I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 109 The corpse poison reappears!

Mrs. Li left.

Only fine snowflakes were floating down from the sky and accumulating on Xie An's shoulders. A few naughty snowflakes even hit Xie An's face, waking him up from his daze and causing his closed lips to open slightly.

Because Xie An, who had extraordinary senses, heard the happy laughter and conversation of Lady Li and her family in front of him.

"Mom, you are amazing. From now on, I will listen to you about everything at home. What do you think, Dad?"

"……it is good."

"Don't flatter me. We should all thank Old Xie for his kindness. Hurry back. Since we missed the Little New Year, we should prepare well for the Big New Year."

"..."

Listening to those words, Xie An felt a rare sense of relaxation and relief in his heart.

In the back room, He Chunli and Han Li's ecstatic laughter could be heard. Xie An turned around and saw Han Li standing on a stool, holding the redemption letter and the indenture, waving them almost frantically and shouting at Xie An outside the door.

"Master, I am free."

He Chunli couldn't do anything exaggerated because his butt wasn't healed yet. Plus, he was a reserved person. So he clutched the redemption letter in his hands and sobbed, "I can finally be a normal person!"

Listening to the laughter coming from both sides of the yard, and feeling the comfort of their lives, Xie An was also infected, and the smile on his face couldn't help but become a little deeper.

The two disciples were so excited that it took them a while to calm down.

"Han Li, hurry up and go to the kitchen to get something to eat. Master has been running around for us these days and hasn't had time to eat a hot meal."

"Yes, yes, yes, I'm so happy that I've forgotten everything. That's not right... Master, you're a great incense master after all, how can you eat the same simple meals as us? Let's go to Feiyun Tower, I'll treat you."

"Yes, yes, that's Feiyun Tower. But it's my treat."

"No, I have to do it."

Seeing the two disciples arguing over who should pay for the meal, Xie An stepped out with a smile and said, "Stop arguing and just have a few bites here."

The master was so majestic and spoke personally, so the two disciples naturally didn't dare to refute. They excitedly ran to the kitchen to look for ingredients, but found that there were not many good ingredients. Han Li immediately took the precious silver and hurried out.

Watching his disciple busying around, Xie An had a vague feeling of home.

"Master, it's cold outside."

Yuhe smiled and walked forward to take Xie An's arm, led Xie An into the living room to sit down, made tea for Xie An, and then went around behind Xie An.

"Master's disciple has gone out to buy food. It will take another hour before dinner. I will give Master a back massage."

Beat and pinch the back.

The technique was first-rate. In just a few seconds, Xie An felt extremely relaxed all over.

I really don't know where Yuhe learned this massage technique, her skills are far better than those gold medal massage technicians in her previous life. Naturally, her appearance is also better.

After enjoying himself for a while, Xie An felt that he could not degenerate like this.

This massage thing...it's really addictive.

"Yuhe, Master, I'm tired. I need to rest for a while."

Yuhe immediately stopped and helped Xie An into the small bedroom inside. She also took the initiative to make the bed for Xie An and asked if he needed a bed warmer...

Xie An's heart skipped a beat, and he sighed at the thoughtful service, but he still refused it cruelly.

Yuhe did not show any disappointment on her face. She was as calm as ever. She gave Xie An a few words of advice and then went out.

As the door closed, Xie An felt completely relaxed.

Perhaps because Xie An was a time traveler, he always felt that he couldn't fully integrate with the people and things around him. He always liked to find an independent space to stay in occasionally, because only then did he feel that this was a world that belonged completely to him.

Xie An reviewed the experiences of the past few days in his mind:

Returning to Wuqiao Town, where I have lived for 30 years, can be considered a return to my hometown.

After learning that his two disciples were filial, he helped them redeem themselves.

Mrs. Li's worries are gone, and she can now live a healthy and old age.

Although these seem to be trivial things, after doing them... Xie An felt very comfortable.

"I have been delayed in my martial arts training these past few days. This is the most important thing, I must not slack off."

Although Xie An was admired and respected upon his return to Wuqiao Town, seemingly returning home in glory, he knew in his heart that he was still very weak. Martial arts were the foundation of his survival in this world.

If you don't have enough strength, you will be nothing in this chaotic world.

We must not become arrogant and stop striving for progress just because of a little achievement.

Xie An had a clear understanding of these.

Clearing away distracting thoughts, Xie An began to practice health-preserving exercises.

Since Yuhe was outside, and Xie An was still not so confident about this woman, he did not practice the Five Animal Exercises. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the bed, regulating his breathing and practicing fetal breathing.

[Current longevity level: Level 1!]

Five Animal Exercises: Cultivating Internal Qi (54/100)

[Fetal Breathing Technique: Divine Light Appears (12/1000)]

[Remaining Years: 35]

Soon, Xie An felt a surge of heat in his lower abdomen, as thick as a thumb. As Xie An moved, this heat began to spread, turning into fine hot spots that flowed through his limbs and bones.

After a while, Xie An felt heat all over his muscles and bones, and his face turned red.

Immediately, after those scattered hot spots flowed throughout the body, they returned to the lower abdomen as Xie An operated them, gathering into a mass as thick as a thumb.

call!
Xie An then took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.

"Does this count as completing a cycle of fetal breathing?"

In his previous life, Xie An had read some books on Chinese medicine, which mentioned things like sinking qi into the dantian and circulating the qi in the meridians. But in his previous life... those were considered metaphysics.

In this world, it is practical.

However, Xie An still didn't feel any Dantian in his body, let alone any Zhenqi. Instead, he had worked hard for two years on health-preserving exercises, and relying on the progress of fetal breathing exercises, he was able to let the heat flow flow through his body, circulating repeatedly.

Xie An felt that this was the circulation of the meridians mentioned in the fetal breathing exercise.

Although this kind of circulation is very elementary, but seeing the heat flow diverging and gathering, circulating over and over again...the pseudo-circulation can also be considered a circulation.

In order to achieve this, Xie An spent two years, which was extremely difficult.

Fortunately, Xie An was a steady person and was not in a hurry for success.

As long as you make a little progress, you will feel happy and feel that all the efforts are worth it.

"According to Shen Guangxian, one needs to practice until there is no distracting thoughts, the pulse is unconscious, the fetal breath stops, and one is fixed in the void, forming a state of minor concentration. When the stillness reaches its peak, one suddenly feels the vital energy in the body gathering in the lower dantian, forming a ball of hot air, contained in the crimson palace. This is the energy of the crimson palace."

Although no one had instructed Xie An, he was keenly aware that cultivating this "Crimson Palace Qi" would be extremely important. Perhaps this was the time for his health-preserving exercises to undergo a complete transformation.

The feeling of qi should be closely related to the qi of the crimson palace.

However, Xie An has not yet figured out the relationship between them.

"Tang Qingyun invited me to Tangjiabao for the New Year. There are only four days left until the end of the year. I think Old Master Tang will ask about my Qi sense and test it. Time is short, so I need to practice more health-preserving exercises to refine my Qi sense."

At this age, Xie An has become more open-minded about many things and no longer has the idea of ​​being obsessed with this or that.

But... he doesn't want to die of old age!
Afraid of death!
When it comes to death, Xie An is serious. He will fight for what he needs to fight for, without any ambiguity.

Now Xie An has obtained the immortal treasure, and Mingyu Gong is the key to unlock it. Xie An said he would give it a try no matter what.

Therefore, Xie An attached great importance to the matter of Tangjiabao.

"Let the heat flow for a few more cycles..."

Xie An calmed down and continued to practice fetal breathing.

Time passed little by little until I was awakened by a knock on the door.

It was accompanied by a very nice voice.

"Master, it's time to eat."

Only then did Xie An stop regulating his breathing, get down from the ground, and push the door open to leave the living room.

The old eight-immortals table in the living room was filled with delicious dishes, including roast chicken, roast goose, lamb chops, pork elbows... The strong aroma greatly stimulated Xie An's taste buds.

Han Li and He Chunli had already served Xie An rice and soup, then stood by the table, waiting for Xie An to come over.

"Stop standing, sit down and eat together. Yuhe, sit down too."

Xie An waved his hand and sat down to eat.

Yu He was a little embarrassed at first, thinking it was against etiquette, but after Xie An glared at her, she obediently sat down to eat with him. Perhaps because of Yu He's outstanding appearance and heroic spirit, the two disciples did not dare to look at her directly, and avoided her every time they spoke.

However, the two disciples were very excited about their redemption. In addition, after spending the past few days with Xie An, they no longer felt strange with each other and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

But Xie An keenly noticed that although the dishes were plentiful and there was a lot of meat, the two disciples only ate vegetables and soup, leaving most of the meat for Xie An.

Although they had left their school, their conditions were far from perfect, and they couldn't afford to eat meat every day. This detail, which was a rare feast, made Xie An nod in approval. Xie An didn't eat much, and soon put down his chopsticks. He asked, "By the way, why haven't I seen Shopkeeper Chen Yuan these days?"

When Xie An returned to Wuqiao Town, he had specially prepared a gift for Chen Yuan. It was partly to visit an old friend, and partly to thank Chen Yuan for initially lending him half a copy of the Five Animal Exercises, which had initiated Xie An's path to health preservation. Furthermore, by taking care of Chen Yuan, his two disciples would have someone to look after them in the future.

Seeing that Xie An was full, Han Li and He Chunli picked up the lamb chops and started eating with peace of mind.

Han Li devoured a chicken leg and mumbled, "Manager Chen took a leave of absence a while ago to help out at the ancestral hall."

Xie An was stunned. "Ancestral hall?"

He Chunli added, "Master, you've forgotten that the Chen family is a prominent family in Wuqiao Town, second only to the Li family. A while ago, a corner of the town's ancestral hall inexplicably collapsed. Chen Lei and Li Lilao long ago organized the villagers to pool their money and manpower to rebuild the hall."

Although Shopkeeper Chen doesn't have a great reputation, being a shopkeeper in the town is pretty good. His name will be engraved on the monument of merit in the ancestral temple. Naturally, he has to contribute.

After saying this, He Chunli showed an envious expression, and Han Li beside him was also very envious.

Xie An also felt emotional.

In his previous life, Xie An was born in a rural area where people paid great attention to generation names. When naming, in addition to the full name, there was also a nickname with the generation name. When the ancestors passed away and the tombstones were erected, they would choose names for the descendants according to the generation name.

For example, Xie An was an only son at the time and had three older sisters, but according to tradition, women were not allowed to be included in the ancestral tombstone. However, Xie An had three cousins, all of whom were born in the You generation.

So, when my great-grandfather passed away, my grandfather carved on his tombstone:

Great-grandson:
Talent thrives. 】

Xie An was the youngest, so his name was Wang. Adding the generation name "You" and prefixing the surname formed Xie An's name.

Clearly, in past generations, great emphasis was placed on ancestral heritage and the continuation of the torch. Ancestral hall culture is considered a person's root, and the saying, "fallen leaves return to their roots," is precisely this. Later, with urbanization, population mobility, and the decline of rural areas, this tradition was disrupted.

In today's world, people attach more importance to ancestral halls and ancestral heritage.

Although Xie An was sold since he was a child and had no idea about his life experience, he had lived in Wuqiao Town for more than 30 years. How could he not have feelings for this land?
Especially when Xie An reached his age, he attached great importance to returning to his roots.

I have no parents here, and no children... I can't even enter the ancestral hall.

Although he had a longevity trait, it hadn't been realized yet. Besides, longevity wasn't the same as immortality...

Just when Xie An was stunned, there was a hurried knock on the door outside the pawnshop.

"I'll open the door."

Han Li quickly took the last bite of the chicken leg and ran to open the door.

The ones who came were Chen He, Chen Lei and Li Hongming, the most famous local figure in Wuqiao Town.

Xie An had lived in Wuqiao Town for thirty years, so he naturally knew Chen Lei and Li Hongming. Li Hongming, in particular, was a highly respected uncle. Li Ru's branch actually split off from Li Hongming's lineage.

Wuqiao Town has been inhabited by ancestors from four major surnames since recorded history, spanning over a dozen generations. The Li family's generation names for the past five generations are: Long, Yun, Xia, Shi, Hong.

The only living person of the "Hong" generation is Li Hongming.

This shows how high his status is.

According to Daqian tradition, there was no official system below the county seat. Order in the major towns and villages was largely maintained by local gentry and prominent figures. For many years, Wuqiao Town had experienced no major internal strife, maintaining a relatively harmonious relationship between the townspeople. Li Hongming played an indispensable role in this.

Xie An went out to greet him, "Mr. Li, Master Chen."

Even Xie An, a fifty-year-old man, looked like a child or grandchild in front of Li Hongming...

The etiquette of respecting the elderly and loving the young is still necessary.

"Master Xie is here too, that's great." Although Li Hongming is old, he still bowed knowing Xie An's identity.

"It's snowing hard outside, come in and have a cup of hot tea first. Yuhe, serve the tea."

The three of them entered the hall, and Yuhe made tea for everyone. Xie An even moved the stove closer to Li Hongming.

Li Hongming glanced at Xie An with gratitude and nodded slightly. He immediately felt that this Xie Xiangzhu was very knowledgeable about etiquette and approachable. After some greetings, he said, "Chen Lei, you are a warrior, you speak."

Chen Lei suddenly stood up, an apologetic look on his face, and bowed, saying, "Master Xie, I think you're familiar with Chen Yuan. A while ago, our Wuqiao Town rebuilt the ancestral hall. Those with money contributed money, and those without money contributed labor. Chen Yuan is a kind-hearted person. Not only did he contribute money, he was also willing to personally help out at the ancestral hall. I thought that the Chen family is a big family in the town, so they should take the lead, and Chen Yuan's move is also good. But... Last night, my third brother Chen He was supposed to stay behind to guard the ancestral hall, but an apprentice from the martial arts school was injured while practicing in the middle of the night, so my third brother went back to get the prescription, and Chen Yuan stayed behind instead.

Unexpectedly, when we went to the ancestral hall this morning to work, we couldn't find Chen Yuan. I immediately felt something was wrong. I sent someone to look for him, and just now... we found Chen Yuan in the mountains behind the ancestral hall... He was dead. His death was extremely tragic and strange.

Xie An, who was drinking tea, was so frightened that his hands trembled.

Chen Yuan... is dead?
This was Xie An's old partner who had worked with him in the pawnshop for twenty or thirty years. It was Chen Yuan who taught him the Five Animal Play...

For many years, there have been no particularly strange deaths in Wuqiao Town.

After all, this place is quite remote, with few outsiders year-round. The people are simple and orderly. Unlike Shuideng Town, which is close to the canal port, there are many outsiders and the population is complicated, so a few deaths are not uncommon.

"Oh, it's all my fault! I didn't take good care of my family. Chen Yuan was a good shopkeeper, diligent for decades, and treated the villagers well, but I didn't expect him to meet with such a tragedy." Chen Lei lowered his head, blaming himself. He felt a bit sorry for Xie An.

Chen He said at this time: "Thank you, Xiangzhu, after the villagers learned about this, there was an uproar and everyone was in panic. When Elder Li and my eldest brother learned about it, they came here immediately and planned to inform Li Ru..."

Snapped.

Xie An put down the teacup and said, "Han Li, go to the Li Mansion and explain the situation. Mr. Li, please lead the way. I'll go and take a look."

If the person who died was someone unimportant in the town, Xie An would not want to meddle in other people's business. He was also thinking about returning to the black market to practice health cultivation after this master-disciple reunion dinner and prepare for the New Year's visit to Tangjiabao.

But Chen Yuan was no stranger, but an old partner of several decades, who had always been kind to him. Now that he had met with such misfortune, Xie An naturally wanted to see what had happened.

"Thank you, Master Xiang!"

Li Hongming stood up and bowed, feeling extremely grateful. The most talked about person in town right now was Xie An from the Li family pawnshop. As the head of the Tiger and Wolf Sect, people considered him the most important person in town.

Li Hongming thought that if Xie An went to support the cause, he would be able to appease the frightened villagers, and the work of repairing the ancestral hall would not be interrupted and could continue.

You know, after Chen Yuan died, the villagers were terrified and dared not continue to repair the ancestral hall. There are various theories about this.

For local celebrities like Li Hongming and Chen Lei, they are well aware of the importance of ancestral halls.

If the ancestral hall couldn't be repaired, not only would their reputations be criticized after their death, but a hundred years later... when they went down to see their ancestors, they wouldn't be able to explain themselves and would inevitably be scolded and beaten by them...

The ancestral hall in Wuqiao Town is named Wuci.

It has been passed down for two hundred years and has been repaired and expanded several times. During festivals, villagers carry offerings in bamboo baskets, paste red paper on them, and go to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors. On the one hand, they ask for the ancestors' blessings, and on the other hand, they also fulfill their filial piety.

Worship temples and respect ancestors.

These were the rituals that villagers valued most in this world, and people placed far more importance on their ancestors than on temples. After all, the Bodhisattvas seated in temples were so ethereal, while ancestors… were the descendants of one's bloodline, representing one's origins, so naturally, they were incomparable.

The Wu Temple was not far from the Li family pawnshop, about three miles away, and was backed by Wuqiao Ridge. Wuqiao Ridge was not high, and it meandered southeast for twenty miles to reach Dayin Mountain.

Xie An led everyone to the gate of Wu Temple in a short while.

Although it was snowing, a large group of villagers gathered here. If it weren't for a group of apprentices from the Chen family martial arts school who stopped them, I'm afraid the villagers would have rushed into the ancestral hall long ago.

Even so, the apprentices were forced to retreat again and again by the villagers. They did not dare to really attack the villagers, so they could only shout loudly.

"Don't push, don't push."

"Everyone, rest assured. Elder Li and Master Chen are already working on a solution and will definitely investigate it thoroughly."

Some villagers shouted:
"Chen Yuan's death was so tragic, as if something had sucked all his blood out. He looked like a dried corpse. Perhaps he offended his ancestors. I said that the ancestral hall collapsed because the ancestors were angry. They shouldn't have repaired it."

"This ancestral hall cannot be repaired."

"..."

At this moment, Chen He's voice came from behind the crowd.

"Make way, make way. Elder Li and Master Chen are here."

Wow.

Upon hearing these two names, the crowd took the initiative to make way for them.

But someone still said to Li Hongming, "Mr. Li, this ancestral hall cannot be repaired."

"Yes, please think twice, Mr. Li."

Bang.

Li Hongming threw the dragon's head crutch to the ground and shouted, "Why are you panicking? Didn't you see that Master Xie is here? With Master Xie backing us up, what's there to be afraid of?"

This really works.

Although the villagers who have lived here for many years do not have much knowledge and most of them cannot even read a few words, they know the great reputation of the Tiger and Wolf Sect.

The restless crowd immediately quieted down, and everyone looked at Xie An with fiery eyes, as if Xie An had suddenly become the pillar of the entire town.

Xie An didn't say anything and quickly entered the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall was filled with bluestone bricks, tiles, stones, and precious wood. No wonder someone was needed to keep watch at night, to prevent theft.

"Master Xie, Chen Yuan's body is in the mountains behind the ancestral hall. Follow me." Chen Lei took Xie An out of the ancestral hall through the back door. After walking dozens of meters, they saw Chen Yuan's body.

The blood in the body was sucked out, the skin was shriveled and stuck to the bones, the membrane on the face was tightly attached to the skull, it looked very hideous, and the skin color turned pitch black. It was not an exaggeration to call it a mummy.

No wonder the villagers were so scared...

Xie An was not panicked. He squatted down and took a closer look, and suddenly felt a familiar feeling.

The aura that Wei Dian had at the time... was very similar to this!

(End of this chapter)