As soon as Zhang Deming stepped outside, the two men greeted him warmly, saying, "Hello, Senior Brother Zhang."
Zhang Deming smiled and nodded. "Hello. What's this all about?"
"Senior Brother, this is your package. If everything is in order, please swipe your card to confirm receipt."
The disciple leading a rather plain-looking Spirit Deer with one broken horn handed Zhang Deming a box and was the first to speak.
'Heh, the Celestial Spirit Sect has its own delivery service?'
'How progressive!'
Zhang Deming silently took the sealed box, observing the junior brother who, despite his Outer Disciple robes, looked just like a courier.
He opened it for a look, then took out his Identity Card and completed the transaction with the disciple.
After the card transaction was complete, the disciple vaulted onto the deer and rode off with a flourish.
"He's certainly efficient," Zhang Deming muttered, watching him leave.
"Everyone from the logistics department is like that," the person beside him chimed in with a smile.
Zhang Deming turned to look at him. The man was about five-foot-six, with a portly, round figure. 'He must be moderately obese.'
"And you are?" Zhang Deming asked.
"Hello, Senior Brother. I am Zuo Jiagu," the portly man said with a small smile.
Zhang Deming returned the smile. "Hello. I'm Zhang Deming. Is there something I can help you with?"
Zuo Jiagu beamed. "Well, Senior Brother, from now on, I'll be responsible for your provisions.
First off, let me ask: Senior Brother, do you know how to cook?
If you don't, there's no need to go over the details; you'll just have to make the trip to the main dining hall every day."
Zhang Deming nodded. "I do."
Zuo Jiagu smiled. "Excellent. In that case, Senior Brother, feel free to request whatever you'd like. You can select anything from the list of provisions available to Qingyou Pool residents.
As for the list, you can just select the items on your Identity Card and submit it to me.
If you have any questions, we can discuss them in person.
After today, we'll mostly communicate through the Identity Card. It'll save me from running all over the place.
I picked up these items based on the standard issue.
Since I don't know your preferences, Senior Brother, I only brought a single day's worth. You can put together a list for tomorrow's delivery.
I mainly came over today to introduce myself and make sure you had food for the day, Senior Brother."
Zhang Deming looked at the items the stout man had brought. He wanted to make a snarky comment. 'Are you sure you only brought a small amount because you're lazy?'
But since they had just met, he held his tongue.
"Oh, right. The communication function on the Identity Cards isn't perfected yet, so there's a limit on transmissions. That means, Senior Brother, you can only submit your list once a week."
Zhang Deming nodded. "So, I need to order a full week's worth of groceries at once?"
Zuo Jiagu nodded. "Deliveries are made every three days, but the order itself is only submitted once a week."
"Understood," Zhang Deming said.
Seeing this, Zuo Jiagu said, "If there's nothing else, shall we consider this handover complete?"
Zhang Deming took the groceries. "Yes, I think that's everything."
Zuo Jiagu nodded. "Alright, talk to you later. I still have a few more stops to make today."
Zhang Deming nodded as well. "See you around."
With that, he took his things and passed through the Light Curtain.
Once he had disappeared, the Array Light Curtain vanished as well.
Zhang Deming took the groceries to the kitchen and put them in what passed for a refrigerator in this xianxia world.
'Honestly, life here was a completely different world from his life on Little Qing Mountain.'
'And it seemed this stark difference was deliberately created by the sect's upper echelons.'
Zhang Deming had realized this clearly on his very first day.
But he didn't feel strongly about it, nor did he plan to question it or try to do anything about it.
'There had to be a reason for a social structure like this to form and remain stable for tens of thousands of years.'
He checked the time; it was already noon. 'I haven't cooked in over a decade. Even though I was a decent cook in my past life, I'm a little nervous.'
'What should I make for lunch?'
Zuo Jiagu had brought a few ingredients: green peppers, potatoes, and lettuce stems. There wasn't much, but it was a well-rounded selection.
'Shredded potatoes with green peppers, or shredded pork with green peppers?'
He washed the vegetables and shredded them, slowly falling back into the familiar rhythm of cooking.
The kitchen was fully equipped, and a single glance told him the utensils were all high-end.
When Zhang Deming finished his prep and was ready to start stir-frying, he ran into an awkward problem. This was a high-tech xianxia kitchen.
'And there was no gas stove in sight...'
'So, do I have to learn the Fire Control Technique or the Fireball Technique just to make a meal?'
'How user-unfriendly can you get?'
After a moment of bewilderment, he discovered a special circle of runes on the stovetop that looked like a faint Restriction.
He tried infusing it with a bit of Spiritual Power, and a flame immediately shot up. Even more impressively, the flame could be controlled mentally, just like a Blacksmith's Fire Control Technique.
'My apologies, I was wrong!'
'This is way more impressive and convenient than any high-tech gas stove. I stand corrected.'
He lit the fire and added the oil.
His movements were a bit rusty at first, but as he worked, a smile spread across Zhang Deming's face as the shredded pork and green peppers danced in the wok.
A few moments later, a fragrant meal was ready.
To celebrate his move, he had cooked a full two liang of Spirit Rice.
He ate a meal of pure Spirit Rice, unmixed with any common grains. He hadn't been this extravagant in a decade.
Zhang Deming carried his lunch out to a small table in the open-air courtyard.
A plate of stir-fried vegetables and two liang of incredibly tempting Spirit Rice.
'A serene pool, a natural swimming pool.'
'A fragrant medicinal valley, peaceful and tranquil.'
'A resort villa paved with jade, with treatment surpassing the Emperor Level.'
'This life is pretty great.'
'If I could, I'd love to just coast like this for the rest of my life!'
Zhang Deming thought contentedly as he ate his delicious, aromatic lunch.
After a leisurely lunch, Zhang Deming started organizing the place again.
He puttered around for the better part of the afternoon, arranging things here and there.
He familiarized himself with most of the residence, arranging it to suit his personal habits. After all, this was going to be his home for the foreseeable future.
By the time he had everything settled, the day had already come to an end.
He followed the instructions in the guide, performing the routine Casting on the medicine garden. Once he was done, Zhang Deming returned to the house to begin his Cultivation.
...
The night passed quietly. The next morning, just as Zhang Deming finished making and eating breakfast, his Identity Card chimed with a notification.
When Zhang Deming stepped outside, he found that an old man who looked to be in his sixties or seventies, with a full head of white hair, was already standing at the edge of the medicine garden.
"Finished your meal?
Good. It seems you didn't neglect the garden yesterday.
Alright, today I'll tell you a few things to watch out for with the Spirit-Binding Grass. As for daily care, there's not much to add; the detailed instructions on your Identity Card are already very clear.
Oh, right. My name is Yang Xian. I'm a Spirit Medicine Farmer from the Outer Sect who's been kicking around here for seventy years."
The white-haired elder, Yang Xian, kept his back to Zhang Deming, his gaze fixed on the medicine garden. Sensing Zhang Deming's arrival, he began speaking without turning around.
"Er, hello, Senior Brother Yang!"
Zhang Deming was a little taken aback by the old man's... well... directness. 'No time for introductions to get acquainted, I guess?'