In a corner of the massive entrance hall of the Archives Pavilion, Han Xuhan was squatting over a low desk, studying a long chart. The more he read, the more incredulous the expression on his face became.
This chart contained a comprehensive list of expenses he had to pay under an elite residential package. The first few expenses were more or less justifiable.
Archives access fee- 3 spirit stones
Weaponry access fee- 5 spirit stones
Apparatus Factory Access fee- 4 spirit stones
Array Plantation access fee- 4 spirit stones
Basic lectures access- 2 ss / lecture
Weekly elite lecture access- 3 ss / lecture
Monthly dao debate access- 5 ss / lecture
Basic Martial Arts Classes- 1 ss / session
Custom Martial Arts Classes- 5 ss / session
But from here on, the list began to spiral out of control.
Bi-monthly housing fee- 15 spirit stones
Monthly food expenditure - 10 spirit stones
Medical supplies fee- 15 spirit stones
Monthly disaster insurance- 20 spirit stones
"Are these prices reasonable? Why does the jump in value seem a bit abrupt? And why is there an insurance policy?"
Han Xuhan had no idea what kind of currency spirit stones were, especially their value. He had only seen Xuanyuan Zhou deal with them during her challenges.
Inspired by her, he himself had won several bets with a foolish young master. The coins in his pouch, despite having no resemblance to stones, were still called spirit stones, leaving him a bit confused about their nature.
As his focus returned to the list after the brief confusion, his blood pressure spiked.
Monthly toilet maintenance and hygiene products fee- 8 spirit stones
Monthly atmosphere Maintenance fee- 10 spirit stones
By this point, Han Xuhan became almost certain that this was a scam. Who the hell charges students for these things?
Was this still a reputable righteous sect and not a band of bandits? This was daylight robbery!
Toilet toll? Atmosphere fee? What were they going to do if a disciple refused to pay for the 'privileges' of taking dumps and breathing air?
A horrifying scene was born in his mind...
Bleak moonlight illuminated the mountains, caressing gently his silhouette, which was rushing towards the closest latrine in the sect.
A white figure suddenly appeared out of thin air and blocked his path, his road to salvation.
A saber rose, gleaming in the soothing, soft moonlight, radiating a deathly aura.
Foot-long beard moved as their owner declared, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"
In defiance and desperation, Han Xuhan raised his hands, ready to fight his way to his destination, as befitting of a cultivator!
Then he noticed that all the water inside the bidet he was carrying was falling out.
"NOOOO!" He screamed in fury, rushing back to the nearest stream to collect water once more.
"Hmph! Go take your dump outside, or pay 8 spirit stones, plus 3 more as a fine for late registration," came the old man's voice from behind, laden with contempt.
As his running slowed down, his breaths hitching from fatigue, the old man shouted from the distant mountain peak, "Add another fine of 5 spirit stones in his name for breathing too hard!"
Han Xuhan shuddered at the mental image of himself running to find a toilet outside the sect's vast territory every morning.
By the time he finished reading the whole book, his heart was shaken deeply.
Then he saw a line written at the very bottom of the list.
This chart contains precious information about the sect and was written by the arduously working Treasury Overseer. The calculations for each and every expense have to be adjusted every year due to inflation or deflation of the currency, as well as the annual budget allocation of the sect. Naturally, the creation of this chart is a laborious and complex process. So it is not free and the reader must deposit a tribute of 1 spirit stone in the slot hidden under this chart or face a harsh punishment!
"....." Han Xuhan almost cursed out loud, but fearing that there would be a fee for that too, he had to restrain himself.
His indignation overflowing, Han Xuhan grabbed his half-filled residential package application and went to consult Xuanyuan Zhou, his nominal master.
Seeing him appear by her side, her mouth broke out in a sneaky grin.
"Attendant Xuhan, you've been avoiding me since taking this job. It's almost as if you don't want to be my attendant at all!"
Of course he didn't. But he couldn't admit that without giving a logical explanation as to why he had asked for it in the first place. So he could only plaster a shy smile on his face and play the part of a fool.
"Ahaha, this is a natural outcome, my lady. Prior to the agreement, you and I were peers. Now I am beneath you in status suddenly, and that makes things a little awkward. I didn't know how to approach you for a while there. But worry not, because I have already accepted my fate. Han Xuhan is at your service from this very moment!"
Xuanyuan Zhou stared at him intensely for a moment before nodding. "My Lady, eh? I like the sound of that address. So respectful..."
The way she trailed off with her murmuring with a distant, wistful look in her eyes made Han Xuhan feel a sudden chill. Embroiled in matters far beyond his understanding, he had forgotten how creepy this girl was, especially with him.
Now that he thought about it, she definitely knew early on that he was an anomaly of some sort in this world. The ancestry test's result had only been a confirmation for her.
Realizing this, Han Xuhan felt a little better. Powerful, resourceful, knowledgeable, perceptive, and pretty—this girl was top tier heroine material for any fictional world. His system guaranteed that too.
So hugging her thigh as an attendant was not a bad outcome for him, given his lack of connections in this world. As long as he didn't get romantically involved with her, he would not be in harm's way.
"So tell me, Attendant Xuhan, what trouble have you found yourself in? Judging by your secretive conversation with Senior Brother Lin back then, I am guessing it has something to do with money," Xuanyuan Zhou said languidly.
Shocked, Han Xuhan nearly cracked his neck from whipping it around too fast, lest anybody should hear them. Stepping closer to her, he whispered,
"This is supposed to be a secret. How do you know about it? Do you have connections with the higher-ups of the sect?"
Xuanyuan Zhou only displayed a mysterious smile. "I'll leave that to Attendant Xuhan's guesses. But rest assured, if it is only about money, don't feel too constricted. I earned quite a sum from my challenges today."
Han Xuhan was in disbelief. "Wait, you'd pay for my expenses?"
Xuanyuan Zhou harrumphed proudly.
"A master will naturally pay for her attendant's expenses. What's so surprising about it? What's the total amount the two of us have to pay? Wait for me to fill up this application and settle the accounts with the registrar!"
While she was scribbling on her form, Han Xuhan did the math in his mind and said, "We have to pay about 350 spirit stones per month jointly."
The quill in Xuanyuan Zhou's grip broke into two and fell down.