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

Chapter 283 A Prescription for Curing Illness, Framing and Slander

Autumn slaying by day, corpse burial by night.

In half an autumn, Xu Qing had collected no fewer than a thousand corpses, most of which were rebels from the Cangyi Gang and the Red-Clothed Cult.

During this period, no one from the Cangyi Gang ever came to claim the corpses. This was partly due to fear of revealing their identities, but more importantly, the corpses were difficult to transport.

There's a constable in the yamen who's always causing trouble by performing shamanistic rituals. The corpse that the Cangyi Gang used to consecrate with evil magic is now completely useless. Even if they risk retrieving it, they'll still need to find a place to bury it.

Rather than doing that, it would be better to ignore it and let the government and the funeral parlors with official backing handle it.

Aside from these reasons, there was another key factor: the Red-Clothed Cult, which disliked the Cangyi Group, was stationed in Jingxia Street.

Xu Qing was busy collecting corpses and never expected that one day the Red-Clothed Church would move its stronghold right under his nose.

A few days ago, Xie Hongying from the Red-Clothed Sect suddenly came to his shop and threw her money bag to Xu Qing without saying a word.

At that time, the rather bold young woman thanked Xu Qing, saying that she was grateful for his help in collecting and burying the bodies of the Red-Clothed Cult's children who had sacrificed themselves.

What could Xu Qing say? He could only go along with it, saying that it's not easy for anyone to come into this world, and it would be too pitiful if someone died without anyone to attend their funeral and prepare their body for burial.

He was a kind-hearted man who couldn't stand seeing such things happen. If he accepted Xie Hongying's money, he would feel uncomfortable.

Xu Qing wasn't just upset; he simply didn't want to get involved with these rebel elements.

Xie Hongying never imagined that anyone in this world would be so obsessed with corpses. When she heard Xu Qing's words, her eyes softened. If it weren't for the fact that her great cause was not yet accomplished, she would have wanted to carry Xu Qing away and make him her husband!

Not long after that day, the gloomy atmosphere in Jingxia Street suddenly intensified.

The reason is that the red-clad women under the Red-Clothed Holy Maiden of the Red-Clothed Cult have all moved to live next to the mute carpenter at the end of the street.

Next to the mute carpenter's house was an old courtyard, usually used to store odds and ends. It belonged to the owner of the general store, Mr. Cha, at the east end of the street.

Recently, whenever Xu Qing passed by Boss Cha's grocery store, he would always see the man squinting his eyes, whistling and humming a little tune with a smug look on his face.

It seems that he made a lot of money after renting out the old courtyard, which made him feel quite satisfied.

That day, Huang Xiaoliu arrived before Xu Qing in a cloud of yellow smoke and reported, "Sect Leader, Chuantang has ascertained the Red-Clothed Sect's background."

Clad in red like flames, she swept away all evil.

Thirty years after the founding of the Great Yong Dynasty, Emperor Tianzhi passed away, and this saying began to circulate throughout the land.

Some say the Red-Clothed Cult is the reincarnation of the Crimson-Robed Judge, who is in charge of all evil deeds in the world. Others say the Red-Clothed Cult was founded by a princess of the previous dynasty and a head instructor of the Imperial Guard.

The reason is that the fighting style of the Red-Clothed Cult is exactly the same as that of the Imperial Guards of the previous dynasty.

For years, the imperial court has been besieging the remnants of the previous dynasty, causing turmoil and unrest in the court and the martial arts world. Yet, the Red-Clothed Sect has continued to be passed down in an orderly manner and has never been completely eradicated!
Like the emperors of the Great Yong Dynasty, the holy sons and holy maidens of the Red-Clothed Sect throughout history have emphasized the legitimacy of their bloodlines.

Now, the Red-Clothed Sect has been passed down for twelve generations, and the new Holy Maiden is Xie Hongying, who is only about twenty years old.

Xu Qing was somewhat surprised when she heard this.

The legendary "Menopausal Saintess," with her black hair tied in a silver crown, her plain face wrapped in red silk, and a ruthless killer resembling a female demon, is actually a beautiful young woman of marriageable age?
Huang Xiaoliu stood up, his claws crossed, and said in a childlike voice, "The members of the Red-Clothed Sect claim that when the previous emperor, Ai, died and his country fell, he had the head of the Imperial Guard lead his infant daughter to escape from the capital."

"And the holy sons and holy maidens of the Red-Clothed Sect throughout the ages are the bloodline descendants of that princess from the previous dynasty."

Former Dynasty Princess
Xu Qing subconsciously thought of Sai Yuxian. The memory of that woman was too deep for him, and even after so many years, he still couldn't forget her.

The corpses of a nation
Xu Qing clicked his tongue and instructed, "Recently, the country has been unstable and the world is in turmoil. Chuantang must get things moving and must not miss any important intelligence."

Seeing that Huang Xiaoliu still refused to leave after agreeing, Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is there something you need?"

The little weasel said somewhat embarrassedly, "Sect Leader, I, Xiao Liu, would like to request a recipe for my grandfather to improve his appetite and health."

Huang Laoxu?

Xu Qing's eyes lit up, and he asked with great concern, "Fellow Daoist Huang, what's wrong? Are you unwell?"

Huang Xiaoliu sighed, "The other day, when I returned to Huangtiao Mountain to visit my grandfather's sect, my great-grandfather was very concerned about the sect leader's health. However, when I mentioned that the sect leader was in good health and had not aged at all, my great-grandfather sighed and said that his legs were not as nimble as they used to be."

"When I returned, my great-grandfather didn't even want to eat his favorite crooked-necked little phoenix anymore."

This old man
Xu Qing and Huang Laoxu had always disagreed on their views, so how could he not understand the other's thoughts?

That old weasel was hoping that Cat Fairy Hall would disband quickly so that his great-grandson, Huang Xiaoliu, could use his advanced experience in running a 'human' business to lead Cat Fairy Hall to become the number one in Tianjin.

It seems it gets all the benefits!
Xu Qing smiled and took out two portions of mushroom spores, one of Dream-Remembering Mushroom and the other of Immortal-Changing Mushroom.

He combined the two portions of spore powder into a ball, wrapped it in paper, and handed it to Huang Xiaoliu.

"Your great-grandfather is just too repressed. Give him this packet of medicine I prescribed, and it will definitely cure him!"

Huang Xiaoliu accepted the medicine packet as if it were a precious treasure. Xu Qing specifically instructed, "Don't say it was my prescription. The old man is concerned about his reputation and doesn't want to admit he's sick. Just sprinkle this powder on the crooked-necked little phoenix and take it to your great-grandfather so he can have a good laugh."

Xu Qing watched Huang Xiaoliu skip away from the shop with gentle eyes, showing how much he cared for his employee.

Seeing Xu Qing's 'kind' face, Xuan Yu had a feeling that someone else was about to suffer bad luck.

In Xuan Yu's eyes, only the smile of the Goddess of Life Protection could be described as kind and approachable, while the smile of the Xu family was completely unbelievable.

For example, whenever someone brought a body and left, Xu Xianjia would have a happy smile on his face.

"What is that powder?" Xuan Yu seemed curious about everything.

"Health supplements are popular among the elderly for psychological comfort, but they don't actually have any practical use."

In the following days, Xu Qing went to the Shuimenqiao Villa, and during this trip, he condensed another thirty-two monstrous warriors.

Including the generals from previous years, Xu Qing now has nearly two hundred generals under his banner. If all these soldiers were released at once, they would be no less than a mortal army of ten thousand men, and each one of them would be an elite and fierce general.

"There are soldiers in the mortal realm and ghost soldiers in the underworld. If these rampant generals were scattered throughout the underworld, who knows how many ghost soldiers and ghost troops they could attract to follow them?"

The principle of the strong being respected applies not only to the human world but also to the underworld.

The Ghost King of Ghost King's Tomb was able to gather a group of ghost generals and soldiers to serve him because his own strength was formidable.

According to the strict hierarchical system of the Yinhe Ancient Road, a single "Crazy General" could intimidate at least several hundred ghost soldiers. Nearly two hundred "Crazy Generals" already meant that Xu Qing possessed the potential to raise an army of tens of thousands of ghost soldiers.

Even if placed in the Yinhe Ancient Road, they would still be a small force that could rival the Ghost King.

However, thinking of his old neighbor, the Ghost King Duo'e, Xu Qing obediently put away the arrogant flag.

The Demon King Duo'e has existed for at least a thousand years. In Liu Youdao's memory, Xu Qing even saw the enormous ghostly figure of the Demon King dodging the heavenly fire.

In Princess Yanning's memory, although the Demon King Duo'e was seriously injured, the evil spirit that was able to survive under the heavenly fire must have been more than a thousand years old.

Even a broken ship has three thousand nails. Xu Qing still respected his old neighbor. After all, a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent a paper figure to invite his neighbor to watch the fireworks.

"Last time, when the Iron Cannon caused such a commotion, the Ghost King of Doom didn't even show up, which shows he was truly seriously injured. But now that the Red-Clothed Cult is worshipping the Ghost King of Doom, his injuries will probably heal quickly."

Xu Qing was somewhat uneasy. Princess Yan Ning's corpse, that pink-faced skeleton, was still in his miniature garden. He had also stolen the twin coffins, treasures from the Ghost King's Tomb. If his old neighbor were to learn the truth one day, he feared he would never be able to step into the Yinhe Ancient Road again.

"A piece of unmelting bone is not enough to be safe. Only by becoming a flying zombie and possessing a thousand years of cultivation can one have the power to protect oneself on the outskirts of the Yin River."

The Ghost King's Tomb is not located deep within the Yin River Ancient Road, but even so, the Ghost King Duo'e has a thousand years of cultivation.

The only thing that Xu Qing can be thankful for now is that the other party does not dare to easily enter the mortal realm.

Once a ghost leaves the Yinhe Ancient Road, it will be sensed by the Heavenly Dao and face the calamities of cultivation.

Xu Qing guessed why the Demon King Duo'e was chased to the Yin River by Tianhuo.

It is highly likely that this Ghost King crossed the boundary between Yin and Yang and entered Tianjin through the twin coffins.

If it were just some minor ghosts or monsters, it wouldn't be a problem, but the opponent was a ghost king who had survived the lightning disaster and possessed a thousand years of cultivation.

If it were to leave the Yinhe Ancient Road and arrive in the Yang world, it would be equivalent to a snowman walking under the sun.

If the heavenly fire doesn't catch it, who else can it burn?
"Fortunately, the incense of the Red-Clothed Sect is not the incense of merit. Apart from using the incense of these wild temples to heal his wounds, the Ghost King Duo'e cannot use it to resist the calamity of heavenly fire."

As Xu Qing analyzed the threats posed by all potential enemies, the sense of urgency in his heart subsided somewhat.

Even so, after the autumn execution, he still went to the banks of the Baisha River every few days as usual.

Unfortunately, he never met the "golden boy and jade girl" who gave him the Huguang cup again.

"Those two golden carp have tiger-like heads and don't seem very smart, so why didn't anyone fish them out again?"

Xu Qing strolled back and forth along the Baisha River. Whenever he heard someone had caught a golden carp, he would rush over to check on them. Unfortunately, with the confirmation of both the Zhaoyou Treasure Mirror and the Heavenly Eye Yin Pupil, no unusual phenomena appeared.

It happened to be a cloudy and rainy day, and Xu Qing went to the riverbank as usual to absorb the water's energy to nourish his body.

Once the sun broke through the clouds and the gloomy atmosphere on the river dissipated, Xu Qing prepared to head back home.

However, just as he was about to leave, Xu Qing suddenly heard a commotion and shouts coming from the Baisha River wharf.

He turned around and saw a passenger ship with a broken mast, damaged by the wind, that had washed ashore and slid for nearly two miles before coming to a stop.

Xu Qing frowned, and his Heavenly Eye Yin Pupil opened. He saw that the riverbank was shrouded in yin energy, as if evil spirits and ghosts were trying to emerge from the river.

However, when the sun shines down, the restless yin energy seems to have never been there, completely retreating into the deep water.

Xu Qing quickly approached. By this time, most of the passengers on the passenger ship had already drowned and disappeared, leaving only two or three out of ten, clinging to the mast or the rudder, crying loudly.

The fishermen and locals at the wharf were terrified and no one dared to go forward for a while. It wasn't until Xu Qing rolled up his sleeves and called for a body retrieval team to come and help that people reacted and began to rescue the stranded passengers.

About half an hour later, most of the people on the ship were rescued. During this time, Xu Qing rescued more than 20 children from a hidden cabin.

The children initially cried and wailed, but they quieted down when they saw Xu Qing, seemingly braver than the adults.

The constables patrolling the dock were too busy rescuing the children to notice anything amiss. Xu Qing had no choice but to grab one of them and say, "These children are in one cabin without any adults with them. They might have been trafficked."

Upon hearing this, the latter reacted instantly. When he saw that there were unfamiliar men and two women who looked like old women trying to take advantage of the chaos to snatch away several children, the constable quickly drew his sword and shouted to his companions to subdue them.

Xu Qing searched the passenger ship and found not only a strong residual aura of corpses, but also some nearly burned talisman fragments at the broken bow.

Looking at the familiar patterns on the talisman, Xu Qing understood the cause of the shipwreck.

The Celestial Master's Mansion

What exactly did these people do on the Yinhe Ancient Road that directly affected the secular world?
Xu Qing's expression was not good.

The matter of the Yinhe Ancient Road was somewhat related to him. The Eight Banners Marshal received worldly offerings, which gave him a brief resurgence of energy and the confidence to contend with the Yin Shi Dharma King and even the Duo E Ghost King.

However, after Xu Qing performed the rituals to release the bodies on the ship and saw the footage of the attack on the passenger ship, he realized that today's events had nothing to do with him.

Indeed, neither the Eight Banners Marshal nor the Yin-Shi Dharma King could return to the mortal world. Even the Demon King of Many Calamities needed the Twin Coffins and risked being burned to death by heavenly fire before daring to show himself. How could his act of collecting offerings for the Eight Banners Marshal directly affect the mortal world?

In the fleeting images of those boat passengers, the attackers were not the demons of the Yin River, but the Five Shadow Taoists of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

Taking advantage of the water's force, the enemy had pre-arranged a magic array, opening up a hidden whirlpool leading to the underground river.

Then five shadows appeared at once and abducted most of the people on the ship. To prevent others from noticing anything amiss, before leaving, the Taoist priest ordered another Taoist priest who looked exactly like him to use evil magic to break the mast, making it look like he had been attacked by evil spirits.

If it were any other evil spirit, Xu Qing wouldn't have such a gloomy expression. The key is that the aura left behind by this evil spirit is exactly the same as that of a zombie.

In the Dayong Dynasty, zombies were practically the worst of all evil spirits.

There are zombies in the mines of Xijing Mountain, zombies in the Corpse Workshop of Jinmen, and the rest are either driven away by the Corpse Drivers or raised as 'strange beasts' by the Yin Corpse Sect.

As a result, rumors of zombies wreaking havoc on the mortal world have decreased significantly.

Xu Qing believed that he could use his identity as a funeral director or a corpse driver to blend into the secular world and secretly cultivate his spiritual practice.

But now, the Five Shadows Taoist has stepped in and disrupted this balance.

If the other side comes a few more times like this, Tianjin will probably see a surge in the fight against zombies. When Xu Qing goes out, he will probably encounter people carrying glutinous rice, date pits, mirrors and nails everywhere.

Isn't this just disgusting?!
Looking at the surviving civilians still lingering beside the passenger ship, Xu Qing turned around and returned to the coroner's shop without saying a word.

(End of this chapter)