Hearing this, Zhang Tianxian nodded and turned to instruct the Fourth Princess, Zhang Tianchang.
"Write it down: Niu Acai is drawing twelve wisps of incense offerings. Have them sign!"
"Got it, got it. You're such a nag. Weren't we supposed to be having fun in the mortal realm?
Why do we have to do this kind of work here? I don't want to!"
Unlike Zhang Tianxian, who was still fairly composed, Zhang Tianchang stared blankly ahead.
She mechanically opened the ledger beside her, glanced over it, then turned and called out.
"Zhao Wancai, Zhao Hui... Li San, all twelve of you, come over here!"
The twelve villagers of Zhao Family Village who heard Zhang Tianchang call them quickly put down their tools.
They turned and jogged over, each looking rosy-cheeked and full of energy.
They were nothing like the ordinary common folk of this era were supposed to be.
The twelve villagers each expertly took out a stick of Grass Incense.
Then they pressed their fingerprints onto the contracts Zhang Tianchang had prepared.
The Ox Demon stepped forward too and pressed his fingerprint onto a contract.
Then the Ox Demon turned to call to an Old Yellow Ox behind him.
"Moo, moo-moo."
"Moo~"
The Old Yellow Ox's aged moo echoed as he strode over to the Incense Altar.
Zhang Tianchang continued staring blankly at the ledger, checking off each name.
Zhang Tianxian glanced over, picked up the contract, and read it aloud.
"Neither party objects. The contract is sealed. Bow!"
When Zhang Tianxian finished speaking, the villagers bowed.
Twelve wisps of incense offerings rose into the air, among them two threads of shimmering green radiance.
Moo~
The Old Yellow Ox opened his mouth and instantly inhaled both the incense offerings and the pure radiance.
In the next moment, light flickered in his formerly dull eyes, and a glimmer of intelligence appeared.
A wisp of demon aura gathered around the Old Yellow Ox, and his presence surged.
An Ox Demon had been born before everyone's eyes.
Moo, moo, moo!
The Ox Demon called out to Niu Acai, and Niu Acai's eyes immediately reddened.
"Little brother, you've finally awakened your intelligence!"
The twelve villagers were used to seeing such deep affection between Ox Demon brothers. They turned around and went back to work.
They had already given their incense offerings for the day, so their part here was done.
But at that moment, shock and a strange gleam appeared in Bai Qianli's eyes.
"Human Dao Pure Radiance? How can this be?
"Only the most sincere and pure Human Dao incense offerings can call forth Human Dao Pure Radiance.
"Ever since humanity lost the simple purity of its ancient ancestors, Human Dao Pure Radiance has become almost impossible to see.
"It might appear once or twice during a great royal ceremony.
"And even then, the ruler must be virtuous, or he'll surely face a backlash."
Bai Qianli suddenly felt that he needed to stay in this little village for a while longer.
To the Demon Race, Human Dao Pure Radiance was about far more than merely awakening intelligence.
Why was the Demon Race so slow to cultivate? It was because their intelligence was lacking.
With enough Human Dao Pure Radiance, they could even aid demon cultivators in advancing their cultivation.
At that moment, Bai Qianli understood why those demons were willing to come here.
Compared to the meager spiritual energy in the incense offerings, Human Dao Pure Radiance was the resource they truly valued.
With that thought, Bai Qianli snapped his folding fan shut and strode forward.
"I'm Bai Qianli. I heard you're hiring here?"
Chen Fan turned to look at Bai Qianli, dressed in white and carrying himself with elegant poise, and his eyes lit up.
"I'm Chen Fan, more or less in charge here. Brother Bai, are you interested in working here?"
Bai Qianli looked like a learned scholar at a glance.
Zhao Family Village was short on everything, but what it needed most was someone who could read, write, and do sums.
Yet aside from Scholar Dong, no one was willing to come!
And even a fool could see what Scholar Dong was after.
On top of that, he was a bit too hidebound. If they weren't so desperate, Chen Fan would have kicked him out.
"Of course. I've traveled far and wide as a scholar, but I've never seen a wonder like Zhao Family Village.
"If humans and demons across the land could live together in harmony like this, the strength of Great Tang would increase by at least thirty percent!"
"Brother Bai, you have keen insight!"
Chen Fan's eyes lit up at this. He grabbed Bai Qianli's hand and shook it vigorously.
Right! Why hadn't he thought of that?
He couldn't persuade those old hands to come by pitching it that way.
But the young people at the academy... he could persuade—
Ahem, making a contribution to the prosperity of Great Tang could hardly be called persuading them!
"Brother Bai is a man of great talent. I admire you!"
"Huh? What makes me a man of great talent?"
Bai Qianli was a little baffled. He had only introduced himself.
How had that made him a man of great talent?
Could he have guessed who I am?
Bai Qianli's eyes narrowed, and a glint flashed in them.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Improving the Cultivation Method, A Great Demon Expert?
"Brother Bai, aren't you afraid?"
Though Chen Fan figured Bai Qianli must have come prepared if he dared to show up, he still wanted to warn him in advance, in case he got scared off later.
Some people seemed tough, but after spending a long time in close contact with demons,
they could be affected by demon aura and cowed by the Demon Race's imposing presence.
"Afraid? Heh!"
Bai Qianli smiled faintly and snapped his folding fan open.
He gave a gentle waft toward someone nearby, and a villager who had nearly fallen immediately straightened up.
"Since I dared to travel alone as a scholar, naturally I have some ability!"
Seeing Bai Qianli standing there with a smile, Chen Fan's eyes lit up.
He immediately clasped his hands and bowed to Bai Qianli.
"Brother Bai is quite capable. I'm impressed!"
"Hahaha, nothing special. I can just about manage.
"If I'm not mistaken, Brother Chen, you cultivate the Qingxin Jue of the Supreme lineage, don't you?
"This cultivation method is tranquil and even-tempered, and it works best when you let things take their natural course. You're rushing your cultivation a little.
"If you slow your Magic Power circulation by thirty-one percent, you'll see considerable benefits!"
"Brother Bai, you have a keen eye!"
Without thinking, Chen Fan followed Bai Qianli's advice and circulated his Magic Power.
In an instant, his already turtle-slow Magic Power moved even more sluggishly.
But Chen Fan could clearly feel that the few threads of Magic Power he had cultivated just two days earlier
were strengthening fifty percent faster, and his Magic Power had become a little purer.
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