My Core is the Boss

Chapter 281.1: I Am Mentally Ill And I Still Have to Work?

Language was strange, often carrying hidden meanings.Qi Yuan didn't dwell on it further and instead sat down, thinking quietly, I can’t practice the Qi Yuan Scripture here. I'll have to practice a simplified version.

His goal in this game was to grow stronger. So far, he hadn't discovered any clear way to gain EXP by killing monsters, so cultivation was his only option.

Practicing the Qi Yuan Scripture was extremely complicated. Setting aside the Star Golden Core, even the Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment was difficult to replicate. Therefore, he planned to create a simplified, watered down version.

In any case, having fused with a Primordial Seed, he would see significant improvement in reality. He planned to rapidly level up, gain the ability to protect himself, then participate in the Martial Arts Tournament.

Even if his martial talent turned out to be lacking, he still had daoist techniques. Besides, no rule seemed to forbid using cultivation arts in the tournament.

***

Outside Junan Residential Complex, two men and a woman carried fruit baskets, chatting and laughing as they walked toward Qi Yuan's home. Wang Xu adjusted his glasses. Tall and well-built, he stood out among the three. He had been the class monitor back in university. Through both family connections and his own efforts, he now worked at the Maritime Bureau.

The maritime dominance of the Qin Yuan Kingdom was unmatched under the heavens, and sea trade was thriving. As such, a job at the Maritime Bureau was highly coveted. Such a respectable position naturally drew envy from his former classmates.

"Huh, Li Yan? Do you still have feelings for Qi Yuan?"

Li Yan wore her hair in a high ponytail. She was tall and slender, her long legs clad in flared pants. Her above average look was adorned with light makeup.

She smiled faintly, with a hint of wistfulness. "When we were young, we didn't understand things. But now..."

Li Yan shook her head. She had indeed been attracted to Qi Yuan back in university. After all, his looks were unmatched in their class. She had tried to pursue him, but he rejected her every time. Later, when she learned that Qi Yuan had developed a mental illness, she immediately distanced herself from him. Handsome as he was, she wouldn’t marry someone mentally ill. How could she face her friends if they found out?

One of her roommates had gotten pregnant right after graduation and married a man from a small rural town. Though the others remained polite on the surface, they often spoke ill of her behind her back. They said that she had lost her mind, that she had "married down," and that her life was basically over.

With such an example before her, how could Li Yan possibly want any real involvement with Qi Yuan? A one-night stand would be fine, but marriage was out of the question. Otherwise, she'd be laughed at to death.

"Haa... Qi Yuan really has a hard life," said the crew-cut man, full of pity. "An orphan to begin with, he finally made it into university but then developed a mental illness. Now, he's seriously ill again. Who knows how things will turn out?"

A trace of greed lay hidden beneath his expression, unnoticed by the others.

Wang Xu lamented, sounding full of compassion, "Haa... Misfortune always befalls the unfortunate."

Before long, the three arrived and knocked on Qi Yuan's door. The crew-cut man glanced around, appearing quite satisfied.

Soon, the door opened. Qi Yuan stood there, calmly gazing at the three. "Old classmates, you've come. Come in."

Wang Xu appeared momentarily stunned, then quickly concealed it. "Qi Yuan, why do you look so pale?"

Qi Yuan looked like a sickly person on the verge of death.

"Yeah, I'm ill," he replied honestly.

As he looked at the three classmates, memories surged like a tide. When the Primordial Seed was still present, they had come to visit him once before. He had been lying in a hospital bed, unconscious and unable to speak, so there had been no real interaction.

Li Yan asked in a concerned voice, "Have you gone to the hospital? Is it serious?"

Seeing her former crush in such a state, possibly dying young, made her feel emotional. Was this the cost of growing up?

Qi Yuan waved it off. "It is not serious. Just a minor issue."

Once he resumed cultivation, would these problems even count as problems? Of course, his curse-like condition couldn't yet be resolved, but returning to normal and delaying its recurrence was still possible.

"How is this a minor issue? Just look at your face!" Li Yan couldn't help but say, her eyes reddening.

Though she no longer thought highly of him, she still couldn't bear to see him die so young.

"Li Yan, you're overthinking it," said the crew-cut man. "If he can stand here and talk to us, it's probably not serious."

Indeed, if it were truly severe, he'd be bedridden.

Qi Yuan then sat down. "Yeah, I'm fine. I can eat six steamed buns in one sitting."

Though the pain didn't bother him much, he wasn't a masochist. Naturally, he'd choose comfort.

Qi Yuan said confidently, "In a few days, I'll be fully recovered."

His words reassured the others.

Wang Xu asked, "Qi Yuan, you haven't found a job yet, right? Do you want me to help you get one? The pay isn't high, but it's easy and stable."

This was his true purpose. He was currently under evaluation at the Maritime Bureau. Helping the child of a martyr like Qi Yuan would earn him significant merit.

Qi Yuan froze for a moment. "Wait... I'm mentally ill, aren't I? Do mentally ill people have to work too?"

Was the competition in this world really that intense? Would any company even dare to hire someone mentally ill?

Wang Xu was momentarily stunned. It was the first time he had heard someone say so matter-of-factly.

Li Yan was also taken aback. Then, she quickly understood that mental illness didn't mean stupidity, just abnormal thinking.

"If you don't work, you should be able to survive on the government subsidies," Wang Xu said slowly. "But... Qi Yuan, what I'm about to say might hurt, so please don't take it the wrong way. If you stay at home without a proper job, it'll be hard to marry and have children. Even with state-arranged matchmaking, women won't choose you."

The Qin Yuan Kingdom provided many benefits for the children of martyrs, including subsidies and arranged blind dates. Qi Yuan, with his mental condition, would rank at the very bottom of the matchmaking market. After all, which woman would willingly take on such a burden?