The task of selecting new workers was handled by managers from departments suffering from manpower shortages.

  Altogether, there were more than twenty administrators in the city.

  Each and every one of them was said to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator, inner disciples of whatever sect stood behind them.

  That made me even more curious about which sect was backing this city.

  There were places like Qingyun City, where one could guess the origins from the name, like the Qingyun Sect.

  But this place did not put the sect’s name at the forefront.

  It was likely because they managed not just one city, but several at the same time.

  If that was the case, then the strength of that sect might be beyond imagination.

  With a trembling heart, I waited for my turn.

  In the past, I had avoided situations like interviews altogether…. It felt strange, looking back now.

  It wasn’t simply because of my personality.

  I had been stabbed in the back multiple times, injuring even my spine, which left me disabled.

  After long rehabilitation, I barely avoided paralysis, but my back remained slightly hunched.

  After that, I had to transfer schools when I moved to a relative’s house, and with several incidents overlapping, I ended up being bullied.

  If not for Ginger, I might have followed my parents.

  I had been hurt too much.

  Well, all of that was in the past.

  Here, my health had improved, and perhaps because I had been alone for such a long time, I actually found it easier to deal with people.

  My timid, overly cautious personality was still there, but in a harsh cultivation world, was there anything wrong with prioritizing safety?

  I possessed an infinite lifespan, so I should make full use of it.

  “Next, Group 4! Enter.”

  Group 4 was called in.

  At the same time, the unsuccessful candidates from Groups 1 and 2 left Qingliu Hall.

  All of them looked utterly dejected.

  I discreetly checked the cultivation realms of the failed candidates using Spirit Eye Art.

  I did not use Divine Sense.

  Using that on an individual was like staring down a specific person on the subway.

  If trouble broke out, I would have no excuse.

  Spirit Eye Art, on the other hand, only lightly examined the flow of qi.

  This level was tacitly accepted by everyone.

  Most of the failed candidates were merely at the early stage of Qi Refinement Stage 5.

  They had not met the minimum requirement.

  I felt slightly reassured.

  “Next, Group 5!”

  It was my turn.

  After taking a deep breath, I stepped into Qingliu Hall.

  “Wear the jade token distributed earlier and sit down. You’ll enter the interview room in order.”

  I sat on a chair placed in the main hall.

  The first person of Group 5, a female cultivator, entered the interview room.

  About twenty minutes later, she came back out.

  Her eyes were red.

  It seemed she had failed.

  “Next! Enter the interview room.”

  After steadying my mind, I headed toward the interview room.

  Four administrators were seated at the place of honor.

  This was my first time seeing so many Foundation Establishment cultivators at once.

  I could feel Divine Sense sweep over my body.

  It was blatant, but… higher-level cultivators were forgiven for whatever they did.

  “Qi Refinement Stage 6. Impressive at such a young age.”

  The age I had written down was thirty-seven.

  The white-haired cultivator seated in the center looked at me with interest.

  “Your name is Xuanyuan, and your specialty is spiritual herb cultivation. Hm. What kinds of spiritual herbs have you cultivated?”

  “Yes. I have experience cultivating Flying Immortal Grass, Fengbai Grass, Congming Grass, Yunxia Grass, and Changbai Grass.”

  “They’re not rare spiritual herbs. Still, they’re commonly used. Can you distinguish spiritual herbs?”

  At the old cultivator’s gesture, illusions of fifty kinds of spiritual herbs floated in the air.

  They were all herbs I had seen in the Cultivation Compendium.

  “Immortal Spirit Moss, Bloodcall Grass, Dreamcold Herb, Iceheart Fruit, Purple Cloud Grass, Heavenly Dew Flower…. And Deathsand Grass. Of these, there are five kinds I cannot identify precisely due to insufficient knowledge.”

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  I deliberately named only forty-five correctly.

  This was enough.

  Being too outstanding could also cause problems.

  The old cultivator slightly shook his head and frowned.

  “Hm, do you know the properties of each herb, and what kind of pills they’re used for?”

  I paused to steady my breathing, then spoke in a slow tone.

  “Immortal Spirit Moss has the property of purifying and clarifying qi. It is an ingredient in Clear Heart Powder, which removes distracting thoughts and stabilizes the mind.”

  The old cultivator’s eyes narrowed slightly.

  I answered correctly, so why that reaction?

  Was he testing me?

  If that was the case…. It might be better to reveal some degree of ability.

  The nameplate in front of the old man read, ‘Spiritual Agriculture Pavilion.’

  The Spiritual Agriculture Pavilion managed spiritual fields and spiritual herbs, and was also related to pill refining.

  It was a place I definitely wanted to go.

  Fine. I would give him the answer he wanted.

  “Bloodcall Grass is characterized by its red stem and black leaves, and possesses a fire attribute. It resolves coagulated blood within the body and promotes blood circulation, making it a material for Blood Qi Pills. It is useful for treating internal injuries. Dreamcold Herb grows in mist-covered highlands and is extremely rare. It induces hallucinations or dreams, and is used as an ingredient in Dreamheart Pills, which are taken to resist heart demons. Iceheart Fruit is….”

  After finishing the explanations for all forty-five herbs, I lifted my head.

  The old man wore an extremely satisfied expression.

  “Hoho. I like this. If there are no issues with your background, we’ll take this one into our Spiritual Agriculture Pavilion.”

  The middle-aged woman seated beside him smiled and offered her congratulations.

  “Congratulations, Senior Brother. You’ve acquired good talent.”

  Seeing how respectfully another administrator treated him, the old cultivator’s status must have been quite high.

  Fortunately.

  I had chosen the right line.

  “Alright then, go inside there.”

  After offering a courteous bow, I entered the side room attached to the interview room.

  Inside, seven people were already seated.

  After giving a light nod, I closed my eyes and began meditating.

  This way, no one would bother me unnecessarily.

  I sat in a state of no-thought for quite some time when a familiar voice rang out.

  It was the gentle-looking civil officer who had greeted us initially.

  “You have been selected as workers of Qingliu City. Among you, is there anyone who has brought a letter of recommendation from someone inside the city?”

  Including me, eight people raised their hands.

  Seven did not.

  In total, fifteen people had been selected.

  I handed over the letter of recommendation I had carefully kept.

  “These are the newly selected workers. There are fifteen in total. We’re here to receive supplies.”

  A middle-aged female cultivator glanced at us and silently handed over belts.

  “All workers are issued an identity jade token, one storage belt, two sets of clothes, one bottle of Spirit Qi Pills, and one protective talisman. Lose them and it’s over, so keep them safe. Spirit Qi Pills are distributed monthly, so starting next month, you’ll receive them along with your monthly stipend at your assigned post.”

  After receiving the jade token, I engraved my name and infused it with spiritual power under the watchful eyes of Administrator Kang.

  Spirit Qi Pills were pills that aided cultivation.

  If purchased at a shop, they would cost fifty spirit stones.

  A single protective talisman was worth a hundred spirit stones.

  It was as if the one mid-grade spirit stone I had bribed earlier had come back to me.

  “Now, let’s move to the Qing Script Pavilion.”

  The Qing Script Pavilion—one of the reasons I had come to Qingliu City.

  Upon entering, it was filled with books and jade slips.

  I had been worried, but there were more than I expected.

  “The books on the first floor may be read freely. The jade slips contain Dao Arts and cultivation methods that Qi Refinement cultivators can learn. Depending on the type, you can copy them for ten to a hundred spirit stones.”

  Everyone’s faces brightened.

  Cultivation methods were extremely precious.

  Outside, you would be lucky to get even one after paying several hundred spirit stones.

  Yes, this was the joy of being a corporate slave.

  “And once or twice a month, Foundation Establishment cultivators dispatched from the sect will give lectures on cultivation. They’ll be helpful, so keep that in mind.”

  Seeing that even workers were given such opportunities, it seemed the city lord and the backing sect both had some conscience.

  They were providing a foundation for growth.

  Though it was probably to be put to good use later in wars against demonic cultivators or demon beast suppression.

  “Additionally, when using shops operated by the city, you receive a ten percent discount, and there is no sales commission when selling goods.”

  Another benefit. Everyone murmured excitedly.

  It was fortunate that I had received a similar level of discount when buying things in Qingyun City before; otherwise, I would have felt cheated.

  The benefits didn’t end there.

  “Those lacking spirit stones may mortgage half of their monthly stipend and borrow up to thirty spirit stones. Additionally, workers without lodging may rent a house for five spirit stones per month. If you’re interested, inquire at the Office Hall.”

  Good heavens. The lord of Qingliu City was truly generous.

  Even those assigned to hunting squads began smiling broadly.

  I handed a piece of crushed spirit stone to a child.

  Seeing his bright smile lifted my mood.

  The child bowed and said with a grin.

  “Um…. This house is great and all, but there’s a rumor that ghosts come out at night. But you’re a cultivator, so you’ll be fine, right?”

  And with that, he ran off excitedly.

  What?

  Why are you saying that now?

  Hey, you little punk!

  …Night fell.

  Ghosts really did appear.

  Damn it, did I get scammed into renting a haunted house?

  ***

  As soon as morning came, I went to find the Plum Blossom Elder of Huami Inn.

  “Hahaha! Looks like you won the jackpot with that house.”

  “…This is no laughing matter. I didn’t sleep a wink last night.”

  “Hmm, is it really that bad? What seems to be the problem?”

  What do you mean, what’s the problem? There’s a ghost in the house!

  “There’s a blood-soaked ghost by the well! Isn’t that a problem?”

  “Well, it’s still a long way from maturing, so I suppose it’s annoying. The previous tenant also waited for it to mature, but he died while hunting demon beasts.”

  What’s maturing? What on earth is he talking about?

  “Oh my, you really don’t know. Listen here. Once that ghost matures into a ghost soldier or ghost general, you can sell it for a high price. Or you could capture it yourself and refine it.”

  I was left speechless.

  Good heavens.

  To think of such a shift in perspective.

  It wasn’t that they couldn’t get rid of the ghost, but that they were deliberately raising it?

  “Once it advances, first capture it in a jade token. Even a ghost soldier, when properly refined and embedded into a magical artifact, has great power. If it becomes a ghost general, then you’ve truly struck fortune.”

  This was strange.

  Why was it starting to sound so plausible?

  “For now, it just wanders around the well and can’t harm anyone. If you set up a spirit warding formation in advance, even if it becomes a ghost general, you’ll be safe. Newly born ghost generals are weak, after all. If you really hate it, should I take it off your hands?”

  …The Plum Blossom Elder looked genuinely regretful.

  My intention to go confront Butler Yuk vanished completely.

  Hmm, so I can capture a ghost?

  As someone with modern sensibilities, refining things felt a bit much.

  But using it in another way might be acceptable?

  My interest was piqued.

  Leaving food on the table uneaten would be foolish.

  That ghost was mine.