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

He rolled up his sleeves and, with unsteady steps, was about to rush inside, but before he could get close to the two of them, the lovely maiden shouted sharply, and the next moment a demon wind swept in. Ning Erlang only saw a patched-fur fox wearing the maiden's clothes, with a human skull cap atop its head.

Ning Erlang looked at the skull cap and instantly recognized it as the maiden's skull.

The fierce demon wind struck, making Ning Erlang feel as light as chicken feathers, and in the blink of an eye he was blown out of the pavilion.

In the pavilion courtyard, Yang Mingchun asked in alarm: "An assassin? Someone come quickly..."

"Your Majesty, fear not, it's just a phthisic ghost, and it has already been driven away by your concubine."

"My beloved concubine truly stands shoulder to shoulder with the men; once I conquer the world, you shall be the queen of the nation!"

...

In the alley corner, Xu Qing listened to Ning Erlang recount his past.

"That County Magistrate Yang secretly refers to himself as Emperor, controls the county casino as Imperial Teacher, and the flower house is run by the enchanting maiden... No! She isn't the enchanting maiden; she's the fox demon in disguise. If it hadn't seduced me by pretending to be her, I wouldn't have become so haggard."

"Pity the real enchanting maiden, likely harmed by the fox demon on the day of her redemption. Now the fox demon wears the maiden's skull cap, and who knows how many more it will afflict."

Ning Erlang sometimes pounded his chest, sometimes paced restlessly in the dark alley, and Xu Qing, seeing that no further useful information could be extracted, simply handed over the promised thousand-tael paper money by burning it.

"Thank you, kind sir, may your mortal life be prolonged, and may fortune favor you abundantly..."

Xu Qing, just having turned to leave the alley entrance, almost couldn't resist kicking the phthisic ghost.

I kindly burn paper money for you, yet you repay kindness with curses!

If a zombie had a mortal lifespan, would it still be called a zombie?

Upon leaving the alley, Xu Qing happened to encounter the neighbor's house with its door wide open, where people in mourning clothes were pasting a 'gate announcement' on the door, detailing the deceased's name and lifetime details.

Xu Qing glanced and immediately spotted Ning Erlang's name.

...

On the road to the north cliff for the cliff burial, Old Man Lu was a bit anxious, as Xu Qing was a teacher from outside, and cliff burials were too advanced for someone inexperienced from outside.

However, upon seeing Xu Qing's familiarity with corpse carrying techniques, proficiently calling out the corpses, climbing, and burial chants, the elder couldn't help but have a delusion of his son returning.

"Young sir, is this truly your first time conducting a cliff burial?"

Xu Qing nodded.

Old Man Lu, incredulous, said: "Before, Chunsheng liked to take this path for cliff burials too, and your corpse-carrying technique is exactly the same..."

Xu Qing, unfazed by the words, calmly replied, "No need for concern, elder, as Chunsheng continuously explained beside me, it is only natural for some similarities to occur, nothing peculiar about it."

"..."

You call that not peculiar? Old Man Lu, tongue-tied, said: "Can you see Chunsheng?"

"I saw before; now as dust returns to dust, and the coffin lid closes, there's nothing to see anymore."

Xu Qing's words were half-truths; he indeed saw Lu Chunsheng's ghost before, but it was prior to the funeral procession, not now.

"Dear granddaughter, tell grandpa, can you see Chunsheng?"

Old Man Lu suddenly asked the girl beside him.

Xuan Yu, called 'young lass' by the elder, felt a playful spirit arise in her heart. She blinked, looking toward the hanging coffin, and childishly said, "Chunsheng sat up! Then he laid down again! He's up again!"

"Ah, now he sat down again!"

"..."

Old Man Lu was completely unsettled.

"Mr. Xu, is Chunsheng doing?"

"Sit-ups! Chunsheng was disciplined in life and doesn't forget to exercise after passing; truly admirable."

After speaking, Xu Qing turned and glared at Xuan Yu, who stuck out her little pink tongue playfully.

Roaming freely these days away from the Jin Sect, this cat has grown lively again.

Old Man Lu didn't quite believe Xu Qing. Although this young man was decent and his words sensible, instinctively, he felt the young man's words were unreliable!

This was sixty years of experience and intuition.

But it was different with Xuan Yu.

Kids with ghost sight speak truthfully, especially this little girl, quiet and well-behaved, clearly a good child who wouldn't lie.

Old Man Lu fully believed Chunsheng's soul remained in the mortal world, and he sat beside the cliff coffin, chatting for a long time about many things.

Just a foot or two away outside was a bottomless cliff; Xu Qing patiently waited until the Lu family finished their words, then escorted them down from the north cliff.

Upon reaching flat ground, Xu Qing bid farewell to the Lu family and, with Xuan Yu, headed to Ning County's administrative office.

"What place is this?"

Outside the pleasure quarters, Xuan Yu, listening to the captivating sounds from within and the lively music, was curious.

"This is a property of the county lord, nothing worth seeing. Xuan Yu, wait here; I'll be back shortly."

"How long will Xu Immortal stay?" Xuan Yu stood opposite Enchanting Pavilion, hesitating near the blush-powder shop entrance.

There were too many people here and cats disliked the scent of powder.

Xu Qing smiled, "I'll be quick; no need to worry, Xuan Yu. I'll be back within a quarter hour."

After speaking, Xu Qing walked directly into Enchanting Pavilion, where immediately the turtle servants greeted him.

"I want to see the lovely maiden."

"Guest, the lovely maiden is our top card here and usually doesn't see visitors."

Xu Qing tossed out ten tael of Qingu money and said, "Just help relay a message, tell her that Xu Peng, the great benevolent from Yunmeng Mountain, is here to visit."