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

Chapter 268 Offense and Defense Shift, Tree Demon Undergoes Tribulation

Throughout history, very few people could remain calm and composed when escorted to the marketplace for public execution, let alone remain witty and talkative.

But today, in front of the bustling street, a man surnamed Jiang not only stood tall and proud while being escorted in the parade, but also raised his hands out of the wooden cage grille and bowed to the folks on the street.

Look at him, he's quite proud!
"I, Jiang, am not very talented, but at 3:45 AM I caught a 20-jin mandarin fish at the mouth of the Tanggu River. This was witnessed by all the officers of the yamen. I hope you will all be aware of this."

On one side of the horse-drawn carriage, hanging on a long pole, was a top-quality mandarin fish that was over three feet long.

"Incredible, truly incredible! If I could catch a big fish like that in the bustling city, it would be worth it even if I were beheaded tomorrow!"

Someone shouted: "Jiang Konglou! Tell us where you dug your nest! Don't let this good nest be buried with you in the yellow earth."

"Jiang Konglou, if you reveal the location of the fishing spot and help me catch a big fish, I will surely burn plenty of paper money for you after you die."

Jiang Konglou was determined to become famous, so he refused to reveal the specific location.

Just then, a skilled angler spoke up: "Jiang Konglou, if you tell the truth, I will go to the funeral shop and have a set of paper fishing gear made for you, plus a covered boat, so that you can fish in the River Styx even after you go to the Yellow Springs!"

This really struck a chord with Jiang Konglou. His expression changed several times before he finally revealed the exact location.

"You must keep your word! If you break your promise, I will become a water ghost after I die and haunt you, ensuring you can never catch a fish again!"

The man's face showed obvious anger upon hearing this: "I, Tian Yonggui, have always been a man of my word. Why would I need you to utter such a vicious oath!"

Not far from the prison van, Xu Qing and Xiao Shiyue watched this farce unfold.

Logically speaking, Jiang Konglou's crimes did not warrant death, but unfortunately, he had committed too many bad deeds in the past. Manager Yu of the Yu Family Restaurant hated his greed and spread many rumors about Jiang Konglou's past offenses.

The authorities followed the clues and, upon investigation, actually uncovered something!

Jiang Konglou had his fortune told before, and the fortune teller said that having nothing in his life was a good thing.

This man refused to believe in superstitions, and the day he caught a fish, his misfortune came to light.

If we delve deeper, the shopkeeper's surname is Yu. If he hadn't set a trap for the shopkeeper and extorted money from him, why would the other party have kept pursuing him and led the authorities to investigate a murder case?
Isn't Yu Ke a fish too?
The details here are truly hard to explain.

Even on his deathbed, Jiang Konglou still wanted to get rid of the nickname "Konglou" (meaning "empty basket"). However, those who knew him still only remembered him by that nickname. Even when he caught a big fish weighing twenty pounds, people still called him Konglou.

As for real name, how can it be as easy to remember as nickname?
After watching the excitement, Xu Qing took Xiao Shiyue to the coffin shop and selected a fine coffin.

Xuan Yu had met Shi Yue before. The other woman was two heads shorter than her. When she learned that Shi Yue had joined the Baosheng Temple faction, she was overjoyed. She not only gave the little girl her own walnuts to play with, but also led the little girl around the shop like an old cat with a kitten.

Xu Qing looked at the little girl who had become so cat-like in a short time and felt that it was not right to leave her in the coroner's shop.

After preparing to burn paper money and putting the coffin into the landscape painting, Xu Qing whistled, and the funeral horse came trottingly to the shop door.

Tonight, the clouds and fog are obscuring the sky, and the weather is unusually gloomy. Xu Qing has already consulted the Zi Wei Dou Shu (a Chinese astrological system) and there's still time.

Xu Qing mounted his horse and galloped with Shi Yue, arriving at the mass grave outside the city in no time.

According to Kong Youde's memory, Xu Qing found Ye's burial site among a group of graves that looked similar.

The little girl sensed something and anxiously circled the grave mound.

Xu Qing shook his head helplessly, then immediately took out a shovel and began digging the grave.

Children don't understand life and death. When the grave is cleared and they see the body of their own mother who was beaten to death, all they know is to squat down in front of her and cry out.

Xu Qing had intended to say a few words of comfort to the little girl, but just as he was about to speak, he suddenly remembered that the little girl in front of him was no longer a stranger.

The wailing of the dead was something even the living had never seen before; Xu Qing was also encountering it for the first time.

When the little girl had stopped crying, Xu Qing finally spoke up: "Your mother is just asleep. If you miss her in the future, just sleep more. You'll always see her in your dreams."

The child couldn't understand profound truths, so Xu Qing coaxed her, "Shiyue, look up. It's about to rain. We need to find a new home for your mother quickly and settle her properly. It wouldn't be good if the rain fell on the coffin."

In the funeral industry, there's a long-standing taboo: rain hitting the coffin brings ten years of misfortune; rain sprinkling the grave brings forth a noble person.

Some daring people will deliberately choose a cloudy day for the funeral, just so that the new grave can receive the dew from the sky when it is erected.

The character '露' here is also the same as '禄', implying a generous reward bestowed by heaven.

However, things in this world are not so easy to control, and most of the families who held funerals on time ended up getting soaked in the rain.

When the weather is wet and the roads are slippery, the people carrying the coffin will lose their footing and are prone to accidents. Such mishaps only make these taboos seem even more mysterious.

Xu Qing, adhering to the principle of putting customers first, never investigates the truth or falsehood of these taboos; if they exist, then they must have a reason for existing.

The purpose of life is always to find peace of mind; if one is too focused on practicality, then one is simply being tactless.

Xu Qing made his way to Wujiu Slope as soon as the rain started to fall.

When he arrived at the official road in the west of the city, two figures dressed in blue robes and with blue headscarves suddenly blocked his way.

The leader, holding two hooks, cupped his hands and said, "We two are new to your esteemed place and do not know the way. May I ask if this is the direction of Tianjin Prefecture?"

Xu Qing glanced at them and saw that the two people in front of him were breathing heavily and moving in a hurry. The person behind them also smelled of blood, as if they had just been in a fight.

Seeing that Xu Qing remained silent, the leader stepped forward and bowed again, saying, "I would be most grateful if you could offer some guidance, brother."

Xu Qing looked up at the sky and said, "Jinmen Prefecture is in the north. We can get there in less than half a day by following the official road."

"Thank you, brother. The journey of life is long, and we will meet again someday!"

After they finished speaking, the two turned and sped off to the north.

Judging from their movements, they are actually two skilled martial artists!

Xu Qing didn't take it seriously and spurred his horse forward. However, after only a few steps, someone blocked his path again.

"My name is Zuo Zixiong, a centurion of the Divine Machine Battalion in the capital region. May I ask, young sir, have you seen the Cangyi rebels pass by here?"

To help Xu Qing understand better, Zuo Zixiong added, "There were two rebels in total, one wielding double hooks and the other wielding a sword. I have already injured the one with the sword."

Xu Qing looked at the middle-aged man in front of him, who had two swords strapped to his back and two knives in his hand, and his expression was somewhat strange.

He recognized the centurion, but the other party did not recognize him.

Now he has inherited Liu Youdao's coroner's shop, and has completely established himself in Tianjin. He has even opened a temple branch, established a hall, and become the head of the sect. And in front of him is Zuo Zixiong.
After all these years, how come you're still only a centurion?

Seeing that Xu Qing remained silent, Zuo Zixiong frowned and said, "This matter is of great importance. The Cangyi Gang is no benevolent people; they are burning, killing, and looting. If they are allowed to escape, even more people will surely be harmed by them!"

"If you happen to see this, please do not hesitate to tell me."

Xu Qing, riding a horse with a white flower pinned to its chest—a horse that looked ominous—nodded and said, "Those two just asked me for directions; they said they were going to Tianjin Prefecture."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Zixiong did not hesitate for a moment, turned around, and spurred his horse to gallop towards the prefectural city.

Xu Qing stared in the direction where the other person had disappeared, feeling as if this scene was familiar.

When he first arrived, Liu Youdao mistook him for a walking corpse and sent him to the mortuary. Didn't he have a similar experience?

Back then, it was the White Luo Protector of the Heavenly Heart Sect who stopped people on the road to ask for directions, but today, it is indeed the rebels of the Cangyi Group who are blocking the road.

"Bai Luo pretended to leave, but secretly laid an ambush and killed Liu Youdao. These rebels of the Cangyi Group wouldn't do that."

No wonder people say that working in the funeral industry is unlucky. Just as Xu Qing had this thought, two figures flew swiftly towards him from afar.

The leader, wielding two hooks, was a rebel from the Cangyi Gang.

The wounded rebel with the sword tacitly circled behind Xu Qing, blocking his path.

"What are you two?"

Xu Qing blinked, looking at the thug in front of her like a pure white flower.

"We kindly asked for directions, yet you betrayed our whereabouts to this corrupt official! Such despicable behavior is truly hateful!" The swordsman's eyes were sinister. He clearly wanted to use Xu Qing to lure Zuo Zixiong away, yet he spoke of righteousness and benevolence. "Don't say another word to him!" The middle-aged scholar wielding double hooks said in a deep voice, "You are injured, and you've taken his horse. Let's head south together and quickly join the rebel army!"

After the middle-aged scholar finished speaking, he leaped up and used his double hooks to grab Xu Qing's throat.

However, just as the other party was about to get close, Xu Qing's chariot horse suddenly reared up and stepped heavily on his chest.

The horse was incredibly fast, and its leg strength was astonishing. The middle-aged scholar spat out a mouthful of hot blood, which contained dark red blood clots.

This blow had already damaged his internal organs, rendering him powerless to resist.

The sword-wielding rebel behind Xu Qing, in his shock and anger, raised his sword to stab him, but was kicked away by the more powerful hind legs of the funeral horse, flying more than five zhang away.

Times change, and so do the forms of offense and defense.

The current Xu Qing is not the same as Liu Youdao of the past. The so-called martial arts expert couldn't even pass the test of chasing the funeral horse.

Xu Qing dismounted, took the longsword from the rebel Cangyi gang, and swiftly dispatched the two men.

After collecting the body, Xu Qing acted as if nothing had happened and continued riding his funeral horse toward Wujiu Slope.

Shi Yue watched Xu Qing kill people without feeling afraid.

Children are innocent and pure-hearted. In the little girl's eyes, the incredibly kind Master is right no matter what he does.

At Wujiu Slope, Xu Qinggang reined in his horse and stopped, and then the clatter of hooves came from behind him.

Zuo Zixiong looked around suspiciously and asked, "Young master, have you seen the Cangyi rebels turn back?"

"I haven't seen him. Could it be that the general has lost him?"

As Zuo Zixiong rode his horse, he felt that something was amiss.

Can this thief just vanish into thin air?
Xu Qing glanced at the sky again and said, "General Zuo, the weather is probably changing. Why don't we find a roof to take shelter from the rain? As for the rebels, this world is riddled with holes and rebels are everywhere. How can you, General, bring peace to the world with just one person?"

"I was born a man of Dayong, and I will die a ghost of Dayong! As a centurion of the Divine Machine Battalion, I should be fearless in the face of wind and rain. Even if there are rebels as common as grass in this world, I will still kill them!"

"As long as the country stands, the weeds will eventually be eradicated!"

Zuo Zixiong reined in his horse and said coldly, "Thank you for showing me the way, but I have official business to attend to, so I will not keep you company any longer!"

Tsk, Xu Qing was speechless. He felt that he had a special connection with this centurion and was willing to give him some pointers, but who knew that the other party was a blindly loyal person.

Blind loyalty is not a bad thing; the problem lies in being born at the wrong time.

At this moment, Zuo Zixiong was unaware that the young man he had just met was the one who had sown the most grass seeds in the Dayongjiang Mountains.

Those grasses spread from the northern border and have even taken root in people's hearts.

Weeds on a mountain are easy to pull out, but once weeds grow in a person's heart, they cannot be pulled out just by wanting to.

Surrounded by pine trees on Wujiu Slope, Xu Qing erected a new grave and a new tombstone for Ye Shi.

The inscription reads: "Tomb of Mother Ye Xiuzhen, respectfully erected by filial daughter Qiao Tian."

The little girl obeyed Xu Qing's words, knelt down at the grave and kowtowed several times. Just as the little girl raised her head, large raindrops fell directly onto the new grave.

Rain on a grave indicates the birth of a distinguished person.

The little girl is now a ghost. The Ye family has no descendants. Although noble people are hard to find, it is possible for a noble ghost to appear.

Xu Qing took the 'Little Ghost Immortal' on horseback and rode up the slope. This time, he didn't go back to the coroner's shop, but instead went to the Shuimenqiao Villa.

"Sweetie, wouldn't you like to have a godmother?"

"Godmother?"

Xu Qing said, "Chen Liuer has two godmothers. If you want one, I can find you a ready-made one. How about it?"

"If you want to be like Chen Liuer and have two godmothers, that's something I can do too."

"Really?"

"Sir, you never lie!"

As soon as Xu Qing finished speaking, a loud rumble of thunder and lightning shook the sky.

The torrential rain washed away all the pedestrians on the street.

Arriving at the Shuimenqiao Courtyard, Xu Qing knocked on the door, but not a single person appeared, not even a ghost.

Xu Qing simply climbed over the courtyard wall, and Zhui Sangma took two steps back before leaping over the more than ten-foot-high wall.

"Your godmother is probably resting; it's nothing serious."

A stiff figure and a ghost crept into the backyard, where the creaking sound of a loom operating on its own came from the side room.

Xu Qing activated his Qi Observation Technique and looked inside. He saw that the cabinet where the cloth was stored was filled with swirling Yin energy.

He stepped forward, lifted the cabinet door, and saw a flower umbrella hiding in the corner, pretending to be dead.

Xu Qing frowned: "Embroiderer, what are you doing hiding under the umbrella?"

That umbrella was a magical artifact that Xu Qing had consecrated for the embroiderer two years ago. It could not only be used to shield from the sun, but also to gather objects in a small area, intimidate people's souls, and be used for self-defense.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, the parasol in the cabinet suddenly opened with a bang, and a striking female ghost dressed in white emerged, twirling gracefully.

"Oh! It's you, sir!"

Xu Qing pushed away the embroiderer who was leaning in and asked again, "I'm asking you, what are you doing hiding in the closet when you have nothing to do?"

The embroiderer said nervously, "Sir, you don't know, the other day the shady locust tree in the courtyard appeared to me in a dream, saying that there is an old tree demon in the city who is about to undergo tribulation, perhaps tonight. Ever since then, I've always been afraid of thundery days. If the heavens strike the wrong person, what an injustice that would be."

Xu Qing asked in surprise, "Did the shady locust tree in the courtyard send me a dream?"

"Yes! It also told me to dig it up and plant it somewhere else, preferably as far away from Mr. as possible."

"."

Xu Qing roughly understood what was going on. It was probably that the shady locust tree in the courtyard had gained some life and developed intelligence. It recalled how he had used it as a substitute and how it had almost been uprooted several times. Therefore, it made up these stories to deceive the embroiderer.

"Don't believe these things. If someone in Jinmen Prefecture is undergoing a tribulation, it will spread among the immortals in private. I have never heard of any old tree demon undergoing a tribulation."

"Let's not talk about that!" Xu Qing shook his head and then said, "Embroiderer, I've recently taken care of a lovely little girl. If you're willing, I can be a witness and let her become your godmother, so you'll have a companion in the future."

"Baby girl?"

Only then did the embroiderer notice the little maid behind Xu Qing.

Wow! What a beautiful doll!

The embroiderer's joy was short-lived, but she suddenly turned to Xu Qing and said, "Could this girl be the master's?"

Xu Qing said irritably, "Take a closer look and see what's different about this girl."

"different?"

"She is a ghost, of your kind, not a living person."

"ghost?!"

Xu Qing looked at the embroiderer who suddenly took a step back and thought to himself, "What are you afraid of?!"

(End of this chapter)