Night had settled over the servants' barracks, enveloping them in a blanket of silence broken only by the rhythmic chirping of crickets and the soft shhh-shhh of Kenji's whetstone. Xiao Yue remained seated on the ground, the earth cold beneath her, but she felt nothing. Her mind was a whirlwind. Soul Engineer. The phrase echoed in her head, dismantling and rebuilding her worldview.
Kenji finished his task. He held the gardening tool, a simple hoe, up to the moonlight, his eyes narrowing as he inspected the now-perfect edge. With an efficient motion, he wiped the blade clean and set it aside. Then, he turned to face Xiao Yue, his expression as serious as if he were about to open a board meeting.
"Good," he said, his voice cutting through the silence. "Now that the concept has been proven and the client has accepted the basic premise of the consultancy, we must establish the terms of service and the operating agreement for our joint venture."
Xiao Yue blinked. "Joint… venture?"
"It is a functional description," Kenji clarified. "You are the primary asset and the public face of the operation. I am the shadow director of strategy and product development. For this synergy to work, we need rules. Parameters. A contract." He crossed his arms, assuming a negotiating posture. "Point number one, and the most critical: absolute confidentiality."
He paused, ensuring he had her full attention.
"From now on, everything related to my methods, the manual, our sessions, and my role in your development is covered by what is known in my field as a Non-Disclosure Agreement. An NDA."
Xiao Yue frowned, processing the strange words. "En-Dee-Ei? Is that some kind of spiritual blood oath? Must I invoke the heavens?"
Kenji gave her a look that was almost pitying.
"Negative. Spiritual oaths are unreliable security protocols with exploitable loopholes. This is simpler and more absolute. My methods, my analyses… they are my intellectual property. The only valuable asset I currently possess. If that information leaks, if the 'how' behind your progress becomes public, my value as a consultant plummets. I lose my competitive edge. Our venture would go bankrupt before it even left the launch phase."
He simplified, seeing the confusion in her golden eyes.
"Don't tell anyone what we are doing. Ever. Not your father, not the gossiping maids, not a talking rabbit if you happen to find one in the woods. Our project depends on operating in 'stealth mode' until we achieve an unassailable market position. Is that clear?"
The seriousness with which he uttered "talking rabbit" almost made Xiao Yue smile. She nodded, the ironclad logic behind the strange terminology was undeniable.
"Stealth mode," she repeated. "Understood."
"Excellent," Kenji said, as if he had checked a box on a mental list. "Point number two: Logistics and Operational Schedule. My cover as a low-level servant must be maintained at all costs. It is the perfect camouflage."
He took out a small twig and drew a simple diagram in the dust.
"Our 'Active Restructuring Sessions' will be held daily, at dawn, in your pavilion. It's the time with the least amount of foot traffic. The probability of being observed is minimal."
"And what if we need to communicate outside of that time?" Xiao Yue asked, starting to get into the game. "I can't just come looking for you in the laundry. That would be a security breach."
A millimeter of a curve of approval appeared on Kenji's lips.
"Correct. You have already identified a potential system vulnerability. For that, we will implement an asynchronous and discreet communication system." He glanced at the empty food tray a maid had left nearby to be collected later. "Your food tray. It is our secure channel. Starting tomorrow, observe the garnish."
"The garnish?"
"Precisely. A normal sprig of parsley means 'nominal operations, see you tomorrow as usual.' A jasmine flower means 'urgent meeting, wait for me at the pavilion after dinner.' And a slice of ginger means 'tomorrow's session is canceled.' Simple, organic, and it will go unnoticed by any casual observer."
Xiao Yue was dumbfounded. It was brilliant. Ridiculously brilliant. It was the kind of cunning one would expect from a spymaster, not a servant who spoke of her soul as if it were a company.
"Your part of the operating agreement," Kenji continued, "is twofold. First, strict adherence to the program. You must follow the 'User Manual' to the letter. You must not deviate, and crucially, you must not mix my methods with the clan's 'inefficient legacy systems,' like the garbage Master Wei teaches. Trying to run both operating systems at once will only corrupt the data and cause a critical failure."
"Second," he added, his gaze becoming more intense, "I need data. Market intelligence. You are my eyes and ears in the inner circles. Conversations you overhear, changes in clan policy, the mood of the Elders, the latest stupidities of your siblings… all of it is valuable information. You will report it to me daily."
"So, in addition to being your 'primary asset,' I am also your spy," Xiao Yue summarized, an amused smile playing on her lips.
"I prefer the term 'Head of Competitive Intelligence Gathering'," Kenji corrected. "But yes."
"Alright, consultant. I understand my duties. Now, what are our objectives? Where is all this supposed to lead us?"
Kenji stood up and walked a few paces, looking toward the distant lights of the main clan complex.
"Point number three: Key Performance Objectives for the First Quarter." He turned to her.
"Objective One: Achieve Market Competence. Within ninety days, your demonstrable skill level must be on par with, or exceed, that of an average disciple of the Jade Ring. Not your brothers, not yet. But you must cease to be at the bottom of the rankings and enter the top 20%. This is our 'Minimum Viable Product' phase. We have to prove the product works."
"Objective Two: Resource Acquisition. Your improved performance will attract attention and, with it, resources. Better quality pills, access to more advanced technique manuals, perhaps even a personal spiritual weapon. Your task will be to convert your new skill into this 'investment capital.' I will give you the performance; you have to make sure the company pays us for it."
"Objective Three: Strategic Positioning. Once you are no longer seen as a 'non-performing asset' and become a rising star, you will gain influence. Your word will carry more weight. Your presence will be noted. This is the long-term goal. It's not just about being strong, it's about building a power base within the clan's corporate structure."
The plan was so audacious, so arrogant, and so incredibly detailed that Xiao Yue felt a thrill of excitement. For the first time in her life, she had a clear path. It was a strange path, paved with words like "synergy" and "assets," but it was a path.
There was one last question, the most important one. She stood up, brushing the dust from her dress. She faced him, his equal in this strange enterprise.
"And you? What do you get out of all this, Kenji? What's your price, consultant?"
Kenji looked at her, and for a moment, Xiao Yue saw something in his eyes beyond cold analysis. She saw the glint of an ambition so vast it could swallow the sky.
"My compensation package is structured in phases, in direct proportion to the company's growth," he explained. "Phase One Payment: Access. As you said, I am a servant. I am forbidden from entering the advanced techniques library. But a star disciple, the prodigy daughter of the Sect Master… she can. Once you have access, I will have access through you. Information is my primary currency. I need more data to refine the product."
"Phase Two Payment," he continued, his voice dropping a tone, "Protection. Right now, I am an insect that can be crushed at any moment. Matriarch Feng is intrigued, but her patience has a limit. If my true nature is discovered prematurely, I am dead. But as your value to the clan increases, your influence will become a protective shield for my operations. You will be my 'corporate firewall'."
He paused, and his gaze turned distant, strategic.
"And as for the long-term vision… Let's just say this clan is a venerable but poorly managed corporation. There's infighting, ineffective leadership, and external competitors. It's on the verge of an internal collapse or a hostile takeover. A successful turnaround requires a competent executive on the inside, someone with the power, the lineage, and a new operating system to steer the company into a new era of prosperity."
He looked at her intently.
"My ultimate goal is to install that executive."
Xiao Yue felt the air leave her lungs. He wasn't talking about a stranger. He was talking about her. This servant, this enigma, didn't just plan to fix her. He planned to take her to the top. His ambition for her was infinitely greater than any she had ever had for herself.
She was overwhelmed, a little scared, but most of all, she felt incredibly, dangerously alive. This madman had a more detailed and ambitious plan for her life than her own father ever had. His cold, ruthless logic was, in its own strange way, the deepest form of faith anyone had ever shown her.
A slow, genuine smile spread across her face, lighting up her golden eyes in the darkness.
"Alright, consultant," she said, her voice firm and filled with a new determination. "You have a deal."
She held out her hand, a gesture she had seen merchants in the city use to seal an agreement.
Kenji looked at her outstretched hand for a second, his analytical brain probably cataloging the gesture as a "low-tech but symbolically effective contract-closing protocol." Then, he shook it. His grip was firm, dry, and professional. A single shake, and they let go. The joint venture had been founded.
"Excellent," Kenji said, returning to his usual tone. "The meeting is adjourned. Your first task under this new agreement is to go to your pavilion and get a minimum of eight hours of sleep. Asset recovery and cellular regeneration are crucial for optimal performance."
He turned, picked up his freshly sharpened hoe, and walked into the darkness of the barracks, as calmly as if he had just been discussing the weather forecast.
Xiao Yue was left alone under the moon, the feeling of the firm handshake still on her skin. She had just signed the strangest and most important business agreement in the history of cultivation. Her soul, it seemed, now had terms and conditions. And for the first time, she felt like she was about to turn a profit.