166: Chapter 166 Zhao Family Rules

Jiang Xuechan's eyes widened: "Second layer of Qi Refining?! How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"Nineteen years old and at the second layer of Qi Refining?!" Jiang Xuechan's voice rose an octave, and she turned to look at Liu Ya. "Sister Liu, did you hear that? Second layer of Qi Refining! I'm only at the fifth layer of Aperture Opening!"

A flash of surprise also crossed Liu Ya's eyes. She looked up at you, then immediately lowered her gaze again.

You smiled, not explaining too much, only saying: "I had some foundation in martial arts before, so my Cultivation was a bit faster."

The three of you chatted for a while longer until the sky gradually darkened.

You stood up, saying you were going to tidy up your room, and the two of them went their separate ways.

You pushed open the door to the east room. The furnishings inside were simple: a wooden bed, a table and chairs, a wardrobe, and a ceramic washbasin stand in the corner. The bed was clean, the bedding neatly folded. Though it wasn't high-quality material, it at least looked neat and tidy.

You took the items out of your Storage Pouch to organize them, then sat on the edge of the bed, closed your eyes, and circulated the "Burning Heaven True Art" once.

The speed at which Spiritual Qi entered your body was significantly faster than it had been at Qingyue Market.

Zhao Chengtuo hadn't lied. In the Zhao Clan, even the Spiritual Qi concentration in the Guest Elder area was about thirty percent higher than in the market. This was one of the reasons why high-grade Spiritual Veins were important in the Cultivation World.

After dark, the courtyard gate was knocked on three times.

By the time you walked out of the room, Jiang Xuechan had already run to open the door.

Standing outside the door was a Mortal servant of the Zhao Clan, pushing a small wooden cart with a food box on it.

Jiang Xuechan opened the food box. Inside were three bowls of white rice, two plates of meat dishes—one of braised pork slices, one of braised chicken chunks—along with a dish of stir-fried seasonal vegetables and a small bowl of soup.

"Wow, not bad!" Jiang Xuechan's eyes lit up.

Liu Ya had also come out at some point and was standing at the door of her room, her gaze fixed on the food on the table.

You noticed her throat move.

"Come over and sit," you said with a smile, beckoning them.

The three of you sat around the stone table and served your own rice. Jiang Xuechan didn't stand on ceremony; she picked up a large chopstick-full of chicken chunks and stuffed them into her mouth, making satisfied sounds as she chewed.

Liu Ya picked up her chopsticks, hesitated, and then picked up a mouthful of vegetables to put in her bowl.

Then more vegetables.

And still more vegetables.

She ate very slowly, chewing each bite carefully, as if she were calculating something.

You didn't speak, just naturally reached out with your chopsticks and placed a few pieces of braised pork into her bowl.

Liu Ya's chopsticks paused.

"Eat more," you said in a casual tone. "Cultivating consumes Qi and blood; just eating vegetables won't do."

Liu Ya kept her head lowered, and it was a long while before she said, "Thank you, Sister Lin."

Her voice was muffled.

Beside her, Jiang Xuechan nodded vigorously. "Right, right, right! Sister Liu, you're too thin; you need to build yourself up! Come, come, eat some chicken chunks too!" As she said this, she also placed two pieces into her bowl.

A small mountain soon piled up in Liu Ya's bowl.

She pursed her lips, didn't refuse again, lowered her head, and began to eat mouthful by mouthful, her speed unconsciously increasing.

You watched her without saying anything.

You were all too familiar with that restraint and unease children from poor backgrounds showed when facing food.

The next day at the third quarter of the Mao hour, you were awakened by the sound of a gong outside the courtyard.

"Assemble! All Guest Elders, assemble at the square!"

You had already risen and finished washing up, waiting in the courtyard. Jiang Xuechan rubbed her eyes as she crawled out of the west room, muttering, "Why so early?" Liu Ya, however, was already dressed neatly and standing at the door.

The three of you left the courtyard gate and merged into a crowd of people flowing northward.

You scanned the area.

There were far more people than the fifty-three from the flying boat yesterday. Quite a few people were already standing in the square. Some faces you hadn't seen before; judging by their clothing and demeanor, they were likely Guest Elders who had arrived earlier than you.

You did a rough count; including you all, there were about one hundred and thirty people.

You stood in a position slightly behind the center of the crowd, but quite a few gazes still stuck to you from all directions—some curious, some stunned by your appearance, and some carrying a vague sense of appraisal.

A few Zhao Clan disciples were scattered along the roadside, leaning against pillars or squatting by flower beds, as if they had come specifically to "observe the newcomers." You noticed two or three male Zhao Clan cultivators scanning you repeatedly, whispering to each other. One of them was pushed by a companion and almost stumbled.

You withdrew your gaze, your expression as calm as water.

Having spent so many years in the Cultivation World—oh wait, having spent so many years in the simulation—she had long since become immune to such scenes.

After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, footsteps sounded on the stone steps directly in front of the square.

A tall, middle-aged woman walked up.

She looked to be in her forties, wearing a dark blue Zhao Clan standard robe. Her features were regular but not soft, and as her long, slender phoenix eyes swept across the crowd, she carried an aura of stern authority.

She walked to the front of the platform, stood still, placed her hands behind her back, and slowly swept her gaze over the entire assembly.

The noise in the square vanished within three breaths.

"My name is Zhao Chengfang."

"I am the Master of the Internal Affairs Hall of the Qingyang Zhao Clan. From today on, I am responsible for your training."

She paused for a moment, as if waiting for people to digest this information.

"Everyone here, starting today, is a Guest Elder of my Qingyang Zhao Clan. Since you eat the Zhao Clan's food, you must follow the Zhao Clan's rules." Zhao Chengfang's tone was emotionless, as if stating a fact.

"There aren't many rules, but every one of them is an iron law. If you break them, you leave. In serious cases... you bear the consequences."

As soon as these four words were spoken, some people below the platform unconsciously shrank their necks.

"First rule." Zhao Chengfang held up a finger. "Within the Zhao Clan territory, private fights between Guest Elders are prohibited. If there is a conflict, go to the Law Enforcement Hall. Those who take matters into their own hands will each have fifty contribution points deducted. If you don't have enough contribution points to deduct, you will be confined for one month."

"Second rule: when Guest Elders go out, whether to take on missions or for personal matters, you must report to the Internal Affairs Hall and receive approval. Those who leave the clan territory without authorization will be considered defectors, and you will bear the consequences."

Zhao Chengfang swept her gaze across the crowd, deliberately emphasizing the words "bear the consequences."

Your heart stirred slightly.

This rule effectively tethered all Guest Elders within the Zhao Clan's territory. You could leave if you wanted, but it required approval. In other words, the Zhao Clan wouldn't let you easily walk away with what you had learned here.

"Third rule: any Cultivation Technique, secret technique, or intelligence obtained within the clan territory must not be disseminated without permission. Once verified, you will be expelled from the Zhao Clan."

"Fourth rule: Guest Elders must not actively offend direct descendants of the Zhao Clan. Those who clash verbally will have contribution points deducted; those who resort to physical action will be dealt with according to the first rule, but with doubled penalties."

Beside you, Jiang Xuechan let out a breath and said in a hushed voice, "Doesn't this mean... if the Zhao Clan people hit us, it's fine, but if we hit back, we're doomed?"

You didn't speak. That was just how it was. To put it bluntly, Family Guest Elders were just outsourced labor; the capital side always had more layers of protection than the labor side. That was the same everywhere.

Zhao Chengfang continued to explain a few more detailed rules.

After finishing everything, Zhao Chengfang's tone softened slightly.