Chapter 5: The Cultivator

"...He replied and said it was possible."

Qin Jia-jia lifted her gaze from the phone screen and spoke softly.

Across from her sat four or five middle-aged men and women, all elite officers who had appeared in previous departmental meetings. The expressions on their faces varied, but their eyes were fixed on the phone in her hand.

The last time she faced this group, she could only sit in the corner, not even qualified to join the conversation. But now, she occupied the central seat in the room, every move she made the focus of their attention.

She knew exactly who had brought about this change.

After she submitted her request to negotiate with Zhou Qing, the department held several emergency meetings overnight. After multiple rounds of argument, her application was miraculously approved, allowing her to negotiate with Zhou Qing as a "special personnel."

Even she found the outcome absurd, and she was not alone in thinking so.

"...I still believe this proposal is far too risky."

The officer with a square face sitting on the left furrowed his brow, "Sending a newcomer who has only just started dealing with extraordinary events to negotiate alone with a cultivator, and the target is someone for whom we have almost no information... If anything goes wrong, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"But all our previous attempts at negotiation have failed. We have no idea what 25892 thinks of the government. Leaving him unchecked under these circumstances could also become a ticking time bomb for society."

The thick-browed officer beside him shook his head, "Most cultivators have no familial or social ties in the mortal world, which has been a consistent difficulty in our negotiations. By comparison, 'classmate' is perhaps the only identity that can enter their private lives."

"Indeed." Another officer stroked a goatee, thoughtful, "Though it sounds far-fetched, it's a bold attempt. Whether it succeeds or fails, it will give us a reference for future operations."

This line of reasoning had been repeated countless times in previous meetings, and the square-faced officer no longer argued, just sighed and turned his gaze toward Qin Jia-jia at the table.

"So, what's the plan? Have Xiao Qin use her looks? To approach a cultivator, being pretty alone isn't enough."

"We have more than a week before the meeting with 25892. I'll make sure she learns most of the extraordinary knowledge needed for negotiation during this time."

At the end of the table, Li Yulan spoke calmly, "That person's situation is different from any cultivator we've encountered. Old methods won't work. He's pretending to be an ordinary person, so to break through his defenses, we must negotiate from the perspective of ordinary people."

"She's under your command, so it's your responsibility." The square-faced officer made no further comment, "Let's hope your judgment is as sharp as it was before."

The conversation ended there. The people at the table stood, chatting in small groups as they left. When the meeting room door closed quietly, only Qin Jia-jia and Li Yulan remained.

The clock on the wall ticked quietly, the sound of the hands moving clear and steady.

"...Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Director." After a moment, Qin Jia-jia finally spoke, "I promise from now on I will..."

"No need for formalities. Since you chose to join, negotiating with cultivators is something you'll have to face eventually. Don't think that being given an exception is a reason for pride."

Li Yulan waved her hand, "Although 25892's uniqueness has drawn departmental attention, his influence is limited to Liangzhou. Above him are senior cultivators powerful enough to shake an entire province—or even a nation's resources. You have a long road ahead, a lot to learn. This is only the beginning."

"As I said, right now, you must quickly master the knowledge needed to negotiate with 25892. The coming week will be difficult for you."

"I'm mentally prepared."

"Good. Before we begin, I want to ask you one question." Li Yulan's voice deepened, "Since you've already had close contact with 25892, how do you now regard cultivators?"

How do I regard cultivators? The unexpected question stunned Qin Jia-jia; before she could think it through, an image of Zhou Qing's casual attire and lazy expression appeared in her mind.

"Cultivators... possess powers beyond imagination, making them a major destabilizing factor in society."

Qin Jia-jia ventured, "But aside from a few evil ones, if we don't provoke them, their attitude toward mortals seems normal—almost no different from ordinary people?"

The last words carried a note of hesitation. She sensed a strange change in her superior's expression.

"...Is that what you think?" Li Yulan sighed, "I suppose so. You're new to the field, and your first encounter was with someone as unusual as 25892—it’s bound to give you a skewed perception."

"Please enlighten me."

"Such things are better seen than heard." Li Yulan did not answer directly, but stood up.

"Come with me."

...

...

Fifteen minutes later, a black sedan exited the Environmental Bureau's underground garage and sped onto the intercity highway.

Qin Jia-jia sat in the backseat, anxiously gripping her seatbelt.

Li Yulan had not told her their destination, but from the road signs flashing past the window, they were heading toward the outskirts.

Liangzhou was a newly established city, only recently beginning to develop its infrastructure. Most of the suburbs were still waiting for development; not even the industrial zones had many factories.

So where were they going...?

"Take a look at this." Lost in thought, Qin Jia-jia was startled when Li Yulan handed her a thick book from the front seat. She quickly reached out to take it.

She expected some confidential file with a red label, but when she turned it over, the cover bore a name she hadn’t anticipated.

"General History of China"

"You've heard it in meetings. Recently, extraordinary incidents have been appearing worldwide, with increasing impact. Our job is to keep these anomalies out of public sight, preventing social unrest."

"It's not just a matter of fearing their power. On paper, with the current level of official weaponry, China could theoretically oppose them—but that doesn't diminish their terror, because..."

Li Yulan leaned back, gazing at the scenery flowing past the window, her voice drifting.

"Yes, extraordinary cases have only become frequent recently, but that doesn’t mean the extraordinary have only appeared now."

"On the contrary, they have existed for thousands of years, unseen by mortals, shaping our history in unimaginable ways. Every line in the history books hides their traces, and we can only glimpse the tip of the iceberg through legends."

Qin Jia-jia stared at her, and seeing that Li Yulan had no intention to say more, she lowered her head and slowly opened the history book in her hands. What seemed like an ordinary book was filled with handwritten notes and slips of paper.

"In 215 BC, a soul-cultivating master visited the mortal world, assumed the name 'Huang Shigong,' wandered the land, and left behind several methods for sensing the harmony between heaven and man... A youth named Zhang Liang happened upon these methods, cultivated to a modest degree, and could observe the fate of heaven and man. Later, he served Liu Bang, the founder of the Han dynasty, and never failed in his strategies, assisting the emperor to seize control of Guanzhong. He was later known as the Saint of Strategy..."

"In the seventh year of the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han (184 AD), the chief of the greatest sect in the cultivation world, Cangtian Sect, failed his tribulation and perished. His opposition formed an alliance named 'Yellow Heaven Gate,' appointing Zhang Jiao of Julu as their mortal agent, launching a crusade against the Cangtian Sect and the Han dynasty... They failed, and both the Yellow Heaven Gate's leader and Zhang Jiao died. In 219 AD, Cangtian Sect disintegrated due to internal strife among elders, and the Eastern Han dynasty fell the following year..."

"In the twenty-sixth year of the Hongwu reign (1388), the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang wrote a biography for the mysterious figure 'Zhou Dian,' stating that he came and went without trace, knew the future, could command water and fire, and used divine skills to help Zhu defeat Chen Youliang and ascend the throne, earning the title 'Zhou Dian Immortal'..."

"..."

The book was filled with highlighted marks and notes, seemingly written by different people at different times. The chaotic annotations resembled drawings of gods and ghosts, all vividly reflected in Qin Jia-jia’s eyes.

"So all those ancient legends of immortals... are true?" Her hand trembled as she touched the pages. "Not immortals, but cultivators... They've existed from ancient times until now?"

"This is the real reason we conceal the existence of cultivators." Li Yulan’s voice was haunting, "If this secret were revealed, people would realize that the brilliance of heroes in history was merely the casual favor of passing cultivators, that the rise and fall of dynasties was often rooted in the disputes of sects, and even disasters might be the aftermath of cultivator battles... Such a shock is beyond what ordinary people can bear. Society needs time to digest this truth."

A silence fell.

"In the eyes of cultivators, what are we?" Qin Jia-jia murmured.

"I don't want to crush your spirit, but by now you can probably imagine." Li Yulan shook her head, "Even ignoring their power, even the lowest-ranked Qi-cultivators live to a hundred on average, and the powerful ones have lifespans of a thousand years or more. That alone creates a vast gap in perception."

"When you meet a cultivator face to face, you might think they look no different from modern people, but in reality, they could be from the Yuan or Ming, Tang or Song, or even earlier times—considering that, do you still think you can communicate normally?"

Qin Jia-jia bit her lip, the image of that man flashing through her mind once more.

"So... is he like that too?"

Li Yulan paused, and for once turned to look at her subordinate, her eyes deep behind the lenses.

"We know far too little about 25892 to determine his cultivation level, let alone which era he comes from. Given his behavior so closely mirrors modern people, it’s possible he’s a new cultivator who gained power by chance in the present day."

"But whichever he is, you must always remember, cultivators are not on the same level as us—whether it's him, or any of them... Get out."

The car suddenly braked, inertia making Qin Jia-jia lurch forward. She pressed a hand to her forehead where it had struck and looked out the window: several low buildings, two or three stories high, their walls painted gray-white, surrounded by vans with white license plates. At first glance, it looked like a hospital.

But what kind of hospital would have high-voltage electric fences and SWAT officers guarding the entrance?

A tapping sounded outside; Li Yulan pressed a button in the front seat, and the windows lowered. Four or five black-uniformed SWAT officers surrounded the car, all burly and fierce-looking, the pressure in the air almost palpable.

"Please show identification and submit to inspection," the lead officer said, his voice deep and resonant.

"Li Yulan, Grade A Director, Liangzhou Environmental Investigation and Defense Bureau, Intelligence Division. My colleague in the back seat, Qin Jia-jia, Grade D Officer. I’ve already submitted an entry request in the system."

Li Yulan handed over her ID with practiced ease, took two yellow slips from the officer, and passed one to Qin Jia-jia. "Take this, put it on your forehead."

Qin Jia-jia took the slip, feeling a subtle stir in her heart. The material was strangely soft, more like cloth than paper, with several odd, black symbols drawn in ink—she couldn’t decipher their meaning.

She followed Li Yulan’s instructions and pressed it to her forehead. The instant it touched her skin, a peculiar energy seemed to emanate from the slip. The black symbols came alive, igniting in blue flames. Before she could cry out, the paper had burned away, leaving no trace, not even ash.

"Identity confirmed. Soul has cleared the talisman test, no issues."

Meanwhile, the officers had swiped their IDs through the machines, returning them to Li Yulan in the front seat. Qin Jia-jia noticed the gun barrels in their hands lowered slightly, as if only now the threat was lifted.

So if she’d shown any anomaly just now, they would have opened fire without hesitation?

The realization chilled her with cold sweat. She hadn’t expected modern China to have such stringent checks. Whatever was inside that building must warrant such heavy security.

"May I ask what brings Director Li here today?" The lead SWAT officer addressed Li Yulan, his tone noticeably softer.

"Here to let the newcomer observe and learn," Li Yulan replied, as if joking, but her tone offered no hint of levity. "If you want the new recruit to truly understand the job, she must see it with her own eyes."

"I see."

The officer nodded, glancing at Qin Jia-jia in the back seat. For some reason, she sensed a hint of pity in his gaze.

She shivered involuntarily.