Playing the Pig to Eat the Tiger

"Junior Brother, what brings you here?" Seeing that the youth before him was utterly unremarkable and only at the second level of the Spirit Movement Stage, the old man's tone was exceedingly cold.

Lin Xuan saw his expression and mannerisms clearly and sneered inwardly. He's trash himself, yet he's still so snobbish. Among cultivators, there truly is no human warmth to speak of.

Though he despised the man immensely, Lin Xuan did not reveal the slightest hint of it. Instead, he pretended to find it difficult to speak. "Senior Brother, I came to the pill room hoping to ask for an easy position."

As mentioned before, the path of immortality was arduous. Even those with Spirit Roots found that most had limited achievements, spending their entire lives wandering at the Spirit Movement Stage.

Some became discouraged, unwilling to endure hardship or continue cultivating, and would ask the sect for easy jobs, muddling through life and waiting for death.

The old man before him was one of them.

After hearing Lin Xuan's words, the old man mistakenly assumed he was the same sort of person. This misunderstanding was precisely what Lin Xuan had deliberately created, so as to make what followed more convenient.

"This will be difficult!" The old man knitted his brows, putting on a troubled expression. "Although I am the chief steward of Danxia Mountain's miscellaneous affairs, the steward positions in all the various departments below are already filled. They are not short on staff. I'm afraid I cannot help with Junior Brother's request."

Hmph, old fox. Lin Xuan cursed inwardly. He had always acted prudently, planning before he moved. How could he have rushed here without first finding out the facts? Some time ago, he had quietly investigated and learned that Danxia Mountain still had vacant steward positions. This old fellow was deliberately making things difficult.

Yet this was also within Lin Xuan's expectations. Cultivators could be quite corrupt as well. The man was doing this because he wanted to skim some profit and demand a bribe. Lin Xuan had long since prepared his countermeasure.

Sneering inwardly, he saw through the man's intentions perfectly. On the surface, however, Lin Xuan still looked like a complete novice and stammered, "I-I beg Senior Brother to help me. I have no Spirit Root, and it will be difficult for me to achieve anything in cultivation. I might as well become a steward and live at ease. If Senior Brother is willing to make an exception, then this... this, I am willing to offer you as a token of respect."

With that, Lin Xuan took a bundle from his robes. It was wrapped layer upon layer in cloth, and he mysteriously presented it before the old man.

"What is this?" Lin Xuan deliberately put on a secretive air, and as expected, successfully drew the old man's attention.

As he unfolded the layers of cloth, a crystal-clear corner was revealed. Though he had not yet seen the whole thing, the old man was already greatly shaken. "A Spirit Stone?"

Spirit Stones were rocks containing abundant spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Whether cultivators were training, crafting artifacts, or fighting, Spirit Stones were irreplaceable. They were used as currency in transactions.

However, Spirit Stone mines were scarce, and whatever was mined had been monopolized by seniors and experts. Most low-level cultivators had seen Spirit Stones, but very few possessed any.

This youth was only at the second level of the Spirit Movement Stage, yet he possessed something so precious.

But once all the cloth had been unwrapped, his expression turned somewhat disappointed. What lay inside was not a genuine Spirit Stone, but merely a fragment of one, about half the size of a small piece.

Once a Spirit Stone shattered, much of the spiritual energy within it would leak away. It had only been a small fragment to begin with, and after deducting what had dissipated, the spiritual power remaining in it was only one-quarter that of a complete low-grade Spirit Stone.

"I happened to obtain this Spirit Stone fragment by chance. If Senior Brother is willing to grant me a steward position, I am willing to give it to you."

The old man's heart immediately stirred. Though it was only a Spirit Stone fragment, to a low-level cultivator like him, it was still a considerable fortune. A steward position was merely a matter of lifting a hand. There was no reason not to take what came for free.

He pretended to ponder for a moment. "Very well. Since Junior Brother is so sincere, how could I refuse to fulfill another's wish?"

With that, he took out a booklet and flipped through it. "The Waste Pill Storage Room is still short one steward. You will take up that post."

Lin Xuan was overjoyed. It was indeed exactly as he had originally predicted and arranged. Yet outwardly, he showed a troubled expression. "The Waste Pill Storage Room... this..."

Seeing Lin Xuan's difficult expression, as though he wished to object, the old man hastily said, "Junior Brother, you do not understand. The work at the Waste Pill Storage Room is the easiest. Didn't you want to live at ease? Once you get there, you'll be as carefree as an immortal. This senior brother is taking good care of you out of kindness."

"Really?" Though he knew full well that every word was a lie, this was exactly what Lin Xuan wanted. Naturally, he would not refute him. Instead, he pretended to believe him completely. "So that is how it is. When I heard 'Waste Pill,' I thought it would be no good. Then thank you, Senior Brother."

"Hehe, Junior Brother need not stand on ceremony." The old man tucked the Spirit Stone fragment into his robes and summoned an attendant boy. "This junior brother is now the steward of the Waste Pill Storage Room. Take him down to receive his waist token and credentials."

"Yes!"

Watching Lin Xuan's departing back, the old man revealed a smug smile. "The Waste Pill Storage Room is indeed easy work, but there is not a drop of profit in it. To get a Spirit Stone fragment for such a trash position—what a novice who knows nothing."

The old man thought he had profited, but he did not know that Lin Xuan was the greatest beneficiary, and that everything that had happened today had been within Lin Xuan's calculations.

Every word, every expression, every movement of Lin Xuan's had a purpose.

Before coming, he had already thoroughly investigated Steward Feng's character. He was greedy and miserly; without benefits, he would not lift a finger.

Giving him a Spirit Stone would not have been a problem. After obtaining Zhou Yan and Zhang Yu's treasures, Lin Xuan had become quite wealthy. But for a disciple at the early Spirit Movement Stage to possess a Spirit Stone would be far too conspicuous. Carelessness might attract the attention of those with ulterior motives. Thus, Lin Xuan deliberately shattered the Spirit Stone. By giving him a fragment instead, he could save half a Spirit Stone while also avoiding notice—killing two birds with one stone.

Second, he had pretended to be a newcomer who knew nothing. Steward Feng was the sort who might not handle matters properly even after accepting a bribe. If Lin Xuan acted honest and ignorant, the man would surely use the worst position to fob him off.

Lin Xuan had investigated it. Since no one wanted Waste Pills, no one ever visited their storage room. There was not the slightest profit to be had there, making it the worst steward position.

The unscrupulous Steward Feng would certainly trick him into going there.

This was exactly what Lin Xuan wanted. Since he had been "tricked" into going rather than having sought it out himself, it would attract even less attention.

Steward Feng thought himself clever, never realizing that Lin Xuan had led him around by the nose the entire time. Lin Xuan had achieved his goal, making him the greatest beneficiary.