Chapter 58 Who wouldn't want this kind of blessing?
Early morning in Qingyun City, before the mist had fully dissipated, the sound of heavy, dull thuds was already coming from that dilapidated little courtyard.
"Crack! Crack!"
Xiao Yuer's forehead was beaded with fine sweat as she gripped the rusty executioner immortal array map iron piece, chopping wood one stroke after another. She found that the wood was becoming increasingly difficult to split; originally, she only needed to aim for the lines, but now those lines seemed to move across the wood like living creatures, requiring her full concentration to capture that sliver of vitality.
Lin Yuan lay on a rickety lounge chair, watching Xiao Yuer laboriously chop wood, then glanced at the empty teapot beside him.
Although life in the Mortal World was peaceful, having to do everything himself truly went against his "ultimate salted fish" nature. Even though he had taken a disciple, making a seven or eight-year-old little girl who could barely walk steadily chop wood and serve tea felt a bit too heartless for even Lin Yuan.
"I still need to find someone to keep up appearances."
Lin Yuan stroked his chin and casually snapped his fingers.
This single snap directly tore through the distance between planes and the Void Realm, an invisible thread of Karma instantly connecting to the Nine Heavens Carefree Immortal Palace at Taixuan Back Mountain.
...
Taixuan Back Mountain, inside the Immortal Palace.
At this moment, the backyard of the Immortal Palace was in a state of extremely oppressive "internal competition."
Demon Venerable Wanhua was sticking his rear up, crouching on the ground with a small brush he had found somewhere, scrubbing the gaps between the white jade floor tiles. The green-skinned man transformed from Xing Tian was carrying a bucket of Death Qi fertilizer, precisely dripping it onto every root of the World Tree. Meanwhile, the Four Great Heaven-Suppressing Immortal Kings stood like four spears in the corner, not even daring to move their eyeballs.
Just then, space distorted slightly.
An ethereal voice echoed in Tantai Jinyue's mind: "Jinyue, the dilapidated courtyard in the northern outskirts of Qingyun City. Come and serve, and look after Xiao Yuer while you're at it."
Tantai Jinyue, who had been resting with her eyes closed under the tree, suddenly trembled, her cold eyes instantly bursting with earth-shattering brilliance!
"Young Master... Young Master has summoned me?!"
She stood up abruptly. Due to her intense excitement, the terrifying demonic pressure belonging to a Peerless Demoness flashed momentarily, causing the leaves of the surrounding immortal trees to rustle loudly.
"Wanhua, watch the house. Young Master has ordered me to go and serve him personally!"
Tantai Jinyue couldn't hide the joy on her face at all. Her tone was a thousand times more proud than when she had achieved her Breakthrough to the Void Returning Stage back then.
Demon Venerable Wanhua, who was scrubbing the floor tiles, froze completely.
He slowly raised his head, the brush in his hand falling to the ground with a "clack," his eyes filled with an extreme intensity of jealousy and envy.
"Why... why her?"
Tears streamed down Demon Venerable Wanhua's old face as he felt like roaring in grievance: "This old servant's floor scrubbing is brighter than anyone's! This old servant's dishwashing is faster than anyone's! When the Revered Master goes down the mountain to cultivate, he actually takes this woman and leaves only this old man at home to scrub toilets?"
Luo Xue, who was sweeping the floor, gripped her broom so hard she almost crushed it in envy.
In the corner, the Four Great Heaven-Suppressing Immortal Kings also looked at each other, the green light in their eyes almost lighting the Ever-burning Lamps in their hands.
"That is a blessing..."
The Eastern Heaven Immortal King sighed sourly: "To be able to follow that supreme Physical Body, what kind of Karma is that? Even if it's just bringing a basin of foot-washing water for that lord, catching even a sliver of that ultimate aura would probably save ten thousand years of bitter cultivation!"
"Fairy Jinyue! Great-Grandmother Jinyue!"
The Southern Heaven Immortal King was the most slick; he immediately threw down his lampstand and lunged forward, shamelessly grabbing the hem of Tantai Jinyue's skirt just as she was about to step into the Void Realm, crying out with a long face:
"After you go, you must put in a few good words for us! Just say that although our cultivation is a bit low, we're good with our hands! We can serve as human screens, or even just as glowing background panels! Please ask the Revered Master to take us along too; we really can't stay in this house anymore!"
Tantai Jinyue shook off the Southern Heaven Immortal King with disdain, but the corners of her mouth curled up unconsciously, carrying the reserved air of a "primary wife" on inspection:
"Fine, fine. If there's a chance, I'll mention it. However, the Revered Master has a lazy temperament and hates noise the most. If you keep being this clamorous, be careful not to be thrown into the Sea God Pouch to feed the fish."
With that, Tantai Jinyue stepped into the Void Realm and vanished.
Leaving the group of top-tier powerhouses in the courtyard gazing longingly.
...
Qingyun City, the dilapidated courtyard.
Xiao Yuer was panting from exhaustion when she suddenly felt a gust of fragrant wind.
The Void Realm tore open, and Tantai Jinyue, dressed in red and looking peerless, stepped out. She first scanned the shabby surroundings, her brow furrowing slightly, but the moment she saw Lin Yuan on the lounge chair, all her arrogance instantly turned into docility.
"Jinyue greets the Young Master."
She naturally walked behind Lin Yuan, extending her slender, jade-like fingers to knead Lin Yuan's shoulders with just the right amount of pressure.
"You're here."
Lin Yuan kept his eyes closed and pointed to the stunned Xiao Yuer nearby: "This is my newly recruited disciple, Xiao Yuer. Besides serving me, look after her as well. This girl is too thin; nourish her body."
Tantai Jinyue looked at Xiao Yuer, a strange light flashing in her beautiful eyes.
With her discernment, she could tell at a glance that there was something extraordinary about this little girl. That terrifying Dragon Elephant vitality and that faint executioner immortal killing intent made even her, a demoness, feel her scalp tingle.
"This... what kind of Aptitude is this? With just a casual teaching from the Young Master, he actually cultivated an All-Heavens Divine Physique?"
Tantai Jinyue's admiration for Lin Yuan rose to an indescribable height once again.
"Yes, Young Master."
She looked at Xiao Yuer, forcing a somewhat stiff but gentle smile onto her face: "Xiao Yuer, right? If there's anything you don't understand in the future, just ask your sister. This wood-chopping work, sister will help you..."
"No need, sister. Revered Master said this is my textbook." Xiao Yuer shook her head seriously, then whispered very softly into Tantai Jinyue's ear, "Sister, Revered Master is really amazing. You must serve him well; he just said the tea you brew is delicious."
Lin Yuan's mouth twitched as he listened. This little girl was already starting to win over a "nanny" for him?
Hearing the words "tea is delicious," Tantai Jinyue's heart felt as sweet as honey.
She briskly repaired the drafty windows in the courtyard with a casually placed array, then took out Immortal silkworm silk from her storage space to spread over Lin Yuan's broken bed. In moments, she had transformed the simple thatched hut into a luxurious palace chamber.
"Young Master, those old subordinates..."
While peeling Amethyst Grapes for Lin Yuan, Tantai Jinyue spoke cautiously: "Wanhua and the others say they miss the Young Master very much and have lost the energy to work. They asked me to inquire if the Young Master lacks an errand boy or a gatekeeper, and if you could grant them a position?"
Lin Yuan opened his eyes, thinking of Wanhua, who was always tearfully scrubbing floor tiles, and those four spear-like streetlights.
"What would I take them for? I'm just a Mortal right now. With such a large group of eccentric people following me, how can I live in seclusion?"
Lin Yuan shook his head: "Tell them, if they want to come out, they must first Seal their cultivation to the Qi Refining Stage. When they have learned the etiquette of a Mortal, then we can talk."
Tantai Jinyue's heart shuddered as she heard this.
"Seal cultivation... learn Mortal etiquette..."
She frantically interpreted this in her mind: "The Young Master means that this experience in the Mortal World is actually a higher level of cultivation! Those old fellows are used to solving problems with violence and have long lost the simplicity of the Dao. The Young Master is giving them a chance to wash away their worldliness and recast their Dao foundations!"
"Young Master is wise! Jinyue will definitely pass on the message and have them reflect properly!"
Lin Yuan rolled his eyes and closed them again.
He really just thought they were too many and too noisy.
At that moment, the courtyard door was gently knocked.
"Senior... Junior Jian Wuchen has brought dinner for you again. Today it's the most famous 'Emerald Pearl Chicken' from the east of the city. Please take a look, Senior..."
Outside the door, Jian Wuchen knelt on the ground, humble to the point of being in the dust.
Tantai Jinyue was about to lash out, but Lin Yuan waved his hand: "Go, open the door and take the delivery. And tell him to get lost; don't let him kneel there and be an eyesore."
"Yes."
Tantai Jinyue walked gracefully to the door and pulled it open.
At that moment, Jian Wuchen felt a pressure a hundred times more terrifying than his own Ancestral Master's bearing down on him.
He looked up and saw a peerless woman in fiery red with cold eyes, looking down at him as if he were an ant.
"Drop the things and get out."
Those five brief words, combined with that unfathomable demonic pressure, scared this Void Returning Stage powerhouse so much that he wet his pants on the spot. He dropped the food box and ran, frantically muttering:
"Heavens! A maid by the Old Ancestor's side... is actually a great demon at the Peak of the Void Returning Stage or above?! This isn't living in seclusion; this is clearly a descent of the gods!!!"