Persona Management: We're Professionals

At Wang Xiaohu's comical appearance, everyone burst into laughter.

Zhou Qing smiled gently as well. "What one should do depends on one's own circumstances."

Pointing at the sliced pig head meat on the table, he said, "The Drunken Immortal Restaurant's pig head meat is rich without being greasy, famous far and wide. You always said that if you could have just one bite, even losing three years off your life would leave you without regrets. Now that it is right before you, are you not tempted?"

Drool immediately dripped from Wang Xiaohu's mouth.

Zhou Qing then looked at Wei Xu and pointed at a bold woman beside him, dressed in a red gauze skirt. Smiling, he said, "This young lady shines with beauty and burns with passion. Could Brother Wei truly feel nothing for her?"

Wei Xu could not help sneaking a glance at her, and his face instantly reddened as though blood might drip from it.

His family had been a household of scholars for generations, and his teachers and elders had disciplined him strictly since childhood. Though he already knew of matters between men and women, he had never had the chance to try them.

Whenever he saw a young lady or married woman from some household out traveling, he would inevitably feel an unbearable itch in his heart. Now, teased by this woman in red, the fire in his heart blazed even hotter, difficult to suppress.

"That is precisely it."

Zhou Qing swept his gaze over the crowd and smiled. "Everyone need only ask your own hearts. Whatever you wish to do over these three days, go and do it to your heart's content. If you love eating, then stuff your stomach full of grease and fat. When the very smell of food makes you want to vomit, you will have succeeded."

"If you are lustful, then indulge in passion to your heart's content. When your waist aches, your legs go weak, and the sight of a woman makes you want to hide, then you will have reached that realm."

All the Immortal Seedlings were young. Hearing him speak so bluntly, their faces burned and their ears flushed red. They could only stammer and murmur, not daring to speak.

The three female Immortal Seedlings were so ashamed that they covered their faces with their hands, not daring to look at anyone.

Yet whenever no one was paying attention, they could not help letting their gazes slip through the gaps between their fingers, secretly peeking at Zhou Qing.

Seeing all the other Immortal Seedlings flustered and ill at ease while Zhou Qing alone stood apart, graceful and extraordinary, their hearts could not help but sway.

"What audacity, to dare rashly guess at my thoughts."

Chen Qingxuan came swaying over with a wine gourd in hand, his face stern as he spoke.

The Immortal Seedlings had originally been stirred by Zhou Qing's words, but upon hearing that the Immortal Master seemed displeased, they all wilted like eggplants struck by frost. They looked anxiously at the Immortal Master, wondering whether he would mete out punishment.

Among them, Wei Xu, Wang Xiaohu, and Nie Yunxi were especially worried for Zhou Qing. They feared he had angered the Immortal Master. Punishment would be a minor matter; being stripped of the chance to enter the Cultivation World would be a loss too unbearable to bear.

Zhou Qing was secretly startled as well. Could I have misunderstood the Immortal Master's intentions?

He quietly released his magnetic field to sense the Immortal Master's electromagnetic reactions.

The life activities of all living things relied upon electrochemical processes within their bodies, which in turn emitted a certain degree of electromagnetic reaction.

In the three years since crossing into this world, Zhou Qing had constantly observed the differences between this world and his previous life.

Though this world differed from his former one, possessing the special energy known as spiritual energy and thus altering certain scientific laws, it still broadly followed its own rules.

Here, one plus one still equaled two. An apple thrown into the sky still fell under the pull of gravity. Positive and negative charges within clouds still interacted, producing thunder and lightning.

Likewise, the humans of this world still possessed all manner of complex electrochemical processes within their bodies.

By observing the electromagnetic effects displayed by a person, Zhou Qing could roughly infer their emotional state.

With people he knew well, he could be right every time. Even with strangers, he still had a high chance of accuracy.

That was why he thought to observe the Immortal Master's mental state.

Very quickly, he discovered that observing the Immortal Master's emotions was far more difficult than observing mortals.

The Immortal Master's body carried intense spiritual energy reactions, which could interfere with the magnetic field.

Zhou Qing could not accurately distinguish what emotion the Immortal Master was feeling, but he could determine that there was no anger within it. That completely put him at ease.

Now that he was certain the Immortal Master was not angry, Zhou Qing's mind immediately began turning.

Since the Immortal Master is not angry, why is he acting as though he is?

Could he be testing me?

Zhou Qing's heart stirred. "It was not this junior's intention to speculate upon Senior's thoughts. I simply did not wish for my fellow companions to miss this chance at tempering themselves while at a loss for what to do."

Chen Qingxuan said, "You are so certain that this was my intention?"

Zhou Qing bowed. "If anything this junior has said is mistaken, I ask Senior to kindly enlighten me."

Chen Qingxuan studied him for a while. Seeing that his expression remained calm and that he had not panicked despite Chen Qingxuan's show of anger, he felt even greater admiration.

This young man's comprehension and temperament were both exceptional, the likes of which he had not seen in all these years. What a pity...

Thinking of how Zhou Qing possessed only a single spiritual root, Chen Qingxuan could not help but feel deep regret.

A smile appeared on Chen Qingxuan's face. "Consider yourself lucky to have guessed correctly."

He turned to the Immortal Seedlings. "What Zhou Qing said just now was precisely this poor Daoist's intent. You may all go enjoy yourselves as you please. But do not become immersed in it. Indulge your desires with a heart detached from them, thereby seeing through how the pleasures of the world cannot be relied upon for long, and giving rise to a heart that seeks the Dao."

Only then did the Immortal Seedlings sweep away their dejection. They first bowed and acknowledged the Immortal Master's words, then cast admiring looks toward Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing had managed to grasp the Immortal Master's intentions completely. Clearly, his understanding of cultivation could keep pace with the Immortal Master's way of thinking.

What astonishing comprehension.

It was a pity that he had only one spiritual root, and everyone could not help feeling regret on his behalf.

After the Immortal Seedlings each withdrew to enjoy themselves, Chen Qingxuan looked at Zhou Qing and said, "I would like to know what pleasures your heart craves."

Zhou Qing smiled. "This junior craves nothing. I only wish to return home and spend three days with my father, arranging his affairs after death for him. That would count as doing my small part in filial duty."

Chen Qingxuan said in surprise, "At such a young age, do you truly have no desire for pleasure?"

Zhou Qing answered respectfully, "This junior does not dare boast, but there are great joys and small joys in this world. When great joy lies before one, small joys naturally cease to be worth longing for."

Chen Qingxuan asked, "How so?"

Zhou Qing said, "Take this feast, for instance. Though it holds countless delicacies from mountain and sea, Wang Xiaohu loves only pig head meat and disdains everything else. Why is that?"

Chen Qingxuan chuckled. "That is simply his taste. There is no particular reason for it."

Zhou Qing nodded. "This junior is the same."

"To this junior, cultivation is a joy beyond comparison. Beside it, all other pleasures are utterly insignificant. Thinking that I will enter the Cultivation World in three days, I can barely contain my impatience. Looking at this table full of delicacies from mountain and sea, I feel not the slightest sweetness. Even these beautiful ladies no longer seem beautiful in the least."

Watching Zhou Qing's departing back, Chen Qingxuan once again felt deep regret.

Suddenly, his heart stirred. Such steadfast will and such outstanding comprehension would be wasted if allowed to fade away for nothing.

He remembered that there were certain tasks within the sect that did not require especially high cultivation, but demanded great comprehension. Perhaps he could try recommending Zhou Qing for one.