I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality Chapter 438 - 228: The Way of Raising Cats (Part 2)

"In the past decade, the Daoist priest has visited the Gu Family multiple tis, aiming to perfect the Daoist soldier technique and help the Gu Family regain the ability to train the White Robe Army like their ancestor Gu Lingjun did."

"Perfect the Daoist soldier technique?"

Xu Qing frowned and said, "How does he intend to perfect it? It can’t be that he wants the Gu Family to first teach him their secret thods, and then he will improve them, right?"

"..."

Shang Shaoyang showed a look of astonishnt. His several brawny brothers-in-law indeed said just that.

Xu Qing bared his teeth and said, "I rember Brother Shang once told sothing. He said that when he was young, he loved to act chivalrously and justly. Once, when he ran away from ho, he happened to encounter a group of bandits trying to kidnap the young lady of the Gu Family. Those people were extrely fierce, not like ordinary mountain bandits, but more like they had a military background..."

"What does Brother Xu an by this?"

Shang Shaoyang completely put away his playful attitude.

"Nothing, just sothing I want to tell Brother Shang."

Xu Qing glanced at Xuan Yu, who was still in a state of agitation and clutching his sleeve tightly, and said lightly, "Baiyun Daoist privately had many interactions with the current Emperor. Early on, at the request of the Third Prince Zhao Rong, he refined pills for the late Emperor to prolong his life. Do you know what he originally used as an ingredient for the pills?"

"It was the villagers of White Cage Village, outside of the Ruyi Temple!"

What Xu Qing said was entirely true. These were secrets he had learned from the mory of Liao Jinzhong. White Cage Village was a place for nurturing ingredients for spiritual dicines, but later they sohow discovered an evil technique using the Nine-Life Profound Cat instead of living people to refine ’Immortal dicine.’

Xu Qing continued, "If we calculate the ti, the incident with the young lady of the Gu Family happened to coincide with Emperor Longping’s reign, when the current Emperor was still the Third Prince..."

Upon hearing this, Shang Shaoyang’s brows furrowed tightly.

Common families might not be aware of the fratricidal struggles for the throne, and even if there were rumors in the market, they were often mixed with half-truths and unreliable information.

But Shang Shaoyang was different. Born in the Shang family, he naturally had channels to obtain information from the Capital City. It could be said that no family, let alone one of noble lineage, was unaware of the deeds of Emperor Jingxing Zhao Rong.

At this mont, as Shang Shaoyang recalled the story of the Gu Family’s young lady being kidnapped by disguised soldiers and bandits, he couldn’t help but associate it with the current Emperor.

It’s hard to say if that incident with the Gu Family’s young lady was related to the royal struggles of the past.

"Why did Brother Xu tell these things?"

At this mont, Shang Shaoyang’s tone clearly carried a hint of wary distance. Xu Qing chuckled lightly and said, "I’m just a Funeral Master who often sends people off at funerals. Occasionally, I hear so news, but I never love to speak of it outside, whether it’s true or false."

"Today, Young Master Shang ca over to offer a toast. Perhaps it was the wine talking, and I said a few things I shouldn’t have..."

Shang Shaoyang’s face flushed with a hint of embarrassnt. "I jumped to conclusions, I penalize myself with three cups!"

Only then did Xu Qing notice that Shang Shaoyang had always been holding a wine pot.

"I have to thank Brother Xu for saying these words."

"That’s not necessary. I just dislike that old Daoist and like you better, so I ca over to say these things."

Shang Shaoyang shook his head and laughed, "Brother Xu might not know that the reason the Gu Family is strong is because of the Daoist soldier technique handed down by Admiral Gu. If this technique falls into the hands of others who can cleverly manipulate it, the Gu Family might find it difficult to maintain their position."

"Speaking of the Gu Family and the current Emperor... let’s not talk about these on such a joyful day."

Xu Qing did not press further as these matters were not hidden from him in the first place. The conflict between the Gu Family and the current Emperor is all about that.

When Emperor Jingxing wanted to claim the throne, the Gu Family supported the honest and dull Fourth Prince.

Ultimately, it was a matter of choosing sides, and now that Emperor Jingxing is firmly seated on the throne, isn’t it natural for him to target those who opposed him back then?

Shang Shaoyang didn’t like the intrigue and power struggles, and seeing his lack of interest, Xu Qing turned to ntion the gardener Cui Shiyuan.

"I know Cui Shiyuan. He is obsessed with flowers. In my early years, I went to his garden with the young lady of the Gu Family."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing couldn’t help but laugh, "That Cui Shiyuan never lets outsiders into his garden, especially not mischievous children who love to pick flowers. The only reason you could enter his garden is thanks to the bride."

"What do you an by that? How is it because of her that I could enter Old Man Cui’s garden?"

Xu Qing then explained the relationship between the gardener and the Gu Family.

"Your wife’s grandmother did a favor for Cui Shiyuan. Because of this past, he allowed the young lady of the Gu Family to visit his garden. At most, you were just incidental."

"By the way, do you know why the flowers during the wedding blood out of season?"

Xu Qing said with a knowing smile.

"Don’t tell ..."

Shang Shaoyang suddenly realized: "Oh! Cui Shiyuan is indeed skilled in floriculture. I heard that his ancestor once made flowers bloom fully in the middle of a harsh winter."

"I was puzzled as to why those flowers were so lush in October—it was him."

Shang Shaoyang suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Since he’s done such a great deed, he must attend my wedding feast. I must go find him and offer a toast!"

Seeing Shang Shaoyang hurriedly head back, Xu Qing had to remind him, "The old gentleman has already passed away, right after arranging all these flowers..."

.....

At the Shang residence, Xu Qing didn’t see Baiyun Daoist again until the banquet ended.

However, he wasn’t in a rush. Even if he found the other now, it wouldn’t be appropriate to start a fight at Shang Shaoyang’s wedding feast.

"Does the Profound Jade Immortal Family trust ?"

After leaving the Shang residence, Xu Qing walked forward with his hands behind his back.

Beside him, a girl dressed in black with black hair down to her waist mimicked him, walking with her hands behind her back.

Perhaps from spending so much ti with Xu Qing, the girl’s mannerisms and walking posture were gradually becoming more like his.

"I trust."

The response to Xu Qing was the girl’s crisp voice.

Xu Qing glanced at her, her slightly chubby face showing no hesitation, as if it were spoken on instinct.

"Good, then tomorrow we will go to Mount Yunng to trouble that old bull’s nose!"

"That old bull’s nose is very powerful. We might not be able to beat him."

"We can!" Xu Qing said with unusual confidence.

"Xuan Yu, don’t forget, you’re a mber of the Immortal Family with five hundred years of spiritual cultivation."

Xu Qing’s eyes glead with a different kind of light, and his voice carried a mysterious tone, "Five hundred years is an opportune ti to face the thunder tribulation."

Besides resisting calamities and tribulations, the rit of incense can also, to so extent, delay the onset of thunder calamities.

Back then, Xu Qing delayed his tribulation avoidance by several months. Even with a million incense rits, he didn’t actively choose to undergo the tribulation until it was unavoidable, and the thunder calamity was almost upon him when he reluctantly ran to the Imperial Mausoleum to face it.

Now that he has tested the level of thunder calamity for Xuan Yu, even if the thunder of heaven and thunder of god strikes, a million incense rits are more than enough!

As zombies are inherently disliked by heaven and earth, the thunder calamity Xu Qing faces is the maximum punishnt, while for a Cat Demon like Xuan Yu, who has never caused harm and consistently does good deeds, the thunder calamity would only be easier.

Of course, this easiness is only relative. The incense from Cat Immortal Hall exceeds a million, making it naturally easy to handle, but the thunder would still correspond to the Yin thunder for demonkind, not reduced by the incense.

When it cos to calamitous tribulations, humans find it easier than demons, and demons find it easier than malevolent ghosts and wicked spirits.

Zombies are at the bottom.

Baiyun Daoist is, at most, soone with a few hundred years of Daoist cultivation. Xu Qing doesn’t believe the other has already escaped the thunder calamity, reached the fourth realm of cultivation as a high being.

If that were the case, Xuan Yu likely would have had no chance of escaping back then.

Xu Qing decided that, if he could enable Xuan Yu to take revenge personally, that would undoubtedly be the best outco.

As cats’ emotions co and go quickly, upon returning to the Cui Family’s residence and seeing those beautiful flowers and plants, her mood lifted.

During the two-day stay at the Cui Family, Xu Qing helped them return those flower pots and plants used for the wedding to their respective households.

During this ti, Xu Qing also did not forget to collect the freshly fallen petals, and as luck would have it, by the ti all matters were handled, he had gathered enough for a coffin full of fallen flowers.

On the day of the funeral, to the Cui Family’s surprise, the newlyweds from the Shang residence personally ca to pay their respects to Cui Shiyuan.

They held the funeral and burial.

Cui Shiyuan’s grave was located not far from the residence, surrounded not by pines and cypresses, but by a variety of flowers.

Next spring, this place will undoubtedly transform into a vibrant sea of flowers, full of fragrance.

In life, Cui Shiyuan’s fa was confined to a single garden, but a few years after his death, his reputation began to spread. Later, a remarkably talented scholar passing by composed a poem for him, and thus Cui Shiyuan’s distinguished na beca known to the world, earning Qianxi the title of the Flower City.

It was indeed as said, "In life, protecting a thousand blooming branches; in death, resting eternally among countless petals."

But these are stories for another ti, and we shall not delve into them in detail for now.