Chapter 105: Joining the Chamber of Commerce

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With nothing else to do and no permission to submit her paper early, Yun Qing glanced at the other examinees taking the test alongside him. Most were level 38 or 39, with her alone at level 33. Huh? There were also two individuals with unknown levels. Their levels exceeded 43, beyond innate talent.

Yun Qing casually observed the two men of unknown rank. Both were dressed in luxurious attire she could not identify, their appearances remarkably striking—one exuding a commanding presence, the other refined and gentle. As she tried to study them more closely, she noticed their brows furrow slightly as they glanced at her, prompting Yun Qing to avert her gaze and instead watch the others from the corner of her eye.

To her left sat a level 39 woman whose face was hidden; she seemed to answer quickly, with neat formatting visible on her paper. Ahead and to the right was a level 39 man who appeared to be doing well. Among these candidates, he was the one whose looks most closely resembled hers.

Whether one could discern levels or not, it was impolite to stare. Yun Qing decided to recall the images in the test paper as best she could, intending to research them later to understand their significance.

Time passed more swiftly this way. By the time she had memorized half the images, the test time was up. The second round of testing ended, eliminating half the participants, but Yun Qing remained.

The third round was a practical test: purifying resources contaminated by poisonous gas. Each candidate stood at one end of a long table filled with various toxic items. The task was to purify as many items as possible within the time it took for an incense stick to burn.

Yun Qing quickly scanned the items. Those farther away were unknown to her, but she could use purification skills on the nearby ones. Finally, it was a stage she was ‘good at.’ To avoid a poor result, she decided to ‘spend lavishly,’ using more silver to purify the items.

Sure enough, only she was the fastest. The two men with unknown levels, seeing someone outpace them, quickened their pace as well. The others lagged far behind the trio.

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After three minutes, the three had pulled well ahead of the rest. Yun Qing had already spent over ten taels of silver in this short time. Since an incense stick burns for thirty minutes, half an hour would have cost her over a hundred taels, so she slowed her purification speed slightly, falling behind the two unknown men but staying ahead of all others.

Seeing this, Guo Hu nodded silently. Yun Qing wasn’t without merit, just poorly grounded and limited in knowledge—no surprise, given her origins in a remote village.

The two unknown men also slowed, maintaining a pace much quicker than the rest. Their advantage lasted until the end of the third round.

The fourth round tested combat ability. Guo Hu observed that Yun Qing’s strength was the weakest here, but since she had one specialty, he intended to use this opportunity to ensure the three who had bypassed the backdoor gained entry to the station smoothly.

After the third round, Guo Hu announced, “The top three in this round have performed exceptionally well and pass the test directly. The others will proceed to the fourth round.”

Among the three who were exceptionally advanced—now members of the Ninth Trade Company’s Xuan Iron Mine Station—was Yun Qing.

The other examinees moved on to the fourth round, leaving only Yun Qing and the two elegantly dressed young men.

Since they would be colleagues at the Ninth Trade Company’s Xuan Iron Mine Station, Yun Qing took the initiative to greet them, bowing politely. “I am Yun Qing. It is an honor to join the trade guild alongside you gentlemen. Please take care of me.”

The robust and dignified man laughed heartily. “Ha ha! Well said, well said. I am Wei Yi.”

The refined and gentle man smiled lightly, returning the bow. “I am Fang Rui. Miss Yun Qing, please look after me.”

After stating their names, Yun Qing noticed their name tags still displayed “unknown”—meaning their names were likely aliases. She did not indulge in curiosity toward such mysterious figures; curiosity could be dangerous.

Wei Yi was uninterested in a woman with imperfect looks. His interest lay in Fang Rui, whose age and strength matched his own.

“Brother Fang, the fourth round is a sparring match. It’s a pity we didn’t get to participate. I’m inexperienced and hope to learn a thing or two from you. Please instruct me,” Wei Yi said.

Before Fang Rui could respond, Wei Yi, tiger-like in agility, lunged at him. Fang Rui retreated quickly, but Wei Yi was relentless. The two soon clashed fiercely, fighting from the ground to the rooftop, from inside the courtyard to outside.

Their duel involved no weapons or magic, relying instead on powerful martial arts techniques. Though Fang Rui appeared fragile, his martial prowess and strength were exceptional.

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Watching the duel, Yun Qing judged the gap between their strength and her own, estimating her chances should she fight either of them. The odds were nearly zero. After all, the cultivators here all began from the postnatal foundation, meaning few Qi-condensation stage practitioners would surpass martial artists in physical combat.

Outside the arena, the battle remained deadlocked. Inside, after fierce competition, the combined results across four rounds selected two winners.

In the Ninth Trade Company’s Xuan Iron Mine Station council hall, the burly captain Guo Hu said, “Welcome to the trade guild alliance. For now, you are only peripheral members of the Ninth Trade Company’s Xuan Iron Mine Station. You must pass the probation period before becoming official members. Please introduce yourselves.”

“Hello, everyone. My name is Duan Mengrou. I am most interested in treasure hunting and hope to become a treasure seeker someday. Please take care of me,” said the first to introduce herself—a level 39 woman of unremarkable beauty but strong aura, one of the guild’s successful candidates.

Duan Mengrou’s voice was sweet, her demeanor bright and confident, drawing a few glances from Fang Rui. Wei Yi only glanced once; such looks were not his type.

A treasure hunter—that piqued Yun Qing’s curiosity a little. The text above Duan Mengrou’s head, along with her level 39, confirmed she was truthful.

After Duan Mengrou finished, a plain-looking, medium-built man beside her grinned and said, “Hello, everyone. I’m Zhang He, from a village near the Xuan Iron Mine. I joined the guild to support my family. Please guide me.”

Zhang He was also level 39, his real name.

When it was Yun Qing’s turn, she modeled her introduction on Zhang He’s: “Hello, everyone. I am Yun Qing, from a remote village. I joined the guild to support my family and to learn something new. Please take care of me.”

“Fang Rui joined to gain experience. By chance, he entered the guild, so he accepts it as destiny. His life’s trials start now; he will meet important people and resolve significant matters.”

“Wei Yi joined the guild seeking the moving city amidst endless sands, hoping to personally craft a poison-proof robe from swamp silk, to see the millennia-old glaciers in the frigid lands, to explore the dark city where alien demons reside, and if fortune permits, to witness the immortal phoenix in the molten pool’s teleportation…”

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