Chapter 21: Human Feelings and Affairs

  Qian Yiqun finally felt that he was on a roll and would no longer have to spend his days doing nothing.

  Once you become a government official, although you still don't have much dignity in front of your superiors, it's enough to give you a sense of accomplishment in front of ordinary people. Moreover, once you become the head of the constabulary, your future prospects will be bright and wide open. Not to mention the famous courtesans and beauties in Suzhou, even the eight beauties of Qinhuai are not out of reach...

  "Aren't you trying to become an immortal?" The fox licked its front paws and said calmly.

  Like a basin of cold water, it was poured directly on Qian Yiqun's head.

  "Is there a conflict between the two?" Qian Yiqun asked with some concern. In his knowledge, cultivating immortality required going to the deep mountains and old forests to suffer, but now that he had finally adapted to this simple world like a watercolor painting, it was really daunting to make him suffer even more.

  "That's not necessarily true," the fox sighed, "but it's rare for a superior being to be willing to teach an inferior officer, isn't it?"

  "What you said makes sense..." Qian Yiqun hesitated, "But if I become a constable, maybe I can even get you a roasted lamb leg from time to time..."

  "What's meant by 'hiding in plain sight' is that if you have a public figure to help with the search for a high-ranking person, it would be beneficial. If all else fails, I'll put on this old face and speak up for you." The fox's eyes shone brightly as the dog sat in front of Qian Yitun, its tongue hanging out of its mouth, dripping with sparkling drool.

  Qian Yiqun's smile blossomed as he believed that any superior being would be somewhat moved when encountering this ancient, shameless spirit.

  However, a superior being wouldn't peel and gut this spirit breed to find some kind of spiritual elixir, would they?

  Qian Yiqun's entanglement did not last long, Qian Datong personally came to his bedroom and told him the good news.

  "I've already sent Xiaoyu to our hometown in the countryside to spread the good news," Qian Datong said with great joy, "You take care of yourself and trim your fingernails, we'll have to go to County Magistrate's mansion later to express our gratitude. Also, this time Li Shifu helped a lot too, don't forget to call him Uncle when you see him."

  "Remember, son," said Qian Yiqun.

  Qian Datong patted his son's shoulder and walked out again. Outside, the crowd was still noisy, it seemed that things were not yet settled. After the corpse at the door was dealt with, people from all over the neighborhood would also come to pay their respects. As the saying goes, "distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors", this courtesy was indispensable.

  Qian Yiqun looked at his father's back, sighing that this father had a bit of a transcendent air about him, never having the so-called patriarchal ideology. Thinking again, he had spent 19 years in this family, from initially not adapting to now being like a fish in water, blending into the officialdom and topping the roster, all thanks to having a good pair of parents.

  "If I tell them I want to become a monk and seek immortality, they will definitely be very sad." Qian Yiqun sighed.

  "All are inferior, only cultivating the truth is superior. If you're attached to worldly dust, how will you escape when great calamity befalls?" The fox spoke fairly and reasonably.

  Qian Yiqun thought that Jiading and Yangzhou were not far from Suzhou, but the other side was slaughtered to the point where only one in ten survived. It's likely that the people of Suzhou wouldn't receive good treatment either. Not to mention other things, just the fact that "keep the head but not the hair, keep the hair but not the head" is enough to make one vomit. That golden rat tail braid is truly disgusting - it's disgustingly evil!

  "I still have to cultivate immortality!" Qian Yiqun clenched his fists, "I'll do this for now, and once I find the way to cultivate immortality, I'll leave, never to be tied down by worldly desires again!"

  With a determined mind, Qian Yiqun really brought out the attitude of taking the university entrance exam in his previous life, and he quickly went to bed, sat cross-legged for a while. Until his sister came to call him, saying that his father had finished packing and was going to Xiangfu County to express gratitude.

  Qian Yiqun came out of the house and saw Qian Lai Shun coming over with a sword scabbard in his hands, which was exactly what he had been looking for for his new treasure. Although people during the Ming dynasty were not as fond of wearing swords as they were during the Han and Tang dynasties, anyone who could read would be happy to carry a fan with a handle that was elegant and refined. Now that Qian Yiqun was an official, carrying a sword was also fitting.

  After being cared for by his mother for a few more words, Xiang Yiqun finally followed his father out the door and met Zhu Yunsheng, who was also going to give gifts to County Zun, halfway.

  Zhu Yunsheng carefully sized up his nephew, responding to his brother-in-law's chatter with his mouth, but not hearing a single word in his ear.

  "Yunsheng, what do you think?" Qian Datong suddenly asked his younger brother-in-law for his opinion.

  Zhu Yunsheng only vaguely heard the two words "my son", and then continued, "Yi Qun not killing Wei's old dog is really showing that he has talent, capacity and courage. As his uncle, I also have a good reputation."

  Qian Datong was amused by his nephew's irrelevant answer, but when he heard someone praising his son, he couldn't help but laugh.

  "I was also thinking that Wei Lao Gou had saved my younger brother, otherwise he wouldn't have spared his life." Qian Yiqun said casually, as if it were really the case.

  Zhu Yunsheng listened and naturally felt happy, his face relaxed a lot, thought for a moment and said: "You still need to guard against excessive killing intent, losing the middle harmony."

  "Remember that, nephew." Qian Yiqun responded with his mouth, but in his heart he thought: Uncle obviously didn't read many books, yet he acts like an old scholar.

  Three people walked side by side, and after a while, the scene in front of them suddenly opened up, and they had already arrived at the county government office. Chen County Magistrate was from Dongguan and did not bring his family to take office, so he lived in the official residence behind the county government office. Qian Yiqun only saw three sedan chairs stopped beside the stone where horses were tied outside the gate, all of which were small two-person sedan chairs, and it was unknown who Chen County Magistrate was seeing as a guest.

  The gatekeeper saw Qian Dianshi and hurried over to congratulate him, repeatedly saying "higher and higher". Qian Dianshi was in a great mood, took out a red envelope from his pocket: "Thank you for your auspicious words."

  Meng Zi pretended to decline for a round, put the red envelope in his sleeve, saw that it was not light, and smiled: "Dian Shi is really polite."

  "Please, please." Qian Datong said with a smile, "We have come to thank the county magistrate's elderly parents."

  "It's not a good time," said Menzi with a hint of disappointment on his face, "the master is still receiving guests and Li Shiyeh is keeping him company. If you don't mind waiting for a little while? They've been in there for quite some time now, they should be coming out soon."

  Qian Datong and Zhu Yunsheng exchanged a glance, saying: "Why don't you and I go to the duty room first to tidy up, let Yitun wait here, if the noble guest leaves, come and inform us."

  Zhu Yunsheng nodded in agreement.

  The gatekeeper politely invited Qian Yiqun to the ear room in the middle of the gate, wiped his hands with his sleeves on the stool and handed it over to this new official. This was also because he respected his father as a historian and his uncle as a catcher, otherwise ordinary officials would not have received such treatment.

  Qian Yiqun's eyes were opened after meeting the ancient spiritual species, and he didn't take the county magistrate seriously, let alone a gatekeeper. The slight inferiority complex he originally had about not being able to advance through imperial examination was completely dispelled by the fox spirit's sentence "All things are of lower quality, only cultivating immortality is high".

  The gatekeeper saw the young Qian officer sit down and immediately became as still as an old monk in meditation, not daring to speak rashly. Although Wu County was a bustling place, its population was ultimately limited, and the news of the swordsmanship contest at the Qian residence last night had spread before the market opened, now whoever looked at this young Qian officer had some respect mixed with fear.