"Master!" Lin Zhishan bowed to an elder who was dressed in shabby clothes, yet possessed a vigorous and spirited bearing.
"Have the candidates been selected?" The elder asked casually, in a quite good mood.
"They have. Here is the roster!" With that, Lin Zhishan handed over several rolls of jade slips.
"Master is in a great mood today!" Lin Zhishan smiled, watching the elder examine the rolls carefully.
"Haha, I met an interesting little friend today. He has quite a bit of the demeanor you had when you were young!" The elder chuckled.
In truth, what outsiders did not know was that Lin Zhishan's cultivation aptitude was also ordinary, with a fire-attribute spiritual root affinity of just 21 points, barely reaching the Mid-grade.
"Could it be that he is also a fellow who refuses to accept his lot?" Lin Zhishan asked in pleasant surprise, quite intrigued.
"He refuses to accept it, indeed. He simply refuses. Though his aptitude is somewhat lacking, his temperament is exceptional, and he possesses a strong will to walk the path!" The elder nodded, seemingly recalling some past events.
"It seems Master has taken a fancy to this person!"
The elder smiled without answering, lowering his head to continue reviewing the slips.
"Oh?"
"That kid actually wasn't selected?" The elder suddenly let out a soft exclamation of surprise.
Immediately, he began searching through another roll, quickly finding Zhou Xun's name.
He looked at the records inscribed upon it.
"Expelled as a odd-job servant from Miaofu Pavilion? Interesting, very interesting." The elder wore a deeply intrigued expression.
With that, he handed the roster back to Lin Zhishan.
Lin Zhishan took it and looked it over, then smiled as well.
"Master, it seems this fellow has offended someone. Miaofu Pavilion is a shop in Red Leaf Market on par with our own!"
"I shall arrange for someone to look into it shortly!"
The elder nodded. "Very well, find out just who this kid has offended."
"By the way, Master, should I add this kid to the roster for this time?" Lin Zhishan inquired.
"There is no need for that. What you should do is..." The elder transmitted his voice directly.
Lin Zhishan looked at his master in astonishment.
"Expanding the recruitment by this much?"
"Mm-hmm, go make the announcement."
"Understood!"
Along with the others, Zhou Xun waited in the square after completing his registration.
Less than two hours later, Lin Zhishan returned to the high platform.
Lin Zhishan first bowed to the crowd, then spoke:
"Thank you all for your high regard for Danbao Pavilion. For this recruitment of alchemical apprentices, there were actually eighty-three applicants, and for the odd-job servants, as many as three hundred and twenty-seven!"
"After conferring with my master, we have decided to expand the number of recruits this time."
"Regarding the apprentice candidates, we have decided to expand the number to thirty. After half a year of nurturing and evaluation, we will make our final selections on merit, and the number of accepted individuals will be expanded to fifteen!"
"Of course, those who fail the evaluation may also remain in Danbao Pavilion if they wish!"
"As for the spirit-contracted odd-job servants, we have decided to expand the number to fifty!"
"The specific roster will be announced right here shortly!"
"Thank you all!"
With that, Lin Zhishan bowed to the surroundings once more.
Hearing this, the people below the platform were overjoyed.
An expansion in personnel meant that their own chances of being selected had increased dramatically.
And Zhou Xun felt the same way.
"With that manager's assurance, coupled with this expansion, I will surely be selected!"
The three Wei brothers felt the same.
"Eldest Brother, today brings double happiness. Why don't you and I book a table for a spirit banquet at the Yuexiang Tower, firstly to properly celebrate Third Brother's success—" Wei Shangren said happily.
"Very well! Today Eldest Brother will treat!" Wei Shangli's mood was also quite good.
With his third brother successfully joining Danbao Pavilion and becoming an alchemist in the future, his plan to revitalize the family had advanced a step further.
"Remember to invite Manager Lin. We have him to thank for a lot today!" Wei Shangren continued.
Manager Lin's snub of Zhou Xun had filled him with favorable feelings toward this "relative."
Watching his second brother's beaming face, anger welled up inside Wei Shangli, and he gave him a few fierce knocks on the head:
"In the future, stop stirring up trouble for me and focus wholeheartedly on your talisman-crafting skills!"
"And remember, you must keep Manager Lin's involvement today strictly to yourself!"
"Definitely, definitely!" Wei Shangren replied, rubbing his head.
He knew that because of his own affairs, his eldest brother had been forced to spend a pretty penny.
Just as they were speaking, the crowd suddenly surged.
On the high platform, a middle-aged man dressed as a manager walked up, holding a roll of rosters in his hand. He was none other than Wei Shangli's brother-in-law, the head manager of Danbao Pavilion.
"They're going to make the announcement!"
Someone shouted loudly.
The cultivators crowded forward eagerly.
The middle-aged manager glanced over the people below and began:
"I am Lin Ruochang, head manager of Danbao Pavilion. The results of this recruitment assembly will be announced by me!" With that, he paused for a moment, unfurled the roster in his hand, and began to read aloud.
"The following individuals have been selected for the alchemical apprentice trials:"
"First, Wei Yanzhi of Jinjin Lane in Red Leaf Market, Daoist Friend Wei—"
"Second, Gou Houqing..."
"...Wang Erniu..."
"I've been selected! I've been selected!"
No sooner had the middle-aged manager's voice fallen than a simple-minded youth dressed like a farm boy began shouting crazily, completely incoherent with joy.
The surrounding people showed no mockery whatsoever; instead, their faces were filled with envy.
They knew that once selected as an alchemical apprentice of Danbao Pavilion, even if there was another evaluation after half a year, at the very worst they would still be allowed to stay.
Besides, Master Yunku's reputation for treating his subordinates well was renowned throughout Red Leaf Market.
Zhou Xun also looked at the youth with a kind expression, celebrating him in his heart.
Judging by his attire, this person likely hadn't had an easy life on ordinary days. To be selected now was no different than a carp leaping through the dragon gate.
The Wei brothers were standing not far from Zhou Xun, listening to Manager Lin call out the names from the platform.
Before long, the sixth name called was "Wei Shangyi."
"Haha, Third Brother, you really were selected! From now on, I'll have to address you as Alchemist Wei!" Wei Shangren said loudly, unable to conceal the excitement in his eyes.
Hearing the words "selected" and "alchemist," the people around immediately realized that this person had been chosen as an alchemical apprentice, and they hastened to offer flattery and compliments.
Seeing this, Wei Shangren laughed heartily, as if he were the one who had been selected.
Suddenly, his sharp eyes swept across the crowd and caught sight of a familiar figure—none other than Zhou Xun.
He hurriedly parted the crowd and walked over.
"Brother Zhou is still here! You must have been selected as well, hahaha!" Wei Shangren knew that with the maneuvering of Manager Lin, the head manager of Danbao Pavilion, there was simply no way Zhou Xun could possibly have been chosen.
Hearing this, Zhou Xun felt not the slightest ripple in his heart.
He had already recognized the man on the platform as the middle-aged manager who had handled the registrations earlier today.
"With that Danbao Pavilion head manager's personal promise, I should already be selected this time," Zhou Xun thought to himself.
He glanced at Wei Shangren and replied indifferently:
"To obtain it is my fortune; to lose it is my fate!"
Seeing Zhou Xun's calm and collected expression, anger surged in Wei Shangren's chest. Disregarding his older brother's warning, he leaned in closer and sneered softly:
"Brother Zhou might not know this yet, but that head manager of Danbao Pavilion up on the stage is actually my eldest brother's brother-in-law! He promised me personally that he would definitely cast you aside!"
At these words, Zhou Xun furrowed his brow slightly.
This matter indeed exceeded his expectations.
He hadn't expected that the kind-looking middle-aged manager was actually the brother-in-law of the Wei family's eldest son.
What a coincidence!
Catching Zhou Xun's furrowed brow, Wei Shangren laughed out loud:
"To obtain it is my fortune; to lose it is my fate? Hahaha! Dare to cross me, and I'll ensure you never rise above the rest—that is your fate!"
"Brother Wei has quite the methods!"
Matters had reached this point, and it seemed irretrievable. Zhou Xun immediately began to consider his next retreat.
"With these Wei brothers around, Red Leaf Market is no longer a safe place for me. Perhaps it's time to consider leaving!"
Just as he was thinking this, a voice reached his ears, leaving Zhou Xun utterly stunned.
"Twenty-ninth, Zhou Xun of Green Willow Lane in Red Leaf Market!"