bookbashuk Chapter 16 Passing the Interview
Chapter 16 Passing the Interview
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw a jujube wood flying boat, several times larger than an ordinary fishing boat and engraved with simple wind-controlling runes, docked at the pier.
Standing at the bow of the boat was a middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe and sporting a goatee. His aura of magical power was strong, and his cultivation level was clearly at the sixth level of Qi Refining.
It was the Liu family who were in charge of recruiting short-term laborers for the Lingtian planting project.
His gaze swept over the seven or eight simply dressed monks who had gathered around, his expression filled with undisguised scrutiny and disdain.
In the cultivation world, the lowest status is held by independent cultivators. They have no backing or background, and most of them are of low aptitude, so very few have the opportunity to rise to prominence.
"The basic five-mu jade crystal rice field, including plowing, seedling cultivation, sowing, and initial care, takes two months. After quality inspection, eighteen spirit pearls will be paid."
"Job requirements: Must be proficient in Minor Cloud Rain Technique and Minor Earth Movement Technique; must be at least at the second level of Qi Refining. Those who meet the requirements, please come for an interview."
Manager Liu spoke calmly, stating the requirements and salary for the position.
This treatment is considered generous in a small cultivation town within the two-thousand-mile territory of the Foundation Establishment Lu family. If the family had not just established itself in a new region and was short of cultivators, it would never have allowed outsiders to earn resources.
"Priority given to those at level two or above in Qi Refining? I'm only at level one..."
Wang Ergou was sweating profusely with anxiety, glancing at Yang Changsheng beside him from time to time. The job postings he had seen earlier did not include this requirement.
"Strong and with farming experience is also acceptable," the young cultivator in green robes on the ship sneered.
Unlike ordinary people who are delicate, even those who have reached the first level of Qi cultivation are free from all diseases and have strong physiques, making them very suitable for hard labor.
Afterwards, Wang Ergou went over and was asked some planting questions by the old-looking blue-robed cultivator. He successfully passed the interview and received his identity token, which he then waited for.
Then several more people came over for interviews. They were all older, junior fishermen who often did odd jobs. They were all physically strong and had mastered a lot of basic skills. None of them were rejected.
Yang Changsheng also walked over, displaying his Qi Refining Level 2 cultivation. He made the hand seals for the Little Cloud Technique, and although he didn't know the Earth Movement Technique, he still answered some questions about planting.
"You delicate-skinned boy, are you cut out for farming? Don't end up unable to even swing a hoe, delaying the planting schedule of my Liu family's spiritual fields!"
Manager Liu spoke, his gaze lingering for a moment on Yang Changsheng, who was tall, fair-skinned, and handsome, his brows furrowing slightly.
While cultivating by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth may nourish the body, this is merely a side effect. Unless one cultivates a special technique, most cultivators do not possess great physical strength and primarily rely on spells and magical artifacts.
The other person had a calm and composed demeanor. If it weren't for his simple clothes, he would have looked like a direct descendant of a family of cultivators. How could he possibly do such rough farm work?
Yang Changsheng remained calm and was not angered by the other party's contempt. His body-refining techniques had not made his muscles bulky, but rather very well-proportioned and slender.
It's normal for people to misunderstand that you don't have much strength.
He walked to a heavy bag of spirit grain piled up beside the flying boat and grabbed the opening of the bag with one hand.
Swish!
With a slight exertion of his arm muscles, he easily lifted the 500-pound grain sack and placed it steadily on the deck of the flying boat. His movements were effortless, and he didn't even lose his breath.
"I have some strength and a little knowledge of farming. I wonder if I can pass the interview?" Yang Changsheng smiled, his tone indifferent and his eyes calm.
Sometimes, demonstrating some strength to the outside world can be more beneficial than harmful, as it can prevent being looked down upon.
Moreover, his true physical strength has already reached the level of 4,000 jin with a single arm swing, and what he has shown now is only the tip of the iceberg.
A hint of surprise flashed in Manager Liu's eyes. He looked Yang Changsheng over a few more times, snorted, and said, "You've taken the path of body refinement, so you do have some brute strength. Fine, I guess I misjudged you. You've passed."
He tossed out a bamboo plaque with a wave of his hand, then interviewed several more people, recruiting enough people to fill the quota.
"Set off!"
After all the supplies were loaded onto the airship, Manager Liu gave the order.
The others also boarded the boat. They were all low-level cultivators around the second level of Qi Refining, mostly male, with dark skin, wrinkles around their eyes, and weathered faces, bearing the marks of the years in the mortal world.
The space at the tail of the airship was limited, and most of the area was piled with cargo, making it a bit crowded for seven or eight people, but these people were used to it.
"Buzz!"
Seeing that everything was ready, Manager Liu said no more. He made a hand seal, and his magic power surged out to activate the array patterns. The flying boat trembled slightly and slowly lifted off the ground, taking off into the air.
A halo of light swirled, and a pale yellow protective shield enveloped it. Then, it accelerated, cutting through the cold wind, and flew towards the northeast.
Having lived two lives, this was the first time Yang Changsheng had left the ground and ascended into the sky, and his heart was filled with uncontrollable ripples.
The emerald lake beneath our feet rapidly shrank, transforming into a giant piece of jade embedded among the gray-white mountains. A thin mist swirled on the lake's surface, creating a magnificent and novel scene.
"The magnificent landscape lies beneath my feet, the path to immortality stretches ninety thousand feet, and even longevity requires the help of the wind... It's truly a blessing to be able to cultivate in this life..."
He gripped the gunwale tightly, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, his face remaining calm.
But deep in his eyes, there was a yearning for a higher realm, for the freedom to soar through the heavens. This thought, which was not to be shared with outsiders, spread quietly like ripples on a lake surface after a pebble was thrown in.
He can only begin to use artifacts to fly when he is in the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and he can only fly directly when he is in the Foundation Establishment stage. He is still far from that level.
Unlike him, who maintained his composure with ease, Wang Ergou and the other two cultivators who were riding in a flying boat for the first time were pale-faced, gripping the gunwale tightly until their knuckles turned white.
This drew a few snickers from Steward Liu and two other rogue cultivators who seemed to frequently travel by flying boat.
Light and shadow flickered. They sped across mountains and rivers, below lay the vast territory ruled by the Lu family.
Far from the bustling heart of Bishui Lake, the desolate and bleak winter scene is even more pronounced.
On the snow-covered plains, one can occasionally see shocking sights: several stiff, twisted corpses with torn clothes scattered on the snow, clearly dead for some time and left unattended.
"what……"
Above a distant mountain forest, faint, brief bursts of spiritual light and screams could be heard, before silence returned, leaving only a faint smell of blood that was dispersed by the cold wind high in the sky.
"Are there people fighting? Are they cultivators undergoing a tribulation?"
Yang Changsheng looked into the distance, his heart tightening. He hadn't expected to encounter such a thing so soon after leaving Biyue Lake.
"Hmph, just another bunch of clueless highway robbers. This time we've met our match."
Manager Liu glanced at it, his tone indifferent, and maneuvered the flying boat to circle far away from that area. He was used to this and showed no intention of stopping or checking.
The Foundation Establishment Lu family only cares about ensuring good weather and abundant harvests in the mortal villages and towns under their jurisdiction. Outside of the market towns and cultivation towns, the fighting and treasure hunting between cultivators is their own business, and they will not interfere.
"You don't enjoy the good life, you only think about killing and arson to get rich. It's already a great blessing that this area of two thousand miles can maintain relative stability and give you rogue cultivators a place to earn spirit stones. You deserve it."
The Liu-surnamed green-robed cultivator said coldly, his very bones filled with disgust for unruly cultivators.