Lạc Vân City, Tôn Family.
The sun, rising in the east, had just revealed half its disk, and clear dewdrops still clung to the leaves in the forest. Yet, from the dense forest behind the mountain, successive sounds of swords being swung rang out.
A sixteen-year-old youth could be seen, holding a three-foot-long wooden sword, diligently practicing his swordplay in the forest. The youth had sharp, sword-like brows and piercing eyes. Although dressed in simple clothes, his expression was serious, and he was completely absorbed in his sword practice.
The sword art he practiced was merely a basic sword art. Although the moves were simple, every single move and stance of the basic sword art was perfectly executed by the youth.
This youth's name was Tôn Băng, and he was a disciple of the Tôn Family.
Thrust, stab, jab, sweep...! Each seemingly simple basic sword move, in Tôn Băng's hands, seemed to be imbued with new life. Especially the wooden sword in his hand, which had transformed from its original wooden color into a pure black, exuding a rich aura of history. It was evident that it had been used for a very long time.
However, once the entire set of sword moves was completed, Tôn Băng's face instantly turned pale, and a hint of unwillingness flashed in his eyes: "My physical constitution truly still can't keep up. Just one set of basic sword moves is enough to exhaust me. Heaven is truly unfair!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his initial unwilling expression gradually faded. Looking at the sun, which had risen higher, Tôn Băng calculated the time for a moment and softly said, "It's time to receive the monthly allowance again. I'll go early. I hope my luck is a bit better today."
Having said that, he packed up the wooden sword by his side, then turned and headed towards the Tôn Family estate.
The Tôn Family was one of the three great noble families of Lạc Vân Town. Its origins traced back two hundred years. Initially, they started their business based on medicinal herbs. Eventually, by a stroke of luck, an ancestor began cultivating, and subsequently established the family as a powerful force. This might not sound like much, but Lạc Vân Town had a population of a full hundred thousand, and within a hundred-mile radius, apart from the other two great noble families, there were no other rivals. They could be considered the "local emperors."
The mountain behind was not far from the Tôn Family estate. Before long, Tôn Băng arrived at the grand entrance of the Tôn Family. The entire main gate was crafted from precious red sandalwood; even if an ordinary person obtained a single piece, they could live without worries for several years.
The door handles were fearsome demonic beasts crafted from pure gold. On either side of each handle, two precious luminous pearls were embedded, their pure white glow captivating to the eye.
From a distance, the grand main gate, inlaid with gold, was even more dazzling under the sunlight. This single gate was enough to showcase the prestige and deep foundations of the aristocratic family. Only the three great aristocratic families dared to display such extravagance; an ordinary person, even with immense wealth, wouldn't be able to contend with a single divine ability from a cultivator.
Behind the main gate lay a vast courtyard, with trees, flowers, and plants cultivated along the small paths for people to enjoy. However, at this moment, Sun Bing had no mind to appreciate the beautiful scenery. He only wanted to quickly collect his monthly allowance so he could proceed with his cultivation.
The monthly allowance was issued in a distant accounting office by the external steward, Qin Ming. However, the usually quiet accounting office today felt a bit like a bustling marketplace. Although there were many people, it wasn't chaotic at all. Everyone lined up in an orderly fashion, and while there were some faint whispers mixed in, they didn't detract from the overall decorum.
However, Sun Bing was completely different from everyone else. He was like a transparent person; no matter how happy others were, it had no bearing on him. In fact, there was an empty space both in front of and behind him, as no one was willing to approach him.
Sun Bing didn't care about this in the slightest. He kept his gaze fixed, minding his own business, quietly waiting. The monthly allowance could be considered a benefit for family disciples; no matter how lazy one was, relying on the family's allowance could guarantee a basic livelihood.
The line moved very quickly. The steward would basically confirm a person with a glance and issue the allowance with no delay. It wasn't long before it was Sun Bing's turn. Just as he was about to step forward to collect his allowance, someone slowly walked in through the main door.
He had no intention of lining up at all, walking directly to Sun Bing's front, then casually said, "Hand it over!"
This attitude could be described as arrogant to the heavens. The surrounding chatter slowly died down, but Steward Qin, facing such a rude demeanor, not only showed no displeasure but even smiled. "Isn't this Sun Yao?" he said. "Here to collect the Young Master's allowance again, I presume? This is for this month, take a look."
After speaking, he gave Sun Yao about two bottles of Salt Body Pills, and at the same time, offered more than ten taels of silver.
However, Sun Yao's nose was practically pointing to the sky. He casually took the allowance in his hand, and without a word, turned and left. This left Steward Qin with nothing but an awkward smile, while many people around showed a hint of a smile, but forcefully held it back.
But even with Sun Yao's rude attitude, Steward Qin could do nothing. Sun Yao's master was none other than the Sun family's Young Master Sun Long, who had already reached the eighth layer of cultivation and was even about to break through to the ninth layer of the Three Bodies. He was, without a doubt, the Sun family's number one genius. This small amount of monthly allowance was completely beneath his notice; in fact, it could even be said that this was merely a reward for his errand boy.
Steward Qin had no way to deal with Sun Yao, and a belly full of suppressed anger festered in his heart. He couldn't help but glance behind him, where Sun Bing's expression was also not good. He casually took out one tael of silver, placed it on the counter, and lazily said, "Here, this is your monthly allowance."
Seeing only one tael of silver on the counter, Sun Bing couldn't help but clench his teeth tightly, his fists clenched. At the same time, he secretly committed to memory: "This is the tenth year, the 120th time."
It must be known that the Sun family's monthly stipend for its younger generation is ten taels of silver per month, along with a bottle of Body Tempering Pills, which are especially valuable. However, Steward Qin only gives Sun Bing one-tenth of what the others receive. He doesn't even get a single pill, let alone a whole bottle. Compared to Sun Yao from before, the difference is like heaven and earth, and one must remember, Sun Yao was merely someone else's servant.
"Tsk, tsk, I can't believe Sun Bing still has the nerve to stay here. And he even has the courage to come collect his monthly stipend. Haha, what a good-for-nothing."
"Exactly, I really don't understand why they keep him around. He's nothing more than a servant, after all."
Waves of ridicule rippled through the surroundings. This made Sun Bing clench his teeth even tighter, his fingernails digging into his own flesh. The pain, however, only made him clearer-headed.
Such scenes had played out one hundred and twenty times over ten years. It could be said that every time he received his monthly stipend, he would be subjected to a round of ridicule.
But Sun Bing refused to let their habitual mockery break him. Looking at the sneering faces around him, he silently told himself: "Only by knowing shame can one be brave. Remember every word of ridicule you hear now."
"Alright, Steward Qin, give him his monthly stipend." Suddenly, a tall, beautiful woman walked in.
She was over twenty years old, with skin like powdered jade. Though her face exuded a captivating charm, she was also incredibly serious, like a block of cold, icy wind. These two conflicting temperaments intertwined, and her arrival immediately drew everyone's attention.
"I can't believe the Young Miss is here! I heard she's already reached the ninth layer. Not only is she beautiful, but her natural talent is also exceptional. Why is she here today?"
"I don't know. Maybe she wants to collect some kind of medicinal pill."
"Yes, Young Miss Sun Yanran." Steward Qin dared not refuse the Young Miss's command in the slightest. After bowing, he immediately took out ten taels of silver.