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

Chapter 165 One cannot lie twice; forming connections with others

Like a cicada shedding its shell, it dies under false pretenses.

Xu Qing looked at the golden cicada shell in his hand and thought to himself that this thing was good. He now had three methods to protect himself and his life. One of them was the "Stabbing Method," which allowed him to use magic to attach his body to other objects. After being subjected to the Stabbing Method, the substitute object would take all the damage for the caster, and the person's body would be able to withstand being cut or hit without feeling any pain.

A set of military formation flags allows the flag bearer to create four illusory clones. These clones have no physical form, but the person who possesses the flag can move freely between the clones created by the flag.

If handled properly, it's equivalent to having four lives.

The last resort for survival is the golden cicada shell before us.

After a quick mental calculation, Xu Qing had already made a plan.

After temporarily putting away the cicada shell, Xu Qing looked at the corpse whose internal organs had been emptied by insects.

The Gu Master profession has a low barrier to entry; anyone can learn it, but most of them are quite harmful to their health. For example, this Gu Master in front of us doesn't have much skill, and even if he does, he feeds it all to the insects.

Even with the Guiyuan Technique, Xu Qing didn't gain much cultivation. Although this Gu Master had already stepped into the path of cultivation, in terms of the amount of cultivation he possessed, he was no different from the martial artists of the Jinmen Gang.

After cleaning up the traces in the courtyard, Xu Qing turned his head and found that Jin Luan, who had been protecting him along with Chang Jiang, was now dozing off next to Chang Jiang.

"Jinluan, wake up, it's time to go back!"

I kicked the big fat chicken, but there was no reaction.

Xu Qing frowned, bent down and pried open Jinluan's eyelids, discovering that the chicken's pupils were actually swirling with color.

Could this greedy chicken have eaten too many poisonous insects and gotten poisoned?
Xu Qing was startled. If he lost this chicken, where would he find another one to return to Daoist Yizhen?

He reached out and patted Jinluan's cheek, and the latter's head slumped down, landing on Xu Qing's feet and snoring.

Activating the Qi Observation Technique, one could see that the golden rooster's blood and qi were boiling like a dragon, showing no signs of weakness after being poisoned.

So they were just too full and sleepy, trying to digest their food there!
Xu Qing felt relieved. He had just thought he would need to find cinnamon, star anise, and bay leaves for the chicken coop funeral.

Fortunately, it was a false alarm.

As Xu Qing stuffed the drowsy golden phoenix into the large birdcage, wedging it at the cage door, he kicked the chicken's rear end, thus shoving the fat chicken inside.

Carrying the birdcage, which weighs sixty or seventy pounds, Xu Qing acted as if nothing was wrong. If it were any other hobbyist, even if they could afford to keep this gluttonous bird, they probably wouldn't be able to walk it around.

Even a martial artist who has only been learning martial arts for less than three years couldn't lift a chicken weighing nearly seventy pounds as easily as Xu Qing.

Xu Qing, carrying a chicken coop in one hand and walnuts in the other, seemed to have just taken his pet for a stroll, and leisurely returned to Master Feng's residence.

"Hey, Second Master, what's going on here?"

As soon as Xu Qing entered the door, he saw that Second Master Feng had taken off all his clothes except for his trousers and was squatting on the ground, asking his uncle to catch insects for him.

My uncle stared at it for a long time, his cross-eyed eyes almost popping out, but he still couldn't see a single worm.

"Brother Xu! You're finally back! You scared me half to death. How are you? Are you alright? Why don't you take off your clothes and let your uncle take a look?"

What kind of person is worth befriending? If you go out to settle scores for someone, and when you come back, they don't ask how the enemy is doing, but first ask if you were hurt, that's a true friend.

Xu Qing rarely smiled: "It's nothing serious. We just sent away a nobody who can't stand the light of day. Second Master can live a peaceful life now. Maybe he can even find a companion in the future and get a little good fortune."

"What are you talking about? I'm already so old, while you, brother, with all your abilities, haven't even settled down yet."

Well! Before Xu Qing could even say two words, Second Master Feng took the initiative and started acting like an elder.

The two chatted casually, but after a moment of silence, the Second Master couldn't help but ask about their enemies.

After a moment of contemplation, Xu Qing meticulously explained the situation to Master Feng.

Xu Qing remembered the monk riding the donkey backwards; he had seen him a few days ago. Now, thirty or forty years later, the monk was only a little fatter than before, but otherwise remained the same.

Because of this incident, Xu Qing became even more cautious. Luckily, he hadn't argued with that monk over the road last time, otherwise he might not have been able to defeat the evil spirits and monsters in his cart.

Upon hearing this, Master Feng suddenly came to his senses and said, "That is true. I heard the old steward say that the monk helped my family by sending the person who used witchcraft to harm my family to the Exorcism Bureau. However, I heard that the demon has already been executed by the authorities."

"The sorcerer was executed, but he had a disciple."

Xu Qing slowly explained the cause and effect, and Master Feng remained silent for a long time after listening.

"To be honest, this whole thing started with that conman. If he hadn't used the insects he found to scam people, none of this would have happened."

The entire Feng family, more than a dozen people, died because of a single insect; how utterly innocent they were.

Master Feng was taken aback when he heard this, and then told Xu Qing about an old story.

He said that after his father experienced the incident of being scammed by a swindler selling insects, he developed a deep hatred for these fraudulent people.

We don't know if the Feng family has a special connection with swindlers, but not long after this incident, new swindlers came along to scam people again.

The patriarch of the Feng family was foolish but had plenty of money, and this time he still couldn't guard against it. Before he knew it, the swindler had tricked him out of two hundred taels of silver.

The matter was not over yet. Less than a month after the scam, the swindler came knocking on the door again.

The patriarch of the Feng family was furious. Did this swindler really think he was a complete fool? He dared to try again. If he could let the swindler get away again, he would quit living in the capital.

At Master Feng's command, the guards escorted the man to the government office.

Greed is a double-edged sword; a single wrong thought can lead to imprisonment.

That swindler deserved his fate. There's a long-standing rule in the Ma family: never repeat the same deception. Ancient texts also clearly state: those who deceive others will inevitably have their weaknesses exposed; those who use the same tricks again will surely fall into a trap.

Everything should not be done more than three times.

Deception is a skill that can be used once, but can it be used twice?

Xu Qing had previously exposed swindlers and knew some of their tricks. There were many unwritten rules in the industry. Even thieves had rules against stealing from the sick or prostitutes, and the same applied to the Ma Men swindling business.

The most sophisticated scams target corrupt officials and thieves and unscrupulous merchants.

Such a deception does not harm one's morals, and one has no conscience. Even after death, when one arrives before the King of Hell, one might still have some semblance of justice.

After resolving the matter with Master Feng, Xu Qing accepted Master Feng's thanks and then carried the sleeping Golden Phoenix back home.

Jingxia Street, coffin shop.

Hu Baosong got up early today to bathe and change, and he seemed to have more energy and spirit than usual.

Seeing that the old man was even more energetic than before, Yizhen was also happy.

"My dear daughter, come here, I have something to tell you."

Hu Baosong sat under the peach tree in the backyard, with a chessboard on the table.

As the old man placed the chess pieces, he told Yizhen about the origins and history of the Hu Yang clan.

"The Hu Yang clan has two ancestors: one is a fox spirit from Tushan Village who attained enlightenment, and the other is my Yang ancestor. People only know that fox spirits are alluring and adept at currying favor, but they don't know that foxes themselves cultivate through forming karmic connections." "I was the same when I was young, but I was unlucky; I accumulated far more negative karma than positive karma. Perhaps my only positive connection was with the Five Elders Temple."

“If I hadn’t been so reckless in my youth and had instead diligently cultivated myself at the Wulao Temple, things might be very different now.”

The old saying goes, "The fox borrows the tiger's power," which, besides its literal meaning, also reveals that the fox is adept at "borrowing power."

Foxes are naturally like this. Whether they attach themselves to a Taoist temple or to an extraordinary person in the secular world, it is all in order to follow the immortals to attain enlightenment and obtain their protection.

Hu Baosong continued, "I once visited the ruins of Qingqiu Cave Heaven, where I learned a secret. Ten thousand years ago, the Qingqiu Fox Kingdom was filled with countless treasures and extremely wealthy, yet no one dared to covet Qingqiu. Do you know why?"

Yizhen frowned and shook her head, indicating that she did not know.

Hu Baosong looked at the chessboard and grinned, saying, "Because Qingqiu often forms connections with people, the Qingqiu princess did not hesitate to lower her status and went to a dilapidated Taoist temple to form a connection with a poor Taoist priest. Less than a hundred years later, that Taoist priest ascended to heaven."

"At that time, heaven and earth could still communicate. Not long after the Taoist ascended to the heavenly realm, he passed down a heavenly book and gave it to Qingqiu. At this time, the Qingqiu princess was the new ruler. After receiving the heavenly book, the ruler ascended to the Dao less than a hundred years later."

"Only then did people realize that the foxes of Qingqiu had the ability to recognize people. A king had received the favor of a fox spirit before the founding of his kingdom, and when a top scholar fell on hard times, an old fox spirit also provided him with food and clothing."

Hu Baosong said with emotion: "My Hu Yang clan's lineage of fox spirits originates from Tushan Village. Our ancestors were also the ones who formed bonds with the fox spirits of Tushan Village."

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhen asked in confusion, "Qingqiu was so powerful, why has it turned into dust today, and even the Hu Yang clan could not escape it."

"Because the present world is a world of five turbidities and evils, the path to heaven has been cut off."

Hu Baosong shook his head and sighed, "Whether it's Qingqiu or Hu Yangshi, it all happened ten thousand years ago. The reason they were so powerful back then was because heaven and earth were still interconnected. Others were wary of the immortal opportunities that Qingqiu and Tushan had gathered together. When the path to heaven was cut off and people had no way out, Qingqiu, which possessed the Heavenly Book and many treasures, was destined to perish."

After saying this, Hu Baosong looked up at Yizhen and said earnestly, "The Five Elders Temple has a solid foundation and a lineage of immortals. You were born in the temple, so you have this destiny. As for how you will walk your path in the future..."

"But you can only rely on yourself now."

Yizhen frowned and remained silent. For some reason, Hu Baosong's words today gave her a vague sense of unease.

Halfway through the game, Hu Baosong suddenly stopped playing.

"Sometimes a game of chess doesn't have to be finished. Only the endgame leaves room for thought. A game that is finished is often not remembered by the world."

Yi Zhen raised an eyebrow. She was about to win the game, but the old man was clearly trying to cheat, yet he was saying nice things.

The female Taoist priest was too lazy to argue with the old man.

Hu Baosong took a sip of tea with a satisfied smile and continued, "Besides the Five Elders Temple, I also have some old friends from the past. Some of them may no longer be here, but we still have some connection with them."

"You might find this useful if you encounter any difficulties in the future."

After rambling on for a while, Hu Baosong took out some more tokens and handed them to Yizhen.

“I owe you so much. Perhaps your master hates me, because he has never told me anything about you.”

Yi Zhen's face was tense as she gripped the chess pieces tightly. Just when she thought the old man was about to reveal his hand, Hu Baosong suddenly changed the subject and said with a smile, "I think that Xu kid from the funeral shop is no ordinary person. It's just that I'm getting old and my eyesight is failing. That kid is very cunning. You can listen to what he says, but you can't believe it."

"."

You can listen, but you can't believe it?
Yizhen blinked repeatedly. What was the reason for this?
After a moment's thought, Yi Zhen suddenly asked, "He runs a funeral shop and does business in funerals. What is the reason for your connection with him?"

Hu Baosong's face stiffened, and his thoughts raced as he said, "Who would want to associate with him for no reason? It's bad luck! I just saw that he was struggling to make a living all by himself, and it was quite pitiful. Do you think I would need anything from him?"

That's as if your coffin shop is some kind of auspicious place.

As the father and son chatted, a smile unconsciously crept onto Yizhen's lips.

In early September, the coroner's shop had little business today, so Xu Qing opened the Thousand Insect Gu Jar, leaned against the counter, and looked inside.

"Let me see! Your dogtail bug is definitely no match for my cattail bug!"

Once Xu Qingteng made room, Xuan Yu leaned close to the jar and stared intently at it.

Today's Xuan Yu is different from the past; below the red rope around its neck, there is a golden cicada shell.

These past few days, Xu Qing and Xuan Yu have had another activity to relieve their boredom: watching the insects fight each other in the Thousand Insect Gu Jar.

During this time, Xu Qing found a rather powerful blue insect to be his fighting insect, while Xuan Yu found a colorful insect to fight in his place.

Neither the zombie nor the cat had decided on the bet. If they had to, it would probably be the childishness that only a naive child would have.

"Where's my big caterpillar?"

When Xu Qing heard Xuan Yu's question, he calmly replied, "Your little flower bug was eaten by that six-winged insect."

"Where is your dogtail? Tell him to avenge me!"

Well, this cat is getting serious.

Xu Qing said helplessly, "The dogtail beetle was eaten by the unicorn beetle."

"But Xuan Yu, don't worry. That six-winged insect has already been torn apart by five horses. Your cat-tailed insect is probably in someone's stomach now."

"."

Xuan Yu remained silent for a moment, still somewhat disappointed, as it had high hopes for that little flower insect.

"There are still fifty-six insects left. Which one do you think will survive to the end?"

Xu Qing moved closer to Xuan Yu, and the two, one stiff and one cat, each occupied one side, their heads touching as they peered into the jar.

After a moment, Xu Qing straightened up and said, "It definitely won't be that lazy bug that can't move."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yu glanced around and indeed found a white worm fast asleep in the corner of the jar.

The white worms were plump and tender, and their appearance was no different from the grubs in the tree stumps. They looked delicious.

"This worm is as lazy as a fat chicken."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing looked towards the stove and saw that Jin Luan was still fast asleep beside it.

Ever since Xu Qing took it out to eat at a restaurant that day, the chicken stopped crowing and stopped going to the chicken coop in the backyard. It just stayed there sleeping all day. Anyone who didn't know better would think that the chicken was hibernating.

The two, a zombie and a cat, had plenty of free time and could spend the whole day watching insects. As evening approached, Hu Baosong from the coffin shop suddenly came to the coffin maker's shop.

"Oh, Uncle Hu, you're a distinguished guest! Please come inside!"

Xu Qing's tone was just like that of a waiter in an inn or restaurant, almost as if he were saying something like, "There's a VIP guest in the private room."

In the past, Hu Baosong would have definitely argued with him, glaring at him.

But today, Hu Baosong had no intention of joking with Xu Qing. The old man approached Xu Qing with a sheepish look on his face, not even taking a seat in the guest area, and his first words were:

"Young friend Xu, I have a favor to ask of you."

(End of this chapter)