Lou Ben got dressed and seemed as if the jade underneath all the dirt had gone through many brushes and refinements.
Lou Ben wore white loose clothes and followed behind steward Wen Guoliang.
The steward talked about rules and regulations to behave in a daily manner.
He made sure to emphasize that the job of a broom servant was relatively easy.
It was such an easy job that it made Lou Ben wonder why there was a specific position for someone to simply sweep a single room every day.
Steward Wen Guoliang understood that not many places had the customs as the palace of master Xiao.
Only the rare elites were able to spread manpower without worrying for so much as the cost.
"Little servant Lou Ben" The steward stopped in the decadent hallway to turn around and speak.
"At the top of the world the rules are much different. From what I can tell, it seems you lived your life far away from the influence of dao masters. Although it is hard to believe, it is not unheard of."
"Let me tell you, as you get accustomed here, those lingering curiosities will fade, and you will find that those many unanswered questions are too complex for someone with the status of a mortal."
"Even if you had the bravery to partake in the trade of aura stones, it would be a waste in your hands."
"So, heed my advice and find solace in your new home. It is simple work, and the protection of master Xiao is number one in the region."
The steward took his time to educate mortal Lou Ben.
Neither party minded it.
The steward needed to keep the servants in check and run the household affairs.
Lou Ben wanted to learn more about this strange world, and those lingering curiosities that were spoken before were slowly becoming unbearable.
He had an itch for adventure and wanted to satisfy these gnawing questions.
So, the mutual understanding between the two in that decedent hallway that they walked down was found rather easily.
Steward Wen Guoliang approached a doorway that was held up with two sky reaching pillars and spoke "this is the resting area for servants."
"You will find that it opens to a center plaza. Keep going straight and enter the tenth room on the left. That will be your accommodation."
"When you are there, grab the broom from your closet. I will have the plaza servant direct you to me in the morning."
"Get going. I am a very busy steward."
Lou Ben took heed and went in the directions he was told.
He found his room rather spacious. It was the size of a downtown loft. It was weird that someone as lowly as himself was given this place to stay in.
Each door way was made of those sky piercing pillars and fog that stopped prying eyes from peeking.
The floor was also an ensemble of white marble material and dark blue specks, as if the dark blue crystals were crushed and placed inside the floor.
It seemed very pure and mysterious as if the night sky that was full of stars, was not dark as the night but instead as white as the heavens.
"I can get used to this. For someone in my position to get the best treatment of what people on earth that work their entire life to enjoy."
Lou Ben was satisfied with his new living spaces.
"This is only the beginning and only have I seen the bottom of this world has to offer, I am also now living at the stop."
"At least when it comes to status of a mortal."
In a far away room within the palace, master Xiao was sitting in what seemed to be an office room with bookshelves layered in fog as it reached further into the sky.
Like clouds piercing the heavens and rains of enchanting knowledge roaming.
"Master Xiao, steward Wen Guoliang has given the young servant Lou Ben his direction. Is there anything else you will ask of me?"
"Oh, steward Wen Guoliang, another one has come to the palace. This place seems emptier the further it grows." Said as his gaze approached the enchanting clouds hanging overhead.
"If I might be given the leniency to speak, master Xiao, the palace has met many encounters and always has been your ambitions to solidify as a small world for you to rule over."
Steward Wen Guoliang was reminiscing of master Xiao in his younger years as he gazed at the strong figure in front of him with fondness and continued to speak.
"Perhaps now that you reach your goal, you find yourself empty as a soul without proper nourishment."
Master Xiao heard this and put his hand on his forehead as if it needed to keep warm from his own embrace and muttered "Yes, maybe now that this small world palace of mine has reached this level, I should look inward instead of outward."
Master Xiao was speaking as if he was getting close to unraveling his own internal problems.
"Steward Wen Guoliang, as a dao master we all seek our ambitions. Some ambitions are far away like a distant shore, while others are as close as the clouds in the sky. These ambitions seem so distant, but are only a few engagements away, while others seem close but are hard to grasp."
"When I saved you from encirclement among those hungry beasts, so long ago, you told me that you seek to have a loved one and shoulder the world together."
"Steward Wen Guoliang, you spoke as if those ambitions were as far as earth and heaven, but after so few years, did you not find this beauty and help me manage this small world palace for so long?"
"During that time, steward Wen Guoliang, I told you that I wish to reach the top in my family and grow our small world so that I may sit on this throne."
"It seemed as if my ambitions were only a few inches from grasp, but as the years followed, it only grew further away."
"Eventually after so many years, we are here. The small world is self-sufficient, everyone receives the protection of my Xiao name, and not a single person is out of order. This stage is simply unimaginable."
Master Xiao was unravelling the ball of problems that were wrapped around his mind at this moment as he discussed with steward Wen Guoliang.
"Finally, as I sit on this throne amongst the people here, I find myself lacking direction. It's as if the heavens have deceived me and keep my soul hostage from wondering."
The two figures in the magnificent study room were at the end of their wits as they wondered about the mysteries of the heavens and how comparatively small the ambitions that directed their livelihood truly were.
Master Xiao ended his final sentence "regardless of this small world, there will always be another hill to climb that is bigger than the other, and this hill seems to be clouded with mystery."
He looked up and stared once again at the enchanting clouds that rained knowledge and wisdom.
This circumstance that Xiao Weizhe found himself was rather common to those who have reached their ambitions.
On the other hand, Lou Ben had yet to figure out what exactly his ambitions were. He only decided to walk forward and to experience what life had to offer so as not to let his past experiences down.
He only decided to do so, this doesn't mean he was quite the ready character yet.
Lou Ben laid there on his larger-than-life mattress as he stared at the empty white ceiling as he was also thinking about what to do with this new life he was given.
He has the chance to live a life much like the one he lived beforehand.
There was protection using the name of master Xiao, from what he gathered, there was also no need to use his name because this palace is more than a simple building.
He thought if this character could hold a space inside his sleeve that held mountains of wealth, and the fog behind each door contained a space that defied logical reason, then this palace should be as big as what is considered a 'village' in this world.
From his train of thoughts, it made sense as to why someone would hire servants for small jobs like sweeping. If he was not wrong, then he is probably not the only one who must sweep this palace.
It was a natural deduction, nothing out of the ordinary. He was only using the evidence in front of him to gather a mental image of what this world had in store for him.
As of right now, this is what separated him from the other people he has been in contact with.
Lou Ben was able to look outside as an observer because he had the foundational knowledge of living in another world that was more mundane than where he found himself.