old Man’s voice was soft, almost as soft as a whisper. At the next moment, he vanished from the tavern roof.