Wei Chen reached the Heavenly Sword Sect Square, revealing a scene that could captivate anyone, especially a man from the modern world like him.
The vast square was enormous, as large as Central Park no… it's even larger. People came and went, often riding flying swords. Judging from the surrounding area, the entire sect might even be larger than Manhattan itself.
"Damn… the scale of this Xianxia world is over the top. I wonder if those authors often made it this big because they're overcompensating for something of them that is small?" Wei Chen muttered in wonder as he looked around like a country bumpkin.
He then quickly found one of the disciples and asked for directions.
"Sir, excuse me, do you know where I could find the vice sect leader?"
The disciple stopped walking. "Vice sect leader? He should be at his dwelling on The Sword Peak over there. I heard he has an appointment with someone today."
The disciple pointed toward Sword Peak, where a massive sword pierced through the mountain like a monument.
"Thank you for the directions, sir. I appreciate it." Wei Chen thanked the disciple and went on his way, using his movement technique.
The disciple saw Wei Chen suddenly vanish without a trace and was startled, but that surprise quickly turned into admiration.
"Who's that guy? His movement skill is so unparalleled… wait, his face looks familiar. Have I seen him somewhere?" The disciple thought for a moment, then shrugged and went on his way, unable to put his finger on where he had seen Wei Chen before.
— Meanwhile - The Sword Peak —
Jian Heng, the Vice Sect Leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect, was feeling confused and conflicted as he struggled to describe his current situation.
Make no mistake, Jian Heng was a man with utmost dedication to the sword path. He never wavered, no matter who his enemy was. Even if they were stronger than him by a whole realm, he could still defeat them.
And he had done so many times in the past.
But this time… it was different.
Two days ago, he had received a formal letter from the Thousand Treasure Pavilion.
He knew very well that the Thousand Treasure Pavilion was the financial front for the Sky-Severing Demon Valley, a demonic sword path sect that rivaled his own. Still, since the letter was official, he had no choice but to accept it.
After all, the Heavenly Sword Sect still needed to trade with the Thousand Treasure Pavilion. Many essential materials could only be found in places steeped in darkness, rich with demonic qi, and of questionable origin.
The economy of this world could not function without the contributions of those willing to dirty their hands and their reputations.
Yet the letter's contents were not the usual invoices or payment reminders for goods purchased from the Thousand Treasure Hall. Instead, it was an introduction letter for a man named Wei Chen, accompanied by a list of questions.
The letter explained that Wei Chen had requested an appointment and interview with him. In exchange, the Thousand Treasure Pavilion was willing to extend the payment period for the last batch of bloodstones the Heavenly Sword Sect had purchased.
Of course, he accepted the offer. It was a good deal for the Heavenly Sword Sect.
But still…
What was an interview? Jian Heng frowned in confusion.
In this world, there were no newspapers or mainstream media. News and information came only in the form of rumors and hearsay. Those who sought accuracy would instead consult information brokers or sects that specialized in gathering intelligence.
Information itself was treated as a commodity to be traded. Some knowledge was so critical it could dictate life and death, so no one would willingly publicize it unless they had ulterior motives, such as destroying another's reputation.
Thus, it stood to reason that Jian Heng had no idea what an interview was.
From the letter, however, he gathered that it was some kind of question-and-answer process. Wei Chen would ask questions, and he would simply need to answer.
Now, Jian Heng sat studying the list of questions Wei Chen had sent him beforehand. The letter instructed him to mark any questions he didn't wish to answer.
The questions ranged from his early life to his rise to fame. Some were personal or lighthearted, such as whether he had a wife, or what type of woman he preferred.
At first, he expected questions probing into the secrets of his sword path epiphanies, or the sword techniques he had painstakingly developed. But contrary to his expectations, none of those were present.
After carefully reading through the list, he decided not to mark anything. Since there were no questions about his secret techniques, he had no issue answering.
Even though some of the questions struck him as strange, like "Who was your first woman?", "What is the most awkward moment in your life?", or "If Azure Sky Elder were a woman, would you still do what you did?"
On second thought, he decided to cross out the last one. That question was too weird for him to accept.
While Jian Heng was rereading and crossing out questions with his brush in the study, a disciple entered to report to him.
"Vice Sect Leader, a man named Wei Chen said he has an appointment with you. Is he the one you mentioned?" the disciple asked.
"Yes, he is the one. Where is he?" Jian Heng stood up.
"Answering Vice Sect Leader, he's waiting at the pavilion not far from your courtyard."
Jian Heng nodded. "Good. Entertain him for a bit and brew a pot of tea. I'll be there shortly."
"Yes, Vice Sect Leader." The disciple accepted the order and went out to prepare the tea to receive Wei Chen.
Jian Heng reread the list of questions once again to make sure there were no overly weird questions. After confirming, he decided it was time to meet this Wei Chen.
...
At the pavilion, Wei Chen was marveling at the view of the sea of clouds surrounding the sword peak. He compared the height of this place to Mount Washburn… no, there was no comparison. This place was definitely much higher.
As Wei Chen admired the stunning scenery, he suddenly sensed a presence approaching. It was sharp and dominating, like a sword itself.
Turning around, he saw a man who looked to be in his late twenties walking toward the pavilion.
Wei Chen smiled and cupped his fist in greeting.
"I assume you are Vice Sect Leader Jian Heng. It's good to meet you, Vice Leader," Wei Chen said with a smile.
This was not his previous world. Here, instead of a handshake, cupping fists was the proper etiquette.
"You must be Mr. Wei, the one who has become the talk of the town recently," Jian Heng greeted politely, returning the gesture with a cupped fist.
"Vice Sect Leader Jian Heng, you must have already read the questions I sent to you. Are there any that you find uncomfortable? If so, please tell me and I'll cross them out of our interview session," Wei Chen asked, immediately starting his work.
"Oh, I already crossed them out. Please take a look." Jian Heng produced the question list and handed it to Wei Chen.
Wei Chen carefully read through all the questions and the one that had been crossed out, comparing them in case there were related questions Jian Heng might have overlooked that could still make him uncomfortable to answer.
After a brief moment of review and confirming that everything was in order, Wei Chen made a few notes on the question paper.
He then began preparing Jian Heng for the interview that would be broadcast tomorrow. He explained the content, the flow of the interview, and its goal, making sure there would be no misunderstanding during the live broadcast.
Jian Heng was a bit confused at first, but he quickly caught on and even started to enjoy the discussion.
After listening to the content Wei Chen had prepared, Jian Heng realized this event would greatly benefit the Heavenly Sword Sect, and both he and the sect would gain significant prestige.
By the end, he was the one looking forward to the broadcast.
— Meanwhile - Sword Manor —
At the secret hall, Jian Ganglie was watching the machine built from several spiritual arrays according to the blueprint Wei Chen had given him.
This machine was a production device designed to continuously pump out Spirit Net Jades, and it had been set up as a simple assembly line.
Even now, he still felt that this kind of production efficiency was like a dream. He had never imagined that producing such a complicated artifact could be this fast and easy.
All it required was arranging several people, training them to specialize in one specific task, and assigning them to assemble the parts pumped out by the machine according to the blueprint.
In just one day, they had produced more than 800 Spirit Net Jades… No, Wei Chen had already named it.
The U-Phone.
He didn't know what it meant, but the icon engraved on the back of the case and the overall design were so sleek that they gave him a sense of advancement.
If he were to put it into words, it it should be… a little futuristic. This was the first time he had ever experienced something like this.
He can't wait for the plan they had agreed on to take effect on the world!