You've only been cultivating for a few years, and you're already talking about cultivating

Chapter 152 A Chance Encounter

Zhang Jie dislikes the unknown.

I also hate uncertainty.

Because he had suffered enough from the unknown and uncertainty. From childhood to adulthood, every change in his life had come crashing down on him.

Without warning or room for negotiation, it hit him completely, leaving him bewildered. Every unknown event brought him not surprises, but suffering.

Now, another choice is presented to him.

One path is safe, secure, and tangible. The other path is unclear and unpredictable; it may lead to an abyss or nothing at all.

What should he choose?

What should he choose?

He sat on the edge of the bed, watching the light outside the window change from a dim yellow to a faint gloom, until the last rays of sunlight were swallowed by the sea, and the entire cabin was completely submerged in the night.

He still couldn't make up his mind.

Finally, he stood up, pushed open the door, walked through the corridor and stairs, and arrived at the door of Qi Fei's cabin.

This is where he first met Qi Fei.

At that time, in order to avoid ticket inspection on the ship, he pretended to have mistaken the door and managed to get through.

At that time, he probably never dreamed that he would have this day.

He took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock on the door.

The door opened. Qi Fei stood inside, and upon seeing him, showed no surprise, simply saying, "Come in."

Zhang Jie entered the room and, without saying a word, knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Immortal Master, can this kind of cultivation lead to immortality?"

Qi Fei raised his hand, and a gentle breeze supported his body, helping him to his feet.

"I don't know," Qi Fei shook his head, "but it probably won't work."

"Uh—" Zhang Jie was stunned.

He had expected to hear a resounding "Yes," or a heartfelt "When you cultivate to a high level, you will naturally be able to."

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But what does "no" mean?

Qi Fei didn't keep them in suspense and continued, "The way of Heaven is ever-changing; even Heaven and Earth cannot exist forever, let alone us cultivators."

"So-called immortality is nothing more than a longer lifespan. It could be a thousand years, or ten thousand years, or even longer, or even shorter."

Who knows?

Zhang Jie dared not look Qi Fei in the eye. He lowered his head, staring at the wood grain on the floor, and said, "Immortal Master—everything is uncertain. Aren't you going to regret this? What if there's a huge pit ahead?"

Qi Fei chuckled softly upon hearing this: "It's the uncertainty that makes things interesting."

"Exploring the unknown is fun in itself. If everything is rigid and unchanging, and making even the slightest movement is considered 'out of line,' then you'll be labeled a traitor!"

"That's truly boring!"

Zhang Jie looked up at Qi Fei's profile and eyes. He showed envy, admiration, and a hint of melancholy that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

He gritted his teeth and asked the final question: "If I—fail the Immortal Master's expectations, will the Immortal Master—"

"Kill me to silence me?"

Qi Fei was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Why would I kill you? What expectations did you fail me to meet?" Qi Fei's gaze held a mixture of helplessness and amusement. "Just because you wanted to become my disciple, and I said a few words to you?"

"You are not my apprentice yet. If you change your mind, I will kill you!"

"That's too domineering!"

Zhang Jie didn't say anything. He just knew that he had passed this hurdle.

He changed his mind in front of Qi Fei, but Qi Fei didn't cause him any trouble.

He instinctively tried to kneel down again, but before his knees touched the ground, that invisible wind appeared again, firmly supporting him and preventing him from kneeling down.

"You don't owe me anything, there's no need for this," Qi Fei said, his smile fading. "Besides, I don't like kneeling, nor do I like having someone kneel before me."

He turned and said, "Everyone has their own ambitions. If you've made up your mind, then leave."

He was looking for someone who sought the Way like him, not someone who was indecisive and hadn't even figured out what they wanted.

It's no one's fault, it's just inappropriate.

"Thank you for your understanding, Immortal Master." Zhang Jie bowed deeply, cupped his hands in greeting, and then backed out the door step by step, speaking softly.

Gently close the door.

Inside the room, the voice of "Sword" echoed in Qi Fei's mind, tinged with a hint of incomprehension and criticism: "This person...this person isn't very good."

"I know."

"Why didn't you kill him to silence him?"

"Why would I kill him?" Qi Fei said, "I didn't choose him, and he didn't choose me. We were just passersby on this ship, meeting by chance."

We met by chance, and parted ways just as easily.

Why get entangled?

He and Zhang Jie were no longer entangled, but Zhang Jie became entangled with Wang Qin.

When Wang Qin saw the person who had disappeared for a day and a night suddenly reappear, the expression on her face changed several times.

First came an unbelievable surprise, her eyes suddenly lighting up as if she were about to shout something. But before the surprise could even settle, she forcefully suppressed it, replacing it with a cold, expressionless face.

"Where the hell have you been?" she said coldly. "You still know how to come back?"

Zhang Jie lowered his head, not daring to look at her. His fingers unconsciously rubbed together on the hem of his clothes. He stammered, "I was... by that person..."

I've made arrangements—I didn't have time to tell you.

It goes without saying who "that person" refers to. On this ship, there is only one person whom Zhang Jie would address in such a way.

"What is it?" Wang Qin was slightly worried, but her expression remained cold.

Zhang Jie continued hesitantly, "Well—I was assigned to guard the cabin."

"You know, there are so many people on the ship, and now everyone's been assigned tasks. Everyone's unhappy, but—"

Some things don't need to be said aloud; both people understand each other perfectly.

Who's dissatisfied? And what can they do even if they are?

Who would dare utter a single word of dissent when it's arranged by the man who defeated the Dragon King with a single sword strike?

Wang Qin looked at Zhang Jie's face, which was filled with grievance and innocence, at his downcast eyes that avoided looking at her, and at the tips of his ears that were slightly red with nervousness—

The ice in her heart suddenly melted away.

So that's how it is. It turns out he didn't leave without saying goodbye, he didn't abandon me, he was just taken away by that person to do work and couldn't get away.

She misunderstood him.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Wang Qin's tone softened unconsciously: "I thought—that I made you unhappy because I was angry yesterday."

This was the softest thing she could say.

Zhang Jie quickly stepped forward and said softly, "How could that be? It's my fault. I didn't tell you when I left, and I made you worry—"

He was tongue-tied and couldn't utter any fancy words, but his simple, rustic phrases quickly brightened Wang Qin's expression.

Wang Qin's lips curled up slightly. Although she was still holding back her smile, the frost on her eyes and brows had completely melted away.

She leaned back in her chair and let Zhang Jie massage her legs.

The two reconciled as if nothing had happened yesterday.

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