Chapter 62: A Rise in Nobility
Translated by algoo | Proofread by algoo
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Returning to the Lin Estate, Lin Xiu paused at the gate, composing himself. He smoothed away the gloom on his face, replacing it with a smile before striding through the entrance.
Baron Ping?an and his wife stood in the courtyard. As Lin Xiu entered, he greeted them warmly, ?Father, Mother, I?m home.?
Baroness Ping?an stepped forward, tidying the hair on Lin Xiu’s forehead. ?Why are you so late today? Go wash your hands. We?re having hot pot tonight, and we?ve been waiting for you.?
Hot pot, somewhat similar to a modern-day version, typically involved a copper pot heated by charcoal. Meat and vegetables were cooked by swishing them in the boiling water. This style of dining was uncommon in aristocratic households, more prevalent among commoners. Noble families, bound by strict etiquette, mostly adhered to individual servings. The Lin family, having declined in status for years, had adopted commoner customs in their daily lives.
Two copper pots steamed in the spacious courtyard. The three family members sat at one table, the four servants at another. A large bowl sat on the ground?Da Huang?s share. Zhou Jun piled cooked meat rolls into Lin Xiu?s bowl. ?You train hard; you must eat more.?
Lin Xiu smiled gently. ?I know, Mother.?
Regardless of the dangers and schemes outside, within the walls of his home, Lin Xiu felt only warmth and care. In two lifetimes, he had only now experienced the true meaning of family. He cherished everything before him. No matter how fierce the storms raged outside, he would find a way to withstand them, preventing them from reaching the Lin Estate.
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However, he clearly lacked the strength to do so at present. After meticulous planning and considerable risk, he had dealt with the single threat of Yang Xuan, but the person behind the assassination attempt remained elusive.
Strength. He desperately needed strength. In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, only absolute power could protect what he held dear.
Through diligent practice, Lingyin’s aid, the Yuan crystals from the palace ice-making, and those he purchased at great expense, he had barely managed his second awakening. This equated to approximately a year of normal cultivation. In other words, it typically took a year to progress from the first to the second awakening.
This indicated that the Mystic Arts Institute’s assessment of his potential had been a severe underestimate. He hadn?t started cultivating at eighteen; he’d begun the day he arrived. Judging by his cultivation speed, he might not qualify for the Heaven’s Court, but the Earth’s Court was well within his reach.
Reaching the second awakening within a year was a talent, if not exceptional, certainly above average. With a smooth path, he could likely reach his fifth awakening by forty. If he lived to a hundred and practiced diligently every day, a sixth awakening wasn’t impossible.
Each awakening was progressively harder. Reaching the second had taken a year; the third would require at least two to three, assuming no bottlenecks.
Three years was too long for Lin Xiu. Even if he advanced then, he?d still be a novice at the Xuan rank. True strength, the Earth rank and above, required a fifth awakening.
That, however, was a distant goal. His immediate hurdle was the third awakening. Yuan crystals could accelerate cultivation, but few used them that way. One crystal from an equally ranked mystical beast was equivalent to a single day?s cultivation. For high-ranking mystics, risking their lives for a single day?s progress was impractical. It was better to conserve crystals for combat, restoring depleted Yuan Li and effectively doubling their endurance.
High-rank crystals were exceedingly rare. Breaking through solely with crystals would require slaying thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of mystical beasts?enough to destroy a nation.
Only low-rank mystics could realistically cultivate purely with Yuan crystals. Lin Xiu calculated he?d need over eight hundred second-rank crystals and about ten third-rank crystals for his third awakening?roughly one hundred thousand taels of silver at market price.
Progressing from the third to the fourth awakening would demand over two thousand third-rank crystals and at least ten fourth-rank crystals, exceeding two million taels. By then, silver wouldn’t be the issue; even the entire royal capital likely lacked so many third-rank crystals. Beyond that point, cultivation purely through crystals became entirely impossible.
It was an extravagant method, like using hundred-tael banknotes as toilet paper?acceptable once in an emergency, but habitual use suggested excessive wealth.
For low-rank mystics, however, this ?pay-to-win? method was the ultimate shortcut, bar none. Lin Xiu’s predicament was that he wanted to, but couldn’t afford it. Last month’s strenuous efforts had netted him ten thousand taels, most of which he left for his mother. He kept a little over a thousand, spent entirely on Yuan crystals. He now had less than a hundred taels to his name.
Earning another hundred thousand quickly would require drastic measures.
As a transmigrator, Lin Xiu knew several money-making schemes, but they all revolved around business. Lacking manpower, capital, and time, he could do nothing for now. The Tianxiang Pavilion incident had made it clear that business in the capital was challenging. Without backing, larger ventures merely benefited others.
Could a small third-rank barony protect substantial assets? While the Noble Consort offered support, she was distant in the inner palace, her assistance limited. Lin Xiu couldn?t burden her constantly; even her favor had limits.
Dealing with women required maintaining appropriate distance, lest one become overbearing and invite dislike. This was a lesson learned from countless past relationships.
The Lin family enjoyed their hot pot, oblivious to the flurry of thoughts in Lin Xiu?s mind. Suddenly, the partially closed gate swung open, and Chief Steward Li entered with several eunuchs.
Seeing the scene, he smiled. ?Young Master Lin, enjoying your meal??
Lin Xiu, momentarily startled, rose and offered, ?Steward Li, join us??
Steward Li declined. ?No, thank you. I?m here to deliver an imperial decree. I must return to report afterward. Young Master Lin, Baron Ping?an, please stop eating and receive the decree.?
Hearing of the imperial decree, the Baron and his wife rose and stood respectfully.
The Lin family servants knelt, even Da Huang lay obediently on the ground. Nobles were exempt from kneeling before the emperor, one of their privileges. Similarly, powerful mystics bowed to no one. Strength reigned supreme in this world.
Baron Ping?an bowed his head, bewildered. An imperial decree? It had been decades since the Lin family last received one.
Steward Li, glancing at Baron Ping?an, announced, ?Congratulations, Baron Ping?an, on your promotion to second-rank Baron.?
Baron Ping?an froze, forgetting even to receive the decree. He couldn’t understand. He remained at home, doing nothing; why this promotion?
Though only a single rank higher, the difference was substantial. A third-rank baron’s next generation reverted to commoner status. A second-rank barony extended the family?s prosperity for at least another generation.
Steward Li began reading the decree, the formal language outlining the Emperor?s reasons: Lin Xiu?s diligence in the palace ice-making, his repeated treatment of the Noble Consort?s spirit pet, and his efforts to alleviate her worries were commendable. Henceforth, his father, Baron Ping?an, was promoted to second-rank Baron, granted one hundred hectares of fertile land, one hundred bolts of silk, and ten servants.
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Even Lin Xiu was surprised. He’d thought the Noble Consort was jesting, not expecting such a serious gesture. The Emperor had already rewarded him with a house for the ice-making; further rewards seemed unlikely. Lin Xiu knew the Noble Consort?s influence was at play here.
The Great Xia had strict rules for ennoblement, rarely bestowing titles upon the younger generation. Even their achievements often resulted in awards for elder family members. The Zhao family exemplified this. His future father-in-law’s two daughters had propelled the family?s five-rank leap, while his own father had risen only one rank.
However, awards for elders and offspring were functionally similar, as titles were inherited, unless the recipient was a second son or born of a concubine.
As the sole heir, Lin Xiu faced no such distinction.
Baron Ping?an finally grasped that his promotion was due to his son. He recalled Lin Xiu jokingly promising to earn him a Dukedom. While he?d never dreamed of becoming the Duke of Ping?an, he hadn?t expected his title to rise again in his lifetime.
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