After the Skyfall

On the second floor, inside the conference room—

Li Yi, Zhang Gao, Zhao Xiaoxiao, and four other cultivators were present for the guide instructor recruitment.

Supervisor Xu Ming addressed them: “This recruitment process is a bit special, so each of you will receive two different contracts. You can decide which one to sign based on the terms and requirements. However, regardless of which contract you choose, you must also sign a confidentiality agreement.”

“This matter concerns the employer’s privacy, so I hope you all understand.”

With that, Xu Ming signaled his assistant to distribute the two paper contracts.

Everyone received their copies and began reading through them carefully.

Li Yi glanced at the first contract and was immediately tempted. ‘Nine thousand yuan per hour? That’s a crazy high rate. But the work hours are long… six hours non-stop. If the guiding process is interrupted due to personal reasons, the entire six-hour pay is cut in half.’

‘That’s the first contract. Let’s check the second one.’

‘The second contract is based on volume? One hundred yuan per unit of cosmic energy guided, with no cap. Six-hour work period, but breaks are allowed.’

“This is a tough choice,” Zhang Gao muttered beside him.

Someone quickly nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it’s hard to decide. A fixed salary of nine thousand per hour is already a lot, but the second contract has higher earning potential. If you’re lucky, you could make tens of thousands per hour. But if your luck is bad, you might not even reach three thousand, since capturing cosmic energy from wormhole leaks is so unpredictable.”

“The fixed salary isn’t entirely risk-free either,” Zhao Xiaoxiao pointed out. “The six-hour meditation period tests a cultivator’s stability. If you break meditation halfway, your pay is cut in half. In that case, the second contract might be the better choice.”

“Each has its pros and cons—it depends on what you prefer.”

The seven applicants discussed among themselves.

Before long, someone made their decision. “I’m not taking any chances. I’ll go with the first contract.”

“Good point. A stable paycheck is more important to me. I’m signing the first one too.”

Seeing several people signing without hesitation, Zhang Gao turned to Li Yi. “Which contract are you leaning towards?”

“Second one,” Li Yi replied without hesitation, signing his name on the second contract.

He had the strange artifact, which allowed him to guide massive amounts of cosmic energy. There was no way he’d pass up this money-making opportunity.

Besides, he wasn’t worried about exposing his artifact.

Its energy field was too small. Even when Lin Yue had been standing close to him, she hadn’t sensed it. That meant others wouldn’t either. Plus, he could cultivate while working—it was the perfect win-win.

And the contract included another perk: free food and accommodations during the job.

Zhang Gao saw how decisively Li Yi signed and hesitated for a moment before choosing the first contract.

“Forget it. I’m not taking any risks—I’ll go with the first one too.”

Zhao Xiaoxiao, seeing that most people had already made their choices, thought for a moment before signing the first contract as well.

Out of the seven applicants, only Li Yi chose the second contract. Everyone else picked the first.

Once all the contracts were signed, Xu Ming said, “Your dorms are on the third floor. Each of you will have a private suite. Work hours are from midnight to 6 AM. I’ll notify you all thirty minutes beforehand, so please be prepared. Payment will be settled daily in cash. I hope you understand.”

Then, he had his assistant guide everyone to their rooms to rest before the night shift.

Soon, Li Yi was assigned to Room 4.

The room was spacious, bright, and spotless—far better than his place in the old district.

Still, he couldn’t stay here long-term. He’d have to return home every few days because his parents were still in the medical pod. He needed to check in and replace their nutrient supply.

But he wasn’t too worried—things at home were under control.

Li Yi had installed cameras at home, allowing him to monitor everything in real time from his phone. The medical pods also had dedicated monitoring software, keeping him updated on their status. If anything urgent happened, his phone would immediately alert him.

“It’s 2 PM now, and work starts at midnight. I can spend this time meditating and cultivating… and maybe even score a free dinner.” Li Yi planned carefully, making the most of his free time.

But just as he was about to enter meditation—

Knock, knock!

A knock on the door interrupted him.

“Li Yi, are you there?” It was Zhao Xiaoxiao’s voice.

“I’m here.”

When he opened the door, he saw Zhao Xiaoxiao along with a few unfamiliar cultivators standing outside.

“You’re Li Yi, right? Nice to meet you. I’m Wu Zhen. We met earlier,” said a young man, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He had a buzz cut, wore a white short-sleeved shirt, and had a solid, muscular build that radiated aggression.

“Nice to meet you. What’s this about?” Li Yi nodded slightly.

“It’s like this,” Wu Zhen said with a grin. “Zhao Xiaoxiao mentioned that you signed the second contract back in the meeting room, right?”

“Yeah, I figured it suited me better. Is there a problem?”

“Not at all,” Wu Zhen chuckled. “I just wanted to give you a heads-up. As you know, guiding cosmic energy isn’t always stable. Sometimes there’s a lot of energy, sometimes not so much. Based on my calculations, the average amount of cosmic energy a cultivator can guide per hour is around sixty units.”

“So, a few of us came to an agreement. We’ll all aim to keep our energy guidance around an average level. That way, the employer won’t think we’re slacking off, and we can still reserve some time for our own cultivation—a win-win situation.”

Li Yi raised an eyebrow. “And what’s this ‘average level’ you agreed on?”

Zhao Xiaoxiao spoke up, “Considering the importance of this job, we’ve set the number at around seventy units per hour, with a fluctuation range of plus or minus ten. What do you think?”

“You’re saying that I can’t guide more than eighty units of cosmic energy per hour?” Li Yi finally understood their intentions completely.

“That’s right.” Wu Zhen nodded. “Since your contract is different from ours, I thought it was necessary to give you a heads-up.”

“If I can only guide eighty units per hour, that means my hourly wage is capped at eight thousand. Meanwhile, you guys are making nine thousand an hour. Doesn’t that mean I’m losing a thousand?” Li Yi asked.

Zhao Xiaoxiao interjected, “Li Yi, that’s not the right way to look at it. With the extra time, you can cultivate on your own. It’s a win-win situation.”

“It might be a win-win for you, but for me, it’s a huge loss.” Li Yi’s tone was firm. “I’m short on money, and I need to earn as much as possible in a short period. Jobs like this, where pay is based on the amount of energy guided, aren’t always available. I got this opportunity through a friend’s recommendation, and I’m not about to waste it. I refuse your proposal.”

He rejected them without hesitation.

“No room for negotiation?” Wu Zhen’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within them.

Li Yi replied, “I understand that you guys want to slack off and still get paid, but I’m more interested in improving myself. Otherwise, why would I have chosen the second contract? Besides, I’m the one taking the risk. If I only manage to guide ten units of cosmic energy in an hour, I bear the loss myself.”

“I’m betting on my luck, hoping to catch a massive cosmic energy overflow from the wormhole and make a fortune in a short time. If I go along with your plan, I’d have to absorb the losses when things go badly, and when things go well, I’d be forced to limit myself to eighty units—watching potential earnings slip through my fingers. In the end, I lose no matter what. So no, there’s no room for negotiation.”

His gaze locked onto Wu Zhen’s, unwavering and resolute.

After being refused twice, Wu Zhen, Zhao Xiaoxiao, and the others no longer looked as friendly.

“What if I insist?” Wu Zhen suddenly said, leaning in closer. “Can’t you do us all a favor?”

As he spoke, he placed his muscular arm on Li Yi’s shoulder, gripping it firmly. His stare grew sharper, and the glow in his eyes was no longer just a reflection—it was a warning.

A blatant threat.

The others stood silently, watching Li Yi’s reaction.

“I don’t want any trouble,” Li Yi said flatly.

He glanced at the arm pressing down on his shoulder, feeling the increasing pressure in Wu Zhen’s grip.

Wu Zhen smiled and said, “We’re all out here trying to make a living. We don’t want to escalate things.”

Li Yi remained expressionless. “Fine. I’ll give you guys this favor and agree to your request. But in the future, if I need something, will you return the favor?”

“Of course, no problem.”

Wu Zhen immediately burst into laughter, patting Li Yi on the shoulder. “Thanks, my friend.”

The others also breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Li Yi agree.

“Li Yi, get some rest. We won’t bother you anymore. Thanks for your understanding,” Zhao Xiaoxiao said with a smile.

“Let’s go.”

Seeing that they had achieved their goal, the group turned and started walking away.

“Wu Zhen.”

Just as they had taken a few steps, Li Yi’s voice suddenly rang out.

“What?” Wu Zhen instinctively turned his head.

The next moment, his expression changed drastically.

Li Yi’s figure shot forward like a blur, closing the distance in an instant. Wu Zhen suddenly felt an immense force slam into his waist.

“Bang!”

Wu Zhen was sent flying, tumbling across the floor before crashing into the hallway wall with a heavy thud.

“You dare to ambush me?! You’re asking for death!” He immediately snapped back to his senses, rage surging through him. He reflexively tried to get up and retaliate.

“Wu Zhen, watch out!”

Someone suddenly cried out in alarm.

In that instant, Li Yi’s silhouette flashed before Wu Zhen’s eyes once again.

Wu Zhen’s pupils contracted sharply.

All he saw was a knee, speeding straight toward his face.

“Bang!”

A dull, heavy thud echoed through the hallway.

Wu Zhen’s nose exploded with blood as his head slammed against the wall behind him. His vision blurred, his mind spinning in a violent daze.

But before he could even recover, another knee strike came crashing down.

“I’m going to kill you—Bang!”

A third knee strike. A fourth…

Wu Zhen’s thoughts scattered into chaos. He barely registered the fact that someone had grabbed him by the hair, yanking his head forward repeatedly, only for a knee to smash into his face again and again.

“S-Stop… Stop hitting me…”

The searing pain and overwhelming dizziness left him unable to fight back. He could only instinctively raise his hands, trying to shield himself.

But Li Yi’s expression remained ice-cold.

One hand clutched Wu Zhen’s hair, the other gripping his shoulder to keep him steady as he drove his knee into him over and over.

With the raw power of a cultivator, his strikes landed like iron hammers, each blow sending shockwaves through Wu Zhen’s skull.

Zhao Xiaoxiao and the others stood frozen in place, watching in stunned silence.

None of them dared to step forward.

In that moment, Li Yi no longer seemed human.

He was like a wild beast, fighting tooth and nail for survival—ruthless, relentless, terrifying.

Was this what happened when a quiet, honest man got pushed too far?

Or…

Was this his true nature all along?