Night Talk

Liu Residence, backyard, Liu Yuanyang's bedroom.

Liu Yuanyang soaked his feet in a bucket of scalding hot water, leaning his head against the back of the chair, almost groaning in comfort.

He had been exhausted these past few days. With the Prefecture Exam approaching, there was almost twice as much work in the yamen as usual. As a minor official, he mostly did errands, barely stopping all day.

His wife, Luo Shi, coaxed their son, Shuwen, to sleep, then moved a stool to sit beside him, picking up the needlework from the bed.

"Yang-ge, did you mention to Dad what I told you?" Luo Shi asked softly.

"Huh? Oh, I was busy and forgot." Liu Yuanyang opened his eyes, looking at his wife apologetically.

"Hmph!" Luo Shi snorted coldly, doing her needlework without paying attention to her husband.

"I'll mention it tomorrow, I'll mention it tomorrow." Liu Yuanyang quickly promised, but he was worried in his heart.

How should I tell Dad? Who doesn't know what kind of material my brother-in-law is made of? Isn't this just asking for a scolding? He sighed inwardly, racking his brains for a win-win solution.

In the morning, Liu Yuanzhou opened his eyes. The room was still a bit dim, but it was already faintly bright outside the window.

He put on his clothes and got out of bed, looking at Third Master, who was still fast asleep. He must have been exhausted from traveling all day yesterday. Afraid of waking Third Master, Liu Yuanzhou gently opened the door and walked out, quietly closing the door behind him.

The courtyard was quiet, with only a few early-rising sparrows jumping back and forth between the branches, chatting about something in the autumn air.

The sky was still overcast, but it wasn't raining, and the ground was already dry.

Liu Yuanzhou walked down the steps, stood in the middle of the courtyard, and began Stance Training.

Being in an unfamiliar environment, Liu Yuanzhou felt a trace of vigilance in his heart, so he couldn't fully immerse himself in Enter Samadhi. He only managed to stand for Eighteen Segments before breaking the Stance Training posture and slowly finishing his practice.

Then he practiced Plum Blossom Fist. Thanks to the fight with the gray-clothed man yesterday, he had new insights into this set of fist techniques, and his understanding became more thorough. Each move and stance was still the same, but they were much more agile.

After finishing the set of fist techniques, Liu Yuanzhou felt unsatisfied, but the faint noise coming from the backyard reminded him that his uncle and the others were also getting up. Not wanting his practice to be discovered, he stopped and walked around the small courtyard.

Before long, the gate was opened from the outside, and Uncle Zhao and Aunt Li walked in together, carrying freshly bought vegetables. After exchanging greetings, Uncle Zhao and Aunt Li went into the kitchen to get busy, and Liu Yuanzhou returned to his room.

After breakfast, Liu Jiali and Liu Yuanyang went to work. Liu Yuanzhi was chased by Gao Shi into the study to study hard. Before leaving, he smiled wryly at Liu Yuanzhou and said, "I was originally thinking that since you've come, I could take a couple of days off to accompany you to the city, but alas, the old lady won't allow it."

Liu Yuanzhou laughed and said, "It's okay, just focus on your studies. Yan Province City is so big, I can't get lost even if I wander around by myself, can I?"

Liu Yuanzhou didn't go shopping in the city either. Firstly, he didn't know where to go since he was unfamiliar with the place, and secondly, he wasn't in the mood for shopping.

Although the Entry Level matter was settled, it was all Third Master's word after all. Until now, he hadn't heard his uncle specifically say what to do after Entry Level. He was completely in the dark, and he felt very uneasy.

He played chess with Third Master and read books, and the day quickly passed.

After dinner, Liu Jiali said to Liu Yuanzhou, "Come to my study later, I have something to tell you."

Liu Yuanzhou felt a burst of excitement in his heart, knowing that his uncle was about to reveal the details to him.

Liu Yuanzhou first accompanied Third Master back to his room to chat, until he heard the drums of the first watch and three points from the alley outside, then he pushed open the door and walked out.

It was completely dark outside. Apart from the room where he and Third Master lived, only one room was lit in the front yard. That must be his uncle Liu Jiali's study.

Liu Yuanzhou walked along the corridor to the door of the lit room and gently knocked on the door with his index finger.

"Is that Second Child? Come in." Liu Jiali's deep voice came from inside the room.

Liu Yuanzhou pushed open the door and walked in.

Liu Jiali stood up from beside his desk and walked to the low table opposite it, starting to brew tea. Liu Yuanzhou closed the door behind him and followed to sit by the low table.

"Hehe, come, have some tea. Don't be so reserved. Treat this place like your own home." Liu Jiali said with a smile, pouring two cups of tea, pushing one towards Liu Yuanzhou, and picking up the other to sip slowly.

"Thank you, Uncle," Liu Yuanzhou said formally, picking up the teacup, taking a small sip, and then setting it down without saying much more.

After a few sips of tea, Liu Jiali finally asked, "Second Child, how much do you know about the Taixuan Sect?"

Liu Yuanzhou lowered his head and thought for a moment, organizing his words. He looked up and said, "I've heard Third Master talk about it. The Taixuan Sect is the number one sect in the world, and the Sect Master is the number one martial artist, a god-like figure."

"The Taixuan Sect has many experts, with dozens of branches under its jurisdiction, including Chang'an, Yanzhou, and Yuzhou, and, um, many industries."

"Um, that's about it," Liu Yuanzhou said, looking at his cousin.

In fact, he knew far more than that. For example, the famous sects on par with the Taixuan Sect included Mingyou, Donghua, Ziwei, and Changbai, collectively known as the Upper Five Sects. Because the Taixuan Sect Master was the only Embracing the Core realm expert in the world, Taixuan was ranked first.

The Taixuan Sect also had several Liquid Condensation realm experts, and even more middle and lower-level Martial Masters. He also had a general understanding of the martial strength of the Yanzhou branch. These were things Sister Qin had told him when discussing the current martial arts situation.

Of course, he couldn't reveal these things.

Liu Jiali nodded and said, "Well, knowing this much is not bad."

He took a sip of tea and continued, "Our Taixuan Sect is a martial arts sect, remember that. As for whether it's the best in the world, that's for the martial artists of the world to judge. We can't boast."

"The Taixuan Sect's headquarters is located on Taibai Mountain in Taibai County, Chang'an Prefecture. The Sect Master is recognized as the number one martial arts expert in the world." Speaking of the Sect Master, Liu Jiali's expression became solemn, and he cupped his fist in the southwest direction as a salute, then continued, "As for the other Venerables, Elders, and Directors at headquarters, I won't go into detail here. I'll focus on telling you about the situation at our Yanzhou branch."

Liu Yuanzhou quickly straightened his body, looked at Liu Jiali, and listened attentively.

Liu Jiali continued, "Our Yanzhou branch's Dean, or Head, Zou Xuan, is naturally the boss of our branch. He has the final say on everything big and small in the branch. Below the Dean are the two Deputy Deans, with the Left Deputy Dean Lü Xin in charge of the Arms Division and Merit Division, and the Right Deputy Dean Sun Jieming in charge of the Planting Division and Miscellaneous Division."

"Next are the Directors of the four divisions: Arms, Merit, Planting, and Miscellaneous. First, the Arms Division, headed by Xu Hong, is in charge of our branch's martial force. They handle all the fighting and killing, and they are also responsible for the branch's security."

"Then there's the Planting Division, headed by Luo Hongbao, which manages the branch's medicinal fields. Our branch has eight planting areas, including South Bay, Twenty Shops, and Changyuan, all managed by them."

Liu Jiali took a sip of tea and added, "The Planting Division is also responsible for the external collection and purchase of medicinal materials."

Speaking of this, Liu Jiali looked at Liu Yuanzhou and said, "Your job has been basically decided. You'll be going to the Planting Division."

"Ah? Uncle, aren't you in the Miscellaneous Division? Why am I going to the Planting Division?" Liu Yuanzhou asked, puzzled.

"Hehe, you don't understand. I'll explain it to you slowly later. Let's continue with what we were saying."

"Next is the Merit Division, which is in charge of the branch's cultivation technique instruction, as well as the training tasks for new Entry Level disciples, and they are also responsible for the merit assessment of all the branch's disciples."

"Right now, you can't be considered a formal Taixuan Sect disciple in name, because there will be about a month of training and assessment. You don't have to worry about these things. I've taken care of everything."

"But, you can't be too careless. If your assessment is too poor, I'll lose face too."

Liu Yuanzhou nodded, indicating that he understood.

"Will the one-month training include teaching cultivation techniques?" Liu Yuanzhou asked a question he was eager to know.

"Of course, they will teach a Stance Training and several sets of fist techniques." He looked at Liu Yuanzhou's excited expression, shook his head, and sighed, "But Second Child, practicing cultivation requires talent and resources. So, it's okay to practice martial arts, but once you find that you don't have the talent, you should immediately change your course and focus on your profession and interpersonal relationships. Don't go down a dead end, understand?"

Liu Yuanzhou nodded, indicating that he understood. He wouldn't say that he had a talent for martial arts. He knew that Liu Jiali's words were sincere, and he deeply understood them. If it weren't for Sister Qin, could he, Liu Yuanzhou, have achieved anything in martial arts with his original talent?

Liu Jiali paused at this point, suddenly staring blankly at the candlelight on the table. Liu Yuanzhou didn't say a word, just waited quietly.

After a while, Liu Jiali sighed, his expression returning to normal. He picked up his teacup to drink, only to find it was already empty.

Liu Yuanzhou quickly got up and refilled the tea. Liu Jiali took a sip and asked, "Where were we?"

"You finished talking about the Merit Division," Liu Yuanzhou replied.

"Oh, then next is the Miscellaneous Division. The Miscellaneous Division is mainly responsible for the daily life and affairs of everyone in the branch. This division is also where your uncle is. The Miscellaneous Affairs Director is Long Chenghao. Below the director are the stewards. I am the Left Steward, mainly responsible for the allocation of materials and the management of some industries in the branch. The Right Steward is called Yan Ze, and he is mainly responsible for the distribution of salaries and the meals in the kitchen."

"Hehe, you stay in the Planting Division for a few years first. When the time is right, I will transfer you back to the Miscellaneous Division," Liu Jiali said with a smile.

Liu Yuanzhou nodded and replied, "I'll leave everything to you, Uncle." His uncle's kindness to him was beyond words, and his heart was full of gratitude.

Liu Yuanzhou's idea was actually very simple: first, get into the Taixuan Sect's Yan Province branch, slowly show his talent for martial arts, then become a Martial Master, earn a lot of money, and bring his parents to the city to enjoy life.

He didn't have much ambition. As for going out into the world alone, the death of Fatty Wang had completely dispelled that idea.

The uncle and nephew chatted about family matters for a while, and before they knew it, it was already half past ten. Only then did they return to their rooms to rest.