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

Chapter 335 Three Parts of Luck, the End of a Dynasty

The capital region, a place of great strategic importance.

A young man dressed in a blue robe and white shirt stood on Zhaoshi Mountain, gazing at the distant Iron City.

According to the guidance of the Dragon Vein Searching Technique, Zhaoshi Mountain is the location of the Dayong Dragon Vein.

"The Zhao clan, the Zhao clan, isn't this place the Zhao clan's domain due to the dragon vein?"

Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and looked back at the distant mountains.

Amidst the clouds and mist, a long, winding dragon stretches for thousands of miles, and the Fuyong Imperial Mausoleum is built at the very tip of this dragon.

"The Zhao family is the master of the Dayong dragon vein, and also the key to the lifeline of this dragon vein."

Xu Qing has now found the dragon vein, but it will not be easy to catch the hidden dragon of fortune.

Although Xu Qing possessed the art of dragon fishing, the method passed down by the Dragon Taming Clan was for catching 'real dragons', not dragons whose fortune had gathered.

"The Dragon-Hunting Clan often uses the cries for help of young dragons as bait, transmitting the sounds of water veins from all directions to lure larger dragons onto their hooks."

"Or one can observe celestial phenomena and wait for the opportune moment. If a meteor streaks across the sky, it signifies a fallen dragon. Fallen dragons prefer to transform into mudfish or carp to escape mortal calamities. If one can discern the true nature of the dragon, then it can be captured."

Xu Qing drew inferences from this example: such a great dragon of destiny, which is related to the fate of the nation, relies on the earth's veins to exist. At most, it will only cause a landslide disaster when the country is in danger of falling, but it will not cause the dragon to fall.

Excluding the second method, the only remaining option is for the baby dragon to call for help.

Although he did not possess a young dragon, he did possess a portion of the imperial destiny of a human emperor, and this portion of destiny was equivalent to that of a young dragon.

Xu Qing refused to believe that the great dragon, which had lost five-tenths of the nation's fortune, would not want to devour the 'little dragon' in his hands.

Having figured out the key to it, Xu Qing simply used himself as bait, using that portion of imperial purple energy to enhance his own body, and then wandered around Zhaoshi Mountain.

Hundreds of miles away, deep in the Zhaoshi Mountains, a dragon of fortune bursts forth from the earth's veins, hidden among the mountain mists, gazing at the young man strolling along the mountain path in the distance.

The dragon of fortune was overjoyed. A year ago, it was severely injured again, but today a portion of its lost fortune has returned to it. How could it not be happy?
But when Da Long saw that the imperial fortune had fallen on a fair-skinned young man, the mountain mist suddenly churned.

The Zhaoshi Mountain's auspicious dragon body possesses the destiny of the Great Yong Kingdom, and it is also guided by a wisp of the founding emperor's obsession, all for the purpose of protecting the prosperity of the Great Yong Kingdom.

Now, the Great Dragon is certain that this young man will become a scourge to the country in the future. If we follow the ideas of the Great Ancestor, we should cut off his path to survival and seize his destiny.

However, the struggle for destiny is different from ordinary struggles. It depends on the strength of one's destiny, and only the one with stronger destiny can seize the destiny of the weak.

After a moment's thought, the dragon of fortune transformed into a young boy with his hair in a bun, hiding on the mountainside path and crying out for help.

On the mountain path leading to the Fuyong Imperial Mausoleum, Xu Qing faintly heard children calling for help in the distance.

He followed the sound and, upon reaching the stone railing on the cliff, asked from afar, "Who is calling for help?"

As the voice approached the cliff edge, the child answered in a distressed voice, "Sir, save me! I am from a village at the foot of the mountain, but my grandfather suddenly fell ill, and my father went up the mountain to cut firewood and has not returned for a long time. So I came to this mountain to look for my father, but I accidentally fell into the crevices of the cliff. I hope you will have mercy and save me."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing raised an eyebrow, clapped his hands, and laughed, "Of course! I've always been a kind-hearted person, so I'll come to your rescue!"

After saying that, Xu Qing walked to the stone pillar, but when he looked down, there was not a single person in sight at the bottom of the cliff.

At this moment, a young boy suddenly appeared from the side behind Xu Qing. He had a fierce look on his face and used all his strength to push the young man in front of him off the cliff!
However, just as the child touched the young man, intending to push him off the cliff, he couldn't feel the weight of a living person; instead, it felt like pushing off a light, fluffy hair.

The little boy exerted too much force, and stumbled, almost falling due to inertia!
However, just as the child had regained his balance, a familiar voice suddenly rang out behind him, accompanied by an immense force coming from his lower back.

"I'm the kind of person who always helps others to the end, and I'll see things through to the end. Since you live at the foot of the mountain, I'll take you home!"

The child leaning on the railing fell to the ground.

Suddenly, a small dragon, its body entirely pale purple, leaped up from the bottom of the cliff, as if it were about to take flight.

"Where do you think you're going!" Xu Qing shouted, summoning his powerful dragon. He opened his mouth and inhaled, and the small dragon formed from the imperial purple energy before him returned to his body.

Gathering his energy, Xu Qing chuckled and said, "With the imperial tombs located here, how could any woodcutter dare to come up the mountain to cut firewood? If they truly had the courage to risk their lives, why would they be woodcutters?"

Xu Qing continued to wander around Zhaoshi Mountain. When he was almost at the temple where emperors of past dynasties were worshipped, he saw a woodcutter with a simple and honest face sitting in front of a tree. There were strips of cloth wrapped around the woodcutter's legs, with traces of blood.

Upon seeing Xu Qing ascending the mountain, the woodcutter immediately called out, "Young master, please wait!"

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and asked calmly, "What is it?"

The woodcutter sighed, “I am a villager from the foot of the mountain. The day before yesterday, the imperial temple was struck by lightning and damaged. Recently, I was summoned by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to come here to cut wood for repairs. However, I never expected that I would accidentally cut my leg bone while cutting wood, and now I can hardly walk.”

"The villager still has a wife, children, and elderly parents at home. If something happens to me, how will they survive?"

"Heaven have mercy, perhaps it is not my time to die, for I have encountered you, sir. I beg you to have mercy and save me."

Xu Qing answered irrelevantly, "How old is your son?"

"He is almost fourteen, but this child has suffered from indigestion since childhood and is weak and sickly. He looks like an eleven or twelve-year-old child."

Xu Qing was secretly pleased to hear this. It had been exactly fourteen years since Emperor Jingxing ascended the throne, but this child did not suffer from indigestion, nor did he look like an eleven or twelve-year-old child.

“I have never studied medicine. How do you expect me to save you? Otherwise, I can go to the north of the mountain and see if there is a doctor named Zhu there who may have a good cure.”

The woodcutter hurriedly said, "No need. Just carry me to the temple on the mountain to rest for the night. The craftsmen will come up the mountain tomorrow and we will be rescued."

"Carry you into the temple?"

Xu Qing smiled and said, "Of course, I'm always happy to help others."

After saying that, Xu Qing turned around and squatted down.

Behind him, the woodcutter's honest smile vanished, replaced by a fierce and ruthless glint in his eyes.

He picked up the woodcutter's axe, aimed it at the back of the young man's neck, and raised it high.

However, before the axe could fall, the woodcutter saw the young man's head change, and a brand new face grew out of the back of his head!
Xu Qing grinned and used his double-edged sword technique, instantly drawing his longsword and piercing the woodcutter's body through!
"you"

The woodcutter was astonished. How could this young man have two faces, one in front of others and one behind?
As the longsword pierced through, the woodcutter's body dissipated, and Xu Qing also obtained the second wisp of imperial purple energy.

"If you want to be a hunter, you must first be prepared to be the prey."

Xu Qing sheathed his longsword, then looked up and said, "The Great Yong's fortune is only four-tenths, and now it has lost half of it. In less than ten years, the Great Yong's fortune will surely be exhausted. Do you still dare to gamble with me?"

Xu Qing knew that from the child who wanted to push him off the cliff to the woodcutter who tricked him into turning around and showing his back, their purpose was to steal the imperial aura from him.

If Xu Qing makes a mistake during the fight, even if his luck is not as good as his opponent's, his imperial purple aura will be stolen by his opponent.

This has nothing to do with life or death. Even if Xu Qing hadn't died when he fell off the cliff, or even if he hadn't died after being chopped by the woodcutter's axe, it still wouldn't have stopped the Emperor's purple aura from dissipating.

This is purely a contest of destiny, nothing else matters.

However, the dragon of fortune before him harbored selfish motives and tried to take his life time and again.

Now that Xu Qing has defeated his opponent twice, the Great Yong Dragon Vein must be a frightened bird and probably won't take the bait again.

Xu Qing didn't feel sorry. He had already achieved his goal. At most, the Great Yong Dynasty only had two parts of its fortune left, and it was no longer a threat.

Next, he only needs to wait for the right time. In a few years, the Great Yong Kingdom will fall, and the Eight Banners Marshals will run out of luck. That will be the time for him to achieve the Perfection of Undying Bones and enter the Flying Zombie realm.

As dusk approached, Xu Qing arrived alone at the temple on the mountain, but instead of entering, he stood in front of the temple and waited all night.

The Imperial Temple is the imperial temple of the Dayong Dynasty. Apart from the Emperor of Dayong, all others who possess imperial destiny are forbidden from entering, and Xu Qing is no exception.

And so, the young man, who possessed a hint of imperial purple aura, spent the entire night posing and preening outside the temple gate, but no one took the bait. The next day, as dawn approached.

Xu Qing said somewhat helplessly, "Never mind, it's just a fraction of your fortune anyway. When your time comes, it will naturally return to its rightful place."

Since the fate of the Great Yong Dynasty was not yet over, Xu Qing could not arbitrarily enter the imperial city to seek misfortune upon the current emperor.

He might be able to forcefully kill the old dragon by relying on his own luck, but the loss of luck in doing so would inevitably affect the development of Baosheng Temple and Maoxian Hall, which would be a loss that outweighs the gain.

In comparison, following the laws of nature is more cost-effective.

Xu Qing followed the mountain path all the way down to the foot of the mountain, and not far from Zhaoshi Mountain, he actually came across a village.

Under the smoke tree at the village entrance, an old man was playing chess.

As Xu Qing approached, the old man seemed unaware, still intently staring at the chessboard in front of him.

On that chessboard, the old man's black pieces, which had taken the lead, were already being pushed to the brink of defeat by the white pieces that had come from behind.

Xu Qing glanced at the chessboard, and seeing that the old man was ignoring him, he decided to explore the village alone.

However, just as Xu Qing ignored the old man and was about to leave, the old man behind him suddenly spoke:

"Young man, halt! This is the residence of the imperial tomb guards, who have served the royal family for generations. Do not disturb them. Leave immediately!"

Xu Qing stopped and turned back to the tree, laughing, "So this is the residence of the tomb guardians. No wonder there are so many smoke trees in the village."

The smoke tree is known as the emperor's tree and is an indispensable ornamental tree species in royal gardens. The so-called "Hua Feng Ping Lu" refers to the smoke tree.

The old man, thin but with an aura no less imposing than that of a young man, finally raised his head.

At this moment, Xu Qing finally saw the old man's appearance clearly.

Although the old man's eyes were cloudy, they had a domineering amber color. Apart from his eyes, his appearance was also a standard three-section and five-eye proportion.

Xu Qing had only heard people talk about people having the appearance of a dragon, but he had never seen one. Now that he saw the old man in front of him, he subconsciously felt that this was the appearance of a dragon.

As Xu Qing looked at the old man, the old man was also observing the young man in front of him.

"She has a graceful and refined demeanor, and a beautiful face. She seems to have transcended the mundane world and has a unique style. It's just a pity that she doesn't seem like a cold and aloof person."

The old man nodded and then shook his head. He pointed to the chessboard and asked Xu Qing, "Does this chess game resemble the current state of the world?"

Xu Qing glanced at it and nodded, saying, "There is a certain resemblance."

The old man picked up a piece, hesitated for a moment, and continued, "I see that you are also an exceptionally intelligent man. In your opinion, is there any possibility of turning this game around?"

Xu Qingchao, who was well-versed in chess and painting, was naturally skilled in chess. He smiled and said, "Yes, there is indeed a possibility of turning the game around. However, if the black pieces survive and the white pieces are about to run out of options, there may still be a chance to turn the tide."

"It's just a pity that these chess pieces are fighting so endlessly, causing suffering to others."

The old man seemed not to understand the hidden meaning in Xu Qing's words. He placed his black piece down, and the originally one-sided situation on the chessboard instantly became unpredictable.

"As the superior, one should play the game! If victory is assured, the pieces on the board will naturally be secure."

Xu Qing watched as the old man moved his chess pieces faster and faster, as if he were accumulating some kind of momentum, while also suppressing his arrogance.

When the black pieces launched a desperate counterattack and regained control, Xu Qing suddenly spoke up: "If this game were played by an old man, it would naturally be extraordinary, but the general trend of the world is destined to be different from the current game, and the player is not this old man."

The old man's final move, which would determine the victory, paused in mid-air before he silently placed it back into the game jar.

"Enough, enough, future generations will have their own fortunes, let it be!"

The old man seemed to have lost all his energy in an instant. He said in a frail and aged manner, "Young man, I no longer have the will to compete. Would you like to accompany me for a walk?"

Xu Qing smiled and said, "Sir, your learning is profound and your knowledge is extraordinary. It is an honor for me to travel with you."

An elderly man led the way, and the two, one old and one young, walked slowly.

During the conversation, the old man talked about everything from defending against enemies to governing the country, and from the study of emperors to the people's livelihood. Everything he said was full of insightful and true wisdom.

The old man seemed to be giving his last words, or perhaps he had met a promising junior and, feeling a sense of appreciation for their talent, he passed on all the knowledge he had acquired throughout his life.

Xu Qing was happy to be a listener.

The old man spoke for about an hour before finally stopping.

"Young man, I am old and frail, and I am extremely thirsty after speaking for an hour. Could you please fetch me some water to quench my thirst?"

"Respecting the elderly and caring for the young is a virtue. The old gentleman was just trying to quench his thirst, how could I, a junior, refuse?"

Xu Qing arrived at the well. Before him was a deep well without a windlass, only a well rope and a bucket for drawing water.

Xu Qing approached the well with a smile. As he filled the wooden bucket with water and began to pull it up with the rope, the previously approachable old man suddenly turned sharp and domineering in his eyes.

"Young man, I will impart to you one last lesson: the problem of a ruler lies in his trust in others; if he trusts others, he will be controlled by them!"

The words, chillingly indifferent, revealed the unpredictable power of Heaven.

However, when the old man kicked the young man who was drawing water with all his might, he missed.

The old man realized something was wrong. He turned around abruptly and saw a pale-faced young man looking at him with a half-smile.

"I never imagined the old gentleman was so thirsty. In that case, please go down and have a good drink!"

Since ancient times, the imperial family has been ruthless. Xu Qing was on guard when he saw the old man's dragon-like appearance. When the old man made a move, Xu Qing used the Divine Travel Book to instantly appear behind the old man.

At this moment, Xu Qing raised his foot, exerting all his strength, and used the same method against him.

The old man was still in shock when he fell into the well.

How cunning are young people these days!
What happened to the virtues of honesty and kindness? What happened to the etiquette of respecting the elderly and caring for the young?
Not long after the old man fell into the well, a long purple dragon leaped out of the well opening. Xu Qing scooped it up with his hands and completely subdued the dragon that was letting out a defiant roar.

At the same time, Zhaoshi Mountain suddenly shook violently, and the Fuyong Imperial Mausoleum, covering an area of ​​nearly 200 square miles, suddenly collapsed, exposing several mausoleums.

Xu Qing looked towards the imperial mausoleum, somewhat surprised.

He then severed three-tenths of the Emperor's Purple Qi, so how could the dragon vein of the Great Yong be cut off?

Suddenly, Xu Qing came to her senses.

It turned out that the fortune of the Great Yong Dynasty had already been partially lost before he arrived.

Xu Qing recalled the time when the Eight Banners Marshals had allocated ten years of national fortune to suppress the Yin Shi Fa Wang.

That lost bit of luck mostly originated from this.

"But who knows where this wisp of imperial purple aura will end up?"

One out of ten escapes; perhaps this bit of luck will fall on Zhu Huai'an, or it might fall on the outlaws in the mountains, heroes from all directions, or some unknown nobody.

Xu Qing's brows relaxed. None of this mattered to him. He would not become the emperor of the mortal world, and the supernatural powers of the underworld would not require the fortune of the mortal world.

"The fate of the Great Yong Dynasty has run its course; doesn't that mean..."

Xu Qing turned his head to look in the direction of the capital and chuckled.

(End of this chapter)