Enemies meet on a narrow road

The main hall of the God of Wealth's Temple is even more magnificent and solemn than the side halls.

A dome hangs high, displaying a star map symbolizing the flow of wealth, with countless stars, condensed from pure spiritual energy, flickering uncertainly. Enormous golden pillars, coiled like dragons, support a magnificent, resplendent expanse. The floor tiles are paved with single pieces of warm, spiritual jade, so smooth they reflect light, their interiors seemingly flowing with liquid golden light. The air is filled with the rich aroma of ancient agarwood mingled with the delicate fragrance of top-grade spiritual tea, creating a dignified atmosphere that inspires tranquility yet commands respect.

At this moment, this tranquility and majesty were shattered.

"Master!" Ao Ming, his left cheek swollen high, clearly marked with the Five Finger Mountain symbol, and a trace of dried blood still lingering at the corner of his mouth, stood in the center of the hall. His voice, somewhat muffled by the swelling and agitation, was still so loud that the golden bells at the corners of the hall jingled. His voice was filled with immense grievance and accusation:

"I almost! Just a hair's breadth away! I wouldn't have made it back!" He exaggeratedly gestured with his hand near his neck. "She! That new girl! She's a complete lunatic! Who comes in and tries to kill me right away!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, pacing on the smooth jade bricks, his expensive cloud-patterned brocade boots making a clattering sound as he walked:

"Shouldn't she have revealed her identity first, then tried to reason with me, or used the prestige of the God of Wealth's Mansion to intimidate me? Instead! She didn't say a word of nonsense and just tried to kill me right away!" The last sentence was almost shouted, filled with grief and indignation.

The God of Wealth, seated in the main position, was an elderly man with a kind face, white hair and beard, and wearing a robe embroidered with gold ingots and auspicious patterns. Far from being angry, he stroked his long white beard, his eyes sparkling with childlike curiosity and interest. He looked at Ao Ming, who was hopping mad with rage below, then at the attendant servant boy distributing wealth beside him, and chuckled.

"Interesting! Very interesting! Hahahaha!" The God of Wealth's loud laughter echoed in the hall. "I have been presiding over the assessment of this branch of the God of Wealth's Palace for ten thousand years, and today's scene is truly unprecedented! Novel! So novel!"

The attendant, a gentle-looking middle-aged celestial official holding a jade ruyi, couldn't help but cover his mouth with his sleeve, his shoulders trembling slightly, clearly struggling to suppress a laugh. He cleared his throat and continued:

"You're absolutely right. In previous years, the scions of noble families and descendants of immortal sects reacted to this test in only a few ways: the timid ones trembled with fear, unable to even speak properly; the more cunning ones either cried and complained afterward, bringing up their family's powerful backers; the slightly bolder ones at most stuck their necks out and shouted, 'My ancestor is so-and-so, you dare to touch me?' As for Qian Jin's approach... um... such a pragmatic and efficient solution," he paused, seemingly searching for a more fitting word, and finally laughed, "truly... incredibly efficient!"

Upon hearing this, Ao Ming became even angrier: "Master! Lord Sancai! You're still laughing!" He covered his cheek, wincing in pain.

At this moment, the benevolent attendant, a plump celestial official holding a golden lotus and standing on the other side of the God of Wealth, quickly stepped forward to smooth things over. He floated over to Qian Jin with a smile, gently nudged her, and whispered, "Junior Sister Qian, quickly, quickly apologize to your Senior Brother Ao Ming. This matter is indeed a bit... well, unexpected. His face is so swollen, it must hurt quite a bit. Otherwise, he'll have to ask you to compensate him for his losses later!"

Qian Jin was pushed to the center of the hall by the Wealth Boy, standing opposite the sullen Ao Ming. She blinked her clear, innocent eyes, looked at Ao Ming's miserable face, then at the God of Wealth on the high seat who was showing great interest and the Wealth Boy who was trying not to laugh, and finally her gaze fell back on Ao Ming.

Upon hearing that she might have to "compensate for the losses," she immediately became very serious, speaking clearly and earnestly with an air of utmost sincerity, and bowed slightly as she said:

"Senior Brother Aoming, no, no, Senior Brother Aoming, I'm sorry! I didn't understand the situation just now and I was a little too rough." Her apology sounded very sincere, but the mispronounced "Aoming" was particularly clear in the silent hall.

"Pfft..." A soft chuckle, barely suppressed, came from somewhere.

Qian Jin continued earnestly, "I didn't know I'd get beaten like this. I never imagined you'd be so fragile. I'm so sorry!"

Ao Ming felt a surge of heat rush to his head, almost breaking his remaining half-tooth in anger! He pointed at Qian Jin, his finger trembling: "You! You! Qian Jin! Did you do this on purpose?! You're the one who's really going through hell! And! Did you say I'm no good? Master said I'm no good! You..." He was so angry that he couldn't even speak coherently, and he felt his face hurt even more.

The God of Wealth stroked his beard at the opportune moment, smiling as he changed the subject, turning his gaze to the three men standing respectfully to the side, still shaken: "Alright, alright, Ming'er, don't be hasty, calm down. Clerk Wang, Clerk Li, and Commander Zhao, you three were there firsthand, so tell me, what do you think of the newcomer, Qian Jin's, performance in that accident? Speak frankly."

Clutching the black iron box that seemed to have become an extension of his body, Wang, still shaken, wiped the cold sweat from his brow, stepped forward, and bowed, saying, "Fairy Qian... well, her reaction... was extremely swift! Her heart for protecting wealth is as firm as a rock! Facing the villains, she showed no fear and stepped forward immediately—her courage is commendable! Although her methods... were a bit too harsh, given the circumstances at the time, she should have been without fault." He expressed his opinion tactfully.

With a professional smile on his face, Li Siji fiddled with the jade abacus at his waist and said, "Your Majesty, the God of Wealth is wise! Qian Xianzi's... well... decisiveness is a rare quality in our God of Wealth's Palace! At crucial moments, she is decisive and efficient, saving a lot of negotiation costs! I think it's excellent!" As a shrewd accountant, he valued results and efficiency more and expressed high praise for Qian Jin's directness.

Commander Zhao stood ramrod straight, his face stern, and clasped his hands in a deep voice, saying, "Reporting to Your Majesty, I am only acting according to my duty. Fairy Qian demonstrated courage, decisiveness, and a clear objective in the face of the unexpected situation. She is truly capable of great use."

The God of Wealth listened to the three men's assessments, his eyes gleaming. He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his throne, seemingly weighing his options. The Wealth-Distributing Boy also nodded slightly, clearly having already made his decision.

After a moment, the God of Wealth stroked his beard and smiled, "Hmm, what the three immortal lords say makes sense. Qian Jin," he looked at the girl standing quietly in the hall, "I greatly admire your sincere heart and... unique methods. However, my God of Wealth's Palace is ultimately a place that governs the flow of wealth in the three realms and harmonizes cause and effect, not a battlefield for fighting and killing. You must know that a balance of strength and gentleness is the way to longevity."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the expectant Ao Ming and the still calm Qian Jin, before finally announcing:

“Alright then. Qian Jin, I observe that you are pure of heart, unconventional, and seem to have a good understanding of the ways of the world. You will go to the ‘Human Prayer Office’ to assist in handling matters concerning mortals’ prayers to the God of Wealth, learn how to combine wealth with wishes, and understand the cause and effect and human nature in the flow of wealth. Ming’er,” he turned to Ao Ming, “you will also take up a temporary post there for training, which will be a good opportunity to guide your new junior sister and familiarize her with the environment.”

"What?!" Ao Ming instantly bristled, forgetting all about his embarrassment, he jumped up and pointed at Qian Jin, "Let her go to the Human Prayer Department? In the same department as me?! No way! Absolutely not! Master! You can't do this! She's a violent maniac! Let her manage mortals' wishes? What if she just 'physically exorcises' someone's wish if it doesn't suit her?! I don't agree!"

The Money-Giving Boy frowned slightly and gently scolded, "Ming'er! Don't act like a child! Hurry up and go to the medicine pavilion to apply the medicine!" His tone was authoritative, but then softened a bit, adding, "By the way, take your junior sister Qian to the Human Realm Prayer Office to familiarize her with the ways of the world. This is a master's order, and you can't refuse!"

Although Ao Ming was resentful after being scolded by the money-giving boy, he dared not argue back. He just glared at Qian Jin, snorted heavily through his nose, covered his face, and angrily turned and walked out, his footsteps making a deafening noise as if he wanted to crush the jade bricks.

Qian Jin had no objections and respectfully bowed to the God of Wealth and the Money-Giving Boy, saying, "Disciple obeys." Then he quickly followed the furious Ao Ming.

After exiting the magnificent main hall, Ao Ming walked quickly along the ornately decorated and spiritually vibrant corridor, eager to shake off the menacing figure behind him.

Qian Jin jogged to catch up, trying her best to make her voice sound sincere and pleasant: "Senior Brother Ao Ming, don't be angry anymore. I was wrong in the main hall just now, I didn't pronounce your name correctly. Look, now you know my name is Qian Jin, and I know you are Senior Brother Ao Ming, so we're even, okay? From now on, we're senior and junior brothers and sisters in the same department, so we should get along well." She tried to ease the atmosphere, her tone carrying a hint of coaxing.

Ao Ming abruptly stopped and turned around, wincing in pain as the sudden movement aggravated his injury. Pointing to his swollen face, he roared, "Even?! Qian Jin! Look at my face! How can this be even?! If it weren't for the fact that you're a woman, I, the dignified Third Prince of the Dragon Clan, would have given you a good sparring match right now! I'd show you why flowers are so red!" He raised his fist, trying to regain some of his dragon clan's authority.

Qian Jin looked at his exasperated expression, a hint of confusion flashing in her clear eyes. She tilted her head seriously and said, "Sparring? Didn't we just fight? You didn't beat me." Her tone was as calm as if she were stating, "The weather is nice today."

"You!!!" Ao Ming was so choked he almost couldn't catch his breath, his face turning from red to green. Just as he was about to retort angrily, Qian Jin blinked again and added slowly, as if discussing an academic issue:

"And I feel... you can't really argue with me."

These words were like the last straw, completely breaking Ao Ming's rationality.

"Qian! Jin!!!" A dragon's roar, filled with grief, humiliation, and madness, resounded through the magnificent corridors of the God of Wealth's Mansion, startling several celestial sparrows perched under the eaves. Ao Ming was so angry that his hair almost stood on end; his finger pointing at Qian Jin trembled like a leaf in the wind, yet he couldn't utter a single word.