Rules, Exploitation

Coach Qin led Li Bufan through the noisy training grounds of the new guards in the West Courtyard, heading toward a more secluded and heavily guarded area. The atmosphere here was distinctly different—less of the chaotic clamor of beginners, more of a condensed, sharp-edged aura.

"Here, this is where you Second-Class Guards operate daily." Coach Qin pointed at the buildings ahead.

The first thing to catch the eye was a training ground slightly smaller than the new guards' yard, but with noticeably finer paving and equipment. About twenty-odd men were there—some sparring in pairs, blades flashing and winds howling; others training alone, building strength or practicing techniques. Every one of them had bulging temples and surging vitality, clearly all Muscle Tempering experts.

Seeing Coach Qin enter, everyone stopped their activities and bowed respectfully, their gazes inevitably falling on the unfamiliar Li Bufan behind him—appraising, curious, even with a hint of scrutiny.

Li Bufan could feel that most of these looks weren't friendly. His sudden arrival as "Number Thirty-One" had already drawn attention.

Coach Qin acted as if he hadn't noticed and continued, "The space is a bit smaller, but fewer people, quieter, and better facilities. Over there's the weapon rack—common stuff's all there; if something breaks, just register for a replacement. Those are stone locks and barbells for building strength—way heavier than what you had in the new recruits' camp."

Next, Coach Qin took him to the living quarters. No more of the big communal bunks for dozens of people like the new guards; instead, there were rows of relatively independent rooms.

"If you're staying here, you can live in one of these. Five to a room, with beds and cabinets all set." Coach Qin pushed open the door to an empty room. Inside were five wooden beds and simple tables and chairs—still basic, but far better in privacy and comfort than the big bunks. "You're new. If you're staying, take this one."

Li Bufan was fairly satisfied. At least he'd have a somewhat private space to handle his own affairs.

Finally, Coach Qin led him to a hall at the corner of the area, with a sign reading "Merit Hall" at the door. Inside sat an old man who looked like an accountant.

"Old Zhou, this is the new guy, Li Bufan, Number Thirty-One. Register him and fill him in on the rules." Coach Qin said to the old man.

The accountant surnamed Zhou lifted his eyelids, glanced at Li Bufan, took out a thick ledger to record, then spoke slowly, "Second-Class Guard, Li Bufan, right? The manor's rules—I'll give you the basics."

"First, monthly salary of three taels, paid on the first of each month. Second, you can eat daily in the Second-Class section of the dining hall—that's where Second-Class Guards eat. Third, at the start of each month, you can claim your Medicinal Bath quota here—three basic sessions, with extra exchangeable for merits."

"Fourth, ways to earn merits." Old Zhou raised three fingers. "One, hunting. The manor constantly accepts various Fierce Beast materials and rare Medicinal Herbs, converted to merits by value. Here's the booklet—look for yourself." He pushed over a thick price list.

Li Bufan glanced at it. It was densely written: Wolf Pelt (intact)—5 merits, Bear Gallbladder—20 merits, Tiger Bones (full set)—20 merits, Silver-Crowned Snow Fox pelt—50 merits... His heart jumped. If he'd exchanged those two Silver-Crowned Snow Fox pelts for merits, it would've been a fortune! But he understood—that was his "pledge of allegiance," traded for identity and the Young Miss's favor, worth far more than merits could measure.

"Two, ranking in assessments." Old Zhou continued. "At the Year-End Tournament, the top twenty all get merit rewards. First place gets 500 merits, second gets 450, decreasing in order. The bottom ten get nothing."

Five hundred merits! Li Bufan was inwardly stunned. That could exchange for a huge amount of resources.

"Three, silver exchange." Old Zhou said flatly. "One tael of silver can be exchanged for 1 merit. But there's a monthly limit—no more than 50 merits." This was clearly for guards from wealthy families, but the value was terrible.

"Four, tasks." Old Zhou pointed at a wooden board on the wall, where occasional notes were posted. "The main family or manor stewards sometimes issue tasks—like reconnaissance, guarding, solving problems. Difficulty varies, and so do the merit rewards. These tasks usually come with risks. Act within your ability."

Li Bufan silently memorized all this. Hunting, assessments, spending money, doing tasks—these four paths were clearly laid out before him.

"As for using merits," Old Zhou concluded, "it's mainly for exchanging Medicinal Bath sessions, cultivation pills, and the manor's stored martial arts. The specific exchange rates and items are on that wall list—look for yourself. Anything else unclear?"

"Thank you, Mr. Zhou. I understand." Li Bufan said respectfully.

Seeing things were settled, Coach Qin said to Li Bufan, "Alright, you know the place and the rules. Settle in today and get familiar with the environment. Starting tomorrow, report on time for training—there'll be a dedicated coach guiding you. Don't forget to eat the Medicinal Cuisine in the dining hall! I've got things to do, so I'm off. If you run into trouble, you can come to me, but don't come crying over every little thing!" With that, he bustled away.

After seeing Coach Qin off, Li Bufan looked again at the exchange list on the Merit Hall wall.

"Skin Tempering Paste: 5 merits/bottle"

"Qi and Blood Pill: 10 merits/pill"

"Extra Medicinal Bath session: 20 merits/session"

"Savage Ox Fist: 300 merits"

"Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique: 500 merits"

The items on the list dazzled him and made him crave merits even more.

But his merits were zero. The priority was to boost his strength and aim for a good rank in the Year-End Tournament.

He returned to his assigned room, tidied his bed briefly, and put away the clothes and token he'd received. Staring at the empty room and the token marked "Thirty-One," Li Bufan clenched his fists.

"Hunting, assessments, tasks... I have to move fast."

Li Bufan was deep in thought in his assigned room, planning how to use the Lin Manor's resources to quickly improve his strength, when the door creaked and was pushed open.

Three men stood at the entrance, all in their early twenties, wearing the dark-blue Second-Class Guard uniforms. They had lean, tough builds, and their eyes held undisguised arrogance and scrutiny, forming a half-circle that blocked the doorway. The leader had a slightly dark complexion, arms crossed, a mocking smile on his face as he sized up Li Bufan inside.

Li Bufan's heart tightened. He knew trouble had arrived. He stood calmly, his face composed. "Gentlemen, any advice?"

The Dark-Faced Youth snorted, stepped into the room, and the other two followed, pulling the door half-shut behind them. The cramped space suddenly felt oppressive.

"Advice? Not really." The Dark-Faced Youth looked Li Bufan up and down, his gaze sweeping over his plain clothes and the new uniform. "Just here to tell you the rules among us guards."

He paused, his tone turning malicious. "Listen up, new kid. From now on, when the manor issues your Medicinal Bath every ten days, keep one session for yourself and hand the rest over. And that monthly salary of three taels—since you're new, we'll let you keep five hundred coppers for pocket change. The rest, hand it over too."

This was outright extortion! The Medicinal Bath and monthly salary were the most basic benefits for Second-Class Guards, and Li Bufan's key to improving his realm and survival!

Li Bufan frowned deeply and said in a low voice, "What do you mean by this? The Medicinal Bath and salary are issued by the manor—why should I hand them over to you?"

A Skinny Tall Guy beside him chimed in with a sarcastic tone, "Why? Because that's the rule! New guys have to know the rules! Paying respects to your seniors is only right!"

Another stocky man crossed his arms and sneered, "Normally, by past custom, a new guy's 'tribute' lasts about three months. But you—you got a special promotion, didn't you? Stepped in dog shit. Why should we, who fought tooth and nail, have to put up with that? So for you, the rule's longer—one year."

"One year. In that year, if a normal person without opportunities loses the Medicinal Bath and silver, they'd lose their source of progress. These guys want to ruin his martial path and kick him out of the guard ranks."

Li Bufan suppressed his anger and asked calmly, "Doing this so openly—aren't you afraid the Lin Manor will find out and punish you?"

"Punish?" The Dark-Faced Youth laughed as if he'd heard the funniest joke, and the other two joined in. "Kid, is this your first day out? You think the big shots in the manor don't know what we're doing?"

He stepped closer, lowering his voice with a knowing sneer. "Let me tell you—the higher-ups know everything that goes on down here! Why do they let it slide? That's the Lin Manor's style! Without some competition, some pressure, where's the drive to climb? You think resources are handed out for free? The strong rule, and resources flow to the strong! Get it? That's reality!"

Li Bufan understood completely, and his heart turned cold. So that was it. The Lin Manor wasn't ignorant—they deliberately fostered and even indulged this competitive environment, tacitly allowing these "unspoken rules." Using this most direct, brutal method to push—or even force—the guards to fight and grow stronger. If you could take, it meant you had skill; if you got taken from, it meant you were weak—tough luck.

"So? Got it?" The Dark-Faced Youth, seeing Li Bufan silent, thought he was intimidated and grew more arrogant. "If you get it, be smart. At the start of next month, we'll come collect. Don't try any tricks, and don't think about tattling, or else—"

He clenched his fist, the threat dripping from his words: "On the training grounds, fists and feet have no eyes. Bumps and bruises, a little injury—that's just part of the routine!"

With that, the three shot Li Bufan one last warning glare, then swaggered out the door, pushing it open wide and leaving behind a room thick with oppression.

Their arrogant figures vanished beyond the doorway, their heavy footsteps fading into the distance. Li Bufan stood still as the room fell silent, yet an invisible pressure lingered in the air. The calm on his face slowly melted away, replaced by a razor-sharp composure. His eyes grew deep, like the sea before a storm.

He walked slowly to the bed and sat down, his fingers absently tracing the cold surface of the Bronze Waist Token.

"The Medicinal Bath and monthly stipend are issued at the start of next month... there's still some time." Li Bufan's mind raced. "The year-end assessment is also a ways off."

This stretch of time was the key!

Going head-to-head now was far from the best move. Those three dared to act so arrogantly—their strength was surely no joke. At the very least, they were seasoned hands steeped in Initial Muscle Tempering, and some might even have reached Minor Success. Taking on all three alone, even if he won, it would be a pyrrhic victory that could jeopardize the upcoming assessment. Complain? As they'd said, the manor tacitly allowed this kind of competition. Reporting it might not work, would only make him look weak, and could even invite worse retaliation.

The only way was to boost his strength as fast as possible before the assessment! If he could show enough power in the year-end guard tournament, put up a good showing, and even snag a decent rank, that would naturally cow these petty thugs! That was the most direct way to "strike the mountain to scare the tiger"!

"I have to break through to Minor Success in Muscle Tempering as soon as possible!" The thought burned with unprecedented intensity. Only by reaching Minor Success in Muscle Tempering would he have the confidence to stand among the other guards and the ability to protect his own resources!

With that thought, he couldn't sit still any longer. Staying in the room was just wasting time. Coach Qin had told him that a Second-Class Guard's main duty was to take turns guarding key areas of the manor every seven days, with shifts arranged by a designated person. As a newcomer, his name hadn't been added to the rotation roster yet, which meant that for at least the next seven days, he had plenty of free time to himself! Since Second-Class Guards generally had relatively flexible schedules, and he'd just arrived without any specific guard duty assigned, this was the perfect chance to focus on training!

He got up at once, locked the door, and left Lin Manor directly, striding briskly toward home.