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

Chapter 356 A Visit to the Thatched Cottage, The Three-Person Gossip Group

In front of the coroner's shop, a dignified man dressed in a red robe, wearing a seven-beam crown, and with unicorn embroidered on his chest and back, was negotiating with the common people of Jingxia Street.

"I have come to pay my respects to my former benefactor. Since he is not here, I will wait for him here."

Sun Erniang, possessed by Xuan Yu, was completely unmoved by this. She did not recognize Wang Liang and had no fear of princes and nobles of the highest rank.

In Xuan Yu's eyes, there is no distinction between high and low, noble and base among humans.

Well, except for the Xu family.

No one is more noble than Xu Xian.

"Please leave, guests. Our shop still needs to operate as usual. With a customer bringing this group of people to block the entrance of my shop, how can other customers be expected to patronize it?"

Wang Liang smiled slightly and was about to reply when Tie Zhu, who was eight or nine feet tall and as large as a door, stepped forward and said:

"Second Aunt has already spoken. Please come again tomorrow. After all, it's a small matter to affect the neighbors' business, but it's a big deal to delay the important person's time."

"As for the guest's request to see Master Xu, it's not too late to come tomorrow."

"Master Xu?"

Wang Liang's brow twitched, and he looked at the burly man in front of him again.

"You call Mr. Xu 'teacher'? Are you one of his disciples?"

Tie Zhu said in a deep voice, "I am not talented. I am of mediocre talent and born stupid. I can only be accepted as a disciple by Master Xu and run this paper-making shop."

Wang Liang's gaze narrowed slightly. He had tried to become Xu Qing's apprentice several times in the past, but was always rejected.

Even though Xu Qing later gave him martial arts techniques and various elixirs, and they became master and disciple, the other party still did not agree to take him under his wing.

Now, the seemingly foolish and rough man in front of me claims to be Xu Qing's disciple.
Wang Liang stroked the jade thumb ring on his hand, looking at Li Tiezhu with great interest.

Over the years, he has fought in many battles, and his martial arts skills have reached the level of a grandmaster. If nothing unexpected happens, he will be able to fully enter the realm of a martial arts grandmaster within two years.

The last person who was skilled in battle, had the ability to command troops, and possessed the cultivation of a grandmaster was the current emperor's biological father, Zhu Sheng, who was posthumously honored as Emperor Hongren Zuzhao, and was also known as the former Prince of Changting.

Wang Liang believed that his talent was second to none, even surpassing that of the former Hongren Zuzhao Emperor.

Even someone like him couldn't gain the master's approval, so what virtue or ability does this man have to win the master's favor and be accepted as a disciple?

Wang Liang chuckled lightly, then said in a pressing tone, "Judging from your physique, you are also a martial artist. I was fortunate enough to receive guidance from Mr. Xu and learned some skills to protect myself."

"May I ask if you could offer me some guidance, sir?"

Li Tiezhu shook his head and waved his hands, saying, "No! No! I don't know kung fu, I only know some basic moves."

Wang Liang stepped forward, suddenly grabbed Tie Zhu's arm, and laughed, "It's alright. I also come from a rural background. At worst, I won't use the skills I learned elsewhere; I'll just use what Mr. Xu taught me to spar with you."

Li Tiezhu tried to break free from Wang Liangtie's grasp, but found that the other party was deliberately using force to compel him to agree.

"That won't do! Master Xu said that fighting is not allowed. If you absolutely have to fight someone, you have to kill that person and grind their bones to dust!"

"."

Wang Liang suddenly remembered that when he was still in Wanshou Township, he killed those who wanted to seize his land and property. When Xu Qing found out, he was not surprised at all. Instead, he asked him where he hid the bodies of those people after he killed them.

When Xu Qing learned that he had dismembered the body into pieces and dumped them in the forest for wild animals to devour, he showed a look of disappointment.

Now, combining Li Tiezhu's words, Wang Liang suddenly understood.

Could it be that Mr. Xu was disappointed that he didn't grind those corpses to dust?
Wang Liang shook his head. These past events were no longer important. His current vision and mindset were far beyond what that country boy could ever have imagined.

Now, what he needs to do is prove himself in front of his teacher and test the abilities of the strong man in front of him. If the man is truly a promising talent, even if he is less talented than him, he can find a way to recruit him into the army and make him serve the Great Yan.

Wang Liang used half his strength, and his eyes lit up. This big man could withstand half of his strength without changing his expression, which clearly showed that he had extraordinary talent.

However, when Wang Liang used 70% of his strength, the honest-looking man in front of him remained unfazed.

When he had used ninety percent of his strength, Wang Liang's expression became extremely solemn.

He refused to believe in evil, and immediately mobilized all his power, exerting all his strength. At this moment, Wang Liang's expression changed drastically!

Compared to Wang Liang's incredulous expression, Tie Zhu, who had remained expressionless, frowned impatiently. He pushed away the Marquis's hand, took a step back, and cupped his hands in greeting:
"Master Xu had warned me beforehand that I should not act rashly. Since you, my lord, have also received guidance from Master Xu, I am even less able to take action. I hope you will understand."

Wang Liang stumbled, and the guards beside him hurriedly tried to help him up, but he waved them away.

"No wonder Master Xu didn't accept me as his disciple, but instead wanted to take you in."

Wang Liang's expression was extremely complicated, and at the same time, a sense of frustration welled up in his heart. What kind of monster was this? He had already reached the level of a Grandmaster at such a young age!

However, Wang Liang quickly suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, and said with a burning gaze:
"Brother Li's skills are truly extraordinary. If you are willing, you can join the army with me. With your abilities, your future is bound to be limitless!"

Li Tiezhu shook his head resolutely and said, "I am only a disciple in name only. I still need to cultivate diligently in order to live up to Master Xu's expectations. If I join the army, it will only disappoint Master Xu even more."

"."

Wang Liang fell completely silent.

Meanwhile, on the street below the mine.

Xu Qing was about to return to his shop when he saw a group of imperial guards surrounding his store.

Two people carrying lamp oil and candles were walking out in silence, looking like cicadas in fear.

Xu Qing asked and learned that after the two went to the ward to collect lamp oil and candles, and listened to a storytelling session at the teahouse, they planned to come to the paper shop on Jingxia Street to buy some cheap paper. However, they were surprised to encounter a group of fierce-looking imperial guards clearing the road as soon as they arrived.

“You two don’t need to be afraid. Come with me, and I’ll take you to the paper craft shop.”

Kong Xiucai shook his head in protest, saying, "No, no! As the saying goes, when a scholar encounters a soldier, reason is useless. These soldiers are very fierce, and I don't want to offend them!"

The attendant took the opportunity to pull Kong Xiucai's arm and walk out, while politely greeting Xu Qing, "We will definitely come to patronize Manager Xu's business another day."

Xu Qing watched as the two fled, and his face immediately fell.

Wang Liang wasn't angry that he didn't go to see Wang's younger sister, but if the other party was being unreasonable by bringing a bunch of idlers to interfere with his business, then they were being disrespectful!
Xu Qing walked toward the coroner's shop with a gloomy face.

Upon approaching, two imperial guards, wielding golden spears, blocked the road.

"Do not disturb His Majesty's presence!"

Xu Qing remained silent. Wang Liang, who was talking to Tie Zhu in front of the shop, heard the noise and subconsciously glanced over.

Upon seeing Xu Qing, who was already over forty, Wang Liang quickly pushed aside Li Tiezhu, stepped forward, dismissed the imperial guards, and bowed respectfully, saying:
"Mr. Xu, this is a student."

Seeing the road split open, Xu Qing ignored Wang Liang and went straight back to his shop without saying a word.

Wang Liang's mouth was slightly open, his face full of astonishment.

However, he quickly realized what was happening.

"You all put away your ceremonial regalia and return to the Court of Justice to wait. I will return after I have finished seeing my old friend and mentor."

The imperial guards obeyed the order and turned back, but left a few skilled men to guard the streets and ensure the Marquis's safety. Inside the coroner's shop, Wang Liang followed closely behind, bowing again to the still busy Xu Qing:

"I, Wang Liang, have lived up to your high expectations and have achieved great success. If it weren't for your helping hand and the skills you taught me, I would not be where I am today."

"Snapped!"

Before Wang Liang could finish speaking, a crisp sound came from his face.

The slap wasn't heavy for a martial artist like him, but it was extremely insulting.

You must know that he is now the Marquis of Dingyuan, a prince of the highest rank, and even the emperor would treat him with respect.

As a founding hero, who would dare to offend him?

But right now, he has actually been slapped.

Do you know why I hit you?

Xu Qing's expression shifted between light and dark.

"I don't know, perhaps the student has not satisfied the teacher."

"Snapped--"

This time the slap was harder.

Wang Liang's eyes reddened slightly, and he said with a heavy heart, "Please speak plainly, sir."

"Snapped!"

Wang Liang, who once commanded three armies, almost shed tears. His parents had died early, and the person in front of him was his only respected elder and teacher. These three slaps were no less than a child being beaten three times by his parents!

Xu Qing said coldly, "You abandoned your family and left Tianjin alone. Do you know how difficult it was for your sister and your grandmother to live? In chaotic times, even orphans and widows have a hard time surviving, let alone an old woman who is frail and has a girl who is no more than ten years old."

"Do you think you should have been hit?"

Wang Liang's heart skipped a beat, and tears finally welled up in his eyes. He growled, "He deserves to be beaten!"

Xu Qing continued, "After you returned from the northern frontier, you didn't immediately look for your sister. You only cared about making your own contributions. Shouldn't you be punished? Don't spout nonsense about the country being more important than the family. As a General of Dingyuan, even if you couldn't get away yourself, couldn't you at least send someone to find your family on your behalf?"

Wang Liang turned his head away, closed his eyes tightly, and said, "I know this is my fault, but it's not that I haven't searched. Back in the Northern Frontier, I sent someone to Wanshou Township to look for my grandmother and sister."

"But Wanshou Township has already been promoted to a county, and the old soldiers that His Majesty sent to protect his grandmother and sister have died at Lou Xiaowu's hands."

"That Lou Xiaowu was a eunuch from the Imperial Household Department of the previous dynasty. He killed His Majesty's guards, so how could he let my grandmother and sister go?"

Wang Liang said with great grief: "Da Yong and I have an irreconcilable hatred. I have survived countless near-death experiences, not only to assist a wise ruler, but also to avenge this blood feud."

"After I followed His Majesty into the capital, I traveled day and night to return to Wanshou County, but my homeland had long since changed beyond recognition."

Xu Qing squinted and said, "When you returned to Wanshou County, didn't you go to your parents' graves to offer incense and pay your respects?"

Wang Liang shook his head with a bitter smile and said, "I failed to protect my grandmother and younger sister, so how can I have the face to pay my respects to them?"

“I dare not deceive you, sir. In my heart, if I am to offer sacrifices, it must be after a great achievement is accomplished, and I must go with my wife, daughters and grandchildren. Otherwise, I will not be at peace.”

Xu Qing remained unmoved and said, "How dare you conclude that your sister and grandmother have been murdered?"

Wang Liang said with a grim expression, "Years ago, some villagers said they saw my younger sister selling herself to bury her mother, but I am in the northern frontier. Even if I abandon my lord and return to Tianjin, it will be difficult to find my younger sister in this chaotic world."

"Since then, I have had only one thought in my mind: to follow His Majesty and completely overthrow the Great Yong Dynasty. This is both to vent my personal anger and to end the chaos, so as to prevent more families from being destroyed and people from dying."

Xu Qing's expression remained cold and hard. He changed the subject and asked, "Now that the world is relatively stable and you have achieved your goal, you should be actively looking for your sister. Why did you come here to me first?"

Wang Liang opened his mouth, somewhat guiltily saying, "To be honest, sir, I have come here on His Majesty's orders, wishing to invite you to join the cabinet to participate in state affairs, assume important positions, enjoy special privileges, and advise on national governance."

Xu Qing raised his hand to interrupt, saying, "I appreciate Your Majesty's kindness, but please tell Your Majesty that I have no interest in the court and only wish to be an ordinary citizen. Moreover, I know that I am not virtuous enough. Even if I were to reluctantly take office, I would be a mere figurehead and would only damage Your Majesty's reputation as a wise ruler."

Seeing that Wang Liang was still trying to persuade him, Xu Qing immediately put on a stern face and said, "If you don't go and find your sister, not only will I look down on you, but you yourself will never be able to call yourself a descendant of the Wang family again!"

Wang Liang was taken aback upon hearing this. Combining this with Xu Qing's previous words, he suddenly widened his eyes and asked with great joy, "Does the master know where my sister is?"

Xu Qing, who had been wearing a cold expression, suddenly smiled and said, "You want to know?"

Wang Liang's heart skipped a beat. For some reason, seeing the smiling man made him even more afraid.

"Yes! Please tell your student, sir!"

As he spoke, Wang Liang was about to kneel down.

Xu Qing reacted quickly, catching her with his backhand and saying, "It's no use begging me. If you want to know where she is, you need to do two things for me."

"Please speak, sir. As long as it is within my power, I will never refuse!"

Xu Qing turned around, facing sideways to Wang Liang, and looked out of the shop, saying, "I want you to never invite me to the capital to serve in an official position again, and to help me persuade His Majesty to give up the idea. As for the second matter..."

“I have heard that His Majesty has betrothed your mother’s sister to you. Now you are a member of the royal family, while I am just a commoner. From now on, you can no longer be called my student, since I did not originally take you as my disciple.”

"gentlemen."

Wang Liang's expression was complicated.

Xu Qing glanced at him and said indifferently, "Tie Zhu's talent may not be much higher than yours. The reason I took him in is because he is focused on cultivation and is not entangled with worldly fame and fortune. This is also why I do not want to have any dealings with the imperial court."

"Learn from Mr. Wang Liang!"

Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief, and then told Wang Liang about how Wang's younger sister had been sold into prostitution to bury her mother, how he had rescued her, and how he had recognized Cheng Caiyun, who ran the incense and candle shop across the street, as her godmother.

Finally, Xu Qing added, "Your sister misses you very much, but she has harbored resentment for too long and needs guidance. Please be more accommodating and don't tell anyone that I told her the news."

Xu Qing was willing to act as a mediator, providing a way for the two siblings to reunite and recognize each other, but he did not want Wang's younger sister to think that Wang Liang had not done his best because of him.

The incense and candle shop is diagonally opposite.

Boss Cheng was cracking melon seeds and watching the commotion across the street when she suddenly panicked when the Marquis in the Qilin robe walked toward her.

They were probably just passing by and didn't necessarily come to her shop. Besides, even if they did come to her shop, they would most likely be buying incense and paper money. They wouldn't be interested in this middle-aged woman who is poor and has nothing, would they?

Forget about eating melon seeds and watching the show, Boss Cheng quickly wiped her hands on her dress, then bent her knees and knelt down, saying, "This humble woman, Cheng, greets Your Excellency, the Marquis."

Wang Liang's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly helped Boss Cheng up and knelt down himself, saying, "Godmother, you mustn't do this! You're making me feel so ashamed!"

"Eh?"

Cheng Caiyun was stunned, but then she realized that she dared to make the Marquis kneel down.

And so, the following scene unfolded in the incense and candle shop—

With a sob in his voice, Boss Cheng insisted on kneeling down and kowtowing, and Marquis Wang Liang followed suit, afraid of breaking the rules of etiquette.

Across the street at the mortuary, Xu Qing, Xuan Yu, and Tie Zhu were watching the drama unfold with great interest.

Cheng Caiyun was on the verge of tears. How did she end up becoming the center of attention when she was just enjoying the gossip?
(End of this chapter)