novelraw Chapter 1 : Chapter 1
Chapter 1 : Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Immortal Lady, I Want to Cultivate Immortality!
I, Xun Qiu, was an orphan without a father or mother.
Before my parents passed, I could barely be considered a young master of a wealthy family.
But sadly, those affluent parents neither lived long enough for me to learn to read nor left me a loyal servant or a shy childhood betrothed maid.
From the age of six until now, I survived by begging for scraps and wearing patchwork clothes, not a single coin to my name.
My only friend was a yellow dog on the street, also living off others’ charity.
If this era didn’t lack big trucks to send people to another world, with such a hopelessly plummeting life, I’d have lain on the road long ago, waiting to transmigrate to some fantasy realm.
On a rainy, dreary day perfect for sleeping and slacking, I chanced upon an old Taoist dressed as a fortune-teller on the street—Bo Qiuyun.
After trying to swipe his earnings and getting caught, with my “I just found it” excuse not believed, Bo Qiuyun grabbed me and dragged me to this rundown mountain temple, where he forcibly made me his disciple.
As for what happened next, everyone knows.
Under the threat of death, I spilled everything.
Looking at the beautiful immortal lady sitting where Bo Qiuyun had been, I wished I could rip out my conscience to show her.
The immortal lady chasing Bo Qiuyun quickly grasped the situation.
She lowered her head to inspect the cloth bag and jade box I handed over, her gaze lingering on the Unnamed Book for a moment before shaking her head.
“I understand… Did he leave anything else? Something like a small stone orb, perhaps.”
This… I subtly shifted the stone orb in my arms, thinking hard.
In terms of appearance, this immortal lady matched Bo Qiuyun’s immortal aura, but her demeanor and speech were far more reliable.
From start to finish, she exuded righteousness and gentle courtesy.
In the folktales of cultivators, she’d fit perfectly as a righteous immortal heroine trapped in a demon’s lair.
In short, a good person.
The kind you could trust, the kind who’d repay a drop of kindness with a gushing spring.
If so, I should hand over this mysterious stone orb.
After thinking it over carefully, I realized that if she were a bad person, I’d have even more reason to hand it over.
So, without hesitation, as I passed the orb to her, I said:
“There is indeed one thing… That old monster said not to tell you and slandered you, claiming you’d steal it.”
The immortal lady’s lips curved into a smile:
“If you were in cahoots with him, I’d definitely steal it.”
She lowered her head, her fingers brushing the orb’s surface, her expression shifting slightly.
“You’re sure this is it?”
I tensed up.
Could that old thing have tricked me with a fake?
“Very well, it should be genuine, but it hasn’t acknowledged me…”
The immortal lady sighed.
“Bo Qiuyun, that old thing, was willing to part with it. This is more than enough to trade for his life.”
I knew that old thing didn’t die… Seeing her speak so approachable, even explaining things to me deliberately, I weighed my words:
“What exactly is this thing? Also, I still don’t know your name, immortal lady…”
“Yun Qingping,” she replied.
“As for this orb… Since you know nothing, there’s no harm in telling you. It’s one of the thirty-six immortal artifacts, the Drifting Wind Sea-Calming Pearl.”
With my less-than-elementary-school education, I pondered but couldn’t make sense of it, not even sure what those four words meant.
But “immortal artifact” plus a number sounded precious, and I instantly understood why Yun Qingping chased Bo Qiuyun.
Not daring to press further on this, I decided to tactfully fish for some reward.
Sure, I got the orb because Yun Qingping forced Bo Qiuyun into a corner, making him toss out an immortal artifact to save himself, but I played the middleman, didn’t I?
I wouldn’t dare ask for a delivery fee, but at least take me back to town?
Before I could speak, Yun Qingping, dressed in green, looking even more ethereal after resolving her task, spoke first.
“You were dragged into this unfairly. If you have a wish, tell me. If it’s within my power, I’ll help.”
Ignorant of the cultivation world, cultivators, or the status of Yun and Bo, I didn’t take her “within my power” literally.
A figure who came with the wind and left with the clouds—how could such a divine being do whatever I asked?
Being a good person didn’t mean being a naive pushover.
She was just being polite.
I thought long and hard, weighing three regrettable options—“send me back to town,” “give me some gold or silver,” or “find me a job”—before gritting my teeth and saying:
“Immortal Lady Yun, I want to cultivate immortality.”
Showing no surprise, Yun Qingping nodded slightly:
“Xun Qiu, this name doesn’t quite suit you… Why do you want to cultivate?”
“To cultivate, to be free and unfettered, to live forever—does that need a reason?”
I countered.
Yun Qingping paused, then shook her head with a smile:
“Indeed, it doesn’t. Are you sure you want to walk the path of immortality? Are you prepared for its dangers and obstacles?”
I was calm.
I couldn’t spout grand reasons, but my desire to cultivate was genuine:
“I lost my parents young, have no kin or friends. You could call me a lone star of calamity. Even if I die, it'd be a worthless life—nothing to regret.”
Yun Qingping gave a soft hum, not commenting on my mindset.
Her calm demeanor made me nervous.
In cultivator tales, entering the path required passing five trials and slaying six generals, testing heart, talent, and comprehension—grueling tasks.
If it was about thick skin, I had boundless confidence.
“So be it. I won’t take you as a disciple, but guiding you onto the immortal path isn’t hard,” Yun Qingping said lightly.
“I’ll work hard… Huh? That's simple?”
I blurted out.
Yun Qingping smiled radiantly:
“How hard did you want it to be? Should I break your limbs, toss you into the mountains to fight a tiger, and if you win, you become a cultivator, but if it wins, it becomes a tiger demon?”
“Please, immortal sister, don’t do that!” I broke into a cold sweat.
“This is fine, just fine.”
“A fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy, looking thin and small, probably never ate a full meal growing up, yet you call me ‘sister’ so sweetly. Who knows how many schemes you’ve cooked up in your life?”
Yun Qingping shook her head.
“Let’s be clear: since you’ve chosen the path of immortality, I can’t pretend today never happened. If you want me to guide you, you must agree to one condition.”
“Immortal sister, name it. Whatever it is, I’ll have no complaints.”
Seeing she didn’t mind the title, I climbed the pole she offered.
I wasn’t surprised she had a condition.
If I stayed a mortal forever, the Drifting Wind Sea-Calming Pearl and her chase of Bo Qiuyun would never leak out.
But if I became a cultivator and blabbed about it.
Even the best person wouldn’t want that.
“You little rascal, hear the condition first,” Yun Qingping said, her face turning serious.
“The condition is you must join my organization. Of course, you’re not qualified to be a full member—just an outer member running errands for us.”
I replied without hesitation:
“Of course I can!”
Joining an organization was far better than my worst-case scenario.
It was just like street gangs—I knew the drill!
“Hear me out,” Yun Qingping said.
“We’re not an ordinary organization.”
Even better—a bigger backer is always good… I suddenly felt something was off.
I’d never even picked up a copper coin my whole life—how was such a huge opportunity falling on my head today?
Sure enough, Yun Qingping’s next words came:
“We… Well, we’re not exactly demonic, but even the demonic path shuns us. You might not grasp this, so let’s put it this way: if your identity is exposed outside, and there are ten cultivators around…”
“All ten come to beat me up?”
My face turned ashen.
Yun Qingping smiled:
“They’ll bring a hundred friends to beat you up—and a thousand more on their way after hearing the news.”