"Have you heard? Chen Fan, the Sect Master of the Seven Kill Sect, is publicly recruiting maids and attendants in Star Luo City!"
In the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, the biggest teahouse in Star Luo City, a fat man in a brocade robe held his teacup and lowered his voice as he spoke to his companions at the same table. His face was full of shock and doubt.
"What?"
The skinny man across from him nearly spat out his tea. "Maids and attendants? They're... recruiting for that publicly? What's the Sect Master of the Seven Kill Sect up to?"
"And that's not all!"
The fat man set down his teacup, looking mysterious. "They say he's also willing to pay a bride price to take a concubine, as a buyout. But she has to meet his standards."
"Standards? What standards?"
"I heard it has to do with talent and Martial Soul rank."
The fat man lowered his voice. "There's no reliable word on what the exact standards are, but one thing's certain..."
He paused deliberately, keeping his companion in suspense before continuing. "Apparently, he's offering a divine pill that can raise your Soul Power Level!"
The skinny man's eyes flew wide open, and his voice rose an octave. "A divine pill?! Could it be the one from the rumors—the pill that turned an eighty-ninth-rank Soul Douluo into a Titled Douluo on the spot?!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down!"
The fat man hurriedly made a shushing gesture and glanced around. "The whole palace is abuzz with this! You haven't heard?"
"Who in Star Luo City's upper circles hasn't heard what happened in Taihe Hall that night?"
The skinny man swallowed and lowered his voice. "That night, I heard... the two old ancestors of the Dai Family both..."
He made a throat-cutting gesture, not daring to say the rest.
The fat man nodded knowingly, picked up his teacup, and took another sip. Then he sighed. "Ah, the times are changing! That young Sect Master of the Seven Kill Sect is only eighteen, yet he's got such a staggering hand!"
"He can casually produce a Titled Douluo. Who could stand against that?"
"Then the bigwigs in Star Luo City..."
"They've gone mad already!"
The fat man cut in, looking gleeful. "You should've seen it. Early this morning, the carriages of all the dukes and marquises were already clogging the street outside the Seven Kill Sect's waystation!"
"Those lords were practically itching to stuff their daughters, nieces, and even their sisters' daughters in there!"
The skinny man clicked his tongue. "Did they meet the Sect Master of the Seven Kill Sect?"
"Heh!"
The fat man gave a cold laugh. "He's refusing all visitors behind closed doors! He didn't even open the gates. He just had the guards turn them away, saying, 'The Sect Master is receiving no guests today. Please return.'"
"And they just went home?"
"What else could they do?"
The fat man spread his hands. "With Chen Jianjun, a man who can kill the Dai Family's old ancestor with two sword strikes, standing behind him, who'd dare force their way in?"
He got to his feet and brushed off his robe. "All right, I'd better head home and check on my girl. If she really gets picked, she'll soar to the heavens!"
"Your girl's only twelve! Are you serious?"
"What does twelve matter? We have to prepare early! Who knows, there might be another chance later!"
The fat man was already hurrying downstairs as he spoke, leaving the skinny man sitting alone, shaking his head with a sigh.
Meanwhile.
Just as the fat man had said, the entrance to the Seven Kill Sect's temporary residence in Star Luo City was already jammed with carriages of every kind.
In front of a black carriage decorated with gold lacquer, a middle-aged man in a brocade robe paced back and forth, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. An elderly steward stood beside him, trying again and again to talk him down.
"My lord, why don't we go home for now? The Sect Master said he wouldn't receive visitors..."
"Go home? What do you mean, go home!"
The middle-aged man stomped his foot. "Do you know how rare that divine pill is? If our daughter gets picked, even as a personal maid, it'll be a blessing beyond measure!"
The steward smiled bitterly. "But the Sect Master won't see us..."
"Then we wait! We'll wait until he agrees to see us!"
The middle-aged man gritted his teeth. "I refuse to believe he can stay behind closed doors forever!"
But in the end, he didn't get his chance.
The waystation's vermilion gates remained shut tight. The elite Seven Kill Sect disciples standing guard all wore impassive expressions, giving everyone who approached the same reply: "The Sect Master is receiving no guests today."
From dawn until dusk, carriages came and went, only to be replaced by more, but the gates never budged.
Only when night fell did the powerful families finally realize:
Chen Fan truly had no intention of meeting them!
"Please return, everyone."
The guards repeated the words coldly. "Tomorrow at noon, the Sect Master will host a banquet at a manor outside the city. Those who are sincere may bring eligible women from their families to attend."
After saying this, the guards had nothing more to add. The powerful families could only stare at one another in dismay before finally leaving in disappointment.
The next day at noon.
At a manor outside Star Luo City, temporarily commandeered by the Seven Kill Sect, everything had already been prepared.
The manor wasn't large, but it was charming.
More than a dozen round tables had been set up in the courtyard, laden with fruit, wine, and other refreshments.
By now, the place was packed. Every guest was a powerful figure of Star Luo City, and every one of them had brought a beautiful young woman from their family.
Most of the women were between fifteen or sixteen and their early twenties. They were all dressed to the nines. Some were graceful and demure, others alluring and radiant. Each sat beside an elder, lost in her own thoughts, occasionally sneaking a glance toward the seat of honor.
In the seat of honor, Chen Fan lounged lazily against the back of his chair, twirling a teacup in his hand as his gaze drifted carelessly over the guests.
Chen Xin stood behind him without a word, like a sword with its edge sheathed.
Xu Wensu sat a little behind Chen Fan's right side, resting with his eyes closed. The faint aura of a Titled Douluo around him left every powerful guest sitting on pins and needles.
"Having the good fortune to attend your banquet today is an honor, Sect Master Chen."
A white-haired old marquis was the first to speak, smiling broadly. "When I heard yesterday that the Sect Master was recruiting attendants, I brought a few of my granddaughters. I wonder if they meet with your approval?"
As he spoke, he gestured behind him.
Four young women stepped forward gracefully. Each was a breathtaking beauty with a graceful figure. They bowed to Chen Fan, then one by one displayed their Martial Souls.
Feeling their Soul Power fluctuations, Chen Fan finally raised his eyelids and glanced over them. He looked a little disappointed.
After Ling Yuan, Xu Jiuer, and Xu Qinger, Chen Fan's tastes had certainly grown more particular. At the very least, they had to be acceptable in appearance. That was the first hurdle.
Although the More Children More Blessings System had no hard requirements, it only said that the more children he had and the greater their talent, the richer his rewards would be!
There were bound to be differences, though.
For instance, could he get a Douluo Pill just by finding any woman, the way he'd received one from Bibi Dong?
The answer was obviously no!
So Chen Fan withdrew his gaze and waved his hand. "Next batch!"
The old marquis blinked.
The smile on his face visibly stiffened for a moment. But when he saw Chen Xin and Xu Wensu behind Chen Fan, he didn't dare say anything. He could only wave awkwardly for his granddaughters to step back.