Promotion to Third Stripe

Shortly after Liu Yue left, Gao Yuan, who also worked in the manor, heard the news and came to offer a congratulatory gift of one or two taels of silver.

Seeing the joy in Gao Yuan's eyes and his steady, deep breathing, Xu Yuan couldn't help but ask, "Did you break through to the Second Meridian?"

"I had a feeling yesterday and was fortunate enough to break through. Naturally, I can't compare to your speed, Brother Xu," Gao Yuan said with a smile, feeling a bit pleased with himself.

His aptitude was already good, his family background was decent, and he was diligent. Breaking through to the Second Meridian wasn't too surprising.

Xu Yuan didn't accept the one or two taels of silver, merely smiling and saying, "Then congratulations."

Seeing this, Gao Yuan sighed inwardly, knowing that Xu Yuan didn't want to deepen their connection. He regretted not seizing the opportunity for friendship in the past. After some thought, he still tried to salvage the situation:

"My family's situation is quite good. If you ever need anything, Brother Xu, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, but I'm good for now," Xu Yuan replied, his expression unchanged, his smile carrying a hint of distance.

Not to mention that he wasn't short on money now. Even if he were, he'd borrow from Feng Xiao or Zhao Qiusheng, so why look far when the solution was close?

"That's good then," Gao Yuan nodded, feeling a bit bitter. They were roommates once, yet he couldn't maintain this relationship!

Seeing his reaction, Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then continued, "Early next month, Chen Sanli and Tian Yang will be coming here for a small gathering. If you have free time, you're welcome to join."

Gao Yuan was a decent person. Now that he had broken through to the Second Meridian, he had some value for connection, so it wouldn't hurt to bring him into their small circle.

"Really?" Gao Yuan looked up abruptly. How could he not understand that Xu Yuan was willing to accept him?

Although not as close as Chen Sanli or Tian Yang, at least this connection was maintained. He cupped his hands and said, "If I'm free, Brother Xu, I will definitely be there early next month."

After Gao Yuan left, the day was also drawing to a close.

Xu Yuan returned to his residence and carefully counted the congratulatory gifts and favors, which added up to over twenty taels, a considerable unexpected windfall.

"With this, I'll have over one hundred and forty taels, enough to reach the Fourth Meridian."

Xu Yuan happily counted his money, confidently planning his future path.

Meanwhile.

The side courtyard.

Li Hua saw Ye Qing'er, whom she hadn't seen in a long time. Ye Qing'er happened to be on her period today, so she returned to chat with her sisters. Her words were filled with the complex rules and experiences of the inner court.

Although her tone was one of complaint, it subtly conveyed a sense of superiority and satisfaction from being part of it.

Seeing Ye Qing'er surrounded by others, Li Hua felt an inexplicable sourness in her heart. She suddenly brought up the matter of Xu Yuan breaking through to the Third Meridian, while observing Ye Qing'er's reaction.

"Martial Master Xu... broke through to the Third Meridian?"

Ye Qing'er was also stunned for a long moment after hearing this, a trace of indescribable complexity flashing across her expression.

Li Hua saw this and knew her guess was correct.

After the others left, she lectured Ye Qing'er earnestly, "Sister Qing'er, you handled this matter rather carelessly. If you had feelings for Martial Master Xu, why did you go to the inner court for the selection?"

"The inner court may seem glorious, but like drinking water, one knows its warmth or coldness. The hardships within may not be any less than outside."

Hearing this 'kind' lecture, Ye Qing'er glanced at Li Hua and didn't respond.

In fact, she had also felt it.

Although the third-class maids in the inner court seemed equal to three-stripe martial artists, their status, earning potential, and future prospects were far inferior to the latter. It was only superficially impressive.

Above the third-class maids were the head maids and steward maids, and promotion depended on being favored by a noble. This subjective choice was naturally filled with social maneuvering and intrigue.

Over time, it was actually very tiring and draining.

But now that the die was cast, it was difficult to turn back.

After speaking, Li Hua added resentfully, "Even if you were to leave, you should have at least said goodbye. This way, there would still be room for maneuver, both in terms of sentiment and reason."

"I... before..." Ye Qing'er's breath hitched, and the words she was about to say were swallowed back.

The reason she didn't inform Xu Yuan and went directly to the inner court selection was twofold. First, she feared that if Xu Yuan knew, he would try to stop her.

Second, she thought that although his talent was good, what if something went wrong and he got stuck at the Second Meridian? She had to find a backup plan for herself.

If she didn't pass, everything would remain as it was. If she was fortunate enough to pass the selection, she could then refuse him directly under the pretext of incompatibility, and they would drift apart with no further intersection.

Who knew that he would break through so quickly.

"Forget it, Sister Hua. It's happened now, and spilled water cannot be retrieved. Let's take it one step at a time," Ye Qing'er shook her head and replied.

She did feel a slight regret, but then she thought that as a third-class maid now, she had many more privileges and dignity than before. These were tangible things.

Moreover, she had also learned that the Third Meridian to the Fourth Meridian was a hurdle, and many geniuses were stuck here, unable to advance their cultivation in their lifetime.

What if Xu Yuan became stagnant because of this?

Ye Qing'er pursed her lips, her eyes darting. Her choice might not have been wrong. Those who could last until the end were the winners.

Although Xu Yuan had broken through to the Third Meridian realm, he still had to wait until early next month to register to become a three-stripe household guard.

Therefore, he didn't stay in this state of high spirits for long, continuing to both teach and practice martial arts.

Moreover, with the silver he had, he didn't have to worry about cultivation resources for the time being.

He was even more focused, his daily routine was regular, and his progress was steady.

In the blink of an eye, several days had passed.

It was the first day of the second month.

Training grounds, quiet room.

[Skills: Tai Chi Exercise (Perfection 14%), Stone Platform Stance Practice (Perfection 7%), Thunderclap Fist (Minor Accomplishment 40%)]

[Aptitude: 15 (Unusual Bone Structure)]

Xu Yuan opened the panel and looked at the data, taking a cold breath.

Five days ago, Tai Chi Exercise had already reached the Perfection realm, and his Aptitude had also increased to 15 points.

The corresponding improvements went without saying; with each additional point of Aptitude, he could feel his comprehension growing stronger.

This reflected in his stance practice, where he could now find solutions to the crucial points he used to struggle with in an instant, making his cultivation rhythm increasingly smooth and natural.

However, the Blood Essence required for the Governing Vessel was also becoming more substantial, thus consuming a considerable amount of time.

The next morning.

Xu Yuan successfully passed the Heavenly Net Mirror test and was promoted to a Three-stripe Household Guard. His monthly base salary increased to five taels, he received a new waist token, and he enjoyed the treatment of the Three-stripe level.

In terms of clothing, he received three sets of blue robes made of fine combed cotton; in terms of food, he could purchase five catties of Precious Meat with a changing realm each month; in terms of housing, depending on the assigned task, it would also be much more spacious than when he was at the Second Meridian.

It could only be said that after improving one realm, the changes were multifaceted.

As for the tasks... Xu Yuan's luck last month was a bit poor, with only Li Shun and one other person successfully breaking through.

Fortunately, the laborers in the backyard were quite promising, producing three formal Martial Artists, bringing him a total of two taels and five qian in performance.

Adding the one tael withheld last month, Xu Yuan would receive a total of eight taels and five qian this month, enough for an ordinary family of three outside to use for two to three years.

Next was the selection of this month's tasks. At the Third Meridian realm, the available tasks naturally offered better treatment.

However, Xu Yuan found the Martial Master task quite comfortable, stable, with little work and a decent salary.

So, he continued to choose the position of instructor Martial Master in the training camp, which was the job Chen Ze usually did.

The work content was more or less the same. In addition to the base salary, he would receive five qian for each Martial Artist he guided to learn basic fist techniques or improve their cultivation. If both were achieved, there would be an additional reward of two taels of silver.

I'm so suited to be a teacher, I should have gone to a normal school in my past life!

Xu Yuan chuckled inwardly, but he was just saying it.

Schools were different from the Shangyang Family; low wages and heavy workloads were the norm. If you encountered two students who didn't use the stairs, that would be the end of you.

He shook his head and chuckled, taking the task order and registering at Zhao Qiusheng's window.

Zhao Qiusheng saw his chosen task and couldn't help but laugh and cry.

For ordinary people, after breaking through to the Third Meridian, they would generally choose to go to the medicinal fields or the third-level areas. Although there were some risks there, the extra income was considerable.

After all, as a Third Meridian Martial Artist, one would be a squad leader in these places, managing five or six people. There were profits to be made from Precious Meat, shops, and so on.

Yet, this Xu Yuan, one didn't know whether to call him cautious, afraid of death... or if he genuinely liked being a teacher, still choosing to stay within the Shangyang Mansion.

After Xu Yuan finished registering and changed his waist token, carrying three sets of clothes, he was about to leave the Personnel Hall when he encountered Wang Huan.

The other party's face was pale, and his left hand trembled slightly, clearly having sustained a significant injury.

But it was no wonder. Ever since Wang Huan had seen bloodshed and captured a few heads, he had firmly believed that life-and-death tempering could help him improve.

As a result, he had a mishap a few days ago, being ambushed on the road and injuring his arm.

Wang Huan also saw Xu Yuan, and then his gaze instantly fell on the clothes and waist token in his hands.

He was stunned. Although he had an idea of the answer, he still refused to believe it, and asked with a dry voice:

"Xu Yuan, who did you borrow these clothes from? You can't just wear colors like this randomly!"