“ nuò ， zhè shì nǐ de xìn wù ， ná hǎo le 。”
“诺，这是你的信物，拿好了。”
"Here, this is your token. Take it well."
yí gè sì shí suì zuǒ yòu de dī jiē xiū zhēn zhě ， jiāng yī kuài yāo pái pāo dào lín xuān de shǒu zhōng ， shén sè lěng mò ， xié yǎn dǎ liàng le yī xià zhè ge kàn qǐ lái yǒu diǎn dāi dāi de shào nián ， fèi dān fáng guǎn shì ， zhè shì zuì lā jī de zhí wèi ， méi yǒu yì diǎn yóu shuǐ ， zhè ge shào nián yí dìng shì shòu le féng guǎn shì de piàn 。
一个四十岁左右的低阶修真者，将一块腰牌抛到林轩的手中，神色冷漠，斜眼打量了一下这个看起来有点呆呆的少年，废丹房管事，这是最垃圾的职位，没有一点油水，这个少年一定是受了冯管事的骗。
A low-ranking cultivator in his forties tossed a small pendant to Lin Xuan's hand. His expression was cold and indifferent as he cast a sidelong glance at the somewhat dazed youth. The position of managing the waste pills room was the most worthless one; there was no grease for him here. This boy must have been deceived by Elder Manager Feng.
duì yú tā yǎn zhōng de bǐ yí ， lín xuān xiáng zhuāng méi yǒu kàn jiàn ， rú jīn zì jǐ shēn huái dà mì mì ， xíng shì dāng rán yào dī diào ， zhuāng zuò shǎ tóu shǎ nǎo zuì hǎo 。
对于他眼中的鄙夷，林轩详装没有看见，如今自己身怀大秘密，行事当然要低调，装做傻头傻脑最好。
Lin Xuan pretended not to notice the contempt in his eyes. With a major secret now in hand, he had to act discreetly. It would be best to appear foolish and naive.
“ xiè xiè shī xiōng 。”
“谢谢师兄。”
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
lín xuān dǎ liàng zhuó shǒu zhōng de yāo pái ， yǒu bàn gè bā zhǎng dà xiǎo ， fēi jīn fēi mù ， zhèng miàn diāo kè zhe “ fèi dān fáng ” sān gè zì ， fǎn miàn zé kè zhe “ guǎn shì ”。
林轩打量着手中的腰牌，有半个巴掌大小，非金非木，正面雕刻着“废丹房”三个字，反面则刻着“管事”。
Lin Xuan examined the pendant in his hand. It was about half the size of a palm, neither made of metal nor wood. The front bore the inscription "Waste Pills Room," while the back read "Manager."
zhè jiù shì dài biǎo zì jǐ shēn fèn de xìn wù ， yǒu le tā ， zài dān xiá shān de dì yī céng kě yǐ pò chú jìn zhì ， chàng xíng wú zǔ ， zì yóu chū rù fèi dān fáng le 。
这就是代表自己身份的信物，有了它，在丹霞山的第一层可以破除禁制，畅行无阻，自由出入废丹房了。
This was his identity token. With it, he could freely enter and exit the first layer of Danxia Mountain without being restricted by any prohibitions.
dān xiá shān zuò wèi běn mén zhòng dì ， gòng fēn wéi sān céng 。
丹霞山做为本门重地，共分为三层。
Danxia Mountain served as an important stronghold for their sect, divided into three layers. The second level housed several alchemy rooms that utilized underground fire, while the third stored various finished pills and medicinal materials—places of great importance with numerous hidden traps making it extremely difficult to enter.
qí zhōng dì èr céng shì shù shí gè yǐn rù le dì mài zhī huǒ de liàn dān shì ， dì sān céng zé chǔ cún gè zhǒng dān yào chéng pǐn yǐ jí yào cái ， dōu shì shí fēn zhòng yào de suǒ zài ， bù yǒu céng céng jìn zhì ， míng àn guān qiǎ wú shù ， jí nán jìn rù 。
其中第二层是数十个引入了地脉之火的炼丹室，第三层则储存各种丹药成品以及药材，都是十分重要的所在，布有层层禁制，明暗关卡无数，极难进入。
The first layer included the waste pills storage room, reception areas, and miscellaneous offices. There were fewer restrictions here. With this token, Lin Xuan, as a low-ranking manager from outside the main sect, could move freely in the first layer.
dì yī céng zé shì bāo kuò fèi dān shì ， dài kè shì ， yǐ jí gè zhǒng zá wù de dì fāng ， jìn zhì yào shǎo yī xiē ， lín xuān yǒu le zhè ge yāo pái ， zuò wèi dān xiá shān wài wéi de yī míng dī jiē guǎn shì ， jiù kě yǐ zài dì yī céng chàng xíng wú zǔ 。
第一层则是包括废丹室，待客室，以及各种杂务的地方，禁制要少一些，林轩有了这个腰牌，做为丹霞山外围的一名低阶管事，就可以在第一层畅行无阻。
Holding the pendant, Lin Xuan felt joy in his heart but still maintained an expression of naivety. He bid farewell to the low-ranking cultivator and walked out of the room into an empty area.
ná zhe yāo pái ， lín xuān xīn zhōng xǐ yuè ， dàn liǎn shàng què yī rán shì yī fù dāi dāi de yàng zi ， xiàng nà ge dī jiē xiū zhēn zhě gào cí 。
拿着腰牌，林轩心中喜悦，但脸上却依然是一副呆呆的样子，像那个低阶修真者告辞。
Immediately upon grasping the token, Lin Xuan shed all signs of a new recruit, appearing sharp and mature. A sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.
děng zǒu chū fáng jiān ， lái dào wú rén de dì diǎn ， lín xuān shǒu wò yāo pái ， shēn shàng nà fù shén me yě bù dǒng de xīn rén zhī qì lì kè xiāo shī dé wú yǐng wú zōng ， zhěng gè rén xiǎn de jīng míng chéng shú ， zuǐ jiǎo biān liú lù chū yī sī jī cháo de xiào róng 。
等走出房间，来到无人的地点，林轩手握腰牌，身上那副什么也不懂的新人之气立刻消失得无影无踪，整个人显得精明成熟，嘴角边流露出一丝讥嘲的笑容。
The position of managing the waste pills storage had finally been secured. For just a fragment of a crystal stone, he achieved his goal, ensuring a steady supply of pills for the future without arousing suspicion—two birds with one stone.
fèi dān fáng guǎn shì de zhí wèi ， zhōng yú dào shǒu le ， jǐn jǐn fù chū le yī kuài jīng shí cán piàn de dài jià ， jiù dá dào le zì jǐ de mù biāo ， ràng yǐ hòu de dān yuán yǒu le bǎo zhàng ， ér qiě hái sī háo bú huì yǐn qǐ zhòng rén de huái yí ， yī jiàn shuāng diāo 。
废丹房管事的职位，终于到手了，仅仅付出了一块晶石残片的代价，就达到了自己的目标，让以后的丹源有了保障，而且还丝毫不会引起众人的怀疑，一箭双雕。
After a moment's silence, Lin Xuan pulled out an jade tube from his pocket and injected his spirit essence into it. Inside were not cultivation techniques but a map of the first layer of Danxia Mountain along with some precautions on where to go and where to avoid entering.
mò rán le yī huì er zhī hòu ， lín xuān cóng huái lǐ mō chū yí gè yù tǒng jiǎn ， jiāng shén shí zhù rù jìn qù ， zhè lǐ miàn zhuāng de bìng bú shì gōng fǎ ， ér shì dān xiá shān dì yī céng de dì tú ， yǐ jí yī xiē zhù yì shì xiàng ， shén me dì fāng kě yǐ zǒu ， shén me dì fāng yán jìn jìn rù 。
默然了一会儿之后，林轩从怀里摸出一个玉筒简，将神识注入进去，这里面装的并不是功法，而是丹霞山第一层的地图，以及一些注意事项，什么地方可以走，什么地方严禁进入。
After skimming through them, Lin Xuan found the location of the waste pills storage room and strode over.
zài dà yuē liú lǎn le yī xià zhī hòu ， lín xuān cóng lǐ miàn zhǎo dào le fèi dān cún chǔ fáng de wèi zi ， rán hòu dà bù liú xīng de zǒu le guò qù 。
在大约浏览了一下之后，林轩从里面找到了废丹存储房的位子，然后大步流星的走了过去。
---
“ zhè fèi dān zài qí tā xiū zhēn zhě kàn lái ， hái zhēn shì lā jī ， dào qí tā dì fāng de lù shàng ， huò duō huò shǎo dōu yǒu jǐ gè jìn zhì ， wéi yǒu zhè fèi dān cún chǔ fáng ， jū rán shén me yě méi yǒu 。” lín xuān yī biān zǒu ， yī biān zài xīn zhōng zì yán zì yǔ ， bù guò yuè shì zhè yàng ， duì zì jǐ yuè yǒu lì ， fèi dān bù shòu zhòng shì ， gèng fāng biàn zì jǐ de xíng shì 。
“这废丹在其他修真者看来，还真是垃圾，到其他地方的路上，或多或少都有几个禁制，唯有这废丹存储房，居然什么也没有。”林轩一边走，一边在心中自言自语，不过越是这样，对自己越有利，废丹不受重视，更方便自己的行事。
"This waste pill is indeed considered trash by other cultivators. There are usually some prohibitions on the way to other places, but this waste pills storage room has nothing," Lin Xuan mused as he walked. The less it was valued, the easier his actions would be.
zǒu le dà yuē yī kè zhōng de shí jiān ， lín xuān zhōng yú lái dào le fèi dān cún chǔ fáng ， zhè shì yí gè sì hé xiǎo yuàn lèi xíng de jiàn zhù ， zuì dà yī jiān shì kù fáng ， qí tā de zé shì guǎn shì hé shǒu xià tóng zi qǐ jū de dì fāng 。
走了大约一刻钟的时间，林轩终于来到了废丹存储房，这是一个四合小院类型的建筑，最大一间是库房，其他的则是管事和手下童子起居的地方。
After about a quarter of an hour, Lin Xuan finally arrived at the waste pills storage room. It was a small courtyard-style building with one large room serving as the warehouse and smaller rooms for the managers and junior attendants to live in.
bǐ jiào jiǎn lòu ， dàn miàn jī hái suàn kuān chǎng ， lín xuān dǎ liàng le yī xià ， mǎn yì de diǎn le diǎn tóu ， rán hòu jiù zhí jiē tái jiǎo zǒu rù le yuàn luò zhōng 。
比较简陋，但面积还算宽敞，林轩打量了一下，满意的点了点头，然后就直接抬脚走入了院落中。
Though simple, the area was spacious enough. After surveying it, Lin Xuan nodded approvingly before stepping into the courtyard.
yuàn zi lǐ ， jǐ gè shí wǔ 、 liù suì de tóng zi zhèng bǎi wú liáo lài de shài tài yáng ， xiǎn rán zhè lǐ shì hǎo jiǔ yě méi yǒu rén lái le ， suǒ yǐ tā men kàn jiàn lín xuān ， hái chī le yī jīng ， bù guò zài kàn qīng chǔ lín xuān chuān zhe dài biǎo běn mén xiū zhēn zhě de fú shì hòu ， lì kè lù chū gōng jìng de biǎo qíng ， pǎo guò lái ， shī le yī lǐ ， yí gè kàn qǐ lái suì shù dà xiē ， sì hū shì tóu er de tóng zi gōng jìng de dào ：“ xiān shī ， qǐng wèn nín lái zhè ér yǒu shén me shì ？”
院子里，几个十五、六岁的童子正百无聊赖的晒太阳，显然这里是好久也没有人来了，所以他们看见林轩，还吃了一惊，不过再看清楚林轩穿着代表本门修真者的服饰后，立刻露出恭敬的表情，跑过来，施了一礼，一个看起来岁数大些，似乎是头儿的童子恭敬的道：“仙师，请问您来这儿有什么事？”
Several young boys around fifteen or sixteen years old were idly basking in the sun. It seemed that no one had come here for a long time, as they were taken aback when they saw Lin Xuan. However, upon recognizing his attire as a sect cultivator, they quickly bowed respectfully and approached him. An older-looking boy, who appeared to be their leader, greeted Lin Xuan with respect: "Mystic Master, may I ask why you are here?"
“ nǐ jiào shén me míng zì ？”
“你叫什么名字？”
"What's your name?" Lin Xuan asked.
“ xiǎo de jiào zhào míng 。” duì yú lín xuān dá fēi suǒ wèn ， nà ge tóng zi méi yǒu sī háo bù mǎn ， fǎn ér bì gōng bì jìng de dào 。
“小的叫赵明。”对于林轩答非所问，那个童子没有丝毫不满，反而毕恭毕敬的道。
"My name is Zhao Ming," the boy replied humbly without any resentment at being addressed in such a manner.
qí tā tóng zi yě dà qì dōu bù gǎn tòu yī kǒu ， zhè ràng lín xuān chōng fèn tǐ huì dào gāo rén yī děng de yōu yuè gǎn ， zài pǔ tōng rén yǎn lǐ ， xiū zhēn zhě shì gāo gāo zài shàng de ， zuò wèi shàng wèi zhě ， zhè zhǒng gǎn jué hěn shū fú 。
其他童子也大气都不敢透一口，这让林轩充分体会到高人一等的优越感，在普通人眼里，修真者是高高在上的，做为上位者，这种感觉很舒服。
The other boys remained silent and respectful. This made Lin Xuan feel superior as he was used to being looked up to by ordinary people. Cultivators were seen as high above others, and it felt good to be on top.
“ nǐ shì tā men de tóu er ？”
“你是他们的头儿？”
"Are you the leader here?"
“ shì ！” zhào míng rú shí huí dá ：“ xiǎo de shì zhè ér de dài lǐ guǎn shì 。”
“是！”赵明如实回答：“小的是这儿的代理管事。”
"Yes!" Zhao Ming replied honestly: "I am the acting manager of this place."
“ dài lǐ guǎn shì ？” lín xuān yí zhèng ， suī rán shì zá wù ， dàn mén pài lǐ de guǎn shì zhī zhí ， xiàng lái dōu xiū zhēn zhě dān rèn ， tā yí gè wài mén dì zǐ ……
“代理管事？”林轩一怔，虽然是杂务，但门派里的管事之职，向来都修真者担任，他一个外门弟子……
"Acting manager?" Lin Xuan was surprised. Though it was a minor position, managers in the sect had always been filled by cultivators; he was an outer sect disciple...
fǎng fú kàn chū le lín xuān de yí huò ， zhào míng kǔ xiào dào ：“ bù mán xiān shī ， fèi dān fáng lǐ de guǎn shì yī zhí ， yǐ jīng kòng quē hǎo jiǔ le ， yīn wèi shàng miàn yì zhí méi yǒu fēn pài xīn de xiān shī xià lái ， suǒ yǐ yóu xiǎo de zàn dài 。”
仿佛看出了林轩的疑惑，赵明苦笑道：“不瞒仙师，废丹房里的管事一职，已经空缺好久了，因为上面一直没有分派新的仙师下来，所以由小的暂代。”
Seeing Lin Xuan's confusion, Zhao Ming smiled bitterly: "Mystic Master, the position of manager for the waste pills room has been vacant for quite some time now. Since no new Mystic Masters were assigned here from above, I have temporarily taken on this role."
“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。” lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， duì yú qí tā xiū zhēn zhě lái shuō ， fèi dān fáng guǎn shì méi yǒu yóu shuǐ ， suǒ yǐ dōu bù yuàn yì lái 。
“原来如此。”林轩点了点头，对于其他修真者来说，废丹房管事没有油水，所以都不愿意来。
"Ah, I see," Lin Xuan nodded. For other cultivators, managing such a worthless position offered no benefits, so they didn't want to come.
xiǎng qīng chǔ zhè diǎn hòu ， lín xuān dà mú dà yàng de dào ：“ wǒ jiù shì mén pài xīn pài lái de guǎn shì ， cóng cǐ yǐ hòu ， fèi dān fáng guī wǒ guǎn le ， zhè shì xìn wù yāo pái ， nǐ kàn kàn 。”
想清楚这点后，林轩大模大样的道：“我就是门派新派来的管事，从此以后，废丹房归我管了，这是信物腰牌，你看看。”
Realizing this, Lin Xuan strode in confidently: "I am the new manager dispatched by the sect. From now on, the waste pills room will be under my management. Here is your identity token; please check it."
zhào míng bìng bù bèn ， xiǎn rán yě liào dào le jǐ fēn ， suǒ yǐ liǎn shàng bìng méi yǒu shén me jīng yà de biǎo qíng ， jiē guò yāo pái ， chá kàn wú wù zhī hòu ， dài lǐng qí tā tóng zi yì qǐ xíng lǐ ：“ dì zǐ cān jiàn guǎn shì dà rén 。”
赵明并不笨，显然也料到了几分，所以脸上并没有什么惊讶的表情，接过腰牌，查看无误之后，带领其他童子一起行礼：“弟子参见管事大人。”
Zhao Ming wasn't dumb and had anticipated something like this. He didn't show any surprise as he took the token, verified its authenticity, then led the other boys in a respectful bow: "Disciple here pays respects to Manager Sir."
“ bà le 。” lín xuān yī huī shǒu ：“ nǐ men zì jǐ máng zì jǐ de ba ！”
“罢了。”林轩一挥手：“你们自己忙自己的吧！”
---
qiǎn sàn le qí tā tóng zi ， wéi dú liú xià zhào míng ：“ nǐ dài wǒ sì chù kàn kàn 。”
遣散了其他童子，唯独留下赵明：“你带我四处看看。”
"Never mind," Lin Xuan waved his hand dismissively. "Go about your business!"
yǐ hòu zhè jiù shì zì jǐ de lǐng dì le ， lín xuān dāng rán yào xiān jiāng qíng kuàng nòng qīng chǔ ， zhào míng diǎn diǎn tóu ， gōng jìng de zài qián miàn dài lù 。
以后这就是自己的领地了，林轩当然要先将情况弄清楚，赵明点点头，恭敬的在前面带路。
After dispersing the other boys, he left only Zhao Ming behind: "Show me around."
“ zhī ya ！”
“吱呀！”
This would be his domain from now on, so Lin Xuan wanted to get a clear understanding of everything. Zhao Ming nodded and led him through.
yī shàn hòu zhòng de dà mén huǎn huǎn dǎ kāi ， wú shù huī chén cóng tóu dǐng là le xià lái ， lín xuān biǎo qíng yǒu xiē cuò è ， kàn zhe qián miàn duī dé luàn qī bā zāo de píng píng guàn guàn ：“ zhè …… zhè jiù shì cún fàng fèi dān de kù fáng ？”
一扇厚重的大门缓缓打开，无数灰尘从头顶落了下来，林轩表情有些错愕，看着前面堆得乱七八糟的瓶瓶罐罐：“这……这就是存放废丹的库房？”
"Click!"
“ shì de ， xiān shī 。”
“是的，仙师。”
A heavy door slowly creaked open, sending clouds of dust down from above. Lin Xuan's expression was somewhat startled as he looked at the mess of bottles and jars piled up: "This... is where waste pills are stored?"
“ zěn me xiàng hǎo jiǔ méi yǒu rén dǎ sǎo le ， yě méi yǒu zhěng lǐ guò ， zhè yàng luàn duī luàn fàng zhe ， zhàng mù biǎo ne ， zhè lǐ yǒu duō shǎo fèi dān ？”
“怎么像好久没有人打扫了，也没有整理过，这样乱堆乱放着，账目表呢，这里有多少废丹？”
"Yes, Mystic Master."
“ zhè ge ……” zhào míng zhāng kǒu jié shé ， guò le yī huì er ， cái xiǎo xīn yì yì de dào ：“ xiān shī ， jù tǐ yǒu duō shǎo fèi dān ， xiǎo de yě bù qīng chǔ ， zhàng mù biǎo ， yǐ jīng hěn jiǔ méi yǒu zuò guò 。”
“这个……”赵明张口结舌，过了一会儿，才小心翼翼的道：“仙师，具体有多少废丹，小的也不清楚，账目表，已经很久没有做过。”
"Why does it look like no one has cleaned or organized this place? Where are the records? How many waste pills do we have here?"
“ zěn me huì zhè yàng ， nǐ bú shì zhè ér de guǎn shì ma ， zěn me shén me dōu bù zhī dào ？”
“怎么会这样，你不是这儿的管事吗，怎么什么都不知道？”
"Um..." Zhao Ming stammered. After a moment, he cautiously replied: "Mystic Master, I'm not sure how many waste pills there are; the record sheets haven't been updated for a long time."
“ xiān shī ， shì zhè yàng de ……” zhào míng tōu yǎn kàn le yī xià lín xuān de liǎn sè ， xiǎo xīn zhēn zhuó zhe yòng cí ：“ nín yě zhī dào ， fèi dān zá zhì hán liàng guò duō ， duì xiū zhēn zhě lái shuō gēn běn jiù méi yǒu yòng chǔ ， fú yòng le yòu yǒu hài shēn tǐ ， suī rán méi yǒu diū qì ， dàn shí zài shì jī lèi yī yàng de dōng xī ， duī zài zhè lǐ ， guǎn lǐ zì rán shì shí fēn hùn luàn ， shuí hái huì zuò zhàng ne ， bìng bú shì xiǎo de zuò zàn dài guǎn shì shí dài gōng ， ér shì xiàng lái rú cǐ ， piāo yún gǔ yě yǒu shàng qiān nián de lì shǐ le ， lì dài fèi dān fáng de guī jǔ dōu shì zhè yàng ， fǎn zhèng zhè xiē fèi dān jiù shì lā jī ， gēn běn bú huì yǒu rén lái tōu ， qīng diǎn tā zuò shén me ？”
“仙师，是这样的……”赵明偷眼看了一下林轩的脸色，小心斟酌着用词：“您也知道，废丹杂质含量过多，对修真者来说根本就没有用处，服用了又有害身体，虽然没有丢弃，但实在是鸡肋一样的东西，堆在这里，管理自然是十分混乱，谁还会做账呢，并不是小的做暂代管事时怠工，而是向来如此，飘云谷也有上千年的历史了，历代废丹房的规矩都是这样，反正这些废丹就是垃圾，根本不会有人来偸，清点它做什么？”
"Why is that? Aren't you in charge of this place?"
"It's like this..." Zhao Ming glanced at Lin Xuan's face and carefully chose his words. "You know, waste pills contain too much impurities, making them useless to cultivators. Even if they are ingested, they can harm the body. Although not discarded, they are essentially useless items, so management here is chaotic. Who would keep records? It wasn't that I was neglecting my duties as acting manager; it's just always been this way. Drifting Cloud Valley has a thousand-year history, and the rules for managing waste pills rooms have always been like this. These waste pills are trash; no one will steal them, so why bother counting?"
"Here, this is your token. Take it well."
A low-ranking cultivator in his forties tossed a small pendant to Lin Xuan's hand. His expression was cold and indifferent as he cast a sidelong glance at the somewhat dazed youth. The position of managing the waste pills room was the most worthless one; there was no grease for him here. This boy must have been deceived by Elder Manager Feng.
Lin Xuan pretended not to notice the contempt in his eyes. With a major secret now in hand, he had to act discreetly. It would be best to appear foolish and naive.
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Lin Xuan examined the pendant in his hand. It was about half the size of a palm, neither made of metal nor wood. The front bore the inscription "Waste Pills Room," while the back read "Manager."
This was his identity token. With it, he could freely enter and exit the first layer of Danxia Mountain without being restricted by any prohibitions.
Danxia Mountain served as an important stronghold for their sect, divided into three layers. The second level housed several alchemy rooms that utilized underground fire, while the third stored various finished pills and medicinal materials—places of great importance with numerous hidden traps making it extremely difficult to enter.
The first layer included the waste pills storage room, reception areas, and miscellaneous offices. There were fewer restrictions here. With this token, Lin Xuan, as a low-ranking manager from outside the main sect, could move freely in the first layer.
Holding the pendant, Lin Xuan felt joy in his heart but still maintained an expression of naivety. He bid farewell to the low-ranking cultivator and walked out of the room into an empty area.
Immediately upon grasping the token, Lin Xuan shed all signs of a new recruit, appearing sharp and mature. A sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.
The position of managing the waste pills storage had finally been secured. For just a fragment of a crystal stone, he achieved his goal, ensuring a steady supply of pills for the future without arousing suspicion—two birds with one stone.
After a moment's silence, Lin Xuan pulled out an jade tube from his pocket and injected his spirit essence into it. Inside were not cultivation techniques but a map of the first layer of Danxia Mountain along with some precautions on where to go and where to avoid entering.
After skimming through them, Lin Xuan found the location of the waste pills storage room and strode over.
---
"This waste pill is indeed considered trash by other cultivators. There are usually some prohibitions on the way to other places, but this waste pills storage room has nothing," Lin Xuan mused as he walked. The less it was valued, the easier his actions would be.
After about a quarter of an hour, Lin Xuan finally arrived at the waste pills storage room. It was a small courtyard-style building with one large room serving as the warehouse and smaller rooms for the managers and junior attendants to live in.
Though simple, the area was spacious enough. After surveying it, Lin Xuan nodded approvingly before stepping into the courtyard.
Several young boys around fifteen or sixteen years old were idly basking in the sun. It seemed that no one had come here for a long time, as they were taken aback when they saw Lin Xuan. However, upon recognizing his attire as a sect cultivator, they quickly bowed respectfully and approached him. An older-looking boy, who appeared to be their leader, greeted Lin Xuan with respect: "Mystic Master, may I ask why you are here?"
"What's your name?" Lin Xuan asked.
"My name is Zhao Ming," the boy replied humbly without any resentment at being addressed in such a manner.
The other boys remained silent and respectful. This made Lin Xuan feel superior as he was used to being looked up to by ordinary people. Cultivators were seen as high above others, and it felt good to be on top.
"Are you the leader here?"
"Yes!" Zhao Ming replied honestly: "I am the acting manager of this place."
"Acting manager?" Lin Xuan was surprised. Though it was a minor position, managers in the sect had always been filled by cultivators; he was an outer sect disciple...
Seeing Lin Xuan's confusion, Zhao Ming smiled bitterly: "Mystic Master, the position of manager for the waste pills room has been vacant for quite some time now. Since no new Mystic Masters were assigned here from above, I have temporarily taken on this role."
"Ah, I see," Lin Xuan nodded. For other cultivators, managing such a worthless position offered no benefits, so they didn't want to come.
Realizing this, Lin Xuan strode in confidently: "I am the new manager dispatched by the sect. From now on, the waste pills room will be under my management. Here is your identity token; please check it."
Zhao Ming wasn't dumb and had anticipated something like this. He didn't show any surprise as he took the token, verified its authenticity, then led the other boys in a respectful bow: "Disciple here pays respects to Manager Sir."
---
"Never mind," Lin Xuan waved his hand dismissively. "Go about your business!"
After dispersing the other boys, he left only Zhao Ming behind: "Show me around."
This would be his domain from now on, so Lin Xuan wanted to get a clear understanding of everything. Zhao Ming nodded and led him through.
"Click!"
A heavy door slowly creaked open, sending clouds of dust down from above. Lin Xuan's expression was somewhat startled as he looked at the mess of bottles and jars piled up: "This... is where waste pills are stored?"
"Yes, Mystic Master."
"Why does it look like no one has cleaned or organized this place? Where are the records? How many waste pills do we have here?"
"Um..." Zhao Ming stammered. After a moment, he cautiously replied: "Mystic Master, I'm not sure how many waste pills there are; the record sheets haven't been updated for a long time."
"Why is that? Aren't you in charge of this place?"
"It's like this..." Zhao Ming glanced at Lin Xuan's face and carefully chose his words. "You know, waste pills contain too much impurities, making them useless to cultivators. Even if they are ingested, they can harm the body. Although not discarded, they are essentially useless items, so management here is chaotic. Who would keep records? It wasn't that I was neglecting my duties as acting manager; it's just always been this way. Drifting Cloud Valley has a thousand-year history, and the rules for managing waste pills rooms have always been like this. These waste pills are trash; no one will steal them, so why bother counting?"