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

Chapter 229 Secrets, Burying Flowers

Xu Qing said he was asking the two monks to convert him, but his gaze remained fixed on Daoist Baiyun.

The old Taoist priest assumed that the other party intended to join the Taoist sect, so he asked, "This humble Taoist priest has an extraordinary demeanor. May I ask where you are from?"

Xu Qing chuckled: "My surname is Xu. I am all alone, with only my obedient, sensible, innocent and kind younger sister to depend on. As for my family, I am just a funeral director. Someone like me, who has no attachments and is not tied down by worldly affairs, should be just what you desire, Daoist."

The old Taoist frowned, then glanced at the fat monk beside him and said in a light tone, "Master Jinghai, in my opinion, this benefactor seems to have some affinity with Buddhism."

The portly monk, still smiling, said, "This benefactor comes from a family of funeral rites, yet he has been invited to this wedding banquet. He must possess some extraordinary qualities. Brother Baiyun, why don't you reconsider? Perhaps this benefactor is quite wealthy and could even contribute some incense to your shrine."

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest Baiyun immediately turned his inquiring gaze to Xu Qing.

It turns out that this old thief was also a greedy and money-grubbing fellow!
"I don't have much wealth, but I've long admired the name of the Abbot of Ruyi Temple."

"How do you know that I am the abbot of Ruyi Temple?" Baiyun Daoren asked curiously.

"When I went to the temple to burn incense in my early years, I was fortunate enough to see the Taoist priest's face. Although it was only once, it is unforgettable for me."

Xu Qing spoke so sincerely that even the seasoned Daoist Baiyun and Zen Master Jinghai, who had seen countless people, could not detect the slightest falsehood in him.

However, when Baiyun Daoist heard Xu Qing say that he didn't have much wealth, the old Daoist's face already showed impatience.

However, Xu Qing suddenly changed the subject and said, "Although my family is poor, I am willing to donate a thousand taels of silver and a hundred taels of gold as offerings, hoping that one day I can step into the gate of myriad wonders."

Xu Qing had barely finished speaking when, before the old Taoist Baiyun could reply, Zen Master Jinghai, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but speak first:

"Brother Baiyun has no intention of saving people. In my opinion, Benefactor Xu has a deeper affinity with our temple. If you are interested, you may come to my Cizhao Temple to practice Buddhism."

"."

The old Taoist priest Baiyun glanced at the fat monk who had intercepted the order halfway.

Just as the atmosphere in the room was delicate, the old Taoist's expression suddenly relaxed.

“Since the Zen Master has taken a liking to this layman, that is the Zen Master’s destiny, and I will not take away what belongs to others.”

He has important business to attend to on this trip, so there's no need to waste time on these trivial matters.

At this moment, Zen Master Jinghai was taken aback upon hearing this. He had only mentioned it casually. If it were according to the usual nature of Daoist Baiyun, he would not have let go so easily.

This time, he was stumped.

Xu Qing, who had been staring at Baiyun Daoren from the outside of the table, finally turned around and looked at Zen Master Jinghai.

That bald monk is truly blind!
Xu Qing was still trying to get a chance to get closer to the old Taoist Baiyun when he heard the sound of people raising their cups to toast each other not far away.

It turned out that the groom had come to offer a toast.

"Fellow martial arts enthusiasts, we have gathered here at my humble abode today. I have prepared a small feast to express my respect. If there is any inadequacy in our hospitality, I hope you will forgive me."

Just as he finished his drink, Shang Shaoyang looked up and saw Xu Qing sitting at the same table as the monks and Taoists.

"Brother Xu! I've been looking for you all day, but I never expected you to be hiding here in peace and quiet."

Shang Shaoyang quickly approached Xu Qing, and upon seeing the old Taoist Baiyun and Zen Master Jinghai, he hurriedly greeted them, "So you are here, Immortal Master Baiyun and Zen Master Jinghai. My apologies."

Master Baiyun? Xu Qing's eyes flickered slightly. He hadn't expected that this old Taoist was quite famous in Qianzhou.

Not wanting to neglect the monks and Taoists before him, Shang Shaoyang offered them two cups of vegetarian wine and then said, "Immortal Master, your arrival is timely. My brothers and I have been waiting for you for quite some time. If you have the time, please come to our inner quarters."

"内兄弟" means brother-in-law or brother-in-law.

Xu Qing wondered what Baiyun Daoist wanted to do by coming to the Shang family to see the Gu family.
The attic was crowded and noisy, so Xu Qing suppressed his doubts for the time being and watched the old Taoist Baiyun leave after finishing his wine.

"Brother Xu traveled a long way just to attend my wedding banquet. Such friendship is as high as mountains and as deep as the sea. Today, I must toast you!"

"."

Faced with Shang Shaoyang's sincere sincerity, Xu Qing felt somewhat ashamed.

He was just tagging along the way; if it weren't for his cat, he probably wouldn't have been willing to go even a hundred miles, let alone a thousand.

The outside world is so dangerous, nowhere is it as safe as Tianjin?
It was only at this moment that the corpses buried in the Shuimen Bridge villa were unaware of Xu Qing's thoughts; otherwise, they would probably all have jumped out to seek justice.

How can you say that Tianjin is safe when such a huge scourge is lurking there?

Xu Qing originally had no intention of interfering in Shang Shaoyang's family affairs, but seeing that this kid came over specifically to toast him and said in front of everyone that he was his brother, it would be too inhumane for him to keep it a secret.

Furthermore, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. If helping Shang Shaoyang would make Baiyun Daoren unhappy, then he would be more than happy to do so.

Xu Qing, under the pretext of going to the toilet, pulled Shang Shaoyang to a secluded spot.

"Brother Xu, weren't you going to the outhouse? Why did you drag me here?"

Seeing Xu Qing's solemn expression, Shang Shaoyang immediately realized: "Brother Xu, is there something you need to see me about?"

Xu Qing pondered for a moment, then asked in return, "Do you know what the old Taoist priest Baiyun of Ruyi Temple wants with the Gu family?"

Shang Shaoyang sensed Xu Qing's dislike for Daoist Baiyun. He was slightly moved and replied, "Daoist Baiyun claims that his master and Gu Lingjun, the ancestor of the Gu family, were once fellow disciples. The Gu family's Daoist military techniques also have an inextricable connection with Ruyi Temple."

"Over the past ten years, the Taoist priest has visited the Gu family many times in order to perfect the Taoist military tactics and allow the Gu family to once again make the White Robe Army famous."

"Perfecting the methods of Daoist warfare?"

Xu Qing frowned and said, "How does he want to perfect it? He can't possibly expect the Gu family to teach him their family's methods first, and then he can refine them, can he?"

"."

Shang Shaoyang looked astonished; his several burly brothers-in-law had indeed said that.

Xu Qing grinned and said, "I remember Brother Shang once told me something. He said that when he was young, he liked to help those in need. Once, when he ran away from home, he happened to encounter a group of bandits who wanted to kidnap Miss Gu. Those people were extremely fierce and did not seem like ordinary mountain bandits. Instead, they seemed to be from the military."

"What do you mean by that, Brother Xu?"

Shang Shaoyang completely abandoned his cynical attitude.

"It's nothing, there's just something I need to tell Brother Shang."

Xu Qing glanced at Xuan Yu, who was clutching his sleeve tightly and was clearly still in a state of shock, and said calmly, "Old Daoist Baiyun has had many dealings with the current emperor in private. In his early years, he was entrusted by the Third Prince Zhao Rong to refine pills to prolong the life of the late emperor. Do you know what kind of medicinal ingredient he used in the first pill he refined?"

"They are villagers from Bailong Village outside Ruyi Temple!"

Xu Qing was telling the truth. These were secrets he had learned from Liao Jinzhong's memories. Bailong Village was originally a place where people were kept as medicinal ingredients, but later they somehow learned about the evil technique of using Nine-Lives Mystic Cats to replace living people in order to refine 'immortal medicine'.

Xu Qing continued, "If we calculate the timeline, the incident involving Miss Gu occurred during the reign of Emperor Longping, when the current emperor was still the third prince."

Upon hearing this, Shang Shaoyang frowned.

The fact that the emperor is fighting amongst himself for the throne is something most ordinary people are unaware of. Even if there are rumors circulating, they are mostly a mix of truth and falsehood and cannot be taken as fact.

But Shang Shaoyang was different. Born into a merchant family, he naturally had access to information about the capital. It could be said that no aristocratic family was unaware of the things that Emperor Jingxing, Zhao Ronggan, had done.

At this moment, when Shang Shaoyang recalled the incident of Miss Gu being kidnapped by disguised soldiers and bandits, he couldn't help but think of the current emperor. It was hard to say whether Miss Gu's incident was related to the previous royal power struggle.

Why are you telling me all this, Brother Xu?

At this moment, Shang Shaoyang's tone was clearly distant and wary. Xu Qing chuckled and said, "I'm just a funeral director who often goes to funerals. Sometimes I hear some news, some true and some false. I never like to talk about it to outsiders."

"Young Master Shang came to offer a toast today, and perhaps due to the alcohol, he said some things he shouldn't have."

Shang Shaoyang blushed and said with some annoyance, "I judged others by my own standards. I'll punish myself with three drinks!"

Xu Qing then noticed that Shang Shaoyang was still holding a wine pot in his hand.

"I must thank Brother Xu for reminding me about today's events."

"No need for that. I just don't like that old Taoist priest. I like you more, so that's why I came over to say these things."

Shang Shaoyang shook his head and chuckled: "Brother Xu, you don't know this, but the reason why the Gu family is so powerful is because of the Taoist military method passed down by Marshal Gu. If someone else gets hold of this method and uses it to their advantage, the Gu family of Huainan will probably find it difficult to survive again."

"Speaking of the Gu family and the current emperor... well, let's not talk about that on this joyous occasion."

Xu Qing didn't press the matter further. These things couldn't be hidden from him anyway; the conflict between the Gu family and the current emperor was just that—a conflict.

When Emperor Jingxing wanted to inherit the throne, the Gu family supported the taciturn and honest fourth prince.

It's just a matter of choosing sides. Now that Emperor Jingxing has secured his position, isn't it natural for him to turn his attention to those who opposed him in the past?
Shang Shaoyang disliked these power struggles and infighting. Seeing that he was not in a good mood, Xu Qing then brought up Cui Shiyuan, the old man in the garden.

“I know Choi Si-won. He’s obsessed with flowers. I even visited his garden with Miss Gu years ago.”

Xu Qing couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this: "That Cui Shiyuan never lets outsiders into his garden, especially those naughty children who love to pick and pluck flowers. The reason you were able to enter his garden is all thanks to the bride."

"What kind of logic is that? How is it that I was able to enter Old Cui's garden because of her?"

Xu Qing then recounted the connection between the old man in the garden and the Gu family.

“Your wife’s grandmother was kind to Cui Shiyuan. It is because of this past relationship that he allowed Miss Gu to visit his garden. You are at most just an extra.”

"By the way, do you know why the flowers used during the wedding procession bloom out of season?"

Xu Qing gave a half-smile.

"Is it possible?"

Shang Shaoyang immediately realized: "That's right! Cui Shiyuan is skilled at growing flowers. I heard that his ancestors once made all the flowers bloom overnight in the dead of winter."

"I was wondering why those flowers were blooming so profusely in October, and now I know it was him."

Shang Shaoyang suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Since he's been willing to do so many good deeds, he'll definitely come to my wedding banquet. I have to go find him and offer him a proper toast!"

Seeing Shang Shaoyang hurrying back, Xu Qing had no choice but to remind him, "The old gentleman has passed away; he did so just as these flowers were being arranged."

Xu Qing did not see Baiyun Laodao again until the banquet at the Shang Mansion ended.

However, he was not in a hurry. Even if he found the other party now, he would not be able to start a fight at Shang Shaoyang's wedding banquet.

"Does Immortal Xuanyu believe me?"

After leaving the Shang residence, Xu Qing walked forward with his hands behind his back.

Beside him, a little girl dressed in black with waist-length black hair followed his example, walking forward with her hands behind her back.

Perhaps because she had spent so much time with Xu Qing, the girl's gait and mannerisms became increasingly similar to his.

"Believe!"

The girl's clear voice responded to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing glanced at the other person, her slightly chubby face showing no hesitation, as if she spoke subconsciously.

"Alright, then let's head up Yunmeng Mountain tomorrow and find that Taoist priest to cause trouble!"

"That Taoist priest is very powerful; we're afraid we can't beat him."

"We can beat them!" Xu Qing said with unusual certainty.

“Xuan Yu, don’t forget that you are a celestial being with five hundred years of cultivation.”

Xu Qing's eyes revealed a different kind of brilliance, and he said in a mysterious tone, "Five hundred years is the perfect time to overcome the lightning calamity."

Besides warding off disasters, the merits of offering incense can also delay the arrival of lightning strikes to some extent.

Xu Qing delayed his journey for several months to avoid the calamity. Even when he had collected millions of incense offerings, he still did not choose to undergo the tribulation. It was only when there was no way to avoid it and the lightning calamity was about to strike that he had no choice but to go to the imperial mausoleum to undergo the tribulation.

He has now tested the level of the lightning calamity for Xuan Yu. Even if it is a divine lightning strike from heaven, a million incense offerings would be more than enough!

Zombies are born out of favor with heaven and earth. The lightning calamity that Xu Qing faced was already the maximum punishment from heaven. For a cat demon like Xuan Yu, who never caused trouble and insisted on doing good deeds every day, the lightning calamity he faced would only be easier.

Of course, this ease is only relative. The incense offerings of the Cat Immortal Hall amount to no less than a million, so dealing with it is naturally easy. However, the lightning will still be the Yin lightning corresponding to demons, and it will not be lessened at all because of the incense offerings.

When it comes to calamities, humans are more vulnerable than demons, and demons are more vulnerable than wicked and malevolent spirits.

The zombies are last in line.

Baiyun Daoist is at most a person with a few hundred years of cultivation. Xu Qing does not believe that the other party has already escaped the lightning disaster and broken through to the fourth realm of cultivation.

If that's the case, then Xuan Yu back then probably wouldn't have had any chance to escape at all.

Xu Qing made up his mind that if Xuan Yu could take revenge himself, that would undoubtedly be the best outcome.

The cat's mood came and went quickly. When it returned to the Cui family's residence and saw the beautiful flowers and plants, its mood became lively again.

During her two-day stay at the Cui family home, Xu Qing helped the entire family return the flowerpots and plants that had been used for the wedding procession to their respective homes.

During this time, Xu Qing did not forget to collect the fresh petals that had just fallen. Coincidentally, by the time he finished dealing with all his affairs, he had just collected enough fallen petals for a coffin.

On the day of the funeral, to the surprise of the Cui family, the newlyweds from the Shang family came in person to pay their respects to Cui Shiyuan.

Funeral procession, burial.

Cui Shiyuan's grave is located not far from the residence. Although there are no pine or cypress trees around it, it is planted with flowers.

When spring arrives next year, this place will surely transform into a vibrant sea of ​​flowers, fragrant and lush.

During his lifetime, Cui Shiyuan's fame was limited to a single garden. However, several years after his death, his reputation gradually grew. Later, a brilliant scholar passed through the area and wrote a poem specifically for him. From then on, Cui Shiyuan's reputation became known to the world, and Qianxi was thus given the nickname "Flower Capital".

This is truly a case of: carefully tending a thousand branches in life, and sleeping among ten thousand blossoms in death.

However, these are all things to be discussed later and will not be elaborated upon here.

(End of this chapter)