Retainer System

In feudal times, people's social ranks had been clearly defined.

Inside Dragon Stream Peak's dining hall, ordinary students ate free Spirit Rice Meals, Jiang Yue could buy Spirit Meals, while Yi Yunya, who stood at the highest rank, not only ate better food but also had her own private room.

However, Cultivation Families in this world all placed great importance on educating their children. Most family descendants with ability—or ambition—were quite well-bred.

Yi Yunya before him was just such a person.

Though she had not gone so far as to greet worthy talent at her door, her attitude toward Zhong Ming was fairly good.

"Young Master Zhong, please sit."

"Youlan, serve tea."

"Yes, Miss."

After taking the tea and drinking a cup, Zhong Ming's brows immediately rose.

This was no ordinary tea. After drinking it, Zhong Ming felt his soul suddenly clear. His mind, exhausted from training, seemed to have been washed by a crisp spring. Weariness, fatigue, exhaustion... all manner of negative states were swept clean.

"Excellent tea. Thank you."

After praising it, Zhong Ming cupped his hands and said, "May I ask why Miss Yi summoned me?"

His straightforward attitude made Yi Yunya smile. "Your talent is outstanding, Young Master, and it pleases me greatly. I wished to make your acquaintance... Have you ever heard the term 'retainer'?"

Zhong Ming said, "I've heard a little, but I don't know much about it."

"Then let Youlan explain it to you."

"Understood, Miss."

After answering, Youlan began explaining the retainer system of this era to Zhong Ming in detail.

"A retainer is someone employed in a nominal position by certain merchant associations or large powers..."

Through Youlan's explanation, coupled with some guesses of his own, Zhong Ming learned that because this era had cultivators, when major powers encountered commercial disputes or conflicts of interest, they usually did not report them to the authorities. Instead, they relied on their own strength to settle matters.

For this reason, many merchant associations and great families trained cultivators.

And in order to strengthen themselves, those powers could not possibly train only their own people. They would also recruit outsiders.

However, any somewhat powerful cultivator not only possessed formidable martial strength, but also yearned for freedom. This made it impossible for even major powers to forcibly restrain cultivators.

Thus, certain families and merchant associations would sign contracts with powerful cultivators or talented elites—contracts whose restrictions were not overly harsh.

Most of the time, these contracts meant that merchant associations provided spirit stones and resources to geniuses in their daily lives, while the cultivators they supported had to step forward and help whenever those families or merchant associations encountered trouble.

Hearing this, Zhong Ming could not help nodding.

"A very reasonable system. It suits cultivators like us quite well."

"Of course it does." Glancing at Zhong Ming, Youlan said quietly, "Nearly all cultivators from humble backgrounds become retainers of certain families or merchant associations while they are still weak."

"Even peerless geniuses with First-grade Spiritual Roots are no exception."

"After all, even geniuses are weak at the beginning of their path."

"People like you need time, and even more, resources, if you are to grow quickly. And we at Golden Jade Tower can provide those resources."

At this point, Yi Yunya's meaning was obvious.

She wanted to recruit him.

What made Zhong Ming sigh inwardly was that this woman was very clever. She must have sensed that if she tried to recruit Zhong Ming personally as someone his own age, he might refuse out of unwillingness to submit.

Therefore, she had not recruited him in her own name. Instead, she had brought out the Golden Jade Tower behind her and recruited Zhong Ming as a Golden Jade Tower retainer in the name of that great power.

Before making the offer, she had even deliberately mentioned that becoming a retainer was not shameful. Even first-rate geniuses from humble backgrounds would temporarily lie low while they were weak.

Such precedents would greatly diminish Zhong Ming's reluctance to yield.

In truth, she had indeed done this very successfully.

If she had directly tried to recruit him as her subordinate, Zhong Ming would never have agreed.

But becoming a Golden Jade Tower retainer made Zhong Ming hesitate.

Without family support, he truly lacked resources.

The resources Zhong Ming had earned were only enough for the Hundred Day Assessment, but that was merely the beginning. Cultivation after entering the sect would require even more resources.

Granted, if Zhong Ming received a good rating, Dragon Stream Peak would invest some resources in him.

But Zhong Ming felt that was far from enough—no one ever complained about having too many resources.

Seeing Zhong Ming's hesitant expression, Yi Yunya immediately struck while the iron was hot. "With your talent, Young Master Zhong, you should be steadily rated Class B. At Golden Jade Tower, that would only qualify you to become a Yellow-grade retainer."

"But since we both belong to Dragon Stream Peak and are fellow disciples, I can raise your rating somewhat and classify you as Profound-grade. That way, you can receive resources worth thirty-six spirit stones from Golden Jade Tower every month, or four hundred and thirty-two in a year."

"And when you buy things at Golden Jade Tower, you will receive a ten percent discount."

After saying this, Yi Yunya had expected Zhong Ming to agree. But something she had not anticipated soon happened.

Upon hearing her words, Zhong Ming not only failed to agree, but asked instead, "If Class B corresponds to Yellow-grade retainers, what about Class A?"

Yi Yunya was very clever. Zhong Ming's question immediately let her sense his ambition, causing her brows to furrow slightly.

However, her expression soon returned to normal, and she calmly answered, "Earth-grade."

Golden Jade Tower's retainer ranks were Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. Earth-grade was already the second rank.

After learning this, Zhong Ming made his choice. "Sorry, I need to consider it."

"..." Yi Yunya said, "Being a retainer concerns your development over the next few years. You truly should consider it carefully."

After speaking, she motioned to her maid, who handed Zhong Ming a porcelain bottle.

"This contains Snow Jade Paste. It can heal bodily injuries and relieve physical fatigue. I see that you have been practicing swordsmanship lately, so this should be of some help to you."

"Uh... I cannot accept a reward without merit."

Yi Yunya said, "Take it. I never take back gifts once they have been given."

"Besides, summoning you here has delayed some of your time. Consider this my apology."

With her putting it that way, Zhong Ming found it difficult to refuse.

At the same time, her actions left Zhong Ming with a favorable impression of her.

If I lack resources in the future and need to take a nominal position with a merchant association, I could accept her recruitment and become a Golden Jade Tower retainer.

With that thought, Zhong Ming cupped his hands in salute and left.

He had gone, but the discussion about him did not end in that noble private room.

"A Profound-grade retainer, and even such terms failed to move him. Hehe..."

As soon as she said this, Youlan immediately apologized.

"I'm sorry, Miss. I was negligent and failed to learn his true disposition."

"This is not your fault." Shaking her head, Yi Yunya said calmly, "A Third-grade Spiritual Root, yet he dreams of a Class A rating. Zhong Ming's ambition is so great that it would be strange if you had anticipated it."

Clearly, Yi Yunya did not think Zhong Ming could be rated Class A.

Youlan... thought the same.

And she felt that Zhong Ming had missed an excellent opportunity.

Though Yi Yunya had used some Minor Techniques during their conversation, one thing she had said was true: most Class B disciples of Dragon Stream Peak could not obtain the status of a Golden Jade Tower Profound-grade retainer.

Yi Yunya's offer had been made with great sincerity.

Of course, she had not done this without reason.

Yi Yunya had designs on becoming one of Dragon Stream Peak's True Disciples, but distant water could not put out a nearby fire. Golden Jade Tower's other retainers could not help her right now.

Zhong Ming was on Dragon Stream Peak, and his talent was not bad. Only someone like him could help the current Yi Yunya.

That was why her offer had been so generous.

"What a pity. You missed this opportunity."

As she shook her head in regret, Youlan asked, "Miss, did you give Zhong Ming Snow Jade Paste at the end because you think he has a chance of receiving a Class A rating?"

Yi Yunya said, "Of course not. If I thought he had a chance, what I gave him would not have been Snow Jade Paste."

Swish...

Yi Yunya played with the jade folding fan in her hand and smiled.

"Still, for him to think he has a chance at a Class A rating... Zhong Ming may be arrogant and overestimate himself, but he should possess some real ability. If he had nothing to rely on, he would not have refused so decisively."

"I do not mind giving talented people a second chance."

"That bottle of Snow Jade Paste was merely an advance investment."

At this point, Yi Yunya's expression grew somewhat unfathomable. "But I will only give him two chances."

Her mistress's attitude also made Youlan glance in the direction Zhong Ming had left. "Zhong Ming, I hope you can recognize yourself soon..."

Though Yi Yunya had not said it outright, nor shown it in her expression, Zhong Ming could vaguely sense that she believed he would not receive a Class A rating.

He was not angered by this, nor did he feel looked down upon.

Dragon Stream Peak's Class A assessment was indeed extremely difficult.

Even with Heaven Rewards Diligence, and even after earning some resources through the Dragon's True Intent he had gained from visualization, Zhong Ming still was not one hundred percent certain he could be rated Class A.

And he was not the only one feeling uneasy. Across all of Dragon Stream Peak, apart from the three true chosen geniuses—Yi Yunya, Xue Yao, and Zhuang Yi—

Not one of the others was fully confident.

Otherwise, Jiang Yue and Liu Wanyu would not have spent so many spirit stones for even the slightest improvement.

Neither of those two was certain. Zhong Ming, whose apparent conditions were even worse than theirs, naturally had an even lower chance of receiving a Class A rating.

"Zhong Ming, what did Miss Yi want from you?"

When Zhong Ming returned to Jiang Yue and the others, the latter immediately asked.

The others also turned curious gazes toward him.

Clearly, everyone paid close attention to Dragon Stream Peak's true geniuses.

Zhong Ming did not hide it. "That young lady intended to recruit me as a Golden Jade Tower Profound-grade retainer."

"Golden Jade Tower? Profound-grade?" Jiang Yue was startled for a moment by the answer, and somewhat disappointed as well. But he quickly forced down the disappointment in his heart and cupped his hands toward Zhong Ming. "Brother Zhong, congratulations. With Golden Jade Tower's support, your future path will be much smoother."

Clearly, Jiang Yue also believed that becoming a Profound-grade retainer would be of tremendous help to Zhong Ming.

What disappointed him was that if Zhong Ming became Golden Jade Tower's subordinate, Jiang Yue would no longer be able to recruit him.

However, just as he was feeling disappointed, Zhong Ming continued, "Brother Jiang, you are congratulating me too soon. I refused Miss Yi's invitation."

"Huh?" Jiang Yue froze. "Why?"

Zhong Ming said, "For now, I do not want to become a retainer. I only wish to cultivate."

Jiang Yue said, "Becoming a retainer would not delay your cultivation. Besides, with the resources Golden Jade Tower provides, you would cultivate even faster after becoming a Profound-grade retainer..."

Before he could finish, he thought of something. His pupils contracted, and he fell silent.

On the other side, unwilling to say more, Zhong Ming called out to Dong Hai.

"Dong Hai, I'll have to trouble you again. It's time for us to train."

"Coming."

After Zhong Ming left, Jiang Yue and Liu Wanyu looked at each other, both speechless for a long while.

Jiang Xiaoyu, who had reacted a beat slower, also realized something amid the strange atmosphere. Her delicate fist suddenly clenched tight.

"He refused Miss Yi Yunya's invitation, and even the position of a Profound-grade retainer. Zhong Ming... does he think he has a chance of receiving a Class A rating? Impossible. With his talent, absolutely impossible."