Chapter 1

Three days ago, Shi Zhongkui thought he had hit the jackpot.

On a rainy night in May, he was on the balcony of his house, enjoying a gentle breeze and sipping tea.

With his legs crossed, he was watching the old *Journey to the West* on a tablet and casually playing a farm game recommended by a colleague on his phone.

Suddenly, several thunderclaps flashed across the sky, startling Shi Zhongkui, who quickly grabbed his tablet and tried to go inside.

Unfortunately, as he turned around, two bolts of lightning flashed and struck him directly, hitting the tablet in his hand.

As Shi Zhongkui trembled and emitted black smoke, the charred tablet suddenly glowed brightly, and a portal of space and time appeared, sucking him in. At the same time, the farm game turned into a beam of light and entered his soul.

When he woke up, he was just relieved to find himself still alive when a stern voice asked, "Hmm? Why is an ordinary person with no cultivation or virtue in the Ascension Pool?"

Shi Zhongkui looked up and saw a middle-aged man in ancient official attire, accompanied by seven or eight warriors and aides, some in silver armor and others in green robes, all looking at him.

Have I traveled through time?

Shi Zhongkui was startled, but the golden glow emanating from these seven or eight people made them seem anything but ordinary.

Looking around, Shi Zhongkui was stunned.

The surroundings were shrouded in mist, and in the distance, golden palaces occasionally appeared, shimmering with a golden glow.

This can't be a dream, or have I ascended to heaven?

Another voice then said, "Why worry, Sir Gongcao? Just send him to any palace or hall to be a laborer or a guard."

Shi Zhongkui quickly turned his gaze to the direction of the voice.

After a moment's thought, Sir Gongcao said, "That won't do. The heads of each palace and hall are all high-ranking immortals. If we send someone who knows nothing, they might make a mistake, and we would be held responsible. Better to send him to the Bell and Drum Office or the Imperial Stables to be a horse keeper."

Shi Zhongkui was alarmed and wanted to say, "I don't want to be a eunuch."

But when he opened his mouth, he found he couldn't speak.

Looking down, he was terrified to see that his body was semi-transparent and standing in a misty pool.

Moreover, countless milky white liquids were seeping into his body.

"Your wisdom, Sir."

After flattering him, the person looked at Shi Zhongkui, who was staring up in panic, and said, "Let him be a horse keeper, far away. If any problems arise, it won't be our responsibility."

Shi Zhongkui's heart sank. Being a horse keeper was never a good job in any era.

A beam of divine light then flew from Sir Gongcao's hand, hovering above his head, and the golden light formed a golden lock that bound him.

Just as he was about to struggle, a pain that penetrated his soul made him unable to move.

"Relax your mind. The more you resist, the stronger the Demon-Detecting Mirror's power will be."

Shi Zhongkui, in pain and unable to cry out, forced himself to calm down.

To his surprise, the golden chains loosened as he stopped resisting.

After a while, Sir Gongcao smiled and said, "Good, he is indeed just an ordinary person."

Once it was confirmed that Shi Zhongkui was not a reincarnated demon, a great evil, or a pawn of a great demon, no one cared why he had ascended to heaven. Sir Gongcao waved his hand, and the Demon-Detecting Mirror, which had been hovering above Shi Zhongkui's head, returned to his hand as a golden light.

"Chen Dianbu, report it first."

"Yes, Sir."

Shi Zhongkui didn't have to wait long. A bright golden light seemed to come from the heavens, locking him again.

In his surprised gaze, the scene of him being struck by lightning and ascending was played out like a movie in mid-air.

Sir Gongcao and the others were even more reassured.

Then, a thought entered Shi Zhongkui's mind, and he understood.

Despite the numerous immortals and heavenly soldiers in the Heavenly Court, the miscellaneous tasks of the Thirty-Three Heavens were not handled by these accomplished cultivators and deities.

Every year, some mortals from various realms or the Underworld were guided to heaven to serve as minor officials or laborers.

If they did their jobs well, their superiors would reward them with cultivation techniques.

The Heavenly Court, being the place with the most abundant immortal energy in all realms, allowed one to live for hundreds of years once they achieved cultivation.

Over the years, many laborers and minor officials reached the end of their lifespan and were reincarnated in the Underworld, often into good families.

Thus, the minor officials, laborers, and low-ranking fairies, who were originally mortals, not only worked diligently but also rarely harbored resentment.

To put it bluntly, 99.9% of mortals on Earth also toil and struggle daily for survival.

So, even if his position in the Heavenly Court was low, it was still better than the mortal world, especially since he could cultivate.

Even if he failed to cultivate and could not become an immortal, the hard work he put in would earn him good karma for several lifetimes.

Many who had no hope of cultivation and reached the end of their lifespan were eager to be reincarnated.

As old employees, when the Heavenly Court selected people from the Underworld, those with some virtue in the mortal world would likely be chosen again to serve in heaven.

After reincarnation, they might succeed in cultivation.

This was like taking a paid vacation after years of hard work, returning to work with a better chance of promotion.

Just as he understood this, a bright yellow divine list suddenly appeared, and golden light shone on Shi Zhongkui again.

Shi Zhongkui suddenly realized that he was officially recorded as a minor official in the Heavenly Court, without any rank.

The Heavenly Court was not worried about him, an untrained person, causing trouble.

According to past examples, most people who ascended from the mortal world were taken away by their sect's elders, and the rest, who had no background or virtue, were quickly attracted by the Heavenly Court's rewards, which were essentially salaries, and worked diligently.

After all, immortality was something no one could resist.

Thinking about being struck by lightning, he was only momentarily confused and frightened, then sighed inwardly.

He had no choice. His body had been remade in the Ascension Pool. Could he dare say, "I want to go back"?

Moreover, although life on Earth was stable, the office politics were no less intense than in the Heavenly Court.

It was just a change of environment.

The most important thing now was to survive and live a stable life.

Understanding this, Shi Zhongkui quickly stood up and gave an unstandardized bow to Sir Gongcao and the others.

"Thank you, Sirs. My name is Shi Zhongkui."

Politeness never hurts. Even if it didn't leave a good impression, at least it wouldn't make him disliked.

Sir Gongcao nodded in satisfaction. "Shi Zhongkui, I am assigning you to the Imperial Stables. Are you willing?"