I run a casino in the immortal realm.

The canteen is located at the northern end of the Bingzi area. It is a three-story gray stone building with no sign, and there are two long queues at the entrance.

Zheng Yifei carried the wooden tray and found a corner to sit down.

Two bowls of spirit rice, a plate of stir-fried spirit mushrooms, and a bowl of clear soup. It was free, but the spiritual energy content was pitifully low, even less than the residue of the pills Zhao Ling'er had failed to refine.

After finishing my meal, I returned to my dorm, closed the door, set up the Spirit Gathering Array, swallowed the pill, and began cultivating.

Silent all night.

At 7:00 AM the next day, Zheng Yifei followed the route engraved on the back of the token, passed through the Bing-character area, and arrived at the Qingyun Sect's General Affairs Hall.

The main hall of the General Affairs Office was even larger than he had imagined.

The hall was divided into dozens of office areas, with gray-robed disciples going in and out, carrying bamboo slips, organizing account books, and checking spirit tickets, like a finely operating machine.

The tax office was located in a separate hall in the east wing of the general affairs building.

The ten newlyweds stood in a row and waited for fifteen minutes.

A middle-aged man dressed in a dark gray robe walked out from the inner hall.

He was in his forties, with a square face, a deep and restrained aura, and a strong spiritual energy fluctuation that made all the Qi Refining disciples present instinctively straighten their backs.

Peak of Foundation Building.

Director of the Tax Service, Zhou Demao.

He glanced at the ten newcomers, but his gaze didn't linger on any of them.

"Welcome to the Tax Office. Taxes are the lifeblood of the sect, and your work is related to the operation of the entire Qingyun Sect. I hope you will be conscientious and fulfill your mission."

After saying that, he turned and left.

It took less than thirty breaths in total.

The newlyweds exchanged bewildered glances. A chubby-faced boy muttered under his breath, "That's it?"

The person next to him tugged at his sleeve: "He's at the peak of Foundation Establishment; it's already a favor that he even showed his face."

Then, a disciple in charge took the roster and began assigning positions.

The ten new recruits were scattered among the five tax offices in Qingyunfang City.

"Zheng Yifei and Liu Zhen, East District Tax Office."

The East District Tax Office is located at the end of the East District of Qingyunfang City, in a two-story building with gray bricks and black tiles. A wooden sign that reads "Qingyun City East District Tax Office" hangs at the entrance, its paint peeling.

Director Yang Jie was waiting on the second floor.

Thirty-five or thirty-six years old, of medium height, with a round face, his eyes narrowed into slits when he smiled, looking like a kind neighbor uncle. His early Foundation Establishment spiritual power was contained within his body, unassuming and unnoticed.

"Sit down, sit down, don't stand."

Yang Jie poured a bowl of spiritual tea for each of them, and then took one for himself and leaned back in his chair.

"My name is Yang Jie, the director of the East District Tax Office. Including the two of you, there are twelve people under me. We are in charge of the taxes of more than 600 businesses on five streets in the East District. The work is not heavy, but the rules need to be made clear first."

He held up four fingers.

"First, you must not betray the interests of your sect."

What does it mean to betray the sect's interests? It's when a merchant approaches you and says, "Underreport your revenue this month, and I'll give you a kickback." That's it. If you're caught once, you're expelled from the sect. If you're caught twice—no, because you're out the first time.

"Second, one must not accept bribes from merchants."

Some bosses are very shrewd. They won't give you money, but they'll give you gifts—a pot of good wine, a packet of spiritual tea, or even a single pill. If you take it, you'll have to consider the consequences.

"Third, you must not abuse your status as a disciple of a sect to bully others. You are wearing this gray robe, representing the Qingyun Sect, not yourself. If you have a conflict with a merchant, take a step back first. If you cannot handle it, report it to me. If I cannot handle it, report it to the Enforcement Hall, and the Sword Peak disciples will come."

"Fourth, if you encounter robbers or troublemakers, do not be reckless; prioritize your own safety."

Yang Jie put down his fingers and took a sip of tea.

"Four days off per month, one month annual leave per year, four hours on duty during the day, and free time the rest of the time."

Taxes are collected at the end of the month. The regular work involves tracking the business turnover of merchants in the area and verifying accounts. Those who perform well receive quarterly bonuses, sometimes as much as thirty or forty spirit stones.

He glanced at the two of them: "Is there a problem?"

Liu Zhen shook his head. He was a tall, thin sixteen-year-old boy with three spiritual roots and at the seventh level of Qi Refining. He was taciturn and had only said one sentence since he entered: "Liu Zhen greets the director."

Zheng Yifei also shook his head.

"Okay then."

Yang Jie stood up, opened the window, and pointed to the street below: "Fengming Street, the longest commercial street in the East District, with 280 shops. It takes almost half an hour to walk from one end to the other, Lao Wan!"

A lazy reply came from downstairs: "Coming, coming."

Footsteps sounded, and a man in his early thirties swaggered up the stairs. He was at the ninth level of Qi Refining, with a slender build, a shrewd face, and a naturally upturned mouth that seemed to always have a half-smile on it.

He held a worn-out account book between his fingers in his left hand and a half-finished bowl of tea in his right.

"Wan Kui is an old hand on Fengming Street; he's been doing this for six years."

Yang Jie introduced, "Zheng Yifei is a newcomer and will be your partner. You will show him around and familiarize him with the situation. Liu Zhen will go to Qing Shi Street with Lao Zhao."

Wan Kui looked Zheng Yifei up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on the spiritual energy fluctuations of the eighth-level Qi Refining cultivator.

"Five spiritual roots?"

The news spread quickly. Zheng Yifei's expression remained unchanged: "Hmm."

Wan Kui grinned, not with any mockery, but simply because he found it amusing: "Well, to reach the eighth level of Qi Refining before the age of eighteen with five spiritual roots, that's something. Let's go, Xiao Zheng, I'll take you shopping."

Fengming Street is the most bustling commercial street in the East District, with shops lining both sides of the street. There are shops selling spiritual medicine, clothing, spiritual rice, talismans, and utensils, all with colorful signs.

Wan Kui walked ahead, clapping his hands with the account book as he went, like a tour guide.

"The 280 businesses on Fengming Street can be roughly divided into three categories. The first category consists of honest people who report their cash flow on time, pay their taxes on time, and don't cause trouble, so you shouldn't cause them any trouble either. They make up 60% of the businesses."

The second type, the slippery ones, underreport their turnover by one or two percent, and everyone turns a blind eye, so everyone gets along peacefully; they make up 30%. The third type—"

Wan Kui stopped in front of a magical artifact shop and lowered his voice.

"Those with connections include the businesses of inner disciples, the families of elders, and even some of the peak masters' associates."

For this type of shop, keep track of their cash flow as usual, but don't be too strict when it comes to taxes.

Why?

Wan Kui glanced at him and smiled: "Because that person who's so meticulous was transferred to the North District mine to move stones last month."

Zheng Yifei nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

For the next four hours, Wan Kui led him from one end of Fengming Street to the other, checking each shop's facade and accounting records.

Wan Kui's work style is very simple—enter the door, greet the customer, glance at the ledger on the counter, record the number in his own account book, leave, and move on to the next customer.

The whole process was smooth and efficient, with each shop taking less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Zheng Yifei followed behind, not saying a word, but his eyes were always on the move.

Each time he entered a store, his eyes would quickly scan the ledgers, and he would find that the accounting method was very complicated, with no simplified numbers, and all the accounting was done in words.

They visited all 280 stores in one morning. At noon, when Ma Kui was about to return to the tax office, Zheng Yifei offered to treat him to lunch at a nearby restaurant.