Dao of Money

Chen Ren almost pushed his qi outward to brace for an attack the moment the door opened.

Instead, someone completely unexpected stepped inside.

An elderly man dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit walked into the room. He had a short white beard trimmed with almost obsessive precision and carried himself like an old cultivator—straight back, steady breathing, eyes sharp with experience—but everything else about him felt foreign. The clothes, the polished shoes, even the way he held his hands behind his back spoke of a refinement Chen Ren had never associated with cultivators.

The man stopped a few steps away and looked down at Chen Ren with a critical glare.

For several long seconds, the old man simply stared, as if evaluating an object, rather than an actual living, breathing human being.

Then he cleared his throat.

“Climber,” he said in a deep, yet gentle voice. “Are you planning to remain on the ground? If so I can simply go and attend to other matters.”

Chen Ren immediately pushed himself up, brushing dust from his legs before straightening. He was still observing the man when he asked, “Where am I?”

“You are standing in one of the guest chambers of the Great House of Long, the ruling authority of the seventh floor.”

His eyes raked down Chen Ren’s figure again, clearly unimpressed by his stance.

“I had heard the climbers had returned to the pagoda. I expected something, something more… impressive. You give the same impression as the new squires our knights take under their wings,” he said in a mildly disappointed voice.

Before Chen Ren could open his mouth, the butler spoke again.

“What’s your name?”

“Chen Ren.”

The old man paused. For a brief moment, his black eyes shone faintly, as though he was reading something unseen. Surprise flickered across his composed face in the end.

“Well, it seems that you’re not as useless as you look.”

Chen Ren could tell that Wang Jun wanted to snort beside him. But he focused on the old man.

“What does that mean?”

“It means,” the butler replied, folding his hands neatly behind his back, “that you possess the qualification to choose whom you will serve under.” He tilted his head to the side. “I know your kind well. Climbers are always eager to move forward, always seeking the peak of our world. And the Great House of Long is known for its generosity.

“Those who arrive from the lower floors are permitted to advance, ifthey manage to impress the members of the house.”

He brought his hands forward and clasped them in the front now.

“Ordinarily, I would have assigned you to the army to hunt beasts. You do not particularly look like someone remarkable.” His eyes moved briefly toward Chen Ren’s robes before returning to his face. “However, since you have performed well within the pagoda, I will allow you the privilege of choosing whom you wish to serve under.”

His tone hardened slightly.

“But remember, choosing a master does not mean that they will accept you. Do you understand that?”

Sure, Chen Ren thought and gave a nod.

His thoughts drifted back to what City Lord Xiangrui had told him about the seventh floor. So far, everything had matched the man’s explanation—the hierarchy, the house, the structure of service. But Xiangrui never mentioned being allowed to choosea master.

That likely meant his ranking had influenced this outcome.

Though his current rank shouldn’t have been extraordinarily high anymore… unless the pagoda evaluated climbers more than in one way. Perhaps, it could be all the accumulated tokens across all floors. If the residents of the pagoda could access such information, the butler's sudden shift in attitude made perfect sense.

Chen Ren pushed the thought aside. “Who do I have the option to choose from?” he asked.

The butler immediately reached the side of his suit and produced a neatly rolled parchment. He unfurled it in a swift movement and held it out open for him to read.

“You may select any name listed here. All of them are important members of the great house. And understand this clearly—if you attempt anything foolish, we will kill you where you stand rather than waste resources imprisoning you.”

Chen Ren nodded and forced his most pleasing smile despite the death threat. “I’ve heard much about the Great House of Long. I have no intention of giving them any reason to be displeased.”

The butler inclined his head slightly at the response, though the chill in his eyes did not fade even a little.

Chen Ren quietly took the paper he’d held and began reading through it.

Dozens of names were there filling it, written in a thick, elegant ink. At the very top stood the head of the house, the mistress of the Great House of Long, followed by her sons and daughters, then generals, commanders, and knights who oversaw different divisions of the house army.

It didn’t take long for Chen Ren to understand what this meant. Whoever he chose would determine what kind of tasks he would be forced to undertake to earn favor.

The path forward on the seventh floor was simple in theory: impress a member of the Great House of Long, and they would permit a climber to ascend to the eighth floor.

It sounded simple—sure, but he knewthat it was far, far from easy.

In fact, City Lord Xiangrui had made that crystal clear. Members of the great house were notoriously difficult to satisfy.

Many climbers were pushed into dangerous missions, drained of their usefulness, and only released once the house extracted every bit of value from them.

When he first heard that, he had prepared himself to impress whoever he was assigned to.

But now, things were different.

He had the option—he could choose. If it was someone who'd suck out his soul, that would be his mistake. But by the same logic, he could benefit if he chose wisely.

His eyes moved down the list, and he began weighing possibilities casually. Serving the right person could not only speed up his ascent but also grant access to valuable information about the pagoda itself.

The first name that caught his attention was the family head.

Serving the ruler of such a prestigious house would undoubtedly involve politics rather than battlefield assignments. The head would not personally roam outside hunting beats, instead, their domain would be negotiations, strategy and governance.

Chen Ren was confident in navigating politics.

More importantly, proximity meant opportunity. Someone in that position would likely be as old as City Lord Xiangrui, perhaps older, and might possess knowledge that even Xiangrui did not.

But at the same time, someone like the head of the house would be cautious, difficult to impress, and stern.

If he chose the head and it turned out to be nothing but a waste of time, then he might end up trapped in endless political errands with no real progress. Worse, if the mistress of the house sensed his ulterior motives, things could turn dangerous quickly.

Perhaps serving under a knight or a general would be better. They would be out in the field more often. Maybe one of the sons—by his assumptions, they would be less guarded, easier to read, and more prone to ego and impulsiveness.

Fuck, how to pick one? Every option looks like a gamble.

He looked up. “Can I get any information on these people?”

The old man shook his head without hesitation. “No. You’re being allowed to choose and that alone is generous.”

Chen Ren frowned but did not argue. He could try flattering the butler, coaxing something out of him, but with the man’s stoic demeanor, that approach might backfire.

So he returned his attention to the parchment.

He read the list again. And again.

And again.

All the while he tried to extract clues from the names alone by their titles, positions, and their place in the house.

But he still couldn't make a decision.

He could already see impatience creeping into the butler’s posture when the man shifted his weight to the other leg.

I have to stop thinking in circles, he took a deep breath and thought of one single question.

What was his real goal here?

It simply wasn’t to ascend. He wanted information. He wanted to understand the pagoda.

City Lord Xiangrui had said that the Great House of Long was among the wealthiest and the most knowledgeable powers in the entire structure. If that was true, then serving directly under the house head might actually be a mistake. A ruler guarded secrets closely, and trust would take too long to build.

If he wanted knowledge, he needed proximity to the flow of information, and not the throne alone. At the same time, it needed to be someone less guarded.

He read through the parchment one final time, made a decision and lifted his gaze. “I wish to serve under Long Niao,” he said aloud, naming his choice.

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The butler’s eyebrow raised.

“Are you certain?” he asked and pointed at the paper. “You may not have read the list carefully. Go through it again.”

Chen Ren met his gaze steadily.

“No, I'm not mistaken. I do wish to serve her.”

The butler studied him for a minute longer and accepted that answer. “Very well then. I will take you to her. Follow me, climber.”

Without another word, the old man turned and stepped out of the room.

Chen Ren followed immediately.

They emerged into a long hallway lined with tall, open windows on one side. Sunlight streamed through and painted the polished stone floors in golden. There were banners that were hung between windows, embroidered with the crest of the Great House of Long. It was seven white stars arranged in a circle on black, probably for the seven floors.

Chen Ren made a mental note to remember.

Everything about this place screamed medieval grandeur.

The high vaulted ceilings, the carved pillars, the heavy wooden doors that were reinforced with iron. It was all a stark contrast to the wasteland in the floor below. This reminded him of a royal castle.

Who even designed the seventh floor? He wondered. Because from the zombie city to this, it was absurd.

Maybe he would ask Wang Jun about it later.

For now, he kept walking.

They passed through multiple corridors, turned corners, descended and climbed spiral staircases. And with every turn, it became clearer that this place was enormous.

Maids hurried past them, carrying trays or folded cloth. Other servants stood along the walls. Each of them paused briefly to bow their heads respectfully to the butler before continuing on their way. None of them paid Chen Ren more than a fleeting glance.

By the time they reached what Chen Ren assumed was an upper level—perhaps the seventh floor of the castle itself, he suddenly heard shouting from outside.

He instinctively paused and stepped toward one of the wide windows overlooking the castle grounds.

It looked straight out of a picture. A vast training field and stone courtyards. And there—

Chen Ren squinted his eyes to see if he was actually seeing what he saw.

Two figures on flying swords were darting desperately across the sky, trying to flee from nearly a dozen armored men who pursued them relentlessly on their own flying swords.

The robes were unmistakable.

They were men from the Thunderblade Sect.

He couldn’t tell exactly what had happened, but by judging the distance between the hunters and preys, it wasn’t going to last long.

The chase was already tightening.

A faint snort came from the side. The butler had taken note that Chen Ren had stopped briefly.

“Every time climbers arrive on this floor,” he said dryly, more to himself. “There are always a few idiots like them.”

“What do you think they’re trying to do?”

The old man replied without a second thought. “They are trying to locate and use the lift.”

Chen Ren nodded, having thought the same thing.

Those Thunderblade Sect cultivators had probably awakened in rooms similar to his own, only to grow dissatisfied when told that they would have to serve under someone. And rather than accept it, they had chosen to run, likely hoping to find the lift and continue climbing on their own terms.

A big part of it was pride. Cultivators rarely liked serving anyone outside their own sect. And the other part was obsession.

To many of them, the pagoda was nothing but a race—one that they hadto win.

Foolish, really since Chen Ren doubted they would make it any further.

As he watched, the pursuing knights finally closed the distance. In perfect coordination, they raised their hands and hurled ropes through the air. The ropes shot forward like a living thing and wrapped around the fleeing cultivators.

They tightened violently, spiked thorns bursting outward along their length, piercing through robes and flesh alike. Even from afar, Chen Ren could tell that the men immediately started bleeding.

They lost control of their flying swords instantly and crashed toward the ground.

One of them had the rope tighten around his neck.

Chen Ren’s eyes widened slightly. He didn’t need to watch any longer to know how that would end.

He turned away.

The butler had already resumed walking, and Chen Ren quietly followed.

They passed another staircase, then another corridor branching into several directions. The deeper they went, the more convinced he became that an ordinary person could wander this mansion for days and never find the exit.

Sensing they were nearing their destination, he decided that this was the best moment to ask questions.

He cleared his throat. “Can you tell me a bit more about Long Niao?” he asked

The butler slowed his steps and glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

“That is Young Miss Long Niao to you,” he corrected him. Then he paused, as if deciding how much to say. “There is not much to tell,” he continued. “She is inexperienced… and not particularly interested in combat.”

“What is she interested in?”

“You will have to ask her yourself,” he replied evenly. “As the youngest member of the house, her responsibilities are not yet formally assigned.” His lips thinned. “I still fail to understand why any climber would choose to serve her. Most of your kind are known for your battle hunger.”

Chen Ren gave a faint shrug. “I’m actually not into battles if I can avoid them.”

That earned him another sidelong glance. “Not the best mindset for a cultivator.”

Chen Ren didn’t respond.

Before he could press further, the old man came to a complete halt in front of an imposing pair of double doors carved with patterns of intertwined vines and beasts.

He straightened slightly and knocked.

Then they waited.

After nearly a minute, the door opened to reveal a maid. She blinked in surprise at the sight of the butler, then her gaze shifted to Chen Ren, her eyebrows lifting.

The silent question was passed, who is he?

“He is a climber who has chosen to serve the young miss,” the butler stated calmly.

The maid’s eyes widened further. “He… chose her?” But she recovered quickly and bowed her head. “Young Miss Long Niao will be pleased to hear that. Please, come in.”

The butler grunted softly toward Chen Ren.

Chen Ren stepped inside and the maid closed the doors behind him and gestured forward. “This way, please.”

They walked through another hallway. He noticed that this was quieter, and softer in tone. The floors were covered in plush carpets, and framed paintings lined the walls. There were multiple doors spaced evenly along the corridor.

If he had to guess, he could tell that each family member of the house likely had their own wing.

The mansion was certainly large enough for that.

They passed by a few doors and the maid stopped at the very last door. She pushed it open gently.

“We are here, climber.”

Chen Ren stepped inside and his eyes immediately adjusted to the warm light of the room.

It was spacious yet far less imposing than the grand halls outside. Bookshelves were on the left and a wide table stood near the center, scattered with papers, ink brushes, and what looked like mechanical trinkets. A large window let sunlight pour across the polished wooden floor.

And seated at the table was the 29th child of the current house head.

A ten-year-old girl.

She looked up at him, chin resting lightly on her hand.

Chen Ren met her eyes and saw it.

The sparkle in her eyes.

***

A/N - You can read 30 chapters (15 Magus Reborn and 15 Dao of money) on my patreon. Annual subscription is now on too. Also this is Volume 2 last chapter.

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