A Workhorse Transmigrates Only to Remain a Workhorse

Before dawn had even broken, Zhou Qi woke up.

Not naturally—hunger had woken him.

A month after transmigrating, he still had not adapted to this world's schedule: get up at dawn, report for duty at breakfast, and only rest at midnight.

There were only two meals a day, both thin soup and watery fare.

"If I'd known transmigrating into a cultivation world meant becoming a servant, I never should've clicked that ad with my itchy fingers."

Zhou Qi had not struck it rich. He had been an internship wage slave in his senior year at Blue Star university. One day after finishing his internship, he had lain exhausted on his dorm bed, scrolling through Tomato Novels.

A pop-up ad had suddenly jumped before his eyes:

"Sir, come play!"

It had been an ad featuring a scantily clad beauty.

As someone who had received higher education, Zhou Qi naturally would not be swayed by such things. After hesitating for only one second, he swiftly clicked it.

Then a flash of white light had come, and he had appeared in the Profound Spirit Realm.

Cursing inwardly, Zhou Qi dressed in the dark.

He lived in the servants' quarters of the Yang Residence. Four people shared one room, with only two beds; it was so cramped they could barely turn around.

Zhang Hu occupied the bed beside him. He was the young master of the Yang Family's trusted personal attendant. Though he too was crammed into the four-man room with Zhou Qi, he monopolized one bed by himself, while the other three squeezed onto the remaining bed.

Zhang Hu was still snoring, the sound making even the window paper tremble.

Without waking anyone else, Zhou Qi gently pushed open the door and stepped into the courtyard.

The horizon had only just begun to pale like a fish's belly.

He found a corner to sit in, placed his five centers toward the sky, and began circulating the Nourishing Qi Scripture.

This was an entry-level cultivation method that every servant in the Yang Residence could practice. However, it was only the introductory chapter of the complete technique and could only cultivate one to the Qi Refining Third Layer.

To go any higher, one needed the intermediate chapter, or even the later chapter.

Only masters were qualified to access such things.

Zhou Qi closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into his dantian.

There, a strand of spiritual qi thinner than a hair slowly circulated. Every minute he cultivated, the number on his system panel ticked upward once.

[Current cultivation: Qi-Nourishing Formula · Introductory Chapter]

[Proficiency: 1000/1000]

[Current realm: Qi Refining Third Layer (Peak)]

[Mental power: 10 (cultivation efficiency affected: 100%)]

[Today's cultivation time: 35 minutes]

This was Zhou Qi's cheat: the Proficiency System.

Any cultivation method or martial technique would accumulate proficiency as long as he practiced it repeatedly. Once the proficiency was full, it would automatically advance.

There were no bottlenecks and no requirements for comprehension.

All it took was grinding.

When he had first transmigrated a month ago, the original owner of this body had not even reached the Qi Refining First Layer. He had been trash through and through.

The Yang Residence had made him an attendant purely because he was obedient and honest, suitable for errands and miscellaneous chores.

Yet after transmigrating, he had cultivated for only ten days.

He was already at the Qi Refining Third-Layer Peak.

This Proficiency System gave him one point of progress per minute. With only casual daily cultivation, he could crush everyone else.

Among all the servants in the Yang Residence, purely in terms of realm, he was already among the very best.

But Zhou Qi could not feel happy at all.

[Notice: Qi-Nourishing Formula · Introductory Chapter proficiency limit: 1000/1000]

[Breaking through to the next layer requires Qi-Nourishing Formula · Intermediate Chapter]

[Current status: Unable to continue cultivating]

"Just as I thought. I still can't break through."

Zhou Qi opened his eyes and looked at the glaring "1000" on the panel, feeling as though a stone had lodged in his chest.

Over the past month, he had not stopped for a single day. Every morning, he rose an hour early to meditate and cultivate, then spent another hour at it before bed each night.

He had finally ground the introductory chapter to completion, only to discover:

Without the intermediate chapter, he would be stuck forever at the Qi Refining Third Layer.

Zhou Qi had asked around. Even in the Yang Residence, the Qi-Nourishing Formula · Intermediate Chapter was a rare treasure. Only young masters and young ladies could cultivate it; even the stewards were not qualified to touch it.

And the Yang Residence's young master was

Yang Mingyuan.

The moment Zhou Qi thought of that man, his brow furrowed.

Yang Mingyuan was the legitimate eldest son of the Yang Residence. He was seventeen this year and at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer.

The man had decent talent, but his personality was arrogant and sinister. He beat and cursed servants at the slightest provocation, and when he was in a bad mood, casually rewarding someone with a whipping was commonplace.

Zhang Hu had said that last year, a servant had spilled a single drop of oil onto Yang Mingyuan's sleeve while serving food. Yang Mingyuan had ordered him pinned down in the courtyard and beaten with twenty strokes, then made him kneel for another two hours.

It was said that servant never managed to climb out of bed afterward. Zhang Hu had led people to toss him into the mass grave and bury him carelessly.

The farther one stayed from a young master like that, the better.

But the problem was, if he stayed far away, he could not get the intermediate chapter.

Zhou Qi sighed, gathered his thoughts, and stopped circulating the cultivation method.

[Today's cultivation: 40 minutes]

[Today's accumulated proficiency: +40]

[Current proficiency: 1000/1000]

[Current proficiency is full. Today's proficiency has been stored. Proficiency balance: 4840]

Zhou Qi stared at the proficiency balance in silence for several seconds.

Twenty days ago, he had already filled those 1,000 points of proficiency. Every day after that, his proficiency had been stored away, and now his balance had reached 4,840.

Zhou Qi was not quite sure how this balance could be used.

Would it work like experience points, allowing him to level up directly after obtaining the intermediate chapter?

"I need to find a way to get the intermediate chapter!"

Zhou Qi stood and dusted the dirt from his clothes.

He did not know where to find a way, but this half month of stagnation told him that he could not keep lying low.

Yes, Zhou Qi had been in the Yang Residence for a month and had seen Yang Mingyuan several times. Each time, he had kept his head lowered and tried to make himself look inconspicuous.

He had been a minor nobody to begin with, and with Zhou Qi deliberately hiding himself, Yang Mingyuan had never given him a proper glance until now.

"Zhou Qi! Zhou Qi!"

A shrill voice came from outside the courtyard.

Zhou Qi's expression changed, and he hurriedly jogged out to meet the caller.

The newcomer was Laifu, Yang Mingyuan's personal servant. Normally, he held his head high and looked down on everyone, never sparing servants like them a second glance. Yet now, a smile sat on his face—one that carried an uncomfortable undertone.

"Zhou Qi, right?" Laifu gave him a once-over. "Young Master is going to East Market today and specifically named you to accompany him. Hurry up and get ready. We leave at breakfast."

Zhou Qi's heart tightened.

Whenever Yang Mingyuan went out, he always brought Zhang Hu and several other attendants at the Qi Refining Third Layer.

Although Zhou Qi was also at the Qi Refining Third Layer, he had kept it hidden airtight. Usually, he used only twenty percent of his strength, pretending he had just begun cultivating.

Why had Yang Mingyuan picked him?

"Brother Laifu, why did Young Master suddenly choose me?" Zhou Qi asked probingly.

Laifu shot him a glance and said with a smile that did not reach his eyes, "Young Master choosing you is your good fortune. Why ask so many questions? Hurry up. Don't make Young Master wait."

With that, he turned and left.

Zhou Qi stood where he was, watching Laifu's retreating back as his frown deepened.

This summons reeked of something strange.

But he had no choice. Besides, it was about time he made himself known.

After returning to the room to change into clean clothes, Zhou Qi hurried to the Yang Residence's main gate.

A carriage was already waiting outside.

Six or seven people stood beside it: Old Wu the coachman, Laifu the servant, Zhang Hu, Wang Li, and several other attendants.

Yang Mingyuan, meanwhile, sat inside the carriage.

Seeing Zhou Qi arrive late, Laifu quietly snapped, "Hurry up! Everyone's waiting for you!"

He then turned and hurried in tiny steps to the carriage window. Clasping his hands over his stomach, he bent at the waist and called out with a face blooming like a flower, "Young Master, Zhou Qi is here too. Everyone has arrived."

At his words, Yang Mingyuan lifted the carriage curtain with his fan. Dressed in brocade robes, he wore a faint smile.

The smile looked gentle, but Zhou Qi felt that his eyes held a chill, as though he were appraising a piece of merchandise.

"Zhou Qi?" Yang Mingyuan spoke. His voice was not loud, yet it carried an unquestionable pressure. "I hear you cultivate fairly diligently. Follow this young master out today and broaden your horizons."

Zhou Qi lowered his head and cupped his fists. "Yes, Young Master."

"Mm." Yang Mingyuan nodded and turned back into the carriage.

Zhang Hu walked over, patted Zhou Qi on the shoulder, and lowered his voice. "Don't be nervous. Young Master is discussing business with the Wang Family today, so he brought more people to put on a show of strength. Be smart about it, and don't embarrass Young Master."

"Yes, Brother Hu."

Zhou Qi answered and followed behind the carriage.

He kept his head down, but inwardly, he rapidly calculated what Yang Mingyuan's purpose in calling him along could be.

"I hear you cultivate fairly diligently."

Who had told him about that?

Zhang Hu?

On this trip, he would have to stay alert with every ounce of his spirit.