Ya Fei?!

Seeing that his enthusiasm had been met with a cold shoulder, Miteer Tengshan did not get angry. He silently tucked away the jade box and, wearing a forced smile, turned around. His expression shifted to one of solemnity as he shouted to the fifteen people before him:

"From now on, you are servants under the Saint. You have no further connection to Miteer. Serve well, and you shall not be without your rewards."

"Yes~"

Following a chorus of responses, Miteer Tengshan waved his hand, and the group walked toward Medusa. Once the last person had entered the barrier, Medusa flashed inside, and everything returned to normal. Standing outside the barrier, Miteer Tengshan was filled with mixed emotions, sighing silently in his heart: I hope this changes your fate. I know you are a business genius who refuses to be mediocre, but...

"Hey, hey, Tengshan, did you notice something..." Seeing that Medusa had already left, Hai Bodong nudged Miteer Tengshan beside him with his elbow, his slightly mature face filled with a lecherous grin.

"Ah, what is it?" Miteer Tengshan asked, somewhat startled, looking at his friend.

"Didn't you notice that all the servants chosen by the Saint's disciple are exceptionally beautiful women?" Hai Bodong covered his mouth, leaned in close to Tengshan, and whispered, before adding as if he had seen through everything: "Perhaps..."

"Shh~" This remark gave Tengshan a fright. What a joke—gossiping behind the back of a Dou Sheng was a sure way to get himself killed. "Don't ever mention this again. A Dou Sheng has heaven-defying means; if he hears you, you'll be reduced to ashes in an instant."

"Alright, alright, I'll stop. But we definitely made the right move this time." Waving his hand, Hai Bodong decided not to push his luck, turned around, summoned his wings, and flew away.

On Misty Cloud Mountain.

In the center of the plaza, inside the main hall, Zhang Nian sat upright on a rattan chair, gazing at the scenery outside. It seemed that, up to this point, he didn't even have a decent cultivation technique, nor did he know what attribute his Dou Qi was. Hmm, he immediately looked at Zi Yan, who was playing by herself nearby. Thinking that a Dou Spirit expert practicing for a while, with a 500-fold rate, should be able to reach the tenth stage of Dou Disciple in an instant.

"Ahem, Zi Yan, a cultivator must forge ahead with courage. Although you look young, you cannot neglect your studies. You took the medicinal herbs I gave you earlier, right? If you finish them, come find me again. You want to grow up quickly, don't you? Only by becoming stronger can you consume herbs with greater medicinal potency."

As he spoke, Zhang Nian took a Gold-Gilded Fruit and a Heavenly Heart Snake Orchid from his herb storage. Both were sixth-grade herbs and held immense temptation for Zi Yan.

Hearing Zhang Nian's instructions, Zi Yan raised her little head, her cute nose twitching. The fragrance of the sixth-grade herbs wafted over, and her delicate face was etched with deep thought. After a long while, she nodded earnestly and agreed: "Master, you're right! You must save these two herbs for me; I will become stronger as soon as possible!"

Hearing this reply, he nodded slightly. That was more like it. He beckoned to Zi Yan and said: "Go pick a room you like in the bamboo forest above. Your eldest senior sister is already a nine-star Dou King, you know."

"Ah! Then I can't let her get too far ahead!" Zi Yan put down her little toy, trotted away on her short legs, and soon disappeared from sight.

Phew, finally managed to fool that little one into leaving.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Zhang Nian turned his attention to the original treasures of the Misty Cloud Sect. Logically, these things now belonged to him. Once he figured out his Dou Qi attribute, he could start selecting techniques. However, for something like a cultivation technique, one had to start with the best. Zi Yan's current favorability was 60, with a 500x multiplier. He glanced at Medusa's favorability, which was also 60; he figured it was because his appearance had changed the status of the Snake-People Tribe in the Jia Ma Empire, and she felt grateful.

However...

Compared to Zi Yan, Medusa was easier to win over. After all, he still held a Heaven-Seizing Creation Pill in his hand, and both the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python and the Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python were fire-attribute magical beasts. Fire held a certain attraction for her, so he could also gift her the Fallen Heart Flame he possessed.

If that were the case...

Suddenly, Zhang Nian wondered: since this Fallen Heart Flame was already his own possession rather than something granted by the system, would giving it to his disciple trigger a chain reaction?

While Zhang Nian was still in shock, he suddenly felt a gust of wind coming from outside the house, whistling past his face. Looking closely, he saw that Medusa, who had gone to pick up the people, had already led a team up the mountain.

Wait a second!

That girl standing at the very front of the team—why does she look so familiar!

At this moment, Ya Fei did not yet possess the alluring charm she would have later, and her attire was not as bold or provocative. A simple light yellow dress wrapped around her delicate frame. Though she hadn't fully blossomed yet, her exquisite features still made Zhang Nian cast a second glance.

Seeing the Master's expression, Medusa once again confirmed her inner thoughts. It seemed the first task the Master had given her had been handled beautifully!

Standing up, he paced out of the room and looked at the fifteen young women before him. He felt a wave of confusion: why were they all women?

The scene was quiet for a moment. The servants from Miteer were all dignified and proper, but Ya Fei's face looked somewhat unnatural. However, Zhang Nian didn't intend to let her leave; he happened to need a manager, and Ya Fei was perfect. The vast Misty Cloud Sect still had many things that hadn't been sorted out, and they would certainly be busy today.

"Alright, the two standing at the front will follow Medusa from now on. The two behind them will follow Zi Yan and take care of her personally. The rest of you will report to..." He paused here, nearly blurting out the name "Ya Fei." He had never met her before; it was fortunate he reacted in time, or it would have inevitably aroused suspicion.

"Reporting to the Saint, I am Miteer Ya Fei. You may call me Ya Fei." Ya Fei bowed respectfully, her slender hands placed over her abdomen as she curtsied to Zhang Nian. Her voice was melodious, revealing a hint of soul-stirring allure in its gentleness. Perhaps because she was a precocious girl, during the time it took to climb the mountain, Ya Fei had accepted her situation. Since she couldn't escape, she would do her best.

He nodded slightly, his gaze lingering blankly on the beautiful face before him, his heart pounding. In a daze, Zhang Nian said somewhat stiffly: "Mm, Ya Fei, you will manage the rest of the people. Today, take them to organize and catalog all the items left behind by the Misty Cloud Sect. I need the results as soon as possible."

"Yes!" Ya Fei nodded immediately, turned around, and led her team away. The vast plaza was now left with only Medusa and her two servants.

Zhang Nian flipped his wrist, focused his mind, and took out the Ninth-Grade Profound Pill, the Heaven-Seizing Creation Pill, from his system space. He reached out and handed it to Medusa:

"This pill is called the Heaven-Seizing Creation Pill, a Ninth-Grade Profound Pill. It can be consumed at any cultivation level. Take it."

"For me?!"

Her pretty face was filled with disbelief. This was a ninth-grade pill! Although Medusa didn't know the specifics, she understood the concept that a ninth-grade pill was the highest grade.

"Yes, take it. You have a very powerful bloodline hidden within you. If you don't supplement it with pills, it will be very troublesome when you break through to the Dou Ancestor realm in the future. This pill is the best I can offer at the moment, so naturally, it is for you."

Zhang Nian nodded and smiled, extending his hand further forward.

To say she wasn't moved would be a lie. On her first day as a disciple... just... a sense of fortune welled up in her heart. It seemed everything was moving in the best possible direction...

Whether for the Snake-People Tribe or for herself...

[Ding! Medusa's favorability +10, current favorability 70 (Respect), return multiplier increased to 1000]