Zhang Qingyuan felt that his third senior brother might have misunderstood something.
Change the rules of the world?
I never thought about that.
I just wanted the system rewards, to fulfill Master's last wish along the way, and to find something to do while I was at it. I really hadn't thought that far.
But after what his third senior brother said, Zhang Qingyuan actually did have some ideas.
Turning a traditional sect into a vocational school was an innovation in itself, a reform.
And reforms, wherever they happened, generally had only two outcomes.
Failure and success!
If you failed, you were overturning heaven's order, a treacherous rebel, a demon of an evil cult.
If you succeeded, you were opening a new era, daring to innovate, a golden-bodied sage!
There was really no right or wrong to it. The victor became king, the loser a bandit.
Ying Zheng had succeeded in unifying the realm, standardizing axle widths and writing, abandoning the feudal enfeoffment system, and unifying weights and measures, so he was called Qin Shi Huang, the one emperor unrivaled through the ages.
Had he failed, later generations accustomed to each province having its own writing and language would have called him the greatest sinner of all time. They would also have said, "Someone actually dreamed of unification? What a flight of fancy."
So far, the Tianyang Sect was only tinkering around in Yu Province. There were no powerful sects here, either. The only nearby forces that qualified as major sects were the Lin Lineage Sword Fortress north of the city and the East Sea Sect.
Now the East Sea Sect had been destroyed, and ever since its ancestor died eighty years ago, the Lin Lineage Sword Fortress had never produced another expert of the upper three ranks. These days, it was not even as strong as the Tianyang Sect.
His reforms therefore posed no threat to the major sects of the other four regions.
Before they caught on, he still had time to develop.
Once he developed, he would stand undefeated!
Besides sending Old Fourth to find teachers for academic subjects, Zhang Qingyuan also assigned Old Second to recruit twenty fifth- and sixth-rank experts for the Security Department.
Why the fifth and sixth ranks?
Because in this damned backwater of Yu Province,
those in the lower three ranks were useless unless they could kill above their rank.
And he could not hire anyone in the upper three ranks!
So the middle three ranks were already the most cost-effective choice.
Contract workers, with contracts signed every three years.
Someone asked, why not make these people teachers?
They were in the middle three ranks, so they could teach and protect the Tianyang Sect. Two jobs for one salary-wasn't that great?
Although Zhang Qingyuan was using a vocational school model, the teachers had to be professionals!
Those security personnel were in the middle three ranks, but their abilities amounted only to having reached that realm. Their understanding and application of martial arts really were not as professional as those of the ten teachers.
Never mind anything else-in a one-on-one fight, they could not even beat Lu Guying, an eighth-rank martial artist.
Someone else asked, since Lu Guying and the others were so formidable, why not have him work security too? An Eighth-Grade Realm martial artist who could serve as a sixth- or even fifth-rank expert-wasn't that cost-effective too?
Could we just say that people like Lu Guying, who could fight above their rank, were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns, one in ten thousand? Not everyone could be like them.
Someone else asked, why were you explaining so much, and which idiot asked these questions?
(My little brother.)
Ahem!
The eldest senior brother's Logistics Department had recruited over thirty people, all ordinary residents of Phoenix Cry City. Logistics was nothing more than cooking, cleaning, and maintaining the grounds.
Old Eldest still handled the core work himself. Those logistics staff only had to take care of their own jobs.
Old Third's Finance Department now controlled all the money. Building the sect had cost a great deal, and the money from selling newspapers had been nowhere near enough. He had borrowed from the Bian Family instead. The advertising revenue from the first ten days or fortnight might not be shared with the Tianyang Sect; it would go toward repaying the debt first.
Old Fourth had also hired two people for his Publicity and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They had not started work yet, but there was no hurry.
His current task was mainly to find businesses to partner with first.
This fellow really did have extensive connections. So far, he had already reached partnership agreements with over a dozen forces.
Old Fifth's Ministry of Personnel had also recruited five people, all licentiates.
Zhang Qingyuan's requirement for him was that, in future student recruitment, teacher recruitment, and security recruitment, anyone coming to the Tianyang Sect to study or work had to be vetted by him and have their personal information recorded.
Old Sixth was now working with Old Third as his dedicated secretary.
Another morning arrived. Today was the Tianyang Sect's recruitment day.
Early that morning, all the Tianyang Sect's teaching and support staff put on brand-new uniforms. Zhang Qingyuan had even specifically had them attach a rising-sun emblem to the chest of every outfit. This was the logo he had designed for the sect.
The sect master's and elders' robes remained the same old style. The teachers' uniforms were dark red, the security uniforms black, and the other staff uniforms blue.
Everyone was very excited. The Security Department's twenty members stood on either side of the mountain gate, holding sabers and swords to maintain order.
They were all fanboys and fangirls carefully selected by Old Third, meticulous, earnest, and responsible in their work.
Old Fifth placed five small stools and five small tables at the mountain gate. Recruitment would take place here.
Old Eldest and Old Sixth led the Logistics Department inside the mountain gate, responsible for taking newly admitted disciples to their dormitories.
Two girls followed beside Old Fourth, holding a banner that read: Welcome to the inaugural Tianyang disciple induction ceremony, year 157 of the Great Zhou calendar.
The road up the mountain was packed so tightly that not a drop of water could pass through. Children from wealthy families sat in splendid carriages, escorted slowly forward by household servants. Their faces were full of pride and anticipation, and they poked their heads out from time to time to look around.
Children from poor families walked up the mountain with their parents, who kept reminding them of this and that. Their eyes held both fear of the unknown and a trace of anticipation. Among the children from ordinary families, some rode donkeys, while others walked shoulder to shoulder with their parents, discussing how they imagined the school would be.
The scene before the mountain gate was even livelier. A group of orphans huddled together, doubt and expectation in their eyes. They could not believe they could really enter this mysterious sect. Most of the boys held their heads high and puffed out their chests, brimming with confidence as they imagined showing their skills at the school; the girls shyly gathered together, quietly discussing the unfamiliar sect life ahead.
As more and more people gathered, Old Fifth was stunned.
The five clerical licentiates filling out registration forms were stunned too. How long would we have to keep writing?
Fortunately, they were only recruiting two thousand people this year. With five licentiates, each only needed to fill out four hundred forms.
Averaged out like that, the pressure did not seem too great.
Old Eldest stood inside the gate, secretly watching. Pressing his palms together, he gazed up at the heavens. "Ancestors, bless us. Ancestors, bless us!"
Old Third stood to one side with his sword in his arms, while the security personnel stood ramrod straight.
They circulated their True Qi and shouted in unison, "Line up in order! Avoid a stampede!"
The ten teachers stood at the entrance, ready to explain the things parents and disciples needed to keep in mind.
Since the newspapers and leaflets had already stated that registration would close once all places were filled, many people farther back grew increasingly anxious at the sight.
At the foot of the mountain, Zhang Qingyuan stood there in person, with two thousand numbered tokens beside him.
Smiling, he personally greeted every disciple about to head up the mountain and their parents, handing out numbers to them.
As sect master, he was just that approachable.
"Hello, here's your number. Just take it up and hand it to the staff at the registration desk."
"Sect Master, is the first year really free?"
A man who looked every bit a hardworking, honest villager asked this, his son beside him.
"Yes. Please rest assured, we will teach him well."
"Yes, yes, thank you, thank you." The man thanked him repeatedly, tugging at his son. "Goudanr, hurry and thank the sect master."
"Thank you, Sect Master."
"Mm, off you go."
"Sect Master, do you really accept girls?"
"Yes. Our sect has cultivation techniques specifically suited to girls. Please rest assured."
This was a father who had brought his daughter. Holding the grubby little girl's hand, he nodded happily. "Good, good, good!"
"Sect Master, is a job assignment really guaranteed after graduation?" This was an orphan.
"Yes. As long as you cultivate diligently, you can also have your tuition waived in the future."
"Thank you, Sect Master!"
"Sect Master, I'll be entrusting my child to you from now on."
This was a wealthy man from the city.
"Rest assured."
People from different walks of life gathered together at this moment.
They felt uncertainty, doubt, trust, joy, and anticipation for the future.
As the day passed and the two thousand numbered tokens were nearly all handed out, Zhang Qingyuan kindly addressed some of those farther back. "I'm very sorry, but this year's places have all been filled. Those who weren't able to register, please don't worry. Next year, the Tianyang Sect will expand its intake, and we will certainly be able to accommodate you then."
"Ah, what are we supposed to do?"
"Alas, we'll have to wait until next year."
"Waiting until next year is fine too. We can see how well these people learn and whether it's worth coming."
Seeing how reasonable and courteous each of them was, Zhang Qingyuan felt deeply gratified.
Would Zhang Qingyuan worry about the small number who had failed to register, and those still arriving, causing trouble?
In his previous life, of course he would have worried. If things went badly, it could become a public opinion incident.
But in this world, he was the lofty sect master!
Even if they truly felt dissatisfied, they would not dare say it, because here, human lives were worth nothing!
Ordinary people had an instinctive fear of a sect master.
The very reason Zhang Qingyuan had stood at the foot of the mountain handing out numbered tokens himself in the first year was to establish a kind, approachable image for them.
Zhang Qingyuan made a rough count. Around twenty-five hundred people had come to register today.
That was within expectations.
Had they not stated in the newspapers and leaflets that recruitment would stop at two thousand, even more people probably would have come.
Of course, most people still chose to wait and see.
After all, this was the first time anyone in this world had recruited like this.
Of course, there were also people traveling from far away who would arrive over the next few days. Zhang Qingyuan already had a plan for them too.
He called over the Editorial Department staff, thinking of distributing leaflets on a large scale again to notify those who had not yet arrived that this year's places were full and they should come next year.
Those who had not yet arrived were dumbfounded...
Especially those from the city who had heard about the martial world-they found it simply unbelievable.
"What the hell? Full? Isn't today the first day?"
"That's right. Those who went early got there first thing in the morning."
"No, they were recruiting two thousand people, and you're telling me they filled up in one day?"
"Yeah, they really filled up in one day."
"Then we..."
"Go back. We can only wait until next year."
"Dad, this is all your fault! I said we should come earlier, but you wouldn't listen."
"How was I supposed to know they could recruit so quickly? When the East Sea Sect recruited fifty disciples before, it took half a month to get them all."
"Brother, how is that the same thing?"
Di Yunjie rode straight toward the Tianyang Sect. Throughout his journey, he had kept hearing news of the Tianyang Sect recruiting disciples.
Before, he had thought the Tianyang Sect was overestimating itself.
Two thousand people?
With just the seven of them, senior and junior brothers?
They aren't our Bright Moon Sect. Even our Bright Moon Sect only recruits disciples once every three years, taking in eight hundred to a thousand each time. Then we carefully select from those eight hundred to a thousand, and only two or three hundred remain in the end.
What standing does the Tianyang Sect have, daring to be even bolder than my Bright Moon Sect?
He did not doubt that they could recruit two thousand people. He had seen the news blanketing the sky and earth too.
But what he did not understand was, how could it be so fast?
All filled in one day?
The power of newspapers was terrifying indeed!
And were they recruiting those two thousand people without even selecting them?
With regret and the Seven Stars Pill, Di Yunjie spurred his horse onward toward the Tianyang Sect.