Accumulating Silver, Weaving Clouds Mountain

Ever since that customer clad in green pawned his item, Zhouji Pawnshop seemed to have opened a small window to another world.
Chen Ping'an did not actively seek them out, but every ten days or half a month, one or two "immortal masters" who were out of step with the secular world, carrying a body full of dust and reluctance, would walk into this inconspicuous pawnshop nestled deep within the bustling city.
He gradually figured out the pattern. For those dejected disciples of the Liuyun Sect, the shops within the Sect's market were fair, but they were constantly surrounded by fellow disciples. Exposing one's financial difficulties to others was, after all, a matter of losing face. On the contrary, a mortal pawnshop became the perfect place for them to dispose of some less-than-glorious items in exchange for urgent cash.

Here, no one knew them, and no one cared about their backgrounds. No matter how sharp the shopkeeper's eyes were, he was ultimately just a mortal who could not see through their identities as immortal masters.
They thought they were playing a mortal like a toy in their palms, completely unaware that every complaint they uttered, every word carelessly spoken, became an indispensable puzzle piece on the grand tapestry forming in Chen Ping'an's mind.
This waiting lasted for half a year.
Within half a year, several more "immortal" pawned items were added to the counter of Zhouji Pawnshop.

There was a stack of pale yellow talismans whose spiritual energy had nearly dissipated, covered in cinnabar runes. The pawner was a gaunt young man who complained that Deacon Sun of the Talisman Hall was incredibly stingy—out of every ten talismans issued, three were defective, causing him to waste his mental energy in vain.
Thus, on Chen Ping'an's mental map, another location named "Talisman Hall" was added, along with a Deacon Sun.
There was a white porcelain pill bottle of fine quality, its inner walls still retaining a faint sweet scent.
The pawner was a younger youth, his face full of innocence and frustration. He said the work in the Alchemy Hall was the most leisurely and the salary was sufficient, but unfortunately, he lacked connections and could not compete with those senior brothers who had backing.

Thus, the "Alchemy Hall" and the complex web of relationships within the sect were noted down by Chen Ping'an.
There was also a herb-digging hoe with a burnt corner, a broken array compass, and even a "Tranquility Stone" said to calm the mind but which had long lost its efficacy...
Behind each pawned item lay the story of an outer disciple of the Liuyun Sect, revealing a sliver of information about that other world.
That night, Chen Ping'an sat under the lamp, not practicing his breathing exercises. Before him lay a sheet of white paper, entirely blank.

His brush hovered in mid-air, while his eyes were closed.
In his mind, an invisible network woven from countless traces was slowly taking shape.
At the center of this network was the "Liuyun Sect."
Surrounding the center, along several key nodes: the Artifact Pavilion, the Talisman Hall, the Alchemy Hall... next to each node, one or several vague surnames were noted: Deacon Wang, Deacon Sun...
He knew their currency was something called "spirit stones," and that mortal gold and silver were no different from garbage in their eyes.

He knew their lives were filled with competition. For resources and distributions, they fought openly and covertly, with a level of intensity far exceeding that of the mortal world.
He knew that this immortal sect called the "Liuyun Sect" was, at least on the surface, far from the tranquil, non-action, and immortal-like paradise of legend. It was like a massive, precise machine, and those outer disciples were the most hardworking, easily damaged gears at the very bottom.
This realization, far from making him fearful, made him feel it was incredibly "real," even giving him a sense of familiarity.

Because as long as it was a world made of people, it could not escape human desires, conflicts, and loopholes. And all of this could be utilized.
However, he still lacked the most critical method to enter this world. He could not participate in the sect's recruitment like those young people. His age and skeletal structure had long since closed off that path.
Until another ordinary afternoon, when two disciples in green robes arrived together, bringing him the final and most important piece of the puzzle.

The two, one tall and one short, both had the arrogant air of youth, arguing as they entered the door.
"...I told you you couldn't do it. A lucrative job at the beast garden of that level, how could it be your turn? I heard that Manager Liu's nephew is also eyeing it!" the tall disciple mocked.
"Hmph, even if I can't go to the beast garden, it's still better than you. I heard that a few days ago, you wanted to give a gift to the deacon of the Dharma Transmission Hall to secure a sweeping job? What was the result? Did they even look at your junk?" the short disciple sneered back.

"A sweeper at the Dharma Transmission Hall is a top-tier job among chores! Being able to get close to manuals and secret techniques at any time is something countless people dream of! Do you think I willingly want to go to a place like the herb garden, keeping company with those rustic mortals and tending to those plants all day? That's a place where only the most useless disciples of the sect go!" the tall disciple said, spit flying, completely unaware that their argument was being heard word-for-word by the seemingly dozing old man behind the counter.
Under the counter, Chen Ping'an's hand clenched suddenly, almost imperceptibly.
Chores... Herb garden... Keeping company with rustic mortals... Most useless disciples...

A series of words exploded in his mind, instantly connecting all his previous information!
He had been pondering how to enter the Liuyun Sect. He had thought of disguising himself as a merchant, or attaching himself to a certain disciple, but all seemed to have too many loopholes and high risks.
But at this moment, a role he had never imagined, yet which perfectly suited his identity, appeared before him.
A chore worker.

An inconspicuous worker doing the dirtiest, most exhausting labor, looked down upon by all "immortal masters," and one that could even be done by ordinary mortals!
To those arrogant young disciples, this was a humiliation, a dead end.
But to him, who only sought a place to settle, an observation deck, a "pseudo-mortal" who could play the lowest role to continue his cultivation, this was a godsend, the most perfect disguise!
Especially this "Herb Garden"—it aligned perfectly with his *Qingnang Breathing Art*!

The two disciples were still arguing red-faced, pawning an inexpensive jade pendant before pushing each other out the door.
After they left, tranquility returned to the pawnshop.
Chen Ping'an slowly stood up from behind the counter and walked to the entrance of the pawnshop. He stood with his hands behind his back, squinting toward the continuous, mist-shrouded green mountains outside the city.
The misty world pieced together from countless fragments, named the "Liuyun Sect," had finally revealed the most ordinary yet steadiest path—a crack where he could find shelter and climb.