Discussion on Social Strata

Leaving the Royal Residence, Nie Yannian took Meng Yuan out onto the main street and arrived at a riverside restaurant called Drunken Moon Pavilion.

The location and grandeur of this place clearly indicated it wasn't a business catering to the poor. Nie Yannian was obviously a regular; he exchanged a few pleasantries with the beautiful madam before heading up to the second floor.

Before long, dishes and drinks were brought up in a steady stream, filling the table. Nie Yannian took a few bites of the food, praising the taste repeatedly.

"Master Nie, you're a guard at the Royal Residence, how are you so free?" Meng Yuan had been observing for a while. This Nie Yannian never reported for duty on time, yet his status in the Royal Residence wasn't low. He was clearly not an ordinary guard.

"I used to follow the Princess Consort's brother. After he died, I followed the Princess Consort. I'm considered a guest retainer she supports." Nie Yannian raised an eyebrow at Meng Yuan, gesturing for him to pour the wine.

"So that's how it is." Meng Yuan didn't ask further. While pouring the wine, he said, "Master Nie, what exactly is this job?"

Meng Yuan was thinking that with the talent he had shown, if he could follow Nie Yannian and earn some merit, not only would he get rewarded, but bringing Jiang Yatou back would also be a matter of course.

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

"Master Nie, you know I'm from a refugee background. My family is still at the Pasture Manor. The work there is hard, and there's a child who should be starting school. Isn't this a good opportunity to earn some merit with you!" Meng Yuan honestly told the truth.

"Asking me to do things again! My own daughter hasn't made me worry this much!" Nie Yannian grumbled, drinking a cup of wine. "There's no need to rush with this kind of thing, it'll happen sooner or later."

"Then when can my monthly salary be increased? How much do Ninth Rank and Eighth Rank martial artists get per month?" Meng Yuan was thinking long-term. If he brought Jiang Yatou over in the future, and he himself ate a lot, the expenses would definitely be huge. He had to ask about the salary and whether he needed a side hustle.

Nie Yannian held his chopsticks, pointed at Meng Yuan, and said, "You're a smart kid. You train diligently internally and curry favor with Xun Mei externally. There's nothing wrong with that. But as you said, you're from a refugee background. Although your mind is useful, your experience is still lacking."

"Please enlighten me, Master Nie." Meng Yuan quickly refilled his cup.

"We martial artists rely on our fists and feet to establish ourselves. But entering the ranks is just the first step of a long journey. Ninth Rank and Eighth Rank martial artists are not beyond the realm of mortals; it's possible for them to be killed by mortals."

Nie Yannian drank several cups in a row, then continued, "Ninth Rank and Eighth Rank aren't really worth much. But if you reach Seventh Rank, no matter where you go, you'll have a decent meal, just like me now. It's not difficult for martial artists to enter the ranks, you just need to endure hardship. But wanting to go higher, there are too many difficulties."

Only then did Meng Yuan realize that Master Nie was a Seventh Rank martial artist.

Nie Yannian continued to talk non-stop, "Whether you're out and about or like me, at Seventh Rank, you don't have to worry about food and clothing. However, if you want to make a living outside, you still have to bow your head and rely on connections. But when you reach Sixth Rank, your social class is different. It's not that you don't have to bow your head or rely on connections, but many troubles can be avoided. In fact, as long as you speak up, people will send you houses and women!"

He pointed outside, "At that time, if you want to enter the imperial court, or fight on the border for a few years, becoming a marquis or prime minister is impossible, but gaining some fame and fortune for three generations is not difficult. If you're in the private sector, whether it's opening a martial arts school, being a bodyguard, or doing business, it's much more convenient. Many problems that Seventh Rank martial artists encounter simply won't appear. Wherever you stand, people will want to befriend you."

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

Ninth Rank and Eighth Rank were already considered to have a way to settle down and make a living. They could find food anywhere and eat very well. At Seventh Rank, they could eat very well and even benefit their descendants. And at Sixth Rank, the world was vast, and they would definitely not come to be such a small guard.

As for going higher, external things would not bother their hearts, and they should pursue other things.

Master Nie's meaning was that Meng Yuan was still young and it wasn't the time to worry about money. The realm was the fundamental thing. If he got older and his realm really couldn't improve, it wouldn't be too late to earn money then.

"Master Nie, what kind of glory is there at the higher ranks?" Meng Yuan yearned for it greatly.

"Most people's endpoint is Seventh Rank. A few ordinary people are willing to work hard and encounter some extraordinary opportunities, and Fifth Rank is the highest they can reach. As for the top three ranks, tsk tsk tsk, if you can reach them, sleeping with the Empress Dowager is not a problem," Nie Yannian whispered.

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

Nie Yannian glared at Meng Yuan and said, "Stop thinking about it! If you can't reach Eighth Rank by next year, I'll definitely take you to find the madam!"

Can't forget the madam, can you?

"Let's not talk about the madam first..." Meng Yuan got a headache as soon as he heard about the madam. He sighed and only said, "Can I bring my family to live in the city now?"

"If you want to bring your family, it's actually not difficult. Entering the ranks means you're a guard at the Royal Residence. Even if a third-class guard doesn't have a private courtyard to live in, the monthly salary is ten taels, which is enough to support a family. Besides, your talent isn't bad, the Royal Residence is definitely willing to cultivate you."

Nie Yannian gestured for him to pour the wine, then continued, "But if you ask me, go tell Xun Mei. She manages several manors, and she can get it done with one word. Didn't you hook up with her? Go whisper sweet nothings in her ear!"

Meng Yuan became serious and said, "Master Nie, I'm from a castrator's background, my reputation is already ruined. But Miss Xun Mei is like a cold plum in the snow, a noble person in the snow, not to be defiled in the slightest."

"Damn it, I really didn't misjudge you, kid. You hide dirty things in your heart, but you can still put on a righteous face. Damn it, if I had your ability when I was young, why would I have ended up in this situation!"

Nie Yannian pointed at Meng Yuan's nose, "Your martial arts talent is good, but if you become an official, your future might be even better."

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

"You want to have all the good things, don't you?" Nie Yannian glared at Meng Yuan and said, "Since you're pretending to be a gentleman and don't want to hook up with Xun Mei, it's not appropriate to bring your family over now. You only have ten taels a month, are you supporting your family or yourself? Martial Dao is the fundamental thing, this is about looking one step ahead or three steps ahead."

He tapped the table with his chopsticks and said, "However, if you do this job well and earn some merit, things will definitely work out. Besides, it's not bad to see the world."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Nie!" Meng Yuan diligently poured the wine and asked curiously, "What kind of job?"

Nie Yannian clicked his tongue and smiled, pointing at Meng Yuan's tiger's mouth with his chin.

This was referring to spirit monsters! And he had known for a long time that he had been defiled by the little weasel!

"Master Nie, I didn't mean to hide it, I just didn't want to cause trouble," Meng Yuan explained.

"Of course I know, otherwise how could I keep you? Do you really think Xun Mei's face is bigger than the sky?" Nie Yannian stood up with a smile, patted Meng Yuan's shoulder, "Don't worry too much, it's all small stuff. I'll come find you tomorrow. We'll talk in detail then, I'm leaving now."

With that, Nie Yannian staggered downstairs.

So after all that, you still didn't make it clear!

Meng Yuan looked at the table full of food, chicken, duck, fish, and meat, all of which he hadn't eaten much of.

"Master Nie, take care!" Meng Yuan said politely, took a sip of tea to clear his throat, and then directly started eating.

It only took a quarter of an hour to devour the entire table of food like a whirlwind. The Essence Flame in his body slowly grew stronger, even more so than the nourishment absorbed from eating at the Training Field for three days.

Rubbing his belly, he went downstairs. The beautiful madam smiled and stepped forward, bowing gracefully, "Ten taels of silver, please. Hehe, small business."

You call this a small business? A table of dishes is at most three to five taels, but you dare to ask for a month's salary from me!

Meng Yuan was still not satisfied with the delicious food and planned to bring Jiang Yatou to eat here in the future. Hearing this, he quickly put on a stern expression and said seriously, "Put it on Nie Yannian's account."

"Master Nie said this meal is on you, young master," the beautiful madam said with a smile.

Seeing his trick to escape the bill exposed, Meng Yuan wasn't embarrassed. He just forced a smile, enduring the pain in his heart, and said, "Of course I know. I was just joking earlier. Are you a local, sister? I don't know why, but the moment I saw you, I felt a sense of familiarity, as close as a real sister..."

"Ten taels." The beautiful woman didn't give Meng Yuan a chance to get close.

Meng Yuan had no choice, and there was no need to fall out. He took out a silver ingot and threw it over. The beautiful woman took it, weighed it in her hand without using scales, and smiled directly, "Full weight. Take your time, young master."

Meng Yuan took a deep breath, suppressed his grief, clenched his fists, and walked out a couple of steps. Suddenly, he felt something was wrong, as if he had encountered a bar scammer.

"How should I address you and Master Nie, sister?" Meng Yuan turned back and asked.

"My father," the beautiful woman said, tucking her hands into her sleeves, smiling radiantly.

Huh? You father and daughter set up a trap just to swindle an honest person like me?

"..." Meng Yuan suffered a silent loss. He had just borrowed ten taels of silver from Nie Yannian, and in the blink of an eye, he had given it back to him, but the debt hadn't been cleared yet!