What a pitiful bunch of five children.
Shu Xin was going to work them to death.
The Sword Spirit watched the five servants of Shu Xin with undisguised schadenfreude and could not help thinking so.
Shu Xin’s favorite saying was, “If you can’t lead a team, you’ll work yourself to death.” As a result, she had quite a few tricks when it came to managing subordinates.
At the very least, a combination of carrot and stick was indispensable.
“Little Qing, Little Ru, from now on, you two will be my personal maids.” Shu Xin pointed at Li Qinghe and Cao Ru. “Later, I’ll take you both to buy some proper clothes.”
Li Qinghe and Cao Ru both felt relieved. Being maids was still acceptable.
“Senior Sister—no, True Lord—what are we supposed to do?” Cao Ru was a little bolder than Li Qinghe and asked at once.
“It’s simple. You’ll be my mouthpieces,” Shu Xin said plainly. “When I curse someone, you’ll back me up. When I embarrass myself, you’ll bravely take the blame for me.”
“But… but we don’t know how to curse,” Li Qinghe said softly.
“That’s easy. Whenever you need to curse someone, just follow a formula. First, insult his ancestors. Then describe his appearance, add in something about his physical attributes, and if all else fails, resort to vulgarities. Here’s an example.” Shu Xin gave one. “When we ran into that old bastard from the Lin family, did you know how you should have cursed him? Try it now. Follow the formula and curse him.”
With Shu Xin staring at them, Li Qinghe and Cao Ru could only steel themselves and give it a try.
“Your ancestors must have been dogs. You look like a piece of old tree bark, and you look weak as hell,” Li Qinghe cursed stiffly.
“Your ancestors must have regretted having you for eighteen generations. You look like a mangy cur, yet you still dare bark at our young mistress?” Cao Ru raised her eyes and arched her brows, instantly taking on the air of a shrewish scold.
“Not bad, not bad.” Shu Xin looked at Cao Ru with some surprise. “Little Ru, you’re pretty good. You’ve got the right attitude. Little Qing, you still have some studying to do.”
“Then how should a True Lord curse someone?” Li Qinghe could not help asking. “Could you demonstrate for us?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future.” Shu Xin smiled. “For now, the two of you should practice being my maids. You must not let anyone see through you. Understood?”
How exactly were they supposed to practice being maids?
Cao Ru and Li Qinghe scratched their heads, completely at a loss.
“Little Yuan, you need to learn how to drive a carriage. Go buy two demon beasts,” Shu Xin said, pointing at Yuan Dawei, who had been watching the show from the side.
“What? I—I don’t know how to tame beasts.” Yuan Dawei had not expected the flames to reach him so quickly.
“The demon beasts can’t beat you. All you need to do is be strong enough to beat them,” Shu Xin said with a wave of her hand. Then she turned to the anxious Qi Feiyang and Meng Wenrui nearby.
“You two will serve as my lackeys. From now on, whenever I give you a look, you’ll step forward and draw your swords. Whether you can win is another matter, but you absolutely must not cower. Especially you, Little Meng. First, learn to keep a straight face and build up your presence.”
Shu Xin gave Meng Wenrui special attention. As the youngest junior disciple, he had always been doted on by his senior brothers and sisters, so his personality had naturally become rather timid and spineless.
“Yes, yes.”
“Hmm. The assignments are more or less settled. Now I’ll explain our itinerary.” Shu Xin nodded in satisfaction. “From now on, whenever we go out, none of you are to give your full names. State only your surnames. That’s to prevent anyone from tracing you back to our true identities. As for me, I’ll be your master—a Dao Nascent Soul True Lord of unfathomable origins. If anyone asks about me, tell them I’m from the Everlasting Life Dao Sect. Understood?”
“Wasn’t it the Dongtian realm?”
“When dealing with outsiders, of course we should keep something in reserve.” Shu Xin shot them a glance. “There aren’t many Dongtian-realm cultivators. In the worlds beneath the sects, reaching the Core Formation realm is already an impressive achievement. In the cultivation world at large, there are countless people who can’t even reach the initial Foundation Establishment stage. In short, as long as you follow me, speak less and work more.”
With that, Shu Xin took out a token.
“This is a mission token I obtained from my master. Before I came here, my master had already accepted a mission for me. The assignment is to escort the Hu Family Merchant Association until the goods they’re transporting are delivered to the auction held by the Ten Thousand Dao Sect. The payment is calculated monthly. A Dao Nascent Soul cultivator will receive one thousand spirit stones a month. Any other expenses can also be reimbursed, provided the merchant association approves them.”
Shu Xin explained this simply to her newly acquired servants.
“I’ve always believed in learning through real combat. If you want experience, the best way is to accept a mission and do it firsthand.” Shu Xin planted her hands on her hips. “If any of you hold me back during this mission, pack your things and go back to the sect to cry to my master. Understood?”
“Understood,” the five servants answered in unison.
“Go, go, go! Let’s set off!”
At the Hu Family Merchant Association.
As the most famous merchant association in the city, the Hu family was a dominant local force. Their influence had stretched across the region for more than a thousand years. The Hu family had also consistently produced elite disciples who entered the major sects. It was said that two of their most talented disciples had even joined the Ten Thousand Dao Sect.
That was how the Hu family had managed to establish ties with the Ten Thousand Dao Sect and secure this escort mission.
In this era of depleted spiritual energy, cultivators could only rely on spirit stones to cultivate. As a result, spirit flowers and spirit herbs could generally grow only in the medicinal gardens of sects. Wild spirit flowers and herbs either grew in remote, unvisited places or clung to sheer cliffs above bottomless abysses, making them extraordinarily difficult to find.
And yet, the Hu family had somehow struck it lucky and found a nearly five-thousand-year-old “Puxue Little Zitan.”
The conditions required for this spirit herb to grow were extraordinarily harsh. Even if a major sect happened to preserve its seeds in a medicinal garden, successfully cultivating it would still be incredibly difficult. It had practically vanished from the market.
However, it was the primary ingredient in a pill capable of increasing a Wugou-realm cultivator’s chances of breaking through.
The Ten Thousand Dao Sect also presided over a huge auction. Even if this spirit herb could not become the centerpiece of the event, it was more than worthy of being promoted as one of the auction’s rare treasures.
After obtaining the herb, the Hu family had guarded it with extreme caution. Only after great difficulty had one of their disciples managed to establish contact with the Ten Thousand Dao Sect, allowing them to send the herb to the sect’s auction.
One had to understand that the Ten Thousand Dao Sect rarely accepted items from outside sources.
The Ten Thousand Dao Sect possessed immense wealth and power, with countless affiliated sects under its banner. Every year, an immeasurable number of rare treasures circulated within the sect alone. Items from outside were of unknown origin and could easily have been tampered with, so naturally, the sect was unwilling to go to the trouble of handling them.
Of course, there were exceptions. If an item was truly precious beyond measure, the sect could make an exception.
The Puxue Little Zitan lay right on the borderline. It was certainly precious, but the Ten Thousand Dao Sect did not have an especially great need for it.
After all, it was merely a primary ingredient, not a completed pill.
Still, it could never be called worthless.
Therefore, seeing that the Hu family was sincerely seeking to join them, the Myriad Dao Sect also wanted to test the family’s capabilities. That was why they had agreed to let the Hu Family Merchant Association deliver this spirit herb to the auction. If everything went smoothly, it would prove that the Hu family was capable of protecting the herb and carrying out the plan safely, making them worthy of entering the Myriad Dao Sect’s sight. If things went wrong, the Myriad Dao Sect would lose nothing.
For that reason, the Hu Family Merchant Association was pulling out all the stops this time. Not only had they brought out half of their family’s retainers, they had also issued generous rewards and selected all kinds of powerful cultivators to escort the shipment.
The requirements were quite high: applicants had to be at least at the peak of the Core Formation stage. Nascent Soul cultivators were the ideal candidates.
As for Grotto-Heaven True Immortals, the Hu family had already paid a hefty price to hire two from sects affiliated with the Myriad Dao Sect, so there was no need to recruit any more from outside.
Even if any came, the Hu family would not feel at ease entrusting the mission to them.
Today was the day the cultivators recruited by the Hu family were due to arrive.
“Father, how many cultivators has our merchant association recruited this time?” the Hu family’s young son and daughter asked their father, unable to contain their curiosity.
They were still quite young. They had begun cultivating at just a few years old and successfully established their foundations at sixteen. Now, twenty years had passed, yet they still looked no older than fifteen or sixteen. Only after successfully forming their Core by challenging the Dao Barrier would their bodies proceed to the next stage of growth.
In truth, cultivators who established their foundations at fifteen or sixteen could still grow normally. However, after many people noticed that “great sects favor younger candidates when accepting disciples,” they would rather keep their children looking young and tender in order to give them a better chance of making a favorable impression.
If the sects did not take a liking to them, they could always consume pills later and resume growing normally.
“Eight Nascent Soul cultivators accepted the mission, though they may not all show up. Thirty-nine Core Formation cultivators accepted it, but the family still needs to select the best among them,” said the cultivator, who appeared to be a little over thirty. He carried a naturally arrogant air, but when he looked at his son and daughter, his eyes held a touch of warmth.
There was no helping it. These were the most talented children he had fathered after marrying twenty female cultivators in succession. Once they achieved something in cultivation, they could go to the Myriad Dao Sect and try to become outer disciples. If that did not work out, becoming inner disciples of one of the powerful sects beneath the Myriad Dao Sect would also be acceptable.
“But Father, aren’t Core Formation cultivators very powerful?” The boy was puzzled. “My sister and I haven’t even touched the threshold of Core Formation yet.”
In his eyes, Core Formation cultivators were already incredibly powerful. Yet from his father’s tone, they seemed to be nothing special.
“That’s because you’ve grown up within the family. Everyone you’ve met and seen is an outstanding figure among their peers,” his father explained. “With your aptitude and your sister’s, successfully forming your Cores by challenging the Dao Barrier will not be a problem. You simply need to temper yourselves during the early stages. This is preparation for reaching the Nascent Soul stage in the future.
“But the cultivators outside are different. Even those with exceptional talent lack spirit stones and proper guidance. To increase their cultivation, they often resort to any means necessary. Although they may succeed in forming their Cores, they exhaust their potential in the process, leaving themselves with no future prospects.
“The only thing they can do is accumulate as many spirit stones and resources as possible while they are still Core Formation cultivators, then go to some remote little city and settle down to raise a family.”
“I understand, Father,” the young boy and girl said, nodding repeatedly.
“Of course, Core Formation cultivators are still rare. If they are not chosen for the escort mission, we will each select a guard captain for the two of you. For those Core Formation cultivators whose futures are already exhausted, becoming your guard captain would be a blessing. Once you two achieve success in cultivation, they will rise with you as well.” The Hu family cultivator smiled as he reminded them, “So choose carefully when the time comes. You needn’t worry about them refusing. Ha ha ha!”
As soon as he finished speaking, one Core Formation cultivator after another began arriving.
Some sat atop meticulously refined treasure gourds, with two flamboyantly dressed female cultivators accompanying them and attending to their every need.
Some came alone, flying on their swords with the bearing of wandering heroes.
Others arrived in groups of three or five, surrounded by billowing black mist.
There were all sorts of people.
The Hu family’s cultivators remained as steady as mountains. The two Grotto-Heaven retainers hired by the Hu family had been staying upstairs all along, and no one dared cause trouble in their presence.
The Core Formation cultivators were escorted to their seats one after another, though their places were in the main hall.
“Who are the seats on the second floor reserved for?” one Core Formation cultivator demanded, apparently feeling slighted.
“They are naturally reserved for Nascent Soul Lords,” a Hu family maid replied with a smile.
“Everywhere you go, people fawn over the powerful and trample on the weak. Once I become a Nascent Soul cultivator, I’ll occupy a city too, surround myself with beauties, and live a carefree life,” the cultivator said.
In truth, he had already guessed the answer. He was deliberately testing the Hu family, trying to gauge how deep their power ran.
There were seven or eight seats arranged upstairs. Could it be that the Hu family had invited seven or eight Nascent Soul cultivators to escort the shipment?
This escort mission must be worth a fortune.
Moreover, many of the Core Formation cultivators seated in the main hall were acquainted with one another. Even those who were not close had at least crossed paths before.
There were only so many Core Formation cultivators who made a living as guards and escorts. After doing this work for long enough, one was bound to encounter a few familiar faces.
The cultivator carried a jug of wine around, toasting everyone cup by cup.
Some accepted his toast, while others did not, but he paid no mind.
After all, they were only going to work together briefly.
Yet once he had finished making his rounds and raised his head, he discovered that the second floor, which had been empty moments earlier, had somehow acquired five or six seated cultivators.
So these were Nascent Soul Lords?
He had not even noticed when they arrived.
The attendants and maids on the second floor were naturally far more attractive than those in the main hall. The food and wine served upstairs were also much more lavish, with several Hu family elders personally attending to the guests.
“I heard that eight Nascent Soul cultivators accepted this commission. Why are there only six of us here so far? I suppose the other two aren’t coming.” A young scholar who looked to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight gave his folding fan a languid wave. Then, taking the wine cup directly from a maid’s hand, he drank from it and smiled at the people beside him. “I have known the five fellow Daoists here for many years. I wonder who the other two are?”
A Nascent Soul cultivator could easily find a position as a retainer for a second- or third-rate sect. At worst, they could locate a cultivation family with some foundation, marry one of its daughters, and use the family’s power to establish a clan of their own.
Consequently, very few Nascent Soul cultivators still remained outside, willing to accept escort missions.
After so many years, those who continued taking jobs were all familiar with one another, each for their own reasons.
Some were expelled disciples of certain sects who had concealed their identities and come out to accumulate resources. Naturally, they did not dare join any sect or family, lest their pasts be exposed.
Some had caused trouble outside and offended powerful individuals, leaving them no choice but to hide themselves and cultivate in secret.
Others were spies from various sects, pretending to be rogue cultivators while secretly working for a sect or a powerful cultivation family.
There were occasionally a few independent souls who refused to go along with the crowd, but people like that generally did not live long.
In this life, anyone who refuses to go with the flow must either become strong enough to withstand every storm—or be crushed beneath the waves.
“It could be that lone, ruthless Taoist. But he’s hardly taken on any jobs these past few years. He was a rare upright sort, too. Since there’s been no word from him, he was probably either recruited by his sect or killed.” Beside him, a female cultivator with graying hair and skin as smooth as porcelain picked at her nails and blew away the dust. “I’m only taking a few more jobs myself before I quit. I’ll go home, become an immortal ancestor, and live the good life. Who knows how pleasant that’ll be?”
“You old hag, your lifespan is almost up, yet you keep an entire palace full of male pets. No wonder you have to come out and take jobs every year,” a burly man sneered. “Even if you’re using them to replenish your yin with their yang, that trick can’t work forever. Just look at yourself. Your hair’s already gone gray, and only your face is barely holding up. Anyone can see you’re finished.”
“Shut your damn mouth! Keep babbling and I’ll cut your balls off, stuff them up your asshole, and sell you to the Hehuan Sect as a human cultivation furnace.” The female cultivator flew into a rage. “And what makes you such a fine person? You put on airs like some bold hero, but the moment anything displeases you, you slaughter an entire family. Hah! Be careful, or one day you’ll end up on a sect’s wanted list. I’ll take your head in for spirit stones.”
“Enough, both of you. Don’t make a spectacle in front of Elder Hu.” A cultivator who had been sitting all along, endlessly rolling prayer beads between his fingers, slowly opened his eyes. He wore a monk’s robe, though his head was not shaved. “We’re only here to escort the goods. Once the job is done, we take our spirit stones and leave. There’s no point getting angry.”
“Go roll your beads and mind your own business!” the woman and the burly man snapped together.
The young scholar watched the three of them bicker without paying it much mind. They looked as though they couldn’t stand one another, but anyone who actually believed that would be courting death.
As far as he knew, the three had often joined forces to set traps for cultivators who were new to the trade.
They were birds of a feather.
The other two, however, had not joined in the argument. Instead, they had been subtly asking about the benefits offered to the Hu family’s guest elders, which made the young scholar take notice.
The two were fellow disciples. They had once belonged to a small sect, but after it was destroyed, they had simply gone into business for themselves. After all these years, they had likely accumulated quite a fortune and were now thinking of settling down.
The Hu family’s connection to the Wanquan Dao Sect was no secret. Joining the Hu family was naturally far better than joining one of the cultivation clans without any backing.
“The appointed time is almost here. If the last two fellow Daoists still haven’t arrived, the Hu Family Merchant Guild will sign contracts with the six of you,” Elder Hu said with a smile as he glanced at the sky. “As for those downstairs, my kinsman will have to assess them before we can make a decision.”
The young scholar lazily waved his fan, looking perfectly relaxed.
If these were truly all the people escorting the goods, that would be ideal.
The moment the young scholar took his seat, a streak of sword light suddenly appeared in the sky.
The next instant, it shot straight into the Hu family’s estate, catching several of the Hu family elders completely off guard.
Only after the Dongtian cultivator on the third floor let out a cold snort did the sword light slow down. A handsome young cultivator stepped out from within it.
“My name is Qu Yougu. I’ve come in response to the Hu family’s bounty.” The young man who called himself Qu Yougu swept his gaze across the room before looking toward Elder Hu. He simply took out a token from his robes to prove his identity.
“It is indeed our Hu family’s bounty token. Fellow Daoist, your foundation is remarkably solid. You must come from an impressive background. Please, take a seat.” Elder Hu’s eyes lit up, and his smile grew noticeably warmer.
A few of the other Hu family members quietly slipped outside, clearly intending to investigate Qu Yougu’s origins.
A Dao Nascent cultivator in the late stage had suddenly appeared, with an obviously formidable foundation. Naturally, the Hu family had to learn as much about him as possible.
“Mm.” Qu Yougu seemed completely oblivious to the expressions of everyone around him and actually sat down in the seat of honor, nearly shoulder to shoulder with Elder Hu.
The other six Dao Nascent cultivators exchanged glances, each feeling a mixture of wariness and delight.
They were wary because he was a stranger with considerable strength and was likely not someone to provoke.
They were delighted for the very same reason. Since he was unfamiliar, they might be able to make a handsome profit off him if fortune favored them.
Why bother honestly completing a job when robbing someone along the way was so much faster?
“The seat of honor should be left for our master.”
Just then, flower petals suddenly began to rain down from the sky.
Two maids dressed in blue and white carried flower baskets, smiling as they scattered petals outward. Their smiles, however, looked somewhat stiff.
At the front were two men in black ritual robes. One carried a sword, while the other hefted a spear. Both wore fierce expressions and looked thoroughly unapproachable.
Following close behind them were two majestic golden qilin hounds, their bearing extraordinary and their appearance more than impressive.
The golden hounds pulled a carriage. Inside sat another man dressed in black, his face cold and his gaze fixed straight ahead.
Every one of them was at the Core Formation stage!
“Hey, you over there. Move aside and make way for our True Lord. Our True Lord always sits in the seat of honor.” The maid dressed in white shouted at Qu Yougu.
Qu Yougu, seated in the place of honor, did not even spare her a glance. He simply continued drinking his tea.
“Little Qing, what have I told you? When we’re away from home, we should still show some manners.” A hand slowly lifted the carriage curtain, revealing half a face.
The female cultivator sitting inside was strikingly heroic and extraordinarily beautiful. Her bearing was even more exceptional, utterly incomparable to those ordinary, overmade-up beauties.
“True Lord.” The two maids stopped scattering flowers and hurried forward.
One lifted the curtain while the other stepped up to support her.
“True Lord, this way.”
The female cultivator wore two swords at her waist. Their scabbards were extravagantly ornate and looked incredibly valuable.
The Hu family elders were knowledgeable enough to recognize what they were seeing. A woman who had so many Core Formation servants at her command must have an origin far more distinguished than they had imagined.
The combined value of her entire entourage was probably greater than the payment for this mission. No one could tell what she had really come here for.
[You finally agreed to replace my scabbard with a better one.]
[Look at you, putting on such a grand act. You’re pretty convincing.]
Shu Xin merely assumed the Sword Spirit was jealous.
With every cultivator on the first and second floors staring at her, Shu Xin did not feel nervous in the slightest.
This was exactly the kind of vulgar, ostentatious entrance she wanted.
What did the Sword Spirit know?
It understood nothing about the principle that returning home in glory was the only way to avoid having one’s fine clothes wasted on a nighttime stroll.
And nothing felt better than having a Dongtian True Lord disguise herself as a Dao Nascent cultivator, fish in a small pond, and finally reveal her true strength in front of everyone.
Shu Xin felt that her Dao heart had become just a little clearer.
“This is my first time coming down from the mountain. I’m here to gain experience. I heard that your Hu family has ties to the Wanquan Dao Sect, so I accepted your commission.” Shu Xin slowly descended and walked step by step toward Elder Hu. “You’re a little ugly, but you’ll do.”
Elder Hu continued smiling, without the slightest hint of anger.
The female cultivators from those great sects and aristocratic clans were all proud and arrogant.
Compared with most of them, this one was already quite easy to deal with.
