Peace lasted exactly three days.
On the fourth morning, Lin Chen was reviewing sect finances—
which now included a line item labeled:
"Planetary Maintenance (Provisional)"
—when the sky politely coughed.
Once.
The disciples froze.
The pavilion went rigid.
Little Green slowly turned its leaves upward.
A golden ripple spread across the clouds, opening like an official stamp.
Lin Chen sighed.
"…Here we go."
---
A figure descended.
White robes.
Golden sash.
Expression of someone who absolutely did not want this assignment.
He landed awkwardly, tripped on a loose stone, and caught himself.
"…Ah. Azure Cloud Sect," the man said, checking a jade tablet. "I am Heaven's—uh—Observer Trainee Number 947."
Lin Chen blinked.
"…An intern?"
The intern stiffened. "Probationary Inspector."
"Right. Intern."
---
> System Notification:
Heavenly Authority Detected (Low Grade)
Threat Level: Manageable
Recommendation: Be Polite. Do Not Tease. (Optional)
Lin Chen smiled politely.
The disciples did not.
---
The intern cleared his throat. "We've detected… irregular land resonance."
Lin Chen nodded. "We fixed that."
"…You fixed it?"
"Yes."
The intern frowned. "It's… older than Heaven's current framework."
Lin Chen shrugged. "Maintenance backlog."
---
The intern stared at the Spirit Root Pavilion.
"…Why is your building breathing?"
"It's nervous," Lin Chen replied.
The pavilion stopped breathing.
---
Little Green waddled forward and held up a sign:
WELCOME, CELESTIAL VISITOR
PLEASE DON'T DELETE US
The intern screamed.
Just a little.
---
After several cups of tea and one emotional breakdown, the intern sat across from Lin Chen.
"I don't understand," he said weakly. "Your sect shouldn't exist."
Lin Chen sipped calmly.
"And yet."
---
> Heavenly Record Update (Pending Approval):
Azure Cloud Sect
Status: Anomalous but Stable
Classification: Do Not Touch (For Now)
The intern brightened. "Oh good. I can mark this as 'Handled'."
He stood quickly. "Please don't ascend anything for… let's say… a decade?"
Lin Chen nodded. "We'll try."
Little Green crossed its leaves.
---
Before leaving, the intern hesitated.
"…Sect Master Lin?"
"Yes?"
"…If I wanted to transfer to your sect… would that be allowed?"
Lin Chen smiled.
"Submit an application."
The intern bowed so hard he nearly cracked the ground.
---
As the sky sealed shut, the system chimed.
> Sect Reputation Increased:
Among Heaven (Junior Staff): Legendary
Bonus: Reduced Random Inspections
Lin Chen leaned back.
"…We're popular with the interns."
Zhao Feng whispered, "Master… are we safe?"
Lin Chen looked at the calm sky, the steady ground, and the radish polishing its sign.
"For now," he said.
Then paused.
"…Probably."
And somewhere in Heaven's filing department,
a note was added in red ink:
DO NOT ASSIGN SENIOR STAFF TO AZURE CLOUD SECT