C9 I Am Yan Yongchun

Liu Xiaobao had learned from Yinyin that the only way to escape the cloud was to leap from its edge.

"Ahhh!" Liu Xiaobao's heart leapt to his throat in terror as he plummeted from the cloud. Thankfully, he quickly regained his composure. "Yinyin, that woman, always seems to be tricking me. Does this mean every time I visit her, I'll have to face such a life-or-death ordeal? No, I must only visit her as a last resort. There's a bottomless abyss beneath the cloud. If I were to jump like this regularly, it would scare my soul away."

"Huh? Who is this beautiful lady? Could she be the one I summoned?" Liu Xiaobao noticed a serene and graceful young woman standing before him. "Are you the one I summoned? What is your name?"

"My name is Yan Yongchun. I am deeply grateful to you, young master, for summoning me. I shall serve you to the best of my abilities," the woman said, her face brimming with gratitude, leaving Liu Xiaobao in awe.

Yan Yongchun? The founder of the Spring Chant Fist? Liu Xiaobao recalled that Yan Yongchun was a refined lady from a prestigious family who later became the Fifth Master's disciple and established the Spring Chant Fist. To think such a figure could be summoned for merely 10 Merit Points. What kind of person could he summon with 100 Merit Points once he leveled up?

Labino clung to Liu Xiaobao, looking up at him. "Young Master, you've finally snapped out of it. You've been standing here for an hour. Are your legs numb? Mine are terribly numb."

"Labino, have you been standing here beside me the whole time?" Liu Xiaobao inquired.

"Yes."

"Labino, while I'm touched by your loyalty, I must scold you. You shouldn't just stand here numbly. If your legs are numb, sit down and rest. Don't do this again, understood?" Liu Xiaobao gently released Labino's hands. "Also, remember, men and women should not be so familiar with each other. I just taught you that yesterday. If people see you behaving this way, it could harm your prospects for marriage in the future."

Labino, you mustn't marry. You still need to take care of the young master." Upon hearing the mention of marriage, Labino's head spun like a whirligig.

Liu Xiaobao was unfazed by the dirt on the ground, casually covering it with weeds before sitting down beside Labino.

Labino inquired, "Young Master, who is this lady? I didn't quite catch how she appeared here."

"This lady is the butler I've hired. She'll be living with us from now on," Liu Xiaobao explained, gesturing for Yan Yongchun to also sit and take a break. "Butler Yan, I'm entrusting the dilapidated Liu Manor to you. Any issues with that?"

"No problem," Yan Yongchun assured. "I've been well-versed in literature from a young age and have helped my father with his business. Managing the Liu Manor is well within my capabilities."

Labino beamed with delight. "That's wonderful! Finally, someone else has come to the Liu Manor. It's not much fun being here all by myself."

Liu Xiaobao affectionately patted Labino's head. "Wasn't the young master here at the Liu Manor before? Don't you enjoy spending time with the young master?"

"But before, the Young Master never spent time with Labino. He was always out and about, spending lots of money," Labino remarked, voicing her past grievances with Xiaobao. But now, things had improved. The Young Master was showing concern for Labino and even imparting life lessons to her, becoming as commendable as a Black Iron Knight. And now, a beautiful sister had joined them. "Yongchun is just like Labino, with the strength of a Level 2. That's fantastic! Now, Liu Manor boasts three individuals with Level 2 strength."

Realizing that Yan Yongchun was also at Level 2, Liu Xiaobao wondered about his own strength. "Let's head to the Knight Alliance and see what level we've reached."

The trio made their way to the Knight Alliance in West City with an air of confidence. Liu Xiaobao was determined to demonstrate his remarkable transformation to the person who had ridiculed him the day before.

Flanked by two stunning companions, Liu Xiaobao drew many curious glances.

"Look at that! The wastrel has turned into a Casanova, not even sparing the young girls," some onlookers commented.

"Why is that scoundrel still walking the streets? Wasn't he nearly beaten to death by Chen, that notorious bully, just yesterday?"

"Who can say? It seems that good people never catch a break, while the worst among us live forever."

Labino's face was pinched in a frown. "The Young Master and his cronies are despicable, spreading nothing but vile rumors about the Young Master."

Yan Yongchun chimed in, "Young Master, it appears the folks around here aren't too fond of you."

"Hehe, let them talk. We'll just keep doing our best," Liu Xiaobao reassured Labino. "Don't let it get to you, Labo. If they can't stand the sight of the Young Master, so be it. Their words can't harm us. Aren't I still here, alive and well?"

Yesterday, the Knight Alliance had left Liu Xiaobao feeling let down, but today he returned with his companions. In this world, strength was non-negotiable; to earn respect, one had to demonstrate their power. Only a select few could become Knights or Mages. Most people had to rely on the Knight and Mage Medals issued by the Knight Alliance and Mage League to ascertain someone's status. That's precisely why Liu Xiaobao had come to the Knight Alliance—to secure a Knight Medal.

The doors of the Knight Alliance swung open, and the trio stepped inside. The Aeseaba was sprawled out on the desk, just as lethargic as the day before.

Liu Xiaobao tapped on the Aeseaba's desk, "Uncle, still catching some Z's?"

"Keep it down," the Aeseaba grumbled, opening his eyes and spotting Liu Xiaobao with displeasure. "What brings you back here?"

"Wow! How did you achieve Level 2 strength? That's impossible! You were just an average Joe yesterday, and now you're Level 2?" The Aeseaba was visibly shaken.

But as a skilled individual, the Aeseaba quickly collected himself. "Alright, what do you want?"

"I'm here to become a Knight, of course. And this lovely lady with me wants to test for her Knight level as well."

The Aeseaba advised, "Becoming a knight isn't just about having Level 2 strength; you need a certain degree of physical power and stamina. With your slight build, I'd recommend trying the Mage League. Perhaps your psychic force is formidable, and you're suited to be a distinguished mage."

"Uncle, you think you can underestimate me? Well, I'm about to prove you wrong." Liu Xiaobao effortlessly lifted the desk with one hand. "Is this strength sufficient?"

"Ah! The kid's got some skills. I must have misjudged you yesterday," the Aeseaba remarked as he grabbed two swords from the weapon rack inside the room. "Both of you are here to test your level, correct? Take these swords and follow me."

The trio followed the Aeseaba out into the courtyard. He gestured towards a massive black boulder and explained, "If you can leave a mark on this stone, it proves you're capable of becoming a Level 1 Knight apprentice. A sword mark as deep as a finger signifies you're a Level 2 Black Iron Knight. And if you can split the stone neatly in half, then you're a Level 6 Great Knight. Let's start."

"I'll go first," declared Liu Xiaobao, brimming with anticipation, unsure of how much strength his 65 points would yield.

Grasping the longsword with both hands, Liu Xiaobao, unfamiliar with the weapon, decided to mimic a slashing technique he had seen on TV. With a fierce vertical chop, the sword struck the boulder, emitting a jarring metallic screech, and a deep gash appeared on the stone's surface.

The Aeseaba measured the cut with his hand. "Impressive, you actually possess the strength of a Black Iron Knight, and you're even stronger than the average one. Yesterday, you could barely hold a sword. Were you playing me?"

"How could I possibly play you, Uncle? It was only today that the gods decided to bless me with this newfound strength," Liu Xiaobao spun a tale, knowing full well the Aeseaba wouldn't buy the divine blessing story. However, Labino and Yan Yongchun believed it; after all, Labino had witnessed Liu Xiaobao's sudden transformation to a Level 2, and children are often eager to believe in tales of gods and spirits. Since Yan Yongchun had been summoned by Liu Xiaobao, she was certainly convinced of his divine connection.

"Now it's my turn," announced Yan Yongchun, as she struck with all her might. Though the mark she left on the boulder wasn't as deep as Liu Xiaobao's, it still demonstrated the prowess of a Black Iron Knight. Liu Xiaobao, who knew Yan Yongchun well, was aware that her true advantage lay not in her physical strength but in her mastery of the Spring Chant Fist, a sophisticated technique often referred to as the women's fist.

"I need to set aside some time to consult with Butler Yan for advice."

The burly man retrieved two black medallions from inside the house and handed them to Liu Xiaobao and Yan Yongchun. "These are Black Iron Medals. Make sure not to lose them. Replacing them would cost you a hundred gold coins."

"That much?" To put it in perspective, one gold coin is worth a hundred silver coins, so a hundred gold coins would be a staggering ten thousand silver.

"Absolutely," the man explained. "The cost is high because we want our knights to take good care of their medals. This is just for the Black Iron Knight. A Silver Knight Medal costs a thousand gold coins, and a Golden Knight Medal goes for ten thousand. If someone were to find a medal and use it for nefarious purposes, it could seriously damage the reputation of our Knight Alliance."

"So this unassuming black medal is actually that valuable. It's a good thing Labino didn't just toss it away." Labino pulled out a medal identical to the one in her hand from her pocket and examined it closely.

"Oh, it's you, little girl!" The Aeseaba recognized Labino as he saw her with the medal, recalling an incident from a year ago. He had come across a young girl in trouble on the street who had effortlessly flung a thug through the air. It turned out the girl had Level 2 strength. That girl was Labino, whom the Aeseaba had tried to recruit into the Knight Alliance, recognizing her talent. Despite his efforts, Labino had refused, unwilling to leave her young master. Reluctantly, he had given her a Knight Medal and let her go.

The Aeseaba spoke up, "Little girl, have you reconsidered? Joining us has many advantages. I didn't pay attention to your age earlier, but here we are meeting again."

Labino slipped the medal back into her pocket and clung to Liu Xiaobao. "No, I'm staying with my young master. I won't join you."

Liu Xiaobao challenged, "Uncle, are you trying to take my companion?"

"What's wrong? Can't I?"

"Of course not. Labino belongs to Liu Manor. We've got the medal now, so we'll be on our way." Liu Xiaobao prepared to leave the area.

The Black Iron strength at Level 1 was quite decent. He pondered the potential advantages of investing 500 points to advance to Level 2. It was clear that he needed to accelerate his collection of merit points.