Cultivation: From Menial Laborer to Immortal Venerable Section 14

He thought he had misheard.

His wife's brother had guaranteed it, and he had personally seen the annotation and the big cross mark.

Yet Zhou Xun was still admitted.

He refused to believe that his wife's brother would take a gift and not do his job.

Given that he was the Wu family's live-in son-in-law, a promising young Talismaster, and considering their relationship, there was no reason for his uncle to lie to him.

No normal person would do this!

Could it be that he truly wasn't normal?

Wei Shangli even harbored a sliver of doubt.

In fact, he wasn't the only one.

Warden Lin himself was somewhat incredulous when he saw Zhou Xun's name.

However, he still read out Zhou Xun's name without betraying any emotion.

This was a list personally compiled by Grandmaster Yun Ku. Although he was a member of the Lin family, he wouldn't dare offend this guest elder.

If it weren't for his usual experience in hosting and seeing many major events, he might have made a fool of himself.

He mechanically read the list, his mind racing.

After the list was submitted, only Lin Zhishan and Grandmaster Yun Ku had the authority to make changes.

"Could this person have a connection with Lin Zhishan or Grandmaster Yun Ku?" the middle-aged man speculated.

Impossible!

Soon, Warden Lin dismissed the thought.

If Zhou Xun had such powerful connections, he would have joined Danbao Pavilion long ago, rather than being expelled from Mystic Talisman Pavilion.

It seemed that with this expansion, Grandmaster Yun Ku, seeing that the young man was from Red Leaf Square, had given him a spot.

That must be it.

However, nothing was absolute, and often the most unlikely explanation was the truth.

He couldn't afford to take any risks with this matter!

The position of chief steward at Danbao Pavilion was a lucrative one, with countless people eyeing it.

From now on, he could no longer oppose Zhou Xun; on the contrary, he needed to find a way to befriend him.

Warden Lin carefully recalled his annotation.

"Expelled from Mystic Talisman Pavilion, not recommended for admission!"

"My reasons for rejecting this person were completely justifiable. No one would suspect I was specifically targeting him. Even if Grandmaster Yun Ku found out, he would only think I was being fair!"

"Besides the Wei brothers, no one knows the truth. I'll return the Spirit Elixir and warn them, then this matter will be over!"

With that, Warden Lin felt much more relaxed, and his voice gained a bit more resonance as he announced the names.

Soon, all thirty apprentice positions and fifty servant positions were announced.

"All admitted individuals, please report to Danbao Pavilion in three days. Failure to appear by then will be considered a forfeiture!"

After saying the final sentence, Warden Lin stepped down.

After the people from Danbao Pavilion left, the crowd in the square slowly dispersed.

As people returned, the list of successful candidates from the recruitment conference began to spread throughout Red Leaf Square.

Especially for the alchemy apprentices, each one was a coveted target.

Many, upon returning home that day, found their doors besieged by matchmakers.

At the Yuexiang Tower, in a private room.

After everyone had dispersed, the Wei brothers invited some of their acquaintances to celebrate.

Although their plan to ostracize Zhou Xun had failed, they couldn't neglect their third brother's joyous occasion.

Brotherly relationships also needed to be nurtured.

Wei Shangli understood this principle well.

The banquet included Talismasters and apprentices from Mystic Talisman Pavilion, Warden Lin himself, and even someone he had just met at the square, a newly admitted alchemy apprentice.

Glasses clinked, and laughter and conversation flowed.

It wasn't until late into the night that the guests finally departed.

As he was leaving, Warden Lin approached Wei Shangli.

He looked ashamed and said:

"I am truly ashamed, nephew. The matter was not handled successfully. This... please take it back!"

As he spoke, he took out the bottle of Spirit Elixir and handed it back.

"Uncle, what are you saying? This Spirit Elixir is merely a token of my filial respect for an elder. There's no reason to take it back. Please accept it with peace of mind!"

Wei Shangli was sharp enough to realize that if he accepted it, he would offend his uncle. Moreover, his third brother would need his uncle's help and care in the future.

"My uncle accepts your gesture. Please take this Spirit Elixir back!" Warden Lin was determined to refuse it.

"My third brother, Shangyi, will be heading to Danbao Pavilion soon. I'd be grateful if you could look after him. Consider this Spirit Elixir as payment for that favor!"

Wei Shangli said, seeing this, and felt helpless.

Warden Lin's heart stirred upon hearing this, as he was also very reluctant to part with the Spirit Elixir.

After weighing the matter, he stepped forward and whispered:

"The incident last time was quite peculiar. I advise you to reconcile with that person!"

"Also, I am accepting this Spirit Elixir for the sake of looking after your third brother, and it has absolutely nothing to do with that person. As for what happened last time, you must keep it absolutely secret, otherwise, I absolutely cannot accept this Spirit Elixir!"

"Uncle, please rest assured. Shangli knows the gravity of the situation. I have already warned my second and third brothers to keep this matter buried!"

"That puts my mind at ease!" Warden Lin nodded with satisfaction and took back the bottle of Spirit Elixir.

"Oh, and by the way, let's keep our interactions to a minimum for a while to avoid unnecessary speculation from others!" Warden Lin remembered something and turned back to caution him.

"Shangli understands!" Wei Shangli nodded and cupped his hands.

After Warden Lin left, his expression turned somewhat solemn.

The fact that the head steward of Danbao Pavilion was acting so cautiously indicated that the situation had taken an unexpected turn, possibly even involving the higher-ups of Danbao Pavilion.

"Big brother, I have a way to deal with Zhou Xun!"

As he was deep in thought, Wei Shangren's voice rang out.

Wei Shangren had been holding back this statement for a long time, and it wasn't appropriate to speak during the banquet with so many people present.

Looking at his second brother, Wei Shangli's face was filled with a complex expression. After thinking for a moment, he spoke:

"Second brother, is there still any possibility of reconciliation between us and Zhou Xun? Although we made a move, he himself is unaware of it."

"Reconciliation?" Wei Shangren's voice immediately rose, as if his tail had been stepped on.

"Absolutely impossible! Besides, I have already personally told him about our actions," Wei Shangren said indignantly.

"You..."

Wei Shangli was filled with disappointment in his brother, feeling that his younger sibling was the biggest obstacle to reviving their family!

"Big brother, why bother with reconciliation? There are still three days until the report. As long as we prevent him from reporting, he won't be able to cause any trouble!"

Wei Shangli glanced at his foolish brother, took a deep breath, and then said:

"I will handle this matter. You just focus on your talisman crafting and advance to become a Talismaster as soon as possible!"

Wei Shangren, who both feared and respected his elder brother, could only meekly agree when he gave such an order.

Upon learning of his acceptance, Zhou Xun returned home.

He opened the Spirit Rice bin and scooped out three large spoonfuls. Today, he was going to eat his fill.

He had already decided to report to Danbao Pavilion in three days.

"Even if the head steward of Danbao Pavilion makes things difficult for me, at most, I'll be expelled. My situation won't be any worse than it is now!"

"Moreover, today's turn of events indicates that Warden Lin is not the absolute authority within Danbao Pavilion. I have a very good chance of establishing myself there."

"Danbao Pavilion's alchemy apprentice – this is my most legitimate opportunity to access various spiritual medicines!"

"The risk and reward are directly proportional; it's an opportunity not to be missed!"

Having clarified everything in his mind, Zhou Xun began to enjoy his Spirit Rice.

"Brother Zhou, Brother Zhou!"

Before he could finish his meal, there were sounds of knocking at the door.

Zhou Xun tidied himself up briefly and opened the door.