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

Chapter 308 The Godfather of Tianjin, The Final Redemption (5k words, please vote)

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, peach blossoms reflected in the old courtyard.

It snowed heavily all night yesterday. In the morning, Xu Qing came to the door to shovel snow, and Xuan Yu followed behind him.

This cat doesn't like to put its little paws on the snow. Whenever its paws accidentally get covered in snow, it quickly shakes its paws and then obediently follows the path that Xu Qing has cleared.

Crows circled overhead, looking down at the vast expanse of streets below, while a black cat, like an ink dot, stood out starkly against this pure white backdrop.

The door to the partitioned room opened, but it wasn't Bai Qiuyu who came out.

The nine-tailed fox and Daoist Yizhen hit it off immediately and have since moved to the coffin shop, saying they want to help Xu Qing manage the business.

Since this fox isn't a full-time employee of the Cat Fairy Hall yet, Xu Qing can't really control her, so he just lets her be.

At the beginning of the new year, the shops along Jingxia Street have also undergone new changes.

The coffin shop on the street is the residence of Daoist Yizhen, who travels through the mortal world, and also Bai Qiuyu's shop.

As for Tao Sanmei, she would go to the funeral clothing shop whenever she had nothing to do. In her eyes, getting along with Liu Su'e, who could sing ditties and chat, was much more comfortable than getting along with the Taoist priests of the Five Elders Temple!
Today, what emerges from the paper-craft shop are robust iron pillars, as imposing as gates and walls.

"Sect Leader, please go back to your room and rest. I'll take over the cleaning!"

Xu Qing chuckled, handed the shovel to Tie Zhu, and then took a broom to sweep the ground where the snow had just been shoveled.

"Where's Xiao Liu? We can't find it anywhere."

Xu Qing and her subordinates chatted while cleaning outside the door.

“Last night, a little yellow wolf came from Huangtiao Mountain to deliver a message, saying that Xiao Liu’s great-grandfather is unwell and may not have much time left.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Liu returned to Huangtiao Mountain overnight.

Xu Qing asked in surprise, "Although Old Huang is old, it hasn't been just in the last two years. How come he suddenly became so weak?"

Although Tie Zhu used to be simple-minded, he became exceptionally bright after taking the Enlightenment Pill, though he still looked honest and simple.

Upon hearing the sect leader's words, he instantly realized: "Could it be that Xiao Liu's great-grandfather is deliberately faking illness?"

Tie Zhu brainstormed, saying, "In the past few years, Xiao Liu has spent most of his time running around the Immortal Hall and hasn't had time to visit Huangtiao Mountain. Yesterday was also New Year's Eve."

"Perhaps Old Master Huang misses his grandson and is deliberately feigning illness to trick Xiao Liu into going back."

The more Tie Zhu thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

"That's right! How could a celestial being fall ill? Even if one were sick, one should seek treatment from a celestial being at a medical clinic, or go to see the White Immortal or the Python Immortal."

Xu Qing shook his head and said, "That old yellow wolf is arrogant and proud. In its eyes, humans can only become disciples of elves, how can they be the head of the sect? But it is also greedy for the incense offerings of the Cat Immortal Hall and wants its grandson to learn how to manage the hall."

"What it didn't know was that the reason why the Cat Immortal Hall was so popular was not only because there were enough immortals, each with their own duties, but also because there were people outside the immortals who were in charge."

Tie Zhu seemed to understand and said, "I understand now. The immortals are not harmonious with each other and cannot jointly manage the temple. However, humans do not belong to any immortal family, so only the sect leader can manage the temple and unify the immortal circle, so as to achieve a complete temple with four pillars, eight beams, and ten branch temples."

Xu Qing nodded and then shook his head: "It's not just that, there are other reasons besides these."

Xu Qing didn't say anything explicitly, but turned to look at Xuan Yu, who had run back to the shop entrance because he disliked the snow on the ground, and was now sitting on the doorstep licking his paws.

If there were only humans, the immortals would not easily trust them, but if Xuan Yu were added in addition to him, the situation would be different.

After all, his shrine is called Cat Fairy Hall.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, it is auspicious to clean and meet with friends; other activities should be avoided.

Later that evening, Xu Qing, carrying snacks, cloth, and some red envelopes, rode the funeral horse to visit his former friends from house to house.

Meanwhile, Tie Zhu, Gu Zixu, and others also brought rice, flour, and cooking oil to visit the widowed, orphaned, and lonely people who had purchased membership cards, bringing them warmth.

Knowing his role as a funeral director, Xu Qing would not enter the house when visiting friends. He would simply stand outside, chat with everyone for a few words, offer a New Year's greeting, and that would be the end of it.

"When I first met Second Master, he was still carrying my eldest brother around, having fun everywhere, just like a young man who had just come of age. Now, several years have passed in the blink of an eye, and who would have thought that Second Master is now a parent and enjoying the joys of family life."

Master Feng, holding Xu Qing's arm, laughed and said, "If it weren't for Brother Xu, we wouldn't be where we are today. Let's not stand outside anymore, come into the courtyard quickly. I've acquired some top-quality poems, calligraphy, and paintings these past few days, Brother Xu, you must take a good look."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing laughed and said, "Calligraphy and paintings? Second Master, are you perhaps planning to cultivate your son from a young age so that he will become a scholar in the imperial examinations?"

Master Feng laughed heartily: "If he can become a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, even if I die immediately, I will be able to die with a smile on my face."

"It's the Lunar New Year, so let's not talk about unlucky things. I won't go into this house. I have some friends I need to meet up with as soon as possible, otherwise I'm afraid there won't be many more opportunities in the future."

Master Feng didn't understand Xu Qing's implied meaning. He let go of Xu Qing's hand and said, "Wait here. A few days ago, I had someone get some pastries from Jiangnan. Your sister-in-law likes them. You can take some back and eat them."

Seeing that Xu Qing wanted to refuse, Master Feng quickly added, "Even if you don't eat it, it's good to take it back and use it to feed your cat."

After visiting Master Feng, Xu Qing went to Dongdaokou, not far from the county magistrate's residence, to visit Wang Lingyuan.

This senior brother Wang is no longer alone. His two disciples, Song Tu and Dou Yun, live next door to each other. The two families send him food every day or invite Wang Lingyuan to their homes as guests.

Life was quite comfortable.

Wang Lingyuan had seen countless people and quite a few dead. When he saw Xu Qing come to visit and bring up many past events, he frowned and asked, "Junior Brother, are you going on a long journey?"

Xu Qing asked in surprise, "How do you know, Senior Brother?"

Wang Lingyuan laughed and scolded, "In the past, when have you ever cared about the old things? If you hadn't brought them up today, I would have thought you were some immortal who doesn't eat earthly grains!"

"That's impossible. What kind of immortal would run a funeral parlor and deal with dead people all day long?"

“That’s true.” Wang Lingyuan nodded, then asked, “Junior brother, how long will you be gone this time? If you really encounter any difficulties, you can tell your senior brother. Although your senior brother is old, I still have some acquaintances in Tianjin.”

Xu Qing shook his head and said, "It's nothing major, just that I need to go on a long business trip to resolve an old matter."

"Junior brother, could you please tell me where we are going?"

"Qianzhou".

Wang Lingyuan asked again, "How long will it take for you to return?"

Xu Qing paused for a moment, then replied, "At least ten years."

"ten years."

Wang Lingyuan looked up at the snow scene outside and muttered to himself.

"Ten years, and I don't know if we'll ever meet again by then."

Xu Qing did not answer. Instead, he asked, "Did you take the pills I gave you last time?"

"There's still a little left."

Xu Qing nodded, then took out another prescription and some pills, saying, "Fetch the medicine according to the prescription. These pills can strengthen your physique. Senior brother, don't worry, you might even live to a ripe old age."

Bai Shou means ninety-nine years old. If you remove the horizontal stroke from bai, it becomes one year old, which is Bai Shou.

"What's the point of me living so long? Haven't I heard that to be old and not die is to be a thief?"

Wang Lingyuan accepted Xu Qing's kindness, but he did not have such a strong desire for longevity.

When Xu Qing left Dongdaokou Hutong and went to the brokerage to find Master Li, he ran into an acquaintance in the freezing cold.

At this moment, the monk Xinyuan, with one bare foot, wearing a tattered patchwork robe, and with his forehead bare, was humming a little tune on the Water Gate Bridge.

Xu Qing saw the mad monk and was secretly amused. He silently walked up behind him and slapped his shiny forehead!

Xinyuan, who was humming a tune, was startled and her melody went off track.

He jumped back and saw that it was Xu Qing, and his face immediately fell.

Why do you always walk so silently?

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and said, "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. You must be thinking something wrong, otherwise how could you not hear the noise outside?"

"As a monk, I have no attachments, I am neither greedy nor greedy, so how could I have any guilty conscience?"

Xu Qing looked Xin Yuan up and down. When he saw that Xin Yuan was standing on one leg, with his shoe on, in the snow, while his bare foot was scratching the ankle of the shoe-wearing one, he couldn't help but say, "Monk, Qianzhou is like spring all year round, much warmer than here. Why don't you go back as soon as possible? It's better than freezing and starving here."

Xin Yuan looked at Xu Qing warily and said, "You little brat, you have no good intentions. I, this monk, still need to watch Xiao Liu grow up and enter my Buddhist sect. If I leave, Xiao Liu might be led astray by some shady people, and that won't do!"

dubious?

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and said, "Then you can continue to freeze! When you're completely frozen solid, I might even throw you a funeral."

"Pah! Don't talk to me, monk, during the New Year. I find it unlucky!"

The two argued, neither willing to back down. When Xu Qing was about to leave, she noticed that the monk's gaze kept drifting towards the Shuimenqiao villa where the embroiderer was.

Xu Qing immediately sensed something was wrong. He turned back and slapped Xin Yuan on the head again.

"What are you doing back here?"

Xu Qing withdrew his hand, gestured with his chin toward the villa, and said, "That villa is my residence. A mother and daughter live there, and they are my people."

"If you dare to make a move on them."

Xu Qing's illusory spirit substitute technique is located in the Shuimenqiao villa, which allows him to sense any unexpected events.

Over the years, the illusory god has shrouded the courtyard and become deeply bound to Xu Qing. Under the cover of the Heaven-Covering Technique, no one can see the abnormality of the courtyard.

But the monk in front of me
Xu Qing suddenly understood. Xin Yuan might not be able to detect the anomaly at the villa, but Xiao Shi Yue, who occasionally went there, often played with Chen Liu'er.

And since the monk Xinyuan happened to like following Chen Liuer, he would naturally discover that Shiyue was a little devil.

"A mother and daughter ghost? My friend, humans and ghosts are different; you mustn't make that mistake!"

"."

Xu Qing's face darkened, and he said irritably, "Have you ever heard of the Sorrowful Immortal?"

"As a monk, I have traveled all over the country and have naturally heard of this. This 'Sorrowful Immortal' originated from Guandong and is a household spirit raised by people."

Xin Yuan's expression suddenly changed: "Could it be them?"

"They are the Sorrowful Immortals."

Xu Qing said, "Shi Yue's soul is very pure and she never harms anyone. Otherwise, why do you think Chen Liuer can play with her?"

Xin Yuan nodded and said, "This humble monk understands. Rest assured, benefactor, even if you hadn't brought these things up today, this humble monk would not have harmed them. Those who can gain Xiao Liu'er's approval must be rare and devout believers."

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why is it that whatever Chen Liuer approves of is right? What makes him different?"

"."

Xin Yuan realized he had spoken out of turn, and no matter how Xu Qing asked him afterward, he did not respond.

Finally, as Xu Qing was about to leave, he suddenly turned around and asked:
"Could Chen Liuer be the reincarnation of some eminent monk?"

"."

Xin Yuan's expression changed for a moment, and then he pretended to be crazy and said he couldn't understand what Xu Qing was saying.

However, Xu Qing had already gotten the answer she wanted from the other party's change in expression.

"If he's not a high-ranking monk, then he's the Buddha, and you, as his protector, can only be an Arhat!"

"."

Xin Yuan's expression turned even more serious, but just as he was about to reply, he saw the young man in front of him laugh loudly:
"I was just kidding you. You're a crazy monk, how could you possibly be an Arhat? At most, you're just a wild monk who broke the precepts by drinking alcohol and eating meat and was expelled from the temple!"

Xin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. After watching Xu Qing leave, he wiped away an inexplicable cold sweat and said with lingering fear:

"This startled the monk; Tianjin is truly an eerie place!"

“I, a monk, have been living in constant fear since I came here; not a single day has gone smoothly for me.”

"Even the weather here seems abnormal."

"Chen Liuer, you must grow up quickly, I really don't want to stay here for another day."

Outside the coroner's shop on Jingxia Street.

Two weasels, one big and one small, were pulling at each other outside.

"Grandpa, if you're sick, we have to treat you. The sect leader knows the Python Immortal of Yuehua Mountain, and the medical hall also has Little White Immortal who can provide consultations. It won't be a problem if you have a headache or fever."

"Little Six, don't pull on your great-grandfather. My illness is incurable; it's simply my time to die. I wanted you to come back and visit me more often because I'm getting old. I'm like the snow before me now—my good days are numbered."

Huang Xiaoliu would have been better off not listening to this, because once he heard it, he tightened his grip even more, determined to drag his great-grandfather into the hall.

"The sect leader is knowledgeable and experienced; he must have a way to help Grandfather!"

"At worst, Grandpa will come into the Cat Fairy Hall with me, and Xiao Liu will give all the incense money he earns to Grandpa!"

Over here, two weasels are pulling at each other.

Suddenly a voice came from behind.

"It's too late. The main purpose of incense offerings is to ward off disasters, and the immortals of my Cat Immortal Hall are either not far from a lightning calamity or have already survived one."

"But your great-grandfather never had to worry about lightning strikes his entire life."

Old Huang turned around and saw Xu Qing, who had just returned from paying New Year's visits, ignoring his presence and walking straight into the shop.

"Young Xu, are you indirectly implying that I'm dull-witted and lack the talent for cultivation?"

Old Huang followed closely behind into the shop, his beady eyes wide open.

Xu Qing finally lowered his head to look at the self-aware old yellow wolf.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, there's no need to belittle yourself. At least Xiao Liu's talent is not bad, and you can be considered a successor."

"."

Old Huangpizi was speechless; the young man's words were far too offensive.

Little Yellow Weasel remembered his great-grandfather's kindness, so while comforting the old man, he asked Xu Qing for advice.

"The sect leader possesses boundless magical power; surely he has a way to extend our great-grandfather's lifespan."

"Extending lifespan? Ordinary people who are sick and weak can have their bodies treated to extend their lifespan, but that only extends the lifespan they were originally destined for."

Xu Qing chuckled and said, "I am not an omnipotent deity. If I truly possessed a method for prolonging life, there would probably still be an old man tending to the coffin shops on the street today."

Zombies have no lifespan. Xu Qing is already dead and has no fear of death, so he is naturally not bound by the four sufferings.

But for others, escaping the four sufferings during this great calamity is not so easy.

Even cultivators who practice the Six Realms Method still need to borrow lifespan to repay lifespan.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many people like the Abbot of Baiyun Temple and the Abbot of Dingguang Temple who would stop at nothing to prolong their lives, using people as medicine and engaging in heinous acts just to survive in this world.

If evil practices can prolong life, while righteous practices are insufficient to cover expenses, then who would still practice righteous practices?
Only because some Taoist priests in Tianjin still maintain the traditional path of cultivating merit and offering incense can they barely manage to remain untainted.

Although this kind of cultivation cannot steal the Great Dao, it does just avoid the influence of the Great Calamity and prevents one from falling into evil ways.

Even so, some immortals in Tianjin still tasted the "sweetness of the great calamity" and made a series of decisions that went against their ancestors, thus embarking on the evil path.

For example, the red-clad female ghost in Qushui Village whom Xu Qing encountered had tasted the sweetness of the animal creation technique, and thus led the entire Beixian Hall to fall into an endless abyss.

Although Xu Qing and Huang Laoxu did not get along well, this weasel always kept in mind the teachings of his ancestors and never fell into evil ways.

Even though the cultivation was slow and there was no hope in sight for a long time, this weasel did not choose to resort to any means or abandon its bottom line.

Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to teach immortals like Huang Xiaoliu.

Xu Qing glanced at Old Huang, whose spirits were not as good as before, then suddenly turned around and asked for no apparent reason:

"Xiao Liu, did you put up the couplets at the entrance of the paper craft shop?"

"It was put up by my subordinates and Chuma together."

"It's crooked. Go back and straighten it before you come back."

Huang Xiaoliu was very clever. After looking the sect leader and his great-grandfather up and down, he immediately agreed. Before leaving, the little yellow weasel even winked at Huang Laoxu.

Huang Lao must turn a blind eye.

The old weasel is wild and untamed. In its eyes, how can a proper immortal be treated like a servant, at the behest of a human who should be a shaman?

In the coffin shop, Xu Qing leaned back in his armchair and reached out to stroke the black cat lying on the coffin lid next to him, but the cat nimbly dodged him and took a few steps back, sitting in a spot just out of Xu Qing's reach.

Xu Qing silently withdrew his hand, then, as a second choice, waved to Jin Luan, who was watching the commotion.

The latter came running up to him, letting Xu Qing stroke its wings.

“Fellow Daoist Huang, you have come to me today, presumably with something to ask. You are Huang Xiaoliu’s great-grandfather, so you can speak frankly without putting on this show.”

Old Huang's eyelids twitched, and he looked up at the young man who was stroking the golden rooster but not looking at it directly.

"How is the crow now?"

Huang Lao must ask.

"What does Fellow Daoist Huang hope for from Master Gua?"

Before Huang Laoxu could answer, Xu Qing continued, "Master Gua is very good. The Immortal Hall distributes incense to the Yatang Hall every year. The crows of Luanshi Mountain are no longer the same as before."

Old Huang stared at Xu Qing and suddenly asked, "Just how high is Fellow Daoist Xu's cultivation level?"

"What do you think, Fellow Daoist Huang?"

Old Huang paused for a moment, then sighed, "I do not know."

"However, if I were to pass away one day, I would still like to shamelessly ask you, fellow Daoist, to take good care of the descendants of Huangtiao Mountain."

Xu Qing stopped stroking the golden phoenix and turned to look directly at Old Huang.

"You want me to treat you, the yellow wolf of Yellow Strip Mountain, like the crows of Luanshi Mountain?"

Huang Laoxu felt uneasy under Huang Laoxu's gaze, but he forced himself to say, "Fellow Daoist, please feel free to ask me to do anything in the future. As long as it is within my power, I will not refuse."

Xu Qing stood up, walked to the shop door, looked at the street outside, and said in a deep voice:
"Fellow Daoist Huang, what have I done to make you disrespect me so much that you won't even call me Sect Leader?"

(End of this chapter)