After he completed the entire set of movements, the familiar system prompt did not sound. Only then did Jiang Xuan come back to himself—his Daoist Acolyte profession had long since reached its level cap, leaving no room for further advancement.
"So, I won't need to do these things anymore..."
The thought flashed through his mind, but Jiang Xuan's hands did not become the slightest bit perfunctory. He remained as meticulous as ever. It was both a habit carved into his bones over countless years and a token of gratitude toward the Daoist Acolyte profession that had once helped him break through his predicament. More than that, it was his devotion to the Great Dao in his heart.
What made Jiang Xuan pause was that, just as he finished these trivial chores, a conversation drifted over from the entrance to his courtyard.
"Aunt Shen, we came to see you..."
"Those people again?"
Thinking the neighbors from his old hometown had once more come to pull strings and stuff people into his household, Jiang Xuan frowned slightly and walked out.
But the moment he stepped out of the hall, he discovered that this time, the visitors were no ordinary neighbors. Zhou Lin's entire family had come, and walking at the very front was someone Jiang Xuan knew—Su Linyin.
Because her mother, Shen Yuerong, had once been a servant, she still carried a measure of ingrained respect and ingratiation in both her words and actions when facing Su Linyin.
Fortunately, things were indeed different now. In the past, Su Linyin had accepted Jiang Xuan's mother's deference as a matter of course. This time, however, she affectionately hooked her arm through Shen Yuerong's and gently called her, "Aunt Shen."
"Strength truly is the foundation for standing firm."
Standing beneath the corridor, Jiang Xuan silently reflected. Yet when he saw his mother become flustered and overwhelmed by Su Linyin's sudden closeness, looking as though she had received more favor than she deserved, he could not help shaking his head inwardly—he needed to find an opportunity to help his mother change that mindset.
"Ah Xuan, you're up."
As he pondered in silence, Zhou Lin, Liu Hui, and the others had already noticed him and warmly greeted him one after another.
"Mm. Uncle Zhou, Aunt Liu, sorry for making you come all this way."
Jiang Xuan nodded slightly to Liu Hui and her husband, his attitude mild. No matter what, they were old friends of his mother's, and they had extended a helping hand several times when his household had been at its most difficult. Jiang Xuan had always remembered that kindness.
But when he turned to Su Linyin, Jiang Xuan's expression cooled, leaving behind only calm, rippling detachment.
"May I ask what advice Miss Su has come to offer today?"
"There is something I would like to discuss with you, Jiang Xuan."
"...Fine." For the sake of his mother and Liu Hui, Jiang Xuan ultimately nodded.
In the end, it was not just the two of them who went together. Zhou Lin followed as well. She had been trained very well, always strictly observing the duties of a servant. She remained half a step behind Su Linyin at all times, treating her as superior, and stayed silent throughout. Only when her gaze fell upon Jiang Xuan's calm expression did indescribably complicated emotions surge within her eyes.
But at that moment, Jiang Xuan had no mind to notice her expression.
When they reached an open patch of land outside the courtyard, Su Linyin stopped first. She bowed slightly to Jiang Xuan and solemnly apologized. "Yesterday, Pan Yue spoke rudely. It was my failure to keep him in line. I apologize to Brother Jiang on his behalf."
"It is nothing. I did not take it to heart."
His calm yet distant tone made Su Linyin understand that Jiang Xuan was not as unconcerned as he claimed. But seeing that he was unwilling to speak further on the matter, she could not press him too much.
Fortunately, before coming here, she had already received guidance from her mother and understood what her core bargaining chip was. She did not linger on the matter and went straight to the point. "Brother Jiang, do you know that Dong Hao values you so highly only because he wants to use you as a ladder, borrowing your strength to step into the inner sect?"
"I know."
The bland and direct answer made Su Linyin pause slightly. But she soon regained her composure and said, "Then do you know that the second round of assessments uses a points system? There are only ten inner sect slots to begin with, and the competition is already fierce. If you divide your points with Dong Hao, then you will have no chance of receiving an Excellent Rating in the second round."
Jiang Xuan had naturally considered this. It was precisely because of that that he had considered taking up the Kitchen Apprentice profession. Once he later changed professions to Gourmet, he could use spirit food to cultivate without restraint and rapidly raise his own strength.
As long as my strength is sufficient, even if I must lift Dong Hao up with one hand, I can still stand among the top ten.
Naturally, Jiang Xuan would not reveal his thoughts to others. Hearing Su Linyin's words, he merely said indifferently, "My talent is mediocre, and I have no background to rely on. Even if I do not give Dong Hao any points, I am afraid I still will not squeeze into the top ten."
His words made Su Linyin's delicate brows furrow slightly, but she soon said with a serious expression, "Brother Jiang, you are being too modest. In my view, not only are you no worse than us, you surpass us by far in many ways."
"We have resources from our Lineages and received guidance in the profound truths of Dao techniques beforehand. That is why we opened thirty-six Apertures in merely three to five days."
"Yet you had neither resources nor backing, but still forced your way up to match our pace. That is the finest proof of your astonishing talent."
"Both my mother and I believe that you possess the strength to obtain an Excellent Rating and enter the inner sect."
"Regarding what happened to Uncle Jiang back then, the Su Household feels guilty. We are also willing to lend you a hand in this matter." Having said this much, she no longer concealed anything and frankly added, "Of course, we have some selfish motives as well."
"My mother hopes that after you enter the inner sect, you and I can support one another and watch each other's backs."
"..." Jiang Xuan said, "You flatter me."
Jiang Xuan did not believe her words.
In his eyes, Su Linyin was no different from Dong Hao. Both wanted to borrow his strength and use him to lift themselves into the inner sect.
However, Dong Hao had genuinely helped him before. Even Jiang Xuan's Excellent Rating had been half-earned through Dong Hao's support. Jiang Xuan had to acknowledge that favor, so it was difficult for him to refuse.
But Su Linyin had not helped Jiang Xuan in any way. Naturally, he would not waste his points for nothing and make wedding clothes for someone else merely because of a few pleasant words.
"I think my current cultivation pace is quite good."
After leaving those words behind, Jiang Xuan cupped his hands in farewell and turned to leave.
What surprised Jiang Xuan somewhat was that, faced with his blunt refusal and departure, Su Linyin showed not the slightest anger. Instead, she waved leisurely at his retreating back and called out, "Take care, Brother Jiang. I still hope you will seriously consider my proposal."
Her unhurried composure was beyond Jiang Xuan's expectations. Yet given the relationship between them, it was not convenient for him to turn back and ask further.
However, while he could not easily speak up, Zhou Lin, who had been following beside them, had no such reservations. Watching Jiang Xuan's departing figure, Zhou Lin, whose heart was a tangled mess, instinctively asked, "Miss, Jiang Xuan refused. What should we do next?"
Su Linyin said, "There is nothing we need to do."
"Huh?"
Zhou Lin's astonished expression made Su Linyin smile in understanding. At the same time, her thoughts drifted uncontrollably back to the conversation she had had with her mother, Su Wanyi, the previous night.
When she learned yesterday that Jiang Xuan had received an Excellent Rating, she had been filled with shock, unable to hide the unusual look on her face at all. When she returned home, Su Wanyi immediately noticed her loss of composure.
Upon hearing of Jiang Xuan's accomplishments, Su Wanyi raised her brows slightly, somewhat surprised. "It seems I underestimated that little fellow."
But unlike Su Linyin's restless state of mind, Su Wanyi had laid out her entire scheme in the blink of an eye. Today's visit and invitation were merely the first step of her plan.
At the time, she too had been unable to resist asking her mother, just as Zhou Lin was doing now, what they should do if the invitation was rejected.
"There is nothing you need to do." Back then, Su Wanyi, dressed in a black palace gown, had leaned lazily against the railing with an unhurried expression. "When he repeatedly rejected the Su Household's attempts to recruit him before, I assumed he bore resentment toward us. But now it seems he simply prides himself on his exceptional talent and possesses a proud backbone, which is why he refuses to bow beneath others."
"With such an aloof temperament, and having just received an Excellent Rating while basking in unparalleled glory, he will never accept an outcome where 'he helps Dong Hao enter the inner sect, yet fails himself.'"
"If we had not extended today's invitation, he would have had no path to choose. Perhaps he could only have pinched his nose and accepted it."
"But we have given him a way out. The closer the second-round assessment comes, the more anxious he will become."
"For now, all we need to do is wait..." Casually plucking several flowers by the pond and scattering them into the water, Su Wanyi watched the petals drift with the waves. Her tone was calm. "Of course, while we wait, we must also build more ties with him and let him see our sincerity. Leave these matters to me. You need not concern yourself with them. Just cultivate in peace."
At the thought of this, Su Linyin's cheeks flushed slightly, and a trace of complexity flashed through her eyes.
After hearing her mother's plan that day, her mind had been in turmoil, and she could not help asking one more question. "Mother, this plan is certainly good, but what if... what if Jiang Xuan still enters the top ten in the second-round assessment by relying on his own ability?"
"Your heart is in chaos." Su Wanyi merely glanced at her indifferently, her tone calm. "If your heart were still, you would know that a lone youth who ranked fortieth last time has absolutely no chance of breaking into the top ten. And if he succeeds, then we must change our mindset. At that time, perhaps you can consider him..."
Shaking her head, Su Linyin stopped thinking about what came afterward. Instead, she said with certainty and a hint of determination to win, "My plan will definitely succeed. Jiang Xuan cannot escape the palm of my hand."
After a pause, Su Linyin looked at Zhou Lin again. "If I remember correctly, you and Jiang Xuan were childhood companions?"
Zhou Lin said, "Yes."
"Then during this period, visit the Jiang Household more often. Build some rapport with him and his mother."
"Yes, Miss."
Naturally, Jiang Xuan had no way of knowing what had happened outside the courtyard.
After greeting his mother, Liu Hui, and Zhou Lie upon returning to the courtyard, Jiang Xuan headed straight for the training grounds.
Unlike his former obscurity, the moment Jiang Xuan appeared on the streets of Bamboo Forest Town that day, countless people along the way warmly cupped their hands and greeted him.
There were even many youths his age, pushed forward by their fathers, who shyly stepped up and respectfully bowed to him.
Quite a few people even instinctively followed behind him—they all wanted to borrow Jiang Xuan's name and seek a measure of protection.
When he arrived at the academy, Jiang Xuan felt an even more earth-shaking change.
When the more than three thousand fellow students looked at him, there was no longer the slightest trace of provocation or mockery.
He even saw nearly a hundred students imitating his former routine: cleansing their bodies, hands, and mouths with water before cultivating.
"..."
The sight left Jiang Xuan caught between laughter and tears, but he also realized that he could no longer sit in the corner of the back row as he had before.
Several people had gathered around his original seat. They were not occupying it by force, but looked as though they wished to follow him.
"But I do not need so many followers, and I cannot afford to support them."
Unwilling to be disturbed by such onlookers any longer, and because of Dong Hao's invitation, Jiang Xuan headed directly to the front.
Once he reached the front row, Jiang Xuan felt even more clearly how his status within this small group had changed.
In the past, Mu Yuan and Wu Chen had both harbored a measure of hostility toward him—they each wanted to become Dong Hao's most valued follower.
But now, without Jiang Xuan needing to do anything, Mu Yuan and Wu Chen both treated him with respect.
Dong Hao treated him as someone on the same level. It was as though only the two of them were masters in this group, while everyone else was a servant.
And what happened next made that point abundantly clear.
There was no shortage in this world of people with mediocre talent and poor family backgrounds who nevertheless wished to rise. Yet top disciples from Aristocratic Clans such as Dong Hao and Su Linyin set an extremely high threshold when taking in subordinates.
Thus, many people would settle for the next best thing and attach themselves to those in their second tier, such as Jiang Xuan in the past, as well as Mu Yuan, Wu Chen, Fu He, and the others.
Even Mu Yuan and Fu He, who came from Aristocratic Clans but did not possess top-tier talent, had maidservants and Daoist Acolytes following them. Yet within Dong Hao's highly ranked small group, their servants had no qualifications to enter.
The Jiang Xuan of the past had been the same. Whenever he came to the front, Cheng Xiu, who had attached himself to Jiang Xuan, could only remain at the back and watch longingly.