Chapter 45: Within the Cycle of Reincarnation

Within the temple suspended in the void, Qin Chengming and his companions’ bodies continued to drift above the swirling vortex. Among them, three were slowly losing the breath of life. Once they had fully expired, a reclining Buddha statue not far away silently opened its left eye. That eye held neither compassion nor agitation; as if the three departed lives were nothing more than insignificant dust.

After a while, the three lifeless bodies vanished from the hall. At the same time, their corpses appeared soundlessly at the entrance to the Qinghe Island secret realm, startling several people who had been about to venture inside and causing them to abandon their plans.

A few moments later, another three bodies were transported into the hall from some unknown place. Once the transmission ended, the reclining Buddha’s opened eye slowly closed again.

The next morning, Qin Chengming was awakened by birdsong. It had been so long since he’d slept like an ordinary mortal; previously, his days had been consumed by cultivation or the pursuit of resources, even his rest was never entirely peaceful.

He walked over and pushed open the window. A breeze carrying the fragrance of flowers drifted in. Qin Chengming couldn’t help but stretch, pulling his joints until they crackled, finally feeling fully awake.

“Hehe, the young man who arrived yesterday is such a lazybones! Lingling has been up for ages, yet he’s only just getting out of bed—how embarrassing!”

Two little children, dressed in matching pink outfits, emerged from the flowerbed beneath his window. One of the girls drew her hand across her face playfully.

The other child, though also dressed in pink, appeared to be a boy. He tugged the girl’s hand away, saying with resignation, “Lingling, you mustn’t be so rude! If Daddy finds out, you’ll be punished again!”

Qin Chengming, in high spirits, leaned on the windowsill and smiled at them. “What are your names? Who is your father? Why are you here so early? Did you come to play with me?”

The boy, seeing Lingling about to speak, quickly covered her mouth and answered loudly, “We’re just passing by. Who knew you’d still be sleeping at this hour? We didn’t mean to disturb you. Shall we leave so you can go back to sleep?” He tried to drag Lingling away.

Qin Chengming sensed his anxiety and didn’t speak further, simply watching them quietly.

What gestures they exchanged, he couldn’t tell; but Lingling, her mouth covered, finally agreed to cooperate and walk away with the boy.

As they neared the courtyard gate—likely thinking they were far enough for him not to hear—the boy spoke, “Daddy told us not to disturb the house guests, otherwise we’d get our bottoms smacked.”

Lingling asked, puzzled, “Why would a guest stay inside? Isn’t this only for family? You don’t know him; how do you know he’s a guest?”

The boy replied assertively, “How could he not be a guest? He doesn’t know us, or Daddy. How could a family member not know Daddy? If he lives here but doesn’t know Daddy, that means he must be a guest!”

Lingling grew confused, “You’re saying all sorts of knowing and not knowing, I don’t really understand, but it sounds reasonable! Let’s hurry, we’ve disturbed the guest, and Daddy might spank you.”

With that, she pulled the boy away, running outside. In the distance, the boy’s retort could still be faintly heard, “Why would Daddy spank me? You’re the one who dragged me over! Are you trying to pin the blame on me again? Lingling, you’re the older sister—how can you do such things?”

“Oh, we were born on the same day, so what’s the point of calling each other sister or brother? I am…”

The rest of her words faded as they ran out of earshot.

Qin Chengming smiled and walked into the courtyard, stretching his limbs. Someone soon arrived with water to help him wash up. The servants now attending him were temporarily assigned from other estates; his own dedicated staff wouldn’t arrive until the afternoon. His uncle said he should choose them himself, so they’d suit his preferences.

But what standard should he use? Should he select those he liked, those who were capable, or simply those who seemed loyal…?

He felt a touch of excitement. Never before had he been able to choose the people around him; this would be his first personally selected group. If he wasn’t satisfied, he could always replace them later. Perhaps he would just pick those he liked.

Time passed quickly; barely had his breakfast settled when Liu Gui arrived with a large group.

Without waiting for an invitation, Liu Gui bowed and introduced them, “Young master, these are the more outstanding house servants, chosen for their skills. The first row specializes in management and coordination; their basic skills are the best among this batch.

The second row are earth-level martial artists. If you’re operating near the estate, they’re more than sufficient; but for distant missions, you’ll need to choose from the guard corps, where the minimum is sky-level.

Those at the back are younger, but have high potential and have mastered all basic skills. If young master takes a liking to any, you may sign them for personal training or have the family cultivate them for you, though the latter will deduct part of your monthly stipend.

Those who handle cleaning, serving, and heavy labor are waiting outside; too many to bring in. They’re less important and can be chosen last, or you may let your steward select them after you’ve made your choice.”

Qin Chengming, hearing the introductions, quickly asked, “Uncle Liu, let’s skip the rest for now. I want to know—how much is my monthly stipend? There are stewards, guards, assistants, and laborers—are you sure I can afford so many? Besides, I’m so young, no one’s taught me how to manage people. What if they don’t listen to me?”

Liu Gui laughed, “Rest assured, young master. The family provides ten dependents for each young lord—two stewards, four guards, and four assistants. The laborers are standard staff for each courtyard, just working here, not considered your personal subordinates.

If your own staff exceeds ten, you’ll need to pay for the extras yourself. The family covers their monthly stipend, but any extra support must be paid for.

Once you’ve selected your staff, they’ll sign a master-servant contract, ensuring absolute loyalty to you.

All those brought here have passed the family’s skill assessments; once you’ve chosen a steward, you can delegate tasks without worrying about management. If you’re still uneasy, you can take management courses at the family academy.

As for specialized training—like alchemy, forging, talisman making, and so on—these require extra resources, so the cost is shared between you and the family.”

Qin Chengming was stunned. The Qin family didn’t seem particularly wealthy, yet they provided ten staff members for each young lord—not even counting laborers.

He recalled his past: his family had once been among the top in the Great World. In terms of wealth, the current Qin family wasn’t even equal to a random branch of his old house.

But how had he lived before? Aside from a mother who wanted him dead, he hadn’t even had a personal attendant. When he was young, he’d been given some resources, but as he grew, he had to rely entirely on himself—living worse than the orphans whose parents had died early.

Qin Chengming couldn’t help but ask, “Does the family provide anything else?”

Liu Gui paused, then asked, “Did I mention your monthly allowance?”

Qin Chengming replied, “You did! I recruit ten people, and the family pays all their stipends—including laborers.”

Liu Gui waved his hand, “That’s only part of it. There’s also a monthly allowance, which isn’t fixed; you start at level one. If you want to upgrade, you can take family tasks or make contributions to earn contribution points. Once you reach a certain threshold, your rank increases—the more you contribute, the better your treatment.

After you’re settled, you can visit the family archives to learn the details. For today, focus on choosing your staff—once selected, you can delegate the daily chores.

In two days, young master will report to the academy. You should consider which direction you want to pursue, so you’re prepared when selecting courses.”

Qin Chengming looked up in confusion, “Academy? I already know all the words—what’s the point of going?”

Liu Gui, who had spent last night investigating the Jiang family, knew well that they had neglected Qin Chengming—aside from teaching him to read, they’d taught him nothing and left him marginalized. Were it not for appearances, they likely wouldn’t have even given him a spot at the Xun Yin Gate recruitment.

To spare Qin Chengming’s pride, Liu Gui avoided mentioning the Jiang family, saying instead, “The Qin family creed is: everyone has a talent, and if it’s discovered, the family gains another prodigy.

So, every Qin family member must uncover at least one thing they’re especially good at, besides cultivation.

The academy teaches not only literacy, but also talismans, alchemy, forging, formations, puppetry, medicine, Dao rhythm, mechanics, music, and more.

Mastering these can provide a secondary profession—whether earning contribution points within the family or selling products externally, it’s a way to ensure you’re never so poor as to lack cultivation resources.

If your talent is something no one in the family knows, they’ll try to find someone outside to teach you—though whether you find such a teacher depends on your fate.”

Qin Chengming was dumbfounded. Was it really this good? Even his fallback paths had been arranged for him.