"Brat! If you don't finish cleaning the dining hall by today, you'll starve to death!"
Old Zhao's shrill voice—harsh as a cracked gong—rang in Xiao Bei's ears.
A group of ragged servants stared at him with malicious delight, as if they were enjoying a good show.
Xiao Bei, an unlucky soul who had just transmigrated into the world of cultivation, hadn't even had the chance to experience the romance of the immortal world before getting a taste of being a "corporate slave."
Before transmigrating, he had been a programmer with a regular nine-to-five job. Working overtime and staying up late had been routine. Now, he had been reduced to sweeping floors.
The contrast was even more thrilling than riding a roller coaster!
Worst of all, this dining hall was larger than a football field—and he was supposed to clean it all in a single day?
This was clearly making things difficult for newcomers!
Mocking and sarcastic whispers continued to reach Xiao Bei's ears.
A burly, rough-looking servant disciple named Lin Hu walked over openly, sneering, "Oh? The newbie's got guts. Unlike some people who come crying and begging for mercy."
It was an obvious provocation.
Xiao Bei glanced at him and smiled faintly. "Better than crying and begging. Also better than some people who only know how to talk tough, right?"
Lin Hu's expression darkened. Just as he was about to retort, Xiao Bei had already turned away to survey the enormous dining hall.
Cleaning all of this in one day using conventional methods was clearly impossible.
Xiao Bei's mind raced as sparks of modern thinking began to collide.
Cleaning agents?
No.
Vacuum cleaners?
Even less likely.
There had to be another way!
He glanced around and noticed some old wooden boards and ropes piled up in a corner of the hall.
A bold idea formed in his mind.
Time passed. Some servant disciples relaxed, while others watched Xiao Bei make a fool of himself.
Lin Hu showed up from time to time to throw out sarcastic remarks, clearly waiting for Xiao Bei to fail and be punished.
However, when Old Zhao returned to the dining hall that evening, he was stunned.
"You… did all this by yourself?" he asked in disbelief, staring at the newly cleaned hall.
"Reporting to the supervisor, the cleaning is complete," Xiao Bei replied calmly, as if he had just finished a trivial task.
Lin Hu stood dumbfounded, feeling as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly.
At that moment, a mechanical voice rang out in Xiao Bei's mind.
Ding! System activated…
Ding! System activated… Detecting host's current situation. Beginner task assigned: Clean the dining hall within the specified time. Task reward: Basic Cleaning Skill.
Xiao Bei nearly burst out laughing. The system had arrived at the perfect time!
This was truly a gift from the heavens!
He accepted the task without hesitation.
Basic cleaning techniques—this sounded amazing!
With the system's support, Xiao Bei was filled with energy.
He combined modern cleaning concepts with the realities of this world to develop the most efficient cleaning method.
First, he used a broom to roughly gather the trash on the floor. Then, he used an improvised mop for deeper cleaning.
He even used leverage to easily lift heavy tables and chairs, cleaning hard-to-reach corners.
Xiao Bei's efficient cleaning methods soon attracted the attention of the other servant disciples.
A thin girl named Li Mei walked over timidly, her eyes full of admiration. "Brother Xiao Bei, you're amazing! How did you come up with these methods?"
Xiao Bei only smiled and didn't explain much, continuing to work diligently.
Standing nearby, Lin Hu saw Li Mei's admiration and felt his face flush with jealousy. He kept snorting in dissatisfaction, like sour cabbage.
As the dining hall became cleaner and more orderly, Xiao Bei felt a strong sense of accomplishment.
This wasn't just about completing a system task—it was also proof that modern thinking could shine brightly in the world of cultivation!
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and was about to finish when he suddenly felt something wet beneath his feet.
He looked down, and his face darkened instantly.
"Hey, isn't this Senior Brother Xiao Bei? Why did you make such a mess with the water? You'd better clean that properly, or you'll be punished again!" Lin Hu's annoying voice came from behind.
Lin Hu wore a triumphant expression and waved an empty bucket in his hand, clearly trying to cause trouble.
Xiao Bei barely managed to suppress his anger. That guy was practically a walking troublemaker!
"Lin Hu, are you looking for trouble? Are you trying to start a fight on purpose?" Xiao Bei narrowed his eyes, his tone icy.
Lin Hu wasn't intimidated in the slightest. Instead, he became even more arrogant. "Oh? You dare threaten me? A newbie like you dares challenge me? You don't know your own limits!"
"You'll soon find out what I'm really capable of!" Xiao Bei rolled up his sleeves, ready to teach this arrogant guy a lesson.
The tension between them escalated, and just as they were about to come to blows, Old Zhao arrived.
"What's going on? Why are you making such a commotion?!" he shouted sternly.
Lin Hu immediately put on a pitiful expression and pointed at Xiao Bei. "Manager Zhao, this kid is lazy and didn't clean properly. He even spilled water everywhere. When I tried to advise him, he talked back to me!"
The surrounding servants and disciples echoed Lin Hu's accusations.
Xiao Bei was speechless. Lin Hu was truly a master at twisting the truth.
"What else do you have to say?" Old Zhao's face darkened, clearly already believing Lin Hu.
Xiao Bei took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"I didn't—"
"Silence! The facts are right in front of you, and you still want to argue? If you're not punished today, you won't learn the rules!" Old Zhao interrupted impatiently, about to announce the punishment.
At that moment, Xiao Bei suddenly sneered.
"Heh. You want to punish me? Are you sure what you saw is the truth?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a crystalline jade tablet suddenly appeared in his hand, clearly displaying everything that had just happened: Lin Hu secretly carrying a bucket of water, deliberately pouring it on the floor, then pretending to be innocent while running off to complain.
This was the system's built-in recording function!
It was practically a truth-confirming artifact!
The surrounding servants fell into dead silence, staring at the jade tablet as if they had seen a ghost.
Lin Hu's face turned deathly pale, and he wilted like a frozen eggplant.
He had never imagined that his every move would be recorded!
This was even more embarrassing than messing up on a live broadcast!
"Manager Zhao, anything you'd like to say now?" Xiao Bei handed over the jade tablet, his tone filled with mockery.
Old Zhao took the tablet, examined it carefully, and his face flushed red.
He had never imagined that he would be deceived by Lin Hu!
"Lin Hu! How dare you deceive me! You are punished with three days of fasting!" Old Zhao roared.
Lin Hu trembled in fear and didn't dare to talk back. He could only retreat into the crowd in disgrace.
"Xiao Bei, I misunderstood you this time," Old Zhao coughed awkwardly and returned the jade tablet.
"It's fine. Just be more careful next time," Xiao Bei said with a faint smile, appearing generous and magnanimous.
At that moment, the system's voice rang out again.
Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the beginner mission! Reward: Basic Purification Technique!
A warm current flowed through Xiao Bei's body, and he felt his understanding of purification reach a new level, as if he could manipulate spiritual energy to cleanse impurities.
This feeling was even better than using cheat codes!
The surrounding servants looked at Xiao Bei with admiration and envy.
This newcomer not only possessed formidable ability, but also a magical artifact. It seemed best not to provoke him lightly in the future.
Xiao Bei looked around, secretly satisfied.
It seemed that this first step had been a success.
However, this was only the beginning.
He had no intention of wasting away in these insignificant servant quarters!
His gaze drifted toward the distant herb garden, where spiritual energy churned and several precious medicinal herbs could be vaguely seen.
"The herb garden…" Xiao Bei murmured, as a new idea began to form in his mind.
Hidden within the crowd, Lin Hu glared at him viciously, his eyes filled with resentment.
"Just wait, kid!" Lin Hu muttered through clenched teeth, his fists so tight his nails nearly dug into his flesh.
He couldn't swallow this humiliation and was determined to take revenge on Xiao Bei!
As night fell, the servant quarters gradually grew quiet.
Xiao Bei lay on his simple wooden bed, unable to sleep.
The image of the herb garden and those precious medicinal herbs lingered in his mind.
"If I could work in the herb garden, wouldn't I have more opportunities to access cultivation resources?"
Once the thought appeared, it refused to leave.
Early the next morning, Xiao Bei arrived at Old Zhao's residence…