"Hehe, thank you for the compliment, Daoist Master." With that, the old man took out a newspaper and began to examine it.
"Well, after exiting the teleportation array, walk southeast for fifty steps to reach Zhou Highway. Then, walk three hundred steps along Zhou Highway to reach... Finally, turn right and walk thirty steps to reach the Duke of Wu's Mansion."
Lin Yang deliberately wrote this in the newspaper. He was worried that some people might not be able to find their way, so he wrote down the route in this straightforward way.
“Sir, there’s no need for all that trouble. See that huge sign over there? And under that sign are dozens of carriages that have been prepared in advance. Those were specially arranged by the Duke of Wu,” a newspaper boy kindly reminded him.
Since the Duke of Wu started selling newspapers, the lives of these young boys have improved significantly. Therefore, when they encounter these fellows who come to the Duke of Wu's mansion to apply for jobs, the boys are quite happy to offer them some pointers.
"Oh, is that so? Thank you, thank you. Here, take this and buy some food." As he spoke, the old man took out a few copper coins.
"It seems that Duke Wu has made quite thorough preparations. Thirty people in a row, and once everyone is together, the carriages will immediately set off to send them to Duke Wu's residence. It's really convenient," Old Master Xu said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest beside him couldn't help but nod. However, what he was thinking was, "He's really rich. It seems the Duke of Wu is indeed a wealthy man. I'd better prepare myself for this sucker."
"Alright, we've arrived. Is this the Duke of Wu's residence?" the Taoist muttered to himself. At the same time, his Qi Observation Technique activated automatically.
After all, the fact that he managed to swindle so many big investors' investments and still emerge unscathed over the years is a skill in itself.
At a glance, it seemed that the entire fortune of the Duke of Wu's mansion was being suppressed by a treasure resembling a seven-colored book. Apart from that, nothing else could be seen.
"Hmm, this is the legendary 'Detailed Explanation of the Divine Path.' That makes sense; with this book in existence, it's normal not to understand it," the Taoist said softly.
"Please follow me, everyone. I am the gatekeeper of the Duke of Wu's mansion and also His Highness's personal guard. Please." After saying this, Hu Feng walked directly forward.
Soon, led by Hu Feng, the thirty people arrived before a portal of light. The surface of this portal radiated a dazzling array of colors, and even emitted a trace of extremely pure spiritual energy.
As for the interior of the gate, it was completely obscured. However, this was the Duke of Wu's residence, so there was certainly no danger to life. Therefore, there was no need to worry.
"This is a magical treasure with its own unique space inside, incredibly mysterious. So, don't wander around recklessly from now on, or you might accidentally find yourself in danger. Just follow me," Hu Feng said sternly.
Then, under his guidance, everyone entered the portal one by one.
Wow, it's huge!
"The spiritual energy is so rich. If one cultivates in a place like this, one can definitely achieve twice the results with half the effort."
"Is this the legendary grotto-heaven artifact? It forms its own space and can even store living things. It truly lives up to the reputation of the Duke of Wu."
"Silence, hurry up and follow," Hu Feng said calmly.
Soon, they arrived at their destination. At a glance, there were hundreds of houses. The style was very ancient; anyone with knowledge would recognize them as houses from the Spring and Autumn Period.
"Alright, we've arrived. Next, this gentleman, Li Qing, another of His Highness's retainers, will greet you," Hu Feng said. With that, he left.
At this moment, Li Qing was wearing a formal dress. However, the dress looked somewhat strange, making him appear quite energetic.
"Hello everyone, I am Li Qing. Like Hu Feng just now, I am one of the first batch of people to be granted the title of 'Sheng'. My fief is one li, which is exactly 2,500 mu."
"Of course, the specific territory will be decided after we arrive in the south. But at this moment, I am already a lord," Li Qing said proudly, looking like a rooster.
"So this is the squire."
"noble!"
"Two thousand five hundred acres of land, and every year the output from these fields alone is consistently over a thousand taels."
Hearing the discussions among the crowd, Li Qing was also very pleased. He then said, "Of course, as long as you are all excellent enough, a minor noble rank is naturally within your grasp. In addition, there are a few more questions that I will explain."
"You will be living here for the next few days. Then, remember your numbers. The interviews will officially begin in about three days. When your number is called, that's when you should go for your interview."
"However, some people's interviews take a long time, and some people's interviews take a short time. So, you can stay here during this period. Also, the flow of time here is different from that outside. It's about one to ten, so even if there's an emergency outside, you don't need to worry about anything."
"In addition, there are enough daily necessities for your use. That is where the spirit rice is stored. As for the well water in this well, it is made from various spirit dews and is quite effective."
"In addition, if you have nothing to do, you can fight each other to increase your understanding. However, be careful not to kill each other."
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Chapter 54: I think I might have been eating fake rice before!
"In addition, I will be staying here for the next few days to keep you company. If you have any questions, you can come and ask me privately."
"Oh, right, there's one more thing to mention. There's a token hidden within a hundred-mile radius. Whoever gets the token can immediately go for a one-on-one interview," Li Qing suddenly turned around and said with a smile.
"A one-on-one interview? And right away. Wouldn't that greatly increase the chances of success?"
"Yes, the interviews in three days will involve hundreds of people going through one by one, which will definitely be tedious. Besides, the interview time will be limited."
“But these problems don’t exist in a one-on-one interview. Given enough time, any strengths will definitely be noticed.”
"Who else but me deserves this token?"
"And what is this thing? It's definitely mine."
"How about we go to the training ground and give it a try?"
"Let's give it a try!"
"Ahem, so are there any hints?" the Taoist coughed and then asked directly.
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately fell silent, all staring at Li Qing. At the same time, they all secretly glanced at the Taoist priest.
Seeing the excited looks on everyone's faces, Li Qing said, "Listen carefully, the tip is—stay calm and do what you're supposed to do."
Upon hearing this, even the Taoist priest, who always considered himself wise, couldn't help but widen his eyebrows. What was this? Just keep a calm mind and do what you need to do. Could this be some kind of cryptic message, or perhaps it hides some secret?
"In addition, those who feel they have outstanding martial arts skills can go to the martial arts training ground in the south. There are wooden puppets, iron puppets, steel puppets, and black iron puppets there. After breaking through these puppets, you can naturally go to the interview location in advance to start the interview," Li Qing continued.
However, considering the immense power of those puppets, Li Qing felt that only true elites could truly break through them. He knew he himself couldn't possibly do it.