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

Chapter 201 The Goddess Appears, the Filial Son Laments the Mourning

Qushui Township is bordered by the Qushui River to the east and Ziyun Mountain to the north.

Looking down from the mountaintop, one can see smoke rising from the thatched roofs and gray tiles, as well as golden waves of rice stretching like terraced fields.

"The autumn harvest is just around the corner, and this time of year is always turbulent."

As Zhao Zhonghe walked along the country dirt road, some farmers had already begun to tidy up the edges of their fields, as the autumn harvest and planting would officially begin in August.

"Boss, there's no need to worry. Recently, the Jingzhao Division has sent a lot of people to Tianjin. I heard that they are all experts. Who would dare to cause trouble at this critical juncture this year?"

Zhao Zhonghe, the "Mirror Master," narrowed his eyes, about to say something, when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a burly man in yellow standing on the ridge of the field ahead.

Zhao Zhonghe thought he was big enough, but in front of the big man in yellow, he looked small.

"This person is very strange."

The burly man in yellow stood at the windy spot under the ridge of the field, his nostrils flaring as if he were searching for something.

Above the burly man's head, a flock of crows circled and cawed, and every now and then, one or two crows would land in front of the man in yellow, as if reporting something.

"You man in yellow, come down here and answer me!"

When he saw Zhao Zhonghe and his group rushing over aggressively, Huang Yidazhuang's face lit up with joy. He suddenly turned around, jumped off the ridge, and ran wildly towards the village.

Zhao Zhonghe immediately perked up. The instinct of the constables to give chase when they saw someone running away for no reason was ingrained in their bones!
However, even with all their strength, the group of constables could only manage to stay a few feet away from the big man.

Zhao Zhonghe was faster on his feet, and with agility and leaps, he distanced himself from the ordinary yamen runners, but there always seemed to be an invisible barrier between him and the big man in yellow.

Zhao Zhonghe had a vague premonition that it would be no difficult for the other party to escape his sight!
At this moment, he was more like a dog being led around on a leash by the other party.

Qushui Township is neither too big nor too small, stretching for about fifteen or sixteen miles from front to back.

Zhao Zhonghe chased for seven or eight miles before slowing down. The big man in front of him also slowed down, and would even take a moment to look back to see if he had caught up.

"Too deceiving!"

Zhao Zhonghe even felt that if he turned around and left now, this big man might actually come back and chase him away.

However, Zhao Zhonghe had no intention of leaving. The big man in front of him seemed to be deliberately leading him away, but it was more like he was going to take him somewhere.

Whether it was a trap or some other purpose, Zhao Zhonghe admitted that the other party had indeed figured out his personality.

He's a stubborn guy; even if he knows there's a tiger in the mountain, he'll still head towards it.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have become the head constable.

The two burly men chased each other along the country road as if they were running laps at dawn, while the constables behind them had long since disappeared from sight.

Deep within the Twelve Miles of Qushui Township, there is a house where the sky above the courtyard is filled with black crows circling overhead.

Those muffled noises were like saying: "He's here! He's here!"

Zhao Zhonghe saw the burly man in yellow running straight toward the house and felt a sense of unease and suspicion.

Because that house was none other than the residence of Chen Feng from Qushui Township.

At this moment, in Chen Feng's home, Yuan Hu, who was also of imposing stature, was looking for something handy to drive away the flock of crows overhead.

As the old saying goes, magpies bring good news, while crows bring bad news; another saying goes, if a crow flies over your head, misfortune is sure to follow!

Yuan Hu has had bad luck for the past six months, and today a flock of crows came out of nowhere and started cawing noisily like they were attending a funeral, giving him a headache.

"A bunch of clueless animals! I was hiding perfectly well, but you had to make a fuss!"

Chen Feng's entire family, including servants and housekeepers, were detained and taken to Linjiang County, restricted from leaving the city, and awaited trial at any time.

Now that no one in the Chen family is looking after them, it has become a good place for Yuan Hu to hide in the shadows and avoid the eyes of others.

Yuan Hu cursed under his breath, and with a few stones, he actually knocked down a crow.

But before the crow could fall to the ground, a burly man in yellow appeared in the courtyard. The man caught the crow with its injured wing and carefully placed it to the side.

"Who are you?"

Yuan Hu stared at the imposing man who had suddenly barged into the courtyard, thinking to himself that this man was quite large, even more robust than him.

Before Yuan Hu could think further, a low shout came from the courtyard wall again. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw another burly man on the wall.

"."

Their eyes met, and Zhao Zhonghe was also taken aback.

"Yuan Hu!"

"Damn official!" Yuan Hu also noticed the black police uniform Zhao Zhonghe was wearing.

When officials and bandits meet, it's like water and fire meeting.

However, due to the uncertainty surrounding Guan Dazhuang, neither of them dared to make a move.

Zhao Zhonghe was on high alert, reaching for the dagger at his waist with both hands.

The three burly men gathered together, each with their own thoughts.

Yuan Hu held his knife protectively in front of him and retreated step by step.

Zhao Zhonghe paused, drawing his sword, and then turned his gaze to the unarmed man in yellow.

Guan Dazhuang blinked, his big, tiger-like eyes sparkling, seemingly without any intimidating power.

But it was this one person who briefly put the officials and the bandits in a stalemate.

"Who are you? This Yuan Hu is a wanted criminal by the authorities. Are you perhaps with him?"

Yuan Hu was surprised to hear this, realizing that the two people did not know each other.

A plan formed in his mind. Before Guan Dazhuang could respond, he shouted, "Brother Zhang, please stop this fellow! I'll go to the backyard to fetch the horses and provide backup!"

After saying that, Yuan Hu turned around and leaped away towards the back of the house without looking back.

"Where to go!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhonghe drew his sword, but before he could make a further move, a sudden gust of wind arose in the courtyard. Amidst the flying sand and stones, Zhao Zhonghe saw that where the yellow-clad man had been standing, a large tiger with bulging eyes and a white forehead had appeared!

The clouds follow the dragon and the wind follows the tiger.

Guan Dazhuang roared, leaped and whipped his tail, and in the blink of an eye, he jumped over the roof ridge and blocked Yuan Hu's way.

Standing there, Zhao Zhonghe felt his scalp tingle and broke out in a cold sweat!
He had seen tigers before, but this was the first time he had ever encountered a demonic tiger that could transform into human form.

The problem is that this tiger is way too big; even a ox used for plowing the fields wouldn't be that big.

Outside the courtyard wall, several panting constables finally arrived.

Zhao Zhonghe, his mouth dry, swallowed hard and said in a hoarse voice, "The culprit, Yuan Hu, is right here! You all wait here and don't follow me! If anything happens to me, immediately report to the magistrate that Yuan Hu has a tiger demon as his help and is no ordinary person who can defeat him!"

After saying that, Zhao Zhonghe leaped up and, when he reached the roof ridge, he saw Yuan Hu being pinned down by Guan Dazhuang.

Zhao Zhonghe was shocked to see the tiger carrying Yuan Hu in its mouth.

Seeing that Guan Dazhuang had taken the man and was still staring at him, Zhao Zhonghe felt uneasy, but dared not show it on his face.

He mustered his courage and said:

"Big Tiger! This man is a wanted criminal of the government. We urgently need to capture him and investigate him. If you are willing to let him go, I am willing to offer three sacrificial animals to Tiger King the next day!"

Guan Dazhuang's eyes lit up. Was there really such a good thing?
Seeing the Golden-Eyed Tiger nod at him, looking like he understood perfectly, Zhao Zhonghe was secretly delighted.

However, the tiger didn't put the man down. Instead, it carried the unconscious Yuan Hu, whipped unconscious by its tail, over the courtyard wall and headed towards Ziyun Mountain. Along the way, Guan Dazhuang would occasionally turn back and wink at the constables, signaling them to follow.

Zhao Zhonghe took a deep breath, waved to stop the constables behind him, and said, "This tiger is almost demonic in his intelligence; his words cannot be entirely trusted. I will go alone this time. You all wait here and do not follow me!"

“I’ll go with the constable; at least we can look out for each other along the way.”

Before Zhao Zhonghe could stop him, the constable turned around and said, "Jiang Cheng and Wang Han, you two stay here. If the head constable and I haven't returned by noon, you two should return to the city immediately and report this matter to the magistrate!"

Zhao Zhonghe raised an eyebrow and glanced at the constables following him, feeling somewhat gratified.

It wasn't for nothing that he doted on his children and grandchildren; not all of them were as unfilial as Xue Yachai.

The two followed Guan Dazhuang all the way to Ziyun Mountain. Yuan Hu woke up once along the way, but was knocked unconscious by Guan Dazhuang's tiger roar.

Zhao Zhonghe was terrified. This tiger was far more powerful than he had imagined. He knew he couldn't even last a single blow against it.

This is a truly powerful demon!
"The Baosheng Temple is just ahead. Could this tiger have taken over the temple built by the county magistrate and become the mountain king of this mountain?" the constable wondered in surprise.

Zhao Zhonghe grinned and said, "I've never heard of any tigers on Ziyun Mountain before. You couldn't have come here to pray for a child because you heard that Baosheng Temple is efficacious."

Guan Dazhuang, who was climbing the steps ahead, wanted to turn back several times and slap the two of them. "What a male tiger! He's got nothing better to do than go to a temple to pray for a child."

If the spirits in the shrine knew that it had gone to the head priest's temple to pray for a child, they would definitely laugh at it for the rest of its life!

Upon arriving at Baosheng Temple, Guan Dazhuang looked back at the temple entrance and, seeing Zhao Zhonghe and the other person following, released his grip and threw Yuan Hu to the temple entrance.

Guan Dazhuang was in a hurry to go back and report to Xu Qing. Seeing that he had finished his task, he jumped straight to the middle of the temple courtyard and howled to the sky.

In an instant, all the birds and beasts in the mountains and forests were startled.

Zhao Zhonghe took out a rope from his waist and tied Yuan Hu up. He then took out a packet of acupuncture powder specifically for those who practice martial arts and forced it down Yuan Hu's throat.

After finishing all this, Zhao Zhonghe looked towards Baosheng Temple.

After that tiger lost face, it never came out again. Could it be that, as we guessed before, this tiger has taken over the Baosheng Temple built by the county magistrate and is now lording it over people?

Seeing that the tiger kept its promise, Zhao Zhonghe grew bolder and bolder. He stepped through the temple courtyard and into the incense hall.

The first thing you see is a statue of Baosheng Niangniang (Goddess of Childbirth).

Zhao Zhonghe walked closer and looked around. On the offering table, besides many white flowers, there were also some offerings of fruit and incense.

The incense hall is not large; if a large insect were to hide there, it would be spotted at a glance.

But Zhao Zhonghe didn't even see the shadow of the tiger, let alone the figure of the yellow-clad man that the tiger demon had transformed into.

"Strange thing."

Just as Zhao Zhonghe was filled with doubt, his gaze, which was sweeping around, suddenly sharpened.

Beside the pedestal of the statue, a pair of small tiger-head shoes were neatly arranged.

Most worshippers who come to the Temple of Fertility to pray for children leave behind items as a petition.

Such as Red Flower Girl, White Flower Boy, or Yellow Flower Girl, Green Flower Boy.

The Peking Opera also had lyrics that went something like this: "Red Flower Girl, Green Flower Boy, Plum Blossom Curtain, Ivory Flower Bed."

Many people who pray for children will place various flowers in front of the goddess's statue, and some flowers will have notes or strips of cloth with the person's place of origin and address, so that the goddess can guide them.

Besides poor families offering flowers, some people with deep faith or wealthy families would specially offer other items as a token of their prayers.

One type is tiger-head shoes and embroidered shoes.

Tiger-head shoes are for men, while embroidered shoes are for women.

"These tiger-head shoes."

Zhao Zhonghe felt a chill run down his spine, thinking it was the Goddess of Life Protection manifesting herself and summoning a fierce tiger to help him rid himself of evil.

Otherwise, how could that tiger have disappeared once it arrived at the temple?
Furthermore, the temple was originally built with funds from the county magistrate. Perhaps the Goddess of Life Protection was grateful for this and secretly helped the yamen capture the evil bandit they had been trying to catch.

"Is the Empress truly divine?"

Zhao Zhonghe frowned as he looked at the statue. When his eyes met those of the Goddess of Life Protection, he inexplicably felt that she was also looking at him.

Zhao Zhonghe was startled and realized his rudeness, so he quickly looked away.

"This is really weird."

Inside the incense hall, just as Zhao Zhonghe was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something, so he turned back to the altar, lit a stick of incense, and offered it up.

Although he already has one child, he doesn't think he has too many.

"If the Goddess truly has a spirit, may she protect my Zhao family, ensuring a large and prosperous household, and may there be no bandits or thieves in this world, so that all people may live in peace and happiness."

However, the next moment.

The incense that had just been lit went out without any wind.

"."

Zhao Zhonghe was somewhat taken aback. He took out a tinderbox again and lit the incense in the incense burner.

This time, the incense didn't even last a breath. As soon as he put down the tinder, the embers burning at the tip of the incense went out again.

Zhao Zhonghe changed the incense stick, but it remained the same.

Even the most fearless, eight-foot-tall man couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

What does this lady mean? Is my Zhao family going to become extinct?
Zhao Zhonghe considered countless possibilities, and finally he suddenly realized, "Yes, that must be it!"

"Please forgive me, Goddess Baosheng. This was due to my oversight. I will definitely arrange the sacrificial offerings I promised when I return. I will never break my promise."

After speaking, Zhao Zhonghe offered incense again, and this time the incense did not go out.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Zhonghe felt even more astonished.

Qiaojia Village is located on the banks of the Qushui River.

Just as Xu Qing, whose spirit had entered the Dharma Realm, was about to continue rejecting the unreasonable demands of humanity, Guan Dazhuang returned.

"Master, the matter at the Goddess Temple has been settled."

“What do you mean by ‘Niangniang Temple’? That’s called ‘Baosheng Temple’!” Xu Qing corrected. “You should know that gods are not bound by form; they have a thousand faces and a thousand appearances in a single thought. The Niangniang statue in Baosheng Temple is, in essence, just an incarnation.”

Xu Qing applied what he had learned by repeating Chen County Magistrate's words to Guan Dazhuang.

Guan Dazhuang was puzzled. He felt that his leader was more irritable than before. Could it be that during the time he was away, some fool had offended the leader?
To avoid being implicated, Guan Dazhuang changed the subject, asking, "Master, who is crying?"

"Today, at the funeral, it is the bereaved family who are crying."

Xu Qing felt quite helpless when she thought about it.

Ever since he fed Shazhu the Wisdom-Enhancing Pill, the child's mind suddenly became very sharp.

Although he still had the mind of a child, he already knew the difference between life and death.

Sure enough, the silly child suddenly realized that his brother had passed away, and he hugged the coffin and cried incessantly.

However, he never cried for his gambling father.

This shows that even the most naive child knows who truly cares for him.

(End of this chapter)