Chapter 67 : Chapter 67
Chapter 67. Exchange
At the Shangyang Residence, in the Affairs Hall.
Zhao Qiusheng had already received the news, and this time he personally stood waiting at the entrance.
The moment he saw Xu Yuan arrive, he looked him up and down, his eyes full of emotion as he said with a smile,
“Good lad! How long has it even been? You’ve already broken through to the Fourth Meridian and even rendered such great merit. I truly did not misjudge you back then!”
“You flatter me, Uncle Zhao. It was only luck,” Xu Yuan said with a smile, about to cup his hands in salute.
“No, no, no!” Zhao Qiusheng hurriedly took hold of his arm. “You’ve already reached the Fourth Meridian now. What would it look like for you to salute a mere Third Meridian steward like me?”
“Uncle Zhao is my elder. Naturally, that is different from outsiders.” Xu Yuan shook his head and still gave the salute.
“You... ah!” Though Zhao Qiusheng put on a show of refusing, his eyes unconsciously narrowed with satisfaction. Clearly, he was very pleased.
With that, the relationship between the two of them grew a little closer again. Only now, it would be Zhao Qiusheng who needed Xu Yuan’s support in the future, so naturally he had to be even more careful in his attitude.
After that, Zhao Qiusheng led him into an inner room and personally handled all the formalities for his promotion to a Four-Striped Retainer.
Xu Yuan received a full four sets of dark black brocade clothing, along with a new jade waist token. As for housing, he would be entitled to a two-courtyard residence within the Shangyang Family’s domain, and even in other areas, his accommodations would be much more spacious than before.
In terms of food, treasure meat was no longer rationed, but it still had to be exchanged with merit points, so it remained a scarce resource.
In addition, he was assigned a servant specifically responsible for attending to his daily needs, making the arrangement both dignified and comprehensive.
Once all the procedures were complete, Zhao Qiusheng stroked his beard and said thoughtfully,
“Oh, right. According to the Shangyang Family’s custom, when a martial artist advances to the Fourth Meridian and becomes a Retainer, within three months, you are to choose a maid of suitable age, and the main family will preside over the marriage to deepen the bond.”
“Have you made your peace with this matter?”
Xu Yuan had long expected this. His expression remained calm as he said, “Thank you for the reminder, Uncle Zhao. I already know of this matter. It is only that I have just advanced to the Fourth Meridian, and everything is not yet settled. Could I have a little more time?”
“...When the three-month period is up, this junior will make his decision.”
Zhao Qiusheng looked at him deeply, then nodded.
“As long as you’ve thought it through yourself, that is fine. I will report the matter upward, and I imagine the main family will be understanding. But three months at most. That is the rule. When the time comes, there will be a list for you to choose from, so you should prepare early.”
“This junior understands. Thank you for the trouble, Uncle Zhao.”
“And one more thing.” Zhao Qiusheng glanced at him and lowered his voice.
“After the Fourth Meridian, the resources needed for cultivation become even greater. Relying only on your monthly stipend and scattered merit points will likely not be enough. Changning Street is a good start, but you must manage it with care.”
“You’ve already left an impression on Ward Master Xue Zhan, so in the future, you might as well visit him more often... And as for the Instruction Hall, you should go collect the stance art for the later five stages. A great many martial arts techniques will also be opened to you there.”
“Thank you for the guidance, Uncle Zhao.” Xu Yuan took these pointers to heart. Though Zhao Qiusheng was somewhat smooth and worldly, he truly had taken good care of him.
...
After leaving the Affairs Hall, Xu Yuan headed straight for the Instruction Hall.
When he left this place again, his state of mind was already completely different.
The four exquisite horizontal stripes now on his shoulder drew countless servants and martial artists along the way to lower their heads or cup their hands in greeting, their eyes filled with awe and envy.
A Fourth Meridian martial artist counted as part of the backbone of the entire Shangyang Family. One could be said to have squeezed into the management tier.
“Yesterday a green headscarf, today a red horn. Who would have known I’d change so completely overnight?”
Xu Yuan shook his head inwardly, full of emotion for a moment. He paid no more attention to others and walked toward the left side.
The Instruction Hall was located deeper within the Shangyang Residence and was guarded heavily year-round.
After his new four-striped waist token was inspected, Xu Yuan smoothly entered the second floor.
What was stored here were the various martial techniques available to martial artists of the Fourth Meridian and above.
The space inside was not especially large, yet everything was exquisitely arranged and thoughtfully laid out. All the manuals and scrolls were neatly categorized and displayed in perfect order.
He first exercised the privilege granted to a newly promoted Retainer and exchanged one hundred merit points for the manual of the Yutai Stance Art.
That’s right. Though it was said on the surface that one could collect it, in reality, one still had to pay merit points to obtain it.
‘So even after breaking through to the Fourth Meridian, if you don’t have merit points in hand, you can forget about continuing your cultivation.’
Xu Yuan shook his head inwardly. He had already seen through this point long ago. The Shangyang Family was never going to encourage its martial artists to grow complacent and slack off.
‘Still, this is already quite rare. A stance art that leads all the way through the entire Meridian Opening Realm would count as a family heirloom anywhere else. Being able to exchange for it here with this little merit is already an excellent bargain.’
Xu Yuan sighed inwardly and casually opened the manual.
After only a rough skim, he could already tell it was much deeper and more refined than the Stone Platform Stance Art. The cultivation route from the Yin Linking Meridian to the Yang Heel Meridian was laid out in full clarity.
Once all eight meridians formed a complete cycle, one could connect the extraordinary meridians and reach the ninth stage of the Meridian Opening Realm, laying the foundation for higher realms.
Afterward, he browsed through the martial techniques available for exchange. There were the most fist-and-kick techniques, and the fewest blade-and-sword arts.
On reflection, that was perfectly normal.
Most blade and sword combat arts were generally used on the battlefield and were exclusive to the military, rarely circulating outside. The fact that the Shangyang Family possessed even a portion of them already showed substantial reserves.
‘What should I choose?’
Looking at these martial techniques, Xu Yuan pondered.
The Benlei Fist he currently practiced belonged to the offensive type of martial technique, but in terms of mobility, it still seemed somewhat lacking.
Xu Yuan’s gaze swept across the shelves and finally stopped on a movement technique called the Wandering Dragon Step.
Its description stated that this art emphasized short-range shifting, evasion, and repositioning. The footwork was as elusive as a roaming dragon. When cultivated to a high level, one could evade many attacks even within the narrowest space, which suited his close-quarters combat style perfectly.
Exchange cost: three hundred fifty merit points.
Movement techniques were among the more expensive martial arts in general.
After only a little thought, Xu Yuan made his decision. Merit points were precious, but turning them into strength was what truly mattered.
He decisively paid the merit points. In addition to the Wandering Dragon Step, he also exchanged for a defensive technique, the Iron Garment Art, spending a total of five hundred merit points.
“These should be enough. If I get greedy and take too much, I won’t be able to digest it all,” Xu Yuan thought. “Besides, some special medicinal treasures also require merit points to exchange for. I should keep some in reserve.”
Holding the three newly acquired manuals, Xu Yuan felt much more at ease.
His cultivation could advance through the Yutai Stance Art, his mobility would be supplemented by the Wandering Dragon Step, and his offensive and defensive system was becoming more complete. From here on, he only needed to develop steadily.