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

Chapter 177 Zombie for Queen

On the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, it is auspicious to travel, get married, and clean; it is inauspicious to demolish houses or break ground.

Xu Qing packed his bags early, and by daybreak he had already boarded a passenger ship and left the Xinbufang Ferry Terminal.

The river was shrouded in mist, and from the dock, one could vaguely see the shadow of a cat standing and gazing into the distance.

As the passenger ship sailed further and further away, only a faint black dot remained at the dock pier.

When Xu Qing left Linjiang County, he made a special trip to visit some acquaintances. The process was exactly the same as when he had gone into seclusion to break through the Silver Armor Corpse.

Xu Qing continued to use the excuse of studying abroad to talk to Wang Lingyuan, Master Feng, and others. As for those fellow immortals, he told them that they were traveling and their return date was uncertain.

These things should have been told in advance, but because it was the end of the year, Xu Qing kept putting it off. After all, for someone in the funeral business, visiting people to offer New Year's greetings at the end of the year was somewhat unlucky.

During the Lunar New Year, when everyone, young and old, gathers together, if a funeral director who frequently arranges funerals and burials suddenly shows up at your door, do you want people to die?
When you get kicked out, people who don't know the situation will say you're quite polite, and that the host who kicked you out is really unreasonable.

But if they knew you were in this line of work, every single one of them would say you're a scoundrel!
Even after the fifteenth day of the lunar month, when Xu Qing visited acquaintances, he never went inside. Instead, he would stand outside, exchange a few pleasantries, and chat idly.

It was cold at this time, and no one could stand at the door. After exchanging only a few words, one had to say goodbye and leave.

Having had the experience of his first seclusion, Xu Qing was now familiar with how to say goodbye. After leaving Linjiang County by waterway, he once again became a solitary traveler in the mortal world.

However, he is a worldly person who has a cat at home.

As the passenger ship sailed north, Xu Qing encountered many scholars on their way to the capital for the imperial examinations.

After the first month of the lunar calendar, the grand imperial examinations will be held in less than two months.

The imperial examinations of the Yong Dynasty were held in the third month of the lunar calendar, while the palace examinations were held in the fourth month of the same year.

Xu Qing looked at those people who were traveling and enjoying the scenery, reciting poems and lyrics, and wondered how many of the scholars on the same boat today would become future officials.

During this time, someone came over and asked Xu Qing if he was also a scholar going to the capital to take the imperial examination. He wanted to shake his head and deny it, but when he thought that the calamities on the path of cultivation were also a test paper issued by the heavens, he changed his mind.

"I am indeed a student taking the exam, but for a student of my humble origins, taking the exam will likely be much more difficult than for those from prestigious families."

Humans find it easier to overcome tribulations than demons, and demons find it easier than evil spirits. Zombies, on the other hand, are the most evil of all evil spirits.

If a scholar taking the imperial examinations could pass the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination, and the palace examination, and achieve first place in each one, he would be hailed as a rare talent who had achieved the "triple crown" (winning the top honors in all three examinations). In the eyes of ordinary people, this was no different from attaining immortality.

Cultivators, on the other hand, need to overcome three trials: lightning, heavenly fire, and treacherous winds.

Scholars are as numerous as hairs on an ox, but those who achieve greatness are as rare as phoenix feathers.

Throughout history, very few practitioners have ever managed to pass all three tests under the watchful eye of Heaven.

Among them, those who attain enlightenment among zombies are extremely rare.

Zombies, being an anomaly, are not favored by heaven and earth, and therefore are not blessed by the heavens.

A scholar nearby, hearing Xu Qing's words, resonated with him and said, "Brother, you are absolutely right. Those wealthy young men from prestigious families are born with the opportunity to study. Even when they go to take the exams, they don't have to worry about travel expenses. Some even have servants and maids accompanying them all the way. Unlike us, who have to rely on relatives and friends to help us with our travel expenses just to take the exams."

Most of those who could share a passenger ship with Xu Qing were poor scholars, and the ship couldn't accommodate everyone. When the men talked about their backgrounds, they couldn't help but sigh.

"What's even more hateful is that some people sell official positions and titles, achieving fame and fortune without needing ten years of hard study!"

“I have heard that some people who do not understand the classics and whose writing is worse than that of a young child can still pass the imperial examination and obtain an official position.”

"Brother, be careful what you say."

Some were filled with righteous indignation, while others were terrified and dared not speak out, fearing that their words might be overheard by someone with ulterior motives and affect their future.

Only Xu Qing spoke up with feeling: "You all say that those who are incompetent and immoral and buy their way into office are hateful, but you don't know that some people who are proficient in all kinds of skills, do good deeds, and are talented and virtuous also need to spend a lot of money to get official positions."

Upon hearing this, the scholars looked at each other, feeling uneasy. If the Great Yong Dynasty had truly become like this, then what had their ten years of hard study amounted to?
Little did they know that what Xu Qing said was completely different from what they had heard.

The silver and money Xu Qing mentioned refers to incense offerings. Buying an official position with money means using incense offerings to bribe the Heavenly Way in order to pave one's own path to spiritual advancement.

The passenger ship continued its journey without stopping, and as time went on, the hidden corpse energy on Xu Qing's body began to show signs of becoming uncontrollable.

When the boat reached the waterway leading to the capital, Xu Qing's anxiety became visibly apparent.

He grabbed the boatman's wrist and asked which direction the imperial tombs in the capital were in. The boatman was puzzled and wondered why this man looked like he was about to burst and needed to relieve himself.

But what are you trying to do by asking where the imperial tombs are? The imperial tombs aren't your home.

Seeing the boatman's strange expression, Xu Qing quickly added, "I am a scholar taking the imperial examination. I originally intended to pay my respects outside the imperial mausoleum so that the late emperor could bless me with success in the examination."

That’s what happened!
The boatman immediately found this reasonable, so he pointed to the northwest and said, "The imperial mausoleum is two hundred miles northwest of the capital, on Zhaoshi Mountain. I heard that there are Banner troops guarding that place. If you really want to go, you can hold a ceremony in the open outside. Do not go into the mountain."

Having received a definite answer, Xu Qing turned and left. The boatman, seeing the extra piece of silver in his hand, couldn't contain his joy.

There were merchants selling horses and mules along the riverbank. To avoid attracting attention, Xu Qing did not choose to ride a dappled horse, but instead used his horse-judging skills to select the best horse from among the crowd.

The horse looked ordinary, but Xu Qing could tell at a glance that it was a fine steed with great strength.

After feeding the horse two powerful pills and one fasting pill, Xu Qing rode off at breakneck speed towards the imperial mausoleum.

Raising a Golden Armored Corpse requires a large amount of Yin Metal. The higher the quality of the Yin Metal, the higher the quality of the Golden Armored Corpse cultivated.

Although Xu Qing used the burial money that Master Feng had found to forge a Yin Gold Coffin, the Yin Gold energy in that coffin might not be enough for him to use.

This is why most of the recorded golden-armored zombies have appeared in ancient tombs.

Because in those ancient coffins in the tombs, there were a large number of high-quality burial coins.

However, many of the golden-armored corpses faced lightning punishment shortly after leaving the tomb.

When Xu Qing consulted Bai Xiangu at Yuehua Mountain, she mentioned the golden-armored corpse that had appeared in Xiangyin.

Those who cultivate can observe from afar and, by observing the intensity and geographical location of the lightning disaster, roughly deduce what kind of demon is undergoing tribulation.

People in the world, unaware of the inside story, can only speculate whether the tomb owner committed many evil deeds in his lifetime, which is why the tomb was struck by lightning.

It is said that the tomb in Xiangyin County that was split up was the burial place of King Liu of Chu.

This King of Chu was obsessed with making Gu poison, and he used the people of an entire county as vessels for making Gu poison, using human heads as Gu jars and sewing human skin into drums to control Gu insects.

The evil deeds of King Liu of Chu are too numerous to list. The historical record only describes him in eight words: "His crimes were so numerous that Heaven decreed that he was punished."

The lightning strike on the tomb of King Chu Liu in Xiangyin County perfectly echoed this comment in the historical records.

Later, Xu Qing specifically inquired about the matter of King Chu Liu in Xiangyin, such as why no one had ever dug up the grave of such a wicked person, and why a zombie was ultimately used to summon a lightning tribulation to strike his tomb. After much investigation, Xu Qing finally came to a conclusion: King Chu Liu's tomb contained a large number of poisonous insects, and with these insects present, tomb raiders dared not venture there.

Xu Qing had no interest in the gold and silver treasures in the tomb of King Chu Liu. The only thing he was interested in was the yin gold used as burial goods in the tomb.

Unfortunately, a thousand years ago, a zombie predecessor had already looted the tomb of King Chu Liu. Now that he thinks about it, there is probably not much Yin metal energy left inside. Even if he goes there, it will be a wasted trip.

Aside from the tomb of King Chu Liu, Xu Qing was also reluctant to visit other well-preserved tombs from previous dynasties, because those places were in the southern provinces, much farther from Tianjin than from Luoyang.

Following the principle of proximity, Xu Qing chose the imperial tombs of the Dayong Dynasty.

The magnificent steed galloped swiftly along the road, and everyone who saw it on the road couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"Wow! What kind of horse is this? It's so agile! Even a thoroughbred couldn't compare!"

A caravan traveling from Jiangnan to the capital for the imperial examinations was taking a break near a teahouse. When Xu Qing's chestnut horse galloped by, many people mistook it for a red gust of wind.

Among the crowd, a scholar in a blue robe glanced in the direction Xu Qing had left, then picked up his book again and began to read.

Before long, a guard spoke up: "Young master, it's time to set off. By noon, we should be able to reach the city and meet the master."

Wu Wencai put away his books, appearing somewhat sullen compared to the other candidates around him who were quite enthusiastic.

"If my elder brother were still alive, he would surely be here with me to take the imperial examination."

Wu Wencai reached out and touched the broken crane bone flute at his waist, feeling increasingly melancholy.

Zhaoshi Mountain, outside the Dayong Fuyong Mausoleum.

Xu Qing dismounted and said, "I have arrived at my destination. There must be wild beasts lurking in these mountains. You can return the way you came and find another place. There is no need to wait for me here."

After saying that, Xu Qing slapped the horse's thigh. The horse neighed and ran to the mound, still looking back with reluctance.

However, Xu Qing had vanished from the spot.

Inside Fuyong Mausoleum, Xu Qing suppressed the restlessness in his heart and ventured deeper into the place where the Yin Metal Qi was the most concentrated.

Upon arriving at a tomb chamber, Xu Qing glanced sideways at the epitaph stone standing in front of the tomb chamber door.

All I could see was that it read "Empress Duanrong Zunyou" or something similar, and the posthumous title alone had nearly twenty characters.

Xu Qing was too lazy to look for other cards, so she thought, "I'll just choose you!"
Upon entering the tomb chamber, Xu Qing first took off his clothes, and then used the mountain-driving technique to wrap himself in a hide covered with strange patterns.

After the golden-armored corpse survives the lightning calamity, it becomes a prone corpse.

There are three transformations of a corpse: hairy corpse, fire corpse, and black corpse.

If a zombie wants to evolve into a Kuiba, it must consciously choose an evolution path when it reaches the stage of Corpse Subduing.

Mao Jiang belongs to the mountain forest; if it is repaired, it can become Mao Hou.

The fire zombie is the master of fire burning, and if it is cultivated, it can become the drought demon.

The black zombie is the master of water, and if you cultivate it, you can become a water demon.

When the drought demon appears, the land turns barren for thousands of miles; when the water demon appears, the land is flooded for thousands of miles; when the hairy roar appears, the mountains and forests submit.

At present, Xu Qing used the Mountain Driving Technique to refine Guan Xiaohu's skin into the Mountain Tiger Master, and then took out the Unpredictable Black Water, cut off a portion of it and swallowed it.

The Black Water of Nowhere is filled with extremely strong malevolent energy. If one were to consume it rashly, it would inevitably affect one's mind and turn one into a true bloodthirsty zombie.

Fortunately, a pure white lotus floats above the black river in the landscape painting.

The white lotus has twelve petals. Xu Qing plucked a petal and put it in his mouth, just like the jade pendant placed in the mouth of a dead person lying in a coffin.

After swallowing the lustrous mountain lotus, Xu Qing opened his Yin Eyes again and introspected the wisp of Yin Fire nurtured within his body.

The Yin Flame was only a small cluster, but with the nourishment of the Yin Metal Qi in the imperial tomb, it could grow stronger.

The "lying corpse" is the dividing line among zombies, while the "golden-armored corpse" is a crucial point in the selection of a young zombie's future path through a traditional Chinese divination ceremony.

At this point, Xu Qing's capture of Zhou was tantamount to choosing his future evolutionary path.

Similarly, he must also accept the consequences of the first birthday celebration.

The three transformations of the Corpse and the three types of the Kuiba each represent a considerable amount of cultivation time.

If all three paths are chosen, it will take several times, or even more, time to evolve.

The boundless black water and the energy of the mountains and forests gathered behind him, and Xu Qing felt a connection with heaven and earth, as if he could see the path ahead.

That road is extremely long, perhaps a thousand years, ten thousand years, or even longer.

How many spiritual practitioners in the world can endure ten thousand years?

Sensing the ominous signs in the darkness, Xu Qing's Dao heart remained unshaken.

Time has no effect on him; if he were to cultivate for ten thousand years, it would mean he could continue his funeral business and help more corpses find peace.

This is a great thing, and it should be celebrated. How could his Dao heart be unstable because of this?

In the dark tomb, Xu Qing's Dao heart became even more steadfast.

He reached out and pulled the empress, whose name was longer than her life, from the coffin, throwing her along with the inner coffin into the garden.

Then, Xu Qing used the trick of "switching the prince with a cat" to replace the zombie with the empress, and stuffed his own obviously larger Yin Jin coffin into Empress Duanrong's coffin.

The coffin was closed, and the tomb fell silent.

Inside the coffin, Xu Qing slept peacefully, as if he had been lying there for hundreds or thousands of years.
Jingxia Street.

The coffin shop remained closed. The sign at the entrance, "Please go to the coffin shop to purchase coffins," was somewhat worn. The wealthy young lady, Zhang Wan, continued to run the funeral clothing shop. Inside the coffin shop, a tall woman with a cold and aloof face would sometimes check the accounts, and a black cat would sometimes sit on the threshold, lost in thought.

During this period, Uncle Feng, who was carrying his uncle's bag and playing with walnuts, came by once. Wang Lingyuan from the yamen's coroner's office and the storyteller newly hired by Laifu Inn also appeared outside the shop.

In March, when the peach blossoms were in full bloom, Master Yizhen sat in the coffin shop for a long time. A little girl pointed to the peach tree in the courtyard and told her that it was its godmother.

A gentle breeze rustled through the peach tree branches, and a red ribbon swayed gently in the breeze.

(End of this chapter)