Chapter 18
Explaining The Rules
This explanation from Shangguan Feng made Yang Chen understand everything in the end. Why Chu Heng had asked for his status to be raised this high, when originally he was filled with malicious thoughts.
Since Yang Chen had already received the status of a third qi layer outer disciple, the people responsible of guiding new disciples in the Ye Xiu manor would not provide any guidance to Yang Chen. He was at the third qi layer but still wanted to learn these unpopular mediocre introductory subjects just to amuse himself?
If Yang Chen had been as ordinary as he was in his previous life, then that would have been the end of the story for him, he would have no means to learn to read and write. As he wouldn’t have any knowledge of letters, then the rare books about cultivation methods would have made no sense to him and he wouldn’t have known about the five phases of Yin and Yang. Wanting to cultivate to immortality like that? Let alone three years, even if he had thirty, he would still have remained a mediocre person and nothing more.
Chu Heng had a definite goal, if Yang Chen was incapable of getting out of this predicament at the Ye Xiu manor, he would be unable to move even one step further on the road to immortal cultivation. In this way, he not only entrusted this task to someone else, but also after Sun Hai Jing’s condition would improve and he was able to cultivate for a few years, he could easily take Yang Chen’s life in an oppressive way.
Even if, at that time, he didn’t want to take Yang Chen’s life, Yang Chen could easily be demoted to a servant. When that happened, naturally he could think of many ways to return his humiliation and instead dishonor Yang Chen. According to an old saying, for a nobleman to take revenge, ten years is not too long, and it would take even more time to cultivate to immortality, hence he still had plenty of time to make Yang Chen repent for a lifetime.
Yang Chen was aware that Ye Xiu manor’s manager Shangguan Feng was an expert at the peak of the qi layer. Since he was quite old, it was extremely unlikely for him step into next realm, therefore he could only assume the responsibility of a manager here. Speaking of the manager, he was the manor’s owner, responsible for guiding the newly recruited disciples of the Pure Yang Palace. As Chu Heng was an inner disciple at the foundation stage, Shangguan Feng would not dare to disobey his instructions.
At that moment Yang Chen recalled, that when he joined the Pure Yang Palace in his previous life, Chu Heng had already been an accomplished disciple whose deeds had spread far. Who could have thought that someone who had barely joined Pure Yang Palace, had already offended a famous inner disciple?
Only, even if Chu Heng was thousands or ten thousand times more famous, it was still not enough, as Yang Chen did absolutely not require this introductory foundation knowledge, even if it was changed to advanced knowledge he still wouldn’t need it. The reason why he insisted on joining the Pure Yang Palace was just to pay his respects under his master again and fulfill his long held wish.
After Shangguan Feng finished saying all of this, Yang Chen’s complexion didn’t even change one bit. He stood up and once again expressed his thanks towards Shangguan Feng, then he walked away to the side of the hall. While passing, he pointed his finger towards a forty year old, healthy servant who was considered to be the oldest and then he immediately left. Shangguan Feng’s eyes followed Yang Chen until he had walked far away. In his heart he secretly felt satisfied, but he merely shook his head slightly, heaved a sigh and did not say anything.
Following after the servant on a long corridor bridge and turning, for around seven to eight times, Yang Chen arrived at his residence. Within the residence two female and one male, for a total of three servants were already waiting and seeing Yang Chen arrive, all of them saluted him to pay their respects.
“My name is Yang Chen, you all can address me any way you want.”
Yang Chen didn’t like them standing on ceremony, all of those servants were disciples who had been previously eliminated. They didn’t seem very old, but everyone one of them was a cultivator, it was only that they were at a lower realm, unable to become a genuine disciple, nothing more. The only thing that he could be sure of, was that they all had methods to stop themselves from aging, as it seemed that their genuine age was far from what it appeared.
The four servants didn’t dare to be careless, one after another saluting again and calling him Young Master Yang. This was a title Yang Chen had already enjoyed in his family manor for half year, yet he did not adapt to it in the least bit, but he was still satisfied with this kind of address.
After settling down and having a meal, Yang Chen lied down in his bedroom, which, compared to his family manor’s lavish bedroom, was still somewhat more extravagant and he closed his eyes to rest. But his spirit awareness had already shrouded the entire residence without alarming anyone.
Those few servants had not started sleeping yet. In a small room on the outside, the servant who led the way, was speaking of the events that had taken place in the hall as the other servants laughed, feeling happy.
“We don’t need to serve this kind of master meticulously, after a few years he will also become one of us.”
Another male servant laughed, speaking out what was on everyone’s mind. Although the other servants did not say anything they nodded silently.
When Yang Chen heard this, his lips curled upwards. Soon after that, not even caring about these people, he properly laid down in bed, as if to sleep, and started to cultivate his Three Purities Secret.
Worthy of being called the Supreme elder’s cultivation technique, it particularly specialized in tempering spirit awareness, even if he was lying down, he was still able to circulate it anywhere, just as before. This way Yang Chen would be able to practice his single technique anytime and anywhere. Even if there were other breathing techniques of highly respected immortal cultivators, he would have to sit and meditate properly to practice them.
Resting that one night without any worries, Yang Chen got up early the next day. Afterwards, on one side Yang Chen enjoyed a delicious breakfast, while on the other side the servant who led the way, was explaining the arrangements in the manor.
The servant’s name was Shen Da, originally his body also possessed a spirit root, but his luck was no good and he reached the required qi layer just two months after three year period, but by then he had already been demoted to a servant, now it had been ten years already. Within these ten years, apart from attending to the duties of a servant, he incessantly cultivated, expecting to break through to the foundation realm and become an inner disciple.
The rules in the Pure Yang Palace were not at all inflexible but only if one succeeded in reaching the foundation realm, could anyone enter the inner courtyard. In fact, not just Shen Da, but all of the servants in the manor had similar thoughts. Apart from serving these newly entered disciples they would also cultivate diligently, in the hope that someday in the future they would be able to become a foundation stage expert and genuinely enter the Pure Yang Palace.
All of this was Shen Da’s own experience, naturally coming from him, all of this sounded completely logical. Yang Chen understood everything completely, but still waited for Shen Da to finish his explanation. After that he ordered Shen Da by waving his hands to show him around.
He walked into a pavilion where a group of disciples was learning to read, and inside, there was a person who appeared to be the master, who was teaching a group of youngsters. On seeing Yang Chen and then looking towards Shen Da, he hurriedly got up and greeted Yang Chen:
“Senior Brother Yang, you have honoured us with your presence, how about giving some guidance to these youngsters? I invite Senior Yang to the seat of honor!”
All of the disciples who were learning to read also stood up. They came to Yang Chen and bowed to him:
“We greet Senior Yang!”
With a bitter smile, Yang Chen waved for them to disperse and continue with their work, as he could only turn around and leave. He had to turn back from several areas in succession, no matter whether they were practicing pharmacy or learning the geography of stars, regardless of what those disciples were studying, when they saw Yang Chen, all of them, including their teachers stood up and personally came towards him, bowing and yelling ‘Senior Brother Yang’, but not one person invited Yang Chen to visit and attend the classes. These people were all following proper etiquettes so as not make Yang Chen angry in any way.
After the whole morning was spent in this way, Yang Chen returned to his residence with Shen Da and lazily sat down on a chair, commanding him:
“Shen Da get lunch for me now!”
“Young Master Yang, lunch is in the kitchen you can get it yourself!”
Shen Da sarcastically laughed while casually replying to him and then turned around to leave.
One look at Yang Chen’s bitter experience this morning at Ye Xiu manor and Shen Da immediately understood Yang Chen’s status, he even predicted Yang Chen’s end, therefore he would naturally not treat Yang Chen as a Young Master anymore.
“Shen Da, do you think that with Chu Heng’s instructions, I will be unable to raise my head in this Ye Xiu manor?”
Yang Chen didn’t seem surprised at Shen Da’s behaviour, looking lazy as before, and raised one of his legs to put it on the armrest of the extremely well crafted chair and sloppily asked.
“Young Master Yang!”
Shen Da turned around to look at Yang Chen with a smile that was not a smile:
“Considering the rules, I will still call you Young Master. Fifteen years ago I was also your age and I also believed that since my body possesses spirit root, my natural talent would surpass regular people, but now look at me, I am merely a servant and nothing more. But I am sure that after these three years you will also be the same as me, but my position will still be better off.”
“How are you sure about this?”
Yang Chen asked, looking as lazy as before.
“Without someone to guide you, Young Master Yang, why do you think you will be able to pass?”
Shen Da sarcastically smiled:
“Are you under the impression that taking advantage of Senior Brother Sun when he was unprepared and mounting a sneak attack to knock him out, you could easily walk into Ye Xiu manor? At best you are a village brat with some brute force, that’s all. After three years, you will just be my underling, do you still dare to make me serve you?”
“Do the other servants also feel the same way?”
Yang Chen still hadn’t asked for the names of the other male and female servants yesterday, so he used something else as replacement.
“That’s right, Young Master Yang!”
The other three servants had appeared at some unknown time from a small room on the side and stood by Shen Da’s side. Another male servant smilingly replied:
“We will only still call you Young Master Yang in order to follow manor’s basic rules.”
“However, Young Master Yang will still have to take care of his own everyday life.”
Immediately, one female servant standing on the side said:
“The sooner you adapt to it, the better it will be for you.”
“Certainly, Young Master Yang can offer us these materials to eat or drink, to refuse these would be disrespectful of us, we can enjoy these pleasures on behalf of Young Master Yang.”
As the last female servant said this, the smiling expression on her face was spreading even more, as if a flower started blooming
“Manager Shangguan has instructed us to provide Young Master Yang with everything as a third qi layer disciple and luckily we are just at the juncture of third qi layer, maybe these things can assist us to break through to the fourth layer.”
All four of them were talking one after another, as if they had already discussed this properly. Not only did they greedily covet Yang Chen’s things, but also wanted to make Yang Chen tend to himself. Thanks to the heavens these people still had some awareness of their responsibilities and didn’t try to make Yang Chen serve them.
“Even though both Chu Heng and Shangguan Feng pretend to uphold the rules, in actuality Chu Heng wants to deal with me, an ordinary mortal, by using the loopholes in the rules.”
Yang Chen’s lazy voice sounded out:
“Are you even more ferocious than Shangguan Feng or Chu Heng? You all act this way, are you not afraid of breaking any rules?”
Listening to these words, the complexion of all of the servants drastically changed, but Yang Chen had still not stopped talking:
“Even Chu Heng and Shangguan Feng both maintain appearances when dealing with me, but you lowlifes don’t even bother to keep up appearances. Just because you were all immersed in bitter cultivation, have your minds all become foolish?”
Yang Chen still didn’t move, but he had made Shen Da and the other three servants drip with sweat, unable to say anything. Yang Chen sneered in his heart and said:
“Do you need me to report this present conversation to Shangguan Feng and let him decide the argument?”
“Young Master Yang, you surely jest.”
Shen Da completely ignored what he himself had said earlier and said:
“We were only randomly speaking and haven’t really asked you to do anything, do the words of a joke also count as an offence according to the rules?”
“According to the rules?”
Yang Chen snorted. His voice suddenly became loud:
“According to rules, even if my lunch is already on my lips, when I ask you to bring it to me, you have to bring it to me, even if you are just going to get it and bring it to the edge of my mouth again! And you speak of rules with me?”
The four third qi layer servants did not even dare to move in front of Yang Chen, who had just recently joined the Pure Yang Palace. Not even daring to raise their heads, they became quiet out of fear. The faces of these four were deathly pale as if someone has sucked out their vitality.
“But I very much like you all for speaking this way to me, telling the truth.”
Seeing the attitude of the four servants Yang Chen lightly nodded:
“At least compared to people who keep on speaking honeyed words to get ahead and those who nominally made me a third qi layer disciple, but in fact forced people to not assist me in becoming stronger.”
Seeing Yang Chen change his tone again, all four servants were somewhat amazed and felt even less determined. Only after glancing at each other a few times were they able to look at Yang Chen again.
“I also appreciate your bluntness.”
Yang Chen said without letting the servants know about his thoughts, but Yang Chen nevertheless understood their way of thinking:
“Now I give you one chance. A chance to win these opportunities you just mentioned.”
“An opportunity?”
Shen Da loudly asked, hastily. If Yang Chen informed Shangguan Feng of their conversation, these four would have to suffer the consequences. Sect rules were sect rules and also applied to these servants. Since Yang Chen allowed them an opportunity, Shen Da would absolutely not miss it.
“You four have to defeat me in battle!”
Yang Chen got up and indicated for those four servants to follow him, while he directly walked into a small courtyard in their residence:
“Whether you fight alone or together, as long as you are able to defeat me, I will act as if the previous incident didn’t occur and you all will also have nothing to worry about. As for those gifts which will be sent to me, they will all be yours without exception.”
“Are you serious?”
Shen Da looked pleased as he hastily asked. If Yang Chen didn’t raise this issue, even if Shangguan Feng became aware of it, he could still not do anything to punish their crimes, moreover this would also allow Senior Brother Sun to vent his anger, so surely Uncle Master Chu would be pleased.
“Certainly!”
Yang Chen’s face revealed a smiling expression:
“What benefits would I gain from cheating you servants?”
Looking at Yang Chen’s serious expression, it absolutely did not appear to be false. Shen Da turned around to glance at the other servants and suddenly a smile appeared on the faces of all four.
“These are your words, even if manager Shangguan becomes aware of this, he can still not blame us for breaking any rule. Isn’t that right, manager?”
“Certainly!”
Shangguan Feng figure had unexpectedly appeared on the top of entrance of Yang Chen’s residence at an unknown time. He gently laughed:
“Just a moment ago I heard Young Master Yang’s words. Since it is Young Master Yang’s demand to compare notes with you all, naturally it will not be considered as breaking of any rules.”
A sinister smile had already spread across Shen Da’s face. He was just about to move when Shangguan Feng interfered:
“Shen Da, Young Master Yang has told all of you to come together, you all have to follow Young Master Yang instructions.”