novelProgressiveness
| ← Ch.034 | Ch.036 → |
Pada pada.
Water dripped onto the floorboards, producing faint sounds. Fu Li's arrival hadn't attracted the attention of his colleague, Old Luo. Old Luo stretched out a frozen-stiff hand and started knocking on the door thrice, over and over again.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Even the way it sounded was stiff. There was no noticeable difference in the intervals between his knocks.
Fu Li walked over to the door and told Old Luo, "You're blocking my way."
Old Luo's movements halted. He slowly turned his head and looked at Fu Li, muttering repeatedly, "Accept one's payment, do one's bidding. Accept one's payment, do one's bidding..." As he muttered, he made a grab for the edge of Fu Li's top.
Fu Li leaned his upper body to the side and avoided the hand Old Luo extended.
"Little Fu, why were you gone for so long?" Zhang Shan opened the door. Seeing that Old Luo was also present, he joked, "Old Luo, where did you go tonight to let loose? You're wet all over?"
Hearing Zhang Shan's voice, Old Luo turned and glanced towards Zhang Shan. A smile appeared on his face."I specially came to find you."
"What for..." Zhang Shan hadn't even completed his statement when he was pushed by Fu Li into the room. Without any preparation, he nearly took a tumble.
Clang!
He looked up and saw Fu Li squeeze into the room before firmly pulling the door shut. Old Luo's hand was wedged in the door crack, causing him to let out a pained yell. This scene frightened Zhang Shan till he momentarily lost the ability to speak. Only a long while later did he ask, "Little Fu, are y-you possessed?"
He just finished uttering these words when he saw Old Luo's hand drop!
"Hand, hand, hand!" Zhang Shan pointed at the arm that had dropped onto the ground, his voice sharp and hoarse."His hand dropped off ahhh!"
"Brother, don't get too excited, " The green-haired yao patted Zhang Shan on the shoulder and tapped him on the forehead."You're dreaming."
"Dreaming?" Zhang Shan walked to the restchair in a daze, seated himself, and then slumped over, falling asleep.
"A person's mind is hard to fathom, " The green-haired yao watched Fu Li stamp down on the broken hand with one leg. The hand instantly vanished in a puff of smoke. Shaking his head, he sighed with emotion, "I didn't expect the person outside to actually have chosen this brother as a death-substitute. But this brother has quite a lot of guts, he even dared to pick up a red packet containing a death-substitute talisman."
"He didn't pick it up, " Fu Li stamped his foot."I picked up the red packet."
The green haired-yao, "..."
Their yao race really had it hard - they couldn't even bear to waste that bit of money.
"Then what should we do now?" The green-haired yao didn't understand."Why did that vengeful ghost outside insist that it was this brother who picked up the red packet? Did he already choose this brother as his death-substitute while he was still alive?"
"It's possible his birthday happened to be suitable, " Fu Li recalled the location at which he had picked up the red packet that day. Zhang Shan would definitely pass by that area during his patrol. Perhaps at moments unknown to Zhang Shan, Old Luo had also thrown similar red packets at places he would definitely pass by.
Knowing that one might die, and thus finding someone else to die in place of oneself - did this stem from the humans' innate fear of death?Zhang Shan's life expectancy was considered long among humans. Making someone like him a death-substitute would require one to pay a debt, did these humans not understand this concept?
Fu Li felt that he might never understand the way humans thought. He turned, casting a glance at Ying Lu."Keep a close eye on Zhang Shan. I'll settle that vengeful ghost outside."
"All right, big brother, " Ying Lu very obediently stood by Zhang Shan's side.
Yao cultivators were still easier to understand and communicate with. Fu Li's feet stepped onto the trails of water. The water instantly turned into mist, vanishing. Old Luo's body had turned quite transparent.
"I can't die!" Tears of blood dripped from Old Luo's eyes."I still have a wife, children, and parents to look after, what will happen to them if I die?"
"Zhang Shan also has family, what basis is there for him to die on your behalf?" Fu Li's expression was cold."Life and death are ruled by fate. In a minute, a yinchai from the underworld will come to fetch you. Stop all this pointless struggling."
"What do you know!" Old Luo's expression turned malevolent, revealing the wound on his face that was so deep bone could be seen."Would a parentless youngster like you who doesn't even have a woman know about bonds? Know about emotions? As long as I can be with them, I'm willing to do anything!"
"I don't understand such emotions very well, but no matter how many reasons you have, they are not grounds for seizing what is others, " Fu Li's voice was calm."Things that belong to someone else belong to them. Snatching what is theirs is wrong."
"It is only right for someone who owes money to repay it. He owes me, so it's time to return it now, " Thick baleful yin rolled off Old Luo."Get out of the way!"
"Surely that 'money' you mentioned isn't that ten yuan red packet?" Fu Li sighed."Wanting to buy someone's life with just ten yuan, your imagination is a bit too rich and your behavior a bit too shameless. With your stinginess, you still want someone else to die in your place, do you think that's appropriate?"
"I don't care. He picked up the money, so he owes me, " Old Luo was no longer human. Delusion had already taken over him. In his eyes, Fu Li was now someone obstructing him. As for why Fu Li dared to block his path and even knew of something like death-substituting, his ghostly brain could no longer think of such things.
"But it's not him who picked up the red packet. That ten yuan of yours was spent by me, " Fu Li placed a restriction on the door. Even if Old Luo rammed into the door till his soul scattered, he wouldn't be able to enter."Why don't you ask for my lifespan?"
Old Luo's eyes turned scarlet and he raced directly towards Fu Li."Then you can die in my place."
Fu Li reached out a hand, blocking his way forward. Old Luo couldn't budge even an inch, as if his entire body had been frozen. Fu Li cocked his head and looked upon the extremely terrifying-looking Old Luo. Fu Li's distinct eyes were clear and limpid, devoid of any anger, delight, or disgust."A soul that has committed a wrong should be punished."
Ding.
Ding.
Fu Li blinked and turned, looking towards the end of the corridor. Li Xu's silhouette gradually appeared.
Li Xu saw the vengeful ghost whose head was being held in place by Fu Li's palm and saluted Fu Li in a manner reserved for seniors in the cultivation world."Mr Fu."
"You're here to ferry the soul?" Fu Li released his grip. As if alive, the Soul-Locking Chain in Li Xu's hands bound Old Luo. No matter how much Old Luo struggled, it was to no avail. The Soul-Locking Chain was deeply embedded into his body, twisting his body into a monstrous form.
"Many thanks to Mr Fu for helping me to capture this vengeful ghost, " Li Xu pulled on the Soul-Locking Chain as he bid goodbye to Fu Li.
"It's just a matter of raising a hand." Fu Li asked curiously, "Why are you ferrying souls again today?"
"Perhaps this is fate?" Li Xu smiled. Out of habit, he touched his pocket, wanting to light a cigarette. Then, he recalled that Fu Li didn't have the habit of smoking, so he retracted his hand."I didn't expect Mr Fu to still be working here."
Nobody would expect a yao cultivator who had lived for so many years to be reduced to a security guard in human society.
"I have a question I would like to consult you on."
Faced with Fu Li's clear, good-looking eyes, Li Xu subconsciously didn't dare to reject the other party's request."Please ask."
"Do you know if the yao cultivators of Reflecting Mist Mountain 1900 years ago have already reincarnated?
"Mr Fu, you should know that the underworld does not control the birth and death of yao cultivators, " Li Xu answered apologetically."For living creatures to transform as yao, the time and conditions have to be favorable. As for the passing of life and the disappearance of Dao, whether or not one can reincarnate will also depend on these."
Fu Li was silent. Naturally, he had heard of these things from the White Ape. He had merely thought of it all of a sudden, so he simply asked about it. He nodded and smiled, "Got it, many thanks for the information."
Li Xu hesitated for a moment, but still decided to convey the rumors he had heard 1920 years ago to Fu Li before leaving."During those years, I heard that the little yao of your mountain might have already been buried in the dragons' bellies, so..."
The azure dragon clan were heavyweights in the current era, so even their underworld had to yield to them to some degree. Even if Fu Li knew this, what could he do?
The devastation of the yao cultivators on that mountain that year had spread widely throughout the cultivation world. Ever since then, the yao cultivators became incomparably reverent towards the azure dragon clan. It was just a pity that those kind little yao lost their lives because of the azure dragon clan's moment of willfulness.
After Li Xu left, Fu Li opened the door and returned to the restroom. Ying Lu held up a handphone and asked, "Big brother, the rain's gotten smaller. I still need to do my deliveries."
"Okay, " Fu LI nodded."Be careful on the way."
Ying Lu nodded and jogged off. Not long after he left, Zhang Shan woke up. Rubbing his head, he asked, "Little Fu, how did I fall asleep?"
"Was I too sleepy?" Zhang Shan saw that the takeout boxes on the table had already been cleared by Fu Li, so he stood up and told Fu LI, "Then you take a rest, I'll go patrol."
"No need, I just went, " Fu Li tore a few tissues and wiped the oil stains on the table.
"Little Fu, you're really a true friend, " Zhang Shan placed an arm around Fu Li's shoulders, shaking his head."Oh right, I had a dream just now about Old Luo wanting to borrow money from me. I rummaged in my pocket for a very long time, but couldn't find any money, so I didn't lend any to him."
His shoulders drooped powerlessly."Even in my dreams, I'm a poor dog. Those who hear of this will feel hurt and those who witness this will shed tears - it's a physically and emotionally hurtful thing"
Fu Li patted his head. It was indeed quite miserable to be very poor in the human world.
"Little Fu, you seem like you're petting a dog?"
"Didn't you say you're a poor dog?"
"..."
The next morning, Fu Li and Zhang Shan were ready to get off work. When they reached the front counter, several security guards were huddled around with the front-counter girls, seemingly discussing something. Their expressions were heavy.
"Gossiping first thing in the morning?" Zhang Shan yawned."Take care not to be seen by the customers. They'll lodge a complaint against all of you."
"You still don't know?" Li Shi pulled at Zhang Shan, prompting him to speak less."Something happened to Old Luo."
"Old Luo?" Zhang Shan didn't understand."He skipped work last night, so it was just me and little Fu in charge of our team's floors for the entire night. Did he fall sick?"
Li Shi lowered his voice."He's dead."
"Dead?" A certain hazy scene surfaced in Zhang Shan's mind, though it vanished when Fu Li walked over to him. He rubbed his head and thought, perhaps it was because he had dreamt of lending Old Luo money the previous night.
"En, I heard he fell into the sea yesterday noon and drowned. His corpse was only found in the middle of the night yesterday. It seems like his family members are currently kneeling outside the hotel and making a fuss."
"He didn't even work last night, what is his family doing making a fuss at the hotel?"
Li Shi shrugged, a helpless look on his face.
When Fu Li walked out of the hotel's main entrance, he saw two elderly people kneeling outside, two young children draped in mourning apparel, and a woman covering her face and bawling. The expressions of the two young children were panicked and helpless. Under the gazes of passersby and the countless camera flashes, they who carried their deceased father's picture resembled duckweed with nothing to rely on, helpless and pitiful.
A reporter waiting outside saw that a hotel worker had come out and hurriedly approached him."Hello, may I ask if you are an employee of the hotel? Can you tell us your opinion on Mr Luo's unexpected death on his way to work?"
Fu Li blinked. Just as everyone thought that he was about to speak, he suddenly broke into a run and escaped even before the reporter could react.
Only then did the cameraman realize that there was an issue with the camera, so the scene hadn't been captured. Both parties looked at each other helplessly; they could only search for the next interview target.
The next day when Fu Li went to work, Old Luo's family members had already left. He heard that the hotel had compensated the Luo family eight hundred thousand, despite the fact that Old Luo hadn't left at noon for the purpose of working despite claiming that he was going to work.
Fu Li didn't understand why this was so. Perhaps it was him who didn't understand the emotional relationships of human society.
At noon, he met the big boss Wang Han, who rarely made an appearance in the hotel. Wang Han very courteously called him into the office and then asked with a face full of smiles."Daoyou, I heard you participated in the management bureau's recruitment test?"
Fu Li nodded.
Wang Han's smile became even gentler."What was the outcome of the test?"
"First in the combat test."
Wang Han gazed at Fu Li as if he was looking at an exceptional treasure."Daoyou, you have such profound cultivation!"
"In the current era, it really does seem not bad?" Fu Li thought of the yao cultivators he had encountered during the last three years and nodded sincerely."It's all because of the other daoyou who served as a foil."
Wang Han, "..."
Was this considered being modest?
"Good!" Wang Han exclaimed in excitement."If daoyou is accepted, I will give you a large red packet on behalf of the hotel and my sect to congratulate you on the great joy that is being accepted!" Their Wanyue Sect didn't have anyone who had managed to enter the management bureau. Although Fu Li wasn't one of their sect members, he could still be considered an employee of theirs. In a very indirect way, they could still be considered to have some relation.
In this age, who would disdain themselves for having too many connections?
For the sake of improving their relations with yao cultivators, their sect's elder thickened his skin every day and went to play mahjong at the Yao Union. The amount of money he lost every month was not little. He had assumed that the yao cultivator his teacher had shoved in as a worker was a little yao with low cultivation; who knew the other party was this impressive?
Wang Han felt a kind of ecstasy akin to a meat pie that dropped from the sky and into his lap. Their Wanyue Sect was filled with average cultivators, nor did they concoct pills of immortality or refine pills. However, they knew how to earn and spend their money. Any problem that could be resolved with money couldn't be called a problem.
In the internal department of the cultivation management bureau, the discussion on the people to accept nearly had the yao cultivators and human cultivators pulling out their magic weapons and rolling up their sleeves. Although, they were currently very restrained, because Zhuang Qing was still in the seat of honor.
The yao cultivators felt that Fu Li and the Qing Xiao Sect's Wei Cang should be accepted, since these two had the highest cultivation.
On the other hand, the human cultivators felt that the two spots couldn't be filled entirely by yao cultivators and that they should accept Fu Li and either Zhong Ze or the Daoist Priest Qing Xu.
"Our management bureau is most lacking in fighters, wouldn't it be more suitable to accept Fu Li and Wei Cang?" Lin Gui stated."Moreover, our discussion is based on the results. Yao and human cultivators have equal standing. Why are we still distinguishing between human and yao at this time? Our management bureau's goal is for human and yao cultivators to provide each other mutual aid at an equal level."
"Lin Gui is right, all creatures are equal, " Huang Can continued with all smiles.
"Why didn't you say that when you were gnawing on chicken drumsticks this afternoon?" Xu Yuan shot back."If a chicken is the same as you, on what basis are you eating it?"
Huang Can, who had eaten two chickens that afternoon, silently shut his mouth,
Someone among the human cultivators muttered in a low voice, "If we're basing it on results, Fu Li's written results are the worst among the five cultivators. We might as well accept the Qing Xiao Sect's Wei Cang and the Fields Sect's Zhong Ze."
The moment these words were uttered, regardless of what they were striving for, all the cultivators in the room looked at this human cultivator as if he were a fool. Their minds hadn't gone so wrong that they wouldn't accept a yao cultivator whose fists could beat up the Suanyu and the Zhuyan, and who could explain the ancient ways of cultivating.
This year, even if they had to thicken their skin and add another spot, they couldn't let go of Fu Li, okay?
"I hope..." Zhuang Qing crossed his fingers on the table."Everyone will not raise such brainless suggestions."
The human cultivator who suggested not accepting Fu Li, "..."
At this moment, not only was he opposing the yao cultivators, he was also opposing the human cultivators. He itched to shrink himself into a ball, so as to escape everyone's death stares.
"I have a bit of an immature suggestion, " Ning Xuan spoke amidst the silence."The affiliated human departments have a policy of taking in unofficial personnel. All five of the examinees this year are outstanding and proficient at combat, so why not learn from the humans' progressiveness and recruit a few unofficial staff?"
"For example, that Suanyu can be considered unofficial staff, " Worry filled the face of Bao Yu, who was seated at a corner."He's about to empty the kitchen of food, we can't raise such a big eater who eats and drinks for nothing."
All the cultivators, "..."
"What does everyone think?" Zhuang Qing's gaze swept across the cultivators. Nobody objected.
"I will convey everyone's opinions to the higher-ups. If the higher-ups approve it, we'll proceed in this way, " Zhuang Qing stood up. Suddenly thinking of something, he spoke to the cultivators who were preparing to get up and leave."Everyone is to be a bit more polite when facing Fu Li."
Just as everyone thought that the boss would domineeringly say 'this yao cultivator is backed by me', Zhuang Qing uttered the other half of the statement.
"I fear that I won't be able to hold him back if you anger him into beating you up."
The few cultivators who had personally witnessed the scene of Fu Li giving the Suanyu a beating nodded their heads repeatedly.
They wouldn't provoke him. Definitely not.
Two days later, the acceptance outcome was posted.
Fu Li and the Qing Xiao Sect's Wei Cang had been accepted as formal employees.
In addition, the Fields Sect's Zhong Ze, Lin An Monastery's Daoist priest Qing Xu, the yellow pond turtle yao Huang Long, and an unknown yao called Song Yu could take on the roles of unofficial personnel and sign an employment contract with the management bureau.
| ← Ch. 034 | Ch. 036 → |