What if I don't want to ascend to immortality?

Chapter 31 The Arrival of the Genius Witch
Meng Qingtong suddenly lost all interest in looking at apartments and asked nervously, "How did they find you?"

Han Jie shook his head. "I asked too, but the man wouldn't tell me. He only promised to tell me their information channels if I was willing to join."

"So...you agree?"

He shook his head again. "Things always have an order of precedence. The business we're working on isn't finished yet, and I'm not interested in taking on any more trouble."

Moreover, the man who came to persuade her was far too unlikable, not even as good as a single hair on Qing Tong's face.

Despite being a small organization with a history less than a fraction of his own, it made him feel the arrogance of a rigid, old sect that he hadn't experienced in a long time.

He had no interest in what the Spiritual Energy Deep Research Alliance was researching.

In any case, its value to him couldn't possibly be greater than that of the Ten Thousand Demons Induction.

"No matter what sect it is, once there are too many people, it will become a chaotic mess. Don't bother with it." Han Jie was too lazy to say more. Compared to this, he would rather hear Meng Qingtong enthusiastically telling him in her sweet, crisp voice how great this house was and how cost-effective that house was.

After all, he had seen many sects, but he had never been to a proper family.

But Meng Qingtong lost all interest in admiring the house. She stood with one hand on her hip, thinking for a long time, still angry. She took out her phone and made a call. "Dean Fang, I have something I'd like to report to you."

The response on the other end carried a hint of playful helplessness: "When you use such a serious tone, I know it's no good. I haven't even finished my sweet potato chips yet. So, what is it?"

She immediately embellished the story, giving a detailed account of how the Spirit Alliance was brazenly recruiting people in broad daylight, a far cry from a pyramid scheme. Then, she said very seriously, "I know it's impossible to keep my partner's situation a secret from everyone, but for it to leak so quickly is a big problem, isn't it? How many channels could have leaked this information through? If you haven't mentioned it to anyone at the Second Hospital, then the ones that have been thoroughly infiltrated are either the Spirit Security System or the Relics Protection Association. This is no small matter, is it?"

Dean Fang paused for a few seconds and said, "I did mention it to your Aunt Huang this morning. She knows a few people in the Spirit Alliance. Could she have let something slip?"

"Aunt Huang is away on a business trip. You just said this morning that she broadcast it on the spot? I don't believe it. To be able to pinpoint Han Jie's location so accurately, there's probably a mole within the Ling'an system. Dean Fang, how should we handle this? What if the Ling Alliance comes after us again, like they did with me before? What should we do then?"

Dean Fang couldn't help but laugh. "You always have this kind of roundabout way of thinking. I already promised you, so there's no need to use this opportunity to rush me. I'll start preparing as soon as I meet with Han Jie, is that alright?"

"Thank you, Dean Fang. Could you please make it clear to the Spirit Alliance that our academy has already made the reservation, and we can discuss anything else after graduation? You know how annoying they can be, like mosquitoes. I'm easygoing and don't mind, but if my partner gets angry, it can be quite troublesome, don't you think?"

"Alright, alright, then I'll ask you, Aunt Huang, to do me the favor and pass on a message."

"Thank you, Dean. You're the best." She said in a familiar, coquettish tone, then, remembering that Han Jie was still beside her, she turned her head away somewhat embarrassedly. After chatting for a couple more minutes, she hung up the phone.

"Let's just focus on our own business, why bother with them?" Han Jie politely gestured to the third salesperson who was about to approach, then calmly continued looking at the properties.

Meng Qingtong glanced around and noticed that the gazes cast at her by several young women in the hall were already somewhat unfriendly. Or rather, she instinctively sensed that they were not friendly.

Feeling uneasy, she couldn't help but raise her hand to carefully tie her ponytail, and then reapplied the small lip balm.

Nevertheless, she quickly looked at a few sets before making an excuse to leave.

This is the old immortal herb she dug up, and it's not a pleasant feeling to have a bunch of crazy young calves secretly eyeing it.

Feeling rather unhappy, her expression naturally affected her as she stood at the door pondering her next destination.

Han Jie habitually stood next to her, put on his luxury brand straw hat, and held sunglasses in his hand, looking like a lazy rich young master.

At first glance, it looks like his girlfriend is throwing a tantrum and he's too lazy to comfort her.

It wouldn't have been a big deal, but unfortunately, someone who knew Meng Qingtong saw it.

"Qingtong? What are you doing?"

The voice sounded so incredulous that it became slightly high-pitched.

"Huh?" Hearing the familiar voice, Meng Qingtong was also surprised and quickly looked away from her phone. "Teacher Liu?"

Upon hearing this, Han Jie realized that the person who had come was the one Meng Qingtong had mentioned several times before—Liu Shengmeng, the most talented young teacher in the Second Academy.

Yagyu Yume's father was a member of the Ying tribe, and her mother was a member of the Donghua tribe, the main ethnic group in the four major regions of Bei, Dong, Huang, and Zheng. Therefore, her surname was actually Yagyu.

However, because her parents divorced when she was young, and the breakup was not pleasant, she chose to take her mother's surname. She originally wanted to cut off the character "生" (sheng, meaning birth), but her mother, Liu Rong, disagreed.

In the end, she kept her original name, but only allowed others to use the surname Liu. "Miss Liu," "Teacher Liu," etc., were all fine, but if someone accidentally called her "Liu Sheng," the consequences would be quite serious.

Meng Qingtong's initial target for seeking cooperation was this Teacher Liu.

However, the other party not only showed no interest whatsoever, but also had a disappointed attitude, trying to keep Meng Qingtong in the academy to study properly whenever possible. If the Second Academy were to select the person who least wanted Meng Qingtong to run errands outside, the top three would definitely be Teacher Liu, Liu Tiancai, and Liu Shengmeng.

Remembering Meng Qingtong's regretful tone when mentioning Teacher Liu, Han Jie reluctantly took a closer look.

His first priority was naturally strength.

However, the level of this world is too low, making it difficult to infer the specific level based on the fluctuations of spiritual energy in an individual's daily life.

If he hadn't been by Meng Qingtong's side these past few days, witnessing her skills several times, he would have had little impression of the so-called geniuses of this world, let alone felt this curiosity. Unexpectedly, his curious gaze, unmasked by sunglasses, fell directly into her eyes.

Even if all the geniuses in the world were combined into one person, it would be impossible to see through Han Jie's true level. Moreover, given his current attire, demeanor, and style, Liu Shengmeng naturally misunderstood him in other directions.

Unfortunately, Yagyu Yume was a rigid and conservative person with a quick temper and a fiery temper. Due to his good looks and talent, he had a smooth life and could be described as a spoiled and privileged person.

"What are you looking at?" she snapped without thinking. "Didn't anyone teach you manners?"

She turned to Meng Qingtong, her brows furrowed in anger, "What kind of boyfriend did you find? He stares at me like that right in front of you?"

She glanced at the sales office door, not giving the two a chance to speak, and said in a huff, "Xiaotong, if you urgently need money, you can tell me. Ah, of course, I can't afford such an expensive house for you, but... but I can still help you a little, right? You're so young, you have a long life ahead of you, why rush? Once a girl takes the wrong path, there's no turning back!"

Meng Qingtong rubbed her temples, glanced at Han Jie to make sure he wasn't affected, and then breathed a sigh of relief. She patiently said, "Teacher Liu, you've misunderstood. This is my long-term partner for handling cases. He's only been in Dongding City for a short time and wants to find a place to stay first. I'm here to help him see if there are any suitable houses."

"Partner?" Liu Shengmeng showed no embarrassment whatsoever, and continued, "Xiaotong, when looking for a partner, you should focus on strength and teamwork, not looks and physique. You know, what your teacher dislikes most are those idiots who prioritize boring appearances over cultivation. When real danger arises, demons won't show mercy just because someone is good-looking."

Realizing that Yagyu Yume was a little too concerned about her appearance, Han Jie then turned his attention to her looks.

Simply put, she and Meng Qingtong are two completely different types.

She wasn't tall, about half a head shorter than Meng Qingtong. In terms of body proportions, her legs were definitely not as long as Meng Qingtong's, and her waist measurement should also be larger. However, because of the exaggerated curves at the top and bottom, she appeared more slender.

However, all her strengths and weaknesses were completely hidden by her loose shirt and trousers.

Her face was completely unmade-up, her hair was messy and disheveled, and she wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses that easily created stereotypes—clearly intentional, since genius spiritualists don't tend to be nearsighted or have astigmatism so easily.

Judging from her facial features, with a little dressing up, she would probably be a glamorous, striking beauty.

But considering her personality, this is clearly not a good thing for her. If it weren't for her innate love of beauty, she might have tried even harder in the opposite direction.

"If you keep staring at me, get out of Dongding City right now!" Liu Shengmeng glared angrily at Han Jie. "Xiao Tong is still a child, she's not easily fooled by someone like you, I won't."

Meng Qingtong quickly interrupted, laughing, "Teacher Liu, if you don't change your quick temper, you'll never find a boyfriend. Are you really planning to stay single forever with the nickname 'genius witch'?"

"Those pointless emotions will only become obstacles on your path of cultivation. If you're not single-minded, how can you live up to the title of genius? How can you live up to the effort the academy has invested in us?" Liu Shengmeng seemed to be planning to give a lecture on self-cultivation for spirit sorcerers right then and there. "You're seventeen or eighteen now, the age when you're in the throes of first love. I know that it's inevitable to feel restless, both psychologically and physically. If it affects your cultivation, I can teach you some ways to relieve it. You don't need to force yourself to find a partner of the opposite sex. Men will only slow down your spellcasting speed!"

Meng Qingtong said helplessly to Han Jie, "Well, this is the main reason why I finally gave up trying to persuade Teacher Liu to help me. It's too difficult to communicate with her. She's like this both in and out of class, always living on her own wavelength."

Sure enough, Liu Shengmeng acted as if she hadn't heard her at all, continuing her "earnest instruction," saying, "I suggested to you last time that you're still young, and it's not too late to switch to the Spirit Magic Department. With me directly teaching you, catching up with the progress of the Spirit Talismans will be a piece of cake. Don't be foolish and cling to the bottomless pit of Spirit Talismans. How much wealth do you have to withstand this kind of squandering? You're unwilling to give up the burden of the orphanage, and you're stubbornly holding onto Spirit Talismans and Spirit Arrays. In the end, aren't you just driving yourself down a dark path? You can't solve this kind of thing by finding a rich man!"

Meng Qingtong sighed and flicked the sunglasses in Han Jie's hand with her little finger. "It's all your fault. You had to buy luxury brands for a straw hat and sunglasses."

Han Jie said nonchalantly, "I am indeed a wealthy man now, and I am willing to help you with those little things. But why is that considered a wrong path? Didn't we already agree on a fair exchange?"

Meng Qingtong glanced at him, then at Liu Shengmeng, whose expression had become very strange, and suppressed the urge to surrender and run away on the spot. "Your explanation makes it even more wrong!"

"Who is your father!" Liu Shengmeng demanded loudly. "Tell me, I'm going to find him. I want to see which rich kid is trying to get his hands on our academy. Don't they have a death wish?"

Han Jie pondered for a moment, then said with a touch of nostalgia, "My father's name was Han Erniu. It's been so long since I've mentioned his name that I almost forgot it."

"What kind of miscommunication is this between you two!" Meng Qingtong raised her hands and stretched them between the two of them, signaling Han Jie with her eyes to ignore the woman. Then she turned to Liu Shengmeng and said angrily, "Teacher Liu, I'm telling you very seriously, I have absolutely no intention of making the kind of dirty deal you're thinking of. Han Jie and I have a very legitimate business relationship."

At this point, she recalled the image of Han Jie's collar button undone earlier, paused, and then continued, "Let alone the fact that we don't have any romantic feelings for each other right now, even if we do in the future, it has nothing to do with you. Sixteen is the legal age to get married, so what's wrong with me dating?"

"Marriage under the age of eighteen requires the consent of a legal guardian, which Dean Fang cannot agree to."

"I'll be eighteen in September!" Meng Qingtong was forced to put on a fierce front, glaring at Liu Shengmeng like a lioness defending her territory. "Even if I really sell myself to him to pay off my debts, it has nothing to do with you, absolutely nothing!"

“Xiao Tong…” Liu Sheng Meng’s expression instantly fell, and tears welled up behind her glasses. “How could you do this? You’re a genius! You’re just like me, maybe even more outstanding than me! How could you let yourself go like this! Do you know how high the teacher’s expectations are for you? If Dean Fang hadn’t disagreed, I would have applied to be your legal guardian.”

"You want to be my guardian just so it'll be easier to sign the papers and transfer me to your Spiritual Magic Department, right?" Meng Qingtong rolled her eyes. "Teacher Liu, please have mercy on me. You're more than capable of carrying the banner of the Second Academy's Spiritual Magic Department on your own. Please don't make me refuse you every time I see you."

"The orthodox six systems lie in spiritual magic. How can you not listen to such a simple truth!" Liu Shengmeng's voice rose slightly. "You're always so unconventional and unwilling to listen to advice. This applies to your studies and your commissions. I've read your report this time. I won't even mention your arbitrary pricing of only 500 yuan, but letting an extra discovered demon go unpunished and refusing to let nearby spiritualists help you deal with it? Are you trying to create a real-life Pocket Monster? Do you know how dangerous it is to let a demon live among ordinary people? Even if the dodder demon is weak, you shouldn't have done this!"

Han Jie's patience was running out. Besides, he had agreed to go to the farmers' market with Qing Tong to experience the everyday life of the people. Why was he wasting time here with a crazy woman?

He was pleased that Meng Qingtong respected his teacher, but there was no need to tolerate the teacher's behavior.

"It was my suggestion that she do it." Han Jie picked up his sunglasses, put them on, took off the more expensive straw hat and handed it to Meng Qingtong, saying calmly, "She listens to me, not you, because I'm more of a genius than you."

"Huh?" Yagyu Yume narrowed her eyes, her pent-up anger transforming into a dangerous aura that locked onto Han Jie.

Han Jie made a hand gesture and sneered, "Don't believe me? Come and try it."

(End of this chapter)