First Signs of Ability

In the Zhao Family schoolhouse, a teacher in a green robe held a yellowed classic.

"Do not seek the immortal, for the immortal is natural; refine essence to link the form, and the essence is refined in turn..."

Below the dais sat a dozen youths in brocade robes. This was the place for the Zhao Family descendants, where they were taught methods of cultivating the spirit, harmonizing the mind, and stabilizing the foundation of the Dao.

Without this foundation, the higher one's cultivation, the more perilous the path of the Dao became.

As for the retainers of outside surnames?

The Zhao Family only taught them crude combat techniques. Retainers were merely expendable resources; as long as they were useful, that was enough.

By severing the roots of the cultivation methods, these people could never travel far on the path of practice. This was the way the noble families had guarded against trouble for a thousand years.

With their families held as leverage, it was hard to guarantee there wouldn't be desperate men willing to risk their lives.

An extra layer of shackles was never a mistake.

A hundred meters away in the training room, breathing was as heavy as an ox's panting.

Zhao Minglai stood in the center, his thick brows locked tight. The Qi Testing Bead in his hand emitted a steady, soft light, clear and uniform, without a hint of stagnation.

He stared at the youth before him, his voice suppressing astonishment: "Wang Yuan, have you perfected the Refining Essence Technique?"

The other children had entered the manor over a month ago, and most were still fumbling with the guidance of energy. Being able to stabilize their essence without it dissipating was already considered rare. Had this tenant farmer's son actually touched the threshold of "perfection"?

Li Tui lowered his head slightly: "Reporting to Teacher, the disciple only felt the energy channels open yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Zhao Minglai's brow twitched.

The Qi Testing Bead would not lie. This halo was clearly a sign of the Refining Essence Technique reaching great success, with essence and energy harmonized without obstruction. If not for today's routine inspection, this child would likely have kept hiding it.

He had no way of knowing that Li Tui had already crossed this threshold ten days ago.

"Since you have succeeded, why not report it sooner?"

Li Tui looked up, his expression calm: "The disciple often listens to Teacher's teachings that in the path of cultivation, the foundation is paramount. Although I luckily touched upon the method, I felt there was still a slight stiffness during the circulation, so I dared not claim perfection and practiced for a few more days to ensure stability."

It was watertight. It showed both caution and respect for Zhao Minglai's teachings.

Zhao Minglai's expression softened slightly. "Talent is hard to come by, but this temperament is even rarer." He swept a glance across the training room; the other children had long since stopped meditating, looking over with envy or jealousy.

"What are you looking at!" Zhao Minglai suddenly barked. "I tell you to practice diligently every day, yet you all drag your feet and slack off! Now that you see someone else making progress, you've suddenly found your spirit?"

His voice cracked like a whip in the air.

"No lunch for anyone today! You won't leave until you've smoothed out your essence and energy!"

The youths turned pale and hurriedly closed their eyes. Only Huang Bao in the corner felt a trace of excitement flash in his eyes: Big Brother is truly amazing! He took a deep breath and focused more intently on circulating the awkward Refining Essence Technique.

Zhao Minglai patted Li Tui on the shoulder: "Follow me."

The inner room was simple, with one table and two chairs. Zhao Minglai sat down and poured a cup of cold tea. Li Tui stood to one side with his hands hanging down, his respect perfectly measured.

Zhao Minglai sipped his tea, his gaze lingering on Li Tui.

This child had good talent and a steady temperament; he could be considered a talent worth molding.

It was just that, regarding the Third Young Master...

He thought of the speed at which that little ancestor changed his reading companions; he had driven one away last month and dismissed two more the day before yesterday. He was perverse and difficult to serve. None of the clan's own descendants wanted to get close to him, which was why he had set his sights on the retainers of outside surnames.

If this child could hold on for a while, it would count as him having trained him well. If he couldn't, he was just a boy of an outside surname; if he broke, he broke.

"Wang Yuan." He set down his teacup. "You should understand that your talent is different from those children outside. Since the Refining Essence Technique is complete, continuing to practice with them is just a waste of time."

A look of confusion appeared on Li Tui's face: "Teacher means...?"

Zhao Minglai smiled slightly, his tone nonchalant: "I have found a task for you. The Third Young Master in the manor is currently lacking a reading companion. If you are willing, I will put in a word for you."

Li Tui's eyes brightened. A reading companion for the Third Young Master—the title alone suggested it was a close-proximity role, naturally better than bitter cultivation in the outer courtyard. But his face quickly turned pale.

He hadn't been in the manor long, but he had heard rumors. That Third Young Master, Zhao Yuanchong, had a perverse temperament, and the people around him were replaced batch after batch; few could stay for long.

Some said he didn't like people getting close, others said his temper was strange. In any case, he was not an easy master to deal with.

If you like this book, please remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time.

More importantly, the job of a reading companion sounded glorious, but in reality, it was just a higher-level servant. To think one could get close to the core of the Zhao Family was a pipe dream.

The son of an outside retainer, no matter how closely he served, could never cross the threshold of the direct line.

Li Tui's lips moved, his voice dropping lower: "The Third Young Master... the disciple has heard..."

"Heard what?"

Li Tui lowered his head, his fingers twisting the corner of his robe: "Heard that... he is not very easy to serve."

It was blunt, yet it fit the temperament of a farm boy who didn't know how to hide things and spoke his mind.

Zhao Minglai chuckled inwardly. Fear was good. If he had been too eager, it would have been suspicious instead.

"The Third Young Master is a master; his temperament is naturally different from others." His tone was flat, as if speaking of an ordinary matter. "You only need to do your duty, speak less, do more, and he naturally won't make things difficult for you."

The words were spoken lightly, the responsibility pushed away cleanly; doing well was just his duty, and failing was his own fault.

Li Tui remained silent for a moment, calculating rapidly in his heart.

Although the status of a reading companion was not high, it had one real, tangible benefit: resources.

No matter how unruly the Third Young Master might be, he was still a direct descendant of the Zhao Family. The food, supplies, and cultivation resources provided to those around him—even the scraps that leaked through his fingers—were far superior to what the children of the outer courtyard retainers received.

As for the risks? If he were truly as difficult to deal with as the rumors suggested, a single misstep could lead to being kicked out, or worse, offending the young master and cutting off any future in the Zhao Mansion.

But then he reconsidered: as the son of a tenant farmer, he didn't have much of a future to lose anyway. Cultivating step-by-step in the outer courtyard was safe, but it was hard to get ahead. Taking a gamble might just carve out a path.

Li Tui looked up, the fear on his face replaced by the earnestness of a youth feigning composure: "This disciple is willing to try."

He paused, then added, "If... I don't do well, I hope Teacher will not blame me."

A flicker of satisfaction crossed the eyes of Zhao Minglai.

He was afraid, yet he still dared to accept. This kind of courage was better than those who shrank back the moment they heard the Third Young Master's name.

"In that case, you should begin practicing the Qi-Guiding Method as soon as possible," he instructed, his tone softening slightly. "By the Third Young Master's side, you need real skills; knowing how to serve others isn't enough."

These words were a form of guidance; after all, a study companion was not a servant and needed to have progress in cultivation to back him up.

Li Tui nodded quickly: "This disciple will remember."

Outside the practice room, the sun climbed higher.

No sooner had Li Tui stepped over the threshold than he was surrounded by several youths. They were all retainer children selected this time, their faces plastered with smiles and their words warm and enthusiastic:

"Brother Wang is truly extraordinary!"

"I hope you will give us more guidance in the future!"

Flattery and fawning were human nature.

Li Tui wore a faint smile, responding to each of them. He was neither distant nor overly intimate. These people were nothing but grass in the wind; maintaining a superficial harmony was enough.

On the periphery of the crowd, Huang Bao stood alone, watching the surrounded Li Tui with a complex look in his eyes.

Li Tui caught him in his peripheral vision, his heart remaining calm.

Over the past few days, he had seen through this boy: honest, timid, and easy to manipulate. Keeping him around meant having an extra pair of hands to use in the Zhao Mansion later, which was better than having another potential source of trouble.

He calmly pushed through the crowd, walked to Huang Bao's side, and casually rested a hand on his shoulder: "What are you spacing out for? Let's go."

Huang Bao was startled and nodded hurriedly.

Li Tui naturally led Huang Bao toward the cafeteria. The surrounding youths saw this and stepped aside, inadvertently ushering Huang Bao into the center of the group as well.

Huang Bao lowered his head, looking at the hand resting on his shoulder—the knuckles were distinct, the palm calloused, and it held an unquestionable strength.

A warmth spread through Huang Bao's heart, as if he had been scorched by something: 'When this month's spirit rice is issued, I must give more to Big Brother.'

No, not just this month. From now on, as long as he had spirit rice, he would never let Big Brother go short on his cultivation.

This thought came so suddenly and heavily that it made his chest feel tight.

He couldn't explain why himself; perhaps it was the intimacy of Big Brother's casual touch on his shoulder, perhaps it was seeing the undeniable prestige Big Brother held while surrounded by the others, or perhaps... he simply felt that following such a person was the only way to have hope for the future.

Li Tui felt the warmth and pulse coming from his palm, his heart remaining calm and ripple-free, even thinking indifferently: 'Those who haven't seen the world always give their hearts away for a bit of closeness. But that's fine...'

To Li Tui, Huang Bao couldn't even be considered a chess piece; at best, he was a handy tool. Use him when he's useful, and discard him when he's not.

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