Upon hearing that he had been hired, Alex felt a wave of relief wash over him. The heavy stone that had been pressing on his heart finally lifted.
"Oh, right," Xu Fu said, reaching into his storage pouch. "Here are the first three levels of the Longevity Art, along with two Spirit Stones as an advance. Cultivate your spiritual power as soon as possible. You'll start serving guests once you've successfully cultivated some spiritual power." He handed Alex a thin booklet and two glowing Spirit Stones.
Alex accepted them with both hands, his heart pounding with excitement. Was he finally going to start cultivating immortality?
Xu Fu paid no further attention to how much Alex had understood. He simply called over Wang Qi and instructed him to take Alex to the staff dormitory in the back courtyard.
"If you have any questions, just ask Wang Qi," Xu Fu said. He then leaned in and murmured a few quiet words to Wang Qi before turning and walking away.
After Xu Fu left, Wang Qi led Alex to the dormitory without much expression. He pointed out which bed belonged to Alex and then brought him to fetch basic necessities: a set of bedding, a bowl, chopsticks, and other daily items.
Alex understood the situation perfectly well. With his current lack of spiritual power, he couldn't possibly serve guests. If he did, it would only embarrass Wangxian Tower and damage its reputation. One of the main reasons this inn had become so renowned was precisely because all its attendants were cultivators. Having cultivators serve cultivators was a unique selling point that drew many proud practitioners through the doors. After all, most cultivators considered themselves above such work; only those with no hope left in their own cultivation would willingly take on the role.
Once he had finished settling in, Alex took one of his Spirit Stones and headed to a nearby pawnshop. After some haggling, he successfully exchanged it for ninety taels of silver and several strings of copper coins. Feeling the reassuring weight of the silver in his hand, Alex experienced a surge of confidence he hadn't felt since arriving in this world.
On his way back, he deliberately stopped by Zhang Ergou's wonton stall and ordered three bowls in one go. Watching Zhang Ergou's face shift from surprise to a fawning smile, Alex couldn't help but grin with satisfaction.
"How could I blame you?" he said lightly, a trace of teasing in his voice.
Zhang Ergou immediately bowed his head repeatedly. "This humble one was blind and offended your excellency. Please forgive me!"
Seeing the stall owner's fearful and apologetic demeanor, Alex felt a deep sense of vindication. The humiliation he had suffered earlier had finally been repaid.
Alex paid, packed up an extra portion of wontons, and carried them back to Wangxian Tower to share with Wang Qi.
After enjoying the free meal, Wang Qi's attitude toward Alex warmed noticeably. He answered every question Alex asked with patience and openness.
Through their conversation, Alex learned that Wang Qi possessed Four Spiritual Roots and had already reached the third level of Qi Refining. Surprisingly, the reason he worked at Wangxian Tower wasn't to gather cultivation resources for himself, but to earn money to support his younger brother's cultivation. His younger brother, it turned out, had much better aptitude.
Alex couldn't help but sigh inwardly. What kind of world was this?
He also discovered that Wang Qi earned three Spirit Stones a month, while he himself was only receiving one. Was this the so-called "face" of capitalism?
Curious, Alex asked, "But why give all your money to your younger brother? Don't you need resources to cultivate as well?"
Wang Qi gave a helpless smile. "I've been cultivating for six years and I'm still stuck at the third level of Qi Refining. The jump from the third to the fourth level is an insurmountable barrier for someone with my aptitude. Breaking through would be harder than ascending to the heavens. Rather than waste resources on myself with little hope of progress, it's better to give everything to my younger brother. He has Three Spiritual Roots, a true genius. If he succeeds, he might one day reach Foundation Establishment and bring honor to our family, perhaps even joining one of the Three Great Families."
Alex nodded slowly, beginning to understand. Then he asked, "So what exactly are spiritual roots?"
Wang Qi patiently explained: "Spiritual roots are divided into several grades. The rarest and best is the Single Spiritual Root, also called Heavenly Spiritual Root. Those who possess it cultivate extremely quickly. Next comes Dual Spiritual Root, which is also very scarce. Three Spiritual Roots are known as True Spiritual Roots, still rare, roughly one in ten thousand people. Four and Five Spiritual Roots fall under the category of mixed spiritual roots, sometimes called Pseudo Spiritual Roots. They allow cultivation, but progress is painfully slow."
Wang Qi continued: "For those with Four or Five Spiritual Roots, every breakthrough is incredibly difficult. Without extraordinary luck or massive financial support, reaching the peak of Qi Refining is nearly impossible, let alone Foundation Establishment. Three Spiritual Roots still offer some hope for Foundation Establishment, though entering a major sect usually requires passing their selection trials. Dual Spiritual Roots are even better, most major sects will accept them directly. And a Heavenly Spiritual Root? That's a genius every sect fights over. Such talents are so rare that an entire sect might only have one."
Alex thought back to the Heavenly Spiritual Root he had once glimpsed in his own testing and felt a pang of regret so sharp he almost wanted to slap himself.
Wang Qi looked at him with a mixture of pity and resignation. "For Pseudo Spiritual Roots like yours, the path is hard, extremely hard. I'd advise you to marry early and have children soon. Perhaps your descendants will produce someone with better aptitude."
Alex felt a bitter taste in his mouth at the blunt advice, but then he shrugged inwardly. Since he had already decided to lie flat and live comfortably anyway, he might as well leave the hard cultivation struggle to the next generation.
"Brother Wang," he said with a sheepish smile, "do you know if there are any female cultivators with decent aptitude in the market? After all, your younger brother will want to start a family too, right?"
Wang Qi paused, then burst out laughing as he understood Alex's meaning. "You little rascal! So that's what you're really thinking about. There are female cultivators in the market, sure, but those with good aptitude are few and far between. Most of them are quite proud and might not even glance your way."
Alex scratched his head. "Hehe, I was just asking. If there happens to be someone suitable, that would be ideal, of course."