123: Chapter 123 A man should never sell himself, and a woman even less so!

[ You were almost scared into a cold sweat by that phrase, "Work with me." ]

[ Your first reaction in your head was—exposed? ]

[ But you looked at her expression and saw nothing unusual, and upon second thought, you felt you shouldn't have been exposed. ]

[ But with this face you have now, the appearance of an ordinary woman in her early thirties, you wouldn't be able to find yourself if you were thrown into a crowd. ]

[ If this could be sold for money, then the threshold of the brothels would probably be buried in the ground. ]

[ You inwardly complained: I am the dignified Great Li Empress, and you want me to sell myself? Besides, men can't be sold even if they die, and women even less so! ]

[ You suppressed your emotions, put on a look of slight awkwardness, waved your hand, and said: "Many thanks for your praise, Shopkeeper, but I... I already have a husband, so it's not convenient for me to go to such a place." ]

[ The shopkeeper wasn't annoyed either; she tucked away her handkerchief, looked you up and down twice, and nodded: "Fine then, it's a pity about this figure." ]

[ After speaking, she turned in another direction. ]

[ You breathed a sigh of relief. ]

[ Only then did you notice that this shopkeeper would go up to talk to every female Martial Artist she met, asking everyone regardless of what they looked like. ]

[ So it wasn't that she took a fancy to you; she was just casting a wide net. ]

[ It seems that in the eyes of an Immortal Cultivator, female Martial Artists are still... quite cost-effective. ]

[ You cursed under your breath and continued to wait. ]

[ You waited another two days. ]

[ On the afternoon of the fifth day, the recruitment market suddenly became lively. ]

[ A green-curtained carriage stopped on the side of the road, the curtain was lifted, and a woman of about thirty years old stepped down. ]

[ With willow-leaf eyebrows and apricot eyes, the corners of her mouth naturally curved slightly upward. When she walked, her waist swayed gently, and she exuded an indescribable charm, yet her eyes were very shrewd, and when she smiled, the depths of her eyes didn't move. ]

[ "I am the shopkeeper of Wangjiang Tower in Qingyue Market, surnamed Liu, with the given name Ying." Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear: "Today I am recruiting a few errand runners. Monthly wages will be settled in Spirit Essence, with priority given to Martial Artists." ]

[ Spirit Essence. ]

[ As soon as these two words came out, the market exploded. ]

[ The men who were waiting crowded around all at once, chattering: ]

[ "Pick me! Pick me! Innate Late Stage, I work efficiently!" ]

[ "I am Grandmaster Stage! I'm great at moving tables and carrying wine jars!" ]

[ "I am a Great Grandmaster!" ]

[ After this last shout, the whole market went quiet for a moment. ]

[ Everyone looked in unison at the source of the sound: a burly man in his forties with a full beard, his arms thicker than a girl's waist. ]

[ A Great Grandmaster? Running here to compete with us for an errand runner job? ]

[ Someone muttered in a low voice: "Do Great Grandmasters have no shame?" ]

[ The bearded man's old face flushed, and he stiffened his neck and said: "I'm broke, alright! Isn't Spirit Essence fragrant?" ]

[ Everyone was speechless. ]

[ Fragrant, it is indeed fragrant. ]

[ You didn't rush to squeeze in. You calculated in your heart: A restaurant is good; people from all walks of life go there, making it an excellent place to gather information. Besides, the shopkeeper said the monthly wage would be in Spirit Essence. With a source of Spirit Essence, the things you want to buy will also have a way forward. ]

[ You saw the right moment, took a deep breath, raised your hand, and said aloud. ]

[ "I am a Origin Qi Realm Martial Artist, I'll do it." ]

[ The market went quiet again. ]

[ This time the silence lasted even longer. ]

[ All eyes turned to you. ]

[ A... ordinary woman in her thirties, dressed simply, with a plain face, standing on the edge of the crowd, looking calm. ]

[ Origin Qi Realm? ]

[ Her? ]

[ A young man squeezed into the front row of the crowd, his mouth faster than his brain, and he laughed with a "pfft": "Auntie, stop bragging. If you are Origin Qi Realm, then I am a Foundation Establishment Old Ancestor." ]

[ Your face instantly turned black. ]

[ Auntie? ]

[ Who are you calling Auntie? ]

[ "Who are you calling Auntie?" You turned your head to look at the young man. ]

[ The young man was righteous and confident: "Calling you, who else?" ]

[ Several people around started laughing along. ]

[ You took a deep breath. ]

[ You took another deep breath. ]

[ I am the dignified Great Li Empress, a person who unified the world, and you call me Auntie. ]

[ Forget it, I won't lower myself to the level of a junior. ]

[ You ignored him and turned to Manager Liu. ]

[ Manager Liu was watching you with great interest, the smile on the corners of her mouth receding a little, and her gaze became scrutinizing. ]

[ "Young lady," her voice carried a hint of coldness, "Don't lie to me. Those who lie to me do not have a good ending." ]

[ You looked into her eyes and nodded. ]

[ Then, you said no more, slightly stimulated the Origin Qi in your Dantian, and released a wisp of that majestic power. ]

[ An invisible wave of Qi rippled outward with you as the center. ]

[ The first to feel it were the few Martial Artists closest to you; their expressions changed in unison. ]

[ The young man who called you Auntie had his smile freeze on his face, and his legs went weak involuntarily. ]

[ The Great Grandmaster with the full beard had his pupils shrink suddenly, and he took a step back abruptly. ]

[ The release of Origin Qi only lasted for one breath before you withdrew it. ]

[ The market was silent. ]

[ "A Origin Qi Realm at thirty-something?" someone muttered, "What kind of monster is this..." ]

[ "Origin Qi Realm in your thirties? What kind of talent must this be? She is simply a genius of the Martial Forest!" ]

[ "A genius is useless." Someone lowered their voice, their tone full of regret, "Look at her age. Only reaching Origin Qi Realm in her early thirties means she has reached her limit in this life. Her Martial Dao has reached its end. In the eyes of the Immortal families, she can't even compare to one of their fingers..." ]

[ "Exactly. No matter how powerful Origin Qi Realm is, without a Spiritual Root, you still can't enter the Spiritual Vein and cannot achieve Immortal Ascension." ]

[ "Sigh, what a pity for this talent." ]

[ The buzzing of discussions—regretful, envious, unwilling—all mixed together. ]

[ You ignored these discussions. ]

[ Manager Liu's eyes changed. ]

[ She was able to earn a property in Qingyue Market, so she was naturally not a straw bag with only looks. She probed your aura, and her heart stirred slightly: This woman really was in the Origin Qi Realm. ]

[ A Origin Qi Realm Martial Artist, in the eyes of a Cultivator at the Late Stage of Qi Refining, really wasn't much to speak of, but a Origin Qi Realm in her early thirties—she had lived for so many years, and this was truly the first time she had seen one. ]

[ Ordinary Martial Artists who struggle to reach the Origin Qi Realm are at least fifty or sixty years old, with white hair. This woman looks no more than thirty... Either her talent is Heaven-Defying, or there is something strange about her. ]

[ Manager Liu withdrew her scrutinizing gaze, the corners of her mouth curled up again, and this time even her eyes were smiling. ]

[ "You are hired." ]

[ Manager Liu picked four more people from the crowd. ]

[ The young man who called you Auntie was also among them, Innate Middle Stage, his hands and feet looking diligent enough. ]

[ The young man was both surprised and afraid, shrinking his shoulders, not daring to even breathe loudly. ]

[ The group followed Manager Liu's carriage, passed through the Mortal town, and entered a street on the outskirts of Qingyue Market. ]

[ Everyone looked around curiously at this imposing scene of the Immortal family. ]

[ Wangjiang Tower was located on the edge of the market, a three-story wooden building with flying eaves and bucket arches. The first-floor lobby was spacious and bright, the second and third floors were private rooms, and the air was filled with the faint aroma of spirit wine. ]

[ "I will state the rules once, and only once." Manager Liu stood in the center of the lobby, holding a folding fan in her hand, her gaze sweeping over the five of you in turn. ]