Adam shook his head, sighing in defeat.
"I’ll see what I can do, but don’t expect good news before a year."
"No problem, little brother. I’ll have more ti to save sect points." The disciple bowed, cupping his fists. "Thank you, thank you for helping with this dream of mine."
He straightened his posture, his gaze firming as he placed a paper slip in Adam’s hands. "This is my address. Night or day, find if you need anything or if soone is troubling you."
Adam watched him strike his knuckles, wondering who had asked him. Still, he checked the disciple’s na on the paper and nodded.
"Alright, senior brother Jian. Keep up the good work with your cultivation."
Waving his hand, he returned to his counter, saving the frowning Misha from the eager disciples.
"I’m not doing the selling again," she whispered to his ears, her hair bristled, and her golden eyes avoiding the clients.
She was right. As fun as sealing deals were, he couldn’t spend his days behind the counter.
"I’ll hire soone to manage the shop."
Unfortunately, he hadn’t kept his voice low enough, causing the closest disciples’ eyes to widen before all hell broke loose.
"! ! I’m a trustworthy and diligent worker."
"Don’t listen to that dog’s barks. I’m better!"
Like dominos, the screams from the front alerted those behind, prompting them to join as if they were bidding until Adam’s ears buzzed.
Brows twitching, he raised his palm to command their attention before his voice cut through the cacophony.
"Enough! You can apply when you pay for your pills. I’ll select soone by tomorrow."
Grumbling, he exchanged a nod with Misha before she left for the second floor.
Then, he continued with the sales, rolling his eyes each ti a custor explained his entire life to get the job.
’Why do you explain your village’s specialities or about your parents? At least tell sothing related to pills or selling.’
One even told him about his dream of becoming a dragon rider, making him snicker. Just that? Well, who was he to judge other’s dreams?
Though annoyed to hear them, the clangs of jade cards and earnings kept his eyes sparkling until the last disciple left under the darkening sky.
"A thousand eight hundred and twenty points, Misha!" He leapt to his feet, about to rush upstairs before he froze as if struck by lightning.
Why was the girl from this morning blushing and fidgeting with her fingers by the doorway?
He coughed, hoping she hadn’t heard the number.
"How can I help you, senior sister?"
She hesitated, her eyes slipping to the side and her tone low.
"I-I recomnded the shop and ca with my friends, so I heard about the recruitnt offer. Can I apply even if I didn’t buy a pill this evening?"
He cleared his throat, reassured she didn’t ntion his earnings.
"Sure. What can you do, and how trustworthy are you?"
"I’m not sure. My friends say I’m the best at keeping secrets. I can also clean." She bit her lips, unsure what to add before rembering the others’ applications. "My dream is to beco as strong as senior sister Xian Yunxu. I co from..."
He raised his hand and cut her off.
"I don’t need to hear the rest. But isn’t Xian Yunxu the core disciple leader or sothing?"
How could he forget her when she actively investigated to find him? Hearing her na on his first day of business was definitely unexpected.
The girl nodded, her eyes and voice brightening.
"She’s so strong and elegant. She beca the sect leader’s disciple twenty years ago and broke every record since then."
"She’s your idol, right? Never give up, and you might match her one day." He scratched his brow.
Xian Yunxu was trouble, but she had no trail to him. Even if he exaggerated and displayed his real strength, she would only have her suspicions and claims to accuse him of whatever because he had done nothing wrong. Or was the ti she had wasted that valuable? He shrugged. She wouldn’t annoy him after he beca the sect leader’s disciple.
Little did he know Xian Yunxu had mobilised the core disciples and the dream place to uncover his identity, offering mouth-watering rewards to whoever found decisive evidence.
He nodded at the girl and continued.
"Next ti you apply for a job, start with your na." He chuckled as her expression shifted to sadness. "You know what? I’ll hire you if you promise not to steal."
After all, she had promoted the shop and admitted her wrongs this morning—a trait he respected. Besides, the others didn’t really convince him with their long stories...
She snapped her face up, her eyes widening in delight and disbelief. Just like that? "Thank you, boss!" She imdiately cupped her fists and bowed, almost screaming. "My na is Xiu Ying."
"Nice to et you, Ying." He raised his thumb before speaking business. "What do you think about forty sect points a day for your salary?"
"That much?!" She leaned forward, bewildered.
"Why? It’s just the price of a pill?"
As he answered, he rembered two-star alchemists only got ten sect points worth of materials per week, while a dangerous one-star mission only got them a ager two. Still, he shrugged. Business was flourishing, and a happy employee would work better.
"I guess it’s settled. You can co tomorrow at sunrise for your first exciting day."
Her eyes blazed with determination as she bowed again and skipped over the street’s pavents, humming a delighted tune.
anwhile, he went upstairs and shared the sales with Misha before they closed the shop and returned to Shen’s house for dinner.
A mont later, they sat across from him at the gazebo, the garden’s fresh scent tickling their nostrils.
i Lan erged with a tray full of delicacies. She placed them on the table and ruffled their hair. However, she left soon after, too tired to keep them company.
Reassured to see her leave, Shen took a cigar, lit it, and brought it to his lips. Inhaling the blend of herbs, he exhaled smokey circles before he went straight to business.
"How did your first day go? You chose a nice spot, but competition is fiercer, so don’t despair if you only sold a pill or two."
"Oneortwo?" Adam downed a glass of water to shove the delicious food down his throat and continued. "One or two? Get your card out. I can pay off my debt today."
Shen’s fingers loosened around his cigar as he gazed at him, then at Misha, who confird with a firm nod.
"How did you do it?" He mumbled, then coughed on the smoke. "I an, good job, children. I’m proud of your success."
He flashed his card, taking back his six hundred sect points and stopping himself from asking about the total earnings. Yet, he frowned as he scrutinised Adam.
"Did you cultivate the technique yet? Even if you lose money, don’t let the shop gnaw at your ti too much."
Adam nodded. "Already fixed. We hired soone for tomorrow. I’ll hire one or two more to give them flexible schedules if the shop does well."
Shen’s brow rose, impressed by Adam’s foresight and generosity. Talent and brains, he had them both—a perfect disciple. But he clenched his fist under the table. Why wasn’t he cultivating at all? He had just dodged the question.
"Listen, Adam. I know you’re excited, and you’re right to focus on finances since no cultivator can rise without resources. But as I told you, diligence is of utmost importance. Even if you have millions of pills, they’d only have diocre results if you don’t train."
His voice cracked slightly. "I don’t have much ti to guide you. So, please begin tonight and question if you don’t understand any part of the technique."
-----
AN: This ends the shop sub-arc. Who can guess what Adam will do with most of his revenue?
Reviews
All reviews (0)