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

Chapter 367 The Barrier Between Immortals and Mortals, The Frail Scholar

When a whale falls, all things are born.

As the corpse of the Heavenly Fox disintegrated and vanished into nothingness, a visible force of life spread out from Baiyun Mountain.

The saying goes, "What is taken from heaven and earth should be used for all things."

The Celestial Fox, having not transcended the Three Realms and Six Paths, could not attain liberation. After its death, its body and magical power returned to the world.

A surge of energy, a mixture of celestial and demonic power, swept across Yunmeng Mountain, bringing life to all things and turning withered trees green wherever it passed.

The long-dried-up spring burst forth with new water, making a tinkling sound.

Birds, beasts, insects, and ants that existed in the mountains and forests roamed freely, and the poisonous fog and miasma in the mountains all dissipated.

In a short period of time, Yunmeng Mountain has become a paradise on earth.

Inside Baiyun Cave.

Xu Qing stepped in, and his vision immediately cleared.

Inside was originally a stone house, about the size of five or six rooms, but there were no tables, chairs, or beds; it was an empty dwelling.

Xu Qing scanned his surroundings but did not find the place where the Heavenly Book was printed. Instead, he saw a small fox den behind the stone house.

Xu Qing's mind stirred slightly. He plucked a hair from the corpse and blew it into the cave.

The next moment, his clone appeared at the other end of the cave.

The clone turned its head and looked around, only to see that at the end of the cave was a house with all the necessary internal organs.

Inside, there are stone tables, stone benches, stone chairs, stone beds, and even stone pens made of fox hair; stone carvings of the Goddess of the Mysterious Woman and Yuan Gong.
The stone statues of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden and Master Yuan were covered with needle marks from the curse. The two pairs of eyes of the Mystic Maiden and Master Yuan had been gouged out and placed in stone dishes, while their two stone tongues were strung together with stone spikes and stuck on the chessboard.

"."

Xu Qing's eyelids twitched; this fox was truly exceptionally vengeful!
Unfortunately, the path to heaven is blocked, and these earthly curses cannot affect the immortals and gods in the upper realm.

Xu Qing continued walking and encountered some strange sculptures, which he guessed were made by the old fox when he was lonely and bored.

Passing through the houses, at the end there was a puddle one or two feet deep, and on the other side of the puddle was another cave entrance.

Xu Qing was speechless. This is like a nested doll!
However, the cave was large enough for one person to enter. Xu Qing bent down and crawled through the cave.

Xu Qing originally thought he would have to go through another cave, but to his surprise, the heavenly book that he was so curious about was engraved on the stone walls on both sides of the cave.

However, as he focused intently on the book and tried to decipher it, the characters began to blur, and the more he tried to see them, the less clear they became.

Xu Qing suddenly remembered an incident that Yuan Gong had told him when he was telling him about the origin of the Heavenly Fox in Mingyue Stream.

Yuan Gong once said that the Heavenly Book is unlike any ordinary book. Those who receive it openly belong to the Yang, while those who steal it privately belong to the Yin. Under the bright sun, the Yin energy hides and naturally cannot be seen.

This is the interaction of Yin and Yang. To discern Yin and Yang and find the secrets of the Heavenly Book, one must do so on a full moon night, and within the three hours of Xu, Hai, and Zi.

At that time, if green characters appear, it means the opportunity has arrived; if there are no characters, it means there is no opportunity, and the heavenly book will not appear.

It's still early in the days of Xu, Hai, and Zi, and it's not even the night of the full moon. Even if he has the affinity for the method, the Heavenly Book will not appear.

"Master Yuan said that the Heavenly Book consists of two parts: the Heavenly Dipper and the Earthly Fiend. The Earthly Fiend has seventy-two methods, and the Heavenly Fox has learned thirty-seven of them. However, he has never seen or cultivated a single one of the Heavenly Dipper methods."

Xu Qing fell into thought. It seemed that not only did seeing the Heavenly Book depend on fate, but whether he wanted to learn the Heavenly Gang or Earthly Fiend techniques was not something he could decide.

"Today is the ninth day of the month, and there are still six or seven days until the full moon, so there's no rush."

Xu Qing walked out of Baiyun Cave. Before leaving, he specially took out the Mountain and River Cauldron and used the authority of Baiyun Mountain to seal the cave entrance again. At the same time, he also activated the remaining mist of Baiyun Mountain to completely cover the sacred mountain.

Before the Great Yan army, Wang Liang and his men dared not be careless. Even though Baiyun Mountain had returned to calm, the soldiers still struggled to maintain the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Formation, fearing that the demon would escape their control.

However, just as everyone was on edge, Baiyun Mountain in front of them was suddenly shrouded in mist and could no longer be seen.

Wang Liang frowned, still puzzled, when he saw a familiar figure floating through the clouds and mist, landing in front of them.

Xu Qing was still the same as when he left, wearing the same blue-and-white robe, but everyone felt that the Holy Master in front of them was different from before.

But no one could say exactly what changes had occurred.

"Thanks to the help of all the soldiers, the demon in Baiyun Cave has now been defeated. Marshal, you may order the army to sound the retreat. I will tell you the details later."

Xu Qing looked serious, but although he said that, he couldn't actually tell you the details!

On the eve of the army's triumphant return to the capital, Wang Liang sought out Xu Qing again to say goodbye.

"That demon was truly formidable! I saw a black rainbow pierce the sun, and ghostly shadows fluttering about. The entire fifty-mile radius around White Cloud Mountain seemed like a ghostly realm. This demon was clearly a monstrous creature that had killed countless people."

Xu Qing looked at Wang Liang, who was speaking recklessly, her gaze deep and unsettling, yet she couldn't refute him.

"On the contrary, sir, you possess an upright character and your magical powers are extremely noble, like an immortal or a saint."

Xu Qing remained silent.

Wang Liang was referring to the blood lake and incense burning over Baiyun Mountain when Baosheng Niangniang appeared, not to him in his normal state.

So, apart from demons and the Goddess of Life Protection, he doesn't seem like a good person?

“Wang Liang, you are not the marshal now, and I am not the holy teacher you speak of. You may speak frankly about what you have to say.”

The middle-aged general, dressed in a golden armor and a commanding robe, coughed lightly, looked around for a while, and then looked at Xu Qing with some expectation.

"gentlemen."

Seeing Xu Qing still smiling, seemingly unchanged from their first meeting in Wanshou Township, Wang Liang finally asked the question that had been weighing on his mind for so long:
"If I wish to continue my spiritual practice under your guidance, would you be willing to grant me that request?"

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and looked at Wang Liang with some surprise.

The other person's eyes were full of expectation, and their sincere desire to become a disciple seemed no different from that of the young man back then.

Xu Qing smiled gently and said, "More than twenty years ago, we had no master-disciple relationship. As for now..."

Even if I agree to your request, will you really give up everything and follow me to cultivate?

"."

Wang Liang paused, wanting to speak, but swallowed the words back.

After hesitating for a long time, when he was about to speak again, he found that the man had already turned around.

“You have too many concerns about your country and family, so even if I agree to your request, how can you calm your mind? Besides, if you were truly sincere about becoming my disciple, you wouldn’t have hesitated for a moment when I asked the question.”

Wang Liang was speechless. When Xu Qing saw through his thoughts, he immediately lowered his head, his face full of shame.

He couldn't let go of fame and fortune, nor could he let go of his loyalty to his country and his people. But he was insatiable and wanted to learn immortal techniques and supernatural powers to satisfy his long-standing pursuit of power.

Xu Qing didn't take it seriously. If Wang Liang weren't the marshal commanding the three armies and didn't have a bunch of wives and children, he would probably agree to the other party's request. After all, this kid was indeed outstanding in his youth.

But now?
If he agrees to Wang Liang's request, once the other party calms down, the first thing he'll probably do is pull him onto Da Yan's ship and make him dedicate everything to Da Yan's future alongside Zhu Huai'an.

More than twenty years of military service have permeated most of Wang Liang's life, leaving an indelible mark, just like the visible change Zhu Huai'an witnessed when he met him.

A thick barrier had already separated them.

"Will you, sir, go to the capital to assist His Majesty?"

Xu Qing knew that this was the beginning of calculating the price of the nation's fate over the past twenty years. As a general of the Great Yan army, Wang Liang must have come with Zhu Huai'an's instructions.

The other party was eager to bring him under their control and use him for their own purposes.

"I will never forget Your Majesty's kindness in helping me. Once this matter is resolved, I will seek out Your Majesty to repay this favor. As for the matter of assisting you..."

"There are more than one way to express affection in this world. In short, please tell His Majesty that Xu Qing will repay the kindness shown to him today in the future."

Xu Qing smiled slightly, cupped his hands in greeting to Wang Liang, and then turned and left with the girl in black beside him.

Wang Liang returned the greeting with a bow, his brows furrowed. He watched the departing fortune teller, but suddenly an idea struck him, and he called out to the fortune teller following behind Xu Qing.

"Marshal, is something the matter?"

Bai Qiuyu turned around, stopped, and looked curiously at the golden-armored marshal standing on the high ground.

Wang Liang quickly stepped forward, and only after Xu Qing had walked a little further away did he ask:
"I would like to ask a fortune teller to perform a divination for me."

Bai Qiuyu blinked. This was great! If she did a fortune telling for this marshal, she could earn at least five large coins.

"What does the Marshal want to calculate?"

"I want to calculate how many years the Great Yan Dynasty will last, and whether the fate between me and you will be renewed in the future?"

"."

Bai Qiuyu took a deep breath. She could indeed deduce the former, but the latter...
Marshal Wang is giving her far too much credit. She herself doesn't know how long her relationship with the sect leader will last, let alone be able to divine for Wang Liang!

"I cannot predict matters of fate, but if the Marshal were to pass away peacefully one day, and his family members came to Tianjin to seek out Mr. Xu for his burial, wouldn't that be considered fate?"

"This matter can't be calculated in detail!"

Bai Qiuyu's refusal was decisive. Not to mention this matter, she would not casually consult divination for anything related to the sect leader or the strange phenomena in Tianjin!
The primordial spirit cultivators at the coffin shop would occasionally be struck by lightning for no reason if they did a divination, and she didn't want to take that risk.

"Then the fate of my Great Yan Kingdom..."

Bai Qiuyu was about to raise her hand to calculate when she suddenly remembered that the sect leader had borrowed twenty years of the Great Yan's national fortune and had not yet repaid it. If she were to calculate this, wouldn't that be against the taboo?

"."

Bai Qiuyu looked up at Marshal Da Yan, who was still waiting for the result.

If she says she can't figure it out, whether she loses face or not is another matter, but if she loses face for the sect leader, that would be bad.

Fortunately, as a fortune teller, Bai Qiuyu's greatest skill was pretending to be a ghost.

She raised her hand to dust off her sleeves, smiled slightly, and without saying how many years the Great Yan Kingdom had lasted, she turned around and, while singing the poem that the sect leader had passed down to the immortals, followed Xu Qing with measured steps. Her words and actions revealed a Zen-like and ethereal charm.

Everyone knows that immortals are good, but they can't forget fame and fortune!

Where are the generals and ministers of ancient and modern times? Their graves are now just mounds of overgrown grass.

Everyone knows that immortals are good, but they can't forget gold and silver!
All day long I lamented that we didn't have enough to gather, but when we finally had plenty, my eyes were closed.

Everyone knows that immortals are good, but only a beloved wife can't be forgotten!
"While you were alive, you spoke of love and kindness every day; now that you're dead, you've gone with someone else."

Wang Liang stared in the direction Bai Qiuyu had left, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.

Although the fortune teller did not give a specific answer, the cruel truth revealed by her words left him even more bewildered than the specific answer itself.

Throughout history, has there ever been an immortal dynasty?
Throughout history, how many rulers and ministers have ever met a good end?

Two hundred li away from Quyang Prefecture, there is Huangjun Mountain.

A humble and respectful middle-aged scholar was trying to persuade the mountain king who wanted to plunder its prey.

"A heart filled with evil thoughts becomes a demon, while a heart dwelling in benevolence and kindness becomes a human being."

If you could shield moths with a gauze lantern and treat all living beings with compassion, how could you be trapped among demons?

The scholar wore a wide robe and appeared tall and slender, but his delicate face and refined manner of speaking made it easy for people to mistake him for a weak and frail scholar who couldn't even kill a chicken.

"Consider the way of Heaven and Earth: a thousand days of good deeds are still insufficient; a single day of evil deeds is more than enough. If you harm one person, you incur enmity for ten lifetimes; if you protect one life, your blessings will last forever. This is the right path."

As the scholar quoted classical texts in an attempt to educate the roadblocking tyrant, the traveling merchants and monks, the scholars on their way to the imperial examinations, and the martial arts experts who had roamed the world for many years in the caravan behind him were all trembling.

The reason is simple: the mountain god blocking his way has become quite powerful, not only with a body as large as a pavilion, but also with dozens or even hundreds of entourage behind him.

This tiger king must be a great demon from Huangjun Mountain!
"The right path? Becoming a demon is the right path!"

Tiger King chuckled, stood up and pounced on the middle-aged scholar. He moved from side to side while sniffing the scholar, saying, "The flesh of a scholar is the most tender. After I have enjoyed you, I will appoint you as my strategist and make you the leader of my ghostly accomplices."

The middle-aged scholar showed no fear in the face of the tiger so close at hand. He smiled, tucked his folding fan into his waistband, and said:
"Since reasoning fails, we scholars are not opposed to using force to subdue evil!"

Before the mountain king could speak, he saw the scholar take off his Confucian robe, revealing his muscular and robust body.

His strong, muscular body was tattooed with a blue dragon that reached over his shoulders and a fierce tiger descending the mountain, truly a human-faced beast!
Inside the caravan, a martial artist with a wolf's head tattoo on the back of his hand subconsciously pulled his sleeve down, covering the last bit of his dignity.

Tiger King was taken aback, but what shocked it even more was yet to come. The scholar stepped forward while reciting poetry, his blood and energy surging like a furnace, a sight that even martial arts masters in the secular world could not match.

The scholar laughed heartily, but his fists and feet rained down on it like raindrops.

The tiger king was in pain; the force was more than a thousand pounds.

It tried to escape, but the man jumped onto the tiger's back, grabbed it by the scruff of its neck, and the roars of dragons and tigers echoed in its ears!

Tiger King bled from all seven orifices, staggering as if drunk. Soon after, his bulging tiger eyes widened as he collapsed to the ground. Even in death, he couldn't understand how a mere scholar could be so brutal.
The scholar stood up, put his Confucian robe back on, turned around and cupped his hands to the crowd, saying, "I have lost my composure. I hope you gentlemen will not take offense."

"."

No one dared to say anything bad; they all nodded and bowed, expressing their gratitude.

"Brave warrior, may I ask your esteemed name and where you are headed?"

"My surname is Lu, and my given name is Xiu. As for where I am going..."

Lu Xiu smiled and said, "Huang Junshan is where I'm headed."

"I have come here specifically for this demon."

After hearing this, everyone felt even greater respect for Lu Xiu.

The caravan manager stepped forward to greet him and invited Lu Xiu to visit the manor.

“Sir, Nan’a County is not far from here. Outside the county is my master’s manor. My master greatly admires heroes and scholars. If you do not mind, you may stay at the manor for a few days so that we can repay your life-saving grace.”

Lu Xiu smiled slightly and was about to reply when she saw a middle-aged woman, a young girl, and a fortune teller walking together near the body of Tiger King.

When the girl walked up to Tiger King, she tilted her head and looked him up and down, while gesturing with her hands as if comparing their sizes.

Lu Xiu's eyes lit up. He didn't even have time to respond to the caravan manager. He hurriedly went to the side of Tiger King's corpse and bowed to the middle-aged man.

"Student Lu Xiu greets teacher!"

(End of this chapter)