Poor Taoist Qiu Chuji

Chapter 382 Having attained the Great Luo Nature, yet unaware of the Immortal Body

"You...are you really Zhang Aiyi?" Qiu Chuqing felt it was absurd. He had even wondered if Zhang Aiyi and No. 888 were related by blood, or...she was at the club to experience life and he just happened to run into her.

That doesn't make sense! Which female celebrity would actually go to a club to experience life?

Besides, he's known 888 for so long, there's no reason why he should have experienced that much life together!

"Pfft..." Eight hundred and eighty-eight plopped down in Qiu Chuqing's lap, twisted the millstone, and after realizing that Qiu Chuqing was out of ammunition, rolled her eyes coquettishly.

"You wish! If I were Zhang Aiyi, even if I didn't go for those big bosses, I'd go for those young heartthrobs in the entertainment industry. What do you have? Do I want your abs or your stingy little bit of money every time?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Chuqing was momentarily stunned, realizing that he had indeed been overthinking things.

Perhaps, the person who said "888" was just joking, so they practiced for a long time in private, watching Zhang Aiyi's viral video.

That shows they put their heart into it, knowing he likes this kind of thing.

Nowadays, there aren't many people with such professional ethics, so he should be encouraged.

So Ji Gu laughed and said, "You acted so well, I believed you. Seriously... don't you ever consider starting a live stream to make some quick money? Although Zhang Aiyi isn't Liu Yifeng and doesn't have as much health, she still has quite a few fans."

Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight shook his head and said, "Forget it, I don't have that talent. I can't speak in front of a camera, and besides, I don't lack money right now."

"If you're not short of money, then today's meal is free?" Qiu Chuqing had been wanting to ask Bai Pu for a long time.

"That's impossible! If you're short even one cent, I'll bite it off!" Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight said viciously, grinding his teeth.

Qiu Chuqing took out her wallet and handed the cash she had just withdrawn to 888.

He casually stuffed the 888 yuan under the sofa without even counting or checking it.

"Come back the day after tomorrow, and I'll give you a surprise," said Eighty-Eighty, hooking her arm around Qiu Chuqing's neck playfully.

"What surprise?" Qiu Chuqing asked.

"I bought a new outfit!" said 888.

Qiu Chuqing smiled contemptuously. Over the years, Qiu Chuqing had been tested by 888, and 888 had also amassed a considerable dowry by 'exploiting' Qiu Chuqing. Everyone was quite satisfied.

Qiu Chuqing said she wasn't very interested in the new clothes.

"It's a high-quality replica of the red dress Zhang Aiyi wore in her new drama!" 888 easily figured it out.

Qiu Chuqing said, "It's just a trivial trick... I'll bring my camera next time."

"It really is just a petty trick... Speaking of which, you should really exercise more. I'm the most qualified to say this. Back in the day, you could last for more than ten minutes. Now... ha!" Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight mocked.

Qiu Chuqing immediately retorted, saying that she was not in good condition today, had stayed up late working overtime yesterday, and had been eating too much vegetarian food lately without any nutrition.

Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight used only one move, the "Azure Dragon Probing the Moon Hand," to shatter Qiu Chuqing's sophistry.

A few years ago, this move by 888 would have been enough to reignite the war effort, killing without drawing blood.

"Taking photos is fine, but don't post them on WeChat Moments. I don't want to wrongly accuse my lookalike celebrity." Eighty-eight let the poor man go, while also giving instructions.

Qiu Chuqing gritted his teeth and could only vaguely agree to this humiliating treaty.

Then came another sticky feeling.

No one mentioned the clock.

These two are definitely not a couple, but calling them just online trolls isn't quite accurate either.

But to say it's a customer-salesperson relationship seems to have long since changed.

After all, with her looks and figure, and an appearance that is more than 80% similar to the big star Zhang Aiyi, she could easily make more money by dating anyone else than by getting involved with Qiu Chuqing.

It can only be said that the relationships between people are inherently complex.

Rationally, they couldn't be together, but emotionally, they became entangled with each other, and then used some rather absurd reasons to avoid taking things further.

When Qiu Chuqing left, the city lights were already on.

Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight didn't want to go out with Qiu Chuqing, lest others see them and misunderstand that they were boyfriend and girlfriend.

So she ordered takeout, but there was no food for Qiu Chuqing, so he had to find his own.

Enping is not a big city, but a small town located at the foot of the mountains. When night falls, the bustling night market is located on both sides of the river that runs through the town.

The dark red embers flickered in the tin stove, while orange-yellow sparks escaped through the gaps in the wire mesh.

When the white smoke carrying the aroma of cumin entered Qiu Chuqing's nostrils, he sniffed and sneezed a few times. He had some allergic rhinitis, but he also had a fondness for eating barbecue.

He found a place to sit down, and the plastic chair creaked under his weight.

Half a day's hard work had left him starving.

Soon, a dozen oysters, grilled leeks, and lamb kidneys were served. Qiu Chuqing poured himself a full glass of ice-cold beer, and then ate the skewers and drank the beer at the same time, enjoying himself immensely.

Sometimes he even felt that although his career was not going well and he was somewhat of a flop, it wasn't so bad to just keep going like this.

After all, he has a job, a woman, friends, and can stay in his hometown to soothe his soul. What more could he ask for?

Even if the satisfaction in front of you is just an illusion for a short period of time, how long is a person's life anyway?

If this illusion is enough to conceal half a lifetime, then how can it be considered false, and how can it be considered true?
While engrossed in eating, Qiu Chuqing looked up and suddenly saw Ni Daye's figure.

"Wait! Didn't he go to Feng'an?"

"When did you get back? Why didn't you tell me?" Qiu Chuqing was taken aback. Instead of going up to call for him, she dialed a number on her phone.

After a few rings, Ni Daye answered the phone.

"What's wrong? My dear son, you miss your dad so much after just half a day?" Ni Daye's voice was filled with excitement.

"Stop talking nonsense, I'm your forever father... You're back in Enping?" Qiu Chuqing asked.

“No!” Ni Daye said.

“Enping is too small to accommodate a true dragon like me. What would I do if I went back?” Ni Daye continued.

He then changed the subject, saying, "Actually, you should have come out sooner. Small cities are comfortable, but they really have no potential. Everything depends on connections. Take that 'Brother Buffalo' from Enping, who makes a living online just like us. What skills does he have? His jokes aren't funny, his live streams are a mess, and he even tries to copy Jie Shao's catchphrases but can't do it right. They don't rhyme and they have no meaning. Every time I hear him say them, I get goosebumps and feel embarrassed for him."

"That's all. He's involved in every event, big or small, in the city. He's invited to open shops and promote restaurants. He's a few years younger than us, but he's already driving a sports car. The market in this small city is enough for him to make a living. He doesn't need to become a top internet celebrity."

"So what if we have more fans than him and our online presence is better? It's all superficial! We can't compete with the Brahmins in a small town. There are more opportunities in big cities. It's not that it's fair, but the extra profits are enough for us brothers to eat our fill."

You could tell that Ni Daye had a lot to say, but he just wanted to let it all out because he was in a good mood today.

But Qiu Chuqing's mind wasn't on that at all. He saw that the person who looked a lot like Ni Daye was also holding a phone and seemed to be talking excitedly about something.

Judging from the facts observed, it seems that Ni Daye has indeed returned to Enping. But what is there to hide?
They are just friends, nothing more complicated than that.

Was there any need to hide it?
Or is Ni Daye worried that he might try to get him involved in creating original works?

Qiu Chuqing was still listening to Ni Daye's rambling when suddenly a sweet voice came from across the room: "Brother Ni! Sing for a while! Your stockings are pilling!"

"Huh?" Qiu Chuqing frowned, because the person he had just identified as Ni Daye was not accompanied by any women, and was obviously not in a KTV.

"Mistook someone for someone else?" Qiu Chuqing couldn't help but chuckle self-deprecatingly. Sure enough, he had overestimated himself. During the day, he suspected that 888 was Zhang Aiyi, and at night he suspected that Ni Daye had clearly returned to Enping but was keeping it from him, and even complained about it.

Does this person really think they're something special, believing the whole world revolves around them?
How can someone in their early thirties be so foolish?

Coincidentally, the person who looked very much like Ni Daye was walking towards them. When he got closer, Qiu Chuqing took a good look at him and his expression changed again.

picture!
so similar!
Moreover, even the extra small section of ear root on the earlobe is exactly the same.

"Could he be Ni Daye's brother?"

“I haven’t heard of it!”

"However, it's not surprising. After all, Ni Daye is also from Enping, so it's normal for him to have some relatives and friends here. It's just that Ni Daye, with his big mouth, never used to talk about his brother who looks so alike as a joke over drinks. Could it be that the two of them didn't get along? Or did they just stop keeping in touch as they grew up?"

After Qiu Chuqing had eaten and drunk his fill, he went back to sleep.

Perhaps he had exhausted himself during the day, because he didn't dream that night. But when he woke up the next day, he found himself sitting in his office, surrounded by all kinds of documents and files. He didn't hesitate or feel unfamiliar with them. He picked up one of them and started comparing the data with great skill.

After he finished reviewing the entire report, he snapped out of his daze. When he looked again, he was no longer in the office; he was clearly sitting on the bed, lost in thought.

"Was I... hallucinating just now?"

"It's over! It's over! It's over!"

"If I had known my health wasn't good, I should have exercised more. I didn't take the tinnitus seriously, and now I'm even having hallucinations." Qiu Chuqing turned on his short voice and glanced at yesterday's data.

The data looked good, but he was no longer in the mood to be happy.

If your health collapses, all your excellent achievements will be wasted.

It's quite possible that after a year of hard work, you might not be able to withstand a month in the hospital.

I got up early to go to the hospital, registered, and waited in line until the afternoon for my checkup.

Another busy day. In the evening, I walked out of the hospital with a pile of medicines and various test reports, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Fortunately, although it has many problems and looks like it's about to die, it doesn't have any truly life-threatening illnesses. With proper care, it can recover.

However, I'm out of money for 888 tomorrow!
He has to work hard to even see the 888 red suit.

Take your medicine and get some rest.

That night, Qiu Chuqing had another dream. He dreamt that he was a lawyer who was ambushed and beaten for helping migrant workers get their unpaid wages.

And then... the things in my dreams started to fragment.

All sorts of stories, novels, and movies and TV shows are mixed up and appear in his dreams.

Qiu Chuqing woke up again, and this time he felt himself sitting in the office, with a metal signboard that read 'Financial Director' on the corner of the desk.

"who am I?"

"where am I?"

"I am Qiu Chuqing? But am I an original short video animation blogger? Or a financial director, or a fledgling lawyer?"

Qiu Chuqing's mind was a complete mess.

For some reason, he thought of 888 who looked very much like Zhang Aiyi and could even perform Zhang Aiyi's famous memes, as well as the passerby who looked almost exactly like Ni Daye.

Is this similarity and synchronization really just a simple case of looking alike?

Is it possible that they are actually the same person?

Qiu Chuqing felt an intense itch on his head, as if his brain was about to grow.

"If they are the same person, then what about me?"

"Am I the same person as the lawyer and the CFO?"

"If so... why would it split into different individuals?"

"If not, then why do I have their memories and experiences?"

"And what about 888 and Ni Daye? Why didn't they realize something was wrong like I did?"

"Are they too indifferent, or am I going crazy?" Qiu Chuqing sat at her workstation, holding her head and groaning in pain.

"who am I?"

"Am I Qiu Chuqing?"

"No...no! No!"

"I am not Qiu Chuqing!"

"That's not right! I'm not just Qiu Chuqing... Who am I?" In a daze, Qiu Chuqing found himself back in his bedroom.

He stumbled into the study, turned on his computer, and began to review the many fragmented inspirations he had recorded.

The mighty Qiantang River flows endlessly past Niujia Village in Lin'an, heading east to the sea. A row of dozens of tallow trees line the riverbank, their leaves ablaze with fiery red—it is August, the perfect time of year…

The novel had only just begun, and Qiu Chuqing herself had forgotten about it, but seeing it now gave her a strange sense of familiarity.

But he couldn't think of how to continue the story; he had no inspiration whatsoever.

Place your hands on the keyboard, open the typing tool, and it starts working on its own.

"The Taoist priest wore a straw hat and a raincoat, his whole body covered in white snow. A long sword was slung across his back, and the yellow silk strips on the hilt fluttered in the wind. In the midst of the snowstorm, he strode alone, his bearing truly extraordinary."

As Qiu Chuqing wrote this sentence, he felt a name was already at his fingertips, about to leap out, but he couldn't quite organize his thoughts.

Continuing to clear my mind and hand over the writing work to my hands, the content that came out started to become chaotic, sometimes jumping to Yihua Palace and sometimes to Cihang Jingzhai. Yihua Palace was fine, it was a sect designed in the story of his new animated short video, but what is Cihang Jingzhai?
My thoughts were still hazy, but my hands were typing away at lightning speed.

More inexplicable plot points and terms appeared on the computer screen.

Qiu Chuqing paused again when he accidentally wrote the line, "Guang Chengzi struck the Jade Void Bell."

The words "Jade Void Bell" seemed to have a certain impact on him, as if a bell was ringing deep in his soul!

hum!hum!hum!
"I remember now, I am... Qiu Chuji!"

"The Immortal of Changchun, the Patriarch Qiu Chuji of the Nine Heavens Responding Origin!"

Once the cage is broken, fate immediately tilts.

Qiu Chuji's primordial spirit gathered from the souls of millions of beings and flew out, and then his physical body and primordial spirit became one.

At this moment, in his primordial spirit, from his perspective, he is both one and ten thousand, finite and infinite.

However, his body, the rules and energy he mastered, were still confined within a framework, continuing to be incompatible with his primordial spirit.

"I am a pre-awakened Great Luo nature, but I have not cultivated an immortal body?"

"The gate to the Great Luo has been opened, but the path to becoming a Golden Immortal is still not clear?" Qiu Chuji felt extremely strange about his current state.

(End of this chapter)