"Hey, kid, coming to the Celestial Guardian Mercenary Association—what do you want? Or did you come to look for your father? Ha ha ha!" As Zheng-Fu was walking past a group of cultivators, a voice teasing him rang out accompanied by joyful laughter.

"I want to hire guards. Brother, can you tell me whom I need to contact?" Zheng-Fu was neither angry nor dissatisfied with the middle-aged man's words. He simply turned around, smiled politely, and asked in a respectful tone.

"You're going to hire guards? Oh! Kid, the price for guards is very high. Even for an initial Heavenly Foundation Building stage cultivator, the rate is around two to three hundred Purple Heaven Crystals per month. Do you have enough money? If not, I'd recommend hiring some thugs on the outskirts. Their wages aren't that high, but…"

"That's enough, Fong-Tu. You shouldn't advise a kid to go to a place like that. It's very barbaric and unscrupulous. If this kid went there, I think they would kill him before he could even hire them!" Before the middle-aged man could finish speaking, another middle-aged man interrupted loudly as he walked toward Zheng-Fu.

"Tch! I only wished the best for the kid. How boring! Let's continue drinking!" Fong-Tu grumbled with a dissatisfied expression. However, there was nothing he could do because the middle-aged man now standing next to Zheng-Fu was much stronger than him. With just one palm strike, Fong-Tu would be defeated.

"Hello, kid! My name is 'Hong-Xiao-Bai,' and I'm the receptionist at the counter over there. Do you want to hire a guard?" This middle-aged man's face looked as though he were in his early twenties, but in reality, he was over forty years old.

"Respect, Elder Hong-Xiao-Bai! That's right, sir. I need to hire a few guards. May Elder advise me on the details of the employment?" Zheng-Fu clasped his hands and respectfully greeted the middle-aged man, requesting details about hiring guards.

"Of course! But first, let's talk at the reception counter. Standing here and talking is tiring." Hong-Xiao-Bai nodded and smiled at Zheng-Fu before inviting him to sit at the reception counter to discuss the matter.

Thump! Thump!

"Employing cultivators in the Celestial Guardian Mercenary Association doesn't involve many rules. Customers simply need to have a clear background and specify the purpose of hiring. Beyond that, it all depends on how much money you have. The pay rate varies with the level of the cultivator—the higher the level, the higher the wage. However, high-level cultivators have the right to choose whether or not to accept the job."

Hong-Xiao-Bai explained slowly and clearly. The hiring process wasn't difficult or complicated. As long as Zheng-Fu had enough money, he could hire guards. However, for the truly high-level ones, no amount of money could guarantee employment if they refused the job.

"Thank you, Elder, for the details. By the way, please tell me the wage rate for Heavenly Golden Core stage cultivators," Zheng-Fu inquired directly.

"Huh? Heavenly Golden Core stage cultivators? Hmm… If it's an initial Heavenly Golden Core stage cultivator, their wage is 1,500 low-level Purple Heaven Crystals per month. For the intermediate level, it's 2,000 low-level Purple Heaven Crystals per month. Advanced-level cultivators only accept 5 medium-level Purple Heaven Crystals per month," Hong-Xiao-Bai explained after pondering for a moment.

"Hmm! Can advanced Heavenly Golden Core stage cultivators refuse the job?" Zheng-Fu noticed that the wage rate for advanced Heavenly Golden Core stage cultivators wasn't very high, which piqued his interest. He then asked whether individuals at that level had the right to refuse a job.

"Usually, they have the right to refuse. However, if they accept, they must work for at least three months before withdrawing. By the way, are you interested in hiring an advanced Heavenly Golden Core stage guard, so you asked me that?" Hong-Xiao-Bai asked, noting Zheng-Fu's detailed questions.

"Yes, Elder. I want to hire ten advanced Heavenly Golden Core stage cultivators. The job is simple—just guarding a tavern in a poor neighborhood. I'm currently investing in a tavern there, but several thugs have been causing trouble in that tavern. I need guards to protect the place," Zheng-Fu replied, specifying the job for which he wanted to hire ten advanced Heavenly Golden Core stage cultivators.

"Hiring them to guard a tavern in a poor neighborhood? Are you serious? For a restaurant in that area, just one advanced Heavenly Golden Core stage cultivator should be enough. Why do you need…"

"If I can't, that's fine, Elder. I've stated my wishes." Zheng-Fu cut off the conversation, unwilling to explain further. If he couldn't hire the guards here, he would simply leave.

"It's possible; you can do it. I was just suggesting you. All right! First of all, you have to show who you are and where you come from. Please bring your identification badge to verify your status. You probably know what your identity badge is, right?" This time, the middle-aged man changed his expression to a more serious one when it came to verifying the employer's identity.

"This is my identification badge!" However, Zheng-Fu was neither frightened nor shocked by the middle-aged man's serious expression and eyes. He calmly took out his identification badge and handed it to Master Hong-Xiao-Bai with a composed face.

"Huh? Are you a disciple of the Heavenly Command Sect: Main Academy? Oh! If so, there's no problem with hiring. Well! I'll bring you the advanced Heavenly Golden Core stage cultivators' listing stone. It contains the appearance and all the details of each person. You can choose whoever meets your standards as you wish!"

When the middle-aged man saw that Zheng-Fu was a disciple of the Heavenly Command Sect: Main Academy, his expression returned to a smile before he took out a stone the size of a jar of liquor and set it on the reception counter. This stone was similar to those found at the Hundred-Thousand-Weapon Pavilion Manor.

"All the cultivators in this list are advanced Heavenly Golden Core stage cultivators. More than 20,000 people have registered for jobs in our Mercenary Association. Well! You can choose as you please. But choose carefully!" Master Hong-Xiao-Bai explained further before reminding Zheng-Fu to make a careful selection.

"Thank you, Elder, for the recommendation. I'll choose the most suitable ones!" Zheng-Fu clasped his hands to thank the middle-aged master before beginning to use the activated listing stone in front of him.

Wooooooooosh!

Within the listing stone was a list of more than twenty thousand cultivators, just as the middle-aged man had said. The first page alone displayed a list of over a hundred people, all advanced Heavenly Golden Core stage cultivators. Personal details such as their aptitudes and special abilities were written under their pictures.

"Look at that kid! Is he the one you taunted earlier?" As Zheng-Fu was selecting the guards, a middle-aged man pointed at him and asked the man who had teased Zheng-Fu earlier.

"Ah! It's really that kid! Does he actually have enough money to hire cultivators?" The middle-aged man's eyes widened in disbelief. He had never thought Zheng-Fu could afford the services offered here.

"At most, he probably employs one or two initial or intermediate-level cultivators of the Heavenly Root stage. Would a simple kid like that have enough money to hire someone of a higher level?" the middle-aged man scoffed with a disdainful expression.

"Yeah, by the way, when will someone hire us? I've been waiting for a job for three months, and no one has even thought of hiring me!"

It wasn't just the two cultivators turning their attention to Zheng-Fu; many others in the Mercenary Association Hall also glanced at him. Those seated closest to the reception counter had clearly overheard Zheng-Fu's conversation with Hong-Xiao-Bai and stared at him in disbelief.

"Hmm! All of them are talented and have a lot of experience. But some have only recently graduated. Out of the list of the first two thousand, none of them qualify!" Zheng-Fu acknowledged that the first two thousand cultivators he had reviewed were skilled and capable but not suitable for his needs. He continued browsing the next pages.

An hour passed...

Zheng-Fu had browsed more than three-quarters of the list of cultivators in the listing stone. Among them, he had found six suitable individuals. These six cultivators all had a passion for food and cooking, which made them ideal choices for his needs. However, he still needed to find four more from the rest of the list.

"Hopefully, in the next five thousand, there will be four suitable people!" Though there were a lot of cultivators, finding someone with the precise qualifications he desired wasn't easy. Zheng-Fu could only hope to find four more suitable candidates.

Away from the reception counter where Zheng-Fu was sitting, an elder was watching him without his knowledge. This elder's energy level was so high that no one in the hall, not even Master Hong-Xiao-Bai, could perceive his presence.

'What a talented kid! Just like what the five elders said!'

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