18: Chapter 18 Affairs Hall

After packing up the Talismans he had refined during this period, Ye Yisong left his small courtyard and headed towards the Affairs Hall.

The Affairs Hall was built on the waist of the Lesser Green Bamboo Peak. Looking out, the Lesser Green Peak was covered in green bamboo, most of which were Rank 2 or Rank 3 Spiritual Bamboo, and among them were even seven Rank 4 Treasure Bamboo that had grown for a thousand years.

The Family had spent three hundred thousand Spirit Stones to hire Guo Baolin, a Rank 4 Formation Master from Great Wei, to carve Formations onto those seven Treasure Bamboo, forming a Rank 4 Seven-Star Big Dipper Formation. Combined with the numerous Rank 2 and Rank 3 Spiritual Bamboo, it integrated offense and defense, possessing infinite power.

Ye Yisong walked quickly along the mountain path towards the Affairs Hall, encountering many Family disciples on the way who were also heading there to submit tasks.

Among these Family disciples, there was a particularly large number of collateral branch disciples. Many of their ancestors had once been glorious, and their families had produced Martial Ancestor powerhouses.

However, by their generation, the Martial Ancestor Old Ancestor had already passed away.

Or had sacrificed themselves in battle for the Family.

If an Old Ancestor had sacrificed themselves for the Family, the Family would directly issue a condolence payment of five hundred thousand Spirit Stones to the head of that branch, who would then distribute it.

If an Old Ancestor had passed away naturally, the Family would also subsidize two hundred thousand Spirit Stones to the head of that branch, who would then distribute it.

The distinction between direct and collateral branches was actually very easy to confirm; it just depended on whether one's own ancestors had included a Martial Ancestor powerhouse. If they had, it was a direct branch; if not, it was a collateral branch.

Of course, even if an Old Ancestor passed away or sacrificed themselves, in order to not let the clansmen feel disheartened, the three direct generations descending from that Old Ancestor would still enjoy the treatment of the direct branch.

In that battle decades ago, the Ye Family lost three Martial Ancestors, and Ye Yitian's grandfather was one of those who sacrificed themselves.

According to the Family rules, Ye Yitian still enjoyed the treatment of the direct branch, and this would also include his future sons and daughters. By the time it reached Ye Yitian's grandchildren's generation, they would no longer enjoy the direct branch treatment.

Why the Ye Family insisted on distinguishing between direct and collateral branches was something discovered and deduced through the practice of several generations. Resources were often held in the hands of the strong, and since everyone had selfish motives, no matter how things were distributed, it would always make people feel it was unfair.

It was simply better to bring the distribution out into the open, where everyone had rules to follow. If one wanted their descendants to receive more, then they should strive to reach the Martial Ancestor Breakthrough; naturally, they would receive more.

As for the side branches, they were mainly the children of some Guest Elders and some outsiders who had married into the Ye Family.

The Affairs Hall had its own mature distribution plan, which was very simple and clear: Rank 1 disciples received an annual salary of 100 Spirit Stones, Rank 2 disciples received 1,000 Spirit Stones, Rank 3 disciples received 10,000 Spirit Stones, and Rank 4 Elders received 100,000 Spirit Stones annually. As for Rank 5 Old Ancestors... they could take whatever they wanted!

Spirit Stones could be withdrawn annually or monthly, depending on one's own Cultivate needs.

In order to encourage clansmen to study various craft techniques, the Family also stipulated that if one mastered a corresponding craft technique, their salary would be doubled according to their Rank.

Direct branches withdrew salaries according to this standard, collateral branches received half, and side branches received half of that.

Ye Yisong was currently a 6-star Martial Warrior and a Rank 2 Talisman Maker. Before turning 15, he could stay in the Family without doing anything and receive 2,000 Spirit Stones annually.

However, once the Family had a conscription task, he basically could not refuse, unless there were special circumstances.

Just as Ye Yisong climbed to the top of Lesser Green Bamboo Peak, the five-story tower of the Affairs Hall came into view.

The pagoda had five stories in total, corresponding to Rank 1 through Rank 5 tasks, respectively.

Ye Yisong went straight to the second floor and saw a Deacon sitting at each of the five windows. He went to Window No. 3, which had the fewest people, and after waiting for ten minutes, it was Ye Yisong's turn.

As a new youth who had grown up in the new era, although Ye Yisong had the backing of several powerful figures, he was usually very low-key within the Family.

"Thirteenth Young Master, what business do you need to attend to?" the tall and thin Black-robed Deacon asked while looking at Ye Yisong.

"Deacon, do you know me?" Ye Yisong asked in surprise. He didn't pay too much attention to the form of address. At first, he hadn't been used to clansmen calling him that, preferring to be called by his name, but after more people started calling him that, he just let them be.

Over the past ten years, Ye Yisong had done nothing but Cultivate. Usually, apart from those three idiots, he basically had no social life. He hadn't expected that on his first time coming to the second floor, someone would actually know him.

"Look at what you're saying! As the youngest Rank 2 Talisman Maker in the whole Family, how could I not know you? Your portrait is the best-selling work in the Family recently; a single copy has sold for ten Spirit Stones," the Black-robed Deacon said with a smile.

Seeing Ye Yisong's confused expression, the Black-robed Deacon explained: "The Seventh Elder has already sent a flying Talisman message to the Affairs Hall, explaining that you have achieved a Breakthrough to become a Rank 2 Talisman Maker. By now, the whole Family probably knows your name."

Hearing this, Ye Yisong couldn't help but feel extremely dangerous, thinking to himself: 'Isn't the old man setting me up? It seems I will have to continue to go into seclusion for a while to let this wave of trouble pass completely. Having too much fame is not a good thing.'

"I have achieved a Breakthrough to Rank 2 Martial Warrior, so I came to the Affairs Hall to register, and by the way, collect this year's salary," Ye Yisong continued, ignoring the matter of clansmen selling his portrait. "I also have a batch of Rank 2 Talismans here; please help me exchange them all for Spirit Stones."

"Thirteenth Young Master, please place your hand on the Rank 2 crystal ball and put the Talismans you want to exchange on the tray on the left," the Black-robed Deacon said enthusiastically.

Seeing Ye Yisong take out a pile of Rank 2 Talismans, how could the Black-robed Deacon not be enthusiastic?

For every transaction completed, the Deacon sitting at the counter could collect a 1% commission.

This was a lucrative position, completely without danger, and one could earn Spirit Stones just by sitting in the Family.

Without some solid strength, one could not hold this position securely.

Ye Yisong placed his hand on the crystal ball and circulated a little Spiritual Qi; the crystal ball burst out with dazzling white light, indicating that Ye Yisong's strength had reached Rank 2 Martial Warrior. As for how many stars, the crystal ball could not measure.

Seeing the dazzling white light, the Black-robed Deacon handed the prepared yellow token, engraved with two leaves, to Ye Yisong. Ye Yisong flipped through it briefly, confirmed it was correct, and put it into his Storage Pouch.

The two leaves represented that the owner of the token had reached Rank 2 strength, and the yellow color represented a direct branch disciple of the Family.

Seeing Ye Yisong put away the token, a look of envy flashed in the depths of the Black-robed Deacon's eyes; this was his goal that he had strived for his whole life.

"Thirteenth Young Master, there are 20 Low Grade Rank 2 Talismans here, and ten Medium Grade, totaling 5,000 Spirit Stones. If you confirm it is correct, please sign here with Spiritual Qi," the Black-robed Deacon said while counting.

Ye Yisong nodded and signed his name on the ledger with Spiritual Qi. Once signed, it could not be changed, indicating that the transaction was complete.

Then, the Black-robed Deacon took out 2,000 Spirit Stones from the storage box, placed them on the transaction counter, and continued: "Thirteenth Young Master, this is your salary for this year; please count it."

Ye Yisong glanced at the small mountain of 7,000 Spirit Stones, secretly praising the ingenuity of the Great Wei Spirit Stone designer for gathering Spiritual Qi into a small, button-sized piece of Ore, which was convenient and simple.

"Yo, yo, yo, Thirteenth Brother, you've made a fortune, haven't you?" a sour, strange cry suddenly came from behind him.