"Don't leave. There are more rogue cultivators in the higher realms now than ever. If you walk away from this, where will you find such a stable job?" Bai Meiling said firmly.

"I still have some savings, I can make it through this winter." Feng Xia replied, her raspy voice steady despite the hoarseness that had become her constant companion.

"If it comes to it, I'll talk to Sister Qinglian to see if the Poshan Gang needs anyone. They'd take someone like you in a heartbeat," said Bai Meiling.

From his place in the shadows of the corridor, Luo Chen stood silently, watching the two women in the courtyard. Feng Xia sat quietly on the stone bench, wrapped in a plain cloak, while Bai Meiling, flushed with indignation, tried to comfort her. It didn't take long for Luo Chen to piece the situation together.

The major sect-operated shops adhered to a ten-year rotation tradition, so the Foundation Establishment shopkeeper at the Spirit Herb Pavilion had been reassigned. Shopkeeper...