Chapter 15: Niubi

T/N: Niubi

“Please don’t misunderstand, I don’t have a romantic relationship with this gentleman,” Fearing that she would create trouble for Fu Li, Ting Ting briefly narrated the whole incident and emphasized Fu Li’s willingness to help others without reciprocation.

“So that’s the case,” The smile on the suit-clad man’s face became more proper. “This miss, I am the boss of this hotel. Our company will definitely reward our employees who have such noble conduct.”

Ting Ting knew that it would be detrimental to Fu Li if she continued to persist at this time. Anyway, she now knew the other party’s workplace. Feeling much less anxious, Ting Ting praised Fu Li a few more times in the presence of the suited man before leaving reluctantly.

The other employees at the side witnessed this scene and was both envious and respectful. They were envious because Fu Li managed to make a good name for himself in front of the boss and respectful because he dared to step out and help the young lady put the hoodlums in order. The colleagues who had originally found Fu Li unpleasing to their eyes raised their opinion of Fu Li a few notches. It turned out that it was only his looks that were like a boy toy’s and his way of doing things was quite forthright.

“That what’s-your-name,” Wang Han pointed at Fu Li. “Follow me to my office, I want to know what happened in detail.”

“Director Wang,” The Head of the security guards saw that Fu Li didn’t react, so out of concern that he would offend the hotel’s boss, he hurriedly went up and smiled. “His name is Fu Li. He’s a new worker but does things very diligently. Fu Li, this is Director Wang, the boss of our hotel.”

“Hello, Director Wang,” Fu Li glanced at Wang Han. So this was Wang Cuihua’s disciple grandson – his cultivation base was no good, but his natal chart was not bad.

“Hello, hello,” Wang Han chuckled as he led Fu Li and the rest into his office. Upon closing the door, he deferentially offered the VIP seat to Zhuang Qing. He was always very courteous when faced with the bureau’s people.

Fu Li had seen most of these people from the bureau, except for the old man dressed in a Chinese tunic suit whom he was seeing for the first time. As the hotel’s security guard, he sat at a corner and very professionally kept silent.

“Mr Zhuang, you specially came today for…” Wang Han meticulously thought through all the things he had done recently. There didn’t seem to be anything worthy of a personal visit from the bureau’s boss. This hotel of his didn’t serve as a starting point for those in the cultivation world who were looking for employment; apart from Fu Li who was a yao cultivator, everyone else in the company were ordinary humans. He had only arranged for a position for this Fu Li because of a call from his shishu. Moreover, he had followed the cultivation world’s employment assistance guidelines and paid him the salary of an official employee. It didn’t seem like he had done anything wrong?

“Nothing much. We just heard that Director Wang’s food here is not bad, so the few of us came over for a meal,” Old Huang smiled. “We just happened to recall that Director Wang was the boss of this hotel, so we wanted to ask you to join us for a meal. We’re all fellow colleagues in the cultivation world, there’s no harm fostering good feelings.”

“You’re too polite,” Seeing Old Huang’s beaming smile, the concern in Wang Han’s heart grew even stronger. Who in the entire cultivation world didn’t know that the bureau’s Huang Can was an expert at duping people? He could make the living sound dead, and the dead sound as if they had entered the Heavens.

“You’re too kind,” Old Huang turned to look at Fu Li with happiness all over his face. “You must be the Mr Fu who saved our two colleagues from the bureau. Nice to meet you, nice to meet you.”

Seated at the corner, Fu Li looked up and was met with the glittering smile on Old Huang’s face. He suddenly understood. “You’re here to give me the thank-you money?”

“Haha,” Old Huang smiled dryly. “Mr Fu’s cultivation base is profound. Speaking about such a thing in your presence would be in poor taste.”

“It’s all right, I don’t mind,” Fu Li waved his hands. “Besides, my cultivation base is really ordinary. It can’t measure up to the word ‘profound’.”

Chu Yu, who was seated beside Old Huang, shrank his neck back a little. The him who had almost been killed by the painted skin ghost was very quickly not recognizing the word ‘ordinary’.

“Mr Fu,” Zhuang Qing met Fu Li’s gaze. “I came today because I have a request.”

Wang Han who was listening from the side was inwardly stunned. What kind of abilities did this Fu Li who came to his hotel to be a security guard have? He could actually make Zhuang Qing use a word like ‘request’. Could he have recruited some great figure as a security guard for his hotel?

For a moment, he didn’t know if he should be pleased or scared.

“Mr Zhuang, please speak,” Fu Li wasn’t very fond of smooth, furless creatures, but given the profound virtue on Zhuang Qing and his motivation to advance, he didn’t have much prejudice towards him.

“We learned that Mr Fu is a formidable yao with a few thousand years of cultivation, so we wanted to invite Mr Fu to resolve a doubt that we have,” Zhuang Qing’s expression became solemn. As a golden dragon who was implicitly tied to the fate of the nation, he might not regard the ‘yao emperor’ the Zhuyan had mentioned with much importance on the surface, but he still secretly kept his guard up.

The yao world had already been on a gradual decline when he was born. As human science and technology advanced, humans also increasingly held up the notions of freedom and creation and no longer held much reverence towards supernatural sayings. The current management bureau was a symbol of peaceful co-existence between the cultivation world and humans. If the yao emperor were to start a rebellion in the current world, not only would the existing balance be broken, it was possible for it to even bring about an immense catastrophe.

All living things were innocent and should not have to undergo such suffering.

“Mr Zhuang, please speak,” Seeing Zhuang Qing this solemn, Fu Li also sat up straight.

“Has Mr Fu heard of any legends regarding the yao emperor?”

“Yao emperor?” Fu Li scrutinized Zhuang Qing’s expression carefully. Only after confirming that he wasn’t joking did he respond, “You’re referring to the yao emperor in the human world’s huaben?”

Zhuang Qing was silent.

“It was probably fabricated by the humans for fun,” Fu Li put in great effort to rummage through the little knowledge in his brain. “The mountain I stayed at was more remote, and the king of that mountain was called King Ganglie. He had a very tolerant personality. According to him, the various yao kings have their own territory and will occasionally clash over the sacrifices offered by humans. However, I’ve never heard of the title of ‘yao emperor’.”

“We won’t conceal this from Mr Fu – we have also never heard of the might of the yao emperor,” Old Huang sighed. “But that Zhuyan vowed that the yao emperor would descend on the human world soon and bring disaster to all living creatures.”

“Would Mr Fu be willing to make a trip with us to the bureau and see the Zhuyan?” Zhuang Qing added, “There will be a cash subsidy.”

Fu Li’s eyes lit up a little. He glanced at Wang Han. “Boss, will my wages be deducted if I take leave during work hours?”

Everyone’s gaze landed on Wang Han.

The poor Wang Han was just a younger generation of the cultivation world, how could he endure so many gazes? “This will be considered public service, so your wages won’t be deducted. You’ll be given a bonus this month.”

Fu Li was immediately put at ease. He looked towards Zhuang Qing again. “Let’s leave then.”

“No, boss, didn’t we gather here for…” Chu Yu reminded him in a low voice.

“Practitioners ought to quash their desire for good food early on and tread on the path of fasting,” Zhuang Qing stood up. “Let’s go.”

“Mr Zhuang seldom comes to this humble one’s hotel. I would like to invite Mr Zhuang to fulfill my meager sensibilities and allow this humble one to treat Mr Zhuang to a simple meal,” Wang Han said. “May everyone rest at ease. The dishes are made using spiritual grain and vegetables obtained from the cultivation world. They are green vegetables without chemicals, fertilizer, or harmful substances.”

Zhuang Qing came to a stop and nodded aloofly. “Since Mr Wang has extended such great hospitality, then this Zhuang will humbly accept it.”

“You’re most welcome, most welcome. Please follow me,” Hearing that the boss of the cultivation world was willing to stay behind for a meal, Wang Han was so ecstatic that creases formed from the smile on his handsome face.

Fu Li also managed to freeload a meal by relying on the face accorded to the bureau. After the meal, he asked Chu Yu who was closest to him, “Is this considered taking advantage of the masses?”

Chu Yu was drinking natural fruit juice and replied with a broad smile, “This is called being ‘unable to decline great hospitality’. We can’t disappoint the common people.” He put down his glass. “Oh right, benefactor, I forgot to tell you about something.” He told Fu Li about the special assistance money. “This sort of procedure is approved very quickly. If you apply for it this month, you’ll be able to start receiving the welfare money next month.”

This could also be considered one of the country’s appeasement methods; money wasn’t important, what was important was letting them see the respect that the country had towards them. Most of these thousands of years old yaoguai had profound cultivation bases. If they were to get close to humans, it could also be profitable to both sides under certain special circumstances.

“En, en. I’ll apply for it later.” Fu Li asked happily, “Will the money go directly to my card, or will I have to go to the bureau to receive it?”

“It’s the digital age now, there’s no need for you to personally make a trip,” Chu Yu replied. “What’s your handphone number? I’ll inform you when your application’s been approved.”

“If there’s anything, just use the Thousand Mile Sound Transmission. Why is there a need for an additional object like a handphone?” Fu Li felt that the handphone’s call function was extremely similar to the Thousand Mile Sound Transmission.

Chu Yu, “…”

“Benefactor, the Thousand Mile Sound Transmission… not every human cultivator knows how to use it.” For example, he didn’t know how to use it.

“Then what about the Flying Talisman Transmission?” Fu Li felt that he should lower his standards for the current cultivation world.

Chu Yu continued shaking his head.

“Then… Exchanging Good for Good?”

Chu Yu was still shaking his head, so ashamed that he couldn’t even lift his head.

“Then what do you guys know?”

Chu Yu was too embarrassed to say anything.

“Fortunately, there are few yaoguai now and the human cultivators are friendly,” Fu Li sighed. “If it was a thousand years ago, little yao like you probably wouldn’t be able to survive for more than three months in the human world.”

“You’ve been to the human world in the past?” Chu Yu felt that they couldn’t continue along this line of conversation. If they were to continue talking, he might as well change back to his original form and let the kitchen turn him into a platter of braised fish.

“No. King Ganglie said that humanity was facing crisis after crisis, and even Daoist practitioners were taking it upon themselves to hang yao cultivators. My cultivation base was poor, so I didn’t dare to leave the mountain,” Fu Li himself also found it embarrassing. “I’ve been watching the past two years and saw that the outside world had good morals, so I dared to come out.”

Chu Yu wondered despondently how weak their batch of human cultivators had to be for a yaoguai who dared not leave the mountain to think that their cultivation bases were poor.

After finishing their meal, their party rushed back to the bureau and Zhuang Qing directly led Fu Li to the area where the Zhuyan was locked up.

After being locked up for half a month, the aura of arrogance on the Zhuyan had diminished by quite a bit. In particular, he would immediately become as obedient as a rabbit after seeing Zhuang Qing.

“Zhuyan, what does the yao emperor in the legends look like?”

“It is said that the yao emperor daren has a pair of wings on his back, a body of golden fur, eyes as big as the moon, a nose like that of a divine ox, feet like red clouds, a body as huge as a mountain, a hiss that can shake mountains and rivers…”

Fu Li asked in a low voice, “Isn’t it only the dragon clan who have noses like oxen and look all kinds of strange?”

Zhuang Qing turned back and looked at him silently.

Fu Li, “…”

Silence was the best reply.

T/N: HAHAHAHAHAHA