But reality did not seem to work that way.
Qu Nanzhu did not look at outward beauty, only physiognomy.
He had even called President Wang a hypocritical villain. How would they dare make a sound?
Wang Rangquan clearly had not expected this outcome, yet he did not dare argue.
He had said ages ago that he was no good, that he could not come, but his boss had insisted he could. He was the most honest person in the whole company, so he could surely win Qu Nanzhu over.
Honest, his ass. Did he not know exactly what kind of person he was?
That bastard Du Congcai had talked to Qu Nanzhu for an afternoon, and now he was an idiot who could not even take care of himself.
Fuck, those executives really were nothing but wine sacks and rice bags, acting as though they knew everything when they were actually a bunch of useless gluttons! Trash!
In his mind, he had already cursed those bosses and eighteen generations of their ancestors, but outwardly, all he dared do was bow and scrape to Qu Nanzhu.
Qu Nanzhu scoffed, quickly turned, and ran downstairs.
The two celestial masters reacted and immediately chased after him, leaving the three of them in the stairwell with their own thoughts.
By the time Qu Nanzhu found a breakfast shop, the two celestial masters had caught up, still without saying a word.
Qu Nanzhu shot them a sidelong glance and continued pretending not to see them.
He ate rice noodles, and the two ordered stir-fried rice noodles at the next table. Qu Nanzhu ignored them.
He browsed the market and bought fruit, and the two silently followed. Qu Nanzhu still ignored them.
When he returned and was about to enter his home, the two still had not spoken. Qu Nanzhu finally lost patience, resting his hand on the door handle without pressing it down.
His room was still full of rambunctious paper figures. He could not very well let them follow him inside too.
"Listen, you two." Qu Nanzhu stood against the door, facing them. "You've followed me all morning. What exactly is so hard to bring up?"
The two celestial masters exchanged a glance, and only then did the younger one step forward. He first bowed and introduced himself. "Greetings, master. I'm a celestial master from the Nationally Certified Celestial Master Administration. My name is Daoqing, and this is my master, Fuchenzi."
Qu Nanzhu nodded. "Mm, and?"
Daoqing lowered his head, quickly glanced at his master, and began explaining why they had come.
"Well, last night, the fraud-exposing streamer who connected with you for a PK died horribly at home. According to the person who reported it, he was on the phone with the deceased at the time when he suddenly heard sounds of a violent struggle. He also faintly heard cries resembling those of felines.
"By the time the police arrived, the streamer was already dead, his body covered in wounds inflicted by animals. After comparison, they matched... matched the animals you mentioned during your livestream.
"So the police contacted the department that handles supernatural incidents, and that department contacted us. When we went to take a look, we discovered that even the deceased's soul had been completely devoured."
Last night, Pang Du had been discussing how to weather this crisis with his manager. His manager's idea was to find a special effects makeup artist to make his hand look severely burned, then start another livestream and deliberately show it once. A few seconds would do.
But halfway through their discussion, the light in Pang Du's room suddenly burst.
Before his manager could ask what that sound had been, Pang Du's howls and screams came through the phone, mixed with the cries of various animals. The cats' cries were simply the most numerous and loudest, so in his panic, those were all the manager remembered.
Daoqing did not mention that the manager had actually all but gone mad too. He had heard too many malicious voices of wronged souls, and given the circumstances, he was lucky he had not been frightened to death.
Qu Nanzhu listened seriously until he finished, then asked, "And? What does any of this have to do with me? Don't tell me you suspect I did it?"
If that really was the case, Qu Nanzhu would have to pay that Celestial Master Bureau or whatever it was a visit.
"N-no, no, that's not it!" Seeing his misunderstanding, the young Daoist hurried to explain. "My master examined that guy's physiognomy. He really did have a fate marked by viciousness and brutality to his very bones. It's just that you could discern so much through a livestream alone last night. The Celestial Master Bureau has never had anyone as capable as you!"
"Oh," Qu Nanzhu drawled. "So you're here to recruit me?"
Daoqing scratched his head. "I-I suppose so..."
The old celestial master beside him could no longer bear to watch. He glared in exasperation at the young disciple he usually doted on, who instantly behaved himself and shuffled backward.
The old Daoist stroked his beard and spoke unhurriedly. "Please forgive our presumptuous intrusion, young friend. My disciple and I came today partly to recruit you. The second reason is that I have a question, and I hope you might offer some guidance."
Qu Nanzhu had no interest in a nine-to-five job, and his hand had already slowly returned to the door handle. At those words, all he said was, "Ask."
The old Daoist stroked his beard again. Qu Nanzhu began tapping his foot impatiently.
"This matter concerns your abilities, young friend. If you feel it inappropriate, you need not answer."
Qu Nanzhu grew impatient. "Are you going to ask or not? If not, I'm going home!"
Hearing that he was about to leave, the old Daoist stopped stroking his beard and hurriedly asked, "Might I ask whether you were born with Yin-Yang Eyes, young friend?"
He had thought about it all night. Without innate Yin-Yang Eyes, it would have been impossible to see those wronged souls.
All that fuss for this question??
Suddenly, Qu Nanzhu was in no hurry to go home at all, because he was utterly speechless.
"Yes. Is there anything else?"
The old Daoist had not expected such a decisive answer and, for a moment, did not know what expression to make. Remembering one of his reasons for coming, he said, "With such talent, young friend, why not join me in contributing to the country and its people?"
Qu Nanzhu narrowed his eyes. "Trying to guilt-trip me?"
"Not at all, not at all! It would simply be such a pity to waste such monstrous talent!"
Qu Nanzhu withdrew his hand from the handle and straightened, his tone solemn. "Old celestial master, I respect you as a good person, so I won't do anything to you. But please don't try to interfere in my affairs or my decisions, and that goes for the people behind you too. I'm far more powerful than you imagine, so don't count on getting lucky.
"Besides, I don't have to join you to do those things. Just like how I stepped in to save the people in that car accident. I saw them, so I saved them. I knew, so I saved them. I have my own life, and I'm not going to give it up just because of this so-called talent you keep talking about."
These were Qu Nanzhu's heartfelt words.
Once, he really had cultivated desperately, over and over, with the thought of saving all living beings, never living even a single moment of his own life. In the end, he had given up his life for them too.
He did not regret that decision, but that did not mean he wanted to do it all again in this second life. His first reaction upon arriving in this world had been to save this body's original soul. It had been instinct, as well as the constraints of his old habits, but it was what he ought to have done. Even now, he was still working to restore Xiao Zhu.
So when these people came looking for him and tried to bind him with his talent again, he resisted inwardly. But they had done nothing wrong, so he could not take it out on them.
After hearing Qu Nanzhu's words, the old Daoist naturally understood that some things could not be forced. He apologized quietly and left with his disciple.
Back in his room, Qu Nanzhu washed an apple and sat at his computer desk.
After mulling it over, he finally wrote his contact information and a message on a sheet of talisman paper, folded it twice, summoned a little paper figure, and handed it over.
The little paper figure climbed onto the window carrying the square of paper, then flew down with a "whoosh," drifting and drifting until she landed on the old Daoist's shoulder.
The young disciple standing beside him saw it all clearly. His eyes widened into circles, and he stammered as he called to his master.
Still immersed in the sorrow of his failed recruitment, Fuchenzi could not understand why his disciple was so incapable of reading the room. He turned to look, only to first spot a paper figure standing on his shoulder with a sheet of paper in her arms.
The paper figure even smiled at him with her simply drawn features.
The old Daoist froze.
He did not dare move at all.
Fortunately, his disciple, who could not read the room, snapped him out of it.
The old Daoist took a deep breath and raised his hand to accept what the paper figure held. Inside was a phone number and a message from Qu Nanzhu-
If you encounter a situation you cannot resolve, you may contact me at any time.
"Master, does this mean we've earned his trust!?"
His young disciple bounced excitedly. The old Daoist really wanted to tell him to stand properly. What kind of behavior was this?
But inwardly, he was even more excited than his disciple!!
Was the phone number the important part!!? They could even find Qu Nanzhu's address. He did not believe Qu Nanzhu was unaware that they already had his contact information.
The important part was the paper figure delivering the message!! Who, in all these hundreds and thousands of years, had been able to command paper figures like this!?
And that paper figure had even smiled just now. She practically had a will of her own!!
Qu Nanzhu had not deceived them. He was far, far more powerful than any of them had imagined!!!
After delivering the letter, the little paper figure flew back into the small rented apartment. Qu Nanzhu was changing clothes, preparing to head out for his appointment.
Seeing the little paper figure return and stand before him with her hands on her hips, seeking credit, Qu Nanzhu smiled and patted her flat little head.
"Thanks for your hard work."
After returning to his room, Qu Nanzhu had been unable to stop himself from thinking about many things again. In the end, he had followed his heart and sent the little paper figure to deliver the letter.
His purpose was much as the old Daoist had imagined.
Reviewing his actions over the past few days, had he really been giving himself a chance to take control of his own life?
The day he met Du Congcai, he had originally not wanted to get involved in that girl's affairs, because once Du Congcai died and entered the Underworld, the judge would reckon his sins, and the girl's wish would be fulfilled.
But he had gotten involved anyway.
Saving those people afterward had been instinctive, because he alone could save them at the time, and he had the ability to do so.
If he could save them, why wouldn't he?
Later, when he saved people through livestreams, he could console himself that each side was getting what they needed.
Until today, when those two celestial masters appeared and once again put him on the spit of "with great power comes great responsibility." He had resisted to his heart's content for once, but afterward, he did not seem to feel particularly good either.
Then came the little paper figure's delivery.
In that moment, he had been free, neither forcing himself not to care nor forcing himself to care.
The experiences of his previous life had already been carved into his bones. He would never be able to stand idle in the face of evil, so why restrain himself from acting and merely add new shackles?