When Bao and I suddenly appeared in a secluded alleyway, he couldn’t help but scream out in shock, so I quickly placed an arm on his shoulder to calm him down.


    “Quiet. We don’t want to draw any attention.”


    “But… But…”


    I should have warned the man… I would have to remember that next time.


    Grabbing Bao’s shoulder, I quickly led him away and into one of the nicer areas of town.


    It was late in the day, and while the Blue Wind Pavilion should still be open, it wouldn’t be good to arrive there dressed as nominal disciples of the Twin Mountains Sect. So, I pulled a still stunned Bao along with me into an upscale inn.


    After booking a couple of rooms, I dropped Bao off and settled down for the night.


    In the morning, I got dressed in my fancy robe that had been designed to make me look like a formation specialist. Then, I turned to the System.


    “System, I want to purchase a new robe for Bao. Make it match the one I’m wearing but tone it down a bit so that he appears to be my assistant.”


    Purchase confirmed. Cost 50 credits. 754,954,556,328 credits remaining.


    Robe in hand, I met up with Bao, got him all dressed up, and we headed to the Pavilion.


    <hr>


    Upon entering, no one came to greet us, just like the last time I had been here. This was more than a little unusual, but I didn’t let it phase me and simply led Bao forward, straight to the stairs to the second floor.


    As we walked, I heard a commotion off to my right, which was also rather unusual in the Pavilion. Bao looked like he wanted to check it out, but I just grabbed his arm and ushered him forward, unwilling to involve myself more than necessary with things here for the time being.


    When we arrived at the door to WuJing’s office, I glanced at Bao.


    “Remember, no names.”


    Bao nodded in confirmation. Then, I knocked on the door and entered directly, not waiting for a response. There were several ways I could have chosen to handle this situation, and I chose the most expeditious one.


    WuJing, who had been sitting at his desk reviewing a mound of paperwork, looked up angrily as we barged in, but he didn’t allow this instant of anger to control him. He pushed it down and addressed us as he would any other rude customer.


    “Yes? How can I help you today?”


    His tone still showed signs of obvious annoyance, but I was rather impressed by the man’s control. A Grandmaster from the Su Clan likely would have killed me by now.


    I motioned for Bao to close the room’s door. Then, I stepped forward and sat down in the chair across from him while silently appraising the man.


    I had relied on WuJing’s help many times in past lives. He had helped me because his blessing allowed him to see that I would be able to help him in the future, but in this way, he was no different from Emperor Li.


    Chen WuJing’s Peak Grandmaster likely meant that he was considered a powerhouse in the Wastes, but he was already in his late 90s. His energy body had already begun to calcify, making it difficult for him to improve any further. Still, his position was much better than Emperor Li’s. If I was going to somehow find some way to raise Li to immortality, bringing WuJing along as well wouldn’t be a problem.


    While I wasn’t yet sure that was something I wanted to do, I did see potential in this man. No matter how I had presented myself, he had always been willing to work with me. His blessing helped him understand how little a person’s appearance mattered. He had assisted me in countless ways across several lifetimes, and if he was as good of a manager as I thought he was, I could soon be in desperate need of his abilities.


    It was just a shame that he wasn’t a member of the Su Clan. That meant elevating him wouldn’t help me with my goal of attaining Sovereignty.


    In any case, this was a decision for the future. I had come here on a mission, and it wasn’t WuJing who I was looking to recruit.


    Reaching into my storage space, I took out Emperor Li’s coin and placed it on the table between us.


    “I could use your assistance.”


    WuJing narrowed his eyes at me and then looked down at the coin.


    After only a second, his eyes widened in shock, and his body started trembling.


    “WuJing greets his imperial majesty.”


    He crawled from his chair, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed to the coin three times.


    “Rise.”


    When the older man was standing, I made my request.


    “I wish to recruit one of your attendants for a special assignment.”


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    WuJing nodded at once. “Of course, emissary. I’ll inform her immediately.”


    Before I could say more, he started moving toward the door. I had to hold up a hand to stop him. I hadn’t even had the chance to tell him who I was talking about.


    “Manager Chen, please, let me explain. The attendant in question is named Ye SuYin. Do not tell her who I am. Do not tell her to accept my offer. She must be allowed to make this choice freely. I would prefer it if you didn’t even fetch her yourself. Just send a subordinate to request her presence in a conference room. I would only ask that you assure her that she can trust my offer.”


    Wheels spun in WuJing’s mind, but he nodded and strode out of his office. Only a moment later, he returned and led me to the largest conference room on the second floor.


    “Emissary, please wait inside. Attendant Ye will arrive shortly.”


    I smiled.


    “Thank you, Manger Chen.”


    I entered the conference room, and Bao followed behind me like he was my secretary, though he was likely trying to give off the appearance of being my personal disciple.


    As WuJing had said, the wait was short. Only a couple of minutes after I sat down, with Bao taking the seat to my right, a flustered young woman in the light blue qipao of a Pavilion attendant hurried into the conference room and gave me a deep bow.


    “Hello, I am Ye SuYin. You requested my presence?”


    The girl was somewhat panicked. She didn’t understand what was going on, and being sent to have a meeting with a strange man on the direct orders of WuJing had made her slightly afraid.


    I waved to the chair opposite me. “Please, take a seat.”


    Tentatively, she did as I requested.


    I could see that she wasn’t in the right state of mind for the conversation we needed to have, so I turned to my companion.


    “Disciple, go request some refreshments for our guest.”


    Bao was out of his element, so it took him a moment to understand what I was asking him to do. This caused SuYin to jump to her feet.


    “Sir, I’ll handle it right away.”


    I waved for her to sit. “Miss Ye, please take a seat. Right now, you are my guest. Disciple Bao can handle such minor matters.”


    This only made her panic rise as she sat back down, and I realized I had made a mistake. I should have let her fall back into a role she was comfortable with instead of forcing her out of it.


    As Bao left, I took a deep breath to center myself and try to think through the best way to handle things from here.


    “SuYin.” The young woman looked at me and nodded hesitantly. “I would like to make you an offer. The choice of whether to accept it or not is entirely yours.”


    Thinking of an idea, I reached into my storage space, took out a large jade box filled with gold coins, and placed it on the table.


    “I will give you two options. The first is simple. You can take this gold and leave. You will then be free to do whatever you wish, and if you desire, I will hire a team of bodyguards to protect you and your newfound wealth. You can continue your work in the Pavilion, return home and use this money to help your family, or do anything else you wish to do.”


    Her eyes widened at the sight, and I held up two fingers.


    “The second option is more difficult, and it will change your life forever. You can become my personal disciple. I will teach you to cultivate, and I will assist you in learning herbalism or any other profession you desire.”


    This made her freeze in shock.


    I stood.


    “I will give you some time to consider your answer. You may choose either or neither of these options. If you want to just walk away and forget this meeting ever happened, you may do so. All I ask is that you think about the offer carefully. When you’ve made your decision, you can let Manager Chen know.”


    With that, I left a stunned SuYin alone in the conference room. I knew this might not have been the best way to handle the situation, but it was the best way I could come up with. I was a stranger who had shown up randomly and was throwing her entire life into chaos. I wanted to give her time to process everything without my presence pressuring her into a rash decision.


    As I exited the room, I saw Bao approaching with a tray that held a teapot and several small cups.


    “Go in there and sit down with her. If she asks you any questions, answer them freely. There is nothing to hide. If she just wants to talk, then talk with her. Okay?”


    He nodded. “Of course, Master.”


    I wanted to snort at that title, but he was right. Under these circumstances, that was what he needed to call me.


    While I might have more knowledge and experience than Bao, he was far better than me at dealing with people. His attitude might be enforced by his cultivation technique, but it made him the type of person that SuYin needed in this situation.


    After a final glance at the departing Bao, I turned to WuJing who had been waiting for me patiently.


    “I made my offer. I want to give Miss Ye some time to consider her options. Please, take me somewhere to relax while we wait.”


    WuJing bowed and quickly led me off to one of the fourth-floor apartments.


    <hr>


    SuYin took far longer to make her decision than I had anticipated. It wasn’t until after nearly three hours that an attendant came and guided me back to the conference room where she and Bao were waiting for me.


    Once I was seated, SuYin, who had seemed confident when I first entered, became unsure and nervous.


    “Have you decided?”


    She looked at the large chest of gold that was still sitting on the table, firmed her resolve, and nodded.


    “I… I want to learn to cultivate. I want to be your disciple.”


    I smiled and pulled the gold back into my storage space.


    “Good. Is there anything you need to take care of, or are you ready to leave immediately?”


    “I’m… ready to leave…”


    I gave her a moment to say more, but nothing else was forthcoming, so I allowed the moment to pass.


    “Very well. I will take us somewhere to prepare for the journey ahead. Please, try not to be too shocked, and don’t scream.”


    SuYin looked worried, but she simply bowed her head in acknowledgment.


    I motioned for Bao to stand next to her and then began subvocalizing.


    “System, teleport the three of us to the hotel room I slept in last night.”


    Purchase confirmed. Cost 9 credits. 754,954,556,319 credits remaining.


    <hr>


    When the world around us vanished and was replaced by a small hotel room, SuYin’s eyes widened in shock. I could see that she wanted to scream, but Bao was there to calm her down, allowing me to focus on what I needed to do next.


    “System, I need simple but sturdy robes for SuYin and Bao. Something that a low-level merchant in the area might wear.”


    Purchase confirmed. Cost 75 credits. 754,954,556,244 credits remaining.


    Pulling the clothes out of System storage, I handed them to my two new companions.


    “We need to get dressed.”


    I left SuYin alone in my room and left with Bao. Once inside his room, he put on his new outfit, and I put on my ragged clothing from the Su Clan. Bao seemed confused by my choice, but I just waved off his concern.


    When we returned to my room, SuYin had already removed the cosmetics and ornaments of a Pavilion attendant. Dressed in simple tan robes with no makeup and her long black hair hanging down loosely to her waist, SuYin looked like little more than a simple farm girl.


    I nodded and looked between her and Bao.


    “We’re leaving. Are you two ready?”


    Bao, who was now getting used to this form of travel, grinned. “Yes, boss.”


    SuYin looked more hesitant, but she also nodded. “Y… Yes.”


    “System, teleport us to a secluded spot in the town where the Verdant Fields Sect recruits disciples.”


    Purchase confirmed. Cost 2,472 credits. 754,954,553,772 credits remaining.