Three months passed quietly.
It had been six months since the children of the Lu Family chose their techniques. Winter faded, spring crept in, and the training courtyard slowly changed color as leaves returned to the trees.
Lu Haotian was still ten.
His maid was nine now and talked more than ever.
"You swing slower today," she said, sitting on a stone step while chewing a snack. "Are you tired?"
"No," Lu Haotian replied, finishing a sword form before lowering the wooden blade. "Just thinking."
Thinking about time.
Thinking about how slow his body moved forward.
Thinking about silver.
That morning, the Lu Family gathered all disciples below the age of fifteen. It was time for the quarterly clan assessment. Nothing dramatic. No fights. No tests of bravery.
Just one thing.
Qi Condensation layers.
That number decided everything.
They stood in rows inside the outer training hall. Elders sat at the front with ledgers and jade slips. Names were called one by one.
"Lu Wen. Qi Condensation, fourth layer."
A nod. A mark.
"Lu Qian. Fifth layer."
A faint smile.
When Lu Chenfeng stepped forward, the air felt heavier. He stood straight, hands behind his back, calm and confident.
"Lu Chenfeng. Qi Condensation, seventh layer."
Soft murmurs spread instantly.
His sister followed.
"Lu Yanran. Qi Condensation, sixth layer."
More approval.
The elders looked pleased.
Talents were talents.
Then came Lu Haotian's turn.
"Lu Haotian."
He walked forward quietly and placed his hand on the stone plate.
The elder glanced once, then announced calmly, "Qi Condensation, second layer."
Snickering went on around him, quiet at first, then spreading like a ripple. "Hehe…" some whispered, others covering their mouths to hide their amusement. The sound carried just enough to make the Lu Clan elders frown, but no one dared interrupt the test.
Lu Haotian stepped back into line without changing his expression. He had known this already. He trained every day. His body didn't lie to him.
After the assessment came the second part.
Stipends.
Children were called again, one by one, based on their results.
"Fourth layer and above: three Qi Condensation pills per month. Thirty silver."
"Fifth layer and above: four pills. Fifty silver."
Gasps. Excited whispers.
Then the lower ranks.
"Second layer… Qi Condensation pill. Five silver."
Lu Haotian felt his fingers tighten slightly.
Five silver.
Before, he had received ten silver and one pill. It had never been much, but it had barely covered daily meals, soap, and simple supplies.
Now it was cut in half.
His maid tugged his sleeve the moment they left the hall. "Young master… five silver is very little."
"I know."
"That won't even last the month."
"I know."
She bit her lip, clearly worried. "Should I stop eating snacks?"
He looked at her. "No."
She looked almost tearful. "Then what do we do?"
Lu Haotian didn't answer immediately.
That night, he sat at the small wooden table in his room, counting coins.
Five silver coins.
They made a lonely sound.
He pushed three aside, then two. He calculated costs in his head. Meals. Oil. Paper. Occasional medicine.
Not enough.
His maid watched him from the bed, hugging her knees. "Are we poor now?"
He paused, then nodded. "A little."
Her eyes widened. "Very poor?"
"Not starving poor," he said. "Just… careful poor."
She relaxed slightly. "That's good."
The next morning, Lu Haotian went somewhere he had never gone before.
The clan task board.
It was a simple wooden board near the outer courtyard, covered in strips of paper.
Most tasks were taken by older disciples. Escort duty. Cleaning spirit halls. Guard rotations.
His eyes stopped on one task near the bottom.
"Herb and grain field tending.
Duration: one month.
Reward: fifteen silver."
No combat.
Cultivation requirement:2nd layer Qi Condensation
Just work.
An elder sat nearby, half-asleep. When Lu Haotian pointed at the slip, the elder raised an eyebrow. "You?"
"Yes."
The elder looked him over. "Second layer?"
"Yes."
"Farming isn't easy."
"I know."
A pause.
Then a shrug. "Sign here."
By noon, it was decided.
When his maid found out, she followed him all the way back to the courtyard, talking nonstop.
"You're going to work?"
"In the dirt?"
"With plants?"
"Every day?"
"Yes," he answered each question calmly.
She frowned. "You're already training so much."
"We need silver."
She went quiet for a while, then said softly, "I'll help."
"You can't."
"Why not?"
"It's a clan task. Only me and can only be done by cultivators."
She puffed her cheeks. "That's unfair."
He looked at her and said, "You can wait for me."
That made her smile a little.
The next day, Lu Haotian stepped into the Lu Family's outer fields.
Rows of crops stretched under the sun. Simple spirit grains. Low-grade herbs. Nothing rare.
He rolled up his sleeves.
If cultivation moved slowly, then he would move in other ways.
Silver could be earned.
Strength could be trained.
And tomorrow, he would still wake up and practice.