Chapter 1: Fairy, I want to become an immortal!

Xun Qiu was an orphan with no father or mother.

Before his parents’ death, he could be considered a young master from a wealthy family.

But unfortunately, those rich parents neither managed to stick around until he learned to read, nor did they leave him a loyal old servant and a child bride maid who would blush at the slightest teasing.

From the age of six until now, he had lived by selling sob stories everywhere, eating from a hundred families, and wearing patched clothes.

He couldn’t scrounge up three copper coins from his entire person, and his only friend was the big yellow dog on the street that also ate from a hundred families.

If it weren’t for the fact that getting hit by a big truck to be reincarnated wasn’t a popular trend in this era, faced with such a hopeless life of endless decline, Xun Qiu would have long ago laid down on the road waiting to cross over to another world.

And so, on a drizzly day perfect for sleeping and lazing about, Xun Qiu chanced upon the old Taoist Bo Qiuyun, who was disguised as a fortune-teller on the street.

After his attempt to steal the other’s earnings was discovered and his claim of “I found it on the ground” was not accepted, Xun Qiu was grabbed by Bo Qiuyun and taken to this dilapidated temple in the mountains to be refined into his disciple.

As for what happened next, everyone already knows…

Faced with mortal danger, Xun Qiu said whatever needed to be said.

He looked at the beautiful immortal fairy sitting opposite him, in the spot where Bo Qiuyun had just been, wishing he could just rip out his conscience and let her see it.

The immortal fairy who had been hunting Bo Qiuyun quickly understood the general situation.

She lowered her head to inspect the cloth pouch and jade box Xun Qiu had handed over, her gaze lingering for a moment on the Nameless Book, before she shook her head and said:

“I think I understand…

Did he leave anything else?

It looks like a small stone ball.”

This…

Xun Qiu discreetly shifted the stone ball in his arms and began to think seriously.

From appearances alone, it was hard to say whether this immortal fairy or the immortal-like Bo Qiuyun was superior.

But judging solely by their conduct and tone of voice, the former was vastly more reliable.

From start to finish, she had been righteous and awe-inspiring, yet gentle and courteous.

In the folk tales of immortal cultivation, the most fitting plot for her would undoubtedly be a righteous immortal fairy trapped in a demonic den…

In short, she was a good person.

The kind one could trust, the kind who would repay a drop of kindness with a gushing spring.

If that was the case, then he should hand over this stone ball of unknown effect.

Xun Qiu pondered a little more carefully and realized that if she were a bad person, then he should hand over the stone ball even more so.

Thus, without further hesitation, while handing over the object in his arms, Xun Qiu said:

“There is indeed one thing…

That old monster said to never tell you, and even slandered you, noble fairy, by saying you would snatch it.”

The immortal fairy’s lips curled into a smile.

“If you were on his side, I would, of course, snatch it.”

She lowered her head, her fingers rubbing the surface of the stone ball, and her expression changed slightly.

“Are you sure it’s this one?”

Xun Qiu instantly tensed up.

Could it be that the old geezer had used a fake to trick someone?

“Never mind, the item should be genuine, it’s just that I haven’t been acknowledged by it…

That old coot Bo Qiuyun was certainly willing to part with it.

This thing is more than enough to trade for his life.”

The immortal fairy sighed.

‘I knew that old geezer wasn’t dead…’

Seeing that she was approachable and her words even seemed to hold a hint of deliberate explanation for his sake, Xun Qiu considered his words carefully and said:

“What exactly is this thing?

Also, I do not yet know the noble fairy’s name…”

“Yun Qingping.”

The immortal fairy stated a name.

“As for this stone ball… since you don’t know anything, there’s no harm in telling you.

This is one of the Thirty-Six Immortal Artifacts, the Gale-Calming Sea-Suppressing Pearl.”

Xun Qiu, whose cultural level was lower than a primary school student’s, thought for a moment but couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

He didn’t even understand what those four specific characters were, but he felt that “Immortal Artifact,” plus the fact that it was numbered, sounded very precious.

He instantly understood why Yun Qingping was hunting Bo Qiuyun.

Not daring to ask any more about this matter, Xun Qiu decided to shrewdly and indirectly probe for any reward he might get…

Although the reason the item ended up in his hands was that Yun Qingping had pursued Bo Qiuyun to a point of desperation, forcing him to toss out the immortal artifact to save his own life, he had still played the role of a middleman.

He wouldn’t dare to think of an errand fee, but she could at least take him back to town, right?

But before he could open his mouth, Yun Qingping, dressed in cyan and with a matter settled, now appearing even more ethereal and otherworldly, spoke up.

“It was improper to involve you in this matter.

If you have any wishes, feel free to tell me.

If it is within my power, I will naturally help in one way or another.”

Xun Qiu, who knew nothing about the world of cultivation, cultivators, or the status and realm of Yun and Bo, dared not take her words “within my power” at face value.

She came with the wind and went with the clouds, what kind of immortal figure was she?

How could she possibly do whatever he asked?

Being a good person didn’t mean she was a sweet, naive pushover.

She was just being polite.

He thought long and hard.

Among the three choices of “take me back to town,” “ask for some gold and silver,” and “get a job”—choices that would have made him regret it for the rest of his life had he actually picked one—he deliberated for a long time.

Finally, he gritted his teeth, steeled his heart, and said:

“Fairy Yun, I want to cultivate.”

Without showing any surprise, Yun Qingping nodded slightly.

“Xun Qiu, that name doesn’t really suit you…

Why do you want to cultivate?”

“To want to cultivate, to be free and unfettered, to live a long and immortal life—does one need a reason for that?” Xun Qiu retorted.

Yun Qingping was taken aback for a moment, then she smiled and shook her head.

“Indeed, no reason is needed.

Are you certain you want to walk the path of immortality?

Are you mentally prepared for the hardships and obstacles within?”

Xun Qiu’s mindset was calm.

He couldn’t articulate any grand principles, but his desire to cultivate was indeed genuine.

“I lost my parents at a young age and have no friends or relatives.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I was born under an unlucky star.

Even if I die, it’s just one worthless life, nothing to feel sorry about.”

Yun Qingping gave a light hum, making no comment on his attitude.

This detached posture made Xun Qiu a little nervous.

After all, in the cultivation stories on the market, the protagonist had to pass through numerous trials and tribulations to enter a sect, testing their disposition, aptitude, and comprehension, which were all extremely difficult…

If the test was for thick-skinnedness, Xun Qiu had boundless confidence.

“Then let it be so.

I will not take you as my disciple, but it is not difficult to lead you onto the path of immortality,” Yun Qingping said with ease.

“I will definitely work hard… huh?

It’s that simple?” Xun Qiu said subconsciously.

Yun Qingping smiled radiantly.

“Then how difficult would you like it to be?

How about I break all four of your limbs, send you into the mountains to fight a great beast, and if you win, you become a cultivator, and if it wins, it becomes a tiger demon?”

“I beg you, elder sister fairy, please don’t do that!”

Cold sweat immediately beaded on Xun Qiu’s forehead.

“This is good enough, just fine.”

“A boy of fifteen or sixteen, looking so thin and small, you probably haven’t had a full meal since you were a child.

You call me ‘elder sister’ so sweetly; I wonder how many schemes you’ve developed since childhood.”

Yun Qingping shook her head.

“Let’s be clear first.

Since you’ve chosen the path of cultivation, I can’t just pretend today’s events never happened.

If you want me to guide you into the path, you must first agree to a condition.”

“Elder sister fairy, please speak.

No matter the condition, I will certainly have no complaints.”

Seeing that she didn’t dislike the form of address, Xun Qiu immediately seized the opportunity.

He wasn’t surprised that Yun Qingping would set a condition.

After all, if he remained a mortal for his entire life, the matter of the immortal artifact, the Gale-Calming Sea-Suppressing Pearl, and Yun Qingping’s hunt for Bo Qiuyun would never get out.

But he had already chosen the path of cultivation.

If, after becoming a cultivator, he went around telling everyone about this… even the best of people wouldn’t want that to happen.

“You little rascal, it’s not too late to listen to the condition first.”

Yun Qingping paused, her expression turning serious.

“The condition is that you must join the organization I belong to.

Of course, you don’t have the ability to be a formal member; just being an external member who runs errands for us will do.”

Xun Qiu said without a second thought:

“Of course, I can!”

Joining an organization was much better than the worst-case scenario he had envisioned.

Isn’t it just like a street gang?

He was familiar with that!

“Hear me out first,” Yun Qingping said.

“We are no ordinary organization.”

‘Isn’t that even better?

The bigger the backer, the better…’

Xun Qiu suddenly felt that something was not quite right.

He hadn’t even picked up a copper coin since he was a child, so how could such a great thing fall into his lap today?

Sure enough, Yun Qingping’s next sentence was:

“We are… hmm, I can’t say we’re of the demonic path, but even the demonic path doesn’t look kindly upon us.

You probably don’t have a concept of this, so let’s put it this way: if you’re out and about and your identity is discovered, and there are ten cultivators around…”

“All ten cultivators will come to beat me up?”

Xun Qiu’s face turned ashen.

Yun Qingping revealed a smile.

“They will bring a hundred of their friends to beat you up—and there’ll be another thousand on the way who just heard the news.”

TL Notes:

Gale-CalmingSea-Suppressing Pearl- One of the Thirty-Six Immortal Artifacts. The item Bo Qiuyun stole and which Yun Qingping was hunting.