The immortal is beside me

Chapter 25: Once upon a time there was a mountain, and in the mountain there was a cave

Zhou Qing asked leisurely, "What did they talk to you about?"

"This... it's a long story."

Qin Jiajia seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Well, didn't you say a while ago that you wanted to investigate those evil cultivators who attacked you? The higher-ups asked me and a few other senior specialists to go to the power plant where the evil cultivators had appeared before, and we suddenly ran into a cultivator."

She briefly recounted the situation, and Zhou Qing listened, lost in thought.

I originally wanted to take this opportunity to ask about the previous incident of the true fire being triggered, but now there is no need to ask.

"After I and the other specialists woke up, the medical department said we were fine after the examination and told us to go back and rest. As soon as I returned to the dormitory, I was called back to headquarters for questioning. They first asked me to describe the situation at the power plant in detail, and then they asked about what I told you last time in the park. They asked me in great detail."

There was a pause, and then a hint of nervousness when he spoke again: "I told him what you told me before, that a long time ago, a powerful force sent a girl to ask for your help, asking you to help them deal with their enemies. As a result, the big boss's face turned green after hearing it. Did I say something wrong?"

"It's just a few words, I'll say it now." Zhou Qing said, "What are your plans next?"

"Me? I should be temporarily transferred."

Qin Jiajia said, "Because of this incident, the investigation mission has been suspended. Although nothing serious happened, the director said that I had come into direct contact with the enemy, and continuing with my specialist duties would be dangerous. He said that during this period, I would be temporarily transferred to a partner unit to do some research work, which would be like on-the-job training, and would also help me stay out of the spotlight. I will be transferred back once the situation stabilizes."

"That's good." Zhou Qing nodded slightly.

With the true fire around, he wasn't too worried about Qin Jiajia's safety. It was just that she was now connected to his past, which would always attract unnecessary attention. This was not a good thing for her or the people around her.

As a newbie in cultivating immortals, getting too close to the center of the vortex is never a good thing.

"Let's not talk about that for now. The senior leader named Lu who came to talk to me said he wanted to visit you. He asked me to pass on a message to you and ask for your opinion."

Her voice was so low that it was almost a whisper. She said she was delivering a message, but she was so cautious as if she was snitching.

"His preparations this time are not simple. I heard he's bringing a master from a sect with him. I remember that sect is called Jiuli."

There is a famous mountain in Guanzhong called Zhongnan.

There is a cave in the mountain, called Jiuli.

A mountain supports the sect's main hall. Disciples dressed in the sect's Taoist robes run around the hall. Looking around the mountain, clouds are rising and hundreds of birds are circling.

This is the "fairyland" described in countless poems and songs: a cavernous paradise between reality and illusion, a place where spiritual energy converges and where monks reside.

After the signing of the immortal-mortal cooperation agreement, officials offered to help each sect rebuild its residences, converting its buildings into more livable modern structures. However, due to the unique structure of the cave heavens, large equipment like cranes and excavators could not enter. Ancient cultivators were reluctant to see their centuries-old homes destroyed by excavators. Therefore, most sect cave heavens remained in their original state, reminiscent of centuries past.

The Jiuli Sect is no exception in this regard. The architecture of the entire sect presents the style of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, rigorous and magnificent.

A man in green clothes landed outside the sect's main hall as cloth boots tapped against the long stairs. The disciples at the door saw who was coming and hurriedly bowed to greet him.

"Deacon Jiang, you're back."

Jiang Ruifeng nodded as a response to their greeting, and then raised the document bag in his hand, which was stamped with the special sealing stamp of the Environmental Sanitation Bureau.

"Tell the elders for me that I have something important to report. It's extremely important."

"The Sect Master and the elders are in the hall right now, but..."

The gatekeeper glanced at the gate behind him and said, "The Buddhist sect has sent someone to visit us today. They are currently communicating with the elders and it should be over soon."

Buddhism? Jiang Ruifeng was about to ask when he saw the door to the Elders' Hall open. Several monks in robes emerged from behind the door and headed towards the cave's exit. Jiang Ruifeng frowned slightly and stepped aside to let these Buddhist monks pass, as if he was afraid of being contaminated by some bad aura.

Due to various historical reasons, the relationship between Jiuli and Buddhism has never been good. After entering the modern era, the various supernatural forces have maintained a delicate balance under official mediation, and many old enemies have begun to have some superficial exchanges, but this is only superficial.

Now the Buddhist sect suddenly came to visit Jiuli. Although Jiang Ruifeng did not know their purpose, he had been influenced by the sect since he was a child. When he saw these bald men, he subconsciously felt that something bad was going to happen.

After watching the group of monks disappear at the gate, he ordered his disciples to go inside and deliver the message. After receiving a positive reply, he turned around, stepped over the threshold and entered the hall.

After crossing the heavy door, what appeared before us was a spacious meeting hall. The nine elders sat on both sides, accompanied by several deacons. In the center of the crowd, an old man in a crane cloak stood on the main seat. His hair and beard were all white, and his brows were light. Just sitting there, he looked majestic without even being angry.

The current leader of the Jiuli Sect, Yan Guoyun, has reached the level of a spirit being transformed and has lived for over 1200 years. He is a true top master and a living fossil. There are no more than two hands of people in China whose lifespans can match his.

Perhaps because a "diplomatic" relationship had just ended, there was still some discussion in the Elders' Hall. The words that were heard most frequently were "evil monk", "invasion" and "old grudge".

As Jiang Ruifeng entered, Yan Guoyun in the center raised his hand, and the chaos around him suddenly became silent. Everyone's eyes were focused on the figure walking into the lobby.

"Deacon Jiang Ruifeng, greetings to the Sect Master."

Jiang Ruifeng bowed and said, "The Environmental Sanitation Bureau has recently handed over two pieces of important news. I hope to inform the Sect Master and the elders."

"You can tell me anything you want." Yan Guoyun looked at him, his expression still calm. "Is it the matter about the Peach Blossom Spring that I reported earlier?"

"This is indeed one of them." Jiang Ruifeng nodded and handed over the document bag in his hand. "Chinese officials have been investigating this for several months. Many of the clues they have obtained are consistent with the Peach Blossom Spring recorded in history. They have also taken action against some of the peripheral members. I hope you will take a look at it."

The file bag floated up from his hand, and pages of information papers were automatically pulled out from it and floated towards the old man on the main seat. They were flipped through in a few breaths, and finally piled up again and fell to the elders' seats on both sides.

"Recently, spiritual energy has surged, and many ancient artifacts have shown signs of revival. I didn't expect that Peach Blossom Spring is among them."

Yan Guoyun shook his head slightly and looked around. "This matter cannot be underestimated. Next, we should dispatch more deacons and elite disciples to the mortal world depending on the situation, and the external affairs elders will be on standby. What are your opinions?"

There was a whisper of conversation on both sides, and words were passed back and forth between the seats, like a dragonfly touching the water, creating ripples.

"According to historical records, the Peach Blossom Spring involved both immortals and mortals, and its magic and techniques were similar to religious beliefs. Historical records abound of people from the Peach Blossom Spring using magic to invade people's spirits and transform them for their own benefit. The mortal population has increased dozens of times compared to a thousand years ago, making them all potential targets for the Peach Blossom Spring. The danger is probably even greater than it was then."

"Back then, our sect was able to suppress Peach Blossom Spring by uniting with the various sects in the Central Plains to form an Immortal Alliance. The situation in the human world today is vastly different from the past. If this is truly an old enemy, the other sects in the realm will not sit idly by. I believe we should observe and then act."

"The Peach Blossom Spring sect is adept at hiding its presence. I believe we should prioritize personnel rather than numbers. We should deploy a small number of elite warriors above the Jindan stage to garrison the area, while leaving the larger-scale reconnaissance to the Chinese authorities."

As old enemies, the matter of Peach Blossom Spring was clearly not something they could easily settle. The debate raged for an incense stick's worth of time, with disagreements still lingering. It wasn't until the leader of the central clan spoke again that the discussion subsided.

"Jiang Ruifeng just said he had two things to report, so I'll let him finish first and then make a decision," Yan Guoyun said. "Besides the Peach Blossom Spring, what's the other thing?"

"This matter may be even more important than the Peach Blossom Spring."

Jiang Ruifeng remained calm and tried his best to keep his tone as calm as possible.

"During the search for Peach Blossom Spring, the Environmental Sanitation Bureau discovered traces of a spell."

"I was also at the scene at the time, and I can confirm that the aura of that magic came from the Infinite True Fire. Combined with the official intelligence, the person who left this True Fire behind was most likely Zhou Wuqing."

ps. I saw several friends asking about the number of chapters, so I will reply here

The new book period before it is put on the shelves is unified as 4000 words per day. If there are two updates per day, it is 2×2000 words. If there is one update, it is to combine two chapters into a 4000-word chapter. The word count remains unchanged.
(End of this chapter)