Chapter 50 : Chapter 50
Chapter 50. Promotion to Three-Striped Retainer
Not long after Liu Yue left, Gao Yuan—who also worked within the residence—arrived upon hearing the news, intending to present a congratulatory gift of one tael of silver.
Noticing the faint joy between his brows and the steady, deep rhythm of his breathing, Xu Yuan asked, “You have broken through to the Second Meridian?”
“Yesterday, I had a sudden insight and managed a breakthrough by luck. Naturally, I cannot compare to Brother Xu’s speed,” Gao Yuan replied with a smile, though a trace of pride lingered in his heart.
His aptitude had always been good, his family circumstances decent, and he himself fairly diligent. Breaking through to the Second Meridian was not particularly surprising.
Xu Yuan did not accept the one tael of silver. He simply smiled and said, “Then congratulations.”
Seeing this, Gao Yuan sighed inwardly. He understood that Xu Yuan did not wish to deepen their relationship. He could only regret not having grasped the opportunity earlier. After a moment’s thought, he still tried to salvage things:
“My family situation is quite good. If you ever need anything, Brother Xu, feel free to ask.”
“Thank you, but for now, I have enough,” Xu Yuan replied calmly, a hint of distance in his smile.
Not to mention that he was not lacking money at the moment—even if he were, he would sooner turn to Feng Xiao or Zhao Qiusheng. Why seek help from afar when support was already close at hand?
“That is good.” Gao Yuan nodded, bitterness stirring in his heart. After all, they had once been roommates, yet he had failed to preserve that bond.
Seeing his reaction, Xu Yuan paused briefly, then added, “At the beginning of next month, Chen Sanli and Tian Yang will come here for a small gathering. If you are free, you may join us.”
Gao Yuan conducted himself properly, and now that he had broken through to the Second Meridian, he held some value for social ties. It would not hurt to bring him into their small circle.
“Really?” Gao Yuan suddenly looked up. How could he not understand the meaning behind those words? It meant Xu Yuan was willing to accept him.
Though he would not be as close as Chen Sanli or Tian Yang, at least their connection would remain.
“I will be free, Brother Xu. I will definitely come at the start of next month,” he said, cupping his hands in gratitude.
After Gao Yuan left, the day was nearly at an end.
Back in his residence, Xu Yuan carefully counted the congratulatory gifts he had received. Altogether, they amounted to more than twenty taels—a considerable sum of unexpected wealth.
“With this, I now have over one hundred and forty taels on hand. It should be enough to sustain me until the Fourth Meridian.”
Xu Yuan counted his money with satisfaction, feeling far more confident as he planned his future path.
…
Elsewhere,
In a side courtyard.
Li Hua met Ye Qing’er, whom she had not seen for quite some time. Coincidentally, Ye Qing’er had returned today during her leave and was chatting with the other girls, speaking at length about the complicated rules and experiences of the inner courtyard.
Though her tone sounded like she was complaining, there was an undercurrent of pride and satisfaction in being part of it.
Watching her surrounded by others, Li Hua felt an inexplicable sourness in her heart. She suddenly brought up Xu Yuan’s breakthrough to the Third Meridian, observing Ye Qing’er’s reaction.
“Instructor Xu… has broken through to the Third Meridian?”
Ye Qing’er was stunned for a long moment, a trace of complicated emotion flashing across her face.
Li Hua saw this and knew her guess was correct.
After the others left, she spoke earnestly, “Sister Qing’er, you did not handle this matter very well. If you had feelings for Instructor Xu, why did you still go to the inner courtyard selection?”
“The inner courtyard may look glamorous, but only those within know whether it is warm or cold. The hardships there may not be any less than outside.”
Hearing this “well-intentioned” lecture, Ye Qing’er glanced at her but did not respond.
In truth, she had already felt it herself.
As a third-class maidservant in the inner courtyard, although she appeared to be on equal footing with a three-striped martial artist, in terms of status, earning ability, and future prospects, she was far inferior. It only looked good on the surface.
Above third-class maidservants were senior maidservants and steward maidservants. Advancement depended on being favored by those of higher status. Such subjective selection was naturally filled with human scheming and subtle maneuvering.
Over time, it became mentally exhausting.
But now, the matter was already settled. There was no turning back.
After speaking, Li Hua added with disappointment, “Even if you were going to leave, you should have at least informed him. That way, no matter what, there would have been room to turn things around.”
“I…” Ye Qing’er’s breathing hitched. The words reached her lips, but she swallowed them back down.
Back then, she had not told Xu Yuan before going to the inner courtyard selection for two reasons.
First, she feared that if Xu Yuan knew, he might try to stop her.
Second, although she acknowledged his talent, what if something went wrong and he became stuck at the Second Meridian?
She had to leave herself a way out.
If she failed the selection, everything would remain as before. If she passed, she could use incompatibility as a reason to refuse him directly, and the two would gradually drift apart without further entanglement.
Who could have expected that he would break through so quickly?
“Forget it, Sister Hua. What is done cannot be undone. I will just take things one step at a time,” Ye Qing’er said, shaking her head.
She did feel a trace of regret, but when she thought about it again, as a third-class maidservant, she now enjoyed more benefits and a better appearance of status. These were tangible gains.
Moreover, she had learned that the step from the Third Meridian to the Fourth Meridian was a major hurdle. Countless geniuses were stuck there for life, unable to progress further.
Perhaps Xu Yuan would also stagnate there?
Ye Qing’er pressed her lips together, her eyes flickering. Her choice might not have been wrong—after all, the one who endures to the end is the true winner.
…
Although Xu Yuan had broken through to the Third Meridian, he still had to wait until the beginning of next month to officially register for promotion to a three-striped retainer.
Thus, he did not remain in that triumphant state for long. He continued balancing teaching and training without neglecting either.
Now that he had sufficient silver, he no longer needed to worry about cultivation resources.
As a result, he focused wholeheartedly on his practice, maintaining a steady routine and stable progress.
In the blink of an eye, several days passed.
It was now the first day of the second month.
On the training ground, inside the quiet chamber:
[Skills: Tai Chi Exercise (Perfection 14%), Stone Platform Stance (Perfection 7%), Benlei Fist (Minor Mastery 40%)]
[Aptitude: 15 (Extraordinary Bone Structure)]
Xu Yuan opened the panel and could not help but take a sharp breath at the data displayed.
Five days earlier, the Tai Chi Exercise had already reached Perfection, raising his aptitude to 15.
The improvements were self-evident. With each additional point of aptitude, he could feel his comprehension grow stronger.
In terms of stance training, this meant that the key insights he once had to painstakingly ponder could now be grasped almost instantly. His cultivation became increasingly smooth and effortless.
However, the accumulation of Qi and blood required for the Dai Meridian also grew more substantial, which would take considerable time.
…
The next morning,
Xu Yuan successfully passed the test of the Heavenly Net Mirror and was promoted to a three-striped retainer. His base monthly salary increased to five taels. He received a new waist token and began enjoying the benefits of his new rank.
In terms of clothing, he received three sets of long blue robes made from finely combed cotton.
In terms of food, he could purchase five jin of first-transformation spirit beast meat each month.
As for housing, depending on his assignment, it would also be more spacious than when he was at the Second Meridian.
It could only be said that advancing one realm brought improvements in every aspect of life.
As for his work results…
Xu Yuan’s luck last month had been somewhat lacking. Only Li Shun and one other person from the front courtyard had successfully broken through.
Fortunately, the miscellaneous workers in the rear courtyard performed quite well, producing three Formal Martial Artists. Combined, both sides brought him a performance reward of two taels and five mace.
Including the one tael withheld from last month, Xu Yuan would receive a total of eight taels and five mace this month—enough to support an ordinary family of three for two to three years.
Next came the selection of this month’s assignment. With his Third Meridian cultivation, the available assignments naturally offered better terms.
However, Xu Yuan found the role of a teaching instructor quite comfortable—stable, low workload, and decent pay.
Thus, he chose once again to be an instructor at the training compound, the same position Chen Ze usually held.
The job content was largely similar. In addition to the base salary, he would earn five mace for each student he guided to entry-level mastery of a fist technique or a breakthrough in cultivation. If both were achieved, there would be an additional reward of two taels.
‘I am so suited to being a teacher. In my previous life, I should have gone into education,’ Xu Yuan thought with a self-mocking smile.
Of course, he was only joking.
Schools were nothing like the Shangyang Residence. Low pay and heavy workload were the norm. And if one encountered a couple of students who did not even use the stairs properly… that would truly be unbearable.
Shaking his head with a chuckle, he took the assignment slip and registered at Zhao Qiusheng’s window.
Seeing his choice, Zhao Qiusheng could not help but laugh.
For most people, after reaching the Third Meridian, they would choose to go to the medicinal fields or the Level Three zones. Though somewhat risky, the additional income there was considerable.
After all, a Third Meridian martial artist would serve as a small team leader in those places, managing five or six people. There were plenty of opportunities to gain extra benefits from spirit beast meat, shops, and other sources.
Yet Xu Yuan—whether out of caution, fear of danger, or simply a genuine love for teaching—chose to remain within the Shangyang Residence.
After completing the registration, Xu Yuan changed his waist token and held his three sets of clothing. Just as he was about to leave the Affairs Hall, he ran into Wang Huan.
Wang Huan’s face was pale, and his left hand trembled slightly, clearly indicating a serious injury.
This was not surprising. Ever since Wang Huan had experienced bloodshed and taken a few heads, he had firmly believed that life-and-death tempering was the path to improvement.
But a few days ago, he had suffered a setback—ambushed on the road and injured his arm.
Wang Huan also noticed Xu Yuan. His gaze immediately fell on the clothing and waist token in Xu Yuan’s hands.
Swish—
He froze on the spot.
Although he already knew the answer, he still refused to believe it. His voice turned dry as he asked,
“Xu Yuan… whose clothes did you borrow? That color is not something you can wear casually!”