Brother Cui, practicing wellness today

Yuzhou City.

Lin Luoyu stepped into the restaurant, unable to conceal the excitement in her heart. Everything had gone smoothly—those challenges had only required her to approach them with fairness, carefully assess the situation, and make reasonable arrangements. As long as she sought mutual understanding between both parties, she could pass.

This was likely a test of one’s ability to handle matters and whether they were willing to delve into the specifics. In summary, it was an examination of one’s interpersonal skills.

Though her status appeared higher than the villagers’, simply issuing arbitrary judgments based on that status would have surely led to elimination. Moreover, each case required meticulous unraveling, consuming a great deal of time—making the trials quite difficult overall.

Having flawlessly resolved ten cases, it came as no surprise when the immortal sect maiden overseeing the trials handed Lin Luoyu a token for the next round.

She had finally taken her first step on the path to immortality.

Lin Luoyu walked into the eatery she frequented—the only place in Yuzhou City where plain congee and pickled vegetables were the cheapest.

But the moment she stepped inside, she heard a familiar voice.

"Boss, one bowl of plain congee and a plate of pickled vegetables."

Lin Luoyu glanced in the direction of the voice and, sure enough, it was Cui Hao.

Because this shop’s congee and pickles were the most affordable, it attracted many customers—most of whom ordered the same meal.

The waiter deftly scooped a bowl of congee from the pot and grabbed a pre-portioned plate of pickles from the side, swiftly serving Cui Hao.

Without hesitation, Lin Luoyu strode forward and stopped behind Cui Hao.

"Brother Cui, on a health kick lately?"

Hearing this, Cui Hao turned his head and, recognizing Lin Luoyu, gave a bitter smile.

"I suppose I’ll have to be for a while."

Lin Luoyu chuckled lightly and took a seat across from him, calling to the waiter,

"One bowl of plain congee and a plate of pickles."

"Right away, ma’am!"

Cui Hao wolfed down several mouthfuls of congee, then took a bite of pickles, finding the taste surprisingly decent.

He looked up at Lin Luoyu and asked in a hushed voice, "Did Miss Lin pass the preliminary trials?"

Accepting the congee and pickles from the waiter, Lin Luoyu met his gaze.

"Judging by your presence here, Brother Cui must have passed as well?"

After all, those who failed the trials would have long since left. Recently, the cost of living in Yuzhou City had become absurdly high. If Cui Hao hadn’t passed, he would have fled long ago—why would he still be here eating plain congee and pickles?

Cui Hao let out a quiet laugh, then nodded slightly.

Lin Luoyu picked up her chopsticks, regarding him with newfound respect.

"I never took Brother Cui for someone so meticulous."

Given how carefree and unrestrained he usually was in speech and action, it was hard to imagine him patiently untangling the threads of a case.

Given the embarrassing reason for his success, Cui Hao could only choose silence...

When no response came, Lin Luoyu glanced up curiously and saw Cui Hao drinking his congee with an awkward expression.

She had just praised him—normally, with his personality, he would have seized the chance to boast.

Why was he so quiet this time?

Was he worried about running out of money before the ten days were up?

"Are you short on funds?"

After calculating that she had some to spare, Lin Luoyu took out a small piece of loose silver from her purse and placed it in front of Cui Hao.

"You treated me to meals and drinks before—let me cover your congee and pickles for a few days."

Seeing the silver, Cui Hao quickly shook his head.

"No need. I’ve already found work in Yuzhou City, so food isn’t a concern."

Lin Luoyu gave him a skeptical look. The city was packed with people—even the job of scrubbing chamber pots had been snatched up.

Assuming Cui Hao was too proud to accept help, she said,

"Pride won’t fill your stomach. I have enough—no need to stand on ceremony."

"It’s really not that..." Cui Hao studied Lin Luoyu’s earnest expression, then sighed and pocketed the silver.

It was a kind gesture—he could accept it for now.

After all, he really had found work. He’d just return the money to Miss Lin later.

Cui Hao lightly pinched the small piece of silver. In the past, he’d had many drinking buddies, but he knew that if he were truly in trouble, few would lift a finger to help.

But this Miss Lin...

After just one shared meal, a few drinks, and some casual conversations, she was willing to lend a hand.

Truly, a good friend was more intoxicating than fine wine.

Cui Hao tucked the silver away and raised his bowl of congee.

"No wine today, so let this congee serve as a toast—thank you, Miss Lin, for your generosity!"

With that, he took a big gulp of congee, then grabbed a few more bites of pickles.

Lin Luoyu smiled but didn’t mimic his silly gesture.

She simply finished her meal in silence, paid, and left.

Cui Hao quietly finished his own congee.

Now, it was time to get to work.

A few days later...

As a large number of eliminated candidates departed, prices in Yuzhou City gradually stabilized.

Most who received a trial number only got a glimpse of the immortal sect’s gates before being turned away for lacking spiritual roots—unable to even enter the illusionary trials.

Those who made it into the trials and passed the first challenge were exceedingly rare.

Even Lin Luoyu found the difficulty borderline unreasonable.

But perhaps that was for the best—it proved the sect wasn’t just here to exploit hopefuls.

With fewer people, demand dropped, and prices normalized.

After recalculating her expenses, Lin Luoyu realized she could now afford meat every other day without worry.

Her quality of life had just taken a leap.

But she hadn’t been idle these past few days—she’d been gathering information, trying to predict the next trial’s contents.

Better to be prepared than caught off guard.

As for Cui Hao’s claim of finding work... it turned out he hadn’t been lying.

He’d taken up a job... drawing indecent illustrations.

Thanks to his exquisite craftsmanship, lifelike characters, and complete lack of shame, his works quickly became a sensation in the black market—some even paid exorbitant sums for them.

How did Lin Luoyu find out? Well, when Cui Hao treated her to a lavish meal as thanks, black market merchants recognized and cornered him, demanding the promised artwork...

At first, Cui Hao vehemently denied it, but under Lin Luoyu’s disgusted glare, he finally admitted the truth, promising to deliver the remaining pieces by the next day.

He then declared his retirement from the world of illicit art, vowing to reform.

Lin Luoyu applauded his decision.

After that, perhaps too ashamed to face her, Cui Hao returned the silver he’d borrowed and stopped inviting her to meals.

Time flew by.

Soon, the day of the next trial arrived.

At the mountain gate, Lin Luoyu handed over her token and was admitted into the sect.

Since some were still completing the preliminary trials, the next round was held in a grand hall.

A sharp-eyed woman in the uniform of a Demon Suppression Bureau squad leader escorted her inside.

As Lin Luoyu stepped into the hall, her first impression was that it seemed... unfinished. Why was it so empty?

But then again, perhaps immortal sects just did things differently.

Immediately after, one could see an exceptionally handsome man seated at the head of the grand hall, with the young woman who had overseen the trial last time standing respectfully behind him.

This must be the sect master, Lin Luoyu thought.

After offering a respectful bow with clasped hands, she stepped aside to join the line.

Cui Hao had arrived early today and was already waiting in the queue. When he noticed her, he gave a friendly nod in greeting.

Lin Luoyu returned the gesture with a slight nod of her own before taking her place in line.

Yet curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn’t help stealing a glance at Chu Xingchen—only to find him already looking back at her, even offering a faint smile in her direction.

Flustered, she quickly lowered her gaze to the floor.