I Regretted Seeking Immortality

Updates are paused while I revise and substantially rewrite this story. Details are in the latest chapter. Thank you for your support.

As everyone knows, in the world of cultivation, the orthodox sects engage with the world while the reclusive sects withdraw from it. But regardless of sect or school, cultivators inevitably pursue longevity.

Li Rui is neither. He neither engages with the world nor withdraws from it. All he wants is to die.

So he became a ghost hunter, taking only jobs that legend says are certain to be fatal. If they aren't fatal, he can't be bothered.

That night, as usual, he played games until late, reversed his meridians three times, downed a carton of ice-cold milk, and then headed out to work.

He still didn't die that night, but he did run into a strange man.

Yun Huanyu offended Li Rui the moment they met.

The last time he'd visited the human world had been hundreds of years ago. He had no money and knew nothing about anything, so Li Rui swindled him in just a few words.

Li Rui: "You seem to know a lot about these ancient spirits. Want to work as my consultant?"

Yun Huanyu: "I can be your consultant, but you have to pay me."

Li Rui: "Fifty per job."

Yun Huanyu's idea of money was still silver coins. "How much is fifty? How many catties of rice can I buy with that?"

Li Rui: "Maybe ten or twenty catties."

Yun Huanyu kept a straight face, but inwardly marveled: Good lord, back when I joined the army and rose to the rank of centurion, I only got one dou of polished rice a month. This guy's rich. He's a sucker. I'm sticking with him.

He even furrowed his brow slightly. "That'll do. It's a deal."

Li Rui smiled and shook his hand. Just then, his phone chimed with a text message in his pocket: "Mr. Li Rui, the 3,000,000 yuan reward for Ghost Hunt Operation No. 15477 has been deposited into your account."

Later, it was Yun Huanyu who twisted Li Rui's arms behind his back and shoved him against a wall, snarling, "I didn't give you permission to die, so how dare you? You don't deserve to die! Keep that life of yours going. I need it. When this is over, I'll find a way to grant you death."

Li Rui snapped one of his own arms, slipped out of Yun Huanyu's embrace, and looped an arm around his neck, smiling. "That won't do. We spend every day together. What if you can't bear to let me die in the end? Who am I supposed to complain to then?"

This story will enter the paid section on September 30. Chapters 29-41 will be locked. Thank you for your support.

Also: "The Little Conch Keeps Blowing Nonsense." Click my profile to see it, and please add it to your reading list.

After failing eight times, Luo Su finally passed the Ocean Alliance civil service exam by a hair on his ninth attempt, scraping through with a low score as the last written-exam candidate to make the final interview round.

When the interview notice arrived, he was assigned to the Ocean-to-Land Relations Office.

It was the most popular position in the Ocean Alliance. The waiting area was packed with sharks and orcas, and he even spotted a kraken.

Luo Su was a conch. A sea snail.

He gave up and babbled nonsense in the interview, figuring he might as well entertain the examiners and try again next year.

To his surprise, he passed, and he was the only one they hired.

Two hours later, after leaving the sea turtle section chief's office, Luo Su stumbled into the restroom, trembling. His legs were weak, and he couldn't pee.

The section chief explained that ever since the Great Ocean Era began, humans had grown increasingly wary of the military and technological might of ocean civilization, and tensions had kept rising. The Ocean Alliance leadership didn't want to provoke the humans too much right now, so they needed to choose two spokespersons for the Ocean-to-Land Relations Office.

They had to be the weakest, most harmless-looking people around, the sort who looked as if the slightest push would knock them over.

Luo Su couldn't tell whether to be happy or angry. Just then, a long-haired, expressionless handsome man suddenly pushed open the door.

There were a whole row of empty urinals, but he chose the one beside Luo Su.

Every man knows how annoying that is. Luo Su looked up at him, furious but afraid to say anything.

The handsome man turned to meet his gaze, suddenly grabbed his arm, shoved a piece of paper into his palm, and walked out.

Luo Su was stunned. He hadn't even pulled up his pants yet when the section chief came out of a stall and glanced at the handsome man's back. "Oh? You've already met your partner? He's an underclassman a few years behind you, a merman."

Luo Su opened his hand. The paper had just two words written on it: "Run."

Luo Su: Wah, my colleague is a rich second-generation from a prestigious family, a twisted schemer. What am I supposed to do?

Pretend weak, actually strong.

Theme: Always hope, always believe that one day the light in your life will appear.