Chapter 14: Benefactor

Silence filled the car. Chu Yu shrunk into a corner, not daring to speak. Zhuang Qing was focused solely on driving, seemingly not intending to speak at all.

Zhuang Qing stopped the car at a red light and suddenly spoke, “Mr Fu’s cultivation is profound, have you ever considered a change of career?”

Fu Li nodded. “When I finish self-studying and obtain a university degree, I’ll become a civil servant.”

Zhuang Qing didn’t understand why this yaoguai who had lived for several thousands of years had suddenly appeared in the human world and was even working as a security guard. As for the other party saying that he wanted to become a civil servant, he didn’t believe it.

“Benefactor, your cultivation is so high, why would you want to be a civil servant?” Chu Yu said in a low voice. “Our management bureau recruits once every five years. Our recruitment period just so happens to be this year, why don’t you participate in our bureau’s appraisal? The treatment here isn’t bad and the material benefits are good. The country will even allocate you an apartment after ten years.”

“Are the people working at your place considered civil servants?” Fu Li asked.

“We’re considered, considered… civil servants in the cultivation world. We also belong to government administration,” Chu Yu felt that it was too much of a waste for someone as powerful as his benefactor to be a security guard at a hotel. Therefore, he made a supreme effort to persuade him to job-hop. “Not only will you need to conceal your abilities within the human civil system, maintaining your form will also drain magic power. But in our cultivation world management bureau, it’s no problem if we stay in our original forms as long as the doors to the office are closed. I’m just not very sure how large benefactor’s original form is? If it’s too big, that office of ours may not be large enough for you.”

Noticing that Fu Li’s expression was a little odd, Chu Yu realized that he had gone slightly overboard with his words. Talking about someone else’s original form in front of a yao cultivator was the human equivalent of discussing somebody’s three measurements – it was considered discourteous behavior. He hurriedly said, “Benefactor, this younger generation made an indiscreet remark.”

“It’s okay,” Fu Li shook his head. “My original form is very ordinary.”

Chu Yu laughed dryly, feeling too ashamed to continue talking. The atmosphere in the car became awkward again.

The windshield wiper swiped lightly at the rainwater on the windshield. Zhuang Qing glanced at the oil gauge and continued to drive expressionlessly. By the time he found Fu Li’s dilapidated rental house, the expression on Zhuang Qing’s face was very cold. “We’re here.”

“Thank you, cultivator Zhuang,” Fu Li recalled that his umbrella had already turned into ash together with the taxi and could only pluck a strand of hair, turning it into an umbrella. Opening the umbrella, he blocked the rainwater falling from above.

“Benefactor,” Chu Yu stuffed a few pieces of paper into Fu Li’s hands. “This is our recruitment application form, you must come!”

“If I work at your bureau, will I get any extra credit when attempting to become a civil servant?” In order to become a civil servant, Fu Li had done plenty of homework, especially when it came to the extra credit policies. He remembered those very clearly.

For a moment, Chu Yu was at a loss. He shook his head and replied, “No.”

“Oh,” Fu Li casually put the registration form into his pocket. “Be careful on the road, I’ll go back now.”

Chu Yu watched Fu Li gradually vanish into the distance, an indescribable feeling in his heart. The image of his back was particularly lofty and imposing, brimming with mystery and power, giving rise to a feeling of subdued strength that was grand yet classy.

“Stop looking. Even if you cultivated for five thousand years, you wouldn’t be able to make out the original form of this kind of yao cultivator who depended on Heaven’s Will to take on a human form,” Zhuang Qing looked at the shabby alley as well as the worn-out and rotten rental houses at the end of the alley. “You’re not the only one. Li Jin wouldn’t be able to do it either.”

“With that little bit of cultivation, how can Li Jin compare to me?” Chu Yu protested. “He just stayed at a lotus flower pond in a temple for a while during his early years, and that temple was even torn down not long after. Yet, he still has the cheek to say that he took on a human form by listening to Buddha. He even shamelessly posted a photo of his original form online, saying something about how forwarding it can bring luck and cheat the humans of their faith. Pui, I’ve seen so many fish, but I’ve have never seen anyone as shameless as him.”

While listening to Chu Yu mock Li Jin, Zhuang Qing turned the car around and stepped on the accelerator. “That’s why I picked you as my assistant.”

“I just knew that Boss is a knowledgeable, wise yao,” Chu Yu started to suck up to Zhuang Qing instantly, even slipping in a few of his own selfish motives along the way and giving his opponent a few kicks. There was mutual jealousy amongst those of the same profession – a purebred fish like him hated those hypocritical fishes who used the teachings of Buddha to glorify themselves.

“How did you meet Fu Li along the way?” Despite the ton of boot-licking that Chu Yu did, Zhuang Qing wasn’t moved at all. Instead, he inquired about how this incident had came about.

Chu Yu knew that he wouldn’t be able to avoid receiving a scolding this day, so he had no choice but to obediently recite everything that had happened.

“You have a thousand years of cultivation but can’t even beat a painted skin ghost with two hundred plus years of cultivation,” Zhuang Qing uttered expressionlessly. “Will the Head of Changan Monastery be ashamed to say that you are a fish from their monastery?”

Chu Yu felt his knees hurting slightly. “Boss, I-I’m just not so good at combat.”

“En, you just happen to be good at defense and escaping.”

Chu Yu could feel his knees breaking down, along with his large ego.

“When was Fu Li’s entry into the human world registered?” This was the first thing Zhuang Qing asked after driving into the neighborhood Chu Yu lived in and cutting the gas.

Chu Yu fished out his office phone and searched for Fu Li’s registration information in the cultivation management system. The system displayed that he originally lived deep within an unknown mountain. He had obtained his residence permit last month, and his age was recorded as four thousand years old.

“The historical records of our country only go back five thousand years, yet the benefactor has lived for four thousand years; truly impressive.” After reading Fu Li’s registration information to Zhuang Qing, Chu Yu commented with reverence, “No wonder his cultivation base is so high. Given his age, he can already apply for our bureau’s Honor Subsidy.”

The cultivation world’s management bureau offered a special benefit targeted exclusively at cultivators who were more than two thousand years old. As long as the cultivator’s cultivation period had exceeded two thousand years and was registered in the cultivation world census, the cultivator could receive a special subsidy of one thousand yuan per month. If these yao cultivators donated past cultural relics or ancient texts, the country would grant them an additional reward.

“Ai, why did I forget to tell this to senior!” Chu Yu slapped his thigh, feeling incessantly remorseful.

He registered last month, yet was four thousand years old…

Zhuang Qing thought about the conversation between the ghost world’s yinchai chief and Fu Li several hours ago. It was certain that they had met in the past.

“Boss, work a little harder and after a hundred years, you’ll also be able to apply for this special subsidy,” Chu Yu smiled mischievously as he helped Zhuang Qing calculate when he would receive the special subsidy.

“If you’re going to help me calculate that, why don’t you cultivate well instead?” Zhuang Qing threw a Spirit Gathering Pellet at Chu Yu and said expressionlessly, “Remember to give me the petrol fee.”

“One hundred fifty, I remember,” Chu Yu hugged the Spirit Gathering Pellet with elation.

“It’s not one hundred fifty, it’s three hundred.”

“Why?” Chu Yu didn’t understand why the price had increased.

“That’s the cost for two people,” Zhuang Qing pointed at the car door. “You can get off now.”

Chu Yu, “…”

A night of heavy rain washed away the heat. The next day at noon when Fu Li went to the hotel for work, he no longer heard the front counter lady complaining about the excessive heat outside, how the heat had nearly melted their makeup, and so on.

Fu Li put on the security guards’ uniform and realized that a female customer was secretly taking pictures of him, though he didn’t take it seriously.

Quite a number of people had come to eat at the hotel at noon. Fu Li and his colleagues were required to constantly take note of the public security situation inside. If someone caused a fuss after drinking, or if an altercation were to occur, the security guards were responsible for pulling apart both parties. However, as this place was a high-end consumer site, the customers were more restrained. In the half a month Fu Li had worked here, he hadn’t yet encountered a scuffle.

Ting Ting had just attended a classmate’s wedding reception and was walking out of the restaurant with a friend when she realized that the security guard standing upright at the entrance looked a little familiar. She drifted closer and immediately grew excited. “Handsome!”

Her friend stopped her in embarrassment. “Ting Ting, I know he’s handsome. Control yourself a little.”

“No,” Ting Ting was anxious and no longer cared how others viewed her. “Do you still remember that incident some time ago when I was harassed and then rescued by someone? The person who saved me was him.”

“You mean that handsome guy who calls himself Lei Feng?” Her close friend looked at the security guard at the entrance in astonishment. He had long legs, a slender waist, and handsome looks. When worn by him, even the security guard’s uniform exuded the aura of a high-ranking uniform. The post Ting Ting had made on weibo to search for him had been forwarded nearly ten thousand times, and countless people had asked about the identity of the handsome guy. That weibo post had even become a hot topic, yet no one had contacted Ting Ting.

When a human girl suddenly rushed up to him with a red face, Fu Li met her gaze and then took a step back. “May I know if you need any help?”

“Handsome, I’ve finally found you!” Ting Ting was so excited that the rims of her eyes had turned red. If not for this handsome guy who called himself Lei Feng, who knew what she would have ended up as that night. Therefore, she had always been very grateful to him.

The passersby all raised their brows. Seeing the handsome looks of the security guard and the young girl’s sweet and cute appearance, their minds couldn’t help visualizing a scene of gratitude intermingled with hatred.

“You are?” Fu Li was a bit confused. Did this human girl recognize the wrong person?

“Half a year ago in front of a food stall at Wutong alley, you helped me to beat back a few hoodlums. Do you remember now?” Ting Ting took out her handphone and pointed at weibo. “I’ve been trying to find you all this while and even pleaded with the police to get in touch with you. Unfortunately, I never managed to find you.”

Fu Li thought for a very long time before recalling the incident. “You’re one of those few ladies?”

“En, en,” Ting Ting nodded excitedly. “So sorry, I posted your photo on weibo without your permission because I wanted to find you too badly. If it brought you any trouble, I’m very sorry for it.”

Fu Li shook his head. “It didn’t.”

Because he had no idea what weibo was.

Ting Ting removed that weibo post in front of Fu Li and made a new post.

Ting Ting Yu Li: Thank you everyone, I’ve found my benefactor.

Ting Ting wanted to give Fu Li a fee of gratitude, but Fu Li felt that he was a yao of moral integrity and had merely resolved this trivial matter with a lift of his hands, so he couldn’t take this human girl’s money. In this way, the two people were stuck in a stalemate.

“Lady, there really isn’t any need…”

“Our hotel’s employees are prohibited from dating during work hours~”

Fu Li turned around. A man wearing a suit stood at the entrance with both hands tucked in his pockets, appearing somewhat sloppy. There were even a few people by the man’s side, one of which was Zhuang Qing who was standing at the front of these few people.