The First Immortal of Destiny

Chapter 393: Chapter 393: GuanYun Mansion_1

In the Riverside Sect, many disciples were adept in the art of construction. Like Alchemists, Talisman Masters, and Forgemasters, they were all registered.

Shortly after the Deacon Hall issued the task, more than thirty inner disciples and over five hundred peripheral disciples gathered at the foot of Green Cloud Peak. Large amounts of precious timber, felled in the Linjiang Mountain Range, were dragged to the base of the mountain and piled with heaps of bricks, tiles, and stones.

In the hands of skilled artisans, these materials were quickly transformed into structures with ornate columns and carved rafters, grand halls and sculpted walls, built upon the cliffs of Green Cloud Peak.

Cultivators had various types of magic and magic artifacts to assist them; their construction abilities were far beyond those of mundane craftsmen.

Within just ten days, a majestic mansion appeared on the cliffs of Green Cloud Peak.

The mountain peak was steep, towering into the clouds.

Extending a hundred zhang down from the summit, houses and pavilions stood upon the cliff face, wreathed in drifting white clouds.

It looked as if it were suspended in mid-air, truly spectacular and magical.

It truly lived up to the verse: ”A thousand-zhang peak amidst white clouds, its halls and pavilions suspended in the void!”

Shen Mo was very pleased after inspecting it. On the day of its completion, he immediately moved out of his Inner Door cave mansion and into this cultivation mansion, which he named ”GuanYun Mansion.”

This newly constructed mansion contained not only his usual living quarters but also a secluded cultivation chamber embedded into the mountain body of Green Cloud Peak, along with various rooms dedicated to Alchemy, talisman making, Forging, and other purposes.

A pavilion for moon-gazing and cloud-watching, a waterfall drawn from a mountain stream, a Martial Performance field built on level ground, a garden of exotic flowers and strange herbs planted on the mountainside—everything one could wish for was present, all exquisitely arranged with ingenious craftsmanship. His simple Inner Door cave mansion paled in comparison!

Furthermore, whether from the living quarters or the viewing pavilions, one could overlook a vast expanse of beautiful mountain scenery.

If he did not want to be disturbed, he could activate a pre-arranged Formation to conceal the entire GuanYun Mansion. However, this would consume Spirit Stones daily.

Shen Mo had just settled in for a day when Elder Lu brought over fifty Body Tempering Realm disciples to Green Cloud Peak.

Not all of them were to reside permanently in GuanYun Mansion. Only eight female disciples, serving as maids, would live in the mansion. The others would await Shen Mo’s summons, coming to perform various tasks as he required, while normally continuing their cultivation at the Outer Door.

For now, they had merely come to familiarize themselves with the place and faces, to avoid taking the wrong path or being mistaken for intruders and driven out by Shen Mo.

As for why tasks were not temporarily posted to hire disciples, the reason was simple.

Doing so every time would be too wasteful of time and energy.

Besides, temporarily summoned disciples could hardly compare to those one knew well and could trust.

Once familiar with their duties, they would also perform them much more efficiently, requiring no further detailed instructions.

Among these fifty-odd disciples, there were over thirty female disciples and nearly twenty male disciples.

At Shen Mo’s request, all were youths, none of them too old.

The eight female disciples permanently stationed at GuanYun Mansion were slightly older, around fifteen or sixteen years of age, while the youngest were merely eleven or twelve.

This was not due to any peculiar preferences on his part. Rather, it was because youths of this age possessed the greatest plasticity for cultivation; their characters were not yet fixed, making them more inclined to loyalty once nurtured.

Among them were Elder Lu’s niece, granddaughter, and daughter’s son; in total, nearly ten of the disciples were connected to him by kinship or association.

Another portion consisted of descendants from other elders who had many offspring. These elders had specifically visited Shen Mo to entrust their young relatives to his care, hoping to pave a better future for them.

The remainder were talented Body Tempering Realm disciples from humble backgrounds, personally selected by Shen Mo after careful consideration.

For disciples from prominent clans, like Elder Lu’s granddaughter and daughter’s son, earning cultivation resources was a secondary concern.

After all, however modest their family’s holdings, they were still sufficient to support their descendants’ cultivation in the Body Tempering Realm.

What they truly valued was the opportunity to foster a close relationship with Shen Mo.

After all, even at his least influential, Shen Mo would still be the master of a hall. Having their younger generation serve him early would provide them with valuable exposure and help secure a good future, regardless of whether they could advance to the Inner Door.

Meanwhile, disciples from humble backgrounds gained an opportunity to earn cultivation resources.

If their cultivation Talent proved to be exceptional and caught his eye, Shen Mo wouldn’t mind accepting a few as his Direct Disciples.

Of course, the prerequisite was to advance to the Qi Gathering Realm and secure a respectable ranking in the sect’s tournament for new talents.

Additionally, GuanYun Mansion had specially constructed quarters for these outer disciples to rest temporarily, typically housing five to a room. Since they wouldn’t come to Green Cloud Peak daily or stay overnight in the main mansion, these were sufficient. The eight maids permanently stationed there, however, each had their own rooms, similar to their arrangements at the Outer Door.

They could cook their own meals or purchase them from the Dining Room.

The tasks they were expected to complete included cleaning paths, tidying up, organizing banquets, greeting and escorting guests, tending the gardens, serving tea and water, lighting lamps, making beds, and so on.

Although these seemed like numerous trivial matters, once distributed among everyone, the workload became quite light, leaving them ample time for their own pursuits.

Of course, the eight maids permanently stationed there might be somewhat busier than the others.

Not long after, Zhao Lingyin was invited to tour the completed mansion and was also quite satisfied.

Consequently, these fifty-odd outer disciples received their first major assignment: arranging the housewarming banquet.

As Shen Mo had recently hosted a promotion celebration, he didn’t make a grand affair of this housewarming. He simply invited some acquaintances for a modest gathering to add a touch of liveliness to GuanYun Mansion.

With these outer disciples bustling about, hosting guests was much easier than it had been in his Inner Door cave mansion.

On the second day after the housewarming banquet, Shen Mo rose early and summoned the eldest maid disciple, Lu Taorui, who was also Elder Lu’s niece.

”I’m going down the mountain,” Shen Mo instructed. ”The eight of you are to keep an eye on the estate.”

”If anyone comes looking for me, tell them the truth. Remember to ask for their name and the purpose of their visit, and inform me when I return.”

Lu Taorui silently committed this to memory and nodded. ”Senior Shen, please rest assured,” she said. ”I will ensure no detail is overlooked.”

After Shen Mo departed, the remaining seven maids gathered around Lu Taorui, chattering animatedly.

”Sister Taorui, did Senior Shen give you any special instructions?” one asked.

”We’ve just arrived at Green Cloud Peak and are eager to make a good impression,” another chimed in. ”If we please the Senior, perhaps he’ll reward us with some elixirs and herbs!”

”I’ve heard that Senior Shen’s beloved lives on Spirit Gathering Peak, not far from here,” a third said. ”She’s one of the top Alchemy talents in the Alchemy Zone. Senior Shen must surely have plenty of Elixirs!”

”You mean Senior Sister Zhao Lingyin, right?” another exclaimed. ”I’ve heard of her before...”

Seeing them chatter endlessly, Lu Taorui adopted a stern expression. ”Those of you with unfinished tasks, get back to work,” she chided. ”If you’re idle, return to your rooms and cultivate. With such laxity, when will you ever break through to the Qi Gathering Realm?”

After some more lively chatter, the maid disciples finally dispersed and got on with their respective tasks.

Meanwhile, Shen Mo, transformed into a streak of pale golden light, had already flown to the Outer Door area, landing directly outside Qian Xiaofeng’s house.