At the first hint of dawn, Chen Ping carefully shifted aside the tripwire mechanism behind the door and stepped out of the rickety wooden shack.
He deliberately hunched his back a little more. The medicinal paste on his face lent his naturally sallow complexion the deathly pallor of a man on his last legs.
With the two wooden tokens that proved his identity tucked in his arms, Chen Ping joined the stream of early risers heading for the Rogue Cultivator Plaza on the edge of the Market.
The place was already bustling, yet there was hardly a laugh to be heard. Most of the noise came from arguments over prices and stifled sighs.
Chen Ping squeezed up to a stone wall plastered with notices, his eyes swiftly scanning the recruitment postings.
"Seeking a spirit-plant farmer. Must be proficient in the Lesser Cloud and Rain Technique. Monthly pay: two Spirit Stones."
"The Li Household in the west of the city seeks Artifact Refining apprentices. Must be at least at the third level of Qi Refining and provide your own tinder."
"Herb Hall seeks a young apprentice to test medicines..."
Chen Ping's gaze finally settled on an inconspicuous corner, where a notice sought laborers for the spirit fields.
He pushed his way forward and cupped his hands to the steward, a man with a face full of fleshy folds, then lowered his voice.
"Fellow Daoist, my cultivation may be low, but I've got plenty of strength..."
"Strength?"
The steward didn't even raise his eyelids. He scoffed, a spiritwood toothpick pinched between his fingers.
"The Cultivation World has no shortage of strong backs. Can you use the Geng Metal Finger to kill pests? Can you irrigate with the Spring Wind and Rain Technique? If not, you can only do rough work like hauling