Chapter 111 : Chapter 111
Chapter 111. The Crux of the Matter
“Y-You really broke through?!”
Zhao Qiusheng sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes going wide and round.
It had only been a little over a month!
He had been stuck at the bottleneck of the Third Meridian, tormented to the point of near madness, while Xu Yuan had already broken through two more barriers in succession and charged straight into the Sixth Meridian.
The gap between people truly was bigger than the gap between people and dogs!
Seeing the gloom on his face, Xu Yuan frowned slightly. “Uncle Zhao still hasn’t broken through to the Fourth Meridian?”
“That’s right…”
Zhao Qiusheng gave a bitter smile. “I’m not freakishly gifted like you. Those few Tongyuan Pills did help, but they still weren’t quite enough.”
At that, Xu Yuan let out a soft sigh. This was simply each person’s fate.
If he had not possessed the panel, he might not even have measured up to Zhao Qiusheng. Even the bottleneck of the First Meridian might have been enough to trap him to death.
Thinking of this, he found himself understanding Zhao Qiusheng’s situation a little better.
After pondering for a moment, Xu Yuan said, “How about this? I'll exchange for another five Tongyuan Pills for you tomorrow. That should be enough.”
The moment Zhao Qiusheng heard that, delight appeared on his face at once.
“T-Then how could I possibly accept that? No, this time I must pay for them. I absolutely can’t let you spend more money again.”
This time, Xu Yuan did not refuse. He simply nodded calmly. “All right.”
Zhao Qiusheng rubbed his hands together, looking invigorated. Then he recalled something else and said with a smile,
“Speaking of which, now that you’ve broken through to the Sixth Meridian, you can serve as the master of a ward in the Level Three zone, and there just so happens to be an opening right now.”
“Oh?” Xu Yuan raised a brow. He actually did not know much about that.
“Before, the family flew into a rage over the medicinal fields and sent a ward master to wipe out the Bai Family’s holdings on two streets. You know about that, right?”
Lowering his voice, Zhao Qiusheng said, “The ward master leading that operation was your old superior, Xue Zhan!”
Xu Yuan was startled for a moment, then immediately understood.
The man clearly had some connections as well, or he would never have been able to seize that opportunity.
Zhao Qiusheng continued,
“Ward Master Xue acted decisively in that battle. Before the Bai Family’s ward masters could react, he had already seized the results of the campaign and rendered great merit.”
“The family specially rewarded him with medicinal treasures. He used them to break through to the seven-meridian level and is preparing to be transferred elsewhere, so Changlin Ward now just happens to be lacking a ward master.”
Xu Yuan frowned slightly. “The position of ward master oversees several streets and comes with plenty of profit. A lucrative post like that would actually fall to me?”
“Under normal circumstances, it really wouldn’t.”
Zhao Qiusheng smiled. “There’s a whole line of people in the family waiting for that position.”
Then he shifted the topic. “But what do you think will happen if the higher-ups learn that Yang Cang withheld your merits?”
“On the surface, they naturally won’t touch Yang Cang. But they must still give you the compensation you deserve to placate you. That makes the position of ward master the most natural outcome.”
A flicker passed through Xu Yuan’s eyes as understanding dawned on him.
In that case, Yang Cang’s suppression might, by a twist of fate, become his opportunity to obtain the ward master’s position?
It could only be said that fortune and misfortune depended on each other. The ways of the world truly were strange.
Lately, he had become one of the family’s most eye-catching young talents. They were even preparing to arrange a marriage alliance between him and a woman from a collateral branch to deepen their ties.
Since the family intended to make use of him, they could not afford to chill his heart. Otherwise, if word got out, the impact would not be good.
This ward master position was both compensation and appeasement.
Thinking of that, Xu Yuan cupped his hands solemnly to Zhao Qiusheng. “In that case, many thanks, Uncle Zhao, for working things out behind the scenes for me.”
Zhao Qiusheng accepted the salute without false modesty.
After all, what he was doing carried the risk of offending Yang Cang.
Still, given Xu Yuan’s astonishing talent, it was a gamble worth making.
Not to mention that every time Xu Yuan returned, even after making breakthroughs in cultivation, his attitude had not changed in the slightest. That alone showed that he remembered kindness and repaid it in kind.
If he did not take the risk now, then when would he?
After chatting a little longer, Xu Yuan suddenly thought of something and asked,
“Uncle Zhao, last month you said the family intended to arrange for me to meet a collateral-branch woman in a month’s time. Has there been any further development on that matter?”
At this, Zhao Qiusheng shook his head with a laugh. “That would have been the plan, but who could have expected you to enter the Sixth Meridian again so quickly?”
“I’d wager the arrangement for your marriage has probably been postponed yet again.”
At that, he clicked his tongue twice. “This old man has worked in the Shangyang Residence for nearly twenty years, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen someone like you. Truly extraordinary!”
Xu Yuan merely smiled and let it pass, not taking it too seriously.
The essence of a marriage alliance was an exchange and binding of interests. Who the other party was might make some difference, but the core of it would never change.
What he cared about more were the resources and support that would come with it.
…
After that came the formal promotion registration.
Within the Shangyang Residence, a Sixth Meridian martial artist was referred to as a “six-striped family warrior,” and his status was completely different from before.
His basic monthly stipend alone rose to fifty taels of silver.
He received six sets of the family warrior’s exclusive white robes embroidered with dark patterns, all made of fine materials and decorated with exquisite designs.
In addition, the purchase limit on fourth-transformation spirit beast meat was removed, while his quota for fifth-transformation spirit beast meat was raised to fifty jin.
As for housing, he could obtain a two-courtyard residence as a private home anywhere within the Shangyang Residence’s sphere of influence.
When traveling outside, he could also make use of a sedan chair provided by the family, though he would have to bear the maintenance costs himself.
They also assigned him two personal maidservants, along with an older serving woman responsible for kitchen duties, to attend to his daily needs.
When Xu Yuan received the token representing his status as a family warrior, his heart was as clear as a mirror.
This meant the Shangyang Residence truly recognized him. Not only would it allow him to live as a proper person, it would also elevate him into a higher privileged class.
He had risen from expendable material and a mere chess piece at the bottom to a central pillar that could not be sacrificed lightly.
For a moment, Xu Yuan sighed with emotion. This was the allure of power!
‘But I am still within the game. As long as I keep advancing, I believe I will one day leap off the board and become the one placing the pieces.’
Though these thoughts passed through Xu Yuan’s mind, he did not lose his balance over them, nor did he become arrogant.
…
Before the appointment was formally issued, Xu Yuan continued cultivating in the courtyard where he was temporarily staying.
During that time, news of his advancement to the Sixth Meridian spread like the wind, and visitors nearly wore down his threshold.
Xu Yuan could only have the servants politely turn them away one by one, accepting only a few congratulatory gifts that would have been too awkward to refuse.
Among them, Fifth Young Master Shangyang Jinhong once again sent someone with gifts and warm words of congratulations.
What took everyone by surprise, however, was Second Young Master Shangyang Qingcheng, the highly respected central figure who often handled family affairs on the Family Head’s behalf.
He too sent someone with a congratulatory gift and even included a handwritten letter, his tone gentle and his intention to show goodwill unmistakable.
That move left many people stunned.
Xu Yuan might have been a heavenly pride, but he had only just entered the Sixth Meridian. Why would it merit the Second Young Master personally showing goodwill?
Xu Yuan, however, understood perfectly well. This was compensation for Yang Cang’s suppression of him, and it was also a gesture from the family’s upper ranks.
The person sent by the Second Young Master revealed between the lines that Yang Cang had abused his authority and had already been recalled to the residence and reprimanded. Xu Yuan was being transferred to serve as the ward master of Changlin Ward and would take up the post in the coming days.
After receiving the letter, Xu Yuan expressed his thanks.
He knew very well that the family would never truly punish Yang Cang severely over this matter. The man’s position as chief overseer remained perfectly secure.
The fact that Xu Yuan could obtain a real post like Changlin Ward was already the best explanation the family could offer after weighing everything.
In truth, this result was far better than he had expected.
At that moment, the sky outside the window gradually darkened. Xu Yuan stood before the steps, gazing in the direction of the Level Three zone, lost in thought for a moment.
Then he opened the panel in his mind.
【Skills: Tai Chi Exercise (Perfection 100%), Jade Platform Stance Art (Perfectio 1%), Benlei Fist (Perfectio 87%), Wandering Dragon Step (Perfectio 90%), Iron Garment Art (Perfectio 63%)】
【Aptitude: 30 (Promising Uncut Jade)】
“Wandering Dragon Step and Iron Garment Art are about to break through as well…” Xu Yuan murmured to himself.
After several days of bitter cultivation, the progress had indeed been quite gratifying.
He just did not know whether he would obtain a new aptitude evaluation as well.