Naming Technique of the Night

The world Qing Chen experienced outside the Half-Mountain Manor was starkly different from that within the estate.

After everyone had left, the Autumn Leaf Courtyard regained its daytime tranquility.

"Sir," Li Ke said, "I will tally the gifts here. You should eat first, otherwise the dishes will get cold."

"You eat too," Qing Chen said calmly.

"I cannot sit at the table while you are eating, sir," Li Ke replied.

"Come here," Qing Chen pondered and then spoke, "I have something to tell you."

"Okay," Li Ke wiped his hands, removed his sleeves and apron, and sat at the stone table.

"You are the pride of Li's Big Room. Why do you cook?" Qing Chen asked.

Li Ke explained, "I am curious about everything and want to try everything. Actually, I want to explore the world outside the city even more, but my parents always forbid it, saying it's dangerous. But Yino has promised to take me out for a bit during next year's spring hunt."

Qing Chen hadn't realized there were hunts in both autumn and spring.

While the natives of the Inner World were still struggling, the descendants of the conglomerates had long been living days filled with leisure activities like walking dogs, bird teasing, and watching underground boxing.

Qing Chen asked, "I see you bossing the servants around, but you are very respectful toward me. Why is that?"

Li Ke was startled for a moment. "It has always been this way, everyone at home acts the same, a servant is just a tool."

"No, they too are humans. Status might distinguish high from low, but dignity is equal," Qing Chen pondered and then spoke, "Today, I'll teach you a lesson, learning to maintain humility toward those beneath you is true cultivation. The law of the jungle is the law of nature, but setting aside some animalistic traits is why civilization is called civilization."

Li Ke reflected, "What you say makes sense, sir, but I'll need time to get used to it and accept it."

"Let's eat," Qing Chen nodded.

Truthfully, the longer he spent in the Inner World, the more Qing Chen could feel the differences in mindset between the Inside and the Outside World, a consequence of conglomerates controlling the world for too long.

During the meal, the dragon fish was laid on the table, yet Li Ke did not touch his chopsticks at all.

After the meal, he went to wash the dishes and asked while washing, "Sir, aren't you going to the academy this week? Without you, Qing Yi skipped class this afternoon. Mainly because he isn't from the Li family, the tutors don't really care to manage him."

"Do what you see fit," Qing Chen lay back lazily, "I see there's a dishwasher in the kitchen, why don't you use it?"

"The dishwasher takes dozens of minutes to finish washing these, I can do them in a few minutes by hand," Li Ke replied.

"Do you really want to learn?" Qing Chen asked.

"Yes," Li Ke nodded while standing by the sink.

"Starting tomorrow morning, you will wake up at 6 AM, go door-to-door to get those classmates up, then run five kilometers before going to class," Qing Chen instructed.

He didn't explain why, just that running was the end of it.

First, see if he can persist. Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire

Furthermore, not every student is willing to run in the morning. Whether Li Ke can get everyone out depends on his own skills.

"By the way, who used to live in the Autumn Leaf Courtyard?" Qing Chen asked.

Li Ke answered, "It was left by my grandfather for his mentor, who taught him many life lessons. The Autumn Leaf Courtyard has been vacant for many years. Grandfather always takes a few days each year to stay there for a night to commemorate his mentor."

"I see."

Although Qing Chen wasn't aware of the Autumn Leaf Courtyard himself, most of the Li family knew of it.

This was also one of the reasons for the bustling entrance this evening.

In this regard, Qing Chen was wrong; the Autumn Leaf Courtyard had no connection with Uncle Li Dong.

"Sir, just a reminder, your laundry can be placed in the hamper in the west wing room. If there's nothing else, I'll head back now," Li Ke said.

"Yes, go ahead," Qing Chen replied.

Li Ke bowed to Qing Chen and then departed.

At this moment, the news of Li Ke from the Li's Big Room working as a servant at the tutor's house had spread throughout the Half-Mountain Manor.

To the outside world, the Li family appeared a colossal entity, capable of crushing most things in the world.

However, within the Half-Mountain Manor, it was simply a complex large house full of all sorts of people, and what everyone loved most was gossip.

The core question in the gossip now was why Li Ke was willingly going to the Autumn Leaf Courtyard to do what only servants performed.

Why indeed?

But everyone was not a fool. Many things considered together might provide a clearer picture.

Firstly, the act of the old master giving a dragon fish was not simple since everyone knew how precious a dragon fish was.

Secondly, since Li Ke was the old master's favorite grandson, could there be guidance from the old master behind Li Ke's actions?

This correlation was too strong and hence very convincing.

But the question was, why did the old master favor this foreign-named tutor so much? What was so special about him?

Wait, Qing Chen was staying in the Autumn Leaf Courtyard?

Over the years, various courtyards had been allocated to different family members, but only the Autumn Leaf Courtyard had been kept vacant, with no one residing there.

In some way, the special status of the Autumn Leaf Courtyard was akin to that of the dragon fish.

At night when no one else was around, Qing Chen glanced at the list of gifts Li Ke had tallied. He noticed that the Li family's gifts were quite generous; not involving any useless items, all were valuable gold ornaments such as bracelets, anklets, necklaces, rings, foot chains, the Golden Lock, the peace plaque, the Golden Bodhisattva, and the Golden Buddha...