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

Chapter 53 Den
Why do we say that Yan Gou Shu and silk shadow puppetry have something in common? This matter is also inextricably linked to Qin Dengming, the incense master of the Tianxin Sect branch.

Xu Qing read in Qin Dengming's history of making a fortune that he was an unconventional shadow puppet craftsman when he was young. He followed his master around the country since he was young and acquired superb shadow puppet skills.

At that time, Master Qin Xiang was not called Qin Dengming. He had a nickname, Pi Zi Qin. Later, everyone called him Little Leathersmith.

When he was seventeen or eighteen years old, Qin Xiaopi and his master came to Jiangning Prefecture, a wealthy place located in the Yuque Ningtu of Jiangnan Road. Other famous places include Mengli Qiantang, Shuifu Ancient Tower, and Fujia Baiyang.
Those are among the most prosperous areas.

Qin Xiaopi and his master had never seen such a wealthy place!
After setting up the shadow puppet show, before the show is over, the money donated by the audience and guests as tips can be put into a cloth bag!
"Xiao Pi, we have to work hard these days. Once we save enough money, we'll buy you a house so you can settle down."

"Got it!"

When Qin Xiaopi heard this, he felt full of energy and felt that the future was becoming more and more promising.

But life is never smooth sailing. There may be some obstacles and pits waiting for you right before your eyes.

That evening, Qin Xiaopi followed his master to set up the stall as usual. He put up the shadow puppet shed on the ground, pulled up the curtain, and the three-foot square stage took shape.

Today they were performing shadow play not for passersby, but as a solo show specifically for a wealthy businessman in Jiangning Prefecture.

Although the rich businessman was knowledgeable, he had never seen a shadow play before. He was very curious, so he asked his family and servants to turn off all the lights, not allowing any light at all, just to watch a proper shadow play!

Without the light, everyone's attention was focused on the studio of Qin Xiaopi and his apprentice.

Qin Xiaopi sang in a low voice while pulling the silk thread in his hands, obviously enjoying the feeling very much.

At this time, the surroundings are dark, and every silk thread is connected with sorrow and joy.

There is silence everywhere, and a curtain depicts love, hate, separation and separation.

On and off the stage, the audience and craftsmen were all immersed in the performance.

After the show, the lights in the courtyard were lit, causing the audience to exclaim in surprise.

However, it was not because the shadow play was so good, but because there was a knife stuck in the chest of the rich businessman. He had been killed at some point in time!
When the authorities came to hunt down the murderer, Qin Xiaopi and his master, two outsiders, became the biggest suspects.

The chief judge of the case said, "If you hadn't performed the shadow play and put out the lights and the fire, how could there be no witnesses to the crime?"

"In my opinion, this case must have been committed by you two in collusion with the murderous bandits!"

Qin Xiaopi and his apprentice naturally refused to plead guilty.

After a round of torture and interrogation, Master Qin Xiaopi was the first to collapse and died under the beating.

Qin Xiaopi refused to admit it and was eventually thrown into prison, where he stayed for three full years.

Three years later, the real murderer who killed the wealthy businessman was arrested for other crimes. When he confessed and signed, he also revealed the old crimes he had committed before.

Only then did the government realize that the shadow puppeteer who came from outside the province three years ago was not the murderer.
Qin Xiaopi was released from prison just like that, but he was still holding back his anger, thinking that my master was wrongly accused of death, and I had been in prison for several years for no reason, and there must be an explanation for this!
So he hired a lawyer to go to the government to seek an explanation.

The chief official of the government is still the same one from before. When he hears that his old boss is here to settle accounts, he will be in trouble!

In the courtroom, the chief judge, without even glancing at the complaint handed over by the lawyer, said, "You've asked me for an explanation, but I haven't yet asked you for compensation! In that case, settle the bill first, and I'll explain it to you later."

When Qin Xiaopi heard this, he realized that he was the victim and what was there to compensate?
Then he heard the chief officer say, "You've been in jail for so many years for no reason. How could you not have money for food, clothing, and other necessities?"

"That's all silver allocated by the court. You must not compensate me!"

Qin Xiaopi was dumbfounded. This was not a local official, but a local bully!
Today he finally saw what a corrupt official was.

At the order of the arbitrary and self-determined chief officer, Qin Xiaopi was sent to the quarry to work as a stone transporter to pay off the jail money he owed!

After finally completing his labor service and paying off his prison debts, Qin Xiaopi thought to himself that the political system in Jiangnan was too high and could not accommodate a small figure like him, so he might as well go home and farm!
After years of learning a trade, spending a few years in jail, and doing corvee labor, Qin Xiaopi finally returned to his hometown, rented a few acres of land from a wealthy gentry, and became a farmer. But is being a farmer really that easy?
Qin Xiaopi planted a grain of millet in spring and harvested ten thousand grains in autumn. He worked tirelessly all year round, but in the end he had to eat bran and vegetables to survive!

Under such heavy pressure, Qin Xiaopi suddenly felt like he had gotten the idea!

The older generation often says that you are what you eat.

So you can’t become a superior person by enduring hardships, but you can eat people.

Those oppressive, cunning, and tyrannical officials, as well as those gentry, nobles, and aristocrats, which one of them is not cannibalistic?
It happened that the Tianxin Sect was recruiting members at this time. As soon as Qin Xiaopi saw the brochure, he felt that he had met a kindred spirit!
Kill the corrupt officials! Kill the corrupt officials! Overthrow this decadent dynasty, and you must be the one holding the knife!

Only with a knife in hand can we poor people pour out our bitterness and win back justice and favor!
The Tianxin Sect’s propaganda was very effective, and almost every word struck Qin Xiaopi’s heart. He suddenly felt that he had hope in life again.

That is rebellion!

Rebellion against the Yong Dynasty, kill the dog emperor, and let the glory of the Holy Lord Tianxin spread to all mankind!

Great! Even after death, he still didn't forget to promote his rebellious business.

Xu Qing continued to read. After Qin Xiaopi joined the Tianxin Sect, he worked diligently and willingly all day long. In just a few years, he rose from a small follower to a leader.

The Tianxin Sect believes in the holy masters of all generations, and its disciples, 'Sheng, Miao, Luo, Jue', are ranked from the lowest to the highest, each with their own duties.

Qin Xiaopi's outstanding performance caught the eye of the elder who taught the law in Juezi Sect. The elder then made a tailor-made training for him and sent talented people to teach him the art of puppetry.

With the ability to protect himself, Qin Xiaopi's status was promoted again, and he became the new incense master of the Linhe branch, and was only one step away from becoming the master of the branch.

At this time, he also changed his name to Qin Dengming.

In the morgue, Xu Qing gained a lot from the prayer.

During this trip, he not only acquired the Earth-level magic skills such as the Jizhu method and Yanwu method, but also learned some secret information.

For example, Shuhuang Pavilion is actually a hideout of the Tianxin Sect.

Most of the talented women there are relatives of convicted officials who were stranded here after their homes were ransacked. Even the girl Shuyu, whom Zhang Jun in the yamen likes, is a loyal believer of Tianxin Sect.

Zhang Jun thought that he could win the heart of a beautiful woman by pursuing fame and fortune, but he didn't know that his action was contrary to the truth. What Miss Shuyu was pursuing was not fame and fortune, but revenge for her father.

As for why the families of the convicted officials who should have been sent to the Jiaofangsi were in the Shuhuang Pavilion, we have to mention the pettiness of Emperor Longping.

Ten years ago, Emperor Longping issued a new decree, prohibiting prostitution in the capital. The Jiaofangsi in Luojing was abolished in name only, but it did not prohibit male actors.

As a result, many brothels and mansions in the capital city sprang up like mushrooms after a rain, and became full of vitality.

Rumor has it that the reason why Emperor Longping banned prostitutes in the capital was because he was quite old and short of money, so he was upset and couldn't bear to see others seeking pleasure.

The families of the convicted officials were therefore assigned to flower shops outside the capital, and inside the capital, only the Xianggu Pavilions were still standing.

This is also the reason why the Tianxin Sect predicted the whereabouts of the prince in advance in Shuhuang Pavilion and prepared for the assassination.

Not to mention the prince, these days the officials in the capital can only play with the rabbit in the prime minister's mansion, but that is not the right way after all, how can it be as real as the pretty flowers here?

Eating radishes and farting every day makes you smell bad. Even if it's just to change your taste, you should try some seafood and meat.

Look, the girl Han Meng that the prince is in love with is none other than the orphan of a convicted official in the capital who was executed after his property was confiscated and he ended up living here.

When Xu Qing saw this, he knew that the assassination attempt was not over yet.

(End of this chapter)