"So decisive? Your father is quite the operator, truly remarkable!" Jun Mo Xie was startled. Fatty's father’s methods were indeed formidable; as the Commander of the Imperial Guard, true ability was a necessity, yet Fatty’s dad had managed to pull every string and secure this incredibly significant post for Tang Fatty—truly impressive!

"Truly impressive? More like truly agonizing, Third Young Master. My father and grandfather’s idea is for me to establish myself internally first, grasp the palace hierarchy, and hone myself in that great melting pot. Then, my father will select the opportune moment to transfer me outside, moving through various assignments before eventually returning to inherit my father's position. Do you understand now?" Tang Yuan’s face was etched with misery.

"Meaning, they are positioning you as the next head of the Tang family?" Nuo Mo Xie's eyes widened. This was utterly unbelievable. Given Fatty’s usual disposition, he would be the family head? The patriarch of the Tang family, one of the most distinguished clans in the Tianxiang Empire! Who would ever believe it if they heard it?!

"Yes, it’s happening these few days. Some old fellow suddenly appeared, claiming to be a friend of Grandpa’s from forty years ago," Tang Yuan was fuming: "***, forty years with no contact, and now that the Tang family has prospered, he shows up claiming friendship! What kind of friend is that? And the worst part is, Grandpa actually believed him."

"Stop! What does that have to do with you?" Jun Mo Xie felt a massive headache coming on. The leaps in logic Fatty made were too extreme! Where was this even going?

"How is it unrelated? After this old coot arrived, he subjected Tang Gun, Tang Bao, and Tang Guo to some mysterious tests. He then joyfully informed my grandfather that those three useless lumps were actually excellent talents for cultivating Xuan Qi, and he proposed taking them as disciples; guaranteeing to elevate all three to the Earthly Profound (Di Xuan) level within ten years. My grandfather was ecstatic and agreed instantly. My grandfather only has four grandsons..." Tang Yuan sighed deeply: "Now do you understand?"

"Still don't get it. I only understood that your Tang family might gain three Earthly Profound masters in ten years, which is great news for the Tangs, but this still doesn't involve you! What are you trying to say?!" Jun Mo Xie looked at him blankly.

"Third Young Master, you are usually so sharp, why so dense today? Those three brothers have all left with their master. Who will manage the Tang family's estate? Someone has to inherit it, right? The only one left is me! So, my father and the Old Master have no choice but to push me into this role! What is being forced onto a duck's back? Isn't this it!"

Tang Yuan was somewhat speechless: "Let me put it plainly, Third Young Master. Families like ours, whether major or minor, good or bad, share one commonality: as long as one person acts as the head to maintain the family business, the others with good aptitude and potential for cultivating Qi are specially nurtured to become the family's guardian deities. Guidance from a renowned master is best during this period! Once these individuals achieve success in their Xuan arts, they begin cultivating the next generation within their own clan, training death-sworn guards, fostering secret power, and passing it down generation after generation. This way, they become deeply rooted, a super-family that even the royal house dares not provoke easily, ensuring the ancestral incense burns for ten thousand generations."

"All families strive in this direction."

"And I, inexplicably, have become this unlucky soul. From now on, I am cut off from all romance and pleasure. Can you comprehend my suffering?" Tang Yuan sighed sadly.

"Comprehend my foot! I think you're just sick!" Jun Mo Xie scorned without reservation:

"They offer you high rank and great wealth, make you the family head, grant you a lifetime of glory, and you’re still not satisfied? If those three didn't have cultivation talent, this kind of opportunity would never fall to you! You’re just showing off, aren't you? Do you know that within secular families, the right of inheritance, or even a small piece of property, can cause brothers to turn against each other, fight violently, and lead to the ruin of the entire household? And you’re acting like you drew the short straw!"

"I don't want to be an official! I definitely don't want to be the family head! Damn it! How many times do I have to say it?" Tang Yuan’s face flushed crimson as he yelled: "What the hell am I showing off about! Setting aside the immense responsibility of being the family head, just think about the endless scheming and traps in the official circles—do you really think I have the talent for that? Can I withstand it? I have no ability whatsoever; I just want to live a life of freedom and ease, to be a carefree wastrel! I never wanted to bear any responsibility! I don't have the shoulders for it, nor the heart, do you understand?" Tang Yuan roared, spittle flying, "If you don't want to be an official, don't want to be the family head, don't want to bear responsibility, then what exactly do you want to do?" Jun Mo Xie frowned.

"Third Young Master, if others don't understand me, perhaps, but you, Jing Qing Ke Yuan—surely you know me? We are confidantes! You plan to live a life of pleasure, and so do I, though mine isn't focused on women." Tang Yuan’s eyes shone with longing: "What my brother cherishes most in this life is silver and gold; watching money flow from other people's pockets into my own—that feeling is just... fantastic."

Jun Mo Xie looked up at the sky, speechless for five seconds. What kind of person was this? Who said they were confidantes? His confidante was Jun Mo Xie, alright... just not him, even though he was Jun Mo Xie, but still, not him.

"You long for illicit romance; what I most enjoy is doing business! Regarding my family's assets, I only hope to take over the family trade and establish the Tang family's commercial houses in every corner of the continent!" Tang Yuan waved his arm—thicker than Jun Mo Xie’s thigh—with imposing vigor. With that bold movement, the massive rolls of fat on his body danced joyfully.

"That’s not difficult. Why don't you just explain it clearly to the Old Master," Jun Mo Xie found it strange.

Despite Tang Yuan’s appearance, in Jun Mo Xie’s impression, Fatty was an expert hand at business; perhaps that was the only redeeming quality about him! And Old Master Tang had no reason to disagree.

"I did explain it clearly..." Tang Yuan was on the verge of tears. With a splash, he shed his outer robe, revealing his entire back, which looked like a slab of fat pork. Ke’er immediately cried out, turning her head away, her face crimson.

"See that, Third Young Master? This is the result of explaining myself to the Old Master." Tang Yuan gasped, showing Jun Mo Xie his spine.

"Good... harder," Jun Mo Xie stared dumbfounded at the ten distinct bruises clearly visible on Tang Fatty’s back, purple tinged with black.

"Look at this too." Tang Fatty showed five or six large footprints on his stomach, then pulled his clothes back down, adding sulkily: "I won't show you my backside; it's worse than these two spots. I was nearly beaten until I excreted myself."

"That's damn impressive!" Jun Mo Xie was unsure whether to laugh or cry: "It seems there’s no room for maneuver here. Might as well stop talking nonsense. Since your father has paved your path straight to the clouds, I trust that as long as you don't act too foolishly, you can handle it easily. For now, don't talk about how ungrateful you are. Honestly, even if I wanted to help you now, there's nothing I could do; all these procedures are just formalities for you now. I advise you to obediently accept the high office and then inherit the family headship."

Young Master Jun was truly speechless. So many people were desperately scrambling for such an official position, even abandoning wives and children, committing heinous acts without restraint; yet, Tang Fatty, handed it to him, was reluctant!

What kind of situation was this?!

Was he even more perverse than himself? Was he stealing his profession?

"I would rather shatter jade than settle for tile, better to die than comply!" Tang Yuan stood up passionately, placing one hand on his chest, looking resolutely toward the door, and recited a poem: "I won't lead the house, I won't serve as an official; my lifelong wish, is simply to amass huge wealth!"

"Pfft..." Jun Mo Xie fell off his chair, landing on the ground in a heap, utterly undignified. Having lived two lifetimes, he had never encountered such a clown.

"It's not entirely hopeless, because there is one hurdle that hasn't been cleared, a hurdle that my old man's entire fortune couldn't bribe his way through." Tang Yuan winked, appearing much more cheerful after his poetic outburst: "That is the matter concerning Eunuch Zhu."

"Eunuch Zhu?" Jun Mo Xie spoke the name, but an idea suddenly struck him: Tang Fatty is skilled in business, and his family forbids him from trading. If he helped Fatty with this huge favor, could they then start a business together... perhaps greatly speeding up his own timeline for accumulating wealth?

Thinking this, Jun Mo Xie immediately looked at Tang Yuan with an expression of seeing a rare treasure, which made Fatty incredibly uneasy.

"You... why are you looking at me like that? I, I'm not into that stuff... I'm still a virgin!" Tang Yuan hugged his chest, slightly frightened.

"Ugh..." Jun Mo Xie, who had just felt a surge of satisfaction, had his internal organs churning from that statement.

"Fine, I don't have time to mess around with you; just tell me, what exact inspection is Eunuch Zhu in charge of? Let's see if I can think of some solution!" Jun Mo Xie rolled his eyes.

Eunuch Zhu was the personal attendant of the current Emperor, always remaining deeply hidden, but Jun Mo Xie suspected he must be a master practitioner.

Eunuch Zhu’s full name was Zhu Zhuzhu—a rather comical and interesting name. Yet, even major figures like Jun Zhantian and Dugu Wudi treated him with politeness. This showed that this eunuch was a supreme expert whose physical limitations did not restrain his spirit. Definitely not an ordinary figure.

"That old castrate is in charge of the body examination. That means being stripped naked and manhandled all over by that old thing," Tang Yuan said with a distressed face: "But, Third Young Master, though my figure is slightly plump, my body is absolutely very healthy, without any illness, so I'll definitely pass. That's what bothers me the most."

Tang Fatty patted his belly. Despite his worry, he seemed a bit smug. He suddenly leaned in conspiratorially: "I heard that when Murong Qianjun was being examined, that old guy even fiddled with his little... thing... which left that pretty boy Murong Qianjun walking with his legs spread for the next half a month, what an embarrassment..." Tang Fatty’s tone was one of schadenfreude mixed with ninety-nine parts gossip.

"You still have the mood to be smug? You'll be walking with your legs spread soon enough," Jun Mo Xie glared at him, exasperated and amused. He truly couldn't fathom how Fatty’s brain was wired.

"Yes, yes, Third Young Master, you must save me! I really don't want to walk with my legs spread!" Tang Yuan was suddenly reminded of his predicament.

"Body examination... stripping naked, checking the entire body?" Jun Mo Xie mused, and an idea instantly popped into his mind. He raised one finger and made a poking gesture: "The back end, uh, is that checked too?"