Zhi was a rogue cultivator with barely any cultivation, only slightly stronger than an ordinary person. Due to her pitifully low talent, she had been abandoned by her clan at a very young age and left to fend for herself, drifting from place to place just to survive.
Living rough, never knowing where her next meal would come from, Zhi grew thin and sallow. The only thing of value she owned was a second-hand Mystic Heaven Mirror, which she had saved up for over a long, long time.
With her low cultivation, plain looks, and quiet demeanor, Zhi struggled to find work. As a result, she had been unemployed for quite a while.
Her daily life consisted of sleeping under bridges, drinking from streams when thirsty, and foraging for wild berries when hungry. The highlight of her day was browsing the Mystic Heaven Mirror, hoping to find some odd job she could take.
Then, one evening, she stumbled upon a recruitment notice.
[Caiyuan Pavilion: New branch opening! Seeking cultivators for employment! Generous compensation guaranteed! Available positions listed below.]
Zhi scanned the list—and her eyes lit up. There was one job she might actually qualify for!
Without hesitation, she contacted Caiyuan Pavilion’s Mystic Heaven Mirror account.
After a brief exchange, the reply came: [Fifth day from now, at the hour of Si (9-11 AM), come for an interview at the Inexpensive Inn in Dizhou.]
True to its name, the Inexpensive Inn was indeed the cheapest lodging in all of Dizhou—which was exactly why Wen Shuangbai and her companions had chosen it.
The reason they were operating under pseudonyms was simple: they didn’t want anyone to know Caiyuan Pavilion was their venture, lest opportunistic applicants show up with ulterior motives.
To ensure privacy, they had rented out the entire inn.
On the day of the interview, Zhi arrived a quarter-hour early—only to find the front hall packed to the brim.
Most of the crowd consisted of rogue cultivators like her—unaffiliated with any sect or clan, scraping by on their own.
Zhi, who was terrified of crowded spaces, shrank into a corner, her nerves fraying.
At the appointed hour, the sound of footsteps echoed from upstairs.
Zhi and the others looked up—and saw a young Daoist with a boyish face descending the stairs.
Zhi’s eyes widened.
Wasn’t that… Shen Hefeng of Qingling Mountain?!
She had watched the entire Qingling Mountain Sacred Pagoda Tournament!
"Quiet, all of you!" Shen Hefeng stood at the stair landing, holding a tortoise shell. "Form a line. One by one, you’ll come to me. Pass my test, and you move on to the next round. Fail, and you leave immediately. Understood?"
"We know you!" A dozen or so cultivators in the crowd pointed at him, shouting. "You’re Shen Hefeng of Qingling Mountain!"
"Obviously I am. Did you think I needed you to tell me that?" Shen Hefeng singled each of them out with a finger. "Congratulations—you can all leave now."
"……"
The offenders opened their mouths to protest, but when they caught sight of Li Zhuohua glaring down from the second floor, they promptly shut up and scurried away.
With that, the remaining applicants—those genuinely here for work—quickly settled into an uneasy silence.
A dozen eliminations right off the bat left the room deathly quiet.
Everyone lined up, shuffling toward the stairs one by one.
Shen Hefeng plopped down at the foot of the stairs, straightened his Daoist robes, and began the first round of screening.
Literally just a glance—one look was all it took for him to decide. If he hesitated, he’d consult the tortoise shell.
"You—upstairs."
"You—leave."
"Upstairs. Leave. Leave. Leave…"
"What’s the meaning of this?!" A burly man roared, jabbing a finger at Shen Hefeng. "You’re dismissing me after one look? Are you people just toying with us?"
"Shut it, you deadbeat gambler," Shen Hefeng shot back. "Didn’t our notice explicitly say no gambling or drinking? I haven’t even complained about you wasting my time, and you’re the one yelling?"
The man’s face paled.
H-how…? He had fled his hometown precisely because of gambling debts.
No one here should’ve known his past—yet this Daoist had seen right through him in an instant.
Deflated but desperate, the man dropped to his knees. "Master Shen, Immortal Shen, please! I admit I dabbled in gambling before, but I’ve sworn off it! I’ve turned over a new leaf!"
Shen Hefeng preened at the flattering titles. Grinning, he patted the man’s shoulder—then delivered the most chilling words in the cheeriest tone:
"Keep dreaming. You’ll never change. In three months, you’ll die at the gambling table. Now scram."
"……"
As more and more applicants were sent away, Zhi grew increasingly nervous.
Finally, it was her turn.
Shen Hefeng studied his tortoise shell, then gave her a curious once-over. With a wave, he said, "Upstairs."
---
The second-floor hallway was packed with candidates who had passed Shen Hefeng’s initial screening.
But with Li Zhuohua patrolling up and down the corridor, hands clasped behind his back, no one dared make a sound.
"Here, fill this out first." At the top of the stairs, Lu Jiayao sat behind a table, smiling warmly at Zhi as she approached.
Zhi hurried over to complete the form.
Lu Jiayao peeked at her answers. "Your name’s Zhi?"
"Y-yes…"
"How many in your family? Parents? Age? Are they well?"
"I—I’m the only one. I don’t have parents. I don’t know if they’re well…"
"Passed away?"
"N-no, I just… never had them."
"Eh?" Lu Jiayao blinked in confusion—until he saw what she had written in the [Cultivation Type] section. "Ah! I see! Zhi, go wait with that group over there. They’re all applying for the same position as you. Good luck!"
"Th-thank you."
Zhi shuffled over and took a seat in the corner, her gaze drifting toward a closed door.
Rumor had it that interviews for the artificer position were happening inside.
Soon, the door swung open. A stream of people filed out—some beaming, others looking as if they’d just been to a funeral.
Li Zhuohua strolled over to Zhi’s group. "Alright, you’re up. Go on in."
Zhi trailed at the very end of the line, slipping inside last and quietly shutting the door behind her. She positioned herself at the very edge, hoping to go unnoticed.
Three figures sat at the front of the room.
Wen Shuangbai occupied the center seat, flanked by Xie Ziyin on the left and Yin Xuan on the right.
"You’re here to interview for the Mystic Heaven Mirror customer service position at Caiyuan Pavilion," Wen Shuangbai began, sweeping her gaze over the ten candidates. "Tell me—why are you suited for this role?"
The first applicant puffed out his chest. "I write faster than anyone else!"
"You all said this position requires patience—well, I’m very patient! No matter what others say about me, I won’t get angry..."
"..."
Xie Ziyin idly picked up a medical book to read.
Yin Xuan was nearly dozing off.
Only Wen Shuangbai listened attentively.
Finally, she turned to the tenth candidate: "What about you?"
Zhi raised her head, her voice trembling nervously: "I-I’m also good at writing... very patient, w-won’t get angry either..."
The other nine candidates rolled their eyes in unison.
"And... I can operate thirteen Mystic Heaven Mirrors at the same time..." With a swish, a flash of light dazzled everyone as the thin, sallow-faced little girl pulled out thirteen withered branches, swaying them in the air.
The other nine: "???"
Even Wen Shuangbai was stunned.
She stared at the little tree spirit in shock.
Holy crap, this works?!
She’d never even considered it—her modern mindset had limited her!
Wen Shuangbai had been pinching pennies these past few days, setting tight budgets and headcounts for each role.
For the customer service position, she’d initially planned to hire just three people, adding more later if needed.
But now, this little tree spirit showed up claiming she could handle thirteen Mystic Heaven Mirrors at once...
So, a single spirit could fully meet her needs?
"D-does this count as suitable?" Zhi asked timidly, desperate for the job. She added, "I-I can grow more branches too. With effort, I can operate even more mirrors later..."
Wen Shuangbai sucked in a breath and immediately declared: "Perfect. You’re hired."
---
The six of them worked late into the night, hiring a total of twenty-six people across roles like artifact forgers, alchemists, talisman masters, customer service, administration, finance, and guards.
They still lacked positions like delivery personnel, but with limited funds, those would have to wait.
Next, they needed to secure an office location.
Goods could be sold through the Mystic Heaven Mirrors, eliminating the need for a storefront, but a workspace was essential.
In the Mystic Heaven Continent, cultivators expected meals and lodging as part of their employment—though they rarely left once settled.
To avoid crowds, the group took a quiet path through the fields.
The narrow trail was serene under the bright moonlight, their six figures weaving between the patchy ridges.
A breeze rustled, mingling with their lively chatter as they debated how to find the cheapest office space.
"Can’t we just house them all at Qingling Academy?" Lu Jiayao suggested. "We don’t live there anyway, so it’d save us a fortune. Plus, Old Cao covers meals!"
"You think Old Cao’s stupid?" Shen Hefeng was the first to object. "He’s sharp. Feeding and housing us is only because we’re Qingling Mountain’s representatives for the Mystic Heaven Tournament. The Rainbow Edge Pavilion’s business has nothing to do with Qingling Mountain—Old Cao won’t agree."
Li Zhuohua nodded. "Old Cao is Old Qian’s right-hand man. Not an idiot."
"Definitely not possible," Wen Shuangbai said. "Business means constant comings and goings. It’d be chaotic, compromising Qingling Academy’s security. Too easy for spies to infiltrate and gather intel on our sect. We’ll need a separate location."
Shen Hefeng turned to Lu Jiayao. "You’re always wandering around. Heard of any haunted houses going cheap after someone died there?"
"..." Lu Jiayao had been enjoying the romantic atmosphere of their moonlit stroll—until Shen Hefeng’s question sent chills down his spine. "It’s the middle of the night! Do you have to bring up something so creepy?!"
Wen Shuangbai, however, loved the idea.
Back in the modern world, she’d barely saved enough for a down payment but often stumbled upon videos about dirt-cheap haunted houses. She’d always been tempted—after all, she wasn’t scared.
If anything, ghosts should fear her, a broke mortal.
But seeing Lu Jiayao shiver, she asked, "I thought you weren’t afraid of ghosts anymore?"
"I’m only unafraid of ghostly miasma," Lu Jiayao muttered, shrinking into his collar as he glanced around. "They’re completely different creatures..."
Behind him, Xie Ziyin suddenly said, "What’s that up ahead?"
Lu Jiayao instinctively looked forward.
There, shadows of trees loomed, their leaves rustling ominously in the wind with an eerie whooo sound.
Wen Shuangbai gasped. "Whoa, a ghost!"
"A female one, wearing red embroidered shoes... Run!" Shen Hefeng immediately spun around and bolted, with Wen Shuangbai right behind him.
Li Zhuohua, confused, raised his sword to strike—only for Wen Shuangbai to yank him away by force.
"Wait, seriously?!" Lu Jiayao screamed, squeezing his eyes shut in terror. He turned to flee but tripped, tumbling headfirst into the field.
As he struggled to get up, something rustled in the soil beside him—then emerged.
Lu Jiayao’s heart nearly leaped out of his throat. "AAAAH! THERE’S ONE HERE TOO—"
Yin Xuan, who’d just stealthily swiped a watermelon from the field: "?"
---
Sitting in a row on the ridge, the six munched on watermelon.
Lu Jiayao took a shaky bite. "Aren’t you all too old for pranks?!"
"You’re a cultivator," Shen Hefeng scoffed. "Getting scared by ghosts? Serves you right."
Li Zhuohua shrugged. "Exactly. Just slash it with your sword!"
Wen Shuangbai pointed at Xie Ziyin. "He started it."
Xie Ziyin feigned innocence. "I merely asked what was ahead."
Yin Xuan eyed the nearly finished watermelon. "Should I grab another one?"
Wen, Shen, Li, and Lu nodded eagerly: "Yeah, yeah..."
Xie Ziyin took a small bite and sighed.
Hopeless, the lot of them.
Lu Jiayao paused mid-nod, hesitating. "Haven’t you heard? Thief gangs are everywhere in the imperial prefecture lately. If someone finds out we stole melons tomorrow, they might think we’re part of the gang!"
Thief gangs...
Wen Shuangbai’s eyes lit up with sudden inspiration.
That’s it!
