As Yun Yi stepped fully into the pavilion, an almost unnatural silence descended. Every single servant, guard, cook, gardener, and minor retainer, without a single verbal command, bowed in perfect, synchronized reverence. It was a wave of respect that swept through the hall, a silent testament to the Yun family's authority and the Young Master's long-established (if eccentric) power. Even Lin Ke, seated calmly beneath the jade-sandalwood tree, rose to his feet. He then inclined his head in a bow that was barely perceptible but utterly sincere, reflecting the profound respect he held for the Yun lineage and its current heir.
As Yun Yi watched the entire hall, from the lowest scullery maid to the venerable Lin Ke, bow in perfect deference, his practiced calm almost shattered. Shit. How do I scan them all for loyalty? What if they can smell the system? Or worse, what if they know I'm not the real Yun Yi? A cold sweat, thick and undeniable, began to trickle down his temple. He fought to maintain his facade, forcing his racing thoughts back into line. Calm. Focus. Breathe. He repeated the mantra, or whatever stupid technique the original Yun Yi used to meditate.
With his internal panic barely suppressed, Yun Yi calmly raised a hand, his voice even and clear. "Rise."
The command, quiet yet firm, instantly swept through the pavilion. Hundreds of heads lifted in unison. Yun Yi let his gaze sweep across the assembled faces, meeting each one, cataloging their reactions. He saw panicked gazes, fearful of his unpredictable whims. He saw curious eyes, wondering at this unprecedented summons. And he saw excitement—a raw, almost feral eagerness mostly from Lin Wuke's battalion, clearly hoping for some chaos to ensue.
But then his gaze snagged on Lin Caixia. Her eyes were wide, unblinking, and undeniably filled with what looked suspiciously like stars. She wasn't panicked or curious; she was staring at him. Admiringly. Wait, why is she excited? A cold dread, completely unrelated to his earlier performance anxiety, began to creep over him. Caixia's reaction was... unexpected. And far more terrifying than a room full of bloodthirsty cultivators.
Yun Yi almost stumbled in his next step, almost. He decided to ignore all individual eyes for now, focusing on the staff in collective. "I have summoned you all tonight," his voice rang out, steady despite the frantic war going on inside his head. Don't trip. Don't stutter. Just sound important. "To assess the true, comprehensive might of our Yun Manor."
He let his gaze sweep over the assembled staff, pausing just long enough to make it seem meaningful, not just him trying to avoid Lin Caixia's unsettling stare. Right. 'Assess the might.' That's good. Sounds vaguely ominous, very Young Master. Now, how do I pivot this to 'minions' without sounding like I've read too many web novels?
As his eyes drifted over the closest faces in the front rows—a grim-faced guard, a nervous-looking cook, and then an imposing figure from the "Beat You Up" Battalion—a glowing blue box flickered into existence in the corner of his vision. He realized with a jolt that simply being in close proximity to a direct staff member was enough; the system was automatically performing a preliminary scan.
[Follower Found: Yun Manor Guard. Scan?]
[Follower Found: Head Cook Lin Yanyan. Scan?]
[Follower Found: Captain Lin Wuke. Scan?]
Oh, for heaven's sake, Yun Yi thought, his internal composure threatening to crack. Is this how it works? It just... pops up? In the middle of my dramatic speech? He forced his gaze forward, pretending not to notice the intrusive prompts, trying to project profound contemplation. He just needed to figure out how to address this... Minion situation.
[Follower Found: Lin Bo. Scan?]
[Name: Lin Bo]
[Race: Human (87%), Giant (13%)]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 16]
[Cultivation: Body Tempering (340/670)]
[Constitution: None]
[Bloodline: Spirit Kitten (08%)]
[Roots: Metal(56%)]
[Potential Points]
[Will: 4]
[Talent: 3]
[Comprehension: 3]
[Luck: 1]
[Fate: Canon Fodder]
[Loyalty: 37%]
[Notes: Not worthy of a second glance]
Great. Just what I needed. A system that insults my potential minions, Yun Yi thought, forcing his face to remain a mask of detached contemplation. Canon fodder? Do they know I'm actively trying to avoid turning into one of those villains who just collects cannon fodder? This thing has a sick sense of humor. He continued his slow walk, the parade of names and disheartening stats flashing past him, each one another headache in waiting.
"I plan to change the very way this manor operates," Yun Yi declared, his voice cutting through the silence. A collective gasp rippled through the staff, but his focus was now entirely consumed by the incessant, almost mocking flood of notifications in his peripheral vision: [Not worthy], [Not worthy], [Not worthy], [Not worthy]. Each step brought another rejection, each "not worthy" chipping away at his already strained composure.
He started walking faster, picking up his pace, spamming the scan button in his mind as he spoke. "The Yun Manor needs to raise its power!" he announced, his voice gaining an edge of urgency. "We are surrounded by enemies from everywhere!"
The words resonated. A sudden, palpable tension began to build in the pavilion, the frivolous murmurs dying completely. Faces hardened. Even Lin Ke, beneath the sandalwood tree, and the ever-composed Lin Xuan shifted, their expressions turning serious, their gazes fixed on the Young Master. This was no longer just another eccentricity; this felt like a genuine call to arms.
[Not worthy], [Not worthy], [Not worthy]. The stream of rejections was endless as he passed by junior servants, scribes, and even a few of the less impressive manor guards. Seriously, is everyone in this manor just... background filler? This quest is impossible if everyone's a dud!
Yun Yi's eyes, still darting between the physical world and the relentless system prompts, finally landed on the assembly of Core Servants—the more established, higher-ranking staff members. He paused his rapid walking, his gaze lingering on them with an intense, expectant look. "The foundation of our might..." he declared, his voice deepening, "must come from those with true worth!" His expectant stare seemed to pierce each of them individually, waiting.
The Core Servants stiffened, their expressions a mixture of awe and profound, terrified understanding. True worth! they thought, eyes widening. He's calling for a blood oath! Or worse, a trial by fire!
From every corner of the pavilion, gazes were now intensely focused on Yun Yi, expectant and utterly engrossed in what they perceived as their Young Master's profound and world-shaking address.
Yun Yi took a deep breath, trying to channel every generic motivational speech he'd ever heard in his past life. He continued his measured stroll, his gaze sweeping across the core retainers, his mind spamming the scan command. Simultaneously, he delivered his next profound statement.
"To truly secure our foundation," Yun Yi's voice rang out, imbued with a gravitas he didn't quite feel. He let his gaze sweep across the faces of his elite staff. "We must remember: The truth is out there... and we will find it! No secret shall remain hidden from the Yun Manor!"
As he spoke, the familiar blue system prompt for Lin Wuke flickered into his vision, displaying a new set of data now that he was directly in front of him:
[Name: Lin Wuke]
[Age: 18]
[Race: Human (87%), Giant (13%)]
[Gender: Male]
[Cultivation: Qi Condensation (670/1050)]
[Constitution: None]
[Spiritual Roots: Water (70%)]
[Potential Points]
[Will: 6]
[Talent: 5]
[Comprehension: 4]
[Luck: 4]
[Fate: Unstoppable Force (in a small pond)]
[Loyalty: 45% (increasing)]
[Notes: Should be ripe to harvest in a few months.]
As Yun Yi continued his profound speech, the chilling [Notes: Should be ripe to harvest in a few months] for Lin Wuke replaying in his mind. Harvest? What am I, a farmer now? A soul farmer? He fought against the urge to twitch an eye, forcing his gaze away from the absurdity of the prompt. But as his eyes swept over the Core Retainers, he found himself under their intense, unblinking scrutiny. Lin Xuan's analytical gaze, Lin Ke's profound patience, Lin Caixia's starry-eyed admiration, and even Lin Yanyan's wide-eyed culinary terror—all of them were fixed on him, waiting for his next profound, terrifying command.
Next, next, go next, Yun Yi urged himself internally, his gaze now locking onto Lin Xuan. Their eyes met across the pavilion, her usually unreadable expression unwavering. As he mentally spammed the scan command on her, Yun Yi spoke, his voice carrying a strange, almost ethereal resonance. "To secure the light, we have to find many light sources."
[Name: Lin Xuan]
[Age: 26]
[Race: Human]
[Gender: Female]
[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment (4000/4500)]
[Constitution: None]
[Spiritual Roots: Wind 87%]
[Potential Points]
[Will: 5]
[Talent: 6]
[Comprehension: 5]
[Luck: 5]
[Fate: Survivor]
[Loyalty: 23 (85 to Yun Household)]
[Notes: Do you have what it takes to get a yandere?]
A cold, genre-bending dread seized Yun Yi. His practiced stroll stuttered to a complete halt, his body rigid for a full second. A what now? Yandere? In a Xianxia universe? What is she doing here? The sheer genre mismatch sent a jolt of panic through him. He forced his mind to override the screaming panic, twisting his features into a semblance of profound contemplation. Ignore. Ignore. Go next.
Yun Yi muttered, half to himself, half as an internal plea to the system, "We don't have much time..." This desperate whisper accidentally carried further than he intended, echoing slightly in the stunned silence of the pavilion. He caught himself, forcing his voice back to a commanding volume. "Any mistake... could prove costly!" he declared, intending to sound authoritative, but the word "mistake" hung in the air, imbued with an ominous weight.
A fresh wave of panic rippled through the staff, compounding the already tense atmosphere. Faces blanched. The quiet murmurs turned into strained gasps. Was the Young Master admitting a fault? Or threatening to punish one? Their anxiety mounted with every confident stride Yun Yi took, his gaze sweeping over them, spamming the scan button in his mind.
[Loyalty: 54% (Increasing)] [Not worthy]
[Loyalty: 43% (Increasing)] [Not worthy]
[Loyalty: 57% (Increasing)] [Not worthy]
[Loyalty: 45% (Increasing)] [Not worthy]
[Loyalty: 82% (Increasing)] [Notes: A loyal but weak minion is just an insect.]
Yun Yi's eyes instantly locked onto the "82%" loyalty figure, a beacon in the endless stream of "not worthy" rejections. Finally! A real number! His gaze darted, almost involuntarily, towards the cluster of maids standing near Lin Xuan. His mouth opened before his brain caught up, and words he definitely hadn't intended to utter slipped out, almost a desperate plea. "You... you there. The ones with the... high percentages."
The three maids, Lin Xu, Lin Meimei, and Lin Ling, collectively flinched. Their heads snapped up, their eyes wide with bewilderment and a fresh wave of terror. High percentages? they thought, completely lost. Was the Young Master now speaking in riddles about their laundry efficiency? Their tea-serving speed?
Yun Yi's internal monologue went into a full-blown meltdown. No! You idiot! You absolute, incompetent idiot! You just said the quiet part out loud! "High percentages"? What kind of a Young Master command is that?! His composure, already paper-thin, threatened to crumble completely. He had to pivot. Now.
He forced a strained smile onto his face, a desperate attempt to salvage his blunder. "Yes! Those among you who possess... a high percentage of demonstrable skill!" he boomed, trying to sound authoritative and inspiring, rather than like someone who'd just read an excel sheet aloud. "Such individuals shall be promoted! Advanced! Given new responsibilities in this grand era for the Yun Manor!" He gestured expansively, hoping the sheer enthusiasm of his gesture would override the awkwardness of his words.
As his gaze swept over the maids, trying to make eye contact with anyone who might embody this "demonstrable skill," Lin Meimei's data flashed into his view.
[Name: Lin Meimei]
[Age: 16]
[Race: Human/wood fairy]
[Gender: Female]
[Cultivation: Body Tempering (487/650)]
[Constitution: None]
[Bloodline: None]
[Roots: Wood/water]
[Potential Points]
[Will: 4]
[Talent: 6]
[Comprehension: 5]
[Luck: 7]
[Fate: Be a nightmare for elf royalty]
[Loyalty: 82]
[Notes: A loyal but weak follower is nothing but an insect.]
A heavy sigh escaped him, barely audible above the strained silence of the pavilion. Yet, what was merely a normal sign of exasperation from Yun Yi was instantly misinterpreted by all the attendees. Some thought the Young Master was profoundly dissatisfied with their work, a terrifying judgment on their performance. Others blamed their weak cultivation, resolving to train until their Dantians ached. A significant portion of the staff, convinced of some unseen failure on their part, decided right then and there that they would follow every single word their Young Master uttered, no matter how bizarre or dangerous. Surprisingly, and unbeknownst to Yun Yi, everyone's loyalty began rising constantly, bit by bit, pulled in by the sheer momentum of his unintentional, terrifying address. Even Lin Xuan and Lin Ke, usually unflappable, found themselves subtly swept up in the collective surge of resolve and anxious dedication.
Yun Yi, however, was heavily disappointed. Not a single qualifying follower. The system's brutal requirement of 60% loyalty to his personal self was proving impossible to meet. He thought that since the frantic scan was complete and he hadn't found anyone "worthy," he should simply send them all back and get some much-needed sleep.
"I... I believe you guys can handle the task given," Yun Yi declared, intending it as a dismissive, 'you're dismissed' sort of line.
A collective, bewildered murmur rippled through the hall. What task? everyone's mind echoed in unison. They had been listening to him from the very beginning, hanging on his every cryptic word, yet he had never mentioned a specific "task." Then, a terrifying realization dawned on them, spreading like wildfire through the ranks. The "task" the Young Master was referring to was not some single, explicit command, but the grand, overarching directive to improve themselves—to redefine their worth, to gather hidden truths, to elevate the manor's power, all for the glory of the Yun family and for their demanding Young Master.
With a sudden, unified snap, every single member of the staff—guards, cooks, maids, and even the hulking figures of the "Beat You Up" Battalion—saluted in perfect sync, their arms raised, then bowed deeply, a profound wave of dedication washing over the pavilion.
With that, Yun Yi simply turned and left the pavilion, strolling casually back towards his room, his disappointment a heavy cloak. Behind him, the entire assembly of servants dispersed, not with the usual tired shuffling, but with a new, fervent energy. They were filled with heavy motivation, a potent surge of adrenaline, and a terrifying sense of purpose. The Young Master had spoken, and the Yun Manor would never be the same.