Wan Ling stepped out the sect gates, something he hadn’t done for a few years.
Standing on the apex of a stairway, he looked down, to a stairway surpassing more than five thousand stairs.
From up here he could see vast portions of Golden Bay City, the city where the sect was located.
It was built along the shores of a vast river resulting in a cool temperature throughout the year.
Watching the bustling cityscape, he sighed and began his descent.
It would have taken quite a while for an ordinary human but given he was a Cultivator he found himself skipping dozens of steps because honestly he doubted he would take an injury if he fell from this height.
With that mindset he turned a descent that should have well lasted several minutes into a minute.
Reaching the foot of the stairway, he received a few curious glances from civilians.
Disciples existing the sect weren’t rare even so cultivators gathered attention either because of their looks or the aura they gave off.
Wan Ling did well to ignore them all and pulled out the first thing of his agenda and that was the tutor business.
Grabbing the mission details and scanning through it for the address of the residence, he began asking around for directions.
Each encounter began with a fright from the civilians, followed by relief when they realized they hadn’t offended him.
Cultivators might be idolized by many but fear of them is still persistent.
The destructive power they held, their cruel nature and their selfishness left many frightened.
So Wan Ling wasn’t offended though each interaction did leave him irritated.
Eventually though, he was directed to the residence and he had to say it exceeded his expectations.
It was an isolated building at the outskirts of the city surrounded by thick walls inscribed with obsidian patterns.
"Arrays!" He muttered at the sheer number of them.
He could even deduce a few of them.
There were defensive arrays, Qi dampening ones and so much more.
This house was so well protected he was certain even some of the best Inner sect disciples couldn’t force their way in.
"I might be dealing with a high class after all." He muttered.
He wasn’t wrong though because only the richest people could afford an array master that could develop arrays on this level.
"Getting this Job might not be as easy as I thought!" He ended up concluding as such.
Maybe it wasn’t that fact that the other disciples were disinterested but rather they had been sacked because they didn’t meet the requirements.
That thought actually caused him to fix his lax posture and assume that of a dignified cultivator.
He then continued towards the gate and gave a powerful knock.
Immediately a powerful echo was heard as the enormous gates were pulled open revealing a narrow path leading to the estate.
Wan Ling was tempted to enter but he didn’t.
He didn’t want to appear too eager.
He needed to be calm and proper less he wanted to leave a bad impression.
Soon footsteps were heard and an elderly man dressed in spotless grey robes hurriedly approached the entrance.
The man looked ancient with wrinkled skin and white long hair tied gracefully behind him.
Even so he didn’t look or feel frail.
His body or at least the visible parts were toned, his posture remained straight and his eyes were calm and clear.
Wan Ling was quick to notice something was weird about this man.
He could neither assess nor confirm his strength.
That meant this man was no Cultivator and simply an elderly in great shape or he was a very powerful and ancient cultivator.
Wan Ling was more inclined to believe the latter given how absurd this world can be at times, though he didn’t try to confirm it and pretended not to have felt anything was amassed.
Eventually the elderly man arrived and politely folded his arms behind him.
"Greetings, Young Cultivator!"
He began with a gentle and almost soothing voice.
"I am Zhao Yun. The esteemed Steward of this estate. May I ask what business has brought you to these parts?"
Wan Ling bowed respectfully and kept his head low.
"Greetings to the elder. I am Wan Ling, a proud outer disciple of the Golden Myriad sect."
"You may raise your head!" Zhao Yun gestured and Wan Ling followed before proving the mission poster.
"I accepted a commission on behalf of this resident. One which I must tutor an aspiring cultivator."
Zhao Yun’s expression remained unchanged as he assessed Wan Ling for a few seconds then sighed.
"Very well follow me!" He said and turned towards the Mansion.
Wan Ling, releasing a sigh, stepped inside and began following him.
"Excuse me for asking Elder Zhao Yun but I must know, have there been disciples before me?"
The old man nodded, his pace steady as he waited for Wan Ling to catch up.
"Yes they have. This week alone we have had five disciples including you."
" Would it be polite for me to ask why?" He further inquired.
" They simply did not meet the young mistress’ taste."
" Huh?" Wan Ling blinked rather confused before he and Zhao Yun stopped in front of the mansion entrance.
"Before you continue, might I ask, Disciple Wan Ling, how good are you with the sword?"
"Enough to hold my own in a fight!"
Zhao Yun raised a brow.
He expected the young man to begin boasting given that was all the other disciples had done in order to impress him but this was quite humble.
"Moving on, how about you Cultivation?"
" I recently entered the third stage of the Qi gathering realm. My advancement was quite sudden hence my performance might be slightly lacking till I adjust." He explained.
" It matters not because the review will have nothing to do with the realm you’re in."
"I see." Wan Ling sighed in relief.
He felt he might not be up to par but if he didn’t need his Cultivation for this, his chances of excelling had increased.
" Go out the back. The young mistress will join you in a few minutes." Zhao Yun instructed.
Wan Ling didn’t argue and did as he was told.
Acting so passive slightly irritated him but this was akin to a job interview, his personal feelings didn’t matter only his ability to get the job or not.