23: aristocratic families, social ranks, and power

The older-looking one among the three, Liu Qiancheng, spoke with a light chuckle.

"Since the Lord Town Chief took office, our Liu Family has not yet visited the Town Chief's Mansion. I hope our arrival today is not too late."

Tang Cheng glanced at them sideways. "This Town Chief has important matters today and has no time to entertain you all."

With a wave of his hand, he prepared to leave the training field.

However, after just two steps, five Source Beasts appeared behind the three Liu Family members. Spiritual Qi radiance swirled around their bodies, a characteristic exclusive to the Spirit Rank, announcing to Tang Cheng that they were no weaker than his own Rank.

Even if he still had one Spirit Rank Source Beast he hadn't summoned, at two against five, Tang Cheng knew he had no chance of winning.

His face went cold as he turned back toward the mansion. "Everyone, please."

Was this what the Family Clan Chief wanted him to experience? Tang Cheng seemed to gain some understanding.

...

In the morning, just as Chu Shengfan finished breakfast and was about to head to the Town Chief's Mansion...

Sun Chunchen appeared at the door and blocked his path. "The town is not peaceful today; take a day off."

Looking at the gentle smile on the old man's face, Chu Shengfan felt a bit puzzled. "But I haven't asked for leave. I should go and request it."

Sun Chunchen stepped forward and pressed Chu Shengfan back into his seat, while sitting down on the other side himself. "The people at the Town Chief's Mansion can barely protect themselves now. No one will care if a small fry like you shows up or not."

Chu Shengfan stared at the old man, who seemed to know a lot of inside information, and asked tentatively, "Grandpa Sun, what exactly is happening in town? Do you know something?"

"Want to know?" Sun Chunchen tapped Chu Shengfan on the head. "Curiosity comes with a price. What are you prepared to trade for it?"

Chu Shengfan was a bit dazed. "What do you want?"

Sun Chunchen looked Chu Shengfan up and down. "You don't have much meat on your bones, and you don't look like you have any treasures. Go work for me."

It was merely a matter of putting in some physical effort. Chu Shengfan quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He was truly afraid Sun Chunchen would make some excessive demand, so he nodded eagerly.

"Alright."

A Maidservant nearby cleared the bowls and chopsticks from the table, leaving only Sun Chunchen and Chu Shengfan in the room.

"Do you know the Realm divisions of our contracted Source Beasts?"

"Mortal, Uncommon, Spirit, and Domain—the four Realms."

"And the Noble Family divisions?"

"Unranked, Ninth-Rank Humble Family, Eighth-Grade Magnate Family, and Seventh-Rank can be called Notable and Prestigious Families."

"Correct. A Family with one Mortal Rank Contract Master can call themselves an Unranked Family, but this is only a common convention and is not registered by the Dynasty.

With at least one Different-rank Contract Master and several Mortal Rank Contract Masters, one can petition the Dynasty to be promoted to a Ninth-Rank Humble Family.

If there are at least two Spirit Rank Contract Masters and over ten of Uncommon Rank or Mortal Rank combined, they can become an Eighth-Grade Magnate Family.

As for the Seventh-Rank Notable and Prestigious Families, they only need one Domain Realm Contract Master presiding over the Family. Regardless of how many Contract Masters of other Realms there are, they are all honored as Notable and Prestigious Families. What do you notice from this?"

"Ninth-Rank corresponds to Uncommon Rank, Eighth-Grade corresponds to Spirit Rank, and Seventh-Rank corresponds to Domain Realm. The grading of a Family's Rank is related to the highest Realm of its members."

Sun Chunchen nodded slightly. "Broadly correct. But do you know what privileges these different Ranks of families have?"

Hearing this question, Chu Shengfan bit his lip and said, "I'm not quite sure."

Rarely seeing such an expression on Chu Shengfan's face, Sun Chunchen's mood became a bit more cheerful.

"Unranked families are not registered by the Dynasty and have no difference in treatment from ordinary commoners.

A Ninth-Rank Humble Family enjoys certain tax reductions and has the authority to establish various industries. Without a member of a Noble Family as a guarantor, commoners don't even have the qualification to open a shop.

Only those from an Eighth-Grade Magnate Family have the right to leave their place of household registration and travel throughout the Dynasty.

A Seventh-Rank Notable and Prestigious Family can have their own exclusive Family fiefdom. Their Family members do not need to kneel when meeting royalty, and the Family's children can enter the Dynasty Academy to study."

Amazement flashed in Chu Shengfan's eyes. Only now did he understand that families of different levels possessed different rights, tiered and clearly stratified.

"But what does this have to do with the changes happening in town today and me not being able to go to work?"

Sun Chunchen smiled. "Children are always so impatient. In this town, only the Liu Family is an Eighth-Grade Magnate Family, and they have no fewer than ten Spirit Rank Contract Masters in their clan.

After staying at the eighth grade for so long, they naturally want to take a step further. Today is their Family's Great Sacrifice Day. If you were to offend the current Liu Family, I'm afraid you wouldn't even know how you died."

Having heard that the Liu Family was skilled at controlling ice-type Source Beasts, Chu Shengfan's eyes widened. "This eerie wind and snow?"

Sun Chunchen raised his index finger to stop Chu Shengfan's next words and then nodded slightly.

"However, no matter how they make a fuss, it won't affect my place. Just stay here peacefully."

Standing up, Sun Chunchen seemed to remember something and looked back at Chu Shengfan. "Didn't you promise to work for me?"

Chu Shengfan nodded silently. Sun Chunchen beckoned him. "Follow me."

After bypassing several courtyards, Chu Shengfan was led to the medicine preparation room.

Sun Chunchen pointed to a basket of jade stones on the table that emitted a faint glow. Chu Shengfan recognized this kind of Ore: Bright Jade Stone.

"Your task today is to grind this basket of Bright Jade Stones into powder for me."

Chu Shengfan looked around but couldn't find any grinding tools, so he asked curiously, "What tools should I use?"

"Tools? Aren't you carrying them yourself?"

Hearing Sun Chunchen's words, the confusion on Chu Shengfan's face deepened. He looked himself over carefully and then looked at Sun Chunchen with a puzzled gaze.

Sun Chunchen didn't speak. He reached out and took a piece of Bright Jade Stone the size of a baby's fist from the basket. Bits of energy gathered in his hand, as if thousands of silver threads were cutting through the Bright Jade Stone. In just a moment, the stone turned into a clump of white, crystalline powder in his hand.

"You are a Contract Master now. The energy in your body isn't just for nourishing your spirit and body; learn to control it.

This move just now is a very common technique of leaked energy called Cutting Silver Threads. It can be used not only for grinding medicinal ingredients but sometimes even directly for killing enemies.

This kind of technique cannot be learned in ordinary Noble Families. Kid, do you want to learn it?"

Chu Shengfan first nodded subconsciously and then shook his head.

Sun Chunchen was amused by this contradictory behavior. "You're nodding and shaking your head; do you want to learn it or not?"

Chu Shengfan said seriously, "I want to learn, but I cannot."

"Oh? What is the reason for this?"

"I want to learn because it indeed looks powerful and practical.

I cannot learn because my grandfather taught me that one should not receive rewards without merit. If I learn this technique, I should naturally pay a price. But currently, I cannot afford anything equivalent to this technique, so I cannot learn it."

Sun Chunchen put the powder into a porcelain bowl and chuckled. "If you don't learn it, how will you work for me? These bright light stones cannot be ground with ordinary tools; only the energy in a human body can soften them."

He was a child after all, raised in a relatively pure environment, so a very obvious look of conflict appeared on Chu Shengfan's face.

After a moment, Chu Shengfan spoke again, "Grandpa Sun, I am willing to learn, but you can write a contract. I promise to exchange it for something of equivalent value in the future."

This minor technique was nothing to Sun Chunchen. He waved his hand. "No need for a contract. It's enough that you have this intention. Learn it quickly; this old man still needs to go rest."

Seeing that the fatigue on Sun Chunchen's face didn't seem fake, Chu Shengfan could only swallow his words and listen carefully to Sun Chunchen's explanation of the technique.

Finally, Sun Chunchen even controlled the energy to enter and exit his palm several times, allowing Chu Shengfan to experience the sensation of leaking energy.

Chu Shengfan's talent was good. He quickly mastered the method of leaking energy and picked up a bright light stone from the basket to practice.

However, while Sun Chunchen could cut the bright light stone into powder, he could only cut it into finger-sized chunks.

Although Chu Shengfan felt his performance was not ideal, Sun Chunchen nodded with satisfaction. "Well done. With more practice, you'll soon be able to grind it directly into dust.

Practice by yourself. I'm going to rest."

"Alright, Grandpa Sun, please rest well."

"Good boy. Rest when your energy is exhausted; there's no need to finish everything today."

"Okay, Grandpa Sun, I understand."

In the room, Chu Shengfan silently immersed himself in the state of practice.

The outside world, however, had taken on a different appearance.

Sun Chunchen was now suspended in the air above the entire Medicine Heart Hall. A pure white bird with extremely long tail feathers, nearly one and a half meters in size excluding the tail, circled around him.

The bird's wings spread, and countless feathers erupted from its body, forming a thin canopy that shielded Medicine Heart Hall from the outside wind and snow.

Sun Chunchen looked toward the Liu Family's direction, his expression somewhat somber and uncertain.

"To carry out an Ascension Ceremony so brazenly... they truly lack the grace of a Noble Family."

Except for the Town Chief's Mansion and the Medicine Heart Hall where Sun Chunchen was, the rest of Heyu Town was covered in snow as thick as goose feathers.

Standing in the snow, one couldn't see clearly even two meters away.

At the location of the Liu Family, where the dark clouds gathered, a pillar of light reached up to the heavens.

A graceful figure seemed to be dancing beautifully within it. The surrounding snowflakes condensed into a light gauze on her body, forming feathered wings and transforming into velvet flowers.