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

Chapter 292 A Wild Fox Wanders, A Haunted Coffin Shop

A Li Feng guide contains a Li Feng seed, also known as the essence of Li Feng.

The wind has a thousand variations, and fire has ten thousand forms.

Common winds include fierce winds, piercing winds, scorching winds, and gloomy winds. Less common winds include the Buzhou wind, the Lihe wind, and the Samadhi divine wind.
Common types of fire include firewood fire, stone fire, water fire, and heaven and earth fire. Less common types include the Six Ding Divine Fire, Samadhi True Fire, Sun True Fire, and Taiyin True Fire.

The 'Li Feng Yin' in Xu Qing's hand contains the 'Li He Feng'.

The wind of separation and reunion is not an ordinary southerly wind or a strong wind, but a strange wind similar to the Samadhi Divine Wind.

Legend has it that Liezi rode the wind, returning to the eight directions at the beginning of spring and traveling to the wind cave at the beginning of autumn. When the wind came, the grass and trees grew; when it left, they withered and fell. This was called the wind of separation and reunion.

If one can harness this wind, one will have no fear of ghosts or demons, nor of heat or cold.

If one cultivates to the extreme, a single breath of wind can strip away the soul of a living person, causing their flesh and bones to disintegrate, and can also scatter the true spirit of a ghost, causing it to vanish instantly.

Xu Qing recalled the legendary Yellow Wind King's Yellow Wind, which was a Samadhi Divine Wind. During cultivation, one needed to hold the wind in one's mouth, face the southeast direction, open one's mouth three times, and generate wind energy.

The Lihe Feng (离合风) is formed by three mouths facing away from the ground, which stimulate the wind.

However, not everyone can master or control the wind.

The saying goes, "The wind follows the tiger, and the clouds follow the dragon." If a creature is a tiger demon, it is skilled in the art of controlling the wind.

Xu Qing had seen Guan Dazhuang change the wind direction with the roar of a tiger, and he was clearly close to mastering the ability to summon wind and rain.

"Tigers are the kings of the mountains and forests, and only their mountain and forest attributes are suitable for controlling the wind."

Xu Qing switched to the hairy zombie state, and immediately many blue corpse hairs grew on his body.

Mao Jiang is the ruler of the mountains and forests. When Xu Qing cultivated the transformation of Mao Jiang, the first mountain and forest destiny he refined was 'Tiger Lord'.

At that time, he used the skin of Guan Xiaohu, the younger brother of Guan Dazhuang, to trigger the destiny of the mountain tiger master, which led him to enter the Mao Jiang branch.

Mao Jiang is the ruler of the mountains and forests; if he is cultivated, he can become Mao Hou; when Mao Hou is born, the mountains and forests will submit.

At this moment, Xu Qing mobilized the magic power of the Mao Jiang, and the drafts inside the incense hall, the mountain winds outside the incense hall, and the north wind of early winter could be clearly distinguished.

As Xu Qing swallowed the Li Feng Yin, the first thing he felt was countless sharp objects falling down his throat, as if he had forcibly swallowed several bone-scraping steel knives.

Fortunately, he was a zombie and his sense of pain was not very acute. If it were an ordinary cultivator, he would probably be rolling on the ground in pain by now.

The bone-scraping sensation didn't last long. As soon as the wind was swallowed, the Seed of Departure instantly transformed into countless sharp air currents, piercing into the limbs and bones like needles.

Xu Qing could feel thousands of invisible wind blades raging and cutting through his body, but these wind blades could not break through his corpse body in a short time.

After a stalemate lasting about half a cup of tea's time, Xu Qing noticed that the pill-shaped Li Feng Yin had runes that looked like sugar coating shimmering on them, and he suddenly came to his senses.

It turns out that it wasn't that the corpse's body could easily withstand the erosion of the essence of the wind, but rather that the wind had been imprisoned by a secret technique and could not unleash its full power.

Xu Qing internally observed the runes on the wind-guiding device and suddenly had an epiphany.

"The wind has no constant direction, but the rider remains constant."

Xu Qing stopped resisting and instead used the power of the Mao Jiang magic to guide the evil of Li Feng by taking advantage of the mountain forest.

The restless wind gradually calmed down, and then, like a wild cat being petted, it emitted a soft tremor similar to purring.

When the Seed of Departure was refined, the wind-guiding runes that had imprisoned Departure also dissipated. Xu Qing felt the bluish-gray vortex that was wandering around his body, as if it were getting familiar with its new home, and immediately showed a joyful expression.

When he cultivated the Black Zombie Transformation, he refined a mass of unpredictable black water; when he cultivated the Fire Zombie Transformation, he refined a smoldering fire seed.

Now, his transformation of hair and scalp has also been influenced by Li Feng as the basis for change.

Xu Qing raised his finger and flicked it lightly. A wisp of wind carrying death energy coiled around his fingertip. Wherever the wind serpent passed, flowers and plants withered, and the heat wave suddenly cooled.
He has already gained initial control over Li Feng!

"Ok?"

Just as Xu Qing was about to recall the Wind-Leaving Serpent, he suddenly sensed a familiar fluctuation of magical power.

The fluctuations were very similar to the incense burning at Baosheng Temple, both containing a strong vitality.

The fluctuation was fleeting, and when Xu Qing tried to catch it again, he could only sense the deathly aura that was eroding his soul.

Looking at the withered flowers and plants in front of the incense hall, Xu Qing's heart stirred.

"The wind of separation and reunion brings forth grass and trees at the beginning of spring, and shakes down all things at the beginning of autumn. One reunion and one separation, one life and one death."

Xu Qing looked again at the flowers and plants in front of the incense hall that had been blown away by the wind. This time, he saw not the life force that had been extinguished, but the life force that had been extracted by the wind.

"The wind blows through grass, trees, and spirits, which strengthens the Li Wind; but wouldn't stimulating the growth of grass and trees and stabilizing spirits consume the Li Wind?"

Xu Qing pondered the patterns of the Separation and Union Winds, only to realize that he was far from having mastered the power of the Separation and Union Winds, and that his previous feelings were merely his illusions.

Or rather, he only obtained the method of manipulating the wind, but whether he can truly master the separation and reunion of the wind remains to be seen.

"The Duren Sutra gives pure Lifeng, because it does not contain vitality. Now that Lifeng has drawn on the vitality of the flowers and plants outside the palace, it has a faint ability to 'combine'."

Xu Qing's eyes grew brighter. If he wasn't mistaken, as long as he could absorb enough life force from the Li Feng to nourish himself, he would be able to obtain the Li He Feng that Liezi had once cultivated.

In other words, the current wind cannot yet be fully described as a wind that separates and merges.

Xu Qing pondered the method of nurturing the wind seed, and then he tried to extract a drop of dew from the mother gas bottle and integrate it into the wind seed.

The dew in the Mother Gas Bottle is the condensed incense dew from the Blood Lake Dharma Realm of Baosheng Temple, and it is also the most vital incense essence that Xu Qing can currently offer.

A rich vitality seeped into Li Feng. Xu Qing raised his palm and saw that the small snake in Li Feng, which was only as thick as a fingertip before, had become noticeably thicker!
"No wonder the old woman was so particular about 'anger' when choosing disciples. If an ordinary person were to practice her methods, they would probably die young within a few years."

Recalling how the old woman always had to sip the Weak Water to borrow power whenever she used her supernatural abilities, Xu Qing suddenly realized something.

So the magic this old woman borrowed wasn't ordinary magical power, but life force!

"The law of the Weak Water must be repaid in the end. I will remember this debt!" The old woman's words as she escaped from the clutches of the Ghost Law still echoed in my ears.

“What is borrowed must be repaid. If the old woman borrowed life force, then what she needs to repay is only life force.”

The old woman had never spoken of her spiritual practice to anyone, but Xu Qing, perceptive as ever, used the clues to piece together everything and managed to uncover a corner of her secrets.

No wonder the old woman was so excited to see him, and no wonder the other party so easily agreed to pay with his life.

A person whose lifespan is almost over, or who even owes a lot of debts, is just like a tough nut to crack, fearing nothing!
Xu Qing recalled the old woman's last breath of weak water before she died, using her remaining magical power to set off a dud in Tianjin.

He felt that the old woman's dud was not without reason, but he couldn't find any clues from the subtle details in the flashback.

That small half-ladle of Weak Water was used up in one go. If the dud hadn't gone off, Xu Qing didn't know how serious the consequences would have been! After putting away the Separation Wind, Xu Qing turned to look at the other rewards.

One method for making incense for the deceased uses the red spider lily as its main ingredient. When the incense is lit, it has the effect of calming the mind and stabilizing the spirit. If combined with ritual incantations, it can also guide the soul to cross the River Styx safely and not be invaded by ghosts.

A single drop of the Three Lives Stone Dew, if consumed by a ghost, will allow it to remember its memories of the next three lifetimes. Even after crossing the Bridge of Helplessness and entering the cycle of reincarnation, the memories will not disappear.

If a living person takes it, it can awaken memories of past and present lives, and make them realize their innate wisdom.

This thing is useless against Xu Qing. He is a zombie, not a living person, much less a ghost. All he has are his memories of this life, and as long as he exists in the world, his memories will not disappear.

Finally, there is the Rejuvenation Pill, a mid-grade Earth-level pill.

As its name suggests, the Soul-Returning Pill can bring the soul back to its rightful place, restoring a person who has lost their soul to normal.

However, this elixir is only effective for those whose lifespan has not yet ended; it will not work for those whose lifespan has been exhausted.

Xu Qing's soul and body were fused together, becoming an inseparable whole. While others might lose their souls, he couldn't lose them even if he wanted to.

After reviewing all the rewards, Xu Qing thoroughly searched the old woman's corpse again, but found nothing of value.

The only valuable item, the wooden ladle used to hold the Weak Water, was also burned by the old woman as a dud.

"It's really just a case of getting something for nothing!"

Xu Qing gained a new understanding of the old woman's shamelessness.

The only valuable thing the other party mentioned was the first edition of the conservation manual stored in the county government office.

That manual was handwritten by Xu Qing and is a rare, out-of-print manual by the Goddess of Childbirth.

According to the old woman, this booklet has immeasurable merit and is the most valuable treasure of Baosheng Temple, as well as the most powerful magic weapon of Baosheng Niangniang (Goddess of Life).

This news seemed very valuable, but Xu Qing remembered clearly that the old woman had said something before she passed away: that even if he didn't go to retrieve the conservation manual, the manual would be summoned back to him when he had completed his merits.

So the old woman was talking nonsense from beginning to end, but she wanted to use this information to make Xu Qing willingly dedicate everything to her, just like she had kidnapped her former kind-hearted disciples.

But is Xu Qing a kind-hearted person at heart?

"This old woman has three thousand clones. If all three thousand clones used the forbidden technique of borrowing power from the Weak Water, wouldn't that mean that these three thousand old women are already exhausted and about to pass away?"

Xu Qing slapped his thigh, feeling a deep sense of heartache!
If you want me to be the one to bear the hopes of all living beings, no problem! But if you send all three thousand clones to the coroner's shop, then I'll definitely give it serious consideration!

Maybe I'll just agree if I get carried away?

Xu Qing felt a sense of regret, as if there was a mountain of corpses before him, but he could not climb it.

When the moon was high in the sky, Liu, the midwife who had been chatting with Sister Jin, finally couldn't help but return to the incense hall.

At this moment, the incense hall was empty, with only an overturned incense burner lying in front of the altar.

Sister Jin got anxious right away!

"Oh dear! Who is this wicked wretch who does such a terrible thing, knocking over the goddess's incense burner?"

Liu the midwife was also anxious. She had just taken a good old woman as her master, but how could she have disappeared in the blink of an eye?

Little did she know that ever since the old woman met the Goddess of Life Protection, she had completely forgotten about her!

After all, this old woman has done plenty of things like starting something and then abandoning it, and being fickle and easily bored with the old and eager for the new!
Xu Qing still remembers that there was an eight-tailed white fox wandering outside in Qingqiu!
The fox was deceived by the old woman just as badly as Xuan Yu. In the old woman's memory, she had met the fox a few years ago when she passed through Yingzhou City.

At that time, the other party was disguised as a female fortune teller, wearing a faded fortune-telling robe, and was telling fortunes for people at the bridgehead.

The moment the female fortune teller saw the old woman, she was so frightened that she abandoned her fortune-telling stall and fled into the distance without looking back!
Xu Qing still has some doubts when she thinks back on it. Wasn't the old woman supposed to have only cut off one of the fox's tails? Why was it limping when it ran away, as if its leg had also suffered a serious injury?
Could it be that after being abandoned by the old woman, he lost a magical battle and got injured?

Tsk, that's the downside of stray animals that no one adopts. If they get injured, no one takes care of them, and they have to set up their own stalls to make a living.

In this respect, Xuan Yu is much better than the other party!
As dawn broke, Xu Qing had just returned to Jingxia Street when he was stopped by Boss Liu from the coffin shop.

Boss Liu looked him over with concern and asked if he was alright and if he was hurt anywhere.
Xu Qing was completely confused. What could possibly be wrong with me? I'm perfectly fine!
Hearing Xu Qing's words, Liu Su'e finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Last night you rode away from here in such a hurry, I thought..."

The careless Xu Qing then recalled that he had stayed overnight at the coffin shop last night. At that time, Boss Liu said that she had just learned a new play and wanted to sing it for him. However, before the play was finished, an uninvited guest arrived at Baosheng Temple.

"It's nothing serious. Last night I suddenly remembered that I promised to hold a funeral for someone during the day, so I quickly rode my palanquin to perform the ritual."

A funeral procession late at night?

"Hey! It's all because our funeral parlor is so famous. Everyone's lining up to have a funeral procession. If you can't get a number during the day, you can only book for the evening!"

Mr. Liu was stunned. People were lining up to attend funerals? Was that reasonable?
"Is there anything else?"

Seeing that Liu Su'e was still following him, Xu Qing turned his head and asked.

"Brother Xu, my coffin shop is haunted!"

Haunted? Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and asked, "What ghost?"

"It's a female ghost wearing a pink dress."

Although she was said to be a female ghost, Boss Liu did not see her with her own eyes. Instead, she dreamed of a woman in a peach-colored dress praising her for singing well last night and inviting her to sing under the peach tree in the backyard of the coffin shop whenever she had time. She said she would come to listen as long as Boss Liu started singing.

"Last night, only Brother Xu was there to listen to the opera, yet she could name every single one of the operas I sang. Brother Xu, do you think there's something unclean in this shop?"

Hearing this, Xu Qing roughly understood what was going on.

“What unclean things are there in our Jingxia Street? But there is a peach tree in the backyard. That tree is the one that Xuanyu and I worshipped as our godmother. Perhaps she is lonely and wants to hear you sing. This is a good thing, so don’t be afraid!”

"But she said that she was about to undergo a tribulation of lightning and was afraid that she didn't have many days left to live. She also told me to leave the coffin shop on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the day of exorcising ghosts, to avoid being implicated."

Xu Qing frowned. He suddenly remembered that when they were at the Shuimen Bridge villa, the Yin Huai tree had appeared in the embroiderer's dream, saying that there was a tree demon undergoing tribulation in the city. When the heavens opened their eyes, the tree demon was afraid that the heavens would see the 'sins' in the villa, thus incurring divine punishment and suffering the consequences.

That's why I wanted the embroiderer to help transplant it outside the city.
At the time, Xu Qing thought that the shady locust tree was just making things up, trying to get rid of the substitute spell he had set up, and that was the excuse it made up.

Who would have thought that a tree demon was actually undergoing tribulation, and right under his nose!
This is truly a case of the darkest place being under the lamp!
On the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, Xu Qing, who was planning to return to the coffin shop, change out of his funeral robes, and visit the county magistrate, had to temporarily put aside his work.

Right now, the peach tree in the coffin shop is like a ticking time bomb; who knows if it will explode prematurely?

What if this tree demon is also a careless fellow and miscalculates the day of the tribulation, or the calamity comes early? Wouldn't Mr. Liu, who lives in the shop, as well as the neighbors and the various deities in the neighborhood suffer misfortune along with him?

“This is no big deal. Xuan Yu and her godmother have a very good relationship! Boss Liu, why don’t you go sit in the incense and candle shop for a while? I’ll talk to her and we’ll definitely resolve this in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!”

(End of this chapter)