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

Chapter 254 Deaf and Mute, the Death of the Gods

The well was extremely cold and filled with malevolent and resentful energy. Even after many years, the corpse inside had not decomposed.

Xu Qing observed carefully and saw that six of the seven corpses were standing upright in a circle, with their hands raised in a supporting posture. The well water was just above the chests of these corpses. In the hands of the six standing corpses, they were also supporting the corpse of the county magistrate, preventing him from being submerged in the filthy well water.

After sensing that the stone seal had been opened, the evil energy in the well seemed to have found an outlet, and began to gush out of the well opening all at once.

Upon seeing this, Xu Qing frowned, and the corpse energy he had been suppressing unconsciously began to be released.

Upon sensing an even more violent aura emanating from the wellhead, the restless Yin energy, which had been threatening to burst forth, instantly calmed down and retreated back into the well along the same path.

Xu Qing looked down again and saw that the county magistrates who had been standing upright and unyielding in the well had all bowed their heads and knelt down, looking completely subservient.

The previously thorny and malevolent aura now whimpered and swirled around the well wall, like a wronged young wife constantly pouring out her grievances to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing felt something and immediately began chanting the soul-summoning incantation while circling the well.

Xuan Yu held incense in one hand and a white candle in the other, following closely behind Xu Qing as they began to circle.

"Green protects the soul, white serves the spirit, red nourishes the qi, black circulates the blood. No foreign souls may come, no dead souls may leave. Listen to my curse quietly. The remaining soul will enter the dream, the gates of heaven and earth will open. The golden sparrow will transform into a spiritual body, and the wandering soul will return to see the body. The soul-binding disease lasts for thousands of miles. Quickly return to your true nature!"

After circling the well nine times, the entire well seemed to boil over, with countless streams of black water gushing out of the well along with the malevolent aura of the corpses. In a short moment, the county magistrates inside the well were all swept out of the well.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the well, in an unknown depth, a lost soul transformed into a golden streak of light, speeding along until it finally leaped out of the well.

It was a little sparrow formed from golden spiritual light. The moment it flew out of the well, the little golden sparrow flapped its wings and circled around Xu Qing, looking like a child who couldn't find its way home and was seeking help from an adult.

Standing before the corpse being carried by all the county magistrates, Xu Qing said impatiently, "Stop turning it! Look at this, isn't this your corpse?"

The little golden sparrow came to the corpse, glanced at it, then shook its head in disgust before flying back down to Xu Qing.

"Then take a look at these six bodies."

The little golden sparrow flew to the six corpses of county magistrates. When it saw one of the corpses, it flapped its wings and swooped down one after another. However, without exception, it was blocked by the stiff corpse the moment it touched the body.

Xu Qing had some guesses in his mind, but he was afraid that his judgment was wrong. After thinking for a moment, he simply took out several more corpses from the miniature garden.

There were Taoist Baiyun, Magistrate Xiao, and some bald monks.

The little golden sparrow circled around a few times before finally flying back to Xu Qing.

This little darling is quite picky about food!

Xu Qing glanced at the sky; if this dragged on any longer, it wouldn't be so easy for the little golden sparrow to come back to its senses.

After a moment's thought, Xu Qing suddenly smiled and said, "Come, come! Come to me. You just don't like these corpses because they're not the originals, right? Don't worry, I happen to have a way to help you find your true bodies."

The little golden sparrow was overjoyed upon hearing this and fluttered its wings to fly to Xu Qing's side.

"Don't move. Do you see that body?"

Xu Qing pointed to the corpse on the ground being lifted up by the other county magistrates. As Little Golden Sparrow turned his head and focused his attention on the corpse, the inhuman zombie behind him suddenly swung a big whip around him!

"Screw you! We're lucky there are any usable corpses at all, why are you being so picky?"

Xu Qing grabbed the little golden sparrow and shoved it directly into the only lifelike corpse in front of him.

The body, which was being carried by the other county magistrates, was somewhat cold, but its limbs remained as soft as ever. If it were heated slightly, it would be no different from a normal person.

Caught off guard, the little golden sparrow merged with the corpse on the ground, and the first breath of warm air came from the corpse's throat.

Xu Qing fed the other person a Wanling Pill and some Qi-nourishing and blood-tonifying pills. He then took out a piece of warm jade and placed it on the other person's body before leaving him alone.

This little golden sparrow is the soul of one of the county magistrates at the bottom of the well. However, Yang Mingchun used a soul-swapping technique to change the body of the magistrate, which is why the little golden sparrow desperately crashed into one of the corpses after returning, but could not merge with it.

The little golden sparrow's former body no longer belongs to him.

After Xu Qing understood, he guessed that the corpse that the county magistrates were holding up and protecting was the true form of Little Golden Sparrow after its soul was transferred.

The only thing Xu Qing couldn't understand at this moment was why the other county magistrates would continue to choose to preserve 'Little Golden Sparrow' as their sole heir, completely disregarding their own interests.

With these questions in mind, Xu Qing took the opportunity to perform a ritual to help the corpses of the county magistrates pass on to the afterlife.

The lives of these corpses were largely similar; most were diligent students who had studied hard, or were talented and handsome men who had passed the imperial examinations and were appointed as county magistrates of Ning County.

Unfortunately, these county magistrates were taken over by Yang Mingchun within three to five days of taking office and drowned in a deep well.

After ten years of hard study, he finally passed the imperial examination and became a local official. However, after only a day or two in office, his official position and title were taken away by someone else, and his wife, concubines, and children also became the victims of his murderer.

The resentment of the county magistrates was palpable, and it's no wonder that they remained uncorrupted for years even after being immersed in the deep well.

The malevolent energy in this well has become so thick that the incorruptible corpse is only the most inconspicuous effect of this well. If Xu Qing were not in charge, the county magistrate's mansion would probably become the biggest haunted house in Ning County in a few years!

During the ritual, Xu Qing sensed the intense resentment emanating from the corpses. It was as if the scriptures were dragging the corpses by their legs, forcing them to comply. They were unwilling to cooperate, but they could not resist, so their resentment became even stronger.

Xu Qing had never seen an ordinary person who didn't want to be released after death. Those wandering ghosts who hadn't done anything particularly evil, weren't they all eager to be released?

There was no other way; every time Xu Qing performed a ritual to help a corpse pass on, he had to say a few words of comfort, just like coaxing a child to take medicine.

"Stop fooling around! Cooperate with me in the exorcism! The culprit who harmed you, Yang Mingchun, and those two fox demons have already been punished by me. You can leave in peace. As for the injustice you suffered, it will be revealed to the world in the future."

As soon as Xu Qing finished speaking, the county magistrate beneath him stopped struggling, and even his stiff corpse seemed to soften a bit.

After performing the rituals to liberate the six corpses, Xu Qing obtained a Seal of Benevolence, a Ruler of Sacred Words, a Pill of Enlightenment, a Pill of Exquisite Brilliance, and the Literary Heart and Dragon Carving Technique.
Although the Benevolence Seal is only a human-grade item, it is a meritorious artifact that can grow, just like the Rice Bowl.

This seal is incredibly powerful and can suppress evil spirits. When it is used, simply add incense and offerings to it, and its size can be adjusted. The more incense you add, the stronger the seal becomes, and vice versa.

The rice bowl can accumulate merit and incense offerings, while the benevolence seal can consume incense offerings; these two evolving ritual implements complement each other perfectly.

Xu Qing played with the Benevolence Seal for a while, and then took out the Sacred Word Ruler.

The sacred ruler and the precept ruler are identical in shape. These objects have a wide range of uses. They are used by private tutors to instruct students, and they are also used in Buddhist ceremonies, such as taking refuge, tonsure, transmitting precepts, and preaching the Dharma. The precept ruler is used as a Dharma transmission instrument.

In addition, the ruler is often seen in Taoism, but the sacred ruler in Xu Qing's hand at this time, which is engraved with the words of the sages, is clearly different from the above types.

The Sacred Word Ruler records three thousand sacred words, measuring the principles of the world, and has the function of dispelling falsehoods and preserving truth, enlightening the ignorant masses.

Xu Qing weighed the Sacred Ruler in his hand and glanced at Xuan Yu, who was protecting him.

Upon seeing Xu Qing's gaze, the latter involuntarily took a step back.

Tsk, this ruler is pretty good. From now on, I'll enshrine it in the Cat Fairy Hall. If any fairy is disobedient, I'll just tap it on the head three times with the ruler, and it'll be enlightened!
After putting away the ruler, the two pills that followed were quite ordinary.

The Bright Spirit Pill has the effect of clearing the mind and dispelling confusion, enabling one to have a photographic memory. The Exquisite Pill gathers the literary energy of a scholar, lingering in the chest, giving one an exquisite mind. It can allow one to survive without a heart, but only if one cannot speak, and it is only effective on talented scholars.

Once a person speaks, their literary talent dissipates, and they will die instantly!

Xu Qing pondered that this pill, when combined with a Heaven-grade silencing spell, was just right.

The last one, the Art of Literary Mind and Carving Dragons, is also quite interesting.

The virtue of literature is great indeed, for it is the light of one virtue, born alongside heaven and earth. A person of virtue and talent can have the divine dragon of literature tattooed on their body as a manifestation of their inner light, making the illusory into the real. Doing so can not only deter villains and dispel evil, but also has the wonderful effect of suppressing demons and exorcising evil spirits.

However, this requires the caster to be a scholar with literary talent.

Xu Qing had no interest in getting dragons and tigers tattooed on his body. Although he had cultivated some talent, he did not need to rely on that literary talent to protect himself.

The Wu brothers could use the Wenxin Diaolong Technique, but Xu Qing couldn't give it to them.

The two brothers are now high-ranking officials in the imperial court, and having dragon tattoos on their bodies would be a great disrespect!

After much thought, Xu Qing felt that this method seemed to be suitable only for reclusive scholars who had no interest in officialdom.

But where in this world could he find so many refined and cultured scholars to meet?

"Ahem, who are you?"

Just as Xu Qing was pondering a candidate, the only county magistrate whose soul had returned to 'himself' slowly awoke.

Xu Qing was secretly pleased to see this; wasn't this the perfect candidate?

"You're awake? I'm the most famous funeral director in Tianjin, my surname is Xu, you can just call me Mr. Xu."

Funeral arrangements, Mr. Xu?

The pale-faced, aged-looking county magistrate cupped his hands and said, "My surname is Lu, and my given name is Xiu. I was the top scholar in the Renwu imperial examination. However, because I spoke out against the emperor and offended him, I was demoted to this place and appointed as the magistrate of Ning County."

The top scholar?
Xu Qing clicked his tongue in amazement; he had never seen a real top scholar before.

What a fine corpse! Why did he have the heart to bring the other person back to life?
Seeing Xu Qing's ambiguous gaze, County Magistrate Lu felt a chill run down his spine!
Why does this person in front of me not look like a good person?

“Magistrate Lu, I am aware of Yang Mingchun’s collusion with the fox spirit to murder the previous county magistrates. Now that Yang Mingchun and his accomplices have been eliminated by me, you do not need to be so angry.”

When Xu Qing heard Lu Xiu list Yang Mingchun's crimes and plan to go to the capital to file a complaint and impeach him so that the truth would be known to the world, Xu Qing shook his head and said, "Magistrate Lu, there are some things you don't know. Yang Mingchun is ostensibly the magistrate of Ning County, appointed by the current emperor himself, but in reality, he is a divine official secretly appointed by the emperor. His job is to find ways to prolong life and immortality elixirs."

Xu Qing briefly recounted the events at Ruyi Temple and Cizhao Temple, then continued, "Do you really think the Emperor was completely unaware of Yang Mingchun's actions? Before Emperor Longping, let alone emperors who lived past eighty, there were very few emperors even in their sixties. Yet both Emperor Longping and the current Emperor lived very long lives. Doesn't Magistrate Lu realize this?"

The magistrate, who had been indignant and furious just moments before, instantly became dejected. He muttered to himself, "I have devoted myself to the country and its people, why does Your Majesty treat me like this?"

Xu Qing had no time to indulge the old man's sentimental musings. He asked, "Magistrate Lu, I've always had a question: why did other county magistrates protect your body after they died, giving you hope of a second life? Didn't they want to live too?"

"It's not that they don't want to live, but that only one person can live."

County Magistrate Lu's expression was still somewhat dazed, whether it was because he had just regained his senses or because he had suffered too much of a blow to accept it.

As Xu Qing listened to Magistrate Lu's explanation, he gradually cleared up his doubts.

Before Magistrate Lu was harmed, the evil spirits in the well had already invaded the bodies of the other magistrates, making it extremely difficult for them to be resurrected.

Knowing they could not be brought back to life, the county magistrates placed all their hopes on the newly arrived victims.

They wanted revenge, and they needed someone who could empathize with them to go to the mortal world and expose Yang Mingchun's crimes.

However, the county magistrates who were later brought into the well either had too low a ranking in the imperial examinations and were not appreciated by the other magistrates, or they were nearing the end of their lives. Even if their bodies were preserved, they would not live long if they were lucky enough to be resurrected in the future.

It wasn't until Magistrate Lu, who had more than ten years left to live, was thrown into the well that everyone was completely convinced.

As for why Yang Mingchun would abandon County Magistrate Lu, who still had more than ten years left to live, and throw him into the well.
County Magistrate Lu looked embarrassed and said, "I have a hidden ailment in that area. Yang Mingchun is a womanizer, so he abandoned my body."

Xu Qing pretended to suddenly realize something.

Only Xuan Yu, standing to the side, seemed to understand but not quite, and had no idea what kind of riddle the two were playing.

Who would be dissatisfied with a county magistrate who has passed the imperial examination with top honors and still has more than ten years left to live?
Thus, after passing through layers of the educational hierarchy and the lifespan selection process of choosing the tallest among the short, Magistrate Lu became the most respected and beloved among the vengeful ghosts.

They treated him like a precious gem, afraid he would melt if they held him in their mouths or break if they held him in their hands. The six county magistrates treasured him terribly, and every day they did their best to hold up Magistrate Lu's body and try every means to keep it from decaying.

County Magistrate Lu lived up to expectations. With his literary talent fully unleashed, he managed to break the path leading from the well to the Yin River Ancient Road, becoming a wandering soul between the Yin and Yang realms.

“The Yinhe Ancient Road is teeming with evil spirits. How could you, a lone ghost, possibly survive?” Xu Qing found it increasingly unbelievable as he listened.

Even he dared not venture deep into the Yinhe Ancient Road, and the entrance to the Yinhe River on the Qianzhou side led to an unknown place. Even with his literary aura protecting him, County Magistrate Lu would find it extremely difficult to last for ten years.

"As Mr. Xu said, the Yin River is indeed the place of ghosts and the land of the dead. I have only been wandering for half a day and have already experienced several dangerous situations. Fortunately, I was able to escape unscathed because of the two children, the Deaf and the Mute."

"Deaf and mute?" Xu Qing felt the name sounded familiar; he felt like he had heard it somewhere before.

"The Deaf and the Mute are two attendants of the Wenchang Emperor. One can know but cannot speak, and the other can speak but cannot know. The Deaf Child can speak but cannot know, and is in charge of recording the fate of scholars. The Mute Child can know but cannot speak, and is responsible for holding the Wenchang Great Seal."

"Wait! How come Emperor Wenchang's attendant is in the Yin River Realm?" Xu Qing vaguely felt that he had heard some incredible information.

Sure enough, the next moment, Magistrate Lu made a shocking statement: "In the past, Emperor Wenchang was ordered by the Heavenly Emperor to tour the Tongtian Road, but he was ambushed and died in the Yin River."

"With the Path to Heaven severed, the dead gods cannot return to the upper realm, and the Heavenly Emperor's Book of Conferring Gods has temporarily lost its effect. The true spirits of the gods can only hide in the Netherworld or be reincarnated, waiting for the Path to Heaven to reopen."

"These are messages that I pieced together from the handwriting, gestures, and words of deaf and mute children."

"The reason my soul was able to survive in the Yin River is because two children held the seal and protected it."

At this point, Magistrate Lu added with some concern, "However, a few days ago, a terrestrial Nuo Immortal, the King of Calamities, chased after us. The two boys were too busy to help themselves and had to flee separately."

"Fortunately, a gentleman summoned me back to the mortal world during my time of crisis. The two children sensed this and did not stop me. Instead, they helped me open the Yin River passage and return to the mortal world."

After listening to Magistrate Lu's account, Xu Qing was deeply disturbed.

He had considered the dangers of the Yinhe Ancient Road, but he never imagined that even the gods could not escape unscathed from it.

"What are Magistrate Lu's plans for the future?"

"With my current physical condition, I can't even go home. What plans can I possibly have?"

Xu Qing smiled slightly and said, "I see that Magistrate Lu has extraordinary talent and literary talent. I happen to have a cultivation method for cultivating literary energy here. I wonder if Magistrate Lu would be interested?"

(End of this chapter)