Chapter 2

After Yang Zhong left the door, he first had the maids outside help Li Xian tidy up his appearance, then had the craftsmen repair the door before finally coming to Master Li Yulong's room.

Yang Zhong stood at the door and bowed, saying, "Master."

"How is it?" Li Yulong, who looked to be in his thirties, had a calm demeanor.

"Reporting to Master, Young Master has fully recovered. After the examination, his soul and body are perfectly integrated, with no signs of possession. It can be confirmed that Young Master has truly recovered. However, during the time his soul was away, it seems he had other experiences."

Then, Yang Zhong detailed everything he had seen, heard, and Li Xian's requests.

Li Yulong listened quietly and finally smiled, making a rare joke: "It's normal to encounter strange things when the soul is away. Some people even claim to have seen the Black and White Impermanence, or even the Yellow Springs. Since he wants craftsmen, let him go to the workshop directly. It's better than letting him go out and cause trouble. I want to see what changes he has and what he can do, to dare to claim that he can help me."

"Yes." After Yang Zhong left, Li Yulong finally sighed in relief, rubbed his forehead, and continued to focus on his documents. As the Imperial Censor of the Great Xia Kingdom, Li Yulong was under immense pressure.

When Yang Zhong, the steward, returned, Li Xian was frowning. Master Li Yulong was really ruthless, assigning Li Xian maids who were either old or rather plain-looking—well, that was a polite way of saying it; the direct way was that they were unattractive.

Seeing Yang Zhong return, Li Xian immediately jumped up, "Uncle Yang, did Father agree?"

Yang Zhong smiled calmly, "Young Master, Master has agreed. Let's go to the workshop directly."

Li Xian was overjoyed. "Really? That's great! Uncle Yang, is Father in the study? I'll go to greet him first."

Watching Li Xian's back, Yang Zhong was stunned for a moment and finally sighed, "Perhaps he has really turned over a new leaf."

When Li Xian went to greet him, Li Yulong was extremely pleased, encouraging and comforting Li Xian with a few words. He did not ask about Li Xian's changes or his soul's experiences, only saying that he looked forward to Li Xian's transformation and urging him to accelerate his cultivation, emphasizing that cultivation was the most important thing.

"Cultivation?" Outside the door, Li Xian sighed. The previous consciousness in this body was truly capable. With such good aptitude and cultivation conditions that ordinary people could only look up to, he had only cultivated to the Fifth Layer of the Qi Condensation stage, still far from the Tenth Layer's Great Perfection.

"It looks like I have a lot of work to do."

Getting into the carriage, Li Xian looked around at the tall walls, a place where the powerful and wealthy gathered, solemn and dignified.

After the carriage had traveled for more than three miles, it finally arrived at the bustling outer city. Compared to the solemn inner city, the outer city was a sea of joy, at least it seemed so.

The crowd surged with cultivators, knights, scholars, officials, merchants, vendors, performers, and actors, making Li Xian's eyes dazzle. The carriage traveled smoothly on the official road, soon leaving the capital of the Great Xia Kingdom, Wuyang, and heading into the countryside.

On the way, Yang Zhong explained some general information to Li Xian:

First, to better centralize power and control, officials and a few relatives lived within the city; but the main families, workshops, and guards were all outside the city.

Second, workshops, craftsmen, handicrafts, some general skills, and even farming and weaving were considered lowly professions in the Immortal Realm. The so-called lowly professions were in contrast to "cultivation," referring to the means of livelihood for ordinary people.

For the Immortal Realm, cultivation was the main thing, the noblest behavior. Only through cultivation could one gain great power, a long life, and a prestigious status.

After hearing this, Li Xian appeared to listen attentively, but inside, he was almost shouting in excitement: Opportunities are everywhere!

"Stop!" Just as Li Xian was in thought, a rebuke came from outside the carriage. Someone dared to rebuke the Li family's carriage on the street?! Li Xian's curiosity outweighed his anger.

Yang Zhong lifted the curtain and sneered, "I wondered who it was, it's the Prime Minister's son, Ouyang Qing. Why did you stop our carriage, Young Master?"

Li Xian's heart stirred, knowing that Yang Zhong was speaking for his benefit. He immediately sized up the other party, a young man in his twenties, riding an ordinary white horse.

Ouyang Qing pointed at Yang Zhong and Li Xian with his horsewhip, "My father told me to rebuke anyone from the Li family. You are traitors who harm the country and the people, you will not have a good end!"

After saying this, Ouyang Qing turned his horse around and was about to leave.

What the hell, Li Xian was furious. Being stopped and scolded for no reason was truly outrageous! He sneered, "Crying wolf. Uncle Yang, let's go. It's a waste of time to argue with a street brawler like him."

Li Xian's words left Ouyang Qing speechless with anger.

Yang Zhong laughed heartily and immediately directed the driver to move forward. "Young Master, your scolding was really satisfying."

Li Xian was aggrieved, "Uncle Yang, I was just stating a fact."

Amidst Yang Zhong's laughter, the driver happily drove the carriage to the Li family's workshop, which was about ten miles away. The workshop was large, covering about thirty acres.

After entering the gate, Yang Zhong introduced Li Xian to the manager, Li Youwei, a distant relative of the Li family. By seniority, Li Xian should call him Uncle.

"Third Uncle, I want to see the workshop for the Jade Lantern," Li Xian said straightforwardly after a brief greeting.

"What, is your Jade Lantern broken?"

Li Xian shook his head, "Third Uncle, the Jade Lantern is fine. I'm here to learn."

"Why are you learning such a lowly profession!" Li Youwei clearly had the common ailment of the Immortal Realm. Even though he was in charge of the workshop, he looked down on this so-called lowly profession.

Li Xian was momentarily at a loss, finding their concepts deeply ingrained. It seemed he had been a bit too optimistic. But Li Xian, who had made up his mind, was determined to stick to his plan. Light and lamps were the easiest things for people to accept and the most indispensable.

But how to say it? His eyes turned, and he had an idea, "Third Uncle, your Jade Lanterns are too stiff, with no artistic value. I plan to make a Treasure Lotus Lantern for Father to use."

"Stiff? Are you saying your Jade Lantern is ugly? That's already the best the workshop can produce!" Li Youwei was a bit unhappy.

"Third Uncle, Third Uncle, can you let me in to play around?"

"Play around?" Li Youwei's face darkened. But he couldn't resist Li Xian's persistence and finally said, "Alright, but you can't interfere with their work."

"Of course, of course, I just want to take a look." Li Xian eagerly agreed to all conditions. Indeed, the beginning is always the hardest.

Seeing the matter settled, Yang Zhong took his leave. Li Youwei then led Li Xian inside, introducing him along the way.

There was a jade workshop responsible for carving jade and ordinary talismans, where the Jade Lanterns were made;

There was a forging workshop for weapons, armor, and farming tools;

There was a textile workshop and a carpentry workshop;

Finally, the most important 'Dharma Artifact Workshop,' which produced items for cultivators, with low production but the highest profit.

Li Xian stared at the Dharma Artifact Workshop for a long time but finally did not enter it, as only those at the Foundation Establishment stage were qualified to refine Dharma artifacts. Li Xian could only go to the ordinary jade workshop to interact with the jade workers.

The person in charge of the jade workshop was a Qi Condensation stage cultivator, Sun Ming, an old and experienced jade worker.

"Greetings, Senior Sun." Li Xian came with a humble attitude, which made Li Youwei, who was following behind, drop his jaw. Shouldn't you have gone up arrogantly and scolded them?

Sun Ming, seeing this arrogant young master being so polite, was momentarily "shocked" and at a loss.

Li Xian was embarrassed and had to bow again, "Senior Sun, I am here to learn. Please teach me."

"This... ah... that... how can I..." Sun Ming was truly at a loss. A young master in fine clothes and jade wanted to learn a lowly profession?

Finally, Li Youwei realized that this young man had really changed: "Old Sun, my nephew has turned over a new leaf. Please bear with him."

With Li Youwei speaking, Sun Ming could not refuse, but he was still a bit uneasy.