I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality

Lai Yong is dead.

Yet neither Old Man Lu nor the villagers chose to report it to the authorities. This struck Xu Qing as somewhat irrational.

"This man died from gambling, a form of divine punishment. Reporting it wouldn't hurt; maybe one could even reclaim some gambling money. You truly won't report it?"

Xu Qing was planning to find trouble with the Ning County magistrate anyway, and if it were reported, he might use the opportunity to check out what this magistrate was like.

But things here seemed far less refined compared to the Jin Sect.

"Sir, there's something you don't know." A well-meaning villager stepped forward to remind him, "Ning County is different from other places. Here, gambling and patronizing courtesans must not be reported to the authorities."

"What do you mean by that?"

That villager hesitated, appearing rather secretive.

Xu Qing remained calm and drove the spirit carriage out of the village. After some distance, he let Old Man Lu wait by the roadside while he returned to the village with Xuan Yu.

Once he found the villager who had spoken half-truths earlier, Xu Qing cornered him directly.

A young man and a little girl, who looked like a harmless pair, were creating an aura far more terrifying than facing bandits for the shadowed villager.

"I have a stack of silver notes worth tens of thousands. If you tell me everything you know, this money is yours. But if you don't speak the truth... Xuan Yu!"

Upon hearing Xu Qing call her name, the little girl, without hesitation, flashed the Sword Pill she had been playing with in her hand, leaving a nearby twig stripped bare.

"Oh dear, masters, if you truly have skills, go trouble that fox spirit instead of bullying me..."

"Fox spirit?" Xu Qing squinted. "Tell me the whole story from the beginning to end!"

The villager trembled and dared not hide anything. Once he finished recounting all the background, Xu Qing had a rough idea in his mind.

That villager's name was Ning Erlang, a regular patron of the 'Mysterious Shadow Pavilion,' a well-known flower house in Ning County.

Ning Erlang claimed that a few years back, he was well-built and muscular, far from the sickly state he was in today.

And the reason he's become like this was because of the Mysterious Shadow Pavilion.

When Xu Qing heard this, he wasn't concerned. Forget well-built men; even the Fierce Battle Technique heavenly marshal might lose a few pounds after residing in a brothel for a while.

Lust is a bone-scraping blade; this sentiment is not just idle chatter!

When Ning Erlang first arrived at the Pavilion, he was captivated by the leading courtesan; their relationship was intense, and they secretly vowed to spend their lives together, merely waiting to gather enough for her release to marry.

But in the second year, when they gathered enough silver coins and the woman was at an age to be groomed, Ning Erlang discovered something amiss.

The woman, who had been paid the redemption money the previous day, was suddenly unwilling to leave the Pavilion the next day.

Ning Erlang went to question the courtesan head; before he spoke, the woman disrobed and forcibly consummated the union.

What was this supposed to be?

Ning Erlang returned to the Pavilion the following day, yet the woman still evaded his questions, leaving him to feel weak for three days.

Over the following months, Ning Erlang grew accustomed to the woman's service. Though feeling like it was an unreal dream, he was deeply enchanted by it.

Until one day, lingering in the county, Ning Erlang ran into an old friend at an inn.

When they met, Ning Erlang greeted him first, but his friend showed a bewildered expression, as if he didn't recognize him.

"I am Ning Erlang from the Ning family. We've only not seen each other for a couple of months, how could you not recognize me?"

The friend was taken aback, "Brother Ning? In just a few days without seeing you, how have you become so haggard?"

Haggard?

Ning Erlang was stupefied, not understanding what his friend meant until he raised his arm and saw his bony thin forearm and hands with clearly visible knuckles; only then did he retreat in shock.

"My body..."

Ning Erlang staggered to the counter, picked up the copper mirror placed there, and glanced inside, only to see the reflection with black lips, a pale wax-like complexion, the entire person like a skeleton from a grave.

"Brother Ning, delay no longer. Your parents have been searching for you for a long time. I also came here on their request but never thought you'd become like this, or I wouldn't have failed to recognize you several times!"

Ning Erlang felt foggy-headed and subconsciously replied, "Okay, I will return home tomorrow. But before leaving, I need to inform the girl..."

However, as he spoke, Ning Erlang collapsed onto the ground, completely losing consciousness.

On that night, inside the Mysterious Shadow Pavilion.

Ning Erlang paced anxiously, "Why isn't Miss Miao Yan in the Pavilion today?"

Just when Ning Erlang longed to see Miao Yan, suddenly, laughter from men came from the courtyard before Miao Yan's pavilion.

"Beloved concubine, today I've taken the immortal medicine personally refined by the Immortal Master Bai Yun. You cannot refuse me!"

"Oh dear! I'm so embarrassed, the national teacher and ministers are still outside, aren't you afraid they might hear?"

"Afraid of what? This Ning County within four hundred miles is my realm. Even if they hear, what can they do?"

Recognizing the familiar feminine laughter, Ning Erlang grew suspicious and floated forward, stepping through the moon gate. There he saw the county magistrate of Ning County, passionately embracing his woman.

Who could put up with that!

Ning Erlang's eyes turned green and instantly lost his composure. How was this not taking advantage of the honest man!