On the way back, he happily touched the silver notes in his pocket, smiling with complete satisfaction.
Shen Xun kicked his short legs: "If Li Jiang finds out, she definitely won't let you off the hook."
Qinghe said indifferently, "I'm doing this for future expenses. Don't worry, he won't be angry."
Suddenly, he remembered something: "That boss from earlier was quite nice."
Shen Xun joked, "What, you've taken a fancy to someone?"
Qing smiled but didn't say anything.
Shen Xun sighed softly, "It seems someone is going to be sad."
As we arrived at the inn, we saw a group of people gathered at the street corner, seemingly doing nothing.
Upon closer inspection, several identically dressed cultivators stood at the front, directing the crowd and counting off the number of people.
Only after asking around did I learn that the leader was a disciple of Yujing Manor, and that he had come down the mountain to recruit menial workers for the manor.
Qing and Shen Xun exchanged a glance; this was indeed a good opportunity.
Out of the corner of their eye, they saw Li Jiang and the others walking towards them. Their eyes met, and they understood each other perfectly.
Qinghe and Shenxun were already disguised, and with the addition of Li Jiang and the others, the crowd suddenly increased.
The leading disciples of the mountain villa looked at the long line of people, picked and chose, and finally only Qing and his group remained.
"Why are even the children here? No, no." One of them looked at Shen Xun and waved his hand dismissively.
Qinghe, seizing the opportunity, used her acting skills to wipe away non-existent tears and said, "I only have one son. Please, have mercy and let him stay."
His tearful performance and powerful acting left everyone speechless.
When Shen Xun heard the word "son," his face darkened. He twisted two fingers slightly, and Qinghe cried out "Ah!" and cried even harder.
Seeing that a crowd had gathered, the leading disciple had no choice but to nod in agreement.
Qing sincerely thanked him, and even winked at Shen Xun to show off the fruits of victory.
Following the disciples of the manor up Moon Mountain, half an hour later the gate of Imperial Mirror Manor came into view.
Unlike the Qingyun Sect, the Yujing Manor boasts magnificent architecture, a unique style, and an unconventional approach. Its secluded location in the mountains adds to its sense of isolation from the world.
The disciples in the sect all wore the same uniform, and after a while, it became difficult to tell who was who.
The two leaders assigned them their duties and rooms and then left, leaving the small courtyard suddenly crowded.
Mu Dong wore a bitter expression: "Why do I have to do such strenuous work as carrying water?"
Li Jiang glanced at him and said, "How about we switch? You chop the wood?"
Mu Dong: "...Never mind."
Qinghe and Lingyin, as newly appointed maids, didn't know what to do and continued to idly admire the beautiful scenery of the manor. Not long after, a middle-aged woman entered. She looked very capable and was probably the housekeeper who came to arrange the maids.
How old are you?
Qing and Lingyin answered truthfully: "Sixteen."
The men standing nearby twitched at the corners of their mouths, almost bursting out laughing on the spot.
Perhaps because her disguised face looked a little young, the housekeeper didn't think there was anything wrong with it and instructed, "The young lady is still short of a maid. You go, and the other one will come with me."
After watching Lingyin leave with the butler, Qinghe realized, "She didn't seem to tell me where the young lady lives?"
Shen Xun: "You'll have to find it yourself."
Seeing his leisurely demeanor, not having to do any work, Qinghe sighed and resigned herself to going to find it herself.
As it turned out, the reduced size of the place had no effect on her terrible sense of direction. Qinghe wandered around the manor like a headless fly, and it took her quite a while to find the young lady's room.
She patted her clothes, and Little Red came swirling down from the sky and landed on her shoulder.
Qinghe: "Why don't you change your appearance? This looks weird, and it might cause unnecessary trouble if someone sees you."
Little Red seemed very unwilling. Qinghe deliberately stroked its back with her hand, which was adorned with a ring. After a while, it transformed into a phoenix hairpin and disappeared into her hair.
Before even entering the door, I could hear the young lady complaining: "No matter how I comb your hair, it's no good! What use are you guys?!"
The scolded maid stood to the side, at a loss, repeatedly saying, "Miss, please calm down."
The woman sitting in front of the dressing table flung the hairpins and ornaments off the table to the ground, her chest heaving, clearly very angry.
Qing watched this scene calmly, thinking to herself that this young lady's temper was far too spoiled.
Picking up a hairpin from the ground, she came behind the young lady, and with a few deft flicks of her fingers, a simple and beautiful updo was formed in a few seconds. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she smiled and said, "Now that's what you call skillful. I'm much better than any of you."
After waving the others away, the young lady turned to look at Qinghe and asked, "Aunt Mei said there would be a new maid today, is that you?"
Aunt Mei must be the housekeeper from earlier, Qinghe nodded.
"You're great. You won't have to do much with me. I won't mistreat you. Don't worry, I'll make sure you live a life of luxury."
These words sounded exactly like the lines a spoiled young master would say when forcibly taking a woman from the common people. Qinghe chuckled inwardly, but outwardly replied politely, "Yes."
The young lady turned back to continue fixing her hair, and Qinghe took the initiative to put a hairpin in it for her.
"By the way, do you have any cultivation?" the young lady asked while applying makeup.
Qinghe: "My cultivation level is low; I'm currently only in the late stage of Qi Refining."
Young Miss: "It is indeed quite low." In the Mirror Manor, where there are many experts, those at the Qi Refining stage can only be bullied.
Qinghe then put on a sad expression.
Young Miss: "But don't worry, the manor has no shortage of ancient books, secret manuals, and cultivation techniques. You can take a look when you have free time, and maybe you can break through your bottleneck."
Qinghe said gratefully, "Thank you, Miss."
The makeup was quickly finished, and a standard oval face gradually appeared in the mirror. Her eyebrows were delicate and her eyes were bright and charming. The beauty mark at the corner of her eye was the finishing touch, making her originally pretty face more charming.
The young lady clapped her hands: "Alright, let's go."
Qinghe: "Where to?"
"Mingjing Hall".
...
Following behind the young lady, Qinghe finally got a full view of the Imperial Mirror Manor.
The manor is very large. Disciples are divided into different halls according to their different cultivation levels. For example, the disciples in the Mingjing Hall are all cultivators in the Nascent Soul stage.
Inside the hall, a teacher was giving a lesson on the magic exclusive to the Imperial Mirror Manor. Qing listened carefully for a couple of minutes, but then lost interest because it didn't fit her own cultivation.
The disciples sitting below the stage were all dressed in blue shirts and white robes, while the young lady in a light pink dress stood out a bit, especially since she was accompanied by a maid. It was probably because of her status that she was granted special privileges.
Upon seeing the newcomer, the gentleman's previously stern expression softened: "Miao'er, you've come to see Yuanxiu again?"
The girl named Miao'er stepped forward and affectionately took the gentleman's arm: "Uncle Feng, when did you come back? Where is my father?"
Feng Bo patted her hand that was resting on her arm: "Songyang won't be back for a few more days, don't worry."
Miao'er pouted: "I'm not worried at all. If he doesn't come back, I can still have a few more days of fun."
Feng Bo shook his head indulgently.
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