Breaking a Thousand Again

Over the next few days, life at the Miscellaneous Affairs Department seemed to return to its usual tranquility.

That explosion during the night was quickly dismissed as a common accident, and no investigation was even conducted.

After all, in a place filled with unstable waste materials, explosions were far too common.

Zhou Xuan continued to report to the Miscellaneous Affairs Department on time every day, appearing diligent in handling various scraps while secretly accumulating Gold Touch Value like a madman.

His efficiency grew higher and higher, as he squeezed every last shred of convertible spiritual energy dry.

Meanwhile, in a cave dwelling within the Inner Sect, Zhao Long sat on a meditation cushion, his expression as gloomy as stagnant water.

"What is the meaning of this?"

He looked at the subordinate kneeling before him, his voice chillingly cold.

"I sent you to deal with that piece of trash, and what is the result?"

The subordinate replied tremblingly, "Reporting to Senior Brother, the two men sent out have gone missing."

"According to the accounts of other chore servants, an explosion occurred at the Miscellaneous Affairs Department that night; they likely encountered an accident while carrying out the mission."

"An accident?"

Zhao Long let out a cold sneer, a flicker of suspicion flashing through his eyes.

"How could there be such a convenient accident in this world?"

He stood up and paced back and forth in the cave dwelling, his mind rapidly analyzing every possibility.

Two chore servants at the fifth and sixth levels of Body Forging, while not exactly experts, should have been more than enough to deal with a piece of trash at the second level of Body Forging. Yet, not only did the mission fail, but the men themselves vanished?

There must be something fishy about this!

Could that brat really have some kind of dog-shit luck?

Zhao Long thought to himself.

Or is it possible that he has been hiding his true capabilities?

Thinking of this, a ruthless glint flashed in Zhao Long's eyes.

No matter what methods that piece of trash used, if he dared to play me, he would have to pay the price!

Just as he was preparing to send more people to investigate Zhou Xuan's background, or even take action himself, a piece of news forced him to temporarily hold back.

The sect had suddenly tightened its restrictions on Inner Sect disciples!

This new regulation came very suddenly, and its content was extremely strict.

All Inner Sect disciples were forbidden from leaving their cultivation areas at will and were prohibited from interfering in the affairs of the Chore Servant Courtyard.

Furthermore, they were strictly forbidden from privately retaliating against or bullying chore servants in any form.

Violators would face anything from confinement to reflect on their mistakes to being expelled from the sect!

Once this regulation was issued, the entire Inner Sect was in an uproar.

Many Inner Sect disciples who were accustomed to bossing others around felt dissatisfied, but in the face of the sect's authority, they had no choice but to obey.

Zhao Long looked at the sect token in his hand, his expression turning incredibly ugly.

"Damn it!"

He cursed through gritted teeth.

"To issue such a regulation at this time, it's as if they are deliberately going against me!"

But no matter how dissatisfied he was, he dared not defy the sect's orders.

After all, he was merely an ordinary Inner Sect disciple; in the vast system of the sect, he amounted to nothing.

"Forget it, I'll endure it for now."

Zhao Long forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart.

"According to the new regulations, it won't be long before those trash chore servants are cleared out of the sect."

"By then, once that brat falls down the mountain, there will be plenty of ways to deal with him!"

Thinking of this, a sinister smile reappeared on Zhao Long's face.

Outside the sect gates, he had countless ways to deal with a piece of trash who had lost the protection of the sect!

On the other side, without Zhao Long's harassment, Zhou Xuan was finally able to focus on his money-making enterprise with peace of mind.

Over the past few days, his talisman-making technique had become increasingly proficient. Although the runes he drew were still crooked, under the Enlightenment of the system, every single one could exert its intended effect.

More importantly, he had discovered a new business opportunity.

The talismans he had subjected to Enlightenment not only had stable effects but also lasted slightly longer than similar products on the market.

Although the difference was small, in the eyes of cultivators, this subtle advantage was enough to become a reason for choosing his goods.

Thus, Zhou Xuan's talismans quickly established a decent reputation in Yunlai Market.

Early this morning, Zhou Xuan brought a large bag of talismans and headed to Yunlai Market.

He did not go to those high-end shops, but instead set up a stall directly on the outskirts of the market.

"Selling talismans! Top-tier First-rank talismans, fair prices, honest dealings!"

Zhou Xuan's shouting quickly attracted quite a few passing cultivators.

"Junior brother, how are you selling these talismans?"

A rogue cultivator in the Body Tempering Realm walked over and picked up a Sharp Metal Talisman to examine it closely.

"One spirit stone per talisman, buy ten and get one free!" Zhou Xuan replied with a smile.

This price was significantly cheaper than the formal shops in the market, yet the quality was not inferior in the slightest.

Soon, Zhou Xuan's stall was surrounded by people.

"I want five Sharp Metal Talismans!"

"Give me ten Fireball Talismans!"

"How effective is this Great Strength Talisman? I'll take a few to try out!"

In just a single morning, Zhou Xuan sold dozens of talismans and raked in eighty Low-grade Spirit Stones!

This income made him ecstatic.

One had to know, the cost of these talismans was almost negligible; it was pure, unadulterated profit!

After packing up his stall, Zhou Xuan did not rush back, but instead went straight to the Myriad Things Pavilion.

"Shopkeeper, I want to buy demon cores!"

Zhou Xuan walked into the shop confidently and slapped fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones onto the counter.

When the goat-bearded shopkeeper saw Zhou Xuan had returned and was spending so lavishly, his face immediately broke into a beaming smile.

"Oh my, isn't this Junior Brother Zhou! You've come again!"

The shopkeeper rubbed his hands together, his face full of sycophancy.

"How many demon cores do you need? I just received a new batch of stock, and the quality is excellent!"

"Give me fifty First-rank Demon Cores, and make sure they are high quality!" Zhou Xuan said generously.

"Right away! Please wait a moment!" The shopkeeper hurried to the storeroom to retrieve the goods.

Soon, fifty First-rank Demon Cores radiating rich spiritual energy were packed into an exquisite jade box and handed to Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan nodded in satisfaction, paid the price, and then bought some raw materials for talisman crafting along with a few bottles of low-grade pills.

He planned to keep the remaining thirty spirit stones as a reserve.

Returning to the Miscellaneous Affairs Department, Zhou Xuan couldn't wait to convert all fifty demon cores into Gold Touch Value.

[Ding! Absorbed First-rank Low-grade Flame Wolf demon core, gained Gold Touch Value +9!]

[Ding! Absorbed First-rank Mid-grade Iron-Armored Bear demon core, gained Gold Touch Value +12!]

[Ding! Absorbed First-rank Low-grade Wind Blade Eagle demon core, gained Gold Touch Value +8!]

A series of notification sounds rang out in his mind, and Zhou Xuan's Gold Touch Value balance grew rapidly.

[Gold Touch Value balance: 1127 points!]

Looking at this number, Zhou Xuan's heart felt like it was about to jump out of his chest!

He had finally broken the thousand mark!

This meant that he could finally upgrade his spirit root once more!

Upgrading from the Five Elements Waste Spirit Root to the Wasted Four Elements Spirit Root required 1000 Gold Touch Value.

His current balance was just enough, with over a hundred points left over as a reserve.

Zhou Xuan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the excitement in his heart.

Now was not the time; he had to find a safe place to perform the upgrade.

After all, a change in spirit root would bring about a significant increase in cultivation efficiency, and if the anomaly were discovered by others, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Just as Zhou Xuan was preparing to return to his thatched hut to carry out this crucial upgrade, a series of urgent bell tolls suddenly rang out in the Chore Servant Courtyard.

Dang! Dang! Dang!

This was the sound of the assembly bell!

Zhou Xuan's expression instantly turned grave.

The assembly bell only rang when a major event occurred; the last time was when Chief Steward Wang announced the Dismissal Order.

Could it be that another major event was about to happen?

A sense of foreboding welled up in Zhou Xuan's heart.

He hurriedly packed up his belongings and walked quickly toward the central square of the Chore Servant Courtyard.

The square was already crowded with a sea of chore servants, each of their faces etched with worry and unease.

Wang Fugui stood on the high platform, his expression even more mean-spirited and smug than usual.

Standing beside him were several people Zhou Xuan had never seen before; judging by their attire, they appeared to be stewards from the Deacon Hall.

"Quiet, everyone!"

Wang Fugui shouted in a shrill voice.

"I have gathered everyone here today because there is an important matter to announce!"