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

Chapter 271 Night Visit to the Haunted House, A Visit Here

When the guest left the coroner's shop, his worries had completely disappeared, clearly indicating that he was very satisfied with Xu Qing's service.

As the first rays of morning light shone down on the street, Xu Qing looked out the door and saw that the guest's figure seemed to be shrouded in a layer of pure white light, which then gradually faded away until it completely disappeared into the crowd on the street.

Just as Xu Qing was about to look away, he saw several people dressed in mourning clothes walking towards him from the direction where the guests had disappeared.

These people drove a cart covered with a white cloth, heading straight for Xu Qing's shop.

Well! It seems my visit to Boss Liu today will have to be delayed for a while.

With familiar opening remarks and familiar phrases, Xu Qing welcomed the distinguished guest into the shop in just a few words.

"My name is Tian Yongfu. My elder brother was fishing at night from his boat at the mouth of the Tanggu River the day before yesterday. Unexpectedly, the weather suddenly changed, and my brother was unable to avoid the danger in the middle of the river. The boat capsized and he died. This is the certificate issued by the government."

The leading guest's face was filled with undisguised sorrow. He cupped his hands and said, "Shopkeeper, thank you for your trouble."

Xu Qing nodded and skillfully carried the body from the cart into the shop.

"It is truly a great loss to see your brother pass away. Please accept my condolences." Xu Qing took out the 'Book of the Dead' used for recording funeral arrangements and asked, "I have yet to ask your brother's name, where he passed away, and how old he was. I would like to have an inscription made for his tombstone and memorial tablet."

"My elder brother, Tian Yonggui, lived in Pingxi Township and lived to the age of thirty-nine."

Xu Qing opened the thick register of the dead, which was filled with densely packed names, with the pages of writing alone being two fingers thick.

After Xu Qing finished writing down the information, Tian's elder brother couldn't help but ask, "This booklet..."

Xu Qing nodded and said, "The ledger records all the guests my shop has served in the past."

"."

This isn't an account book, it's a ghost register!

Tian Yongfu blurted out, almost as if possessed, "It seems the shopkeeper's business is quite prosperous."

Xu Qing pretended not to hear. Could he possibly reply that it was all thanks to the guests' help and support?
While Tian Yongfu waited by, Xu Qing sent Xuan Yu to the paper offering shop, while he stayed in the shop to prepare the body for burial.

After the funeral rites were completed, Xuan Yu, who had returned from the paper craft shop, brought over newly made paper fishing gear.

"What are these paper offerings?" Tian Yongfu asked, puzzled.

"I noticed that your brother enjoys fishing, so I made some paper fishing gear and boats. These are free gifts from my shop, and customers can use them without worry."

Tian Yongfu was stunned for a moment, then said with some lingering fear, "Indeed, we should burn some fishing gear. After my brother died, everyone said that he had promised to burn some paper boats and fishing gear for Jiang Konglou, but he was so busy fishing at the mouth of the Tanggu River that he forgot about it."

Jiang Konglou harbored resentment because of this, so he transformed into a water ghost and dragged my elder brother into the water, causing his death.

Xu Qing remained noncommittal upon hearing this. He had just performed a ritual to help Tian Yonggui's body pass on to the afterlife, and the so-called breach of faith with the ghost, resulting in being harmed by the ghost, was merely the result of everyone's conjecture.

Furthermore, after Jiang Konglou was executed by the Ming Zhengdian, his body had already been sent to the afterlife, so how could there be any possibility of him haunting him?
The reason Tian Yonggui died was that after obtaining the location for fishing, he feared that others would seize the opportunity first, so he went to the Tanggu River estuary that very night.

It was already late, and the weather in Tianjin was unusually gloomy. Along the way, a fellow angler he knew advised him to go to the river mouth another day, but Tian Yonggui thought that the other party was trying to trick him into going back, so he went to the river mouth by himself to grab a fishing spot.

He believed he had seen through everyone's schemes and tricks. When he arrived at the mouth of the Tanggu River and sailed to a deserted beach in the middle of the river, Tian Yonggui suddenly heard a thunderclap overhead.

Then came raindrops the size of copper coins.

Only then did Tian Yonggui realize that what the angler said was true.

But since he's already come all this way, it would be so embarrassing for him to go back empty-handed!
This was also a calamity that Tian Yonggui was destined to face.

As the old saying goes, when fish leap out of the water, storms are sure to follow.

When Tian Yonggui arrived, the weather was gloomy, and the fish suddenly swarmed out of the water like crazy, creating a dazzling spectacle.

In the eyes of a fishing enthusiast, these fish are like beautiful women veiled in light gauze, dancing gracefully, just waiting for him to undress and pluck them up.

If Tian Yonggui does nothing and just leaves, is he still a man?

Even as the storm intensified, Tian Yonggui continued to comfort and encourage himself.

If he can catch a big fish today, he'll be famous in Tianjin!

People in Tianjin have the greatest respect for those with unique skills. He dares to fish in the midst of a storm. If he doesn't become famous, who will?

In the end, Tian Yonggui did indeed become famous, and he did indeed perform a 'special skill'.

At the coffin shop, Xu Qing placed Tian Yonggui's body into the coffin, and Tian Yongfu and his relatives worked together to lift the coffin onto a cart.

As the coachman drove the carriage back, Tian Yongfu subconsciously glanced back at Xu's shop and noticed a couplet standing out under the white paper lanterns with the words "Welcoming" and "Sending Off".

The inscription reads: "Manage your affairs without worrying about what will happen after you die; run your business to help people in this world."
"Manager Xu is such a good person!"

Tian Yongfu sighed sincerely.

Everything can't be delayed. After the Tian family left, a number of corpses, either from the coffin shed or from fishermen who drowned at the wharf, were brought to Xu Qing's place.

In Tianjin's water towns, besides the Beijing-Tianjin Grand Canal, there are no fewer than a hundred waterways of varying sizes, including the estuary and the Baisha River. Many fishermen rely on fishing for their livelihood.

Water and fire are merciless. Two or three days of torrential rain caused the water levels of all rivers in Tianjin to rise, and the number of people who died from drowning was significantly higher than usual.

On that day alone, Xu Qing received no fewer than fifty drowned bodies, the largest of which was a cargo ship that had sunk at the port.

The cargo ship wasn't carrying goods, but rather people who had fled from Jingzhou Prefecture to Tianjin to escape the war.

At the end of June, in the height of summer, the weather was unusually hot and humid. The body retrieval team did not dare to delay after retrieving the body. After obtaining approval from the government, they immediately delivered it to the coffin room.

Now that the brothel has Xu Qing's backing and has connections with the government, it's as if it has official backing.

The coffin room replaced the mortuary, providing free burial services for corpses. In the two years since Chen Guangrui took office, he has also curbed the unethical practice of government offices selling corpses for profit.

The two now complement each other perfectly. Chen Guangrui is the most powerful person in the county, wielding absolute authority in the living circles of Linjiang County. Xu Qing, on the other hand, has transformed into the top figure in the dead circles of Linjiang County, and is the kind of person who can control everything.

It wasn't just the corpses from Linjiang County; any corpses that passed through Linjiang from all over the country via waterways would also be dragged to Xu's shop and forcibly subjected to a ritual if not handled carefully.

Unbeknownst to him, Manager Xu of the coroner's shop had become the king of the underground world of Linjiang County.

After performing the rituals to appease the dead who had perished on the ship, Xu Qing witnessed the chaos in Jingzhou. The Cangyi Army, the Nancuo tribe, the Dongzhai, as well as various religious groups and the naval guild, had joined forces and attacked Jingzhou Prefecture!
Is this a plan to advance in reverse by waterway?

Xu Qing frowned as he watched.

Throughout history, local armies have relied on the Yangtze and Huai Rivers for transporting provisions and troops to Lingnan to conquer the southern kingdoms. Now, however, the Rennan tribe, in alliance with the Cangyi Army, has started their attack from Lingnan, using the naval forces as a vanguard, and marching north, directly threatening the Yangtze and Huai Rivers.

It is simply contrary to Tiangang!

Looking at the Dayong navy, it was no match for them.

Xu Qing was not surprised at all. When he performed the ritual to help Liao Gonggong pass on to the afterlife, he had seen a secret that was not exactly a secret. It was that the boat captains who traveled the waterways between Beijing and Tianjin were buying 'idle' warships from the Tianjin naval camp and converting them for commercial use.

If the Tianjin navy, located right under the emperor's nose, is in such a state, one can only imagine what the situation is like in the Jianghuai region.

It's possible that the Cangyi Army's navy was using warships purchased from the Dayong navy.

In the evening, Shang Shaoyang, whom I hadn't seen for several days, arrived at the coroner's shop.

"Brother Shang, what's this?" Xu Qing noticed the baggage on the other man's back.

At this moment, Shang Shaoyang had a stubble beard and looked rather unkempt.

He sighed, “I heard that the Cangyi Gang has allied with the Nancuo barbarians and has now captured Jingzhou Prefecture. Those Cangyi Gang members claim to be righteous and patriotic, but they do nothing but betray the country. If I do nothing, who knows how many more people will suffer persecution from those barbarians when they reach Jianghuai.”

"I intend to return to Qianzhou and persuade my family. If I can gain the support of the clan and the assistance of the Gu family's military, I might be able to turn the tide."

Xu Qing and Shang Shaoyang had known each other for several years, and he understood the other's personality; this man was not one to stay at home!
"I have many drinking buddies in Tianjin, but few who are truly honest with me. I've come here today to say goodbye to Brother Xu."

Xu Qing was speechless. Shang Shaoyang was a direct descendant of the Qianzhou merchants, and most of those who were on good terms with him were people with selfish motives and schemes.

Xu Qing's initial choice to deal with Shang Shaoyang was, frankly speaking, also purposeful.

However, Xu Qing made his intentions clear: since you and Miss Gu have both received membership vouchers from my shop, then I will be in charge of managing your affairs after you two pass away.

In short, Xu Qing had already started developing a funeral appointment business, and the membership voucher was a contract signed with the coroner's shop.

Shang Shaoyang could guess that others approached him to take advantage of the Shang family's connections, and that they were befriending him because he was a direct descendant of the Shang family. But he never imagined that Xu Qing would become sworn brothers with him because he coveted his corpse!

“Brother Shang, we’ve known each other for three or four years now because of business. I know you’ve made up your mind, and I won’t try to persuade you otherwise.”

"Here are some amulets I obtained from a temple. There are two sets in total; one is for you, and the other is for your younger siblings to wear."

Xu Qing said earnestly, "In these chaotic times, we don't know when we will meet again after this parting. I hope you will take good care of yourself, Brother Shang."

Shang Shaoyang accepted the talisman, thanked him, then mounted his horse and bowed one last time.

"drive!"

The sound of horses' hooves broke the silence of the night. Xu Qing looked in the direction where Shang Shaoyang had disappeared, then turned to the counter and said, "I'm going to Tianjin to visit an old friend. I'll be back in two days at most. In the meantime, I'd appreciate it if you, Immortal Xuanyu, would take good care of the business."

Xuan Yu looked up and said, "No need for such formalities, Immortal Xu. I will take good care of my family's business!"

The two spirits and evil spirits, who saw each other all the time and spent the same room every day, spoke to each other politely.

Huang Xiaoliu, who had just returned to the shop, was not surprised by the scene.

It's just a little fun between the sect leader and the hall master; you'll get used to it.

In front of the ruins of the old Pear Garden in Tianjin.

Xu Qing bowed to Guo Dongyang, who was leading the way, and said with a smile, "Thank you for leading the way, brother. Without you, I would have had a hard time finding this remote old house."

Guo Dongyang, who was over sixty and whose back was already a little hunched, waved his hand and said, "We are friends despite the age difference, there is no need to be so polite."

"However, I still have to ask one more question: is it absolutely necessary for you to enter this house, brother?"

Guo Dongyang glanced sideways at the theater, its walls mottled and covered in moss and weeds, and said, "Don't think I'm just making this up. This place has really been haunted by unclean things."

"Otherwise, why do you think this place has been abandoned for so many years? It's because the people who took over this theater all had accidents, so no one dares to live here."

Xu Qing laughed and said, "As someone in the funeral industry, how could anything be more unclean than me? If this place is really cheap, I'll buy it. Even if it becomes a mortuary in the future, it wouldn't be bad."

"A mortuary? Isn't that still a business for the dead?"

Guo Dongyang muttered something, then frowned and said, "If you really want this house, wouldn't it be clearer to come during the day? Why come at night? It's too creepy!"

"Well, we're already here."

“Then I’ll go in with you! If it’s really haunted, maybe I can even write a new travelogue about it.”

Xu Qing glanced at Guo Dongyang, whose arms and legs were old and frail, and refused directly: "There's no need for that! Brother Guo should go home. This place has been uninhabited for a long time and is very damp. I'm young and energetic, and I can handle it whether there's anything unclean or not. If you come with me, it will only make me worry."

"Can"

Xu Qing laughed and said, "There's no 'but,' Brother Dongyang, don't worry. If there are any strange or unusual things, I will definitely tell you."

Guo Dongyang's brows relaxed, and he said no more.

After watching the old storyteller leave, Xu Qing turned to look at the theater in front of him.

For some reason, he felt a sense of familiarity with this old house, as if he had seen it somewhere before.
Upon arriving at the theater's main gate, one finds an official seal affixed to it, the writing now illegible. To one side of the entrance, there is also a yellowed, somewhat worn notice.

The handwriting, copied by officials, is still faintly visible above:
[Notice to the People Regarding the Haunted House and Theater in the West Market in the 73rd Year of the Qianyuan Era]

On the 15th of the month of the year Gengchen (1900), Xu Yunmi, a court actor from Luzhou, was playing the role of "Prince of Chu" on his way home at night. He passed by an old garden and the next day his body was exposed outside the gate. His seven orifices were covered with cinnabar, but the coroner found no injuries.

On the last day of the month of Bingwu in the year of Renwu: Qin player Li Mutang, a member of the Li family of Longxi, rented an old garden. On that day, he composed a new piece called "Night Crying Crow". Suddenly, he went mad, gouged out his own eyes, wrote "Do not enter the realm of the dead" in blood, and died.

On the first day of the month of Guihai in the year of Dinghai: Hu merchant Luojia, a merchant from the Western Regions, did not believe in ghosts and gods. He gambled with others at night and stayed overnight in the east wing of the theater. The next day, his body was ashen and his belly was swollen as if he were pregnant. When he was cut open, there was only rotten grass in his cavity.

On the 16th day of the 16th month of the Gengshen month in the year of Ji Chou: Liu Abao, an actor from the Liu family of Hejian, was invited to play Zhong Kui, the demon-quelling demon, at a theater. His head was hung on the stage beam, and his body lay on the incense table, the candle still burning.

The nun Miaojing was staying at Jing'en Temple. While chanting mantras to ward off evil, she was suddenly engulfed by evil flames, leaving only her charred bones as she fell from the altar.

Zhang Yunlong, one of the Seven Disciples of Xuanji from the Celestial Master's Mansion, was invited by the prefect to exorcise evil spirits. He emerged unscathed, and the prefect asked him about the theater. Zhang Yunlong replied, "This is a ghost play, which no ordinary person can hear." He then laughed and left.

This house has been repeatedly exorcised by Buddhist and Taoist priests to no avail, and the evil spirits have not yet dissipated. Now, by imperial decree: the warden shall lead able-bodied men to surround the house with thorns, and prohibit passage after three quarters of an hour of the night.

Those who see this notice, leave immediately! Those who violate the prohibition and suffer misfortune will not be punished by the government!

After reading the official list, Xu Qing smiled nonchalantly, then took out his brush and ink and wrote down his thoughts on the list.

On the first quarter moon of the month of Guiwei in the year of Gengyin, an anonymous person passed by the old garden and visited it.
(End of this chapter)