The salted-fish daily life in Purple Sky Palace was certainly comfortable, but after a while, Xiao Kuang's heart, which yearned to stir up trouble, began to itch again. Preparing lessons? What was that? He had long since tossed it to the back of his mind.
"Staying home all the time is so boring. I need to go inspect the grassroots work!" He found himself a lofty-sounding excuse and turned his gaze toward the Demon Race Heavenly Court above the Thirty-Three Heavens. "Didn't Little Di come up with some 'two-day weekend trial regulations'? I'll go see how they're working out! And while I'm at it... see if there are any pretty demon ladies around~"
He left as soon as he said it. After telling Xi He and Chang Xi, "Watch the house, especially those purple qi light tubes," he leisurely rode a crooked escape light—mainly propelled by his authority—straight toward the Demon Race Heavenly Court.
The current Demon Race Heavenly Court had recovered some of its vitality after the damage from the last Witch-Demon War and ten thousand years of recuperation, along with Di Jun's initial experiments with "slacking management." The Southern Heavenly Gate was heavily guarded, and the demon soldiers and generals stood in gleaming armor, looking quite imposing.
However, when Xiao Kuang's slovenly figure, dressed in a sleeveless undershirt and baggy shorts, appeared outside the Southern Heavenly Gate, the guarding demon general nearly stabbed him with a spear—his whole style was completely out of place in the Heavenly Court!
Fortunately, the leading demon general had sharp eyes and recognized him as the Purple Sky Palace Dao Ancestor who had halted the war with a single shout of "Stop" on the battlefield last time. This unfathomable—and utterly bizarre—figure was immediately greeted by a trembling crowd dropping to their knees.
The news swiftly reached Lingxiao Treasure Hall.
Di Jun had been discussing preparations for the coming war ten thousand years later with Taiyi, Old Ancestor Kunpeng, and the others—as well as how to reasonably implement the "two-day weekend"—when he heard that Xiao Kuang had arrived. The jade slip in his hand nearly fell to the ground.
"H-He came here?!" Di Jun's scalp prickled. Every time this Dao Ancestor showed up, he was never here for anything "proper"!
But the man was already at the entrance. How could Di Jun dare neglect him? He hurriedly led a host of demon gods outside the hall to greet him.
"Oh my, Little Di, there's no need to be so formal!" Xiao Kuang looked at the fluttering banners and grand welcoming ceremony before him, then waved his hand in satisfaction. "I'm just taking a casual stroll, inspecting the achievements of your Demon Race's spiritual civilization."
Di Jun's mouth twitched as he forced a smile. "Dao Ancestor's arrival has brought glory to our Heavenly Court. May I ask... where does the Dao Ancestor wish to inspect?"
"Just looking around, just looking around." With his hands behind his back, Xiao Kuang began wandering through the magnificent and resplendent Heavenly Court like an old official inspecting the local ranks.
He first visited the heavenly soldiers' camp. On the training ground, demon soldiers were drilling, their battle cries shaking the skies as demon qi surged upward.
After watching for a while, Xiao Kuang frowned. "Little Di, isn't this training intensity a little too high? Look at the brothers, sweating like crazy. How exhausting! Training has to be scientific, with work and rest properly balanced! In my opinion, train for one shichen, then rest for two. The results will be even better!"
The Demon Saint overseeing the drills: "???" Di Jun: "...The Dao Ancestor... speaks... reasonably?" Then what the hell are they supposed to train for?!
Next, he visited the alchemy chamber. Several Demon Race alchemists were intently controlling the flames while precious light flickered within their furnaces.
Xiao Kuang leaned over and took a deep breath, then fanned the air with a look of disgust. "Sigh, the chemical smell is too strong. It's bad for your health! Alchemy is a high-risk profession, so it's even more important to take precautions and rest properly! Four shichen of work per day is the absolute limit! Spend the rest of the time drinking tea, watching the clouds, and cultivating your temperament!"
The alchemists' hands trembled, and they nearly blew up their furnaces. The veins on Di Jun's forehead throbbed. "...This junior... has taken note."
Finally, he arrived at the Heavenly Court's "cultural troupe," the song-and-dance bureau established by the Demon Race itself. A group of lovely female demon immortals were rehearsing a dance, their figures graceful and alluring.
Xiao Kuang immediately perked up, his eyes lighting up as he slapped his thigh. "Ah! This is good! This department has potential! Artistic creation needs inspiration and relaxation even more! I suggest flexible working hours, with inspiration as the priority! Benefits need to improve too! There should be afternoon tea and snacks every day!"
The female immortals covered their mouths and giggled, their beautiful eyes glimmering. Di Jun had already gone numb. "...The Dao Ancestor... is wise..."
After making a full round, Xiao Kuang offered "high praise" and "valuable advice" regarding Di Jun's "management standards." The core idea was simple: slack off to the fullest and pile on the benefits!
Di Jun could neither laugh nor cry as cold sweat streamed down his back. This Dao Ancestor's ideas were practically digging up the foundations of the Demon Race's bid to dominate the Primordial Chaos! Yet the other party was of exalted status; Di Jun could neither defeat him in battle nor dare curse him out. He could only nod along submissively.
Back in Lingxiao Treasure Hall, host and guest took their seats—while Xiao Kuang unceremoniously occupied the seat of honor. Crossing one leg over the other and sipping immortal tea, he suddenly asked, "Little Di, how is that ideological report I asked you to write last time? Did you write up your practical experience afterward? Have you gotten that 'two-day weekend' going yet?"
Di Jun hurriedly replied respectfully, "In reply to the Dao Ancestor, the regulations have been initially implemented, and the response has been... acceptable." What he did not dare say was that the demon gods below had cheered at first, only to discover that work efficiency had soon plummeted, government affairs had piled up, and everything had become somewhat chaotic.
"Acceptable? Then it's not good enough!" Xiao Kuang wore an expression that said he knew exactly what he was talking about. "Looks like the push hasn't been strong enough! Fine, I'll teach you an even more advanced Fortune Management Method!"
"Fortune?" Di Jun, Taiyi, and Kunpeng, who stood nearby, all pricked up their ears.
"That's right!" Xiao Kuang said animatedly. "You need to tell the Demon Race citizens that being able to work in the Heavenly Court is their fortune! It's for the great rejuvenation of the Demon Race! Although the pay is low and there's lots to do... ah, no, although the work is demanding, this is an opportunity to train and fulfill yourselves! You must learn to be grateful!"
"Draw more big pies... talk more about visions... get them to voluntarily work overtime... no, I mean voluntarily strive for the Demon Race's future! That way, not only will they stop complaining, they'll even thank you for it! That's what you call 'fortune'!"
Di Jun, Taiyi, and Kunpeng: "..."
They were left dumbfounded, their worldviews suffering another violent shock!
T-This was just fooling naïve fools, wasn't it?! You could actually do this?!
Yet on further thought... it somehow... seemed to make a little crooked sense? If handled properly, perhaps it really could improve cohesion somewhat—by fooling them half-crippled?
Di Jun's eyes flickered, as though he were genuinely considering the feasibility of this Fortune Management Method.
Seeing them sink into contemplation, Xiao Kuang smugly took a sip of tea, feeling that he had once again made a massive contribution to the advancement of management studies in the Primordial Chaos.
Just as he was preparing to impart a few more tricks on "how to elegantly shift blame" and "how to slack off efficiently during meetings," his gaze inadvertently swept over the row of female Demon Race officials standing below the hall.
Among them was a female immortal clad in feathered robes. Her temperament was cool and aloof, but her eyes carried a hint of wildness. She was particularly eye-catching.
"Hm?" Xiao Kuang's eyes lit up again. Pointing at the female immortal, he asked, "Little Di, who is that...?"
Following his gaze, Di Jun hurriedly said, "In reply to the Dao Ancestor, she is one of the Demon Saints under my command, as well as the leader of the bird race. Her name is... Qin Yuan."
Qin Yuan stepped forward and offered a neither humble nor overbearing salute. "This minor immortal, Qin Yuan, greets the Dao Ancestor."
Xiao Kuang looked at her cool yet aggressive aura and found it quite novel. She was different from any goddess he had seen before. His love of talent—and beauty—began stirring again.
"Qin Yuan? A fine name! And such fine bearing!" Xiao Kuang said with a beaming smile. "Serving as a Demon Saint in the Heavenly Court must keep you very busy, yes? Would you be interested in developing your career at my Purple Sky Palace? The work there is easy, the benefits are good, and you can even earn Heavenly Dao Merit!"
He had openly started poaching again!
Di Jun's face instantly turned green! Taiyi clenched the Chaos Bell. Old Ancestor Kunpeng's gaze darkened.
Qin Yuan was also slightly stunned. She clearly had not expected this Dao Ancestor to be so... direct. Her brows drew together faintly, and she did not answer at once.
The atmosphere within Lingxiao Hall instantly became somewhat awkward and tense.
Yet Xiao Kuang remained utterly oblivious, still grinning at Qin Yuan as he awaited her response.
This time, it seemed his poaching hoe had swung at a rather unfortunate moment?
Before you continue