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By evening, the atmosphere inside the warehouse had changed somewhat.

It didn’t mean that everybody suddenly become comfortable around Yu Liang as there was still plenty of wariness and suspicion. However, at least the oppressive silence that came before was starting to dissipate.

They were chatting amongst themselves. Some were talking about how they were being treated. Some were talking about what would happen when they got better.

Yu Liang decided that time’s right so he gathered everyone together.

Most of them were able to stand now, though several remained seated because of their injuries.

Yu Liang stood near the front of the warehouse with a map spread across a table.

”Alright. Now that everyone’s had time to calm down a little, let’s talk again about why I bought you.”

A few expressions immediately became tense.

Yu Liang noticed it. ”I own a restaurant called Heaven’s Table.”

Before he could continue, Hei Lang, the large beastman, looked confused. ”You bought this many people for a restaurant? For what purpose?”

”Someone recently tried to kill one of my chefs.” Yu Liang replied.

That immediately got their attention.

Yu Liang tapped the map with his finger.

”I’m expanding my restaurant, and once the construction is finished, there will be a lot more workers coming and going every day. The restaurant itself will be larger, and I’ll also have staff housing nearby. With more people involved, I need proper security instead of relying on a few guards and hoping nothing happens.”

He then pointed toward several locations. ”This is the main restaurant. This area is currently under construction. Here will also be staff housing nearby.”

Yan Ruo stepped closer to look at the map. ”And these for?”

”Places I want monitored.” Yu Liang looked at the group. ”I’m not expecting everyone to do the same job.”

He pointed toward the five Nascent Soul cultivators. ”You five will handle the most of the serious problems. If there’s a strong enemy or something the others can’t deal with then you’ll step in.”

Then he pointed toward the Core Formation cultivators. ”You all will take responsibility for the guards and organize the daily rotations.”

Then for remaining personnel he said, ”The Foundation Establishment cultivators would handle closer protection and important locations. The Qi Condensation cultivators would patrol and handle general security. The Body Tempering cultivators would assist where need arrives all while continuing your training and recovery.”

Hei Lang crossed his arms. ”This sounds more organized than I expected.”

Yu Liang nodded.

One of the Foundation Establishment cultivators raised his hand slightly.”What exactly are we expecting?”

Yu Liang looked at him and said, ”I don’t know yet. The people who attacked my chef haven’t been identified yet. It could have been a personal conflict. It could be related to the restaurant. Or someone could simply be testing me.”

”Testing you?”

”Possibly.”

Yu Liang already knew more than he was letting on, but there was no reason to tell them everything yet. For now, he intended to give them time to recover before putting anyone to work.

”That’s why I want everyone to be prepared. Until I know who we’re dealing with, I’d rather be careful.”

The group fell quiet again.

Yan Ruo looked around the warehouse. ”You’ve gathered quite a few strong cultivators here. You know that Five Nascent Soul cultivators in one place will attract attention?”

Yu Liang understood why and chuckled in response. ”Yeah it probably will”

They were currently within Cloudwater Sect’s territory, and Nascent Soul cultivators weren’t people who could simply appear in large numbers without anyone asking questions.

Five of them together were enough to form the foundation of a powerful Mid Tier Sect and each one was considered a respected powerhouse across the continent.

The Cloudwater Sect might tolerate powerful cultivators working for major trading families, but those were different circumstances. Most of those cultivators either belonged to the sect themselves or had families and connections tied to the sect.

More importantly, the major powers of Jade City were concentrated within the inner areas of the city, where the sect could easily keep an eye on them.

Yu Liang, however, had suddenly gathered five Nascent Soul cultivators and dozens of other cultivators under his command outside those established circles. From the sect’s perspective, that was an unknown force appearing within their territory.

And unknown forces were rarely ignored.

”And you’re fine with that?” She asked doubtfully.

Yu Liang thought about it. ”Not particularly. But I’m not going to leave the people around me unprotected just because someone might notice.”

That answer surprised her.

Yan Ruo suddenly spoke. ”Give me the list of everyone here.”

Yu Liang blinked. ”What? No, I mean why?”

She said, ”If I’m going to help organize the security team, I need to know what I’m working with. Give me their names, cultivation levels, injuries, and current condition.”

Yu Liang looked at her. ”You’re volunteering?”

Yan Ruo was quiet for a moment. ”I’m... willing give it a try.”

Yu Liang smiled. ”Well, that’s good enough for me.”

A small sense of satisfaction rose within him. It wasn’t loyalty yet, and he wasn’t expecting it to be. Still, seeing Yan Ruo take the initiative meant his efforts hadn’t been completely wasted. At the very least, they were beginning to see that he wasn’t treating them the same way their previous masters had.

That was enough for now.

Hei Lang snorted from nearby. ”You’re really putting a Nascent Soul cultivator in charge of guards for a restaurant.”

”Do you have a better idea?” Yu Liang countered.

Hei Lang immediately became embarassed. ”N-No.”

A few people laughed.

It wasn’t much.

But it was the first genuine laughter Yu Liang had heard from the group.

As the discussion continued, people slowly began asking more practical questions like Where would they live? Would they receive food? Would they be paid? Would they be allowed to cultivate?

Normally, slaves wouldn’t dare ask their masters such questions, knowing the consequences could be severe. But after seeing how Yu Liang had treated them so far, they had gradually begun to relax around him without even realizing it.

Yu Liang answered each question patiently.

They would receive proper accommodation and food. Once they began working regularly, they would also receive cultivation resources based on their responsibilities and strength. And most importantly, they would still be allowed to continue cultivating.

That answer caused more than a few people to exchange looks.

In the Human Domain, not every slave seal was the same. Some were bound directly to the soul and were nearly impossible to remove, while others were temporary contracts that could eventually be lifted after a set period or once the owner’s debt had been repaid.

The existence of the latter was one of the main reasons slavery despite being widely criticized was still legally tolerated in many parts of the Human Domain.

Yu Liang noticed their surprise but didn’t comment on it. He understood why they reacted that way. Even though the seals placed on them prevented betrayal, most masters still preferred to keep their slaves weak.

After all, temporary slave contracts could eventually be lifted, and allowing someone to grow stronger meant giving them more power once that day came.

Yu Liang, however, had no intention of stopping their cultivation. If they were going to protect the people and businesses under him, keeping them weak would serve no purpose.

It wasn’t as if Yu Liang hadn’t thought about that possibility either. He already had a few backup plans in place in case someone chose betrayal after their contract ended. If such a day came when their contracts were lifted and someone chose to betray him despite everything he had done for them, he would make sure they regret it to their bones.

By the time the meeting ended, the sky outside had already grown dark.

People were slowly returning to their assigned areas and Meihua thought about approaching Yu Liang.