Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

At first, no one paid much attention to this small change—just a clock-in, a daily report submission, a procedural application—until the transformation began to affect everyone in the Demon Palace, until the Demon Nail permeated every aspect of daily life...

The birth of the Demon Nail was hailed as the greatest invention of the post-immortal cultivation era and regarded by countless historians of the Demon Palace’s development as one of the landmark events in the history of the Demon Realm.

It was seen as the first lever to pry open the Nine Continents, the clarion call heralding the industrial revolution of the cultivation world.

Over the next decade or so, the Demon Nail swept across the entire Nine Continents with unstoppable momentum, even the twelve orthodox immortal sects chose to integrate it into their disciple management systems—

And yet, protests against the Demon Nail also erupted.

...

Now, Qin Juan sat at her desk reviewing the compiled employee assessment data.

Pei Yan had spent the entire night completing the summary and analysis, delivering it to her desk early the next morning.

Qin Juan took out the Palace Master's Order. There were still forty-five minutes before the official start time, yet Pei Yan had already clocked in; not only that, he was always the last to clock out each day.

Diligent as any employee eager to earn an A+ in the year-end evaluations, never missing a single opportunity to prove himself.

Qin Juan glanced over the neatly arranged clock-in records with growing satisfaction.

With such an efficient Palace Master at the helm, domination of the Demon Realm was just around the corner.

Considering that more detailed policies on attendance bonuses and performance rewards would be rolled out alongside the Demon Palace’s management regulations, Qin Juan had no intention of interfering with disciples who occasionally arrived late or left early. She need not lift a finger, nor invoke any spells within the Palace Master's Order; salaries would flow where they should, and people would know precisely what choices to make.

Envisioning a bright future, Qin Juan returned her attention to the analysis report Pei Yan had painstakingly prepared overnight.

The majority were aged between twenty-five and thirty, their cultivation levels mostly bridging the second and third stages, still possessing time to create value before optimization.

Most had little formal education, no training from orthodox sects, and were almost all wild cultivators from humble origins, working in the Demon Realm to support their families—making them easier to refine under her guidance.

Among the three thousand one hundred and forty-eight respondents to the vocational survey, fewer than three hundred possessed spiritual roots; the rest were nearly all “lower-class” individuals looked down upon by outsiders.

This ratio matched Qin Juan’s earlier hypothesis perfectly. Those with spiritual roots were the ones holding minor positions within the Demon Palace, playing some role, and were trusted confidants of the seven Hall Masters.

According to her knowledge, the Demon Palace’s residents were generally patient and content with their lot—willing to work hard for a steady income, with only a rare few hotheads prone to impulsiveness.

This team’s temperament was perfectly balanced: some diligent workers, some driven with a fiery zeal. The right amount of restlessness was like an eel darting through a school of sardines, stirring the complacent fish to action, even igniting a frenzied sprint among those who otherwise simply swam forward blindly.

“Livestock…” the system remarked sharply.

Surprisingly, despite being in the Demon Palace, the vast majority maintained surprisingly healthy mental states—positive, optimistic, striving upward, as if ready to flourish under the sunlight.

Until Qin Juan came upon a record marked “High Risk.”

Pei Yan had not noticed anything unusual about this record; it was the system that suddenly flashed a warning.

[Warning! The psychological health of this questionnaire respondent is critically endangered. Host must take appropriate measures for mental health intervention!]

A bright red exclamation mark and incessant alarm sounded, as if intent on ripping open Qin Juan’s skull.

The system seized the opportunity for retaliation: “Host, please care for employee mental health. Let healthy employees empower your great cause, granting wings to soar.”

Thinking it had found the ultimate trump card to advocate for rights and freedom, the system spoke with veiled sarcasm: “Host, face the truth of your employees’ mental health and recognize their efforts!”

“Oh.”

Oh?

What was that “oh” supposed to mean?

System: “Host, beware employees with troubled mental health—black sheep will undermine your great cause.”

Qin Juan understood the system’s undertones perfectly and smiled faintly.

“Naïve.”

The system froze.

“Foolish.”

The system’s defenses collapsed.

It had waited so long for this chance to mock the host, yet couldn’t even inflict a scratch.

The system was utterly despondent.

The high-risk assessment record remained on Qin Juan’s desk, the system’s desperate resistance emblazoned in bold crimson letters.

It still hoped the host would see the light and become a conscientious and kind-hearted person.

System: “Host, you can’t be so immoral.”

Qin Juan paid no heed to the record, her voice calm and unruffled: “I remember you saying at binding, ‘Lock onto immoral targets.’ Since you’ve made your judgment, I will respect it. Don’t harbor impossible expectations—that’s professional etiquette for a seasoned workplace veteran.”

“Looking forward to your progress,” she added.

... Without hope, the system sank into despair.

Qin Juan took up the Palace Master's Order and pinpointed her target clearly, contacting the seven Hall Masters directly.

“Come to my office before work,” Qin Juan said.

System: ...For some reason, that’s a terrifying sentence.

With fifteen minutes remaining before work, the little red notification on the Palace Master's Order was like a death warrant, giving everyone who saw it a headache.

Qi Tianyu and Xie Wangfei were together, about to head to the Hall of Clarity to review employee assessments.

At the sound of the Palace Master's Order, both stopped in their tracks. Neither immediately summoned theirs; instead, they silently braced themselves.

Xie Wangfei looked at Qi Tianyu’s tightly shut eyes and asked, “Who do you think it is?”

A pointless question. If the Palace Master's Order summoned them both simultaneously, who else but Qin Juan?

So the question remained: what did Qin Juan want with them now?

“What do you think she wants?” Xie Wangfei added, attempting to reassure himself.

No answer.

Qi Tianyu shook his head.

Xie Wangfei clicked his tongue, frowning, “Can’t your third eye help?”

Qi Tianyu replied, “Did you mess up in class, so the Palace Master wants to warn all the Hall Masters as a lesson?”

Xie Wangfei: “Can you stop holding grudges? You got offended by a single word?”

“My eyes aren’t for that,” Qi Tianyu said coolly. “Besides, I don’t hold grudges—I usually retaliate immediately.”

Xie Wangfei: “...”

...

Arriving at the Hall of Clarity, Qin Juan was already waiting, a small table set with seven teacups clearly prepared for their arrival.

“Palace Master,” Xie Wangfei greeted her.

Though somewhat uneasy after recent training sessions, he begrudgingly showed respect to Qin Juan for her efforts to pass down the Thousand Mechanisms Tower’s forging techniques.

Soon, all seven gathered; the last to arrive was Shen Tu Suxin, who had just hurriedly finished breakfast.

“Boss, what’s the matter?” Since the employee training conference began, Shen Tu Suxin had taken to calling Qin Juan “Boss” instead of “Palace Master,” for reasons unknown but with much respect.

Qin Juan corrected calmly, “Use titles in public.”

Long Langbai, organizing documents nearby, chuckled quietly but quickly sobered under Qin Juan’s steady gaze.

“It’s like this,” Qin Juan began.

The seven Hall Masters tensed—whenever Qin Juan said those four words, it never boded well.

“The employee training has been going on for three days. I want to hear your impressions and suggestions for improvements. We aim to nurture a batch of high-quality talent for the Demon Palace through training, not just expendable resources.”

Before Qin Juan finished, Xie Wangfei interrupted, “Their basics are too weak. Teaching them forging techniques is like playing the lute to a cow.”

“Have you considered that what they need most isn’t your advanced Thousand Mechanisms Tower forging techniques but the fundamentals of forging?” Qin Juan responded coldly. “Most are wild cultivators with cultivation levels between the second and third stages—any cultivation they have has exhausted their life’s energy. How could they understand your ‘world-rare’ forging arts?”

Her sharp gaze swept over Xie Wangfei. “Many can’t even read fully—how will they grasp your ‘peerless art’?”

Shen Tu Suxin’s eyes stabbed into Xie Wangfei like knives, her brows furrowed in pained reproach: “Xie Wangfei, I misjudged you. Who would have thought you were this kind of person?”

Pei Yan shook his head solemnly, while Long Langbai comforted Shen Tu Suxin gently.

Xie Wangfei was speechless.

... Truly damned—she had forgotten the Demon Palace’s people came from impoverished backgrounds, many even forced into servitude. Illiteracy was common; some didn’t even know how to meditate to cultivate energy.

They had stumbled blindly onto the path of cultivation, then blindly entered the Demon Realm to eke out a living in the Demon Palace.

Shen Tu Suxin wiped her mouth and spoke: “Boss, although the Demon Palace’s people have limited skill and potential, they aren’t useless.”

Xie Wangfei: “... Shen Tu Suxin, are you trying to kick me when I’m down?”

Shen Tu Suxin raised a hand to silence him, continuing, “I think instead of lecturing, they need more practice. Since many are illiterate, we should change our teaching methods. In the Demon Palace, even if they learn a bit, it won’t amount to much.”

“Better to teach them self-defense.”

Pei Yan cleared his throat. “Both Shen Tu and Xie Wangfei make good points. Combining the two would be ideal. Learning only martial arts without magic could lead to demonic deviation, burdening the Demon Palace. Studying only magic without martial skills would leave us vulnerable in conflicts with other sects, also a liability.”

Xie Wangfei glared at Pei Yan. “Do you really need to say such nice things? If conditions were right, who wouldn’t want to pursue both paths?”

Pei Yan and Xie Wangfei instantly began bickering, and the others joined in with jabs and retorts. If not for Qin Juan’s unpredictable lightning magic, their old grudges and new quarrels would have erupted into a full fight long ago.

“Pei Yan, you sycophant! I’ve never liked you—always flattering, but can’t do anything useful!”

“And you, Shen Tu Suxin! Do you know you eat as much as ten people?”

A barrage of indiscriminate attacks ensued...

Among the six embroiled in the melee, only Qi Tianyu, eyes closed, remained detached.

Qin Juan glanced at him, then shook her head, sighing inwardly. She hadn’t witnessed such a lively workplace dispute in years.

Real combat was far more satisfying.

She sipped the tea Pei Yan had brought from the Hall of Peace; compared to the aged leaves in the Hall of Clarity, it was heaven and earth apart—sweet and lingering.

Next time, she’d add more sugar.

Setting down the cup, the room fell silent instantly.

Qin Juan looked up. “Employees in the classroom opposite are studying quietly. If they knew their instructors behaved like this behind closed doors, would they still listen attentively?”

The Hall Masters’ faces stiffened, each stepping back.

Qin Juan nodded and turned to Qi Tianyu, who had yet to speak.

“Hall Master Qi, how do you feel?”

“Very positive. The employee training conference has not only strengthened disciples’ sense of belonging but also improved their professionalism. It aligns strictly with the Palace Master’s expectations and benefits the Demon Palace’s development. The lectures enhance bonds between Hall Masters and disciples, foster unity within the halls, and showcase the Hall Masters’ abilities—an excellent opportunity for their growth,” Qi Tianyu replied instinctively.

After finishing, he fell silent. What had he just said?

Wow, the others were amazed—even Qi Tianyu had been so deeply influenced.

“Hall Master Qi’s insights are profound. Others, take note,” Qin Juan said, standing.

“I know there have been many obstacles during the lectures, which also test each of you. I expect satisfactory results. Your efforts will open a new chapter in the history of the Demon Palace.”

“Remember to include your reflections and improvement plans in your daily reports. Bring your proposals for discussion tomorrow. Meeting adjourned! Hall Master Xie, stay behind.”

The Hall Masters, worn out by both classes and work, exchanged glances and looked sympathetically toward Xie Wangfei—

Then left with a smirk.

...

Nightfall.

Xie Wangfei, who had been meditating with eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

“I really deserve this...”