Chapter 165: Weiyang Workshop

Duan Rong rested his hands behind his head, lay on the grass, looked at the back of Ximen Kankan's head as he sat there, and said, "Why didn't Shi Kang come today?"

"I had him stay home to watch the house."

"Oh." Duan Rong actually knew Shi Kang was watching the house; he was merely changing the subject to ask the question he truly wanted to ask.

"Kankan, are you going to the Registered Disciple selection next March?"

"I am!" Ximen Kankan turned his head, fixed his gaze on Duan Rong, and said, "Are you trying to ask about the selection quota?"

Duan Rong nodded. Ximen Kankan was actually very sharp; the moment he brought up this topic, Ximen Kankan knew what he wanted to ask.

"For the selection quota, first, you have to pay a thirty-thousand silver coin Head Fee to the Taiyi Sect."

"Second..." Ximen Kankan began to explain directly to Duan Rong.

Upon hearing "second," Duan Rong's expression immediately became focused.

"You must invite ten local, prominent Gentry to jointly write a Recommendation Letter. After the County Office reviews it, they stamp it with the official seal of the County Office and submit it to the Sect."

"Only then is the registration considered complete, and you can participate in the assessment."

"To invite the Gentry to write a Recommendation Letter, in principle, you must pay each of them a two-thousand silver coin Writing Fee. Of course, if it is a descendant of their own clan, it can be a little less, but it cannot be zero. Counting it all up, this Recommendation Letter costs another twenty-thousand silver coins."

The so-called Gentry are not just those with money; one must have traceable ancestors who were selected as at least an Outer Sect Disciple of the Taiyi Sect to be called Gentry.

In Xiangu County, across the entire county territory, there are fewer than a hundred households that can be called Gentry.

Duan Rong clicked his tongue slightly upon hearing this.

This Registered Disciple status is truly not something an ordinary family can afford to climb toward; this is just for the quota, and whether one can actually be selected is still uncertain.

Duan Rong suddenly thought that Xiao Zongting had extraordinary talent and could be considered a legend in his generation in Xiangu County, yet he never entered the Taiyi Sect.

Thinking about it, it was likely that when he was young, his family background was average, and he could not afford these fifty-thousand silver coins.

It was precisely because he had such regrets that he forced Xiao Yu to practice diligently, letting his daughter make up for his own regrets.

"When does registration begin?" Duan Rong asked.

Ximen Kankan said, "It starts at the end of the year. Before New Year's Eve, the Recommendation Letter must be submitted to the County Office. After the County Office reviews it, they will forward the Recommendation Letter to the Sect in the first lunar month. Afterward, the Sect will send a reply. Once you receive the Sect's reply, you take it to the Yunshui Bank to pay the thirty-thousand silver coin Head Fee. Then, in March, you use the Sect's reply and the receipt from the Yunshui Bank to participate in the Taiyi Sect's selection assessment."

Duan Rong looked at Ximen Kankan with great gratitude; he had only brought up the topic, yet Ximen Kankan explained the matter to him in such detail.

He recalled that he didn't know when it started, but getting along with Ximen Kankan had become very natural, without any barriers; it seemed to have started from when he returned from his escort mission...

Ximen Kankan turned his head, looked at Duan Rong, and said, "If you want to register, I can tell my father to include you when he registers me at the end of the year."

"However..." Ximen Kankan paused and said, "You have to give him sixty-thousand silver coins."

Ximen Kankan added an extra ten thousand and explained, "I don't want to earn your money. My father, after all, is a businessman; if you give an extra ten thousand, it will be easier for me to speak to him."

Duan Rong nodded; he understood that what Ximen Kankan said was reasonable!

A Recommendation Letter seems simple, but if you don't have that network of connections, even having money won't get it done; those Gentry won't just recommend anyone!

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Let's talk about it at the end of the year. I might not be able to save up sixty-thousand silver coins!"

Ximen Kankan laughed, "It's fine, you can use Spring Palace Paintings to trade with me."

Duan Rong was speechless. This guy, going around in circles, was still thinking about his Spring Palace Painting enterprise. I was wondering why he was so attentive and explained it so clearly to me; so he was waiting for me here?

As the two chatted, Ximen Kankan turned his head to look at the position of the sun and said, "It's almost the Shen hour, time to go back. I have an appointment with Jiang Qingyu this afternoon to gamble at the Weiyang Workshop."

Duan Rong touched his nose and looked at Ximen Kankan with interest, thinking to himself: This guy's entertainment life is truly rich!

"Are you going?" Ximen Kankan looked at Duan Rong and said, "The Weiyang Workshop is the largest and best gambling den in Xiangu County."

Duan Rong was just about to refuse, as he still had to go back to practice, but his heart suddenly stirred; he had achieved the second level of the Womb Treasury Sutra and was able to use Divine Sense Projection.

Wouldn't this thing be an invincible weapon in a gambling den?

Moreover, he also needed money; the registration fee for the Taiyi Sect Registered Disciple selection cost sixty-thousand silver coins.

Drawing Spring Palace Paintings for Ximen Kankan could earn money, but every time he thought about having to trade paintings for money, a sense of shame, as if he were selling himself, would rise in his heart.

This feeling was very unpleasant.

If he could open up a new path to make money in the gambling den, why not do it?

Not long after the Shen hour began, Ximen Kankan had already brought Duan Rong to the entrance of the Weiyang Workshop.

This Weiyang Workshop was a two-story wooden structure with carved beams and painted rafters, flying eaves and bracket sets; it was quite imposing and spectacular. Duan Rong took one look and praised it, thinking that if one only looked at the exterior, it was not inferior to the Huaying Pavilion.

The owner of this Weiyang Workshop was Wei Yutian.

This person was not a local of Xiangu County, and his background was quite mysterious. Since arriving in Xiangu County more than ten years ago, he began the gambling business. Ten years later, no one knew how he operated, but he had actually brought the two largest gambling dens in Xiangu County under his control.

One was the Weiyang Workshop, the other was the Chunming Pavilion.

Moreover, Wei Yutian was nearly forty and still unmarried. Regarding this, there were many rumors on the streets... some said he was a eunuch from birth...

Under the flying eaves of the first floor of the Weiyang Workshop hung a plaque with the three large characters "Weiyang Workshop" written in a vigorous and powerful hand.

The two characters "Weiyang" were taken from the meaning "the night is not yet over, the guest should not be in a hurry."

Although it was afternoon and the daylight was perfect, the windows of the Weiyang Workshop were all tightly shut, and even the entrance was hung with heavy door curtains.

Ximen Kankan led Duan Rong, pushed aside the heavy door curtains, and walked in.

The Main Hall on the first floor was very spacious and open...

The brightly colored carpets, the complex murals, and the exquisitely patterned curtains... all seemed to be telling of the luxury of the Weiyang Workshop's interior decoration...

In the Main Hall, there were more than ten rosewood eight-immortal tables of varying sizes. The largest one was as big as two large beds placed side by side. Many people were gathered around shouting, their eyes excited and their voices hoarse...

In the corner of the first floor, there was a rosewood staircase leading to the second floor. On the second floor, one could see individual private rooms arranged in a circle. Next to the door of each private room hung a wooden board with a Heavenly Stem number.

On the ceiling of the Main Hall, Candle Lamps were hanging, shining brightly, and daylight faintly appeared through several ventilation holes above the windows...

"How is it?" Ximen Kankan glanced at Duan Rong and smiled, "This Weiyang Workshop was originally quite average. Ever since Wei Yutian took over, he renovated the interior and exterior, which can be called extremely luxurious. When it first opened, it was touted as the number one building in Xiangu!"

"You wander around the Main Hall for a bit; I'll go see if Jiang Qingyu has arrived. He booked the private room. The private rooms in this Weiyang Workshop are as hard to get as the Four Great Flower Shadows of the Huaying Pavilion; they are highly sought after and require waiting in line!"

As Ximen Kankan spoke, he walked toward an inconspicuous small room in the corner of the first floor, while Duan Rong paced around, strolling through the Main Hall...

(End of chapter)