Immortality: Grinding Experience Starting as a Paper Craftsman

Chapter 50 Green Bamboo Peak, Useless Job

The mountain gate of the Liuyun Sect is extremely majestic.

The nine main peaks are like nine sharp swords piercing the sky. Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, one can vaguely see magnificent palaces and cranes soaring in the air.

That place is where inner disciples and elders cultivate; the spiritual energy there is so dense it's almost impossible to dissolve.

But the flying boat did not linger in that picturesque fairyland. Instead, it slowly landed at the foot of the mountain in a dusty valley, in a place with a plaque that read "Hall of Miscellaneous Services".

This is the place where menial servants like Gu Yan should be.

The air was thick with the smells of sweat, dregs of herbs, and the excrement of some low-level demon beasts, pulling Gu Yan back from his fantasy of cultivating immortality to the reality of being a working man.

"Get down here! What are you dawdling for!"

A portly deacon stood on a high platform, holding a thick roster in his hand, his face full of impatience.

His Taoist robe was a bit tight, and a string of jade pendants hanging from his waist jingled, giving him a somewhat vulgar air.

This person, surnamed Ma, is the steward in charge of assigning newly recruited miscellaneous disciples.

Gu Yan mingled in the crowd, walking down the flying boat with his head down and eyes downcast.

He keenly noticed that the clever ones ahead of him all had a faint glint of spiritual light in their sleeves as they passed Steward Ma, and were subsequently assigned lucrative jobs such as watering the spirit herb garden and tending the fire in the alchemy room.

Those clueless youngsters who didn't know the rules were all sent to carry stones in the mines or shovel manure in the animal pen.

"The world of cultivation also has its share of human relationships and social dynamics."

Gu Yan sighed inwardly, his fingers rubbing together gently in his sleeve, and the five mid-grade spirit stones he had prepared slid into his palm.

This is a considerable sum of money for a rogue cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining, enough to express sincerity without appearing too extravagant and arousing suspicion.

"Next up, Gu Changsheng!"

Gu Yan stepped forward quickly, bowed, and put on a fawning smile: "Greetings, Master Ma. I am Gu Changsheng, and I know a little about talisman making."

As he spoke, he subtly slipped the spirit stone into Steward Ma's hand under the guise of handing over his identity token.

Manager Ma's originally cold and hard expression softened a bit. He weighed the object in his hand, his beady eyes narrowed into slits, and he looked Gu Yan over again.

"Yes, it's good to know a craft. The sect is currently lacking skilled personnel."

Manager Ma pretended to flip through the roster, then lowered his voice and said, "Since you're so sensible, I won't make things difficult for you. The Spirit Talisman Hall is short of someone to grind cinnabar. It's a bit tiring, but it allows you to come into contact with talisman drawers, and it's just a job to gain experience. What do you say?"

This is indeed a good job. If it were an ordinary rogue cultivator, they would probably be kowtowing and thanking the emperor by now.

But Gu Yan looked troubled.

Go to the Spirit Talisman Hall? It's crowded and noisy there, with Foundation Establishment and even Golden Core stage talisman masters frequently appearing. His disguise skills might work for a while, but if it goes on for too long, he'll inevitably be exposed in front of those old monsters who play with divine sense.

What he wanted was peace and quiet, seclusion, and freedom from interference.

"Master Ma, I am deeply grateful for your kindness."

Gu Yan rubbed his hands together in a panic. "But I have a problem; I prefer quiet and am physically weak. I can't stand the smell of cinnabar. I heard that there's a shortage of people to dispose of discarded spirit bamboo on the back mountain of Qingzhu Peak?"

Manager Ma was stunned, looking at Gu Yan as if he were a fool.

The back of Qingzhu Peak? That's a godforsaken place.

They were specifically responsible for collecting discarded spirit bamboo and rotten paper pulp from failed talisman-making attempts. Not only was it dirty and tiring, but it was also filled with yin energy. It was said that strange noises could be heard at night. The previous two servants both cried and begged to be transferred.

"Are you sure you want to go there?"

Manager Ma couldn't help but confirm again, "There's absolutely no profit to be made there, and there's not a single person to talk to for miles around."

"I just want some peace and quiet, and I want to read more scriptures while I'm still young," Gu Yan said with a simple smile.

"Fine, since you've chosen to suffer, I'll grant your wish."

Manager Ma shook his head, and with a flourish of his pen, wrote "Qingzhu Peak Waste Disposal Site" after Gu Yan's name. He then tossed him a rusty key and a jade slip.

"This is the restriction token and the mission instructions. You must hand over 1,000 catties of bamboo pulp each month, and the rest of the time is up to you. But let me make this clear: if you fail to complete the mission, or if you are affected by the yin energy over there, don't blame me for not warning you."

"Thank you so much, Master Ma, for your help!"

Gu Yan took the key as if it were a treasure, and amidst the sympathetic and mocking gazes of the crowd around him, he happily walked away carrying his tattered bundle.

……

Two hours later.

Gu Yan stood in front of a lonely thatched hut.

This place is located on the shady side of Qingzhu Peak, surrounded by an endless forest of purple-veined spirit bamboo.

When the wind blows, the bamboo leaves rustle, like countless ghosts whispering.

The damp, cold mist permeated the forest, making it much colder than other places.

The thatched hut was dilapidated, and the yard was piled with moldy bamboo strips and rotten paper pulp, emitting a sour smell.

"A good place."

Gu Yan took a deep breath of the cold air, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

This place is remote, and although the spiritual energy is thin, it is rich in yin energy, which is perfect for nurturing his paper doll.

Moreover, what others see as garbage, this pile of waste material is, in the eyes of this master paper craftsman, excellent raw material for making ghost soldiers with a little processing.

Besides, there's really no one here.

Gu Yan put down his bundle and did not rush to tidy up the house. Instead, he took out several warning talismans that he had already drawn and set up a hidden defense line around the thatched hut within a hundred feet.

Then he released a few paper sparrows, letting them fly into the depths of the bamboo forest to patrol.

After confirming that there were no other cultivators around, Gu Yan pushed open the rickety wooden door and went inside.

The room was simply furnished with a wooden bed, a table, and a thick layer of dust on the floor.

Gu Yan casually cast a cleansing spell, tidying up the room. Then, he sat cross-legged on the bed and took out the identity plaque he had received from the servants' quarters.

The front of the plaque is engraved with "Gu Changsheng", while the back has a simple Liuyun Sect logo.

After spiritual energy was infused, a line of small characters appeared inside:

With this token, one may enter the outer layer of the Sutra Repository once a month to borrow one Qi Refining Stage text.

"This is the important thing."

Gu Yan stroked the nameplate, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

As long as he can get into the Sutra Repository, even just the outer layer, it will be enough for him to find a decent Foundation Establishment cultivation technique.

As for the profound secrets within, he can figure them out slowly after he has successfully established his foundation.

Just then, a paper sparrow that was patrolling the bamboo forest suddenly emitted a strange fluctuation.

Gu Yan raised an eyebrow, immediately closed his eyes, and looked through the paper sparrow's perspective.

Three miles away from the thatched hut, in a mountain hollow, several purple-veined spirit bamboos grew exceptionally thick, with faint traces of blood on their stems.

At the base of those bamboo stalks, the soil was freshly turned over, as if something was buried there.

"interesting."

Gu Yan opened his eyes, a playful smile appearing on his lips.

This Liuyun Sect is indeed not as peaceful as it seems on the surface. Even this godforsaken wasteland hides something fishy.

The Blood-Silk Bamboo is a mutated form of Weeping Blood Bamboo, nourished by Yin and evil energy, and is a material used to refine certain evil magical artifacts.

Judging from the signs of soil turning over, it's clear that someone has been secretly planting there.

"It seems my former handyman probably wasn't scared away by the eerie atmosphere, but rather stumbled upon some secret and was... well, you know."

Gu Yan made a throat-slitting gesture.

If it were a naive young man, he would probably have already curiously gone over and dug it open to take a look.

But who is Gu Yan?

He calmly withdrew his gaze from the paper sparrow, as if he hadn't seen anything, took out a brand new set of bedding from his storage bag, spread it out, and then lay down comfortably.

"I don't care who planted it, as long as they don't come and demolish my house, I'll pretend I'm blind."

"Growing vegetables, everyone knows that, who doesn't have a side job?"

As night fell, the wind on Qingzhu Peak grew even stronger.

Gu Yan stuffed two explosive talismans under his pillow and placed a paper sword beside him before closing his eyes in peace.

The first day after joining the sect went smoothly.