The immortal is beside me

Chapter 17 Opportunity
Qin Jiajia was stunned. These days, she had been busy with Zhou Qing's negotiation task, but had never thought about her own problems.

Do you want to continue working at the Environmental Sanitation Bureau?

If she had not happened to encounter Zhou Qing's mission, she would probably have listened to Li Yulan's words, strictly drawn a line between herself and the immortal cultivators, handled official business impartially, settled down in the city with the welfare of the Environmental Sanitation Bureau, returned to her hometown during the New Year with gifts issued by her unit, and risen to a position of superiority amid the envious eyes of her relatives.

Now that this incident has happened, it is undeniable that she has indeed questioned some of the practices of the Environmental Sanitation Bureau, otherwise she would not have taken the risk to come here and act as a suicide truck.

But, even so...

"Well, although some aspects are hard to describe, this company pays well with two days off a week, social security is paid at the highest level, and there's also housing provided as a welfare benefit. I probably won't be able to find a place with better treatment than this, and I heard there will be opportunities for cultivation later on."

She thought of many possible answers, but in the end, she had to admit that she was a mediocre person: "If I hadn't been terminated because of this mission, then I would still want to stay here."

"Is that so?" Zhou Qing nodded. "That's good."

Qin Jiajia looked at him. She had felt something strange since she first met Zhou Qing, and now she finally realized what was strange about it.

Although Zhou Qing used to be a calm person who took nothing to heart, he was a little too calm this time. He did not react at all to any unexpected events. Instead, he paid attention to her experience in the bureau, just like an elder inspecting the work of his juniors.

She suddenly remembered the manual on immortal knowledge that Li Yulan had asked her to read. It explained that the higher the level of cultivation, the closer the cultivator was to the Way of Heaven, and that the Way of Heaven itself was the integration of cause and effect in the world. All powerful beings were well-versed in cause and effect and could see through everything.

"You knew I would be the commissioner?" she asked in surprise.

Is he already this strong? Can he see through his future with just a simple touch?
"Even I can't see clearly the cause and effect of something this subtle."

Zhou Qing looked up at the clouds in the sky. "But I can sense that this world will soon be undergoing a major upheaval. Under this wave, the various immortal sects will inevitably search for fresh blood. As long as you have enough potential, you will definitely be sought out by some force."

Sufficient potential. Qin Jiajia recalled the conversation between her and Li Yulan at their first Extraordinary Conference. The leader mentioned her "excellent physique" more than once. At the time, she just thought it was a reference to her own exceptional talent.

"When I discovered you had spiritual roots, I placed a spell on you. It's usually invisible, but as long as it's there, you'll inevitably be noticed by interested cultivators. If they're up to something nefarious, the spell will automatically protect you. If they're sincere, it can also serve as a trump card. As for whether you want to embark on cultivation, that's up to you."

Qin Jiajia subconsciously touched her chest with her hand. There was nothing unusual on her body. The only thing that was different from usual was that her neck was burning hot.

Thinking back to the last time they met, she was still teaching him how to make "plans" in a very strict manner. Now she realized that all the achievements she was proud of were thanks to the man in front of her, and her bright future had already been clearly arranged.

The memory of that time at the restaurant came rushing back to bite her. Thinking about her condescending tone of instruction was even more humiliating than recalling her own QQ space from junior high school. She was so embarrassed she wanted to dig her brain out and re-examine it right there.

"Well..." She was so frightened that she was almost incoherent, unable to even say "thank you". "You've put so much effort into helping me, what should I do if I can't repay you?"

"It's not that difficult, it's just that everyone has their own strengths," Zhou Qing said, fiddling with his phone. "Back in school, you were more familiar with these modern facilities, so you taught me how to use them. And I just so happened to have some accomplishments in spiritual practice, so I gave you an opportunity. There's no essential difference between the two things."

These words weren't meant to comfort him, but rather were the truth. Casting spells on others to protect them was a piece of cake for him.

Time is like a journey, and all beings are passers-by. This passer-by accompanied him for a while and also showed him the way, so he responded in equal measure - at least to him, it was equal.

"There are countless ways to cultivate. The method I practice isn't entirely suitable for you, and it's difficult to teach. Since you want to cultivate, and the Environmental Sanitation Bureau treats you well, staying there is also an option."

These words were beyond Qin Jiajia's expectations.

According to what she'd heard at the Sanitation Bureau, several specialists with more experience than her had approached her before, but all had been rejected by Zhou Qing. She'd assumed he was the anarchist type common among ancient cultivators, or at least someone with a strong prejudice against officialdom, but now he hadn't objected to her wanting to stay at the Sanitation Bureau.

"prejudice?"

Zhou Qing was amused by her question. "If they come to trouble me, I will deal with it myself. But in the final analysis, I just want to live a peaceful life and don't want to be involved in too many troubles. As long as they don't come to disturb my peace, why should I have a prejudice against them?"

"I don't want to join them, but I don't dislike them as a group either. Although no system is perfect, at least they are suppressing the evils that have never been solved in the past."

"An unresolved problem?"

Zhou Qing glanced at her and didn't directly answer her question. He just said, "The people from the Environmental Sanitation Bureau should have told you why cultivating immortals needs to be kept secret."

Qin Jiajia nodded. "Because the Immortal Cultivators have always been interfering with and even manipulating history, this is difficult for most mortals to accept."

She was halfway through her words when she suddenly felt something was wrong and quickly added, "It's just that some cultivators do this! It doesn't mean there's something wrong with you."

"Don't be nervous. I've already said that I don't dislike them, and there's nothing wrong with that statement."

Zhou Qing said, revealing a rare thoughtful look: "But they actually explained it this way. This is indeed a possible explanation."

Qin Jiajia blinked and looked at him, somewhat confused.

"Indeed, cultivation can grant people many transcendental things, such as force and authority. Those who possess these are capable of overturning history."

"But power isn't exclusive to cultivators. Martial power can also be borrowed from external objects. Since ancient times, even kings, princes, and generals without spiritual roots have often left their names in history. In comparison, the greatest and most irreplaceable allure of cultivating immortality lies in 'immortality.'"

(End of this chapter)