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

Chapter 9 Blackmail

Xu Qing did not have high expectations when he came, but he never thought that a fifty-year-old official could have a chance to become an immortal!
It is true that people cannot be judged by appearance, and sea water cannot be measured.

It's a pity that this old man was greedy for worldly desires and put all his energy into studying unorthodox things such as civil and military divination, but completely abandoned the skills that could really strengthen himself. Otherwise, he would not have died at the hands of Song Cai.

After practicing the Qi-gazing technique for a while, Xu Qing suddenly felt unwell. He seemed to have stood up suddenly after squatting for a long time, and his vision was blurry.

It lasted for about two breaths, and when he came to his senses, the scene in front of him returned to normal, as if the colorful mist in the hall just now was an illusion.

Xu Qing seemed to have realized something. It seemed that his Taoism was still too shallow, so he could not persist for too long when using the Qi-gazing technique.

The greater the method, the greater the effort required. If the effort is not enough, it is like buying a horse but not being able to feed it with fine feed. After all, it is like a child holding a knife, and it is difficult to make full use of the sharpness of the weapon.

Xu Qing thought for a moment and came up with a plan.

The corpse-raising sutra he got from Liu Youdao allows him to take the cultivation route, feed himself, and cultivate evolution.

But the prerequisite is that he must find a way to collect materials for cultivating zombies, so that he can formally practice.

As for how far he could advance with the Corpse-Raising Sutra, Xu Qing didn't dare to speculate. After all, fundamentally, he wasn't a zombie that relied on absorbing human blood and energy to cultivate. According to the Corpse-Raising Sutra, by feeding him supplementary materials or nourishing him with moonlight and Yin energy, he could also cultivate into one of the 'Three Types of Wandering Corpses'. As for which type he could reach, that depended on his luck...

In the Liu family mourning hall, Xu Qing, who had gained a lot, was in a good mood, and he was even more meticulous when taking care of Mr. Liu's remains.

When the other person was dressed up to look lifelike, Xu Qing signaled the relatives to come forward and take one last look. After that, the coffin would be closed and the nails would be hammered in. From then on, they would never see each other again.

The eldest lady, Li Xiangyun, cried bitterly, saying that she couldn't bear to leave the master. She was so sad that she wanted to find a white silk cloth and go with the master to keep him company.

Butler Song Cai hurriedly stopped Li Xiangyun, who buried her head in his shoulder and wiped her tears with a handkerchief.

The young master of the Liu family was trembling with fear. He stepped back in fear before he could even take a look at the coffin and sat down on the ground.

Seeing this, Song Cai and Li Xiangyun came over together, supporting the young master of the Liu family on both sides, and then the three of them hugged each other and cried.

The surrounding relatives were all moved by this, saying that the housekeeper was loyal, the lady was faithful, and the young master was pitiful...

So they came forward to comfort him.

Xu Qing felt annoyed when he saw this family showing off their acting skills.

Almost got it!
I'm still waiting to finish this job and go back to practice...

Seeing that the crying had almost stopped, Xu Qing closed the coffin lid and asked the family of the official to hammer in the first nail.

It's customary for relatives to nail the first and last nails of the coffin shut. If there are truly no relatives, it doesn't really matter. Some formalities, after all, are simply a way for the living to maintain a stronger bond with their deceased loved ones...

When the seven red copper nails were hammered in, Xu Qing was about to hammer the eighth when a knowledgeable guest asked:
"Young Master, shouldn't seven nails be enough to seal this thing? Why do you have to keep nailing it upwards?"

Xu Qing paused and said seriously, "The official had been an official in his lifetime and was blessed with a purple aura, so he was different from ordinary people. That's why he nailed nine nails, symbolizing his connection to the underworld. He can receive the care and support of the Yama Kings of the Nine Palaces, and even if he is reincarnated, he will be born into a wealthy and noble family."

The guest looked surprised when he heard this.

Look, this is professionalism!

Little did they know that what Xu Qing said was only a secondary reason. The main reason for not nailing seven nails was still because of this unjust official.

The nails used to nail the coffin are commonly known as “descendants’ nails”. There are usually seven of them, which represent the seven stars of the Big Dipper, implying the prosperity of future generations.

But Mr. Liu was different. He seemed to have a son, but others didn't know he wasn't his biological son. Even before his death, the ungrateful man he'd raised for over twenty years stood by and watched, then turned around and acknowledged Song Cai as his biological father. You'd nail seven iron nails into a child like that?

Sorry, Xu Qing can't do such a shameful thing!
Since he accepted this job, he had to "serve" Mr. Liu well and let him lie down clearly and openly.

When it comes to liberating the dead, Xu Qing may still be a newcomer, but he will never be as unethical as Liu Youdao. In comparison, he thinks he still has some professional ethics.

Although it’s not much, it’s definitely close to the passing line!
After nailing the coffin, tie it with leather straps, three horizontally and two vertically.

Then Xu Qing asked the "filial son" to use a broom to remove the loose dust on the coffin, which was called "sweeping wealth", and then put a copper coin on one corner of the coffin, which was called "opening the coffin", followed by "saying goodbye to the spirit".

After the coffin was taken out of the hall, paper money was burned, and the funeral basin was smashed, the filial son Liu walked forward holding a paper banner, and all the relatives and friends were dressed in mourning and wailed in unison.

Xu Qing waved his hand, and the guys in the bar room who were responsible for playing the instruments immediately understood. The sound of the suona shattered the sky, and the other smaller instruments instantly became a foil.

About twenty pallbearers were carrying the coffin as they walked slowly, with filial sons and grandsons holding funeral banners in front and behind to protect them. The banners were decorated with green, yellow, white and blue paper flowers of the four seasons, which looked very beautiful.

When passing by the doors of each house, the sound of firecrackers being thrown out is crackling, which is even more lively than the Chinese New Year!
Young and old men who were curious about the situation were standing at the door with their sleeves rolled up, commenting and cheering. After all, it was not possible to see such a grand funeral ceremony once in several years.

There were also wives who thought it was unlucky, so they twisted their sons' ears and dragged them back home, not forgetting to close the door tied with a red cloth before doing so.

Xu Qing wore the clothes that Liu Youdao usually wore when performing rituals, and followed the coffin throughout the funeral process.

By the time Mr. Liu was invited into the tomb, it was already past noon.

Normally, the funeral should be held before the hour of Mao or Chen, but Song Cai insisted on burying the deceased at noon when the Yang energy was at its strongest.

After all the back and forth fighting, Xu Qing wanted to bury the other party in the ground.

With Song Cai's thoughts, how could he not guess it!
As the saying goes, a guilty conscience is the most fearful of thieves. He was obviously afraid that Mr. Liu would turn into a ghost and crawl out of the coffin in the middle of the night to settle accounts with him, the murderer.

Xu Qing wore a wide-brimmed hat, smeared the corpse driver's secret sunscreen on his face, and tried to avoid the sun when walking.

Back at the Liu residence, housekeeper Song Cai raised his chin, pointed in the direction with the tip of his chin, and said, "I've already told the accountant, you can go over and settle the remaining amount yourself. I have something important to discuss with my wife, so I'll be leaving."

Important matter?

Could it be a huge project worth hundreds of millions?

Xu Qing shook his head, turned around and went to the accounting office to find the accountant.

The gentleman was over sixty years old and looked about 80% similar to Song Cai. When he saw Xu Qing coming to ask for money, the old gentleman smiled and picked up the abacus and started tapping it.

"The deposit I gave you earlier was five hundred, and the remaining balance is also five hundred. I'm kind-hearted, so why not round it up to a whole sum for you? How about five cents?"

"Five cents?" Xu Qing's face darkened. In the Yong Dynasty, one tael of silver was equivalent to 1,200 coins. The other party added a hundred coins to make it a round number. It seemed generous, but in fact, he was extorting him!

You know, the final payment he learned from the servant was not just five hundred coins, but five taels of silver, which is six thousand coins. As for the deposit, it was extra.

Now the five taels of silver has been directly reduced to six hundred wen by the other party. This is no longer extortion, this is fucking robbery!

"Half an ounce of silver is a lot. After all, the master is paid the price of a master, and you are an apprentice, considered a junior master, so naturally you should be paid the price of a junior master."

Hearing this, Xu Qing's already gloomy face became even colder.

(End of this chapter)