"The Patriarch already must have informed you that our Ye clan works like a sect." Qing Qing saved Kohaku from his mistake as she swooped in to continue the conversation. "There are the direct descendant of the Patriarch, then the inner desciples, the outer deciples and then the normal people who work under the Ye clan." She pointed out.
"There is also the deciples that Patriarch Ye has taken as his students. But Patriarch Ye doesn't have anyone he teaches right now. Meaning he doesn't have any students currently." Qing explained. "People under the Ye clan that has the surname Ye, is either an elder from the inner desciples, an inner deciple or the direct descendant of the Ye clan."
Zhi Ruo pointed at herself. " I don't have the Ye surname though." She said.
"But you are the heir and the direct descendant of the Patriarch." Kohaku said. "Currently the Patriarch is making a way that you can change your surname from Liu to Ye so that you have no relations towards general Liu." He hesitantly revealed.
"Your are not supposed to reveal that." Qing Qing frowed at Kohaku. But the man only smiled wryly. Zhi Ruo briefly thought being handsome is also a talent.
"Would grandfather be fine? Wouldn't it be hard for him to change my surname?" Zhi Ruo pondered over what her seniors said to her.
"Given if the Patriarch makes an effort, I doubt that it would be hard for him to do so. And since you are his heir, although not yet officially, he will spare no things as long as he finally has someone he can trust this clan into." Qing Qing lamented softly.
Hearing what Qing Qing said, Zhi Ruo asked randomly. "Senior sister Qing, are you and senior brother Kohaku perhaps inner deciples of the Ye clan?"
Unsurprisingly, both Seniors nodded. "Indeed we are, since the Patriarch is always away from his part of the branch we usually are the one that looks around these parts." Kohaku supplied.
"Ah, if it's no trouble. Can we start the tour now? I've kept us form doing it because of my questions." Zhi Ruo softly exclaimed. "Let's talk while we walk if that's alright?" She expectantly waited for the reply.
Qing Qing and Kohaku stood up. They tucked their matching robes and nodded. "Of course, let's go. We shall explain to Junior Zhi Ruo how the merit points work." Kohaku did not waste anytime as he headed for the door to open it for the two ladies. Zhi Ruo can see how it became instinctual habit of his when he does this.
"What is this merit points that you say of?" Zhi Ruo asked curiously as they walked down the hallways. Many people made way for them as they looked at Zhi Ruo curiously. It was quite obvious that they knew that they have a new Xiaojie now. Given by how their gazes retreated, like Zhi Ruo might as well be a predictor looking for a prey by how they shrink their heads like a turtle.
Zhi Ruo can't help but feel wronged, it's not like she was scary ok? Why do they act like vampires who caught a sight of sunlight? She was caught between tears and laughter.
Noticing her gaze at the peoples reaction towards her. Qing Qing caughed and she chuckled a bit. "The merit points determine your place in the Ye clan. People with the highest merit usually is given the most resources, while the people with the least tend to have less." Qing Qing explained. "The merits can also be exchanged with taels, resources, armours, and weapons. And all around anything that the Ye clan can offer."
"Basically, if you have merits. You can exchange it with anything inside the Ye clan. Since the merits are like currency here." Kohaku flicked his sleeves at the passerbys that were far too obvious with their gazes. "And at some point, this merit also can be used in the military. Which military? The imperial, and the other nobles military."
Zhi Ruo listened as her seniors explained the places that they went and gone through. Halting their explanations on the merits for a second.
"It's easy to earn merits if you have the ability. By doing missions and going to the battlefield is usually the go to things if you want to earn merits faster." Qing Qing said as they stepped into a huge platform. "This is the training platform, also knows as Huā Tián." All of them gazed at countless Ye clan members shouting and training themselves. Zhi Ruo could not help but curl her lips when she heard the name.
"Flower field?" Zhi Ruo could not help but chuckle.
"Indeed, they are all burning flowers eager to turn into ferocious beasts." Someone uttered from behind them. The voice carried a sense of righteousness that Zhi Ruo found amusing.
"I do not think that is right brother Yu, it doesn't make sense." Kohaku frowned when he heard the man's words. "One cannot turn into a beast from a flower, it would be more sensible if you say that they are flowers awaiting to turn into something valuable."
"That would mean that you are saying, these fellow members are merely conon fodders awaiting to be turned into pills once they are proved to be valuable to the strong." Brother Yu once again refuted. Zhi Ruo turned to look at the handsome youth around her age coming over to the side of the platform they are currently standing.
Curiously, Zhi Ruo observed how this youth's hair turned into a different shade of green when the light of the dimming sun hits his hair weirdly. With a domineering aura not unlike Qing Qing and Kohaku's, the man Kohaku called brother Yu leisurely stopped in front of them.
"It is atleast better than the "flowers awaiting to turn into ferocious beasts" that you said. Clearly your words doesn't make sense." Kohaku harrumphed. The man in reply only smiled before ignoring Kohaku and turning to face Zhi Ruo.
"You must be our Xiaojie, it's a pleasure to finally meet you I am Yu Zhúlín." Yu Zhúlín cupped his hands and bowed towards the still Zhi Ruo. His peach blossom eyes mischievously peeked curiously at Kohaku and Zhi Ruo's covered face. Zhi Ruo has the feeling that he was well aware of what he was doing.
Kohaku felt his eyes twitch at the blatant rudeness that Yu Zhúlín displayed, he stepped in front of Zhi Ruo blocking Yu Zhúlín's bow towards her. "Hello brother Yu," Zhi Ruo moved her head towards the mischievous youth.
Not at all bothered by Kohaku's hostility, he glanced at Zhi Ruo with an intent that she cannot tell if it's good or bad. "Xiaojie, I am curious. Ever since you have arrived this afternoon, everyone have been clamouring over your arrival. May I know what rank the Xiaojie is? " With an impudent smile, Yu Zhúlín asked Zhi Ruo. "Everyone has been talking about you after all, and it's just that, because of those talks I'm curious about your rank." He added.
Qing Qing who was beside Zhi Ruo stayed silent throughout this exchange, she seemingly doesn't want to get involved. While Kohaku was still frowning towards Yu Zhúlín, but he wasn't making a move in answering in answering for Zhi Ruo's behalf.
"No you may not," Zhi Ruo merely replied. If the veil did not cover her face. Yu Zhúlín would realize that Zhi Ruo was mirroring his impudent smile.
Zhi Ruo knew what Yu Zhúlín was doing, and if she ever answers the question that he asked. Then Zhi Ruo would be ashamed, not only would she appear as weak minded as the appearance of her body. It would prove to him, or anyone, that they can bend her to their will at command.
Yu Zhúlín's smile froze at her reply, Zhi Ruo did not point this out. Instead, she walked until their was only 2 meters between them. Visibly, Yu Zhúlín straightened his back while maintaining a strained smile. "Was I too rude?" He balanced himself with the balls of his feet, suddenly very nervous in Zhi Ruo's presence.
"You are." Came in Zhi Ruo's cynical reply, "Senior sister Qing and senior brother Kohaku, shall we go now?" Zhi Ruo peeked behind her to address the people behind her. Very aware by stares that was upon her the moment she answered Yu Zhúlín's question. The people that were practicing swiveled their heads the moment they were found staring at the commotion.
"You..." Lu Zhúlín could only crack a smile, that was very much forced.
"Of course, please, I'll lead the way." As expected, Kohaku jumped to the opportunity to get away from Yu Zhúlín. He threw a polite smile towards Yu Zhúlín to seal the deal.
The others could only stare at the three retreating backs, a deciple that was practicing just a while ago approached Yu Zhúlín who was still standing with a straightened back.
"Was she that scary brother Yu?" The deciple asked while putting away his practice sword.
"No," was Yu Zhúlín's reply, as he glared at the deciple beside him. "She wasn't scary." But if he was honest with himself, just by Zhi Ruo's steps, he was a bit nervous. He wasn't scared per-se, he was just thrown off by Zhi Ruo. He can't pin point why, but he felt like if the Xiaojie wants to, she can bend him to her will.
The deciple shot him a look before he swaggered to some people that was eavesdropping on them, then he proceeded to slap them in that back of their heads.
Kohaku wasn't quite sure if he likes the fact that Zhi Ruo is not like other young misses, who would talk his ear off the moment they have a question. He shared a glance with Qing Qing who was also awkwardly walking towards Zhi Ruo's room.
"Do you not have any questions?" Kohaku asked trepidly, Zhi Ruo's silence unnerved him. If anything, he would say that Zhi Ruo was abnormally silent.
In truth, Zhi Ruo was checking her status pannel because she was bored to death with the silence that her senior brother and sister had adeptly put on their little group. If they didn't want to talk then that was fine with her, don't expect her to be a chatterbox just because you stayed silent. And if she was aware that she is making them uncomfortable, then that's no one's concern but her own.
"Yes." Zhi Ruo nodded her eyes lingering on the pannel that contained her rank. No one could notice of course, only she would know what she was looking at. "Let's talk about cultivation shall we?" She said, her voice laced sugary sweet.
"Of course," Kohaku's eyes slipped on Zhi Ruo's face. "I've heard about your situation in cultivation." He said, his eyes flitting back to the pavilion that they were approaching.
"Patriarch Ye told us that you can take your pick tomorrow at the library, but I was just recently aware that you cannot read. So I will be informing someone to look after you in that aspect." Qing Qing swooped in. "Until then, your cultivation would halt until you can read. Or if you are uncomfortable with that, I can read aloud the books that you have chosen and I can find someone to teach you that practices the cultivation that your have chosen."
Humming Zhi Ruo pretended to consider her senior sister's words before replying. "In regards with my illiteracy, do not worry over it. I'll be picking up books starting tomorrow, you don't have to accompany me." Zhi Ruo stepped outside the sliding door leading to her room.
Kohaku and Qing Qing shared a surprised look.
"If I have any questions I will be able to find you given by your statuses, so that is well taken care off. But I am concerned about my meals though, would it be delivered here? Or will I have to look for the kitchen myself?" Zhi Ruo faced the duo.
"A maid will be attending you starting tomorrow when you will be able to meet some servants that you will have to handpick. " Qing Qing answered thoughtfully. "As for your dinner this evening, it will be delivered to your pavilion. Strictly speaking, here."
"I see, thank you." Zhi Ruo cupped her hands towards her seniors. "If anything, I would like to rest first. It would be good if I don't get bothered until dinner, as I would like to sleep first."
"Ah yes. Rest well Xiaojie." Cupping their hands in a hurry. Both Kohaku and Qing Qing agreed to Zhi Ruo. Only to look up when the sliding door was shutting close and Zhi Ruo was clearly in her room already.
When they realize that they were actually done for the day in regards with Zhi Ruo, they were already stepping out of the pavilion that Zhi Ruo was currently residing on.
"For someone who claims to be an illiterate girl that was isolated by her own family, she sure doesn't act like one." Qing Qing could not help but mutter in daze. It was only then when Kohaku who was beside her shot her a glare that she realize what she said.
"I apologize," Qing Qing quickly amended.
"The Ye family is not that normal junior sister Qing, in her mannerism even if she was without contact with the Ye family for many years. It cannot hide the fact that the blood flows deep within her veins." Kohaku sighed, "You should never put the Ye family within the normal standards, especially with it's direct descendants."
"Right..." Qing Qing silently nodded upon hearing Kohaku. "Senior brother...do you think that the Xiaojie is fit to be our heiress?" She asked timidly.
"This is not for us to decide, in the first place we don't even have the right to judge about this. Stop sticking your thoughts where it could lead to trouble." Kohaku chastised his junior sister coldly before he himself leaped into the cliff below.
Qing Qing could only stare at Kohaku's back with a complicated gaze. "Senior brother..."
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