From Celestial Official to Great Celestial Venerable

Chapter 11 Onboarding
In the days that followed, Qin Chuan suppressed the urge to go on a shopping spree in Sifu Street and devoted himself to diligent cultivation day and night, refining his spiritual energy.

Nearly ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

May 15th, early morning.

As soon as Qin Chuan stepped out of the house, a middle-aged man who was pumping up tires on his bicycle in the yard greeted him with a smile: "Little Qin, are you going to Nongling Temple to report for duty today?"

Over the past few days, Qin Chuan has become acquainted with the other two tenants in the courtyard.

This man, named Zhou Bingwen, was nearly thirty years old and still unmarried. He worked at the Jiuchuan Ironware Workshop in the county.

Qin Chuan was no longer surprised by his bicycle—it was said to be an object from outer space, which always made him secretly speculate about certain possibilities.

"Okay, I'll report for duty today."

"You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Here, I have a few steamed buns for the road." Zhou Bingwen took a paper package from the bicycle basket and handed it to him.

"How can this be so embarrassing..."

Qin Chuan was about to decline when Zhou Bingwen pushed the cart out the door, turned back and smiled:

"I'm going to work now. You go to Nongling Temple and do your best to become a high-ranking celestial official as soon as possible. We live in the same courtyard, and that will bring us honor!"

Qin Chuan grinned and watched him leave.

Nongling Temple is located on Fengcheng Road in the neighborhood. What would normally be a half-hour walk, he arrived in just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Upon arriving at the imposing government office of Nongling Temple, Qin Chuan was stopped by the gatekeeper. He handed over his admission notice, and the gatekeeper smiled warmly upon seeing it. Just as he was about to open the gate, a carriage pulled by several magnificent mythical beasts suddenly appeared outside the government office.

Qin Chuan was just wondering when he heard the gatekeeper exclaim in a low voice:
"It's the county temple's carriage!"

He quickly opened the door.

Immediately afterwards, he saw the carriage curtain lifted, and a male and a female Taoist priest stepped out.

The female cultivator, in particular, wore a black and white Taoist robe and possessed an extraordinary temperament, as if she were untouched by worldly affairs.

Sun Qinghan.

Qin Chuan personally witnessed this young female cultivator who had been parachuted in. She was not only the top leader of all the Taoists in the county, but also a powerful figure who controlled the land.

Even from a distance, one can feel the invisible pressure emanating from it.

This was not the ordinary official arrogance seen in his previous life, but rather a practitioner's instinctive awe of the aura of someone at a higher level.

A county-level celestial official with the cultivation level of the Golden Core stage, his very existence is like a mountain.

Before he could think it through, he saw more than ten Taoist priests of varying ages walk out of Nongling Temple and greet him in groups of three or five at the entrance of the government office.

The leading middle-aged Taoist priest, with a square face, stepped forward and bowed with some excitement:
"I just received a message from the jade slip saying that the newly appointed county god is coming to inspect the temple. I did not expect you to arrive so quickly. I am Liu Shichang, the current deputy abbot of Nongling Temple. These past two days, Abbot Guo Shanshan has gone to a neighboring county for inspection, so I will temporarily handle the affairs of the temple."

"Fellow Daoist Liu."

Sun Qinghan nodded in return, a smile playing on her lips.
"It's not really an inspection. I've just encountered some difficulties with the policies related to spiritual plants, so I came here to exchange ideas with my fellow practitioners at Nongling Temple and hope to hear your valuable insights."

"The presence of the County God is an honor to our humble abode." Liu Shichang stepped aside to lead the way, "Please come inside for a detailed discussion."

Qin Chuan watched as this group of Taoist priests, whose identities were clearly those of his future superiors, escorted the impoverished county magistrate into the yamen.

"Young man, go to the third gatehouse to report for duty," the gatekeeper reminded him.

"Thanks for the advice."

After expressing his gratitude, Qin Chuan stepped into the place where he might serve for a long time.

Upon entering the third gatehouse, a scene of bustling activity unfolded: five or six Taoist priests were running back and forth, calling out incessantly, "Quick! Find the list of spiritual plants to be planted this spring!"

"And the land survey documents, which I just sorted out last month, I dug them all out!"

"Hurry up!"

"By the way, the County God of Qinghan might be going to inspect the fields. Quickly notify them to prepare!"

"If the county magistrate asks any questions that Chief Abbot Liu cannot answer, and if he is held accountable, it will be because we failed in our duties, and in the end, we will be the ones who suffer the consequences!"

Behind the desk, a Taoist priest, sweating profusely, was rummaging through a mountain of documents. He sighed helplessly, "How can anyone prepare for such a sudden visit..."

Seeing that everyone was too busy to attend to anything else, Qin Chuan felt slightly embarrassed. He found someone and asked in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist, my name is Qin Chuan, a newly arrived Fireworker Daoist. I wonder which one I should consult?"

The Taoist priest, who was engrossed in his documents, glanced up at him and said, "Newcomer? You're under my jurisdiction. Qin Chuan... there seems to be such a person. Why are you only arriving today? Take out the talisman, and after I verify it, I'll register you."

Qin Chuan hadn't expected to find the right person.

After verifying the talisman and recording the name, the Taoist priest called out, "Chen Dongyang! Come here and take this new fire worker to the test field. Also, add another person to help with the field."

"Help Tian?" Qin Chuan was slightly taken aback.

The Taoist priest behind the desk glanced at him and said calmly, "The Fire Worker Taoist is just a handyman. Naturally, he will fill the vacancy wherever there is a shortage of people. If he can cultivate to the fourth level of Qi Refining or make meritorious contributions, he can be promoted to a regular position ahead of schedule. If he has no record of misconduct within a year, he can also be promoted to a regular position and then be given a real post."

Qin Chuan took a deep breath, having received this explanation, and said no more.

A tall young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes walked up from behind, and his tone was relatively gentle: "Are you Junior Brother Qin Chuan? Come with me."

The two walked out of the gatehouse one after the other.

"Junior brother, which Taoist school did you come from?"

"That is the Jiuchuan Taoist Academy of this county."

"We are from the same sect! I am a few years older than you, so I will call you junior brother."

"I am new here and hope that Senior Brother Chen will give me more guidance in the future."

Qin Chuan readily agreed, bowing respectfully and addressing Qin Chuan as "senior brother," adopting an extremely humble posture.

Chen Dongyang laughed and said, "Actually, there's not much to advise you on. For a newcomer, it's all about 'enduring'. I see a glint of light in your eyes, so you must have already drawn Qi into your body. Just follow the steps and you should have no problem reaching the fourth level of Qi Refining within a year."

As they talked, the two arrived at the back garden of Nongling Temple. Behind the government office, there was a hidden paradise: a twenty-acre garden with neatly planned trees, flowers, herbs, and sacred grains arranged in an orderly manner.

"Elder Huo, this is Qin Chuan, the newly arrived Taoist priest specializing in fire-making. He has already been registered at the temple and has been sent here to help with the experimental fields. Please arrange his duties for him." Chen Dongyang led Qin Chuan to a wooden house by the garden and bowed respectfully.

An old man with a straw hat covering his forehead and a pipe in his mouth sat on a recliner in front of the house.

Qin Chuan also greeted him respectfully: "Elder Huo."

Along the way, Chen Dongyang had already given Qin Chuan some pointers based on their shared sect affiliation:
This Mr. Huo is truly a legend of Nongling Temple.

Even the current abbot was once taught by him.

Huo Lao's name was Huo Yuanjue. Although he was a deputy-level Taoist priest, he enjoyed the treatment of a full-level Taoist priest.

With access to Foundation Establishment Pills and breakthrough quotas, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the "sweeping monk" of the county's Nongling Temple.

In particular, he innovated upon the fundamental technique of Nongling Temple, "Qingmu Shengji Jue," and created the even more advanced "Yimu Qingtian Jue."

This is a cultivation technique that is said to be able to heal 99% of the herbs and spiritual plants in the nine rivers, and Huo Lao himself is therefore revered as the "Master of Spiritual Plants".

(End of this chapter)