Cultivation: From Mortal Servant to Immortal Venerable Section 13

"Yes!"

After registering, Zhou Xun, like everyone else, waited on the square.

Less than two hours later, Lin Zhishan returned to the high platform.

Lin Zhishan first bowed to everyone, then spoke:

"Thank you all for your favor towards my Danbao Pavilion. This time, eighty-three people registered for the apprentice recruitment, and as many as three hundred and twenty-seven for the general labor recruitment!"

"After discussing with my master, we have decided to expand the recruitment quota this time."

"For the apprentice positions, we have decided to expand the number to 30. After a six-month cultivation and assessment, we will select the best candidates, and the number of accepted apprentices will be expanded to fifteen!"

"Of course, those who fail the assessment can also stay at Danbao Pavilion if they wish!"

"As for the spirit contract laborers, we have decided to expand the number to fifty!"

"The specific list will be announced here later!"

"Thank you all!"

After speaking, Lin Zhishan bowed to the surroundings again.

The crowd below was overjoyed upon hearing this.

The expansion of personnel meant a greatly increased chance of their own selection.

Zhou Xun felt the same.

"With the guarantee from that warden, plus this expansion, I'm sure to be selected!"

The Wei brothers felt the same.

"Big brother, today is a joyous occasion. Why don't you and I book a spirit banquet at Yuexiang Restaurant to celebrate for our third brother?" Wei Shangren said happily.

"That sounds good! Big brother will host today!" Wei Shangli was also in a good mood.

With his third brother successfully joining Danbao Pavilion and becoming an alchemist in the future, his plan to revitalize the family had progressed a few more steps.

"Remember to invite Warden Lin, we owe him a lot today!" Wei Shangren continued.

Warden Lin's clumsy handling of Zhou Xun had given him a very good impression of this "relative."

Seeing his delighted second brother, Wei Shangli felt a surge of anger and hit him a few times:

"Cause less trouble for me in the future, and focus on practicing your talisman-making skills!"

"Oh, and you must keep quiet about Warden Lin's matter today!"

"Absolutely, absolutely!" Wei Shangren replied, rubbing his head.

He knew that because of his own issues, he had made his elder brother spend a good amount of money.

As they were talking, the crowd suddenly stirred.

On the high platform, a middle-aged man dressed as a warden walked onto the stage, holding a roster in his hand. He was Wei Shangli's maternal uncle, the chief warden of Danbao Pavilion.

"They're going to announce it!"

Someone shouted loudly.

The cultivators all pushed forward.

The middle-aged warden glanced at the crowd below and said:

"I am Lin Ruochang, the chief warden of Danbao Pavilion. I will announce the results of this recruitment conference!" He paused for a moment, then unfolded the roster in his hand and began to read.

"The selected candidates for the alchemist apprentice selection are as follows:"

"The first is Wei Yanzhi, fellow Daoist Wei, from Brocade Cloud Alley, Red Leaf Square."

"The second is Gou Houqing."

"...Wang Erniu."

"I'm in, I'm in!"

As soon as the middle-aged warden finished speaking, a simple and honest young man dressed as a farm boy, currently incoherent with joy, shouted frantically.

The people around him showed no signs of mockery; instead, they looked on with envy.

They knew that being selected as an alchemist apprentice at Danbao Pavilion, even with the assessment after six months, meant they would at least be able to stay.

Moreover, Grandmaster Yun Ku's reputation for treating his subordinates well was well-known throughout Red Leaf Square.

Zhou Xun also looked at the young man with a kind expression, celebrating him in his heart.

Judging by his attire, this person likely hadn't had an easy life, and being selected now was undoubtedly a leap into a better future.

The Wei brothers were standing not far from Zhou Xun, listening to Warden Lin call out names from the stage.

Soon, the sixth name called was "Wei Shangyi."

"Haha, third brother, you've indeed been selected! I'll have to call you Alchemist Wei from now on!" Wei Shangren exclaimed loudly, his excitement evident in his eyes.

The people around, hearing the words "selected" and "alchemist," knew that this person had been chosen as an alchemist apprentice, and they began to offer their congratulations.

Seeing this, Wei Shangren laughed heartily, as if he himself had been the one selected.

Suddenly, with his sharp eyes, he scanned the crowd and saw a familiar figure – it was Zhou Xun.

He quickly pushed through the crowd and walked over.

"Brother Zhou is still here. You must have been selected, hahaha!" Wei Shangren knew that with Warden Lin, the head steward of Danbao Pavilion, pulling strings, there was no way Zhou Xun could have been selected.

Zhou Xun heard this, and his heart remained unmoved.

He had already recognized the person on stage as the middle-aged steward who had registered today.

"With the head steward of Danbao Pavilion personally promising me, I should have been selected this time!" Zhou Xun thought to himself.

He then glanced at Wei Shangren and said calmly:

"If I get it, it's my luck; if I don't, it's my fate!"

Seeing Zhou Xun's nonchalant expression, Wei Shangren felt a surge of anger. Ignoring his elder brother's instructions, he leaned in and whispered with a cold smile:

"Brother Zhou might not know yet, but the head steward of Danbao Pavilion on stage is my eldest brother's wife's uncle. He personally guaranteed me that he would definitely make sure you fail!"

Zhou Xun's brow furrowed slightly upon hearing this.

This matter was indeed beyond his expectations.

He hadn't expected the kind-faced middle-aged steward to be the elder Wei's wife's uncle.

This was too much of a coincidence!

Wei Shangren caught Zhou Xun's frowning expression and burst into laughter:

"If I get it, it's my luck; if I don't, it's my fate. Hahaha, you dare to oppose me, and I'll make sure you never get anywhere. This is your fate!"

"Brother Wei has good methods!"

With things having reached this point, Zhou Xun knew it was irreversible and began to consider his next move.

"With the Wei brothers here, Red Leaf Square is no longer a safe place for me. Perhaps it's time to consider leaving!"

As he was thinking, a voice that startled Zhou Xun rang out.

"Twenty-ninth, Green Willow Alley, Red Leaf Square – Zhou Xun!"

Wei Shangren's smile slowly froze, and he was speechless.

Zhou Xun showed a look of surprise. He had been preparing to flee, but now the situation had taken an unexpected turn.

He then looked at Wei Shangren with a half-smile and said:

"Brother Wei is still as fond of joking. I almost believed you just now!"

Wei Shangren then forced an awkward smile and nodded stiffly:

"Yes, yes. I was just playing a little joke on Brother Zhou, haha..."

After speaking, he hurriedly pushed through the crowd and left in a flustered manner.

He needed to go back and ask his elder brother why the middle-aged steward had taken the gift but failed to deliver, wasn't he his sister-in-law's uncle?

He couldn't understand it!

Zhou Xun also couldn't figure it out.

He didn't truly believe Wei Shangren was just joking.

That middle-aged steward was definitely his brother's wife's uncle, and the matter of him being deliberately failed must have happened.

It was just that something unexpected must have occurred in between to lead to the current outcome.

That middle-aged man was the head steward of Danbao Pavilion.

To thwart his plans, it must have involved high-level figures within Danbao Pavilion. If that was the case, he would need to carefully consider whether it was necessary to join Danbao Pavilion.

As for Wei Shangli, he looked even more stunned when he heard Zhou Xun's name.

He glanced blankly at his third brother, Wei Shangyi.