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

Chapter 192 Mind Your Own Business, the Divine Art of Beheading

Jiang Daqian made a living by forging and never failed, but his plans were ruined by a meddlesome costumed actor.

With the arrest warrant issued in Beijing, Jiang Daqian fled by waterway all the way to Tianjin, where he changed his name and disappeared for a while before returning to his old ways.

However, his smugness was short-lived, as the authorities discovered his whereabouts and he was arrested and imprisoned.

According to the laws of the Yongzheng Dynasty, apart from important items such as gold, silver and seals, the crime of counterfeiting other items is not punishable by death. Otherwise, every single person selling antiques and calligraphy in Flower and Bird Street would be killed!
Jiang Daqian was different. His forgeries were too convincing, and he involved too many influential people and wealthy businessmen. Even if it wasn't a capital offense, it eventually became one.

Since you can pass for the real thing, then if I kill you, won't these fakes become the real thing?

And so, Jiang Daqian was imprisoned in a death row cell.

It's astonishing that a master forger, who had never made a mistake, would one day be implicated by a meddlesome person.

Wang Xiaobanxian didn't recognize Jiang Daqian, but Jiang Daqian recognized him.

It would be hard for Jiang Daqian not to remember someone who performed immortality magic in a bustling place like Tianqiao.

In the death row, Jiang Daqian grew angrier and angrier. Since you've hurt me to this extent, you won't get away with it either!

"Sir! I want to report and expose this crime; I want to atone for my crimes through meritorious service!"

Upon hearing this, the officer exclaimed, "Accomplices? This is outrageous!"

Once the arrest warrant was issued again, the cold iron shackles fell on Wang Xiaobanxian's body.

"what?"

Wang Xiaobanxian was like a half-grown child who had just fallen asleep and was forcibly turned on. With his eyes still half-closed and not yet fully recovered, he was escorted to Tianjin for interrogation.

When Wang Xiaobanxian and Jiang Daqian met, they were somewhat unfamiliar with each other.

After all, it had been half a year since the two last met. Jiang Daqian had suffered a lot of hardships and was later imprisoned. It would be strange if Wang Xiaobanxian could recognize him at a glance.

The prefect of Tianjin ordered the two men to testify in court. Wang Xiaobanxian looked bewildered and said, "Sir, I have always been a law-abiding citizen. How could I possibly be his accomplice? I don't even recognize his face!"

Upon hearing this, the prefect slammed his gavel and demanded of Jiang Daqian, "In this courtroom, I will not tolerate you falsely accusing innocent people. If I find out that you have framed a good person for theft, I will have you beaten to death, you lackey!"

Jiang Daqian argued forcefully: "I am speaking the truth. That Wang Xiaobanxian usually uses street performances to conceal his identity, but in reality, he is looking for suitable buyers and connecting me with him."

Jiang Daqian argued logically and convincingly that Wang Xiaobanxian was his accomplice. He was responsible for creating fakes and deceiving people, while Wang Xiaobanxian was responsible for collecting materials for creating fakes and acting as a shill to buy counterfeit goods. The two worked together, one in the open and one in the shadows, in order to succeed time and time again.

Wang Xiaobanxian angrily retorted, "I don't even know you, and I've never been a swindler. How can you slander someone's innocence out of thin air!"

Jiang Daqian retorted, "You want to smear my innocence? Since we're complete strangers, how would I know you? Now that things have come to this, you might as well tell the truth, and we brothers might be able to negotiate a pardon."

"Brother, please don't blame me. I would never have betrayed you, but the crime is too serious. To save my life, I have no choice but to confess to you and atone for my sins, hoping for a chance to live."

"You're spouting nonsense! Your Honor, the crime of treachery and deceit is not punishable by death. Although he deceived people, why would he force himself to escape in order to save his own life? This man is talking nonsense. I hope Your Honor will investigate carefully."

Upon hearing this, the prefect was immediately annoyed. It was already a done deal that he had imprisoned Jiang Daqian in the death row, but this Wang Xiaobanxian was so tactless that he actually implied that he had made a mistake in judging the case. Wasn't this just taking advantage of him?
"You audacious scoundrel! How dare you spout such nonsense in court!"

Wang Xiaobanxian thought it was Jiang Daqian, as the prefect had mentioned, and was overjoyed.

However, the next moment, the prefect said, "Guards! Grab Wang Tianqiao!"

You know what, this whole thing was a mess. Wang Xiaobanxian was completely dumbfounded. How did things end up with slats on his fingers during the interrogation? And where did this all begin?
Under severe torture, Wang Xiaobanxian was forced to confess, but even when he was escorted to the execution ground, he did not connect this matter with the incident of exposing counterfeit goods in front of the pawnshop six months ago.

He is a man who loves to meddle in other people's business and has encountered all sorts of people like fish crossing a river. When a seller of fake paintings casually said that his paintings were fake, he didn't take it to heart at all, so how could he remember it clearly?

On the execution ground, Wang Xiaobanxian and Jiang Daqian were brought together.

Looking at the executioner's dagger, Wang Xiaobanxian knew he was doomed to die today.

He was heartbroken and, in his final moments, couldn't help but ask Jiang Daqian, "Now that things have come to this, why don't you tell me clearly what grudge I have against you, and why would you frame me like this?"

"Tell me what you've said, and I'll die a quick and painless death. Otherwise, I'll be filled with resentment and won't find peace even in death!"

Jiang Daqian, expressionless, recounted the story of the meddlesome person at the pawnshop entrance in the past. After listening, Wang Xiaobanxian's mind went blank, and he was stunned for a long time.

The words of the female fortune teller were like a demonic whisper, and Wang Xiaobanxian immediately regretted his actions!

When the ghost-headed knife fell, Wang Xiaobanxian's resentment was even stronger than when he didn't know the truth.

His death was far too tragic!
He just said something casually and did something trivial, so how did he get beheaded?

On his deathbed, Jiang Daqian delivered one last, impactful sentence:

"Don't you know a technique that allows you to survive decapitation? This is a perfect opportunity to use it."

Wang Xiaobanxian's magic tricks are just a hoax. How could he really have a beheading-to-immortality spell? Even if he wanted to deceive people now, he would have to untie the ropes and use the props for the immortality spell to make it work.

Now that he is bound hand and foot, even if he truly possesses the secret arts of the Nine Heavens, he may not be able to deceive everyone.

The broadsword fell, and two round heads fell like watermelons, their crimson blood instantly pooling in a blur.

Two sworn enemies, who were fiercely opposed to each other while alive, became inseparable after death.

After reading about Wang Xiaobanxian's miserable death, Xu Qing didn't know what to say about him.

The fortune teller made it so clear that she told you not to meddle in other people's business, but why didn't you listen?

As the old saying goes, "Everyone sweeps the snow from their own doorstep and doesn't care about the frost on someone else's roof." Another saying goes, "Others admiring flowers is none of your business; others' busy lives are none of your business."

Since ancient times, those who sell antiques and calligraphy and paintings have always been half genuine and half fake. This is a common practice and an unspoken understanding. If you ruin someone else's business, it's like someone else has exposed your trick of beheading you. If it happened to you, wouldn't you be angry?

After successfully performing the ritual to help the still-unsatisfied Wang Xiaobanxian pass on to the afterlife, Xu Qing gained a new technique for preventing death by beheading.

This magic isn't a trick; it's a real ability to prevent someone from dying after being beheaded.

Xu Qing made hand seals and chanted incantations. When he was halfway through chanting the incantation, he felt as if his head was about to float away.

The inexplicable unease was like being on the edge of a cliff. Xu Qing didn't dare to finish the incantation. He hadn't yet mastered the Undying Bone technique. If he finished the incantation at the beginning and it didn't work when he had the chance to use it, who would he complain to?
After pondering the newly acquired spell for a while, Xu Qing understood why Wang Xiaobanxian, who had become a vengeful ghost, kept holding onto his head and refused to let go.

The head is the headless ghost's only weakness. Once it lands and is snatched away by a dog, or kicked away like a ball, the headless ghost will lose all its magic power and won't be able to live for long.

Xu Qing thought for a moment and realized that he could teach the embroiderer these underworld spells; she would probably like them very much.

After all, girls love to dress up, and it would be much more convenient to take their hair off than to wear it around their necks when combing it.

(End of this chapter)