Reasons.

"There are two, very simple reasons why I am helping you. First reason is simple petty vengeance against the clan for throwing me away. Taking you three and the others that the clan also threw away and making you all cultivators will prove them wrong, that we were not trash to be thrown away. And while I admit it's not the greatest reason to spend the time and resources to help you, I do find it amusing.

But the second reason I'm helping you is a very good reason to do it. I plan to form a cultivator clan. You three, and the others that agree to my terms will be a part of it."

From the looks on the trio's faces, it seemed like they thought his idea to make a cultivator clan was foolish and a waste of time. But since they had just been rescued from their drafty shacks and allowed to stay in luxurious houses and were even going to be given the chance to become cultivators, they decided to keep their mouths shut.

"You seem doubtful." Collin said.

"Our society may seem like it is divided into cultivators and non-cultivators, but each half is divided into many layers. And the lowest layer of the cultivator half is rogue cultivators, like us, while cultivator clans and sects stand at the top.

As a rogue cultivator you will only be allowed to purchase the lowest meditation methods, spells, and techniques. You will never be trusted with any position of power, or any lucrative paying jobs, or anything resembling real authority. You will only be expected to hit the 7th layer bottleneck, then either grow old and die, or spend so much time breaking through you waste your potential to grow enough to change your own fate.

While I have a plan to join the Alchemist's Guild and have them as a backer, as long as I am not part of a clan or sect, then certain doors will always be closed to me. But if I make a clan and get it recognized by the empire, well, all those doors get opened wide."

"What are these doors you keep talking about? And why do they matter?" Viktor asked with a confused look on his face. A quick look at the other two showed the same confused look on their faces. It didn't take even a moment for Collin to understand why, even though they were the children of clan elders, they never learned the inner workings of how a clan functions.

A long sigh escaped Collins mouth as his body slouched in his chair,

"For a clan to be recognized by the empire, it needs a long history of deeds that are helpful to the empire, like the Monten clan. Families like the Tyler's or the Styron's, the moment they have a verifiable cultivator, they not only become a cultivator clan, but they instantly become a recognized cultivation clan for their many years of service to the empire.

I plan to use the Alchemist's Guild as a backer and getting recognized by the empire and swearing allegiance to the empire and to follow the laws, rules, and regulations of the empire. After that, we will be able to do missions on behalf of the empire and will be given money and credit for successfully completing those missions.

Since it's expensive for the empire to dispatch the army for every little problem, they hire clans recognized by the empire. The most common mission is the go there and kill that kind, while rare some missions ask the clan to administrate an area or city. Most clans take on these missions for the credit, because that credit allows a clan to buy resources and knowledge for the empire.

And before you ask, yes, it's important. Over half the books in the clan library, the cultivation methods, spells, and techniques were purchased from the empire. The rest were spoils of war, caches of knowledge found in ruins, and the legacy passed down from our ancestors."

Collin was disappointed, he expected that they would understand his plan without him having to explain it in detail. The only bit of hope he had at the moment was that the trio stopped looking confused and seemed to accept their role in the plan. After finishing the meal, Collon told the brothers to place the tray in the delivery chute and return.

Collin was going to have them use the cultivation testing array. If they were talentless like they were told, then he would help them begin an alternative path of cultivation. But if they were talented, it would be best that they choose a normal cultivation method.

The trio were not happy to see the same kind of testing array that ruined their lives but submitted to the test. Valter and Julie were talentless, but to everyone's surprise Viktor was a talent. He began to look ecstatic, like everything in his life was going to be set right again.

It fell to Collin to pour water on Viktor's happiness.

"You still can't go back to the clan."

"Why not? I'm a talent, the only reason I was thrown away was because I was talentless, so why can't I go back." Viktor asked in an agitated tone.

"To rejoin the clan, all you have to do is walk into the counsel room and point you finger at the grand elder and call him an incompetent moron. Then it will be a race to see who kills you first, the grand elder, or your father.

Of course, you could be polite and say the grand elder made a mistake and that you are a talent. But, the grand elder will have to test you to make sure you are a talent and that you are not cheating by using something to falsely test as a talent. And given the choice between looking like an incompetent moron and saying you cheated so he could kill you, I think you're going to die."

Collin didn't intend to sound like an asshole as he explained Viktor's situation, but he remembered all the times that Viktor acted like a complete ass. The words and tone came out of his mouth without thinking. But now he was feeling bad about it since Viktor looked like he was about to cry from having his hopes crushed.

Trying to get out of this awkward situation, Collin handed Julie and Valter several papers with the alternative cultivation paths he had and a very brief explanation of their strengths and dangers. He also told them that they should spend the rest of the night choosing a path and tell after breakfast, so they could buy anything they need at the trade fair.

Viktor all but ran away the first moment he could, Julie left not long after, but Valter stood there for a moment reading the papers in his hands before speaking.

"Treasure Refining Sword Cultivator."

Of the two brothers Viktor was always a loud annoying asshole, while Valter was the calm and quite one who had always seemed to put great effort in to thinking before he spoke.

"Are you sure? I only received the manual this morning and haven't completely read it all."

"Yes." Valter said.

"Ok, if you still haven't changed your mind by breakfast time, I will buy the materials needed."

"Collin, about your plan, what knowledge do you really want from the empire?"

"I am a talent that believed the grand elder when he said I was talentless, so I became an Alchemic Cultivator without hesitation. But every step on that path becomes harder and harder and only death awaits me if I mess up. So, I am hoping to get my hands on journals of other Alchemic Cultivators and learn from their successes and failures to increase my odds of survival."

"So you're real plan is to use us for your own goals?" Valter asked.

"Yes, I plan to use you and the others. I will help you become cultivators, I will give you materials, I will give you pills, and I will help you grow stronger. But I will always, always put my needs first. If you have a problem with it, you can discuss it with the others, and you all know where the door is."

After he was done speaking Collin turned around and headed further into the building, leaving Valter standing there alone. As to what Valter was thinking, Collin was more interested in spending some time cultivating before taking a bath and then spend the rest of the night reading his new books.