Fairy, don't go! I have a mod.

Ye Jianling froze.

Her hand instinctively reached for the sword, but reason told her that a hug from a little girl wouldn't warrant drawing her sword.

She looked down at the young female cultivator who had pressed her face against her waist, her expression becoming increasingly fascinating...

Seeing this, the female cultivators nearby not only didn't pull the little girl away, but laughed even harder.

They all chimed in, urging her to visit the Fairy Robe Pavilion more often, to come again at the next recruitment fair, and asking her which sect she belonged to.

Surrounded by the scent of cosmetics and the chatter of voices, Ye Jianling had only one thought echoing in her mind...

Do all these female cultivators like women?

Let's go back five minutes.

Mu Tianmiao stood at the top of the stairs leading from the first to the second floor of the Immortal Garment Pavilion, surrounded by seven or eight female disciples who were picking out clothes.

He glanced back towards the fitting room on the second floor to make sure Ye Jianling hadn't come out yet, then took out a handful of spirit stones from his storage bag.

I weighed it in my hand and it made a crisp, pleasant clinking sound.

Sisters!

He lowered his voice, a smile on his face that screamed "I'm up to no good."

"Do me a favor."

Several female disciples exchanged glances and then crowded around.

"A girl in black will come out of the fitting room in a moment."

Mu Tianmiao stuffed the spirit stones into their hands one by one, explaining quickly.

"You all surround her and compliment her on her looks. Compliment her clothes, her appearance, her temperament. The more enthusiastic you are, the better. Ideally, you should make her unable to leave."

"Just stall her for as long as you can."

A female cultivator wearing a veil of spirit silk accepted the spirit stone and blinked.

"Young Sect Master, who is that girl?"

"Someone wants to fight me."

Mu Tianmiao said without changing his expression.

The female disciples all gave a collective "oh," their faces showing understanding.

Whether or not they truly understood is another matter.

"do not worry."

Another round-faced female disciple patted her chest and chuckled as she stuffed the spirit stones into her bosom.

"We're good at this kind of thing."

Mu Tianmiao gave them a thumbs up, then slipped away through the back door of Xianyi Tower without looking back.

As he walked out the back door, he heard the sound of the fitting room door being pushed open on the second floor, followed by gasps of surprise and calls of "Sister" from the female disciples.

He nodded in satisfaction, quickened his pace, and soon disappeared into the crowd outside the Fairy Robe Pavilion.

Mu Tianmiao walked along the road with light steps, even humming a little tune.

Just kidding, why would he want to spar with Ye Jianling?

The number one on the Eight Desolations Golden Core Ranking, a ruthless person who can break through the protective spiritual shield of a Nascent Soul cultivator with a single sword strike, fight her?

He didn't take the wrong medicine.

Even though he had been enhanced by the system, and even though he had the option to survive against all odds, he didn't want to get beaten up for no reason.

Death is not certain, but the pain is real, and you'll lose half a level of cultivation. It's not worth it no matter how you look at it.

Besides, is cultivating immortality just for fighting?

He never agreed with that approach.

He wouldn't have drawn his sword and gone into battle if he hadn't been forced into a corner in the secret realm.

Spiritual practice is about living well, living joyfully, and living freely.

Dating the girl he likes, enjoying the romance, and earning spirit stones—that's the life he wants.

What's the point of fighting and killing?

Winning is just a hollow title, and losing means you have to recover from injuries, so it's not worth it either way.

So he couldn't even avoid Ye Jianling, a sword fanatic who wanted to spar with anyone he met.

Buy her a set of clothes and get some peace and quiet in return; it's a win-win situation.

The more Mu Tianmiao thought about it, the more clever she felt, and her feet seemed to fly...

Ye Jianling was only held up at the Fairy Robe Pavilion for a short while, but with her intelligence, she would eventually come to her senses.

The first place we'll definitely look for is the Spirit Carving Stone Tablet.

Going back now would be like walking into a trap.

Skipping work.

I have to skip work.

He strolled leisurely along the bluestone path inside the sect.

During the recruitment fair, the sect was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations everywhere. Even the usually quiet corridors were adorned with spirit lanterns, making it more lively than usual.

He strolled leisurely, occasionally greeting the disciples who passed by, and seemed quite pleased with himself.

No need to sit there registering names, no need to face Ye Jianling's sword intent, this is how a recruitment conference should be conducted!

As I turned through a moon gate, I bumped into someone.

Elder Fu Xing was wearing a faded gray robe, his eyelids drooping, and he exuded an aura of exhaustion.

He walked slower than a leisurely stroll, clutching a scroll of bamboo slips in his hand, seemingly heading towards the mountain gate.

But there was no sense of urgency in his steps, as if whether he could reach the destination depended entirely on fate.

Mu Tianmiao's eyes lit up.

"Wow, Elder Fu, you haven't left yet."

Mu Tianmiao went to meet her, her tone revealing undisguised surprise.

"I thought you had already left the sect."

Fu Xing raised her eyelids and glanced at him, her eyes filled with helplessness.

He sighed, his voice weak and listless, as if speaking just a few words would exhaust all his energy for the day.

"No matter what... we still need to take a look at sect recruitment, otherwise it would be too outrageous..."

He paused, then sighed before finishing the sentence.

"While I'm at it, I'll also see if there are any promising young talents who could be my disciples."

Mu Tianmiao walked alongside Fu Xing for a while, then suddenly remembered something, turned her head to look at him, and smiled.

"However, Elder Fu, most of the people who came today are female cultivators, and there are very few male disciples. It will be difficult for you to find a suitable candidate."

Upon hearing this, Fu Xing's face showed even more weariness.

He rubbed his temples, his voice carrying a sense of utter despair.

"That's still better than being cooped up in my cave. The aura of these female cultivators in the sect is too strong. Wherever I go, I'm surrounded by the smell of perfume, which makes me feel uncomfortable."

He paused, as if remembering something, and glanced at Mu Tianmiao.

"Speaking of which, I remember you were sent by your master to the mountain gate to be in charge of spiritual root testing, weren't you?"

Mu Tianmiao's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly put on a smile and waved her hand.

"Ugh, I've been sitting for the whole morning, my butt's gone numb. It's so boring, I need to... take a break."

Fu Xing stopped and turned around to look at Mu Tianmiao.

His usually half-open eyes opened slightly for the first time, and he scanned him up and down with the helpless look that comes from an elder catching a junior slacking off.

"I have to say a few words to you about this." Fu Xing's voice was still weak, but his tone was much more serious.

"That was a task personally assigned to you by the sect leader. You must complete it well. Cultivation is the same; you must put knowledge into practice and not slack off."

Mu Tianmiao lowered her head, feigning a humble and receptive demeanor, but inwardly she was thinking...

I also practice what I preach.

My knowledge is laziness, and my actions are laziness—isn't that a perfect match?

Chapter 82 You're playing me!

Of course, he didn't dare to say what was on his mind.

Seeing that Fu Xing was about to continue nagging, he quickly raised his head, gave a very sincere smile, and took Fu Xing's arm.

"Don't say anymore, Elder Fu, you're absolutely right! I'll go to the entrance with you right now, is that alright?"

Fu Xing was taken aback by his sudden enthusiasm, and the long speech he had just prepared got stuck in his throat.

He opened his mouth, but only managed to squeeze out two words: "...Fine."

Mu Tianmiao followed Fu Xing back to the spirit-carved stone tablet.

Tang Ruoyin was registering her name on the jade slip when she heard footsteps. She looked up and was clearly stunned when she saw Mu Tianmiao.

She put down her pen, a half-smile playing on her lips, her tone carrying a hint of mockery and a touch of surprise.

"I thought you took this opportunity to run away, but you've actually come back. That's progress, congratulations!"

As soon as she finished speaking, her gaze fell on Fu Xing behind Mu Tianmiao, and she raised her eyebrows slightly.

"Oh, isn't this Elder Fu Xing? What brings you here today? Are you here to see if there are any promising talents?"

Fu Xing's gaze drifted elsewhere at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He stared at the trunk of the ginkgo tree next to the spirit-carved stone tablet, as if some earth-shattering sword manual had suddenly grown out of it, and refused to meet Tang Ruoyin's gaze no matter what.

"Yes, yes... let me take a look."

He gave a vague reply, speaking so fast it sounded like he was reciting a mantra.

Then, without turning his head, he walked to the other side of the spirit-carved stone tablet, took out a bamboo chair from his storage bag, placed it neatly, and sat down. The whole process was smooth and seamless.

The bamboo chair was at least three zhang away from Tang Ruoyin, separated by a whole row of candidate disciples queuing up, making it impossible to avoid.

Mu Tianmiao couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Fu Xing's posture, as if he wanted to shrink into a ginkgo tree. Then she returned to Tang Ruoyin's side and plopped back down in her previous spot.

He leaned back in his chair, let out a long sigh, and spoke with a listless, complaining tone.

"How many people are left... This is so annoying..."

The candidates who passed the initial screening have been gradually allowed to visit the sect.

Mu Tianmiao glanced at the crowd in line. Lu Hongying, who had left the deepest impression on him before, carrying a short gun, and the twin sisters Su He and Su Lian, who were holding hands, were no longer in the line.

They had probably already had their spiritual roots tested before they entered the sect with the guiding disciple.

He leaned back in his chair, looking bored, and turned to ask Tang Ruoyin.

"Sister Tang, among this batch of potential disciples, are there any you find suitable?"

Tang Ruoyin put down the jade slip in her hand, tilted her head to think for a moment, and then shook her head with a smile.

"I already have a headache dealing with just you, let alone taking on disciples? I'm not in the mood for that."

Her tone was casual, and her smile was relaxed, but Mu Tianmiao was not happy to hear it.

What do you mean by saying that dealing with just one of you is a headache?

It's as if he's some kind of troublesome person.

He calmly put his hands inside his clothes, as if he were warming them, looking very proper.

Then, his fingers, hidden beneath his clothes, gently hooked something.

The astrophotographers on the other side of the river quietly launched their operation.