Wu Huang got up and opened the door, feeling somewhat confused.
The head servant was there, standing with his hands behind his back, as if he had been waiting for a moment already.
"Hello, Wu Huang," he greeted lightly.
"What's the matter? You usually don't call me until the afternoon," Wu Huang replied, keeping a respectful posture, though a hint of curiosity shone in his eyes.
The head servant was no ordinary person. Like Wu Huang, he held a status above the average. Not only was he in the Foundation Establishment Stage—strong enough to control all the servants in case of trouble—but his position was also not inferior to that of the outer disciples.
Compared to the inner disciples, he was still below them, but simply being just beneath them was proof enough that he was no ordinary figure within the sect.
"You may not know, but disciple Zhang Qingchuan was promoted to an outer disciple this morning," he explained calmly.
Wu Huang raised an eyebrow slightly. They had been talking about him only a few hours ago. The promotion itself didn't surprise him, but the speed at which it had happened did.
"I'm not surprised… though it's a relief that he's gone," he murmured quietly.
The head servant frowned.
"Did you dislike him?" he asked with a touch of curiosity.
"Not at all. I'm glad he was promoted. But… what does this have to do with me?" Wu Huang replied. His relationship with Zhang Qingchuan had been superficial; they barely exchanged words occasionally. There was no reason for him to be informed personally, much less by the head servant himself.
The head servant didn't respond immediately. Instead, he glanced briefly around the room before speaking again.
"The number of servants promoted to outer disciples has increased too quickly, which has significantly reduced our numbers in a short time. Because of that, the sect has brought in a new group… and I want you to take charge of one of them."
Wu Huang frowned, this time without hiding it.
"That's not part of my duties. Besides, shouldn't you be handling something like this?"
The head servant nodded without annoyance.
"Under normal circumstances, yes. But this case is different. It has been requested internally that this person have an exclusive instructor. And, as you can see, my responsibilities are already too many. There aren't many people I can entrust with this task and be sure they will do a good job."
Wu Huang remained silent for a moment. He knew he wasn't wrong. Most of the servant disciples were barely in the early stages of Qi Refinement, and many lacked both talent and basic knowledge.
"So it all falls on the Celestial Book…" he commented with a hint of irony.
The head servant neither denied nor affirmed, but his silence was answer enough.
"You possess the greatest knowledge in the Vault," he continued. "You are the most suitable to instruct them. And, of course… this is not a request."
The slight pause before his last words made it clear that refusal was not an option.
Wu Huang sighed internally but nodded without further argument.
"Fine. What's their name?"
The head servant looked at him directly before responding:
"Hong Jiu'er."
"Hong Jiu'er?" Wu Huang frowned. "Does this have anything to do with Hong Mitian?"
"As perceptive as ever…" the head servant replied with a sigh. "I can't discuss those matters. So avoid such questions."
He paused briefly before continuing:
"Prepare yourself. Tomorrow I will bring her with the rest of the new servants. If you wish, you can take charge of more than one. Otherwise, simply take her and train her in what's necessary."
"I'd prefer not to train anyone… but fine," Wu Huang finally replied.
The head servant nodded, satisfied, and pulled out a small bag.
"Here is the reward for organizing the vault."
Without adding anything else, he turned and left.
Wu Huang closed the door slowly and set the bag aside, with no intention of sorting it at all. Then he let out a long sigh, as if he had just accepted an unnecessary burden.
"Well… how likely is it that she's another one of those people?"
The Celestial Book appeared beside him, floating gently and glowing with a faint light. Shapeless words began to form on its pages.
Wu Huang squinted as he read the words appearing on the Celestial Book's pages.
"Seventy percent? …Well, you're not entirely wrong," he murmured, letting himself fall onto the bed.
He stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before speaking again.
"I had already gotten rid of Mu Qinlian and Zhang Qingchuan… and now they throw another at me. Is this some kind of joke from the Celestial Path?"
The words in the book changed immediately.
"Are destined people always bound by heaven and earth? …Yes, I know better than anyone," it replied with a sigh, as he sank further into the bed.
He tried to ignore the book, which soon disappeared silently.
"Stupid martial spirit…" he muttered. "If I had known you would be this annoying, I would never have called you the Celestial Book."
His voice was low, almost childlike.
Fatigue was starting to weigh on him—not just physical, but mental as well.
"Anyway… maybe she's just a normal girl with some connection to an elder in the sect. Nothing unusual…"
He paused.
"And the fact that she appeared right after those two left… it must just be a coincidence."
Repeating these thoughts, he quickly convinced himself. Nothing was strange. Nothing out of the ordinary. He was just overthinking.
He closed his eyes, trying to put the matter aside.
Of course… the next day, he couldn't help but feel disappointed.