Early the next morning, Steward Qi personally came to the medicine hall to escort the six of them to their new posts in the inner estate.
Upon arrival, Steward Qi first exchanged a glance with the Old Medical Cultivator at the entrance. Only after receiving a nod of approval did he lead them away, visibly satisfied.
Wen Shuangbai and the others followed behind Steward Qi, chatting and laughing along the way.
As they ventured deeper into the inner estate, Wen Shuangbai feigned curiosity and asked, "Steward Qi, where exactly are we headed?"
Yin Xuan, who rarely spoke up, added, "It feels like we've been walking forever."
"This is the Qi… Family… Town," Steward Qi declared, his entire demeanor radiating pride as he emphasized each word. He glanced at them and continued, "All newly appointed inner guards of the Qi family must serve here for a year. The town has everything you could possibly need, so unless it’s absolutely necessary, none of you are to leave without permission."
After a pause, he added, "If there truly is an urgent matter, you may request leave from me."
Wen Shuangbai nodded obediently on the surface, but inwardly scoffed.
Steward Qi’s words reminded her of modern-day bosses who claimed to allow leave but never actually approved it.
This Qi Family Town—once you entered, it seemed leaving wouldn’t be so easy.
Before long, they arrived at the town’s entrance.
The group halted behind Steward Qi.
Xie Ziyin looked up at the heavily guarded cave entrance, bristling with traps and mechanisms.
This was the very nest he and her senior brother had glimpsed from afar that night.
Recognizing Steward Qi, the guards swiftly opened the iron gate.
Beyond it, a shimmering, rippling light pulsed like water.
Wen Shuangbai and her companions followed Steward Qi through the entrance.
In the next moment, they found themselves standing in Qi Family Town.
The town at dawn was tranquil and serene.
Neat pathways stretched before them, quiet and pristine.
Suddenly, an eerie flute melody drifted through the air, followed by the synchronized footsteps of a procession.
Instinctively, they turned toward the sound.
At the corner of a nearby road, a flamboyantly dressed music cultivator played his flute, leading a group of ghostly figures toward them.
Spotting Wen Shuangbai’s group, the music cultivator respectfully nodded at Steward Qi without missing a beat, continuing his tune as he guided the mesmerized ghosts past them.
Lu Jiayao nearly jumped out of his skin, stammering as he pointed a trembling finger. "Th-th-those are the ones we—"
"We saw them outside Zhuoguang City!" Wen Shuangbai cut in, shocked. She turned to Steward Qi. "Aren’t those demons? Why are there demons here?!"
Steward Qi, unfazed by their alarm, confirmed calmly, "Indeed, they are demons."
"Demonic creatures run rampant in these troubled times, and our Xuantian Realm suffers greatly," he sighed, his eyes tinged with sorrow. "Every man bears responsibility for his country’s fate—how much more so for the Qi family? But demons are as countless as fish in a river; eradicating them is impossible. Our family head long ago proposed an alternative: rather than destroying them, why not find a way to make them serve humanity? Shuangbai."
Wen Shuangbai, who had been listening to Steward Qi’s spiel, straightened abruptly at the sound of her name. "Yes! At your service, sir!"
Steward Qi continued, "You’re an artifact cultivator. You know better than most that many things are merely misplaced materials. Demons harm people, but if we can control them and forge them into tools—like swords—then the demonic scourge can be resolved. What do you think?"
As the six of them fell into deep thought, Steward Qi left it at that. "Spend more time here, and you’ll understand the foresight of our family head’s plan."
Having finished his pitch, Steward Qi assigned them their posts.
Wen Shuangbai was sent to the Qi Family Town’s artifact forge, tasked with repairing the cultivators’ weapons.
Rumor had it that the training grounds saw frequent clashes between cultivators and demons, leading to constant weapon damage—and, of course, frequent injuries. Xie Ziyin ended up in the medical hall across from her.
Lu Jiayao was taken under the wing of that flamboyant music cultivator, learning to play the flute melodies that controlled the demons.
Yin Xuan and Li Zhuohua were assigned to the training grounds to spar with the demons.
When the assignments were announced, Wen Shuangbai vividly remembered the sheer delight on Zhuohua’s face—a stark contrast to the utter despair on their senior brother’s.
Truly, the joys and sorrows of sword cultivators were not the same.
As for Shen Hefeng…
Well, Steward Qi hadn’t found much use for him. Since the town had no need for fortune-tellers, he was unceremoniously dumped in the talisman workshop to learn seal scripting.
Shen Hefeng was aghast. "I don’t know how to draw talismans!" he protested.
Steward Qi shrugged. "Then learn."
Grumbling, Shen Hefeng argued, "If I could learn, I’d have done it by now! I just want to tell fortunes—I swear, every prediction will be accurate!"
Steward Qi said nothing, only asking, "Do you not want this job anymore?"
Shen Hefeng: "…"
Clenching his teeth, Shen Hefeng had no choice but to yield. "Fine. I’ll learn."
Steward Qi gave him an approving nod before leaving.
---
On her first day, Wen Shuangbai repaired five artifacts, earning praise from her supervisor: "Not bad! For once, Steward Qi actually found someone competent."
Wen Shuangbai humbly replied, "You flatter me."
"Keep it up, and you’ll go far." The supervisor patted her shoulder, then glanced at the sky. "Alright, that’s it for today. Pack up and head out. Since you’re new, you might want to check out the night market—get familiar with the place."
With that, the supervisor left.
The moment he was gone, the rest of the staff wasted no time cleaning up and bolting.
By the time Wen Shuangbai returned with materials to fix one more artifact, the entire forge was empty except for her.
Wen Shuangbai: "?"
What kind of place was this? Clock out sharp at five, no overtime whatsoever?
Looking left and right, an idea struck her. She quietly pocketed a "tiny" amount of materials.
No one would notice, right?
Just as she was finishing her sixth repair, she heard someone calling her name from below.
Wen Shuangbai stood and pushed open the window.
The remnants of sunset painted the sky in brilliant hues. Below, her five teammates stood waiting.
Hearing the noise, Xie Ziyin glanced up.
Their eyes met, and Wen Shuangbai froze for a split second.
Beside him, Lu Jiayao waved enthusiastically. "Shuangbai! Come down! We’re going to the night market!"
---
Being an inner guard in Qi Family Town was no different from being imprisoned there.
The night market was the sole entertainment for the cultivators in the town, bustling with activity that could rival even the imperial capital.
Taverns, eateries, opera stages, gambling dens…
Wen Shuangbai watched the cultivators splurging recklessly inside and couldn’t help but sigh.
No wonder the Qi family was so generous with their money—because it all ultimately cycled back into their own pockets anyway!
As they walked further, Wen Shuangbai even spotted a stall selling grass-woven animals.
The little grass-woven goose hanging from her waist on the Fire Feather Whip suddenly stiffened.
Four hundred coins: It was its grass-woven horse!!!
Wen Shuangbai reacted swiftly, covering it and stuffing it into her storage ring without a second thought.
"Wake up! A single grass-woven horse here costs thirty sacred stones—that’s thirty thousand spirit stones!"
Inside the Sacred Tower, due to the exchange rate, it was only good for earning money, not spending it.
Lu Jiayao suddenly exclaimed, "Good heavens, there’s even a brothel for demonic cultivators here?!"
Wen Shuangbai: "?"
She instinctively followed Lu Jiayao’s pointing finger.
Across the small river stood an elegantly decorated pleasure house, its entrance crowded with cultivators. A beautiful woman stood at the door, beckoning patrons, while at her feet lay a… giant turtle?
The woman occasionally stepped on the turtle’s back for good measure.
Wen Shuangbai stared at the familiar-looking turtle, then turned to Xie Ziyin, who was closest to her. Her mouth fell slightly open, her eyes screaming, "No way?!"
No wonder!
Earlier, outside the city lord’s residence, she had seen people from the Purple Flame Realm, the Heavenly Net Witch Sect, and the Divine Evolution Temple. The Ten Thousand Saints Palace had clung to them like a stubborn rash. Only the little demons from Jade Rhinoceros Valley were missing—as if they’d vanished into thin air within the city.
Turns out, they’d arrived in Qi Manor Town one step ahead of them!
Xie Ziyin, observing the woman who had completely abandoned her decorum, swiftly tossed something into her mouth.
"?" Wen Shuangbai dodged reflexively, frowning as she nearly spat it out. But she bit down first—crunch! A burst of roasted chicken flavor filled her mouth. Her eyes lit up, her expression instantly brightening. "Roast chicken-flavored fasting pill?"
"Mn." Xie Ziyin had specially concocted it in the medical hall today.
Complex-flavored fasting pills required more ingredients, but the medical hall had everything in stock—and it wasn’t his money being spent.
They had only exchanged a couple of sentences when Yin Xuan appeared, silently staring at Xie Ziyin: "?"
Xie Ziyin: "..."
He replied mercilessly, "No more. I only made one."
Yin Xuan shook his head and followed Shen Hefeng, Lu Jiayao, and Li Zhuohua ahead as they headed toward the demonic cultivator brothel.
"Well, aren’t you newcomers?" The brothel’s madam greeted them with a smile. "I heard Steward Qi holds you in high regard—bound for greatness, I’d say. Care for a drink? Whatever little demons you fancy, sister here has them all. Guaranteed satisfaction."
Shen Hefeng crouched beside her, stroking the turtle shell with an almost perverse fascination. "This little turtle demon is quite something."
"You’ve got a sharp eye, young Taoist," the madam praised. "This turtle demon is truly extraordinary."
"Right?" Shen Hefeng mused. "It’d make such a fine divination shell after it dies…"
The madam’s smile froze: "…?" That wasn’t what she’d meant.
Lu Jiayao petted his Jade Rhinoceros Valley comrades and asked eagerly, "Sister, what makes it so extraordinary? Can we see?"
"Afraid not," the madam sighed regretfully. "There’s not just one little demon in here—there are six! But alas, these little rascals went back on their word and retreated into this turtle shell, refusing to work! I can’t pry them out. Even Steward Qi said we’d need to find their turtle father to open it. Where in the world am I supposed to find their turtle dad? Such rotten luck!"
Frustrated, she stomped on the turtle again.
Wen Shuangbai and Xie Ziyin approached, and Wen Shuangbai asked, "Why did they go back on their word? Did you not agree on the price?"
"Impossible!" The madam’s voice turned shrill. "I offered them three thousand sacred stones a day! They all said, ‘Yes, yes, no problem!’ That little fox demon was so happy, he even gave me one of his tails! But the moment they arrived here, these little brats changed their minds and hid inside this shell!"
Wen Shuangbai sucked in a sharp breath.
[That’s because, madam, your exact words were: ‘Three thousand a day, easy work—just lie around.’ The Jade Rhinoceros Valley demons took it literally! They thought they really just had to lie there!]
[Wuwuwu, our Jade Rhinoceros Valley has finally been discovered.]
[Will the Qingling Mountain folks find a way to take them away?]
Seeing Shen Hefeng’s genuine interest in the half-dead turtle, the madam offered, "Young Taoist, I’ll do you a favor. Six demons bundled in this turtle—just five hundred sacred stones. How’s that?"
Shen Hefeng immediately withdrew his hand.
"Are you joking? My most prized treasure banner only cost a hundred thousand. And you dare charge me fifty thousand for this useless, unopenable turtle?"
Disgusted, he stood up and waved to his companions. "Let’s go. Nothing interesting here."
The madam desperately tried to offload the turtle. "Ah, really not interested? It’s an auspicious symbol—turtles represent longevity!"
Wen Shuangbai shook her head. "Only money buys longevity."
The madam: "……" Well, the girl wasn’t wrong.
Beyond the Mystic Heaven Mirror—
In the imperial capital, Jade Rhinoceros Hall.
The elders of Jade Rhinoceros Valley had been ready to pack up and leave.
But against all odds, fortune smiled upon them—ha! The Ten Thousand Saints Palace got eliminated before them!
Their Jade Rhinoceros Valley had survived another round.
Qingling Mountain—their lucky stars.
Turtle Elder sipped his exorbitantly expensive spirit wine, chuckling as he watched his turtle son being stomped on repeatedly. He turned to the other elders and suggested, "From now on, we should collaborate more with Qingling Mountain on profitable ventures."
