Exceptional Promotion, Various Benefits

On the third morning, just as the sky was barely light, Li Bufan woke up on time. Unlike the previous two days, which were purely about training, today he had another important matter on his mind—reporting to Lin Manor.

He gently nudged his younger brother, who was still sound asleep beside him. "Little brother, time to get up. You need to go to school."

Li Ping'an rubbed his eyes groggily, mumbling as he crawled out of the warm blankets. The two brothers washed up together, and the cold water fully woke Ping'an up.

"Brother, what are we eating this morning?"

"Come on, I'll take you to the street for some noodles." Li Bufan smiled and took his brother's hand. Life was gradually improving, and he was willing to make these little things happier for his brother.

The morning noodle stall was steaming hot. The two brothers each ordered a bowl of Yangchun Noodles, eating them while they were warm, driving away the morning chill and warming their bodies.

After finishing the noodles, Li Bufan took Ping'an's hand and headed back to the school. On the way, he thought for a moment, counted out fifteen copper coins from his pocket, and pressed them into Ping'an's small hand.

Ping'an held the coins, looking up at his brother with some confusion. "Brother, what's this?"

Li Bufan crouched down and spoke seriously, "Ping'an, I'm going to work at Lin Manor today. I might be busy until late. If... if I can't pick you up on time tonight, use this money to find Teacher Wang at the school. Ask him to help you buy some food, or go buy two flatbreads on the street to fill your stomach. Then go straight home. Be careful on the way, don't wander off, understand?"

He tried to keep his tone calm so his brother wouldn't worry, but he had to give these instructions. After all, Li Ping'an was still young and couldn't always tell right from wrong.

Ping'an listened, a hint of understanding flashing across his young face. He nodded firmly and carefully tucked the coins into his inner pocket. "Got it, big brother. Don't worry, I'll take care of myself. Go ahead and work!"

Seeing his brother so well-behaved and sensible, Li Bufan felt both relieved and a little sad. He ruffled his brother's hair. "Good, you're the best little brother. Go on in now, listen well to the teacher."

He watched Ping'an enter the school and sit down in his seat before turning around, taking a deep breath, and heading toward Lin Manor.

His steps were steady, but his heart couldn't help but stir.

On the training ground, shouts still rang out. Coach Qin stood like an iron tower in the center, his gaze sharp as lightning. Seeing Li Bufan arrive, his rough face broke into a smile. "Kid, you're early! Not bad!"

"Coach!" Li Bufan stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Enough with the formalities." Coach Qin waved his hand, clearly in a good mood. "Come on, follow me to see the Young Miss! You're in luck, kid. The Young Miss personally asked about your matter. That's a huge honor!"

With that, he led Li Bufan through several courtyards until they once again arrived outside the elegant Tingxue Pavilion.

After a maid announced them, they entered. Lin Zhiyan was still seated behind her desk. Today, she wore a light green ruqun dress with a snow fox fur vest over it, her hair simply tied up. She exuded a cold, noble aura that made it hard to look directly at her.

"Young Miss, Li Bufan is here," Coach Qin said respectfully.

Lin Zhiyan lifted her eyes, her cold gaze falling on Li Bufan as she looked him over. Her eyes seemed to pierce through his clothes, reading his qi and blood. Li Bufan immediately felt an invisible pressure and quickly lowered his head, standing respectfully.

"Hmm, your breath is steady, and your qi and blood are vigorous. You're indeed at the Muscle Tempering stage," she said flatly, her voice like pearls falling on a jade plate. "Coach Qin tells me you had a good haul in the mountains and even bagged a Silver-Crowned Snow Fox?"

"Reporting to the Young Miss, I was fortunate to have some success, all thanks to the manor's blessings and Coach Qin's guidance," Li Bufan replied cautiously, neither humble nor arrogant.

Lin Zhiyan nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied with his attitude. "You've been in the manor for just over two months, yet you've broken through to Muscle Tempering and made a contribution. According to the rules, you should be rewarded. Coach Qin recommends promoting you to Second-Class Guard. Are you willing?"

"I am willing! I will do my utmost to serve the manor!" Li Bufan immediately clasped his fists in response, his heart pounding with excitement.

"Good." Lin Zhiyan seemed to dislike unnecessary words and directly ordered the maid beside her, "Go fetch the Second-Class Guard waist token, uniform, and the reward for the fox pelts."

"Yes." The maid withdrew.

Lin Zhiyan looked back at Li Bufan, her gaze sharpening. "Now that you're a Second-Class Guard, you must fulfill your duties. Coach Qin will explain the manor's rules in detail. You'll need to complete your assigned tasks each month, and you can exchange merit for cultivation resources. I hope you'll conduct yourself well, train diligently, and not let down Coach Qin's recommendation."

"I will remember the Young Miss's teachings! I will not fail Coach Qin's guidance or the Young Miss's expectations!" Li Bufan replied solemnly.

Soon, the maid returned with a tray. On it lay a new wooden token engraved with "Lin Thirty-One"; two sets of dark blue-black guard uniforms, clearly better quality than those of the new recruits; and a money pouch containing about five taels of silver—the reward for retrieving the five snow fox pelts.

"Thank you, Young Miss, for the reward!" Li Bufan took the tray with both hands, feeling its weight, and a sense of security settled in his heart. From now on, he had truly established himself in Lin Manor, with a stable income and a way to access resources.

"Dismissed. Coach Qin, take him to learn his duties and the rules." Lin Zhiyan waved her hand and lowered her head back to her account books, as if this were a trivial matter.

"Yes!" Coach Qin and Li Bufan replied in unison, bowing as they withdrew from Tingxue Pavilion.

Outside, Coach Qin clapped Li Bufan hard on the shoulder and laughed heartily. "Good kid! You're officially a Lin Manor guard now! Come on, I'll take you to get your weapon and fill you in on the rules and perks of being a Second-Class Guard!"

Stepping out of Tingxue Pavilion, the cold air outside jolted Li Bufan back to reality from the brief but significant meeting. The heavy Second-Class Guard waist token in his palm reminded him that his status had changed.

Coach Qin's large, calloused hand landed heavily on his shoulder again, his laugh booming. "Good kid! You're officially a Lin Manor guard now! How does it feel?"

Li Bufan took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and said sincerely, "It's all thanks to your guidance and support, Coach. I'm deeply grateful!"

"Cut the crap!" Coach Qin said, though his face showed he was pleased. "Come on, I'll take you to the storehouse to get your gear first! Then I'll explain the rules and benefits of being a Second-Class Guard so you don't go in blind and get taken advantage of!"

With that, he led Li Bufan toward the storehouse at the back of the West Courtyard. Along the way, Coach Qin began explaining nonstop.

"First, the most practical thing—your monthly pay!" Coach Qin held up three fingers. "Unlike the new recruits who get no allowances, you'll get three taels of silver every month, paid on time, no delays. That's enough to keep you and your little brother living comfortably."

Three taels! Li Bufan's heart stirred. That was a solid fixed income, enough to cover basic living expenses for him and his brother with some left over.

"Second, and most importantly—cultivation resources!" Coach Qin lowered his voice, a knowing look on his face. "The Intermediate Medicinal Cuisine and Medicinal Bath the Young Miss mentioned earlier—that's the real deal! The manor provides a fixed amount of medicinal cuisine daily for Second-Class Guards and above. It's great for replenishing qi and blood and tempering the body.

You also get a monthly share of medicinal baths, and you can exchange merit for extra. Outside, even if you wanted to buy something this good, your monthly pay wouldn't even cover it. You just broke through, so you need this to stabilize your foundation and push further. Don't miss out!"

Li Bufan's heart burned with anticipation. Medicinal baths! He had just experienced the miraculous effects of Doctor Liu's bath combined with the residual effects of the Cinnabar Fruit, and he was eager for the regular, sustainable medicinal bath resources from Lin Manor. This would undoubtedly speed up his cultivation immensely!

"Third, your duties and assignments." Coach Qin continued. "As a Second-Class Guard, you won't train with the new recruits anymore. You'll have your own training ground. Your main duties will be rotating every seven days to guard key areas of the manor or accompany stewards on errands. It's more respectable than the odd jobs the new recruits do, and you'll see more of the world. Of course, when trouble comes, you'll have to step up, and there's risk involved."

Li Bufan listened carefully, committing it all to memory.

"Finally, the rules and assessments." Coach Qin's tone grew more serious. "Lin Manor doesn't keep idle people. Every year at the end of the year, there's a major exam—mainly sparring matches among the guards to rank them. The bottom five," he held up five fingers, emphasizing, "have to fight against the top new recruits or former guards who were demoted. If they lose..."

Coach Qin snorted. "Then sorry, your token and uniform get taken back, and you go back to where you started! Lin Manor's resources only go to those with value and potential."

Li Bufan's expression tightened as he felt the invisible pressure. Competition was everywhere. To get resources, he had to show his worth and strength.

Coach Qin glanced at him and added with a hint of amusement, "Also, kid, you need to be prepared. Normally, the manor only has thirty Second-Class Guards. You're the thirty-first, specially approved by the Young Miss as an exception. That's a huge honor, but it'll also make some people jealous. They'll think you got lucky and took a spot. From now on, you'll face plenty of open and covert hostility in the manor. Whether you're a dragon or a worm depends on your own skill. Whether you can stand your ground and earn respect—that's all on you!"

These words were like cold water poured over his head, instantly sobering Li Bufan. As the joy faded, he felt the challenges that came with this identity. A tree that stands out in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind. He understood this principle.

He took a deep breath, his gaze turning resolute, and clasped his fists solemnly: "Thank you for the frank advice, Coach! I understand now. I will train diligently and fulfill my duties, never failing to repay your recommendation and the Young Miss's high hopes! If challenges come, I'll face them head-on!"

"Good! That's the spirit I wanted to see!" Coach Qin nodded with satisfaction. "I didn't misjudge you! Come on, let's get your weapon! I'll pick a good blade for you!"

The two of them soon arrived at the armory. The old steward in charge verified the token and logged it in the register. Coach Qin personally selected a finely crafted Hundred Refinements Steel Saber for Li Bufan, along with two sets of clothes, wrist guards, leg bindings, and other standard gear.

After collecting the equipment, Li Bufan gripped the brand-new wooden token, his thumb rubbing over the clear "31" engraved on it, his mind racing.

"Uncle Fu's mention of an assessment back then must have referred to this year-end guard tournament," he recalled. A month ago, the Lin Manor's head steward, a man with a kind face but shrewd eyes, had spoken those words. Back then, he'd needed to risk his life hunting in the mountains for a sliver of a chance. He never imagined that in just one month, fate would twist so dramatically. Not only had he broken through to Major Muscle Tempering, but thanks to his merit in capturing the Silver-Crowned Snow Fox and Coach Qin's recommendation, he'd skipped that threshold entirely and become a full-fledged Second-Class Guard.

Only he knew the dangers and opportunities hidden in all of this.

His gaze fell back on the token's number, and his thoughts drifted to that life-or-death struggle in the snow and ice. Wu Jiang, just entering Muscle Tempering; Wu Hai, at the peak of Minor Muscle Tempering, nearly at Major!

"29... 11..." Li Bufan's eyes narrowed slightly, a guess forming in his mind. That day, Wu Hai had said they were guards of the Wu Manor. "These numbers probably aren't random. Every ten digits might represent a rough power bracket. The lower the number, the stronger the strength!"

Wu Jiang was ranked 29, just entering Muscle Tempering; Wu Hai was 11, already at the peak of Minor. What kind of strength would the top ten have? Major Muscle Tempering? Or even... the Tendon Tempering Realm?

At that thought, a sense of urgency surged within him.

The Lin Manor provided Medicinal Cuisine and Medicinal Baths—a huge boon that could greatly accelerate cultivation. But it also meant that the higher-ranked, already stronger guards would get more and better resources, improving faster and creating a "the strong get stronger" Matthew effect.

And he, Li Bufan, was now at Initial Muscle Tempering, with a solid foundation, but among these Second-Class Guards, ranked 31, he was undoubtedly at the bottom. In the Year-End Tournament, the last five ranks would face challenges, teetering on the edge!

"My Initial Muscle Tempering cultivation might dominate among new recruits, but among these Second-Class Guards, it's probably nothing!" Li Bufan quickly calmed down, the joy of his promotion replaced by a sharp sense of crisis.

"I have to boost my strength fast! At least break through to Minor Muscle Tempering before year-end, so I can defend myself and maybe even climb the ranks for more resources!"

How to break through quickly? Resources were key!

He had five silver taels of pay on him now, but that was a drop in the bucket for buying rare Medicinal Herbs. His biggest hope was the daily Medicinal Cuisine and monthly Medicinal Bath quota from the Lin Manor!

"I have to make full use of these benefits!" Li Bufan resolved silently. "Starting tomorrow, I won't miss a single Medicinal Cuisine meal! And I'll budget the Medicinal Baths carefully, trying to exchange merits for extra sessions!"

Beyond that, he thought of the two remaining Cinnabar Fruits. Their medicinal power was fierce—he remembered vividly the effect of the last one he'd taken. Maybe he could wait for the right moment, like during a Medicinal Bath, and take another, using the combined force to break through to Minor Muscle Tempering in one go?

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind as he planned his cultivation path ahead.

Coach Qin watched from the side as Li Bufan's expression shifted—from initial excitement to calm contemplation, even revealing a sharp, aggressive edge. He nodded inwardly. This kid was no ordinary fish; he caught on quickly and had a fierce drive.

"Kid, what are you mulling over? Feeling the pressure?" Coach Qin asked gruffly.

Li Bufan snapped back to reality and nodded frankly: "You see right through me, Coach. I'm new here with shallow cultivation. I'll need to train hard from now on, so I don't bring shame to your name."

"Good that you feel the pressure!" Coach Qin said with satisfaction. "Pressure breeds motivation! Come on, I'll show you the Second-Class Guards' turf and tell you how to earn merits."

Li Bufan tucked away his token, burying that urgency deep in his heart, turning it into unwavering drive. He followed Coach Qin, stepping toward the core area of the Lin Manor's guard quarters.