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

Chapter 411 Deepest condolences for Mr. Xu, may his kind countenance remain forever.
In the twenty-third year of the Yong'an reign of the Great Yan Dynasty, Emperor Yong'an changed the era name to Fengjing. Seven years later, Emperor Yong'an passed away, and his descendants honored him as Emperor Shizu Lie, Emperor Yingqian Shouming Guangyun Suwu Zhaolie Rensheng Da Huangdi.

Subsequently, Zhu Chengsi, the crown prince of the Great Yan Dynasty, succeeded to the throne and changed the era name to Hongcheng.

Today marks nearly twenty years since Emperor Hongcheng ascended the throne, exactly twenty years later.

Careful calculation shows that the Great Yan Kingdom has been established for exactly fifty years.

Over the past four or five decades, Tianjin has undergone tremendous changes, with fishing, hunting, farming, and all kinds of industries flourishing.

Aside from these, Tianjin's funeral industry is unparalleled. Not only in the Great Yan Dynasty, but also in the world, it is a force to be reckoned with.

During this period, Xu Qing's name was known to every household in the Beijing-Tianjin area. In Tianjin, he was known for his kindness in helping widows, widowers, and the lonely, ensuring that they had a proper burial in their old age. In Beijing, he was known for presiding over the funeral of the founding emperor and the funeral procession of the two Wu family ministers.

Now, Xu Qingnian is nearing the end of his life, and once the Double Ninth Festival passes, he will be exactly one hundred years old.

Although his birthday is still half a month away, the renowned "Old Master Xu" has already become a living deity in the eyes of many.

People say this is a manifestation of the virtue that Master Xu accumulated by helping the old and weak and preventing their frozen bones from being exposed to the wilderness.

Even more extreme claims have been made that Mr. Xu is already a semi-immortal, and that once his birthday is over on the Double Ninth Festival, he will ascend to heaven and become an immortal.

These words originally had no basis, but Xu Qing asked Chuantang to investigate the source of the rumors and discovered that they were fabricated by the storyteller of Rongshengzhai, who had exaggerated the story.

Ultimately, it was simply that neither Guo Baolin nor his son Guo Congwen outlived him.

Xu Qing's promise to Guo Congwen to give him the original copy of "Travels in Dongyang" after his death was naturally left unfulfilled.

Now that things have come to this, and the grandchildren of the Guo family are facing the prospect of not being able to fulfill their ancestors' wishes, and even the possibility that they themselves might not outlive Manager Xu, the Guo family descendants simply let go of all their resentment as a burden.

Anyway, it's not that the Guo family is incompetent; it's just that Manager Xu is no ordinary person!
After venting like this, I actually felt better.

Xu Qing had nothing to say. His original plan was to "pass away" at the age of 100, since people in Tianjin valued their seniority.

What does it mean to "recognize old faces"?

To take a recent example, there was the last person Xu Qing performed a ritual to help in the afterlife—Zhang Xiaozui.

That small mouth originally belonged to the owner and head chef of Zhang's Food Shop on Xinping Street.

But when it comes to cooking delicious food, everyone still only recognizes Zhang Xiaozui's father, Zhang Dazui.

That huge mouth was also used by Xu Qing during his funeral.

More than 30 years ago, Zhang Dazui got into an argument and injured someone with a kitchen knife, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison.

In the past two years, Zhang's Food Shop has been taken over by Zhang Dazui's son, Zhang Xiaozui.

Even though Zhang Xiaozui inherited Dazui's skills and cooked just like his father, everyone still felt that Xiaozui's cooking was not as good as Dazui's.

Later, when Big Mouth returned from prison, he went back to the kitchen to cook. However, the customers all said that Little Mouth's cooking skills were getting worse and worse.
The diners who came to eat all spoke out against Zhang Xiaozui.

You know, it's one thing if your cooking skills aren't as good as your dad's, but how come you've gotten even worse?
Zhang Xiaozui's eyes widened, feeling both aggrieved and frustrated. He couldn't help but blurt out the truth: "My father just came back, and he cooked this meal today. How can you say I'm wrong?"

Hearing the commotion, Zhang Dazui, who was in the kitchen, ran out to ask what was going on.

Everyone looked and exclaimed, "Hey! Big Mouth really is back!"

"I wonder what happened. It must be because Big Mouth hasn't cooked for two years and his skills have become rusty. Otherwise, how could the food taste even worse than Little Mouth's?"

Zhang Dazui asked in surprise, "What do you mean my skills have deteriorated? Although I was sent to prison for the past two years, I was still doing cooking there, so how could I have become rusty?"

Zhang Xiaozui also felt wronged. He had been improving his cooking skills and refining his dishes for the past two years, all to prove himself.

But people's impression of him has never changed.

Ultimately, it all boils down to the issue of prejudice against accepting new things.

The same applies to Xu Qing's funeral shop. If the funeral industry in Tianjin were to change its management one day, its reputation would certainly not be as renowned as it is now in a short period of time.

Thinking that he could endure one more day, Xu Qing set the date for his 'departure' for half a month later, which was his birthday, the Double Ninth Festival.

In Tianjin, Xu Qing had just set the date. Back in the capital, the over-sixty-year-old Emperor Hongcheng had also chosen a date for his crown prince to visit Tianjin.

"I respect Buddha and Taoism, but I have never had the obsession with seeking immortality or asking about Tao."

Having toiled for years in the affairs of state, Emperor Hongcheng, already physically and mentally exhausted, had begun to plan for his passing.

He coughed a few times, forcing himself to stay alert, and said, "Alas, none of my descendants are as wise and powerful as the late emperor. Now, I only have two paths to take."

Emperor Hongcheng looked up at the ninety-year-old Duke Zhenguo and continued, "Firstly, I have been preoccupied with state affairs in the past and have not fulfilled my duty to educate the Crown Prince. If I can find a way to prolong my life, even if it is only by three more years, I would be happy."

Three years, though not a long time, was enough for him to complete the handover of all matters.

If Emperor Hongcheng could not witness the Crown Prince getting back on track, he would not be able to die in peace.

"Secondly, we need to find a wise and capable tutor for the Crown Prince. This tutor must be someone of great talent and ambition to be qualified."

Wang Liang kept his eyes down, seemingly lost in thought, and remained silent throughout.

Since the passing of the Wu brothers and Gu Shaoyang, the old-fashioned Wang Liang has become the only senior minister who has reached the highest position in the government.

He was granted the title of Grand Master of the Palace, bestowed with the Nine Bestowments, allowed to wear a sword and shoes in the palace, exempted from hasty bowing upon entering the court, and was not required to use his name when being praised or saluted. He was also enfeoffed as Duke of Zhenguo.
Wang Liang has already enjoyed all the status and praise he could. If he wants to go further, the only options besides rebelling are to be given the title of "Uncle" and to be remembered in history.

Looking at the silent Wang Liang, Emperor Hongcheng suddenly asked, "Would the Duke of Zhenguo be willing to become the new Emperor's Holy Teacher?"

Wang Liang's eyelids twitched, and he immediately stood up shakily, cupping his hands and saying, "I am old and nearing my end. How can I possibly be the Emperor's tutor?"

Emperor Hongcheng looked at the white-haired Duke of Zhenguo for a while and sighed, "If that's the case, I'll have no choice but to find another renowned teacher."

"I have heard that there is a funeral master named Xu Qing in Jingxia Street, Tianjin. He is quite famous and some even say that he is a living immortal. I want to have the Crown Prince Regent personally invite Master Xu to be his holy teacher. What does the Duke of Zhenguo think?"

Wang Liang pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "This old minister has witnessed Mr. Xu's talent and he is indeed worthy of being a holy teacher. However, Mr. Xu is already over a hundred years old."

Emperor Hongcheng laughed and said, "He is not yet a hundred years old. I once sent someone to investigate, and he is ninety-nine years old. He will only reach old age after the Double Ninth Festival."

"As for advanced age, since he is a true immortal in this world, it is no different for Master Xu to be a hundred years old from a young and vigorous person."

Wang Liang cupped his hands in greeting and finally advised, "Mr. Xu had a long-standing friendship with the late Emperor. If Your Highness is unable to persuade him to come out of seclusion, you should still treat him with courtesy and not take offense."

Emperor Hongcheng nodded, then said, "The Duke is right. To be on the safe side, I need to send people to seek out extraordinary people and enlightened masters to teach me the method of reversing my lifespan and extending my lifespan by three years."

In August of the twelfth year of Hongcheng.

The newly appointed Celestial Master Zhang Shufang of the Celestial Master's Mansion and Zen Master Chen Liuer of the Ancient Jue Temple, each received an imperial edict and went to various famous mountains and Taoist temples to search for surviving immortals.

Zhang Shufang was a disciple of Zhang Pingsheng, the true successor of the Celestial Master's Mansion. He was a man of simple tastes and lofty ideals, upright and incorruptible. He was a virtuous man personally recommended by Xu Qing when the founding monarch of the Great Yan Dynasty was still alive.

Before parting ways with Chen Liuer, Zhang Shufang said, "According to my master, there are eleven true immortals in the world today, of whom only five have fixed Daoist temples."

“One is named Ge Hongwen, from Songyun Temple on Henglu Mountain; another is named Zhuang Tongsheng, who cultivates in Lotus Cave on Yuchi Mountain; there is also Jingxu Zhenren, from Wulao Temple on Daxing Mountain; and the third is named Gu Yuanrang, from Tiaoshan in Hengzhou.” Chen Liuer laughed and said, “That’s only four, we’re still missing one. That’s it! I heard that your master Zhang Pingsheng cultivates on Santai Peak, so that makes five.”

Zhang Shufang said, "This humble Taoist will naturally go to the Three Peaks first. If my master is not traveling, perhaps he can find a way to strengthen His Majesty's body."

"Besides my master, I also remember that the master of Zen Master Sanjue, the unkempt Elder Xinyuan, was also an extraordinary living Buddha who was engaged in worldly affairs."

Chen Liuer's smile faltered, and he said with some helplessness, "My master has no temple, and his practice is to travel the world. However, I will try my best to find my master's whereabouts. If we are destined to meet, it will save me from having to go elsewhere."

Zhang Shufang nodded and said, "Even so, we still need to make plans in advance. I wonder which master's temple Master Sanjue plans to go to after failing to find a master?"

Chen Liuer pondered and said, "You only said there are five living True Immortals, but this humble monk also has information about several unparalleled True Immortals."

"That's quite unusual, Zen Master! Tell me about it!"

Chen Liuer gazed into the distance and said leisurely, "The seventh should be Xie Qiongke from Zhongzhou; the eighth is the Great Shaman of Taodu Mountain, whose single name is Yi."

“There is another one nearby, but I cannot tell you about him.”

Zhang Shufang's heart stirred slightly, and he tentatively asked, "Is the person you're talking about in the Tianjin area?"

"."

Seeing Chen Liuer's unusual expression, Zhang Shufang immediately understood.

“My master and this person from Beijing and Tianjin are old friends. I also met him once when I was young in Zhongzhou.”

Chen Liuer's feelings were complex and difficult to understand.

How come a funeral director has such a wide circle of friends in private?

As Chen Liuer looked at Zhang Shufang, he could already picture his teacher teasing him, a little monk, while also joking around with a certain young Taoist boy surnamed Zhang in the Central Plains.

"Although you live in the mortal world, you have no interest in worldly glory or wealth, nor do you care about interfering in court affairs. The court has invited you to come out of seclusion, but you may not agree. However, with you and me stepping in, the outcome might be different."

"In my humble opinion, it would be better for Fellow Daoist Zhang to invite the Master, so that Fellow Daoist can also catch up with the Master."

Chen Liuer had been following Xu Qing for quite some time, so he naturally understood Xu Qing's temperament better than Zhang Shufang.

If it were a matter concerning the imperial court, perhaps the deceased Emperor Zhu could have personally intervened and offered some explanation, but now...
Let alone him and Zhang Shufang, even if their master came, they wouldn't be able to persuade them.

Chen Liuer said that he would let Zhang Shufang go, but he only wanted to repay the old favor. As for asking the master to come out of retirement, it was just a pretext!
Zhang Shufang, unaware of the true situation, genuinely believed he could persuade Xu Qing to help.

After thanking Chen Liuer, he took the imperial edict and went straight to Tianjin to recruit Master Xu Xian to serve in the imperial court.

Jingxia Street, coffin shop.

While Xu Qing was discussing with Senior Sister Yi Zhen what method of death to choose, he suddenly had a whim.

Xu, whose cultivation had reached the realm of immortals, possessed divine spirituality and sensed Zhang Shufang's decision to visit him from the moment he decided to come.

"Junior brother?"

Hearing her senior sister's question, Xu Qing immediately came to her senses.

He cleared his mind of distractions and continued to ask, "Senior sister, are you really not planning to be buried with me? It's just a cenotaph next to each other, we're not actually buried together, so it's not a serious matter."

Master Yizhen kept a straight face and struggled with his thoughts for a long time before finally agreeing in a low voice.

"Junior brother, you can't act so recklessly in the future."

Xu Qing knew what her senior sister was referring to.

It's nothing more than that in his early years he took it upon himself to claim that he had abducted a Jurchen from the Five Elders Temple, which led to the birth of his grandchildren, He Xin and Ru Yi.

It's easy to lie, but hard to cover it up.

Since one of them had already faked his death three years ago, Xu Qing, the one who died later, had to make the whole thing work and choose a location on Wujiu Slope next to his senior sister's grave.

Only in this way will others not suspect anything.

After leaving the coffin shop, Xu Qing, for the first time ever, ordered all the coffin shops to close for a day. At the same time, he instructed Li Tiezhu to gather the heads of each coffin shop and sent out invitations to the neighbors, inviting all the acquaintances to be witnesses.

"Dad, is there something important that you summoned us here?"

Feng Zhengnan, accompanied by his old man, arrived at Jingxia Street as agreed.

Xu Qing looked at Feng Zhengnan, who was nine feet tall and ugly to the extreme, and found him to be exactly the same as the Demon Exorcist True Lord from back then!
"I have summoned you here today because there are some things I need to tell you."

Xu Qing glanced around at the faces of the changing generation, and felt increasingly emotional.

“I am now a hundred years old, and you are all descendants of my old friends. If I were to leave, I would naturally have to say goodbye to you all.”

Feng Zhengnan exclaimed in surprise, "Why do you say that, Master?"

Xu Qing smiled and said, "Everyone has to die eventually. I have sensed that my time is coming soon, so I have had my funeral clothes and coffin prepared in advance, just waiting for you to come and send me off."

After saying that, Xu Qing continued, "Rumors say that I am a living immortal, but they don't know that I am merely a man who has reached the end of his life. Today, my life is coming to an end, so you don't need to grieve at the age of one hundred; rather, it is a joyous occasion."

"The cycle of karma has come full circle. In the past, I was the one who carried out funerals and buried people. Every one of your elders, without exception, had passed through my hands. Now it is finally your turn to send me off. This is a good thing, and you should be happy."

Faced with a matter of life and death, Xu Qing encouraged everyone to settle scores and vent their grievances. His amusing demeanor made him seem nothing like a dying man.

However, these words only added to the sadness of the crowd.

When Mr. Xu presided over the funeral arrangements for their elders, he truly did his best, ensuring that the deceased did not suffer any injustice and that the living did not have to worry too much.

How could anyone possibly hate someone of such high moral standing?

At noon, Xu Qing bathed and changed his clothes, donned a brand-new five-bat longevity robe, and entered the coroner's shop.

The crowd gathered outside and watched as Xu Qing lay in the coffin. In no time, the old man in the coffin fell silent.

The doctor at the clinic was unwilling to believe that Xu Qing had passed away, so he reached out to take his pulse. But as soon as he touched him, he found that the old man's body was already stiff and cold.

The doctor was dumbfounded. The living person was still warm when he died, so how could the old man become a cold corpse in the blink of an eye?
After confirming that Xu Qing was dead, the coroner's office was filled with weeping.

Xu Qing lay in the coffin, and the experience was different from before.

This is what it feels like when someone mourns someone's death.
Outside the door, more and more people came to pay their respects.

At one point, Zhang Tianshi, who had rushed to Jingxia Street, was completely taken aback.

A newly erected white banner with black lettering outside the mortuary read: "Deepest condolences for the passing of Mr. Xu, may his kind countenance remain forever."

No, how could Mr. Xu, whom even his master respected so much, suddenly die?

(End of this chapter)