Tian Shu Wu Wang Lu

A few days later, the sect began the quarterly submission of spiritual materials. All outer disciples were required to send the spiritual herbs and ores they had collected to the alchemy workshop for verification of their quality and registration.

Lin Ye was also in the waiting line.

He was tall and strong, with light tan skin, the mark of years of hard work and exposure to the elements. His eyebrows and eyes were clean and sharp, with a hint of cleverness in them. When he smiled, the corners of his lips lifted slightly, revealing a touch of casual roguishness. When he didn't smile, his eyes were sharp as a drawn sword, concealing a hidden edge.

Dressed in the simplest outer disciple attire, he blends into the noisy crowd and seems inconspicuous. However, whenever a situation arises, his calm, composed, and unwavering aura will instantly be revealed, making him someone not to be underestimated.

Inside the alchemy workshop, the noise was chaotic. Many outer disciples were pestering the verification stewards to get more contribution points, and some were even secretly making small moves, trying to falsely report their grades and get away with it. The scene was a complete mess.

The person in charge here, personally overseeing the inventory, is none other than Luo Li, the young sect master of the Danqi Workshop.

She was strikingly beautiful, with skin as white as snow, and her eyes and brows exuded a clever and lively ethereal charm.

She was always dressed in crimson, with a dazzling array of jade and magical pendants tied around her waist, their tinkling sounds accompanying her every step. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, tied back with a golden hair crown, revealing her smooth forehead and delicate collarbones. Her eyes were bright and piercing, and a confident, cunning smile played on her lips. Her demeanor was radiant and noble; at a glance, she was clearly a wealthy and powerful woman who controlled resources.

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she gazed at the noisy and chaotic scene before her, her eyes filled with impatience.

It was Lin Ye's turn to step forward and verify.

He neither argued nor flattered, but carefully sorted and bundled the spiritual herbs early on, and attached a small note written by himself, which clearly marked the year, quality, and even the slightest damage of each herb, and what grade it should be calculated according to. He neither deliberately deceived or took advantage of others, nor did he ever make himself suffer a loss.

This meticulous and orderly work style, along with the ability to clearly explain everything, is a professional instinct I developed when I was a food delivery driver.

The steward checked each item meticulously, and found them to be exactly the same as Lin Ye's annotations, without the slightest error. Luo Li, who had been casually glancing at the items, couldn't help but become interested upon seeing this.

The other disciples were either exaggerating or being perfunctory, or they looked flustered and timid. Only this outer disciple in front of him was down-to-earth, efficient, and knew how to maintain boundaries. He was truly a rare find.

She slightly raised her slender hand and beckoned to Lin Ye: "You, come here."

Lin Ye stepped forward slowly, his posture upright, neither humble nor arrogant: "What are your orders, Young Sect Master?"

Luo Li sized him up for a moment, then cut to the chase, her tone straightforward: "I observe that you are calm and composed, efficient in your actions, and reliable in your words. Recently, the workshop needs to escort a batch of private pills and artifacts to the inner sect. On the way, we need someone who can act discreetly, not attract attention, and handle any problems properly. This is not an ordinary menial task, but a personal matter for me."

Lin Ye's eyes lit up slightly, and he understood that this was no ordinary manual labor job, but a rare opportunity. "I can do it," he replied without hesitation.

Luo Li nodded slightly and stated the pros and cons directly: "If this matter is accomplished, I will reward you with three mid-grade Star Gathering Pills. However, if word gets out or something goes wrong, both of us will be in big trouble. Do you dare to accept?"

"dare."

As expected, during the escort, they encountered several unscrupulous outer disciples who coveted the goods being escorted and tried to block the road to test them and deliberately make things difficult for them.

Lin Ye remained calm and composed throughout, avoiding any aggressive or confrontational behavior or escalating the conflict. He skillfully dealt with people with a few words, neither offending anyone unnecessarily nor yielding an inch. He firmly protected the goods being transported and ultimately delivered them to their destination intact. His actions were thorough and meticulous throughout the entire process.

When Luo Li returned to the alchemy workshop to report, she looked at him and finally revealed a genuine smile. "I knew I hadn't misjudged you." She pushed the jade bottle containing the pills in front of Lin Ye. "This is your deserved reward. In the future, if I have any trivial matters that I can't handle myself, I'll ask for your help. You'll naturally be rewarded, but remember, keep your mouth shut."

Lin Ye raised his hand to put away the things, his smile casual and roguish, yet exuding utmost reliability: "Young Sect Master, rest assured, I won't ask what I shouldn't ask, and I won't reveal a single word about what I shouldn't say."

Luo Li nodded in satisfaction. Her alchemy workshop never lacked servants to do odd jobs and run errands, but what it lacked was a capable, trustworthy person who was not arrogant despite being at the bottom of the hierarchy and could handle things in critical moments. Lin Ye was exactly the most suitable candidate.

A few days later, in the border area between the sect and the mortal world, spirit beasts frequently rampaged and caused chaos. The alchemy workshop urgently needed a large number of spirit beast skeletons and cores to refine magical artifacts, so it sent disciples to hunt them down and collect the materials.

Because of his calm demeanor, quick hands and feet, reliability, and lack of ostentation, Lin Ye was specially selected by Luo Li to be sent to the hunting grounds to be responsible for transporting spirit beast carcasses, counting and verifying animal materials, and then transporting them all back to the alchemy workshop.

He remained as unassuming as ever. When he arrived at the hunting grounds, many cultivators were already cleaning up the spirit beasts. The sounds of fighting and the roars of the spirit beasts were incessant, and a faint smell of blood filled the air.

Not far away, a scarlet figure stood out, stunning the entire hunting ground. The woman possessed the dignified and gentle features of a classical beauty, with delicate and graceful features and soft, watery eyes.

She wore a moonlit white gown, the skirt embroidered with exquisite lotus patterns, her demeanor was graceful and noble, her black hair was loosely styled into an elegant updo, adorned with rare pearls and jade ornaments, her temperament was refined and otherworldly, gentle yet dignified and loving, like a fairy in the mortal world, making people forget the mundane world upon seeing her.

Yet her attacks were swift and decisive. With each palm strike, the spirit beast's bones and tendons shattered. Her longsword was drawn, and in an instant, she could pluck the beast's core. Every move was crisp and clean, without the slightest superfluous action. She was ruthless and decisive, exuding a powerful aura. This person was none other than Princess Chu Ling of Lingyue Kingdom.

With her profound cultivation and exceptional combat prowess, she slayed these ordinary spirit beasts as easily as taking candy from a baby or chopping vegetables. Throughout the process, she remained indifferent and aloof, her efficiency astonishing. Unbeknownst to others, before Chu Ling's arrival, her close friend Luo Li had casually mentioned, "There's a disciple in the outer sect named Lin Ye. He's steady, efficient, and extremely reliable."

Chu Ling's gaze swept lightly across the crowd, instantly locking onto the man with light tan skin and a low-key demeanor.

The other disciples were either afraid of the monsters and kept their distance, or they were eager to show off and competed to hunt the monsters, creating a chaotic scene. Only Lin Ye remained silent and focused on his task.

After Chu Ling slew a demonic beast with a single sword strike, he immediately stepped forward, skillfully collecting the beast's core and binding its corpse. He carried it on his shoulder with steady, powerful steps, neither stealing credit nor speaking excessively, and without delaying the slightest task. His quick reflexes, exceptional execution, and high level of cooperation were entirely due to the efficient work skills he honed while delivering food—effortless and efficient.

A barely perceptible hint of approval flashed in Chu Ling's eyes. Just as Luo Li had said, she was easy to manage, knew the rules, and had an excellent sense of propriety.

She didn't approach him to speak, but instead subtly adjusted her direction, deliberately clearing away the monsters in Lin Ye's direction. She then "just happened" to place the slain monster corpses in the most convenient location for Lin Ye to move them, silently cooperating with him.

Although Lin Ye was aware that this female cultivator possessed extraordinary combat power, she was intentionally cooperating with his pace. He did not ask any questions or speculate further, but instead worked even more efficiently, carrying corpses, counting, and registering them. He completed the entire process smoothly and without any mistakes.

One hunts aggressively, sweeping across the land; the other secures the rear, moving with methodical precision. The two work together seamlessly, needing neither words nor eye contact, becoming the most harmonious sight on the hunting grounds.

As the sun set and the sky was painted crimson with the afterglow, and the sect disciples were finishing their work and heading home, Chu Ling slowly walked up to Lin Ye. She exuded a powerful aura, carrying the composure of a superior, yet showed no sign of hostility, calmly looking at the outer sect disciple before her.

"You are Lin Ye." The words were a statement, without a trace of doubt.

Lin Ye slowly lowered the monster corpse from his shoulder, straightened up, and said calmly and respectfully, "That's right."

Chu Ling nodded slightly, her voice clear and calm, yet carrying an undeniable approval: "Luo Li mentioned you to me. Your cooperation today was excellent. In the future, if the alchemy workshop has any more inventory or moving tasks like this, feel free to take them on."

The implication of these words was clear: she and Luo Li, both high-ranking individuals, had acknowledged Lin Ye's abilities. With their support within the sect, Lin Ye's path would be much easier in the future.

Lin Ye understood immediately, a perfectly measured roguish smile curving his lips as he bowed respectfully: "Thank you for your kind words, Princess. I, Lin Ye, have always been someone you can trust to get things done."

Chu Ling nodded slightly, said no more, turned around and flew away on her sword. Her figure was graceful and she disappeared into the sky in an instant.

Between true strong individuals, mutual recognition requires no superfluous words; a glance or a word of advice is enough.