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

Chapter 228 Monk and Taoist Priest Share a Feast, Corpse Demons Celebrate the Beginning of a Twisted Fate

The Shang Mansion was packed with guests, and the banquet hall alone occupied two streets.

This doesn't even include the main hall and garden in the Shang mansion where distinguished guests are received.

Xu Qing led the curious little girl on a sightseeing tour. Along the way, many acquaintances came to greet them, but most of the people were people Xu Qing knew personally.

High-ranking officials, wandering knights-errant, literati, actors, and servants
Xu Qing once heard of a six-person theory, which states that "you are no more than five people away from any other stranger."

This theory is very difficult to put into practice, but Xu Qing truly experienced this strange feeling of "having old friends everywhere he goes".

Miss Gu, who married into the merchant family, was originally a descendant of a marshal of the Eight Banners who had been lost on the Yinhe Ancient Road.

The gardener, Cui Shiyuan, had met Miss Gu's grandmother once before.

Another eunuch who came to the wedding banquet with the emperor's decree to offer congratulations happened to be Lou Xiaowu, the adopted son of Liao Jinzhong, and his sworn enemy.

In the main hall, Zhu Huai'an's uncle, Yin Chengshan, flashed by. Xu Qing glanced to the side and saw him pulling someone behind a screen, seemingly plotting something.

Most of these people didn't recognize Xu Qing, but Xu Qing could call them by name.

Li Siye's regular customer in Linjiang County was Jiang Mingqi, a merchant from the Western Regions, along with two other foreign men, Yizhannu and Qifuluo, who were always by his side.

This information was obtained by Xu Qing when he performed a ritual to help the martial arts master Li Fan pass on to the afterlife.

In addition, there were talented men from Jiangnan, military officers from Beizhao Prefecture, musicians and performers from Qinyinfang, and even officials from thousands of miles away in Yazhou who had just returned to Qianzhou after their exile.

These seemingly unrelated individuals, now like trembling threads on a spiderweb, resonated with the revolving lantern Xu Qing had once seen.

At this moment, Xu Qing wandered through the courtyard, and the guests passing by were like fast-forwarded images. The entire wedding banquet was like a traditional Chinese ink painting. Only Xu Qing, holding the little girl's hand, was like the only brushstroke in the painting, moving through this ukiyo-e scroll.

Xu Qing's scripture of salvation is like a giant spider web woven from countless memories, a vast star map woven from the memories of thousands of the dead. No matter how much the thread vibrates or how much the trajectory changes, it will eventually reach his funeral parlor.

Xu Qing stopped in his tracks, and the surrounding panorama of life seemed to freeze in time.

It turns out that, despite never having traveled far, his footprints had unintentionally reached places thousands of miles away.

Moreover, these footprints are not just simple walking, nor are they merely geographical extensions; they transcend the barriers of time and leap through memories spanning the entire past and present.

Whether it's the palace secrets of emperors and generals, the everyday life of ordinary people, or fragments of history sealed for thousands of years, they have all now transformed into sparks on the star map, quietly spreading for thousands of miles.

Xu Qing suddenly quickened her pace, catching the little girl beside her off guard. She had no choice but to lift her skirt with one hand and chase after Xu Qing at almost a jog.

Before us, a three-story pavilion stands out prominently.

Xu Qing walked faster and faster, and finally he simply grabbed the little girl's hand behind him and strode towards the attic with a clear purpose.

Taking two steps at a time, climbing the steps, when you reach the top of the pavilion, you can clearly see all the scenery below, including the bustling street outside the merchant's mansion.

A breeze brushed past her temples, and Xu Qing smiled.

Beside him, a little girl with beautifully styled hair in a bun stared wide-eyed at a scene that only humans could perceive.

However, compared to others, what Xu Qing saw before him was the rise and fall of each dynasty and even each individual in the turbulent world.

A banquet held at the Shang residence.

Xu Qing, who is an expert in providing one-stop services for funerals and bereavements, was meeting the ceremony master in charge of the wedding for the first time.

The ceremony master was an official invited by the merchant from the Ministry of Rites. He had presided over weddings for many officials and nobles in the past, and his professionalism was beyond reproach.

Xu Qing wasn't very good at weddings; this kind of thing was somewhat incompatible with him.

However, this did not stop him from enjoying the excitement of the wedding industry.

The bridal sedan chair is welcomed, the bride and groom step over a fire basin, and the newlyweds pay their respects to each other and drink the nuptial wine.
As Xu Qing read through the exhibits, he was deeply moved.

Although the wedding banquet and the funeral banquet are very different in style, they are equally elaborate and particular.

It should be noted that in addition to weddings, there are also various other celebratory banquets such as birthday celebrations, full moon celebrations, birthday banquets, victory celebrations, deer banquets, and banquets for those who have achieved fame and success.

The intricacies of this are truly difficult to grasp unless one is a professional in the field.

To some extent, weddings and funerals are similar.

After observing the elaborate wedding rituals of wealthy families, Xu Qing felt a mix of emotions.

When it came time for the guests to present their congratulatory gifts, Xu Qing thought for a moment and gave away a copy of a sexual technique that he had once acquired, one that harmonized Yin and Yang.

This thing should be of some help to the newlyweds.

Beside him, Xuan Yu hesitated for a long time before finally placing his pair of walnut ornaments on the table.

Seeing this, Xu Qing spoke up to stop them, saying, "We're going to the banquet together, one gift is enough."

Seeing how well-behaved and sensible the young girl was, the gift register clerk couldn't help but laugh: "Since the young lady came with this young gentleman, accepting one gift is enough."

"Furthermore, my family head is kind and hospitable to guests, so it is fine even if the guests do not bring gifts."

The master of ceremonies chuckled, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, I haven't yet asked what this young master's gift is called. It looks like a scroll."

Xu Qing said without any hesitation, "This is a manual on sexual health preservation, worth a fortune."

"."

The scribe's hand trembled as he took notes, and after a moment's hesitation, he began to write again.

What is the art of sexual health preservation?

After delivering the congratulatory gift, on the way back to the banquet, Xuan Yu asked curiously.

"It's a method used by the bride and groom to exercise."

"Can Xu Xianjia and I exercise together?"

"."

Xu Qing looked down and glanced to the side, just in time to meet Xuan Yu's clear gaze.

"Can't!"

"why?"

"No means no. This method can only be used by the bride and groom."

"Well"

Seeing that Xuan Yu was about to speak, Xu Qing decisively changed the subject:

"Why did Xuan Yu give away his favorite gift when he was giving out the congratulatory present?"

Xuan Yu said seriously, "Because those walnuts were a gift from Second Master Feng, and he didn't really like them."

"."

Xu Qing suddenly realized.

It turns out the cat was looking at the person delivering the item, not the item itself.

"Then why are you reluctant to give away the other things?" "Because many of them were given to me by the Xu family."

When the banquet officially began, Xu Qing deliberately chose the viewing pavilion in the distance, where most of the people sitting inside were martial arts practitioners.

Compared to the insincere and polite officials and merchants in the main hall, Xu Qing found these people from the martial arts world much more interesting.

The martial arts world is a diverse place, teeming with all sorts of people from all walks of life. As soon as Xu Qing stepped onto the pavilion, he saw a number of people of all kinds, each wielding a knife or sword.

No wonder merchants would invite these江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the martial arts world) figures to the outside of the hall.

These people from all over the world came from different places, and each of them knew something that others did not. Xu Qing was just in an attic, but he felt as if he had returned to his own coroner's shop.

The diverse people before him were like the corpses he had exorcised in the mortuary. Each of them had a different experience, except that the people in the mortuary were the dead, while the people in the attic in front of him were the living.

Xu Qing listened to the conversation, much of which was information he already knew while he was staying in Tianjin.

For example, an ancient tripod was unearthed in Beizhao Prefecture, and inscriptions were engraved on it.

"I saw that cauldron with my own eyes. It was inscribed with the words 'When the imperial tomb collapses, the nine provinces will split, and the one who rises to power will rule the northern frontier.' However, although I saw the cauldron with my own eyes, I don't believe in such miraculous events. After all, the imperial tomb was perfectly fine, so how could it collapse for no reason? This matter must be a forgery."

The swordsman, whose appearance, complexion, and attire all exude the style of the northern frontier, is recounting what he has seen and heard.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, a bodyguard who had been to the capital spoke up: "I have been to the capital. At the beginning of the year, thunderclouds gathered outside the capital, above the Fuyong Imperial Mausoleum, and struck for half an hour before dissipating. I heard that the imperial mausoleum was struck by lightning and had a huge hole in it!"

"What Remo said about me can be heard throughout the entire capital."

The swordsman from the northern frontier exclaimed in surprise, "Such a thing is true!"

Besides news from the North, divine turtles with the inscription "The sky is cracked, the purple palace is darkened, dragons and snakes rise from the land to establish a new era" have also emerged from the waters in the territory of the Cangyi Army and the Red-Clothed Sect.

Upon hearing these words, Xu Qing turned his gaze to the swordsman.

This person looks familiar.

He had seen this person in the memories of the soldiers who were killed by Bai Luo of the Tianxin Sect when he performed a ritual at the Changting Prince's Mansion.

If he remembered correctly, this swordsman should be a personal guard of the Prince of Changting.

Xu Qing didn't believe there wasn't something fishy going on between a former royal guard and a wandering swordsman.

Referring to the story of Emperor Gaozu slaying the snake and the inscription on the fish's belly, Xu Qing roughly understood what Zhu Huai'an and the rebels of the Cangyi Army were doing.

They simply wanted to use unusual phenomena and prophecies to build momentum for themselves while weakening the morale of the Dayong army.

Xu Qing could even foresee that things like the concept of destiny might emerge in the future.

For example, a certain prince is said to possess the aura of a dragon and should point his sword at the Purple Palace, or the true dragon is in the wilderness and the false emperor should be executed.
However, to be fair, that prince who went to the northern frontier to suffer from the cold wind seems to actually possess a trace of dragon energy.

As Xu Qing listened to the discussions, he realized that the events inside were a mix of truth and falsehood, and not everything was as he knew it.

Perhaps this is the difference between the living and the dead.

The dead in Xu Qing's shop never lie, while the living people in the attic in front of him, although they also have the potential to build information networks and observe the world, cannot be entirely trusted by the results they give.

After listening to the rumors circulating in the martial arts world, Xu Qing felt somewhat regretful. How wonderful it would be if he could hear the name of his own coroner's shop from thousands of miles away someday.

Xuan Yu listened with great interest; human gossip was far more fascinating than that of these monsters.

Later that evening, the banquet officially began.

Xu Qing walked through several banquets. During this time, the镖师 (bodyguards) from Tai'an镖行 (escort agency) wanted to invite him to sit at the same table, but he politely declined.

Those bodyguards had extensive social connections and were well-known in the martial arts world. They would be constantly interrupted by toasts from countless people when they attended a banquet.

Normally, he might be happy to join in if it were an opportunity to attract customers and promote his business, but in this situation...
Xu Qing, on the other hand, was not very willing to get involved with them.

Xu Qing continued walking through the corridors, but when he reached the top floor of the pavilion, where he could enjoy the view from the railing, he suddenly stopped.

Beside Xu Qing, Xuan Yu also stopped in his tracks.

Not far away, a monk and a Taoist priest were talking at a table placed side by side.

Xu Qing recognized both the fat monk and the thin Taoist priest.

Now, the fat monk was someone that Cui Shiyuan, the old gardener, had encountered more than once when he went to Cizhao Temple.

Moreover, Xu Qing and Guan Dazhuang had previously gone to the Tianjin granary to deal with the rat infestation. On their way back, they encountered a fat monk riding a donkey backwards, and that fat monk was none other than the fat monk sitting at the banquet in front of them.

Based on the time when Choi Si-won met this fat monk, it must have been at least several decades ago.

Putting aside other factors, judging solely by age, this old monk must be at least close to a hundred years old.

However, the monk's appearance remained unchanged.

After looking at the monk, Xu Qing then looked at the Taoist priest.

Although the Taoist priest's appearance had changed slightly, Xu Qing could still recognize him!
The Taoist priest before them was none other than the old Taoist priest Baiyun, who had refined the longevity elixir at the Ruyi Temple in Yunmeng Mountain!

Xu Qingyuan had planned to visit the old Taoist priest at Ruyi Temple on Yunmeng Mountain, but he never expected to meet him here beforehand.

What a small world!

Xu Qing was on high alert, about to make a move, when he noticed someone desperately pulling at his sleeve.

He turned his head and saw Xuan Yu, whose face was deathly pale, clinging to him and pulling on his sleeve, trying to drag him out of the pavilion.

The fear in Xuan Yu's eyes was something Xu Qing had never seen before.

"Don't be afraid, I'll be here with you for the feast today, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Xu Qing reached out and grabbed the little girl's hand, her tone unusually calm.

The monk and the Taoist priest sitting at the table noticed the unusual commotion not far away, and both turned to look at Xu Qing.

A calm-looking, pale-faced young man and a shy, young girl who seemed to want to go home.

As the two men glanced at him, Xu Qing was able to see their faces clearly.

A kind and gentle face, even without any emotion, naturally exudes a smile.

The other one was taciturn and rarely smiled, appearing entirely like a Taoist priest who was free from worldly desires.

Four people who looked completely different suddenly met each other's eyes.

Xu Qing, holding Xuan Yu who was closely following him, arrived at the banquet.

"Amitabha Buddha," the fat monk said politely.

Master Baiyun frowned slightly, clearly disliking the uninvited person who had interrupted his conversation with the senior monk.

As they sat down at the table, Xu Qing suddenly laughed and said, "I never expected to see monks and Taoists sitting together at this wedding banquet. No wonder the fortune teller said I was destined to be plagued by many misfortunes."

"I wonder if I am fortunate enough to be enlightened by the two Dharma Masters."

(End of this chapter)