txolops Chapter 72 Yuanyao, Yanli
Chapter 72 Yuanyao, Yanli
A soft "thump" came from the counter, and Bubble slowly emerged from a pile of talismans, lightning-attracting sand, and dried-out materials. It squinted, glanced at the little girl disturbing its peaceful sleep, and lazily pointed its paw towards the inner courtyard, as if to say, "Again? So annoying... She's inside, go find her yourself."
After saying that, it slumped back onto the table with a "thud," buried its face in its front paws, and continued its sweet dream—a dream filled with comfortable young ladies.
Lu Xueqi had no time to spare for this lecherous spirit pet. Like a cheerful little sparrow, she rushed into the inner courtyard.
The sunlight was just right in the courtyard. Han Xiaoliu lay back on the bamboo couch, his blue robe loosely draped over his shoulders. He held half a scroll of "One Hundred Questions on Weapon Forging" in his hand, but his eyelids were drooping, and he was obviously dozing off. A gentle breeze rustled the copper bells on the eaves, making them tinkle, which made the small courtyard seem particularly languid.
"Young Master! Young Master!" Lu Xueqi rushed to the bedside, her voice urgent and bright, filled with barely concealed excitement, "I think I ran into those two women you mentioned today!"
Han Xiaoliu opened his eyelids a crack and said lazily, "Which 'those two'? You can recognize eight hundred 'extraordinary women' a day."
"Oh my—it's that 'Yuan Yao' you were talking about last time!" Lu Xueqi lowered her voice, her eyes shining like stars, "And her senior sister!"
Seeing that the young master had finally sat up a little straighter, she immediately started chattering away:
"Just yesterday! Two female cultivators loitered around our shop for almost half an hour! They were dressed simply but had an extraordinary air about them, and both were at the peak of Qi Refining! I thought they were there to buy Foundation Establishment Pills, but when I asked—guess what? They were actually applying for jobs as clerks at the general store!"
She paused, a look on her face saying, "I'm so worried about you," her tone full of complaint: "But our little Si only gets ten spirit stones a month! Plus a cut. Such bizarre treatment, only a fool would believe there's something fishy going on!"
As she spoke, she secretly observed Han Xiaoliu's expression—sure enough, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
"Of course I know!" Lu Xueqi rolled her eyes inwardly. "This job posting was clearly set up by you. You wouldn't even glance at anyone in the world except for someone named 'Yuan Yao'! What are you pretending to be doing by being a legitimate job seeker?"
But she dared not say it aloud, and continued, "So I didn't agree right away, I tried to get information out of them first! As we chatted, I learned that the older one was named Yanli, and the younger one—hehe, her name was Yuan Yao! Isn't that an incredible coincidence?"
Her eyes crinkled into crescents, and she was extremely pleased with herself: "I immediately pulled them aside for tea, and we chatted about our hometowns, our spiritual practice, and gossip about the Miaoyin Sect... We became very close! Finally, I quietly said, 'Don't rush, ladies, come back in a couple of days, and I guarantee you'll be able to come to my shop!' They were so happy, and left thanking me profusely!"
At this point, her tone suddenly softened, and she muttered softly, "If you hadn't absolutely refused to let me go to Miaoyin Sect to find you... I'd been waiting here all day, it was driving me crazy!"
She secretly glanced at Han Xiaoliu.
The young master clearly wants to see her so much that he can't sleep, but he insists on putting on an "whatever happens, happens" act. Who is he trying to fool?
Sunlight fell on the boy's slightly reddened earlobes. He coughed lightly, feigning composure, and lay back down, covering his face with the book, leaving behind only a mumbled sentence:
"...Understood. Let them come tomorrow."
Lu Xueqi covered her mouth and chuckled, secretly delighted: Heh, young master, your true colors have been showing all along!
Tiandu Street is one of the most bustling cultivation markets on Kuixing Island in the Chaotic Star Sea. The morning mist has not yet dissipated, and the bluestone road gleams with a slightly moist luster. The buildings on both sides are staggered, and spirit banners flutter lightly between the eaves and brackets.
A faint purple aura of medicinal vapors rose from the front of the pharmacy, and the yellow paper and cinnabar on the talisman stalls gleamed. Occasionally, a sword-wielding cultivator would fly by, his robes fluttering in the breeze and stirring up a few fallen spirit tea leaves.
In the middle of the street, two graceful figures walked slowly.
Yanli walked ahead, wearing a light pink short shirt and a pale yellow silk skirt. The cuffs and hem of the skirt were embroidered with fine gold cloud patterns, and a silk sash with small bells was tied around her waist, making a crisp tinkling sound with each step she took.
She was barefoot, without shoes or socks, and three luminous gold rings—one large and two small—adorned her ankles, shimmering with each step and highlighting her snow-white skin. Her eyes crinkled into crescents, and her smile was radiant, as if everything in the world was hopeful and lovely.
Half a step behind, Yuan Yao was completely different. She wore a simple, unadorned moon-white dress, with only silver thread outlining plum blossom patterns at the collar and sleeve edges. Her black hair was tied up high, with a jade hairpin inserted diagonally, and her expression was as cold as frost.
Her gaze was calm, and when she swept her eyes across the streets, there was always a hint of scrutiny, as if she were silently dissecting the interests behind every commotion.
"Junior sister, do you think that 'Youjian General Store' really would hire us as servants?" Yanli suddenly turned around, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Ten spirit stones a month! We might not even earn that much in three months just by greeting customers and running errands on the island! Plus, we get a commission on every sale. It's really a great place!"
Yuan Yao didn't stop walking, only saying calmly, "That's precisely why it's suspicious."
She paused, lowering her voice: "Every inch of land on Tiandu Street is precious. Which shop doesn't hire people based on their cultivation level, physical attributes, and soul contracts? A general store hires a cultivator at the peak of Qi Refining to wipe the cabinets and arrange talismans, and even pays him a monthly salary of ten spirit stones..." She frowned slightly, "There's no such thing as a free lunch."
Yanli, however, didn't take it to heart and cheerfully took her arm: "Oh dear, you're overthinking it! That girl yesterday was so pure and kind, with a soft voice and eyes as bright as stars. She said she was the young master's personal maid, named Lu Xueqi—that young master must not be a bad person to raise such a pure-hearted girl."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao's eyes flickered slightly.
She recalled that when the girl served the tea, her fingertips were free of any hostility, and her words were devoid of any cunning; she was truly a rare sincerity.
The world of cultivation is full of deceit and treachery; those who can maintain such a mindset are either extremely virtuous or extremely hypocritical.
But if it's truly a great fraud... then why put on this act in front of two nameless rogue cultivators?
She was silent for a moment, then finally nodded slightly: "Perhaps... we are overthinking it."
Yanli immediately cheered and pulled her to quicken her pace, "Then let's hurry to the Mo Family Medical Clinic! She said we should meet there first today, and then she'll introduce us to her young master!"
The two walked side by side, one like the blazing spring sun, the other like the cool autumn moon.
As the hustle and bustle of the streets faded into the distance, only the gentle tinkling of golden rings and the sound of skirts fluttering in the wind wove together a tale of cultivation and immortality that was difficult for mortals to comprehend in the morning light of Tiandu Street.
The two had just stepped into the middle of Tiandu Street and hadn't even gotten their footing when the wooden door of the Mo Family Medical Clinic was suddenly pushed open with a creak.
"Sister Yanli! Sister Yuanyao! You've finally arrived!"
Lu Xueqi hopped out like a cheerful little sparrow, her ponytail tracing an arc in the air. Her face beamed with smiles, her eyes shining as if filled with morning dew. She grabbed their hands tightly, almost dragging them forward: "Quick, quick, quick! Young Master has agreed, the contracts are ready, we can start work today!"
Yanli stumbled from the pull, but didn't seem to mind. Instead, she smiled broadly, her eyes crinkling, and walked with light, breezy steps: "Really? So fast?"
As she walked, she turned back and winked at Yuan Yao, her eyes filled with undisguised joy.
Ten spirit stones! And they even provide for it! This is like a windfall!
Yuan Yao frowned slightly, her steps steady, letting Lu Xueqi pull her along, but her gaze had already quietly swept over the lintel, windows, and even the eaves of the general store—there were no traces of arrays, no fluctuations of restrictions, it really looked like an ordinary shop.
The more ordinary it seemed, the deeper her doubts became: if it was really that simple, why were all the applicants rejected before?
The shop was dimly lit, with shelves lined with a dazzling array of talismans, elixirs, and bottles. Behind the counter, a yellowed contract lay quietly on a jade table, its spiritual patterns faintly visible, clearly sealed with a secret technique.
Yanli practically lunged at the table, eagerly unfolding the contract. A quick glance at the terms and her eyes lit up: "Besides ten spirit stones a month, we get a cut on every sale? And there are no restrictions on whether we stay or leave? We can resign as long as we give the manager a month's notice?" Her voice rose, her joy almost leaping. "This...this is amazing!"
She turned and shoved the contract into Yuan Yao's hand, then pulled Lu Xueqi aside and started chattering away, asking all sorts of questions: "Little Qi, what do we usually sell? Do we need to refine weapons? Will we encounter any dangerous missions?"
Lu Xueqi felt dizzy from being shaken, but smiled even sweeter: "Don't worry! They're just talismans, low-grade pills, and spirit-summoning materials. At most, we'll help customers check the goods; there's never any fighting!"
Yuan Yao lowered her eyes and carefully read the contract. Her fingertips gently traced each line of writing, and her divine sense quietly probed beneath the paper to check for any hidden soul contracts or karmic curses.
Her brow furrowed and relaxed intermittently, her breathing remained steady, but her heart was like a still pond: the terms were ridiculously lenient… yet there were no traps. Could it be… he really just wanted to find someone?
After a long while, she raised her eyes, her gaze clear and resolute, and nodded gently: "It's alright, you can sign."
Yanli cheered and grabbed the jade pen to press her handprint.
Yuan Yao then began to write, her movements composed, but as she finished the last stroke, her fingertips paused almost imperceptibly for a moment.
This person's scheme is not for profit, nor for enslavement; what is their true purpose?
Lu Xueqi lightly tapped the storage belt at her waist, and two light blue talismans fell into their palms.
"This is the access pass for 'Youjian General Store.' From now on, the supplies for the store will be handled by my sister and me!"
The two bowed and said, "From now on, we will follow our sister's arrangements!"
Seeing this, Lu Xueqi smiled so broadly her eyebrows curved into crescent moons, and she grabbed the two women's arms: "That's wonderful! From now on, we're family! Sisters, come with me quickly, there are several empty rooms in the backyard, you can choose whichever you like!"
As she walked, she complained, "I used to live here all by myself. I would mind the shop during the day and practice my martial arts at night. I had no one to talk to, and it was so boring! Now at least I have someone to keep me company!"
The three walked through the corridor, around an ancient well, and arrived at the backyard. Several small houses with green tiles were scattered around, with bright and clean windows and spiritual plants climbing the walls. It was even more secluded than the cave dwellings rented by many cultivators on the front street.
Over the next three days, Yanli was incredibly enthusiastic and quickly became familiar with product categorization, price labeling, and customer reception.
Yuan Yao was taciturn, but she remembered the origin, efficacy, and authenticity of every piece of material perfectly.
The two worked together seamlessly, and the grocery store was even busier than usual.
But the legendary "young master" never showed his face.