Chapter 726 - 220: [Completely Different] (8,600 Words) _3
The servant’s face, which was polite but subtly indifferent, suddenly cleared of coldness! His expression became several times more enthusiastic, and he looked at the jade coin string Chen Yan placed on the table with a glimmer in his eyes.
Taking a deep breath, the servant bowed properly and said with a smile to Chen Yan, "Honored guest, if there’s anything you wish to inquire, please feel free to instruct me!"
Chen Yan nodded—this change in attitude was quite scientific.
Taking advantage of this enthusiasm, Chen Yan quickly questioned the servant.
·
This servant was a mortal.
From the servant’s mouth, Chen Yan gained a general understanding of the situation in West Platform City and obtained some information he wanted to know.
West Platform City is honored as the largest city in the Western Border of the Domain Realm, but actually doesn’t rank much in the entire Domain Realm.
This so-called largest city in the Western Border, if placed in the bustling east, would probably be considered only a medium-sized city.
The exact population of West Platform City is unknown; generally, the Domain Realm doesn’t have the custom of population statistics, but there are eight hundred thousand households.
These eight hundred thousand households are all mortals!
According to the rules of the Domain Realm, mortals are like cattle and horses, not qualified to be included in the official registered cultivator population of the Immortal Platform.
And the eight hundred thousand mortal households of West Platform City engage in low-level industries, serving as the veins, blood, and tools that run this city.
In contrast, West Platform City has eighteen thousand cultivators.
They are the "official population" of West Platform City.
They are Celestial Dragon People, the elite.
Fortunately, the resources of the Domain Realm are not scarce, and the cultivation civilization is quite developed, avoiding situations of strict hierarchy where upper cultivators abuse lower mortals like pigs and dogs.
Although the hierarchy is clearly defined, cultivators cannot harm mortals arbitrarily.
Firstly, doing so violates the harmony of heaven; engaging in cruel acts increases the cultivator’s karma, potentially affecting their mental realm and primordial spirit cultivation.
Secondly, the Immortal Platform has laws, maintaining a tolerant attitude towards mortals. If cultivators harm mortals, they won’t necessarily face the death penalty, but will receive significant punishment.
The reason the Immortal Platform does this is simple: cultivators do not produce! Mortals are the main labor force!
However, this data also allows Chen Yan to come to a judgment.
Eight hundred thousand households of mortals, yielding eighteen thousand cultivators.
Estimating five people per household, four million people yield close to twenty thousand cultivators.
This means the ratio of mortals to cultivators is about one out of two hundred.
The ratio isn’t extremely rare, but... although the Domain Realm is a cultivation civilization, evidently, cultivation talent isn’t widespread among everyone.
In cities like West Platform City, local schools run by the Immortal Platform’s regional governance are established. Any mortal resident of this city, before reaching the age of sixteen, can go to school to learn and cultivate for three months.
Any age before sixteen is fine; specific age is up to individual discretion. Generally, the earlier one goes to learn, the more the three-month learning period assesses one as having cultivation talent, making them more valued.
During the three-month learning period, though those with poor talent may not necessarily enter, overall talent can probably be discerned.
After the three-month learning period, those who enter become cultivators, registered as cultivator population by the local governance, and whether they continue cultivating, are recruited by a powerful family for nurturing, or embark on the path of a loose cultivator independently, depends on their talent.
Typically, those with the best talent are recruited by powerful families—often the best career path for cultivation talents emerging from humble mortal backgrounds.
Those with average talent are kept by local governance to continue cultivating for several years in official schools, granted the unified cultivation technique compiled by the Immortal Platform, and receive certain cultivation resources—this future involves serving in various positions for local governance or being enlisted in various immortal armies of the Immortal Platform’s battle division. It can be said the future is stable, but not necessarily with high potential, as the standard cultivation techniques are well-rounded but offer stable status and a fixed income, meeting basic cultivation resource needs.
Those with the poorest talent, disregarded by powerful families and local governance, can only become loose cultivators.
Loose cultivators face many struggles; one need only look at the hunters risking their lives past Snow Cliff Pass.
Still, even as loose cultivators, their future is far better than mortals.
Mortals can only be at the bottom, serving as cattle and labor force.
Loose cultivators, at least, are more free and liberated, living more carefree than mortals if they don’t pursue longevity and improvement in realm and cultivation.
Their lifespan is longer—mortals generally live several decades, while loose cultivators, no matter how low their cultivation, generally live at least a hundred decades.
This shift in attitude from the servant towards Chen Yan was not only due to the half string of coins Chen Yan threw out, but also because Chen Yan conjured the coins from thin air from his storage jade pendant in front of the servant.
The servant, being mortal, realized that this diner, seemingly a bottom-level laborer, was actually a cultivator, thus his attitude naturally improved.
Initially thinking he was some out-of-town mortal laborer, making a mistake by entering this tavern for a meal.
This servant might have harbored a mind to deliberately not point out the mistake, intending to watch him make a joke.
But eventually, seeing he was a cultivator, everything was fine.
The servant even misunderstood Chen Yan, thinking this cultivator came to West Platform City looking for work, and after receiving Chen Yan’s reward, he deliberately pointed out a direction for Chen Yan.
"The Immortal Reception Platform at the city governance always has announcements recruiting cultivators; those in the Inner Room Realm can find an ordinary job there, plus are assigned a residence and two mortal servants to attend them. Those obtaining regular employment receive a stipend of jade coins each ten-day period, not always sufficient for cultivation resources, but certainly enough for a worry-free life."