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

Chapter 328 The True Lord's Prophecy, a Treasure of the Underworld

Outside the Bone Temple, the Eight Banners Marshal saw the two corpses that Xu Qing was carrying.

"Are these the treacherous ministers who aided the Yin Shi Dharma King?"

The marshal looked at the two corpses, their tear stains still wet, as if they had suffered great humiliation in life, and was quite puzzled.

What exactly did Lord Xu do to them that he could bully two martial arts masters and rebel leaders into this state?
Xu Qing nodded, as if he had resolved a trivial matter.

“Some insects that cannot stand the light lose all courage the moment the divine light shines on them in the temple.”

"That divine light?" the Eight Banners Marshal couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know. Perhaps there really is a divine relic beneath this temple, but as mortals who are immersed in the mundane world, I think we have no chance to obtain the divine treasures within."

The Eight Banners Marshal wholeheartedly agreed: "Lord Xu is humble and modest, and his ambitions are pure and untainted. He is not tempted by the illusory path of immortality, which I truly admire!"

Xu Qing smiled calmly, his nonchalant demeanor truly conveying a sense of profound understanding of all things in the world.

"Lord Xu must be tired. Why don't you return to the camp to rest? These two corpses can be handed over to my men for disposal."

However, before the Eight Banners Marshal finished speaking, the otherworldly aura emanating from Lord Xu vanished instantly.

"That won't do! I'm the accompanying medic, after all. How can I let other soldiers do these dirty and tiring jobs of collecting and burying corpses?"

As Xu Qing spoke of how a general should lead by example and share meals and sleep with his soldiers, he carefully carried the two Grandmaster corpses into the paper sedan chair. At the end, he patted the corpses' upturned buttocks, as if to tell them not to be afraid, that he would be back soon.

The Eight Banners Marshal increasingly felt that Lord Xu might have some kind of peculiar hobby.

Or perhaps Lord Xu was simply doing his duty.
Before returning to the camp, Xu Qing completely repaired the holes in the Bone Temple, and with the help of the Mother-Child Needle Technique, he sewed the broken statue of the Exorcist True Lord back on the altar in the incense hall.

The Eight Banners Marshal looked at the statue and confirmed the identity of the red-robed giant once again.

So this bone temple really was the residence of that great man!

Then what about them driving the big man out of the bone temple?

Xu Qing said from the side, "This bone temple statue was destroyed by the Cangyi rebels. We repaired and restored it for him. He should be grateful to us. Don't you think that makes sense, Marshal?"

"reasonable."

The Eight Banners Marshal's expression softened, and for a moment he felt that his family had gained the moral high ground.

After restoring the Bone Temple to its original state and collecting the bodies of the chieftain and envoy brought by Ji Lingzhou, Xu Qing rode in a paper sedan chair and returned to the camp.

As they passed the Yin-Yang Boundary Marker, the Yin army stopped. Xu Qing lifted the sedan curtain and saw the Exorcist True Lord standing at the highest point of the boundary marker, his hand on his sword.

The last one standing there was the Demon King Duo'e.

Xu Qing stepped down from the sedan chair and let the Eight Banners Marshal lead the soldiers back first, while he walked all the way to the boundary marker and looked up at the red-robed giant on it.

The latter also cast a glance at him.

"You win! I misjudged you; you are indeed a gentleman."

A virtuous and upright person? Who?

Xu Qing felt that this was not a compliment, but an insult to his zombie form.

"A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall, but I am not a wise man."

Standing beneath the boundary marker, Xu Qing refused the compliment offered by the burly man in red robes. He continued, "However, one shouldn't stand atop a precarious wall. Don't you think the place you're standing in is somewhat unlucky?"

"Unlucky?" The Exorcist Lord frowned.

Xu Qing tucked his sleeves and smiled, "As far as I know, the Ghost King Duo'e of Ghost King's Tomb was buried on this boundary marker three years ago."

"According to those in the funeral industry, this boundary marker is actually a tombstone, with extremely inauspicious feng shui. If someone were to stand on it... well, that would be even more terrible!"

"However, you are, after all, a master of exorcising ghosts and a true exorcist, so I suppose you don't shy away from these feng shui theories."

"."

The Exorcist Master looked somewhat embarrassed. Was this a curse or a warning?
"How did you know it was a tombstone?" the burly man in the red robe suddenly asked.

Xu Qing smiled and said, "There is a temple beneath the Bone Temple, where the Demon Exorcist True Lord has long guarded this place. Don't you know that?"

The burly man in the red robe narrowed his eyes and said in a mysterious tone, "As expected! You are indeed extraordinary. Even I wouldn't dare to enter that temple without permission, yet you were able to see it and come out unharmed."

Who exactly is your teacher, and what is your background?

Xu Qing smiled but remained silent.

"Never mind, I shouldn't have asked. You have your background, and I have my past. As long as we keep the right mind, our origins are not that important."

The burly man in red robes seemed to have figured something out. He smiled with relief and threw the demon-slaying sword, which was three inches wide and five feet three inches long, at Xu Qing.

Beneath the Yin-Yang Boundary Stele, Xu Qing raised his hand and grabbed the sheathed sword. The sword was much wider than ordinary swords and weighed no less than a hundred pounds.

However, compared to the axe, this sword can be described as light and agile.

Xu Qing looked at the simple and unadorned sword in his hand, and began to look at the red-robed man in front of him with new respect.

Unexpectedly, the dark-faced man kept his word and, as promised, gave him the demon-slaying sword without batting an eye.

"It is said that the Demon-Slaying Sword was bestowed upon me by Yama, the King of Hell. How dare you, True Lord, transfer this sword to me?"

The burly man in red robes looked up into the distance and said with some melancholy, "The King of Hell has already returned to nothingness. Even if I were to give you this sword now, even if the King of Hell were still ruling the Underworld, he would not say anything."

Xu Qing's heart stirred, and he asked, "How did He return to the void?"

The burly man in red robes looked down at Xu Qing and said in a calm tone, "You are not yet qualified to know that this sword does not yet completely belong to you. I am merely giving you a chance to obtain it."

"If you can pull out this sword, it will belong to you, and then I will tell you about Yama, the King of Hell. But if you cannot pull it out..."

The burly man in red robes grinned and said, "A treasure chooses its master, and this sword will return to me!"

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow, and before he could finish speaking in the Han language, his hand was already on the hilt of his sword.

The next moment, a clang was heard, and the demon-slaying sword, full of demonic and evil energy, was easily pulled out by Xu Qing!

"What did you just say?"

"."

The burly man in the red robe remained silent.

Seeing that the other party remained silent, Xu Qing assumed that the True Lord wanted to go back on his word. He chuckled and simply tossed the sword back into the air.

"Demon Exorcist Lord, you have rendered meritorious service in subduing demons and eliminating evil in both realms, so this sword is returned to you! However, I hope that you will continue to slay ghosts and eliminate evil in the future, and not let this sword lose its sharpness!"

The burly man in red robes was genuinely surprised this time. He caught the sword with his backhand and looked down at Xu Qing:
"This is a precious treasure bestowed by the King of Hell, a genuine magical artifact from the gods and demons. Are you really not going to take it?"

"I have seen all kinds of immortals and gods before. They are all cunning and calculating. How could they possibly give me a treasure for no reason?"

"I'm afraid they're up to no good and are just waiting to throw their dirty tricks at me. I'm not going to fall for it!"

"This sword is yours to take or leave. I don't care for it!"

Xu Qing was telling the truth. Although he knew the Xuan Nu Sword Technique, the Nine Heavens Xuan Nu would not use such a broadsword. Even if he wanted to use a heavy sword without an edge to unleash devastating divine power, there was a higher-level Heavenly Gang Axe Technique to replace it.

On the other hand, the Demon-Slaying Sword is neither too heavy nor too light, falling perfectly between the two types of sword and axe techniques that Xu Qing excels at.

Can it be used? Yes!
Xu Qing could even use this sword as a Heavenly Gang Axe, or use it to manipulate the Xuan Nu Sword Technique with light and agile movements.

However, to unleash the full potential of both types of sword and axe techniques, something falls short. Simply put, they're not very intuitive to use.

Moreover, Xu Qing was unwilling to take away what others loved, especially since he had encountered cunning immortals and gods like Lord Yuan and the nameless old woman.

After several such incidents, Xu Qing developed a psychological trauma, to the point that she would subconsciously be wary whenever she saw so-called immortals or gods.

In a world of great calamity where yin and yang are out of balance and demons and monsters emerge in endless streams, a ghost god from the underworld, famous for slaying ghosts and monsters, is about to give away his own ghost-slaying sword to a living person.

Although the Exorcist Master had made a bet with Xu Qing beforehand, who would casually use their sword as a bargaining chip?

You mean Zuo Zixiong?
That guy was a complete idiot, a simpleton, who, aside from his obsession with that cheap, worn-out woman he gave away to everyone, had no other value as a reference.

Xu Qing didn't believe that these gods, who were on the front lines of slaying demons and monsters and had already become gods and immortals, would be so reckless as to give away divine artifacts and magical treasures that didn't belong to the mortal world.

Who knows, the Exorcist Lord might be staying in the Bone Temple guarding the underground divine relics, just to hand over the precious sword in his hand. And the so-called bet is probably just like the Rakshasa Ghost and the Five Plague Ghosts, a routine procedure performed to achieve a certain goal.

After all, no one knows whether the words the Exorcist Lord spoke to him today have been said to others as well.

That sword may have been passed around several times, stained with the blood of its second and third owners.

It's no wonder Xu Qing made this guess; with the Path to Heaven blocked, anything could happen.

At the boundary marker, the Exorcist True Lord, having heard Xu Qing's words, fell completely silent.

This is the first time he's done something like this. Did he do something wrong? Should he have done something wrong?

Or is it that these days, even the promise of immortality can't be fooled anymore?
"They say that wealth moves people's hearts, but you are not swayed by poverty and lowliness."

Xu Qing's face darkened. What did he mean by "not being swayed by poverty and lowliness"? Did he look poor?
The burly man in red robes continued speaking to himself, "I do not wish to force anyone to do something against their will. You guessed correctly, I have my own reasons for gifting you this precious sword and granting you a celestial weapon."

"."

Xu Qing's slightly furrowed brows relaxed, revealing an expression of "I knew it."

These gods and immortals are truly up to no good; they're all seasoned con artists!
"Well, I haven't fed the chickens at home yet, so I have to take my leave first. I won't keep you company any longer!"

"Wait!" came a shout from the boundary marker.

Xu Qing ignored him, got into the paper sedan chair, and headed towards the Eight Banners Marshal's camp.

"That's all."

High above, the burly man in red robes sighed deeply, his eyes filled with regret as he said, "It's just a pity that the people of this land are about to perish right before my eyes."

Upon receiving the instruction, the straw spirit paper figure, which had been running away into the distance, suddenly stopped and then retreated back to the Yin-Yang boundary marker exactly as it had been.

Xu Qing lifted the sedan curtain and asked:

"Explain yourself clearly, what do you mean by 'the destruction of an entire region's people'?"

The burly man in the red robe opened his mouth as if to speak, but then suddenly stopped.

The next moment, Xu Qing saw the Exorcist Lord in front of him take out a red umbrella and throw it over his head.

As soon as the red umbrella was thrown out, it spun and unfolded, hovering above the boundary marker.

Then, the burly man in the red robe took out a red gauze lantern, held it in one hand, and the entire area within a ten-mile radius, including the bone temple, was enveloped in red light.

Xu Qing's heart moved when he saw this.

Legend has it that in addition to the Demon-Slaying Green Edge Sword, the Exorcist Lord also possesses a red umbrella, also known as the Soul-Gathering Umbrella, which has the effect of exorcising evil spirits and protecting the soul.

There is also a red gauze lantern, which can illuminate shapes clearly, drive away evil spirits and demons, and help identify monsters.

What could be so important that a ghost from the underworld would be so cautious as to use two magical artifacts that can isolate one from the outside world?

Xu Qing suddenly regretted turning back, but when he thought of the people in the area the other party had mentioned, he couldn't just ignore it.

The Yin River here can only refer to the area of ​​Tianjin, and the people they are referring to are also the people of Tianjin.

If it were anywhere else, Xu Qing might have a reason to ignore it, but Tianjin was where he made his fortune, and his entire business was located there.
"If you have something to say, please speak plainly, but please do not deceive me any further."

"Rest assured, I will not speak recklessly this time."

The burly man in red robes said with a solemn expression, "You probably already know who is buried in the temple beneath that bone temple."

"I know, the Dragon-Tiger Mystic Altar True Lord, but did He really perish beneath the Bone Temple?"

The burly man in the red robe raised an eyebrow at Xu Qing, seemingly somewhat surprised.

“You see things more clearly than those two. Indeed, if those two had been able to leave the Bone Temple, I might not have looked up to them. They might already be dead by my sword.”

The burly man in the red robe seemed to appreciate talent, and he patiently explained, "Do you know why Yama, the King of Hell, returns to the Void?"

The burly man answered his own question: "Because Yama, the King of Hell, could not bear to see the underworld in chaos, he sought a method to refine a stabilizing artifact that could suppress the Dharma Corpse and resolve the great calamity."

After this news spread, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva immediately reported to the Heavenly Emperor, stating that he had made a great vow: he would not become a Buddha until hell was emptied.

"Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva spent a long time in the underworld, but never realized his grand vision. Although Yama, the King of Hell, can control the Ten Kings of Hell and all the ghosts in the underworld, he is also the greatest ghost god in the underworld."

If they are ghosts or spirits, then they are included in the scope of salvation. But what virtue or ability does a ghost or spirit possess to fulfill the great vow that even Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva could not accomplish?

The burly man in red robes shook his head and said, "The Heavenly Emperor's questioning of Yama's grand ambitions as unrealistic is actually an attempt to use the pretext of resolving the great calamity to forge a powerful artifact that transcends the control of Heavenly Laws for himself."

"Knowing the Heavenly Emperor's thoughts, Yama, the King of Hell, divided the treasure of the Underworld into two, allowing them to escape into the mortal world and evolve naturally. He also sent his trusted ghosts and gods into the world to find and refine this treasure."

The red-robed man then said, "When the Heavenly Emperor learned of this, he wanted to punish Yama, the King of Hell, but he never expected that the former King of Hell would sacrifice himself to the Dao and return to the Netherworld. Even his body could not be completely preserved."

"The Heavenly Emperor intends to reforge the treasures of the Underworld, and the unfinished magic weapon is currently in the Yin River. You may have even seen it."

"I've seen it before?" Xu Qing's heart tightened as he recalled his own Scripture of Salvation, but the Exorcist True Lord dispelled his doubts the next moment.

"You're not the only one who's seen it; many people have seen it too. It is the Ghost Law, which governs the entrance to the Yin River, ranks among the twelve gatekeepers, and oversees the path between the underworld and heaven!"

"The Law of Ghosts governs all ghosts. All ghosts, whether they are monstrous creatures, plague demons, or various kinds of ghosts, or even the gods and spirits of the underworld, are naturally subject to its control. Every time it devours a ghost, it gains the ghost magic and supernatural powers that the ghost previously possessed."

The burly man in red robes said with deep apprehension, "Ghost Law wants to control the reincarnation, but how can the affairs of the underworld be managed by a mere ghost?"

"What is fake can never become real. Ghost Law is not a ghost or god; it is merely a figment of the Heavenly Emperor's imagination."

"The Underworld no longer has the Mirror of Retribution, and there is no judge to wield the pen between life and death. This Ghost Law is both the Heavenly Emperor and the one that the Corpses of the Underworld want to replace the Mirror of Retribution and the one who holds the pen in place of the judge."

Xu Qing suddenly caught a crucial piece of information: "You mean the Dharma Corpse? Since the Ghost Law was created by the Heavenly Emperor as the Keeper of the Book, how could it be related to the Dharma Corpse?"

The burly man in red robes sneered, "The road to heaven is blocked, and the Ghost Law belongs to the category of ghosts and spirits of the underworld. When the Dharma Corpse sees it, it is like seeing a relative. The Heavenly Emperor has done a favor for someone else."

"However, this matter is not unsolvable."

"Although the Ghost Law can see the tricks of ghosts, it cannot see the thoughts of living people."

The burly man in red robes laughed and said, "Those who eat ghosts only take in and never give out; they do not save living beings and are far removed from the true path!"

"Those who wield the treasures of the underworld must be people who have helped many living beings and can comprehend the mysteries of life and death."

"Only such people are qualified to interfere in the affairs of my Nine Netherworld."

The burly man in red robes suddenly looked at Xu Qing, his eyes burning with intensity, and said:

"Well, are you willing to come with me to set things right?"

(End of this chapter)