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

Chapter 275 The Last Man of the Great Yong Dynasty
Liu Su'e shook her head, indicating that she did not know. Apart from the time she passed through the old West Market Garden and encountered the ghost of the opera, she had never encountered any other strange things in her life, let alone gods and shamans.

Xu Qing told her to think about it carefully. Liu Su'e frowned and pondered for a while before her eyes lit up and she said, "When I was at the Shuimenqiao Inn, a few lecherous men broke into my room and made rude remarks with malicious intent. But at the critical moment, a flying head flew in with long hair covering its face and threw all those lecherous men downstairs."

"Looking back now, it was probably the ghost who helped us, maybe even the 'Little Fourth' they were talking about."

"."

Xu Qing was speechless. The ghost that Liu Su'e mentioned could indeed be considered a ghost in a certain sense, but it was definitely not some minor character. Who else but Xiu Niang could have the skill of surviving a beheading?
"Mr. Liu, let me be more direct: have you ever encountered any strange willow trees before, or experienced anything related to willow trees?"

Willow trees are considered to be the trees of the Five Ghosts. There is a grove of willow trees where the fake overlord was buried in the West Market Theater. And since the owner of this shop is surnamed Liu, Xu Qing couldn't help but think too much about it.

"willow?"

Liu Su'e was stunned for a moment, and long-buried memories surged into her mind.
That happened ten years ago.

Ten years ago, the Peking Opera Garden.

Su'e is an orphan that the opera troupe picked up.

She had been performing opera since elementary school, possessing a clear voice and nimble footwork. The troupe consisted mostly of orphans, all crammed together for survival, none with proper parents, and usually looked after by the actors in the theater.

The opera troupe would perform from time to time. When there were many guests, the disciples in the opera troupe who were learning and practicing would be ordered to stop so as not to disturb the performances in the troupe.

Su'e loved singing opera and also preferred quiet. When the troupe leader and the actors wouldn't let her practice, the children living in the same courtyard would run around playing. Su'e couldn't play with them, but she still wanted to practice. Over time, she developed a strange habit: she preferred to go to the Tanggu River, find a secluded spot on the willow-lined riverbank, and practice her singing in peace and quiet.

Strangely enough, after Su'e had been practicing her skills by the Tanggu River for only two days, she gained a new listener under the old willow tree. The listener was a thin old woman with bright eyes.

Whenever Su'e came, the old lady would stand under the willow tree, leaning on her cane, listening intently.

After Su'e finished singing a section, the old lady pondered it for a long time, as if she could taste the flavor.

But Su'e knew that she was just an apprentice now. Although her singing was decent, she was still far from being a real star!

She felt that the old lady definitely didn't come here to listen to operas just because she sang well.
After this situation continued for three or four days, Su'e couldn't hold back any longer. She went to the old lady and started chatting with her.

However, the old lady was confused and knew nothing when asked.

I don't know his surname or where he lives.

She has children and grandchildren, a whole bunch of them, but unfortunately none of them are successful or capable, and no one listens to her nagging.

The old lady was like a widowed, lonely old woman, with a bellyful of things to say but nowhere to vent. She said that she had spoken the most today in the past few years.

A young girl without parents and an old woman with no children or grandchildren to rely on met under the old willow tree.

Su'e had a kind heart. Seeing that the old lady was lonely, she would go and sit with her for a while whenever she had time. She would use the copper coins she had saved in her purse to buy soft pastries that were easy for the old lady to chew, and she would occasionally slip a few pieces to the old lady.

The wrinkles on the old lady's face smoothed out with a smile.

Later, Su'e's singing skills improved, and she began to learn to sing female warrior roles. These types of female warrior roles sometimes require a handy "horsewhip" in hand to facilitate their movements.

Su'e came outside to practice her singing and martial arts; where did she get a horsewhip?

Once, she was practicing her skills and had just gotten to the stance of whipping a horse to urge it on, but she didn't have a suitable prop in her hand.

The old lady watched her practice without disturbing her. When Su'e came to practice again the next day, the old lady had a bright green horsewhip in her hand. The horsewhip was made of tender and supple willow branches. It could not be dried by the wind or softened by the rain. No one knew what method the old lady had used to make it.

Su'e held the willow whip, twirling it with a rustling sound, just like she was driving a horse! It was much better than the fake whip made of silk cloth; it would be enough to drive a real horse!
After Su'e got used to it, the willow whip became her favorite.

As the days went by, the bond between the old man and the young man grew stronger over time.

An old woman living alone and a lonely actress, though they didn't kowtow, offer tea, or formally become godparents, their intimacy was no different from that of a mother and son.

Under the old willow tree, a piece of land that neither the mother nor the daughter wanted to leave gradually became a cherished spot.

One day, the old woman's expression changed. After listening to Su'e sing a new opera, she said without warning, "Young lady, this old woman's time is almost up. My life is probably coming to an end, but don't worry. Birth and death are all just an empty dream. Just think of it as I was tired from practicing my skills and took a nap under the willow tree, and had a dream."

Su'e felt a lump in her throat. She had no parents and had finally met someone who was not a relative but was closer than a relative. How could she easily let go of him?

“Auntie, your children and grandchildren are unreliable. Why don’t you come with me from now on? I’ll take care of you. I can sing opera and earn money to support you in your old age and see you off in your final days.”

The old woman felt a pang of pity as she watched the girl cry. Finally, she sighed and said, "Silly child, I wish I could walk. Besides, even if I could walk now, it would take time."

“Auntie, please don’t say such things again. If you don’t want to, I will come to visit you even if it’s sunny for a day, a day, or an hour, except when it’s thundering or raining.”

The old woman was touched, but couldn't express it. Finally, she reached out and ruffled Su'e's hair, smiling, "What would you do if you couldn't see me one day?"

Seeing that Su'e's eyes were red again, the old lady quickly said, "You are like my goddaughter. I can't see anyone else, but I can't refuse to see you."

But then again, all good things must come to an end. If you come back someday and I'm not here under this tree, take out that willow whip and come back here to this old willow tree. There are things I left for my goddaughter under that tree.”

After saying this, the old lady patted Su'e's hand and said nothing more.

Later, Su'e went to the Tanggu River to chat with the old lady for half a month in a row, and gradually Su'e forgot what the old lady had said.

Then one day, the weather, which had been sunny for most of the month, suddenly changed. For seven or eight days in a row, torrential rain fell, causing the river to swell and flood the banks.

Su'e was worried about the old lady, but she couldn't go anywhere and was extremely anxious. Finally, when the sky cleared up and the river receded, she rushed to the old spot.

The willows along the riverbank are still there, but the spot where the old lady used to sit is empty. Looking closer, the once lush and verdant willow tree that provided so much shade is now completely charred!
The tree trunk, which was as thick as three or five people could hug, was split open by lightning and fire, leaving only a small, charred stump standing alone in the middle of the willow grove.

For some reason, Su'e felt a pang in her heart, as if she had lost something of utmost importance.

She asked around and someone said that the willow tree was struck by lightning a few days ago, killing this old tree that had lived for who knows how many years.

But what about the old woman? She's nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead.

Su'e inquired throughout the city, but no one recognized this person; it was as if he had vanished into thin air.

After that, Su'e seemed to have lost her soul and lost all interest in practicing martial arts. It wasn't until a month later, when she felt a little better, that she came to the Tanggu River and began practicing martial arts again.

After warming up her voice and singing half of the opera, when it was time for the female martial arts performer to take her turn, she didn't have a suitable horsewhip in her hand.

Su'e then suddenly remembered what the old lady had told her.

The Liyuan Opera House was located on the long street south of Tanggu River. Su'e was anxious, so she ran back to the opera house in one breath, opened her opera box, and took out the willow whip that she had always kept carefully.

Su'e, clutching the perfectly preserved horsewhip, returned to the charred willow stump.

She felt empty inside and couldn't help but cry out, "Godmother, where have you been!"

Su'e's voice was choked with sobs, filled with sorrow and anxiety.

However, before she could grieve too much, she saw a fist-sized green light rise from under the charred tree stump, moist and glistening, exuding an indescribable spiritual charm.

Su'e was puzzled, but the green light flashed suddenly and darted straight into the willow whip in Su'e's hand.

Immediately afterward, before Su'e could even process what was happening, the willow whip that had been with her for so long suddenly disintegrated, like fine sand shimmering with emerald light as the wind blew across the Gobi Desert, scattering from between her fingers and disappearing completely.

Su'e looked at her empty hands, then at the charred tree stump. The wind blew by, leaving not a trace.

Suddenly she understood something, and the gray fog that had been hanging over her heart dissipated.

From that day on, on the roster of the opera troupe's performances, she carefully added a character before 'Su'e' herself—'Liu'.

Liu Su'e.

This name has roots, it has her godmother, and it has a feeling of home that she has never experienced before.

After hearing Liu Su'e's past, Xu Qing roughly understood what the willow tree phantom on her body was. It was most likely a wisp of spirit left behind after the willow demon failed its tribulation.

Xu Qing obtained a Void Spirit Protection Technique from the White Cloud Taoist. The reason this technique uses the term "Void Spirit" is because it originates from a branch of the family immortals.

Among the household spirits is the Stele Spirit, also known as the Sorrowful Spirit or the Gentle Breeze Ghost Spirit.

These household spirits are the heads of the spirits in the shamanic shrine, usually deceased ancestors of the family who have a certain level of spiritual power.

Some ancestors, unable to let go of their descendants after death, would even use special methods to condense a phantom spirit to attach itself to their descendants and protect them.

Some descendants are unaware of this, and only when they encounter demons, monsters, or other inhuman things, or face life-or-death crises, will the spirit within them manifest to protect the chosen person from disaster.

The fact that Liu Su'e was able to learn opera in the old garden of the West Market without being affected by the yin energy and resentment must be because the willow tree spirit on her body shielded her from it.

As for why Liu Su'e remained unaware...
Having frequently encountered life and death, Xu Qing naturally knew the reason.

Legend has it that there is a flower called the Red Spider Lily in the underworld. This flower blooms when its leaves fall, and its leaves sprout when its flowers fall. The flowers and leaves never meet, but the fallen leaves can nourish and protect the flowers. The two are like the human world and the underworld.

The illusory god is dead, like the fallen leaves of the spider lily; Liu Su'e, living in the mortal world, is like the blooming flower. Both are in the stage where the flower has not yet shed its leaves, so how could she perceive the willow tree's existence?
"Brother Xu, I always feel that Aunt Liu is always by my side. Brother Xu asked me about the willow tree, do you know something about it?"

"."

"I don't know! How would an ordinary funeral director like me know these things?"

Xu Qing underestimated a woman's intuition, or rather, underestimated the bond between Boss Liu and the Willow Tree Demon.

"As long as Brother Xu is willing to tell me the truth, I'm willing to agree to anything."

"."

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and changed her question: "Are you really willing to do anything?"

“Brother Xu has been kind to me, so it’s different.” Liu Su’e bit her lip lightly, placed her hands on the hem of her skirt, twisted her fingers, and said something meaningful.

Xu Qing seemed not to understand at all. His eyes lit up and he said, "Then from now on, all the work of performing ghost plays in my shop will depend on Boss Liu!"

"this one?"

"Of course, if Boss Liu knows any dancers or performers who are willing to give their all, it would be even better if they could perform on stage for the anniversary of the deceased's passing!"

"."

Performing erotic dances for the dead? Liu Su'e's almond-shaped eyes widened. Is this a tradition in the funeral industry?

Xu Qing kept his promise, symbolically recited a few incantations, and then reached out and gently touched the other person's back, whereupon a bright green horsewhip appeared in his hand.

"Mr. Liu, please look, your godmother has been by your side the whole time."

Liu Su'e was overjoyed to see Xu Qing conjure a willow whip as if by magic, and exclaimed, "This is the horse whip that my godmother gave me!"

How did Brother Xu see that?

Xu Qing smiled and answered irrelevantly, "I need someone who dares to perform ghost plays. Boss Liu will naturally see some things as he performs more plays in the future."

"But Boss Liu, there's no need to be afraid. Life and death are just like that!"

After speaking, Xu Qing drove the carriage, leaving a trail of dust behind him as the wheels rolled over it.

On this day, a large crowd of people gathered in front of the bulletin board at the entrance of Linjiang County.

A literate person read aloud the announcement.

"Announcement to the People in the Sixth Year of the Jingzhi Reign:"

In order to uphold the law and ensure the safety of the people, it has been discovered that thirteen bandits, including Zhao Dahong, have formed a gang known as the "Cangyi Group." They are in reality traitors and troublemakers. These villains disregard the law and their crimes are blatant.

The first is spreading false rumors and misleading the public: using sorcery as a pretext, fabricating prophecies, spreading false rumors and misleading the public, and shaking the people's hearts.

Secondly, it harms lives: setting up altars to amass wealth and harming the innocent, arousing the wrath of both gods and men;
Thirdly, they colluded with foreign enemies: secretly communicating with the barbarians in the south, revealing our true intentions, inviting wolves into the house, and attempting to destroy the state.

Fourthly, treason and rebellion: privately forging weapons, hoarding grain and fodder, and launching an uprising in Jingzhou are crimes that cannot be punished!

Now, with the help of the commander of the Divine Machine Battalion and the captain of the Demon Suppression Division, after extensive pursuit, all thirteen criminals, including the ringleader Hong Dayuan, have been captured, and the evidence against them is conclusive.

According to the laws of the Great Yong Dynasty, those who plot treason and rebellion are guilty of crimes that cannot be punished by death. Therefore, it is hereby decreed that at noon today, the person shall be bound and executed at the execution ground in Caishikou, be beheaded and displayed to the public, and then returned to his hometown to live in peace.

Below is a warning to the people: "All good people must remain in their proper professions and not believe in heretical doctrines. Anyone who harbors heretics or fails to report them will be punished the same as a thief!"

The surrounding people immediately started chattering after hearing this; they knew there was going to be some excitement to watch!

"Silence! I haven't finished reading yet. There's another one over there."

"The Imperial Household Department of Linjiang County hereby issues:"

Today, Mr. Xu, the owner of the mortuary shop on Jingxia Street, is holding an anniversary celebration to give back to the community. He has specially invited Mr. Chen, the troupe leader of the Liyuan Opera Troupe, to present this notice to the elders of the county: With the gracious permission of the county government, two stages will be erected from the 7th to the 10th of this month at the East City God Temple and the West Vegetable Market to present a series of operas. We rely on the participation of kind-hearted people from all directions to make this a grand event. This notice is hereby issued to inform the community.

Opera performance schedule

Day 7: Daytime performances: Locking the Unicorn Pouch, Butterfly Dream, Protecting the Infant (Sending the Scales); Evening performances: Nuo Opera Catching the Yellow Ghost, Zhong Kui Catching the Ghost, Cat God (Part 1).

Day 8: Daytime performances include Farewell My Concubine, Dingguanshan, and Bazhu Kaijiang Zhenshanhe; Nuo Opera: Protecting the Infant (Pregnancy Protection), Cat God (Part 2), and Yang Chenghuang's Judgment.

Day 9: Daytime performances include "The Matchmaker" and "The Cat Goddess"; Evening performances include "The Dragon King's Daughter," "The Infant Protector (Yin's Child-Protecting)," and "The Eight Banners Marshal Subduing the Dharma King."

Wow! Instead of giving out eggs, Manager Xu of the mortuary has hired a theatrical troupe for a charity performance!

The onlookers chattered amongst themselves, but the person reading the announcement interrupted, "Who said we wouldn't give out eggs? It's written here: eggs, rice, and oil will still be given out, but we must offer incense to the Eight Banners Marshal on the day the county magistrate goes to the City God Temple to pay homage to him."

Meanwhile, in Luoyang City.

After interrogating the rebels of the Cangyi Group and learning about the Yinshi Dharma King, Zuo Zixiong immediately rushed back to the capital and reported the matter to his superior.

"Commander Qin, this matter is of utmost importance. If the fate of the Great Yong Dynasty is lost, we will be held accountable."

Qin Yingzong dared not be negligent and immediately drafted a memorial to the emperor.

Two days later, Commander Qin suddenly found Zuo Zixiong with a smile and said, "I have already reported this matter to His Majesty, and His Majesty has ordered the Shenji Battalion to send a capable general to Yinhe."

"This would be a great achievement; if Commander Zuo were willing to go..."

Zuo Zixiong's friend, Cui Yuanlong, who had been promoted to commander of a thousand, suddenly said, "The Yin River is fraught with danger; how can one commander of a hundred be enough? Since His Majesty has issued the decree, why doesn't the camp commander send more troops?"

Upon hearing this, Commander Qin's expression darkened. He replied, "The situation at Yinhe is unclear. It would be wise for me to send a vanguard to scout ahead."

"If Commander Zuo is truly unwilling to go, I will select another vanguard."

Zuo Zixiong immediately replied, "I am willing to go!"

The Shenji Battalion was a garrison in the capital, and most of its officers came from official families. No one was willing to take on missions with a high chance of death like this.

If Zuo Zixiong doesn't go, another centurion of humble origins will go instead.

Moreover, he was fearless in the face of danger ahead, fighting for the Great Yong Dynasty!

　I revised it again, and it's now about 5,000 words.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)