On Social Classes

After leaving the Prince's Manor, Nie Yannian led Meng Yuan down the main street to a riverside restaurant called Drunken Moon Pavilion.

The location and grandeur made it clear that this was no place catering to the poor. Nie Yannian was evidently a regular. He first exchanged a few pleasantries with the beautiful proprietress before heading upstairs.

Before long, wine and dishes came streaming in, filling the entire table. Nie Yannian sampled a few bites and repeatedly praised the flavor.

"Master Nie, you're a guard at the Prince's Manor. How come you're so free?" Meng Yuan had been observing for some time. Nie Yannian never reported for duty on schedule, yet his standing in the manor was not low. He was clearly no ordinary guard.

"I used to follow the Princess Consort's elder brother. After he died, I started following the Princess Consort. You could say I'm a retainer she keeps." Nie Yannian raised his brows at Meng Yuan, signaling him to pour the wine.

"So that's how it is." Meng Yuan did not pry further. As he poured the wine, he asked, "Master Nie, what exactly is this job?"

Meng Yuan thought that, given the aptitude he had displayed, if he could earn some merit while following Nie Yannian, then not only would he receive a reward, bringing Jiang Yatou back would naturally fall into place.

"Why do you seem even more anxious than I am?" Nie Yannian asked with a smile.

"Master Nie, you know my circumstances. I came from among the refugees, and my family is still at the herding estate. The work there is grueling, and there's a child who should be starting school. Wouldn't this be a perfect chance to earn some merit with you?" Meng Yuan honestly told the truth.

"Coming to ask me for favors again! Even my own daughter has never made me worry this much!" Nie Yannian drank a cup of wine in irritation. "There's no need to rush such things. It'll happen sooner or later."

"Then when can my monthly pay be raised? How much can an Eighth Rank Martial Practitioner and a Seventh Rank Martial Practitioner receive each month?" Meng Yuan was thinking far ahead. If he brought Jiang Yatou over in the future, and considering how much he ate, expenses would surely be immense. He had to ask about his salary and whether he needed a side business.

Holding his chopsticks, Nie Yannian pointed them at Meng Yuan. "You're a clever kid. You train diligently within, and outside you ingratiate yourself with Xun Mei. Neither of those is wrong. But as you said, you come from refugees. Though your brain works well enough, your knowledge of the world is still lacking."

"Please enlighten me, Master Nie." Meng Yuan hurriedly filled his cup.

"We martial practitioners establish ourselves through fists and feet. But entering the ranks is merely the first step of a journey of ten thousand miles. Ninth Rank and Eighth Rank martial practitioners have not escaped the bounds of ordinary people; they can still be killed by ordinary people."

Nie Yannian downed several more cups before continuing, "Ninth Rank and Eighth Rank are not worth much, really. But once you reach Seventh Rank, wherever you go, you'll have a respectable meal waiting for you, just as I do now. Entering the ranks isn't difficult for martial practitioners; all it takes is the willingness to suffer. But climbing higher comes with far too many hardships."

Only then did Meng Yuan learn that Master Nie was a Seventh Rank Martial Practitioner.

Nie Yannian kept talking without pause. "Whether you go out to make your way in the world or live as I do, Seventh Rank means you'll never lack food or clothing. But if you want to make your way outside, you still have to bow your head and cultivate connections. Once you reach Sixth Rank, though, your class is different. It's not that you no longer need to bow your head or cultivate connections, but that many troubles simply disappear. Why, if you merely open your mouth, people will send you houses and women!"

He pointed outside. "If you want to enter the court then, spend a few years fighting at the border. Being made a marquis or prime minister may be impossible, but earning official merit and securing wealth for three generations would not be difficult. If you remain in the wilds, whether opening a Martial Arts School, escorting goods, or doing business, everything becomes far more convenient. Many difficulties that Seventh Rank martial practitioners face simply won't arise at all. Wherever you stand, people will come to befriend you."

After hearing this discussion of social classes, Meng Yuan roughly understood Master Nie's meaning.

Ninth Rank and Eighth Rank already gave one the means to settle down and make a living. One could scrape up a meal anywhere, and eat quite well at that. At Seventh Rank, one could eat exceptionally well and benefit one's descendants too. But at Sixth Rank, heaven and earth were vast; one would never come to serve as such a mere guard.

As for going higher still, worldly things would no longer cling to one's heart. It would be time to pursue something else.

Master Nie meant that Meng Yuan was still young, and this was not the time to worry about money. Cultivation was the foundation. If, when he was older, his realm truly could no longer advance, it would not be too late to make money then.

"Master Nie, what splendor do the high ranks possess?" Meng Yuan asked with immense longing.

"Seventh Rank is where most people end. A small number of ordinary people work hard enough and encounter some extraordinary opportunities, and Fifth Rank is the highest they can reach. As for the Upper Third Rank... tsk, tsk, tsk. If you can reach it, sleeping with the Empress Dowager wouldn't be a problem." Nie Yannian lowered his voice.

"Master Nie, I actually prefer younger women," Meng Yuan emphasized.

Nie Yannian glared at Meng Yuan. "Stop dreaming! If you still can't reach Eighth Rank by next year, I'll definitely take you to see a procuress!"

So he really could not forget that procuress, could he?

"Let's not talk about the procuress first..." Hearing that word gave Meng Yuan a headache. He sighed and asked, "Can I bring my family to live in the city now?"

"If you want to bring relatives here, it actually isn't hard. Once you enter the ranks, you become a guard of the Prince's Manor. Even a third-class guard without a private courtyard receives ten taels a month, enough to support a family. Besides, your aptitude isn't bad. The Prince's Manor will certainly be willing to cultivate you."

Nie Yannian gestured for more wine, then continued, "But if you ask me, go speak to Xun Mei. She manages several estates, and one word from her will settle it. Haven't you hooked up with her? Go blow some pillow wind!"

Meng Yuan's expression turned solemn. "Master Nie, I came from being a gelding craftsman. If my reputation is ruined, then so be it. But Miss Xun Mei is a cold plum blossom amid snow, a lofty gentleman amid snow. She must not be sullied in the slightest."

"I fucking knew I hadn't misjudged you, kid. You hide filthy thoughts in your heart, yet can still put on such a face of righteous dignity. Damn it, if I'd had your ability when I was young, how would I have ended up like this?"

Nie Yannian pointed at Meng Yuan's nose. "Your martial talent is decent, but if you became an official, who knows, your prospects might be even better."

"Master Nie, I want to practice martial arts and become an official," Meng Yuan said.

"You want all the good things for yourself, is that it?" Nie Yannian shot Meng Yuan a glare. "Since you're pretending to be a gentleman and don't want to seduce Xun Mei, then it's not appropriate to bring your family over now. You only earn ten taels a month. Are you supporting your family or supporting yourself? Martial cultivation is the foundation. This is a matter of looking three steps ahead, not just one."

He tapped the table with his chopsticks. "But if you do this job well and earn some merit, the matter will certainly work out. Besides, seeing more of the world is no bad thing."

"Many thanks for your guidance, Master Nie!" Meng Yuan eagerly poured him wine, then asked curiously, "What job is it?"

Nie Yannian clicked his tongue, smiling as he pointed his chin at the tiger's mouth of Meng Yuan's hand.

That meant spirits and monsters! And he had known all along that Meng Yuan had been violated by that little yellow weasel!

"Master Nie, I did not mean to conceal it. I simply did not want to invite trouble," Meng Yuan explained.

"Of course I know. Otherwise, why would I keep you? Did you really think Xun Mei's favor was greater than heaven?" Nie Yannian rose with a grin and patted Meng Yuan's shoulder. "Don't worry too much. They're all minor matters. Wait for me to find you tomorrow. We'll discuss it properly then. I'm leaving first."

With that, Nie Yannian staggered downstairs.

After all that, you still hadn't explained anything clearly!

Meng Yuan looked at the table full of food. There was chicken, duck, fish, and meat, and hardly any of it had been eaten.

"Take care, Master Nie!" Meng Yuan politely called after him. He drank a sip of tea to soothe his throat, then immediately picked up his chopsticks.

In only a quarter of an hour, he swept through the entire table like a gale scattering clouds. The essence fire within him slowly grew stronger; it had absorbed even more nourishment than he gained from eating for three days at the Training Field.

Rubbing his stomach, he went downstairs. The beautiful proprietress approached with a beaming smile and gave a graceful curtsey. "That will be ten taels of silver, please. Hehe, a small business."

You called this a small business? A table of dishes should cost at most three to five taels, yet you dared ask for an entire month's wages!

Meng Yuan had still been savoring the meal and had planned to bring Jiang Yatou here someday. Upon hearing that, he quickly assumed a cold expression and said with perfect seriousness, "Put it on Nie Yannian's tab."

"Master Nie said this meal was the young master's treat." The beautiful woman smiled.

Seeing that his trick to skip the bill had been exposed, Meng Yuan was not embarrassed. He merely suppressed the ache in his heart and smiled. "Naturally, I knew that. I was merely joking just now. Elder Sister, are you a local? I wonder why, but the moment I saw you, you seemed familiar to me, as close as my own elder sister..."

"Ten taels." The beautiful woman gave Meng Yuan no chance to get familiar with her.

Having no other choice, and no need to turn hostile, Meng Yuan pulled out a silver ingot and tossed it over. The beautiful woman caught it and weighed it in her hand. Without even putting it on a scale, she smiled and said, "Full weight and full measure. Travel safely, young master."

Meng Yuan drew a deep breath and suppressed his grief. He clenched his fists and took two steps outside, only to suddenly realize something was wrong. It felt as though he had run into a restaurant tout.

"Elder Sister, how are you related to Master Nie?" Meng Yuan turned back and asked.

"My father." The beautiful woman tucked her hands into her sleeves, smiling like a flower in full bloom.

Eh? You father and daughter set this trap just to swindle an honest man like me?

"..." Meng Yuan swallowed this silent loss. He had just borrowed ten taels of silver from Nie Yannian, only to hand it straight back to him in the blink of an eye—and the debt had not even been cleared!