The Maid’s Unconventional Recruitment

“This is what you get for not wearing underwear! This is what you get for not wearing underwear! This is what you get for—”

Once Ji Jie had donned her clothes, Tou began raining punches upon her forehead, blow after blow.

To think he had witnessed such an ‘evil’ sight today! Normally, when he slept beside his masters, they always wore their undergarments properly.

Tou had only ever encountered such sights within the pages of lurid, yellow-covered books. To behold it so starkly and unprepared in reality, however, left an unsettling sensation festering within his heart.

And he wasn’t even allowed to touch!

Shouldn’t such an encounter unfold as a complete experience, just as depicted in those yellow-covered books?

Merely being allowed to look, yet forbidden from touching, left his ‘Gil’ (TL Note: A humorous, slightly crude term for a male appendage) utterly unmotivated!

The more Tou pondered, the more his displeasure mounted, escalating into a simmering rage. He lunged forward, poised to deliver another kick to Ji Jie.

Yet, he had forgotten the gnawing hunger that had long since sapped his strength. This relentless assault and verbal abuse against Ji Jie was, in truth, merely overtaxing his already depleted physical reserves.

His body had finally reached its absolute limit!

The moment he lifted one leg, the other buckled beneath him. Tou’s body, utterly beyond his control, toppled backward, his rear end hitting the unyielding bluestone brick pavement with a jarring thud.

Already drifting into a hazy stupor, Tou could no longer register the searing pain of his backside being flattened into what felt like eight-pack abs.

“Oh, Little Tou!”

Fourth Master Yue Ye Si swiftly moved to support Tou, her face etched with profound concern.

She quickly discerned the reason for Tou’s collapse. Gently brushing the hair from his forehead, her cheeks flushed with a soft crimson, she leaned down and pressed a kiss upon his lips.

One could visibly perceive the vibrant spiritual energy emanating from Yue Ye Si as it surged into Tou’s depleted form.

Tou’s pallid complexion rapidly regained its vibrancy, much like a parched field suddenly bursting with color after a refreshing rain.

“Spirit… Spirit replenishment!”

This intimate display, however, utterly astonished Ji Jie. Beyond the question of whether two girls kissing was appropriate in her estimation, the sheer existence of this Spirit Replenishment technique alone was enough to send her shock soaring to the heavens.

“The Spirit Replenishment Technique, an ancient art! How can you wield it? Furthermore, infusing the spiritual energy of a Heavenly Human Realm expert into a Spirit Vein Realm martial artist—are you not terrified of causing Tou to explode?”

She recalled reading about this technique in an old tome. The Spirit Replenishment Technique, it was said, had been exceedingly rare even during the ancient cultivation era, and mastering it was an even more formidable challenge.

One crucial caveat, however, stated that high-tier cultivators were strictly forbidden from replenishing the spiritual energy of those a full major realm below them. To do so would unleash an effect surpassing even Emperor-tier spells.

A full major realm separated Tou’s Spirit Vein Realm from Yue Ye Si’s Heavenly Human Realm! Was Yue Ye Si truly unafraid of inadvertently killing her blond, blue-eyed little apprentice?

Contrary to all expectations, no explosion reverberated through the air. A short while later, Tou’s eyes fluttered open, and his entire being brimmed with renewed vitality.

With a surge of renewed vigor, he even angrily pummeled Yue Ye Si, the very person who had just kissed him. It was only when his stomach let out another plaintive growl that he ceased, turning his fierce gaze toward the bewildered Ji Jie standing nearby.

That predatory gaze, as if he intended to devour Ji Jie whole, sent a chill down her spine. She had foolishly believed him to be a sweet little sister, utterly unprepared for the revelation that he was, in fact, a ferocious tiger.

“L-little sister. I’ll give you all my bread…”

Ji Jie tremblingly extended the bread toward Tou, her voice hushed and deferential. She harbored a distinct apprehension that even a slight increase in volume might provoke his ire.

“Hmph…”

With an indignant huff, Tou exhaled sharply through his nose, his shoulders trembling with fury. He then delivered a swift, forceful kick to Ji Jie’s inner thigh, eliciting a pained howl from her that made her cry out for her mother.

Tou, impartial in his chastisements, grabbed the two loaves of bread with both hands, then sneered with open disgust:

“Stupid woman, this Big Daddy is a man! Dare to mistake me for a girl again, and I’ll… I’ll kick you to death!”

As he spoke, Tou punctuated his threat with a demonstrative kick toward Ji Jie, though she managed to evade it.

This time, however, Tou merely shot Ji Jie a final glare before scurrying behind Fourth Master, where he contentedly munched on his small bread.

Ji Jie, however, remained utterly flabbergasted. A man? What? How could such an adorable figure possibly—how could he be a man!

She recalled having even embraced ‘him’ earlier, and worse, her entire body had been thoroughly scrutinized!

“Th-this, this, this…”

A belated realization dawned upon Ji Jie, and her cheeks involuntarily flushed crimson. She felt a surge of shame and indignation, yet paradoxically, she couldn’t pinpoint a valid reason for her anger. After all, having been seen naked by the adorable boy Tou, his expression had plainly indicated that he felt he was the one who had suffered a tremendous loss.

Fortunately, Ji Jie was a seasoned martial artist who had endured numerous experiences, allowing her to quickly compose herself. She then resumed her attempts to persuade them, hoping to secure a place within their team.

“Um, are you truly not going to consider me?”

“Impossible. Don’t even entertain the thought.”

Yue Ye Si produced a cup of water, anxious that Tou might eat too quickly and choke. She persistently encouraged him to eat slowly, to take a sip of water first, and to avoid choking.

Upon realizing Ji Jie’s renewed attempt to join their party, Yue Ye Si rejected her outright, without a moment’s hesitation.

“Hmph! Fourth Master, let us keep our distance from this pervert. I find the very thought of breathing the same air as her utterly repulsive!”

No longer particularly hungry, Tou leisurely chewed his bread, his casual curse escaping his lips.

“I truly only wish to team up with you! I swear I harbor no ulterior motives; you must believe me!”

Suddenly, Ji Jie darted in front of them, spreading her arms to block their path, and pleaded in a pitiful tone:

“The truth is, I’m almost entirely out of spirit stones. My low cultivation level prevents me from accepting higher-difficulty missions within the Demon Exorcism Division, which, in turn, keeps my income meager. I’m rapidly approaching a point where I can no longer sustain myself!

I instantly perceived both of you as exceptionally distinguished and noted that you’ve undertaken a highly lucrative mission. Thus, I resolved to join your ranks; even a mere tenth of the reward would surpass my earnings for the past half-month!

Please, I beg of you, allow me to remain. If you’ll only let me join your small team, I’ll even give you my home, and every last spirit stone I possess will be yours to cover your travel expenses!”

“Well, Little Tou, what are your thoughts?”

Yue Ye Si was not swayed by Ji Jie’s lengthy, persuasive rhetoric; she simply felt indifferent. A mere Spirit Vein Realm nobody could hardly stir up any trouble in her presence.

As Tou’s master, she couldn’t possibly make all his decisions for him. Her little apprentice needed to gain experience; only by enduring a few hardships could he truly mature and become well-behaved.

Tou, meanwhile, squinted one eye at the bothersome individual obstructing his path, a sudden recollection sparking in his mind—a particular plotline from a lurid, yellow-covered book he had once perused.

It was the tale of a working girl who, due to meager wages, found herself unable to pay rent. Forced to sell her body, she was then locked in a small, dark room by several men who took turns tormenting her.

If Tou failed to assist this young woman before him today, her fate would likely mirror that of the working girl in the story.

Tou had always assumed the narratives within those books were mere fabrications, yet here he was, swiftly encountering a young woman on the cusp of being exploited by others.

He vividly recalled the words he had spoken to his masters before descending the mountain.

His very purpose in descending the mountain was to rescue young women, like Ji Jie, who faced the imminent threat of exploitation by villains!

To enact justice, to ensure the light of righteousness illuminated every corner of the world!

Only then, upon his return to the mountain, could he proudly recount his glorious deeds to his masters, ensuring they would no longer underestimate him or treat him as a mere child.

And now, an opportunity lay directly before him—one Tou intended to seize firmly! Rescuing a beautiful maiden in peril; first, he would make Fourth Master ‘open her eyes’ (TL Note: A humorous, slightly crude Chinese idiom meaning to gain a new, often shocking, perspective or experience).

“Hm… *cough, cough!*”

Tou cleared his throat, intending to speak with the refined air of a gentleman, much like Boss Qiao from his books. Yet, his ingrained habit of delivering sharp, sarcastic remarks, cultivated over many years, led him to open his mouth and curse with palpable disdain:

“I don’t strike dogs that wag their tails. Given your apparent loyalty, I shall permit you, this dog, to follow behind me! Furthermore, have you ever heard of a maid uniform? From now on, you shall wear one in my presence!”

Fourth Master had once claimed that this world lacked maids, kemonomimi (beast-eared girls), JK (high school girls), and Ultraman. In response, Tou resolved to create beautiful maidens embodying these very elements.

Conveniently, the woman before him, obedient as a dog, perfectly fit the criteria for a maid. He decided to keep her by his side for now, to play the role of his personal maid.

With this combination of rescuing a maiden and acquiring a maid, Tou had simultaneously achieved two milestones, filling his heart with boundless glee! His gaze upon Ji Jie grew positively fervent!