Chapter 30: Bai Qian
Wang Zijia furrowed his brow and said, "Are there any more pitiful cases, like disabilities or something? It's better if they've been here for a while."
If one were to try finding a servant, how could they understand the joys and sorrows of the world without experiencing them firsthand?
"Eh!" The steward's expression became somewhat nervous upon hearing this.
"What's the problem?" Wang Zijia asked, looking at the steward.
"Esteemed immortal, if you're looking for someone to serve you, you can pick anyone here. After all, with a choice, who would want to go to the mortal realm willingly? But for other purposes, you'll have to go to the rental office!" The steward explained cautiously, glancing nervously at Wang Zijia, careful in his words. "Here, it's a rule under the sect. They're all supposed to be sent to Mortal Town to be married. And since no one can guarantee that they won't fall into hard times themselves, some wandering immortals are quite concerned about this place..."
"Alright, you don't need to pressure me with that. I came here dressed like this to find someone, not to do human experimentation like the demon cultivators, right?" Wang Zijia interrupted the steward's continued speech with a wave of his hand.
"Well..."
"Of course, I'm looking for someone to serve me. If you're not confident, you can register it. Let the law enforcement team come to my courtyard for verification." Wang Zijia looked at the steward and said straightforwardly.
The steward was taken aback for a moment, but then he no longer worried. He tentatively asked, "A boy or a girl?"
"Doesn't matter."
"The more pitiful, the better?"
Wang Zijia stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the children in the yard, and said, "The more pitiful, the better. Experiencing the bitterness of the world will lead to true freedom in life!"
Upon hearing this, the steward's demeanor became slightly more respectful, with less forced flattery and more reverence.
Leading Wang Zijia to another part of the courtyard, they entered a backyard where, in each room, Wang Zijia saw some people with missing limbs.
"These are the newcomers from the past few days. Although their injuries have been healed by the immortal elders, they are left with disabilities." The steward explained.
Wang Zijia searched for a while and found quite a few pitiful cases. Their eyes dimmed, lacking some hope.
However, Wang Zijia remained silent. After a moment of hesitation, the steward led him to a corner of the yard and pointed gently.
Compared to the adjacent yard, this place was like a completely different world. The yard was a bit neglected, with some weeds growing, giving it a desolate look.
A little girl, with her back to them, sat in the corner of the yard, lost in thought.
The twilight's glow scattered around, and the noise and laughter from the neighboring yard continued to intrude, making this place feel forgotten by the world.
Wang Zijia stepped forward and approached. It was only when he got closer that he noticed that the girl's right arm was mostly severed, and her left hand was not entirely intact. When he saw her face, he was even more startled.
The eyes that should have been filled with innocence were hollow, with twisted muscles visible in the gaping holes, giving them a horrifying appearance.
Various scars adorned her small face, and one of her ears was missing. If seen at night, she would probably be mistaken for a ghost.
"This child should have been sent away last time, but I was afraid that even if she went to Mortal Town, she would have difficulty finding a good place to settle. So, I broke the rules a bit and kept her here." Seeing Wang Zijia's moved expression, the steward explained.
But Wang Zijia didn't care about these things. He looked at the little girl, especially her numb expression, and he was satisfied.
Don't misunderstand; he wasn't some kind of psychological deviant finding pleasure in children's hardships. It was because he wanted to find someone loyal enough to serve him.
In the depths of hell, the light of redemption will be remembered for a lifetime. At least for the majority, it is so!
"How did it come to this?" Wang Zijia frowned as he looked at the obvious scars of torture on the girl, questioning the steward.
"Sigh..." The steward sighed and explained, "I asked around, and this child indeed has had a tough life. I heard she is a direct descendant of an immortal, and she was the only child in her family."
"But when her parents went out in search of opportunities, they encountered misfortune. Afterwards, someone immediately found their home, ransacked it, probably didn't find what they were looking for, or didn't meet their expectations, so they wanted to exploit this child."
"When the law enforcement team found out, it was already too late. If it weren't for an immortal giving her a spiritual pill, she probably wouldn't have survived."
Speaking of this, the steward suddenly said inexplicably, "Afterwards, after questioning the wrongdoers, the law enforcement team searched her home again and found nothing valuable, so they sent her here."
Wang Zijia listened to the steward's sudden change of topic, glanced meaningfully at him, shook his head, and said, "You have quite a few thoughts and quite some courage."
"Hehe, I'll take it as praise from the esteemed immortal!" The steward laughed.
"Alright, it's her then," Wang Zijia said.
According to his memory, there were many methods to heal ordinary people's physical injuries for cultivators, and it wasn't considered rare.
At least, healing the injuries of this girl wouldn't be difficult. Bloodline transformation cultivators had many methods to resolve them, although they weren't exactly commonplace.
"This..." The steward hesitated for a moment and said, "Esteemed immortal, this girl might not necessarily..."
Wang Zijia was slightly stunned by the words and looked at the girl, who seemed like a living corpse. Suddenly, he looked at her and said, "Since she is a descendant of our kind and has experienced so much, she probably isn't ignorant. Are you willing to come with me?"
The girl remained motionless, as if she hadn't heard.
"Esteemed immortal, don't be angry, she..." The steward was about to explain, but Wang Zijia stopped him with a gesture.
"Do you want to see the world again, or even cultivate?" Wang Zijia asked again.
The girl, who had been like a puppet before, suddenly raised her head and subconsciously stared at Wang Zijia with her hollow eyes.
"It seems she is willing," Wang Zijia said indifferently. "What's your name?"
"None," the little girl finally replied. Her voice was not unpleasant, filled with innocence, but also carried a touch of melancholy indifference.
Wang Zijia was taken aback and looked at her. With a sense of dark humor, he said, "In that case, from now on, your surname will be Bai, and your name will be Qian. Strive to become known throughout the Four Seas and Eight Wildernesses."
The little girl didn't reply, probably accepting it.
"How about it? Can I take her with me?" After confirming his intention, Wang Zijia looked at the steward.
"Yes, of course, if she can follow the esteemed immortal, she'll be content." The steward was overjoyed.
Wang Zijia took out a gold ingot, but the steward refused to accept it, saying, "Esteemed immortal, taking people from here doesn't require money!"
Wang Zijia didn't mind and said, "Then consider it a donation to the courtyard!"
The steward, however, was determined not to accept it.
Wang Zijia looked at him, then at the little girl, and chuckled sarcastically, "You have quite a few thoughts. If I ever need to make a purchase, I'll come to you. Do as you please with the report. I am Wang Zijia of Wan Yu Pavilion!"
"Alright!" The steward's expression relaxed, and he smiled flatteringly.
(End of the chapter)