Over the next few days, life at the Miscellaneous Affairs Department seemed to return to its usual calm.
The nighttime explosion was quickly written off as an ordinary accident. No investigation was even conducted.
After all, in a place full of unstable waste, explosions were all too common.
Zhou Xuan still reported to the Miscellaneous Affairs Department on time every day, diligently handling all kinds of waste on the surface while secretly racking up Gold Touch Value at a frantic pace.
His efficiency kept climbing, and he squeezed every last trace of convertible spiritual energy out of the waste.
Meanwhile, in a Cave Abode somewhere in the Inner Sect, Zhao Long sat on a meditation cushion, his face dark as water.
"What happened?"
He stared at a subordinate kneeling before him, his voice frighteningly cold.
"I told you to deal with that useless piece of trash. So what happened?"
The subordinate answered in a trembling voice, "Reporting to you, Senior Brother, both men we sent have gone missing."
"According to the other Chore Disciples, there was an explosion at the Miscellaneous Affairs Department that night. They may have met with an accident while carrying out their mission."
"An accident?"
Zhao Long let out a cold laugh, suspicion flashing in his eyes.
"What kind of accident could be so convenient?"
He rose to his feet and paced back and forth through the Cave Abode, rapidly weighing every possibility.
The two Chore Disciples were at the fifth and sixth layers of Body Tempering. They weren't exactly experts.
But they should have had no trouble dealing with a piece of trash at the second layer of Body Tempering. Yet not only had they failed the mission, they'd disappeared too?
Something was definitely fishy!
"Could that brat really have some damn good luck on his side?"
Zhao Long thought to himself.
"Or is he hiding his true abilities?"
A vicious glint flashed in Zhao Long's eyes.
Whatever tricks that piece of trash had used, he'd dared to play me. He'd pay for it!
He was about to send someone to investigate Zhou Xuan's background again, or even take action himself, when news arrived that forced him to hold back for the time being.
The Sect had suddenly tightened its restrictions on Inner Sect Disciples!
The new rules came out of nowhere, and they were strict.
All Inner Sect Disciples were forbidden from leaving their cultivation areas without permission or interfering in the affairs of the Chore Servant Courtyard.
They were also forbidden from privately retaliating against or bullying Chore Disciples in any way.
Violators would face anything from confinement to expulsion from the Sect!
The new rules sent the entire Inner Sect into an uproar.
Many Inner Sect Disciples who were used to throwing their weight around were unhappy, but in the face of the Sect's authority, they could only obey.
Zhao Long stared at the Sect token in his hand, his expression turning terribly grim.
"Damn it!"
He ground his teeth as he cursed.
"To issue a rule like this right now—it's like they're deliberately making things difficult for me!"
But no matter how unhappy he was, he didn't dare defy the Sect's orders.
After all, he was just an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple. In the Sect's vast hierarchy, he was nobody.
"Fine. I'll hold back for now."
Zhao Long forced down his anger.
"Under the new rules, those useless Chore Disciples will be dismissed from the Sect before long anyway."
"When that happens, that brat will be out on the mountain, and I'll have plenty of ways to deal with him!"
At the thought, an insidious smile spread across Zhao Long's face.
Outside the Sect's grounds, he'd have more than enough ways to deal with a nobody who'd lost the Sect's protection!
Meanwhile, with Zhao Long no longer bothering him, Zhou Xuan could finally focus on his money-making venture in peace.
Over the past few days, his talisman-making skills had grown more and more polished. The runes he drew were still crooked, but under the system's Enlightenment, every talisman worked as intended.
More importantly, he'd discovered a new business opportunity.
The talismans he'd enhanced were not only reliable; they also lasted a little longer than similar products on the market.
The difference wasn't much, but to cultivators, even a small advantage was enough to sway their choice.
Before long, Zhou Xuan's talismans had earned a solid reputation in Yunlai Market.
Early one morning, Zhou Xuan arrived at Yunlai Market with a large bundle of talismans.
He didn't go to any of the high-end shops. Instead, he set up his stall right on the outskirts of the Marketplace.
"Talismans for sale! Top-quality first-rank talismans, fair prices, no cheating young or old!"
His call quickly drew the attention of several passing cultivators.
"Junior Brother, how much are you asking for these talismans?"
A Body Tempering Realm rogue cultivator walked over and picked up a Sharp Metal Talisman to examine it closely.
"One Low-grade Spirit Stone each. Buy ten, get one free!" Zhou Xuan replied with a smile.
That was much cheaper than the proper shops in the Marketplace, but the quality was just as good.
Soon, his stall was surrounded by customers.
"I'll take five Sharp Metal Talismans!"
"Give me ten Fireball Talismans!"
"How well does this Great Strength Talisman work? I'll take a few to try!"
In just one morning, Zhou Xuan sold dozens of talismans and earned eighty Low-grade Spirit Stones!
The income filled him with delight.
The cost of these talismans was practically nothing. It was pure profit!
After packing up his stall, Zhou Xuan didn't hurry back. Instead, he went straight to the Myriad Things Pavilion.
"Shopkeeper, I'm here to buy Demon Cores!"
Zhou Xuan strode into the shop without a hint of hesitation and slapped down fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones.
When the goateed shopkeeper saw Zhou Xuan back again—and spending so generously—his face immediately broke into a wide smile.
"Well, if it isn't Junior Brother Zhou! Back again!"
The shopkeeper rubbed his hands together, his face full of obsequiousness.
"How many Demon Cores would you like? I just got a fresh batch in, and they're all excellent quality!"
"Give me fifty First-rank Demon Cores, and make sure they're good quality!" Zhou Xuan said boldly.
"Coming right up! Just a moment!" The shopkeeper hurried off to the storeroom.
Soon, fifty First-rank Demon Cores, each radiating rich spiritual energy, were placed in a fine jade box and handed to Zhou Xuan.
Zhou Xuan nodded with satisfaction, paid for them, then bought some raw materials for making talismans and a few bottles of low-tier pills.
He planned to keep the thirty Spirit Stones he had left for emergencies.
Back at the Miscellaneous Affairs Department, Zhou Xuan eagerly converted all fifty Demon Cores into Gold Touch Value.
[ Ding! Absorbed a first-rank lower-grade Flame Wolf Demon Core. Gold Touch Value +9! ]
[ Ding! Absorbed a first-rank middle-grade Iron-Armored Bear Demon Core. Gold Touch Value +12! ]
[ Ding! Absorbed a first-rank lower-grade Wind Blade Eagle Demon Core. Gold Touch Value +8! ]
A string of notifications rang in his mind, and Zhou Xuan's Gold Touch Value balance climbed rapidly.
[Gold Touch Value balance: 1127 points!]
Staring at the number, Zhou Xuan's heart pounded so hard it felt ready to leap from his chest!
He'd finally broken a thousand!
That meant he could finally upgrade his Spirit Root again!
Upgrading from a Five Elements Waste Spirit Root to a Wasted Four Elements Spirit Root cost 1,000 Gold Touch Value.
His balance was just enough, with a little over a hundred points left in reserve.
Zhou Xuan took a deep breath and fought down his excitement.
Now wasn't the time. He had to find somewhere safe to make the upgrade.
After all, a change to his Spirit Root would dramatically improve his cultivation efficiency. If anyone noticed something was off, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Just as Zhou Xuan was about to return to his thatched hut and make this crucial upgrade, a sudden, urgent peal of bells rang out across the Chore Servant Courtyard.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
It was the assembly bell!
Zhou Xuan's expression turned grave in an instant.
The bell only rang when something important happened. The last time had been when Chief Steward Wang announced the Dismissal Order.
Was something major happening again?
A sense of foreboding welled up in Zhou Xuan.
He hurriedly gathered his things and strode toward the Central Plaza of the Chore Servant Courtyard.
The plaza was already packed with Chore Disciples, a sea of heads. Worry and unease showed on every face.
Wang Fugui stood on the raised platform, looking even more smug and mean-spirited than usual.
Several people Zhou Xuan had never seen before stood beside him. Judging by their clothes, they were officials from the Deacon Hall.
"Quiet!"
Wang Fugui cried out in his shrill voice.
"I've called everyone here today to announce something important!"
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