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

Chapter 409 A Chance Encounter, The Emergence of Dependent Origination and Emptiness (8k words, today's update + bonus chapter)

Mr. Cheng, the owner of the incense and candle shop, has left.

Cheng Caiyun, who had no children and never remarried, should have been free of worries. However, when Xu Qing accompanied Wang's younger sister to the Wang Mansion to help with the funeral arrangements, Wang Yue'e said that in the days before her godmother passed away, she kept mentioning a certain name.

It seems his surname is Lu.

Xu Qing recalled Boss Cheng's lifelong widowhood and had some guesses in his mind, but he would only know the specifics after he went there in person.

Just as Xu Qing left the coffin shop, before he had gone far, two ugly birds came running after him.

The two birds who had been burying their heads in their hands to welcome guests were ones Cheng Caiyun had watched grow up. Now, upon hearing the news of their passing, the two birds were even more heartbroken than her own sons.

In the past, when they attended other people's funerals, the two birds never had any unusual feelings, but today, when it was their turn to send off their own family member, the two birds hummed and howled all the way.

Wang Yue'e was initially quite sad, but the commotion caused by the two birds had a more significant effect than any attempt at consolation from others.

Xu Qing, accompanied by his funeral procession, arrived at the Prince's mansion. Upon entering the main hall, he saw the emaciated old woman lying on the wooden bed, her face bearing a hint of relief in her smile.

People who live to a ripe old age are generally thin and weak.

As people age, maintaining their energy and vitality requires a great deal of effort, and the weakened organs of the elderly cannot absorb enough energy or eliminate impurities effectively. Over time, people naturally become thinner and thinner.

When the cycle of life reaches a point of decline, it will be time for them to leave.

Xu Qing, who was used to performing rituals for the elderly, was well prepared, but after witnessing the frail appearance of his former neighbor, he was still momentarily lost in thought.

As the saying goes, nothing in this world can be kept forever; youthful beauty fades from the mirror, and flowers wither from the trees.
That woman, who was in her early thirties and whose features still showed signs of her former beauty, has now become nothing more than a skeleton.

Xu Qing turned to look at Wang Liang, who immediately understood and dismissed everyone in the mourning hall, leaving only himself and his sister to guard the hall.

"What daughter doesn't love to look beautiful? Since Boss Cheng is leaving, he should leave in a beautiful way."

After saying this, Xu Qing used the Rejuvenation Technique to begin the procession and burial of Cheng Caiyun.

The Wonderful Method of Rejuvenation, also known as the Art of Rejuvenation, is ranked as a lower-grade Earthly category.

Youth fades quickly, and beauty withers easily.

However, as long as this method is used, the deceased can be brought back to life and their appearance can be restored to its most youthful and radiant state.

This extraordinary technique, like the Corpse-Wrapping Method, was obtained by Xu Qing through performing rituals to deliver the bodies of foreigners from the Pharaoh's tomb.

This is the second time Xu Qing has used this technique.

The last time he used his skills was shortly after he returned to Tianjin, when he performed a ritual for the madam of Youlan Garden.

Changdeng Street is a famous brothel in Linjiang City. Most of the prostitutes there are childless, and almost every single one of them has a membership card at Xu Qing's shop.

In order to keep the girls, the madam of Youlan Garden even made the condition that the funeral parlor would handle the funeral arrangements a guarantee for the girls after they "debuted".

The madam always claimed that she was the most beautiful courtesan in Tianjin when she was young, and even before she entered the profession, she was a beauty in the surrounding area.

Xu Qing didn't believe it at first, but when he used the Rejuvenation Technique to help the madam pass on to the afterlife, he finally believed her completely.

That madam was indeed quite attractive.

Now, Xu Qing is using the Rejuvenation Technique once again.

In the mourning hall, the few people who had never seen Boss Cheng in his youth saw his handsome features and youthful appearance.

"."

Wang Liang and Wang Yue'e stared at their godmother as if they had seen a ghost, then looked at Xu Qing with a hint of hesitation.

Although they understood that Xu Qing wanted his godmother to leave with dignity, they still felt somewhat absurd looking at her, who was younger than them and looked like an unmarried girl.

Xu Qing was completely unaware that he was now fully immersed in the experience of watching the drama unfold.

As the saying goes, what goes around comes around. Boss Cheng has been eating gossip his whole life, so it's time for others to get a piece of his mind.

Although it might be indecent to say some things, Xu Qing had to admit that he had indeed been thinking about Boss Cheng's fleeting romance for a long time.

Now that Boss Cheng has passed away peacefully, it is a joyous occasion. He comes to pay his respects and get a taste of his old neighbor's gossip. Would the other party possibly object?
Xu Qing was completely focused; he had never been this serious, not even when he was performing the ritual to help the Yinhe Sect Leader pass on!

About sixty years ago, Linjiang City was still Linhefang.

There was an incense and candle shop on Jingxia Street. The shop was originally run by the Cheng family, but the Cheng family was unlucky and passed away in his forties, leaving only his daughter, who was in the prime of her life, to inherit the shop.

Fortunately, with the help of the neighbors in Jingxia Street, Cheng Caiyun, the daughter of the Cheng family, was able to make ends meet.

On the Ghost Festival (July 15th of the lunar calendar), according to the usual practice, Manager Cheng would go to the crossroads to burn paper money for the wandering ghosts.

But now that the old shopkeeper is gone, the task of burning paper money for wandering ghosts can only be taken over by Boss Cheng.

Cheng Caiyun grew up in a candle shop and was naturally familiar with the business of the underworld.

On the night of the Ghost Festival, dark clouds obscured the moon.

Cheng Caiyun lit incense and candles, went alone to the crossroads, and placed the burning incense and freshly steamed buns on the road.

At the same time, Cheng Caiyun muttered to herself:

"On this auspicious Ghost Festival, filial daughter Cheng Caiyun prepares paper money and gold and silver to offer to our ancestors, so that the wandering souls may also share in the merit."

Cheng Caiyun was speaking with her hands clasped together and her eyes closed when a sudden gust of wind blew past her ear, not only ruffling her hair but also bringing a strange male voice.

"My name is Lu Zizhan, and I am from Tianjin. I am on my way to the capital for the imperial examination and am passing through this place. I am currently hungry, but I have not a single penny on me. I wonder if you could give me a few steamed buns to satisfy my hunger?"

"Ghost!"

Cheng Caiyun exclaimed in surprise, her voice already trembling with tears.

In the middle of the night, she was burning paper money when suddenly a man appeared beside her, asking her for food. Who wouldn't be scared in that situation?
Seeing this, Lu Zizhan hurriedly explained, "I am a scholar and would not harm you, young lady. Please do not be afraid."

Still shaken, Cheng Caiyun held the fire tongs and looked at the person in front of her as if facing a formidable enemy. There she saw a refined scholar who had not yet come of age, looking at her with a gentle expression.

"Are you a human or a ghost?"

"I am a scholar, a candidate for the imperial examination."

A scholar, a learned man?
Cheng Caiyun felt a little relieved. Just as she was about to ask something else, she noticed that the scholar was licking his lips and looking at the steamed buns she had placed in the bowl with great anticipation.

Cheng Caiyun hesitated and said, "These steamed buns are for wandering ghosts. You wait here, and I'll go to the shop to get some fresh tea and steamed buns for you."

Cheng Caiyun couldn't bear it in the end, so she lifted the hem of her skirt and ran back to the shop.

But when she arrived at the crossroads with the tea and steamed buns, she found that the scholar had already eaten his fill and was bowing to her, saying thank you for your hospitality.

Cheng Caiyun looked puzzled. She had clearly just taken the steamed buns out, and no one had touched them on the ground.
She looked down and noticed that the steamed buns offered in the bowl on the ground had gone cold and hard, and had many pitted marks that looked like fingerprints.

Boss Cheng didn't think anything of it, assuming that the future scholar couldn't get used to her poor family's food, so he picked up the steamed bun, squeezed it, and put it back.

That night, Lu Zizhan didn't go anywhere. He just stood under the eaves of the incense and candle shop, reciting scriptures and texts while swaying his head.

Cheng Caiyun found it strange and couldn't help but ask Lu Zizhan, "Why didn't you bring any travel money when you went to the capital for the imperial examination?"

Lu Zizhan stopped reciting the scriptures and sighed, "I encountered robbers on the road. They seized my family's property, robbed me of all my wealth, and even tried to destroy my spirit."

"Young lady, there's no need to be surprised. As the saying goes, scholars are always weak and frail, unable to bear the weight of a bushel of rice. I am no exception. However, it's easy for those bandits to rob my family's wealth, but it will be extremely difficult for them to destroy my spirit!"

Cheng Caiyun's eyes lit up. Although she felt it was inappropriate to ask Lu Zizhan about his painful past, she couldn't suppress her thirst for knowledge.

She genuinely wanted to know how this handsome young scholar had been robbed of his family fortune and property by bandits, ending up here in exile, yet still determined to take the imperial examinations.
But before Cheng Caiyun could ask, a rooster crowed from outside the street.

Lu Zizhan's expression changed, and he immediately cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for taking me in, young lady. I have urgent business to attend to. When I pass the imperial examination and capture the bandits, I will definitely come back to repay you."

Cheng Caiyun watched Lu Zizhan leave, feeling a great sense of regret.

The melon was practically in my mouth, but I let it slip away.

However, a month later, it was still a full moon night.

That night, the sound of reciting texts rang out again outside the incense and candle shop.

Boss Cheng was inexplicably delighted. Holding the candle, she opened the shop door and, sure enough, saw Lu Zizhan swaying his head as he read a book.

"Didn't you go to take the imperial examination? Why are you back?"

Lu Zizhan said somewhat embarrassedly, "I don't have enough money for the journey, and I'm starving, so I have to turn back halfway."

"Wait here, I'll go heat up some food for you!"

Because of the difference between men and women, Cheng Caiyun did not invite Lu Zizhan inside. She prepared the food and then brought it outside for Lu Zizhan to eat.

However, this young scholar was a refined person; he would even take his meal aside and eat it in private.

When Lu Zizhan returned the bowls and chopsticks, they were completely clean, but Cheng Caiyun still felt there was a strange sour smell on them.
Cheng Caiyun was preoccupied with the fact that she hadn't been able to enjoy the melon last time, so she didn't pay attention to these details.

"Could you tell me about your encounter with the bandits?"

Lu Zizhan paused for a moment, then frowned, looking somewhat dizzy, and said, "I don't remember very clearly. I only remember what happened before I encountered the bandits."

Seeing the obvious disappointment on Cheng Caiyun's face, Lu Zizhan added, "Perhaps I can tell you some stories from the past. Maybe if I tell you from the beginning, I can remember what happened afterward."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Caiyun instantly perked up again.

And so, every month, when the full moon was on the fifteenth, Lu Zizhan would faithfully keep his appointment.

No matter how busy Boss Cheng was, he would always leave a sumptuous meal for the young scholar that night.

"Last time you mentioned that your friend's family heirloom sword was stolen by the young master of the Ni family."

"Have you forgotten again? Last time we talked about you writing a lawsuit for your friend, wanting to seek justice for him."

"Now we should get to the robbers, right?"

For two years, on and off, Cheng Caiyun had a regular program to look forward to every month.

Lu Zizhan always kept his appointment on the fifteenth of each month.

At this moment, the two seemed to have tacitly forgotten about their trip to the capital for the imperial examination.

It wasn't until the Ghost Festival two years later that Lu Zizhan finally finished recounting his life story.

He was Lu Zizhan, a native of Tianjin.

Although he came from a humble background and his family was destitute, he was a brilliant and learned young man!

He was renowned for his talent in his hometown, and everyone said that his writing was excellent and that he would surely become a pillar of the nation and pass the imperial examinations with flying colors.

something unexpected may happen any time.

One day, the son of the local gentry Ni beat Li Shancai, a fellow villager of Lu Zizhan, to death, all for the sake of seizing a family heirloom sword.

Lu Zizhan, feeling indignant on behalf of his fellow townsman and friend, collected testimonies and filed a lawsuit against the young master of the Ni family in the yamen.

The county magistrate was a slick official. After accepting bribes and hearing that Master Ni claimed to have a long-standing relationship with Prefect Gong of Tianjin, he repeatedly advised Lu Zizhan to give up the appeal.

"Lord Lu, you are a talented man with a bright future. Why offend a powerful family like the Ni family for the sake of a dead man? Why not withdraw the petition, and I will take charge and have the Ni family pay you more money?

Seeing that Lu Zizhan remained unmoved, the magistrate slammed his fist on the table and threatened, "The Ni family is powerful, and the prefect is also an old friend of the Ni family! If you are so ignorant of the times, be careful that you ruin your future and bring trouble upon yourself!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zizhan flew into a rage and said, "Human life is of paramount importance. How can it be settled with money? Even if the Ni family has immense wealth and colludes with officials, does that mean they can cover up the truth and distort the facts?"

"The student's determination to seek justice for his friend is as clear as day and as bright as the sun and moon. Forget about his future; even sacrificing his life would not be a loss!"

The magistrate tried every trick in the book, using both soft and hard approaches, to get Lu Zizhan to give up, but he never expected the stubborn man to be so persistent.

Left with no other option, the county magistrate had to find the prefect and tell him everything about the case, including the fact that the wealthy man from the Ni family claimed to have a past relationship with the prefect.

Upon hearing this, the prefect scoffed, "What old ties do I have with the Ni family? Back when I was penniless and on my way to the capital for the imperial examinations, I passed through this place, and the Ni family gave me half a tael of silver as travel expenses by the roadside."

"A wealthy man with a fortune only gives half a tael of silver, and he has the nerve to call it old friendship?"

The prefect sneered and immediately ordered his clerk to take out three taels of silver and send it to the Ni family. He intended to consider it a past favor, to wipe the slate clean.

As for the case, as long as the young master of the Ni family did not commit murder, why would he need to come to him, the prefect, for help?

This matter should have ended here, and Lu Zizhan might have been able to get justice.

But as fate would have it, when Prefect Gong returned home for dinner, he inadvertently brought up the case during a casual conversation.

The prefect's son suddenly said, "Lu Zizhan's name is not very well-known in Tianjin, but I have witnessed his literary talent. His writing is exquisite and his insights are outstanding. He is truly a rare talent among men."

"In the entire Jiangnan region, only Lu Zizhan can surpass me. If I go to the autumn examination with him next year, his name will most likely be above mine."

Upon hearing this, the prefect's heart sank. His son's talent was second to none in Tianjin, and he was bound to be a contender for the top scholar in the imperial examination. If he were to be overshadowed by Lu Zizhan...
That night, just as the prefect was having trouble sleeping, Master Ni, who had received a message from his clerk, personally delivered 30,000 taels of silver as a gesture of goodwill.

Upon seeing the silver, Prefect Gong recalled the words his son had uttered at the banquet.

Seeing that Prefect Gong remained silent, Master Ni tentatively asked, "What is your opinion on this case, Your Excellency?"

Prefect Gong, whose expression was unpredictable, suddenly laughed out loud: "When I went to take the imperial examination, Brother Ni lent me half a tael of silver for my travel expenses. I have always remembered this kindness. As for my nephew's matter, Brother Ni, you can rest assured!"

Master Ni was still somewhat uneasy: "Lu Zizhan is known for his talent, but he is also stubborn and inflexible. What can you do about him, sir?"

Prefect Gong sneered, "The world has never lacked talented people, only wise men who understand the times and know when to advance and retreat. So what if Lu Zizhan has some reputation in Tianjin? I have plenty of ways to ruin his reputation!"

Officials are all cunning, so Prefect Gong didn't argue with Lu Zizhan directly in court. Instead, he sent his trusted confidants to handle the matter.

The constable found a prostitute and broke into Lu Zizhan's house early the next morning!
Before Lu Zizhan could react, he was pinned to the bed and his clothes were forcibly removed.

Lu Xiucai had never seen anything like this before. He thought he was about to be defiled by a beast, but to his surprise, the prostitute who had received a signal from the servant suddenly bit him on the chest, and luckily, she didn't bite off a piece of his flesh!
Oh dear! I thought it was a lustful demon coming to ruin his reputation, but I never expected it to be a wicked man-eating demon who wanted to eat him!
Before Lu Zizhan could even process his two thoughts, the prostitute who had framed him tore her clothes into a mess and disheveled her hair in front of him. Then she stumbled out of the Lu family home, collapsed in the street, and wailed loudly.

The prostitute insisted that Lu Zizhan was a beast who dragged her into his home and humiliated her in every way, thus ruining her reputation!

Before the villagers could understand what was going on, four or five men from outside the village suddenly arrived, claiming to be government officials passing by.

After hearing what the prostitute had to say, the constables barged into the Lu family home and dragged out the disheveled Lu Zizhan.

During this time, some reasonable villagers spoke up for Lu Zizhan, saying that Lu Zizhan had always been humble and polite, how could he have done such a thing?

However, before the villagers could finish speaking, a ruffian shouted, "Why can't he do it? That Lu fellow is unmarried, he must be feeling really frustrated. When he saw that pretty young woman, he just dragged her into his house and raped her!"

At this moment, Lu Zizhan, realizing what was happening, angrily said, "My father died early. His only wish before his death was for me to pass the imperial examination. I did not marry because I wanted to focus on my studies. To me, books are my beautiful wives and concubines. Everything else is just ordinary stuff. So how can I feel stifled?"

"I believe you are definitely colluding with the Ni family to deliberately frame me."

Before Lu Zizhan could finish speaking, another rogue squeezed out from the crowd, claiming that he had personally witnessed Lu Zizhan dragging the woman into his home.

"If you want to find fault, you can always find a pretext. You are simply trying to exonerate yourselves by accepting money from the Ni family."

"But you've forgotten that I am a scholar with official rank, and no matter what you do, you can't distort the truth!"

Upon seeing this, the officer immediately turned his gaze to the woman of the night.

The latter understood immediately and shouted, "Sir! When this shameless beast defiled me, I bit his chest. That's the evidence! He says I wronged him, but how could my innocence, which he defiled, be fake?"

The head constable immediately ordered his men to tear open Lu Zizhan's clothes, and sure enough, there were teeth marks on his chest.

Now that there are witnesses and physical evidence, Lu Zizhan has no way to defend himself.

After the prefectural government sent the case file to the provincial education commissioner, who stripped Lu Zizhan of his academic titles and official robes, Prefect Gong ordered the local county government to begin investigating Lu Zizhan's case.

To get Lu Zizhan to sign the document, the magistrate personally came up to him and said, "Lu, you can only blame yourself for being out of touch with reality. Now you can't escape your fate. I advise you to confess your crime as soon as possible to avoid suffering in vain."

"Bah!" Lu Zizhan gritted his teeth: "You corrupt officials! You're all in cahoots to frame innocent people. I, Lu Zizhan, am upright and honest, and I would rather die than admit to this fabricated crime!"

"What a cunning and arrogant scoundrel! How dare he roar in the courtroom and insult an official of the imperial court!"

"Guards, give him a good beating!"

How could Lu Zizhan, a mere scholar, withstand such torture?
When Lu Zizhan was beaten unconscious, the magistrate gave a signal to the constables. The constables understood and immediately surrounded him, blocking the view of the onlookers with their bodies, and forcibly pressed their fingerprints and made a signature on Lu Zizhan's document.

It's a pity that a promising scholar, a man of integrity, lost his life in this way.

Lu Zizhan harbored resentment but considered himself a gentleman. He later became a ghost, yet still refused to harm anyone.

But that resentment was constantly eroding his spirit, causing him immense pain.

Perhaps Heaven has eyes.

Just as Lu Zizhan was about to force his way into the government office, which was protected by the evil aura of the officials, in order to end the matter once and for all, a strange man with a Nuo mask on his face stopped him and said that he could use a little magic to help him hide some of his memories and protect him from the resentment.

The strange man did not leave his name. When Lu Zizhan regained consciousness, his memory was already disordered. The prefect and the Ni family who had framed him had become bandits, while he had become a scholar taking the imperial examination.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Lu Zizhan would likely continue drifting aimlessly from then on.

But then he met Cheng Caiyun, who loved gossip.

As Lu Zizhan recounts his past little by little, he is also gradually breaking the seal left on him by the masked assailant.

After Lu Zizhan finished recounting his life story step by step, his memories of his previous life were restored.

Only then did Cheng Caiyun realize the truth.

It turns out that the person who tells her stories on the night of the full moon on the fifteenth of each month is not a living scholar, but a lonely ghost who has died after a tragic accident!
Seeing that Miss Cheng remained silent, Lu Zizhan assumed that the girl in front of him was afraid of him.

To his surprise, Cheng Caiyun showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, she stepped forward and tried to pull him into the shop.

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

“You haven’t harmed me, and you even chat with me to keep me entertained. Why would I be afraid of you? If I were truly afraid of you, I wouldn’t wait for you to come over every fifteenth of the month and leave you food. Without my food, you would probably have starved to death on the streets long ago.”
No, you seem to be dead.

Cheng Caiyun felt both sad and inexplicably happy.

"Miss Cheng, why are you so happy?"

Lu Zizhan was puzzled. Why was this person secretly happy after hearing that he was a wandering ghost?

The next moment, Lu Zizhan saw Cheng Caiyun blush and say, "When you were alive, you were a scholar. Your family would never marry an uneducated woman."

"."

Lu Zizhan's mouth was slightly open, but he couldn't say anything for a long time.

Has Miss Cheng revealed her true feelings to him?
From that day on, neighbors often saw Cheng Caiyun talking to herself, and sometimes she would laugh inexplicably, as if someone was chatting and teasing her.

Seeing that something was wrong, the Wu couple, who ran the paper craft shop, realized that it was time for Boss Cheng to get married. If he didn't find someone soon, he might really fall ill.

However, when questioned by Wu Yaoxing and others, Cheng Caiyun said that she already had someone she loved, and that the other person was a scholar!
The neighbors looked at each other, unable to tell whether it was true or false.

Only Cheng Caiyun knew that she truly had a husband.

"July 15th is the day we met, why don't we get married on that day? What do you think?"

In the deserted incense and candle shop, a memorial tablet stood on the offering table, with the words "The spirit tablet of husband Lu Zizhan, worshipped by wife Cheng Caiyun" inscribed on it.

This is a memorial tablet that Cheng Caiyun and Lu Zizhan wrote by hand after they learned to read and write.

As early as half a year ago, Lu Zizhan's spirit had been corrupted by the resentment he had felt in his previous life, and was no longer clear-headed.

In order not to affect Cheng Caiyun, Lu Zizhan would go to the government office every day to borrow the evil aura of the officials to dispel the resentment in his body, but that evil aura was also constantly wearing down his yin spirit.

Lu Zizhan's body faded away every day until one day, Cheng Caiyun stared wide-eyed, no matter how she called out or tried to see, she could no longer see Lu Zizhan's figure or hear his voice.

She searched everywhere, but only found a piece of yellow paper with writing on it on the counter.

It contained only a few words:

'The paths of the living and the dead are separate, the ways of humans and ghosts are distinct; you must forget me and find a worthy match, then my wish will be fulfilled!'

Cheng Caiyun tore the paper into pieces, but then suddenly squatted down, eager to piece the paper back together. However, when she finally managed to put it back together, there were no words left on it.

"You promised to marry me. You call yourself a gentleman, so how can you go back on your word?"

On the day of the Ghost Festival.

The long-silent incense and candle shop was suddenly brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, with large red "囍" characters pasted on the walls and a string of firecrackers set off.

The neighbors were puzzled, so Wu Yaoxing and a group of others went to inquire, only to find Hu Baosong, the owner of the coffin shop, blocking the door and preventing anyone from entering.

"They're just a young couple living their lives, what are you doing getting involved?"

"If you want to give a gift, just give it to this old man!"

Although Wu Yaoxing didn't understand why anyone would choose the Ghost Festival for a happy occasion, he still gave a considerable amount of money as a gift, considering they were all neighbors.

Two days passed, and when the incense and candle shop reopened, Boss Cheng had already put her hair up in a bun and was dressed in her usual clothes, looking exactly like a married woman.

The neighbors finally got a chance, and they all peeked out, eager to see what the husband who had married into the incense and candle shop looked like.

However, Boss Cheng said that her husband was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations after the wedding.

The Mid-Autumn Festival in July was right next to the autumn imperial examinations, so no one thought much of it. They just thought that Boss Cheng was very lucky and that she might become the wife of a scholar in the future!
But since then, the incense and candle shop has only ever had Boss Cheng.

After the autumn imperial examinations, the spring imperial examinations followed one after another, but no scholars or graduates were seen returning to the incense and candle shop.

Wu Yaoxing couldn't help but inquire, and he heard Cheng Caiyun say that her husband had been killed by bandits on his way to take the imperial examination, and that she had become a widow.

After hearing this, who among the neighbors would dare to ask about it?

Since then, everyone has been very supportive of the incense and candle shop, and Cheng Caiyun has never remarried.
After the revolving lantern finished its run, Xu Qing remained silent for a long time.

He thought that Manager Cheng would have an unforgettable past romance, but he never expected it to be a love story between a human and a ghost.

No wonder Boss Cheng looked at him with such complicated emotions after he passed the imperial examination.

Looking back now, everything seems to have a traceable pattern.

As for the masked man who sealed some of Lu Zizhan's memories, who else could it be but Master Fuluan?
The Prince of Dingyuan's Mansion.

After the seven-day mourning period, Xu Qing properly buried Boss Cheng in accordance with the funeral standards of the Prince's Mansion.

However, the funeral was not yet completed.

Xu Qing had just buried Cheng Caiyun at Wujiu Slope when he immediately went to find Master Fuluan and together they found Lu Zizhan's tomb.

After digging up the abandoned grave, Xu Qing once again activated the Sutra of Salvation.

The Salvation Sutra, now blessed by the Yama's Original Vow Sutra, is no longer what it used to be. Not to mention corpses that lost their souls decades ago, even corpses that have been around for a long time, the Salvation Sutra can find a memory that has drifted through history by following the cycle of reincarnation.

After reading Lu Zizhan's revolving lantern, Xu Qing found that many things were confirmed.

In addition, Xu Qing did not forget to look at the reward for Du Renjing.

The reward given by Lu Zizhan was:

The character "地" (earth) is of the lowest grade, and the stone represents karma.

This stone, like the rice bowl, is a special magical item that can be upgraded.

Currently, the Karma Stone only has one side, and its purpose is to inscribe the 'karma' of the next life. Lu Zizhan's encounter with Cheng Caiyun after his death should have been a karmic connection in the next life.

It arises from a confluence of circumstances and through harmony.

Xu Qing tried to use his magic to activate the Karma Stone, but the stone did not react at all. He then tried to activate it with the help of incense, but as soon as the magic of the incense touched the stone, it slid into the Blood Lake and landed on the other side of the Blood Lake.

At the same time, the Karma Stone, blessed by the incense offerings of the Blood Lake, also revealed a glimpse of the future.

Xu Qing looked at the two figures reflected in the incense of the Blood Lake under the shadow of the Karma Stone, his expression unusually strange.

The two people's clothing was rather avant-garde.
After reading about Lu Zizhan's past life, Xu Qing had a sudden inspiration and once again offered thousands of incense sticks, trying to glimpse a corner of his own future.

However, when Xu Qing saw the red Karma Stone turn completely black, his face also darkened.

Ten thousand incense offerings, and you just changed the color for me?

Xu Qing's interest in the Karma Stone greatly diminished.

If this stone were to evolve to its ultimate form, it might be able to see all the causes and conditions of a person's past, present, and future lives; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it's predestined for three lifetimes.

But none of this was of any use to Xu Qing.

He is the God of Life Protection, not the Matchmaker God or the God of Marriage!
Besides the Karma Stone, Xu Qing also had a ball of yarn wrapped with red silk threads.

That ball of thread was a reward Xu Qing received when he performed a ritual to help Cheng Caiyun pass on to the afterlife.

As for its function
It has the same effect as the red rope he obtained before. As long as both parties have the same red rope, they can sense each other in the dark. If it is blessed with magic power, it can also be used as a positioning tool.

The only difference is that the red thread on the red thread ball can grow continuously by consuming incense.

However, the red rope that Xu Qing tied to Xuan Yu could not be increased by incense offerings, nor could it be used continuously like harvesting leeks.

"Brother Dao, what is this?"

When he saw Xu Qing digging up human remains and moving them elsewhere, Master Fuluan was filled with doubt.

"Never seen a funeral director move a body for reburial? This is all within the scope of my Xu's shop's business. Don't just stand there and do nothing. Scatter paper money as usual. How can you not be busy?"

"."

After Xu Qing brought Lu Zizhan's remains back to Wujiu Slope, he followed the custom of joint burial and performed a joint burial ceremony for Boss Cheng and Scholar Lu, the doomed couple.

Midway through, Xu Qing took out a ball of red thread, cut out three feet of red thread, wrapped one end around Boss Cheng's hand, and the other end around Lu Zizhan's hand.

And it was tied into an unsolvable knot.

Outside the tomb, Master Fulan watched Xu Qing tie a red string around the neck of a pair of doomed lovers and asked with some curiosity, "Brother, there seems to be something unusual about this red string."

Xu Qing closed the coffin lid, looked at the Venerable Fu Luan, and said with a smile:

"If Fellow Daoist Fuluan is interested, I will tie one for the First Emperor and Fellow Daoist Fuluan another day."

"It's not necessary!"

Master Fuluan felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively pulled his hands back into his sleeves.

Although he didn't know what was so special about this red thread, he had a feeling that it must be an unprecedented terror!
(End of this chapter)