I was forced to cultivate immortality when I just wanted to lie down

Chapter 153 An old horse in its stall, a seed from a foreign land

The weight on his chest made Xu Qing feel somewhat dazed.

How did the giant axe that the preacher threw in my dream suddenly turn into a cat's head?

Xu Qing reached out to grab Xuan Yu under the armpits and lift her up, but before he could even extend his hand, Xuan Yu lightly jumped onto the edge of the coffin.

"You slept for a long time."

"how long?"

"The rooster crowed twice."

"Two days?" Xu Qing was in a semi-conscious state in his dream. He could sense the changes in the outside world, including the cry of the golden phoenix that echoed through the mountains and clouds.

This feeling, however, is filtered through an unreal lens because of the dream, like being soaked in a tub of hot water in winter, where the hazy mist blocks out all vision, yet you can still hear the sounds of the outside world.

"Is the Immortal Xuanyu protecting me?" Xu Qing asked curiously.

The black cat sat on the edge of the coffin, its tail swaying unconsciously.

"I thought you were dead."

Xuan Yu stopped wagging its tail, jumped off the edge of the coffin, landed in front of Xu Qing, stared at him intently, and said, "But you smell the same as before, so I knew you were just asleep."

"."

Xu Qing reached out and rubbed Xuan Yu's head. This time, Xuan Yu didn't dodge, but instead tilted his chin up slightly, letting Xu Qing stroke him.

"I'm sorry to have worried Xuan Yu. Next time I go into seclusion, I'll write a little note with a small fish drawn on it and stick it on the outside of the coffin. That way, I'll be asleep, and Xuan Yu can just wait for me to wake up."

"How long will the next retreat last?"

"Perhaps two months, perhaps longer."

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, Xuan Yu immediately became alert: "Next time you go into seclusion, are you going to undergo a tribulation?"

Xu Qing nodded: "I have nearly five hundred years of cultivation. According to the Three Calamities and Five Tribulations, it is indeed time for me to undergo tribulation."

Xuan Yu jumped onto the edge of the coffin again, its tail wagging restlessly.

"There are three thousand sticks of incense in the hall. Remember to use them when you are about to undergo your tribulation. I will not be guarding the shop for the next two days."

Xu Qing asked in surprise, "Where are you going?"

Xuan Yu looked at Xu Qing like a mother cat looking at her kittens: "I'm going to the home of the incense master who worships the Cat Immortal to help them get rid of the rat infestation. If possible, I can also help anyone who needs my help, so that I can accumulate more incense offerings for the Xu Immortal's family to use to ward off disasters."

Three thousand offerings are still far too few in the face of the calamities of cultivation.

Xu Qing frowned and said, "Xuan Yu has already cultivated for four hundred years and is not far from the tribulation of cultivation. If you give me all the incense offerings, how will you resist the tribulation in the future?"

"Hmm," Xuan Yu blinked, her face serious, "You forgot? Cats have nine lives. I'm not afraid of calamities; even if I can't escape them, I can still survive. But the Xu family only has one life."

Xu Qing remained silent for a long time.

In his eyes, Xuan Yu cherished his remaining few lives extremely, otherwise he would not have dared to leave Tianjin again because of the life he had lost in the past.

The debt of gratitude to the cat is hard to repay. If it is because he took away the incense offerings of the Cat Immortal Hall that Xuan Yu will fail to transcend the tribulation in the future, then his thoughts will certainly not be at peace.

"There's no need to worry about the incense offerings for now," Xu Qing said, shaking his head. "The tribulation is a major event. Before that, if I can find other ways to deal with the calamity, it would be a good thing for the Xuan Yu Immortal Clan."

Xuan Yu asked in confusion, "Aren't the Three Calamities and Five Tribulations something you have to face once you reach a certain level of cultivation? Besides offering incense, are there any other ways to deal with them?"

Xu Qing chuckled: "Who would be so careless when undergoing tribulation? Since it is a tribulation of cultivation, there must be traces left by predecessors. As long as we find these traces and follow the experience and instructions of our predecessors, we can naturally increase our chances of passing the tribulation."

"It's a pity that so few people have survived the tribulations of cultivation. Perhaps I could ask Master Yizhen. She cultivates at the Five Elders Temple, where there are said to have been enlightened cultivators in the past."

Xuan Yu pondered, "I've heard that human calamities are different from those of demons. Humans are blessed with natural advantages, making it much easier for them to avoid calamities than for demons."

At this point, Xuan Yu's eyes lit up: "Xu Xianjia is human, he will surely be blessed by heaven in the future and escape disaster."

"."

Xu Qing clicked his tongue. Zombies are anomalies, they're grouped with demons, and they don't get the same treatment as the living!

"Xuanyu, do you still remember the White Fairy of Yuehua Mountain?"

"White Fairy, are you referring to the great white snake that invited you to be its guest?"

Xu Qing nodded and said, "It seems that Fairy Bai has already escaped a calamity in her cultivation. She is also an incarnation of a different kind of demon. Perhaps we can go and learn from her."

Xuan Yu looked at Xu Qing, remained silent for a moment, and then rubbed his head against Xu Qing.

Xu Qing was stunned for a moment, then came to her senses.

The cat probably thought that he went to see the White Fairy only for it.

But could Xu Qing tell Xuan Yu that his search for the White Fairy would actually be of great benefit to him?
Of course not!
"I'm most afraid of snakes. If it weren't for the Xuan Yu Immortal Clan, I definitely wouldn't have gone to Yuehua Mountain."

Upon hearing this, the cat rubbed against him even more vigorously.

The Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Methods correspond to the Thirty-Six Axe Techniques. Xu Qing, wielding a mountain-splitting axe, wielded it with great force in the backyard.

The axe, weighing over three hundred pounds, felt as light as a feather in his hands. The golden phoenix in the chicken coop was dazzled by the sight, fearing that the axe might fall on its own head.

"What exactly did the preacher see?"

Xu Qing recalled the last axe blow the white-robed youth delivered towards the mountains in his dream.

The axe seemed to be splitting the mountain, but Xu Qing could sense that the white-robed youth's gaze was always behind the mountain.

Xu Qing could only execute the first nine of the thirty-six axe techniques, even with his full effort. Although he knew how to execute the remaining techniques, he lacked the corresponding strength to support them. At most, he could only perform a fancy move, lacking the Daoist aura of the white-robed youth.

However, compared to Hong Baoya, he has already surpassed him by a great deal.

Hong Baoya only comprehended the first five most basic forms of the Heavenly Gang Axe Technique, yet he had already vaguely touched the threshold of a martial arts grandmaster.

Xu Qing was very curious. If a real martial arts master came, he wondered how many blows he could withstand.

In the following days, Xu Qing became extremely busy.

Xuan Yu was busy helping the incense master and the sick master drive away the rat infestation and evil spirits, while Xu Qing stayed in the side room, using the smoldering fire to melt all the yin gold buried coins into blocks, and finally made them into the shape of a coffin.

In about five or six days, a Yin Jin coffin weighing ten thousand catties appeared in the coroner's shop.

Xu Qing reached out and stroked the coffin in front of him, which was covered with coin patterns.

Buried underground for years, these artifacts have absorbed a great deal of the earth's energy, and this gloomy and heavy aura is the key to nurturing and refining the golden-armored corpse.

The metal element contained in the buried coins is related to the quality of the golden armored corpse after it is formed.

This is why golden-armored zombies are often found in ancient tombs and mausoleums.

This is because only in large tombs can the quality of the buried coins be higher, and they are also most likely to gather the Yin Metal Qi from the earth's veins.

After covering the Yin Jin coffin with a shroud, Xu Qing went to the Flower and Bird Street.

These burial coins were quite valuable, but they meant nothing to him.

The gold and silver he had plundered from the members of the Tianjin gang alone amounted to no less than ten thousand taels of silver. In addition, the wealth he had accumulated from performing rituals for the deceased was more than enough for him to pay off the expenses incurred by Master Feng.

On Flower and Bird Street, Master Feng was feeding his "elder brother," while Mr. Liu had a small white snake hanging around his neck. As soon as Xu Qing came over, the snake began to "bow and scrape."

The reputation of Cat Fairy Hall has spread throughout the immortal community these days. Whether it is punishing human slave traders, demolishing temples for granting children, or eliminating demon tigers, these are things that other immortals cannot do. Now, who does not know how powerful Cat Fairy Hall is?

"It's been many days since I last saw you, Fellow Daoist Xu, your skills are even better than before."

The one who spoke was Mr. Liu, the snake keeper. Mr. Liu's original surname was not Liu; his real name was Ji Ruinian. It was only because it was Liu Xian who was involved that people in the underworld called him Mr. Liu.

Hearing Ji Ruinian's words, Second Master Feng chuckled and interjected, "This isn't because Brother Xu is highly skilled; it's clearly because his peers make him stand out."

"If we could stand up for ourselves, how could we let those filthy things run rampant?"

Xu Qing chuckled and shook his head: "Second Master, you've misunderstood. The Cat Immortal Hall has been able to handle these matters thanks to the assistance of other immortals. If it weren't for Lord Crow of Luanshi Mountain leading the way and Immortal Huang of Huangtiao Cave helping out, I'm afraid I wouldn't even know where those filthy things are."

After exchanging pleasantries, Xu Qing explained his purpose. When Master Feng heard that Xu Qing had come to deliver silver, he immediately waved his hand.

"Consider these things a gift from me. Besides, I'm not short of money. If these things are of any help to you, I'll be happy to accept them."

Master Feng sighed, “I’m not afraid to admit it, but although I like the business of spirit mediums, I’ve actually been afraid of this stuff since I was a child.”

As Xu Qing listened to Master Feng's ramblings, he realized that this Master Feng was also a quiet man with no descendants.

In his early years, Feng Erye's family was haunted by evil spirits. His grandparents and parents were not spared. At the worst time, even Feng Erye, who had run away from home, could not escape the evil spirits' clutches.

Around that time, a passing spirit medium intervened and helped him expel the evil spirit from his body.

However, this shaman offended the evil spirit. About two years later, the shaman, covered in sores, found Master Feng and told him to find a phoenix spirit as soon as possible and become its disciple, so that he might be able to save his life.

After saying this, the shamanic disciple collapsed forward and died.

It is said that when the person died, many poisonous insects crawled out of the rotting, foul-smelling sores on their body.

After that, Master Feng asked around and found an old woman in the north.

In the world of shamanism, male spirit mediums are called "Di Ma," while female spirit mediums are called "Xiang Tong" or "Da Shen."

The old woman was the most respected person in the shamanistic community in the north. She led Master Feng through the mountains, asking from village to village, and finally found the "elder brother" who was a magical white chicken.

Master Feng reached out and picked up his eldest uncle, stroking the rooster's feathers as if he were his own son.

“My life was given to me by the immortals, so I deeply respect those immortals who help people, as well as those spirit mediums and spirit children.”

Master Feng let out a long breath and said self-deprecatingly, "I'm a coward who's afraid of death. Otherwise, I wouldn't have run away a thousand miles away by myself when my family had trouble. It's still the same now. I'm clearly a disciple of the shaman, and I have an uncle by my side, but I still haven't performed any shamanic rituals for anyone."

"Because I'm afraid, my benefactor died a gruesome death. I'm afraid I'll end up like him, one day covered in bugs after trying to save someone, until there's not even a piece of flesh left."

“Brother Xu is someone I respect from the bottom of my heart. I have nothing but money. If my money can help Brother Xu, I will be happier than anything else.”

Master Feng's words were sincere, and Xu Qing was inevitably touched. However, he knew in his heart that whether the Cat Fairy Hall was saving people or helping people, it was ultimately within its capabilities.

If the situation gets out of control, he might not necessarily take action that would put himself in danger.

"Then thank you very much, Second Master."

Xu Qing bowed and thanked him, but before leaving, he still asked about Master Feng.

"Second Master, what exactly is that evil spirit?"

"I really don't know. My whole family is almost wiped out because of this evil spirit, but in the end we still don't know which deity we offended. Isn't that ridiculous?"

Master Feng was smiling, but he couldn't hide the sadness in his eyes no matter what.

Xu Qing was silent for a moment, then asked, "Is that evil spirit still thinking about Second Master?"

"Of course I'll remember! How could I not remember! These things hold grudges!"

Master Feng patted his eldest uncle and said, "Guess why my eldest uncle and I are always inseparable?"

"Because I know in my heart that as soon as my uncle leaves me, that thing will come knocking on my door."

Xu Qing looked at the white rooster and thought to himself, how powerful could an evil spirit be that even a chicken is afraid of?
Thinking of the rooster in his shop that ate for free all day long, Xu Qing already had a plan in mind: "Second Master, I've been quite busy lately. Once I'm done with this in the next couple of days, I'll give you a surprise."

"That's great! I'll definitely be waiting for Brother Xu."

Master Feng was secretly delighted, unaware of the profound psychological impact Xu Qing's words of surprise would have on him.

After leaving Flower and Bird Street, Xu Qing continued on his way. Once he was out of the city gate and in a deserted area, he changed to a dappled horse and arrived at Guanmen Village in less than half a cup of tea's time.

After finding Sun Erzhuang, Xu Qing told him about going to the city to buy a shop, and then immediately went to Luanshi Mountain.

In the past few days, Xuan Yu has been minding the shop during the day and going to the homes of the people who worship the Cat Immortal at night to get rid of rats and keep their homes safe. Xu Qing saw this and knew that the cat knew he urgently needed incense offerings, so it was working tirelessly day and night.

But how could that little bit of incense be enough?

Xuan Yu always treated him as a human being, but she didn't know that he was also an anomaly. Such anomalies and demons face calamities that are many times more difficult than those faced by living people.

Both the cat and the zombie need incense offerings to sustain them. If they rely solely on catching mice to keep the house safe, or on doing ordinary shamanic business, they probably won't be able to withstand the power of the five-hundred-year lightning tribulation.

Since Xu Qing had never experienced a calamity, he could only prepare for the worst.

On the other hand, he didn't want Xuanyu to be anxious all the time because of the incense offerings.

On the rocky mountain, Xu Qing whistled, and amidst the mountain mists and clouds, crows descended, their cries echoing.

Xu Qing was fluent in the language of birds and beasts. After communicating with the crow in front of him for a while, the little crow flew back into the mountains and forests.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the black crow flew down in front of Xu Qing.

"Xu boy, is there something important that you need to see me in such a hurry?"

Xu Qing bowed respectfully and said solemnly, "I would like to invite Lord Crow to my Cat Immortal Hall to preside over the hall."

The Immortal Hall has ten halls. In addition to the halls such as the Transmission Hall and the Circle Hall, there is another important hall, which is the Press Hall.

The Yatang is the department that holds the line, and it is the reserved force of the temple. The head of the Yatang must be old, steady, and authoritative, so as to keep the troublesome spirits in check and ensure the stability of the temple.

As the saying goes, an old person is shrewd, and an old horse is cunning.

Crows are intelligent birds by nature, and older crows are even more shrewd.

Black Crow tilted his head and looked Xu Qing up and down, then laughed, "Xu boy, you're very capable, and Lady Qingqing is very capable too. Why would you need an old fellow like me to keep watch?"

Xu Qing also laughed and said, "Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. I came to see Lord Crow because I know that Lord Crow has abilities that other immortals do not have. If Lord Crow is willing to come, the crows of Luanshi Mountain may have an inexhaustible supply of incense offerings in the future."

"An inexhaustible supply of incense?" Black Crow looked at Xu Qing, whose serious expression seemed genuine.

How can I help you?

There's no such thing as a free lunch, and Black Crow was clearly not blinded by Xu Qing's empty promises.

"Grandpa Crow, do you know what's on the other side of this mountain?"

"Isn't there still more mountains on the other side of the mountain?"

"What about further away?"

"The next place is Tianjin and Haikou."

Xu Qing smiled upon hearing this: "Have you ever been to the other side of the sea, Master Gua?"

The black crow shook its head and said, "I've never been there."

“I have never been there either, but I know that there are people living at the end of the sea. They eat different things than we do. They have crops that the Yong Dynasty does not have. Some of them may have higher yields per acre and are more resistant to drought.”

"In recent years, the Yong Dynasty has suffered many natural disasters, and the number of people who have not been able to get enough to eat is far more than 100,000."

"If Lord Crow could cross the ocean and bring back seeds from a foreign land, how much merit would he gain?"

The black crow opened its eyes wide, too shocked to utter a word for a long time.

(End of this chapter)