CHAPTER 205: CHAPTER 122: HUNDRED INFANT TOWER, OLD ACQUAINTANCE_2

In Chen Mancang’s memory, the Infant-Saving Old Mother was the deity being worshiped, and the widow that Old Huang referred to should be the temple priest of the Child-Giving Temple.

Xu Qing expressed his doubt: "I heard that the widow of the Child-Giving Temple is just the temple priest, how come from your mouth she turns into the Infant-Saving Old Mother?"

Old Huang said nonchalantly: "There’s nothing strange about it. Even immortals need disciples to act on their behalf, and the Infant-Saving Old Mother is no exception."

Xu Qing suddenly understood: "Since the temple priest is a disguise of the Infant-Saving Old Mother, then the deity worshiped in the Child-Giving Temple isn’t the Infant-Saving Old Mother, but the deity who gave birth to those dead infants with the temple priest!"

Old Huang exhaled a ring of smoke, nodded and said: "You are not wrong. The region for a hundred miles around the Child-Giving Temple believes in the efficacy of the Infant-Saving Old Mother. As long as you offer incense, you can pray for a son and get a son, or pray for a daughter and get a daughter. But no one outside the area is willing to come forward and say that the babies born after ten months of pregnancy are all dead infants!"

"They just think it’s their own lack of virtue or sincerity that caused the fetus to be stillborn. But what they don’t know is, in Huangping Village, the righteous man Huang, and in Jiugou Village, Mr. Shi, they are good people through and through, but even the children they prayed for ended up as dead infants, didn’t they?"

Xu Qing continued to ask: "There must be a reason why the Child-Giving Temple is doing this. Is it to deceive people for incense offerings, or is there another purpose... It can’t be just for fun, that would be too wicked!"

"Don’t ask me, I’m just an Old Yellow Weasel. How would I understand human affairs? Even if I knew, I wouldn’t bother getting involved!"

"Stop smoking!"

Xu Qing squinted his eyes, reached out, and snatched the pipe from Old Huang’s hand.

"You’re already so muddled, and you’re still smoking!"

Old Huang wanted to reach out and grab the pipe back, but instead, Xu Qing hit him hard on the head with the pipe’s bowl!

Old Huang clutched his head and hopped around, but Xu Qing shut him up with one sentence—

"An immortal must keep his word. You said that the affairs of the Cat Immortal Hall are your affairs, how come when I inquire about something, you’re so hesitant?"

Seeing Old Huang sober up, Xu Qing handed the pipe back to him.

"Now, tell me, what’s with all the dead infants at the Child-Giving Temple?"

Old Huang lowered his head and said sheepishly: "I don’t know much, just heard that the Infant-Saving Old Mother wants to cultivate Nine-Life Resentful Infants. She uses the dead infants’ obsession with life to nurture her own child."

Xu Qing’s eyelids twitched. This really is a case of like attracting like!

The shepherd who trafficked children had just been sent away, and now he was faced with this new problem.

The purpose of the Infant-Saving Old Mother in taking live children was probably to create those dead infants.

"No, I have to put an end to this!"

If he knew about this and did nothing, he wouldn’t feel at ease even if he slept in the best coffin and favored the Corpse Consorts!

Xu Qing straightened up and asked: "Besides the temple priest, there are also many old nuns at the Child-Giving Temple, do you know their origins?"

In the shepherd’s memory, every time he sold lambs, there would be old nuns who took out silver coins or other treasures to exchange. Whether these people were complicit or innocent, good or evil, was still unknown.

"Those old nuns originally came from Hongxing Temple, but later, for some unknown reason, the temple was burned down. Since then, the nuns were taken in by the Infant-Saving Old Mother and learned midwifery skills, usually doing some birthing jobs."

"Most of the women who get pregnant at the Child-Giving Temple are delivered by these nuns..."

So it’s a whole black industry chain.

Xu Qing felt something was wrong when he heard the name Hongxing Temple. What kind of proper nunnery would have such a name?

It’s probably just a cover for some flesh trade.

"Daoist Huang, have you ever been to Hongxing Temple? How did those nuns usually sustain their incense offerings?"

Old Huang spared no details and explained the means those old nuns used to seduce pilgrims when they were young.

"Those nuns were experts at pretending to be young brides promised in ghost marriages. The guests would lie in the coffins pretending to be zombies or ghosts, waiting for the nuns to be sent in. Soon after, screams from the nuns could be heard as the guests pretended to resurrect, shouting loudly."

"I couldn’t understand what was going on inside, only seeing the coffin shake for a while before the nun opened the lid and emerged naked with the guest."

"..."

Xu Qing felt a shiver down his spine.

It’s said that young people know how to play, but who hasn’t been young before? The tricks these old nuns played were far more varied than what he knew!

Seeing Old Huang about to continue, Xu Qing decisively raised his hand to stop him.

The reason being nothing else, but that the Profound Jade Immortal Family was approaching him at this moment.

He didn’t want his cat to hear these filthy stories.

"Have you finished everything?" Xu Qing asked with a smile, glancing at the adults and children following behind Xuan Yu.

Their clothes were sticky, some already decayed as if just born, with some children so used to being sheep that even after transforming back to human form, they still crawled on all fours in a strange posture.

Sun Erniang, possessed by Xuan Yu, had a stern face, looking unapproachable.

When she came before Xu Qing, her expression relaxed, showing a sense of relief.

"Xu Immortal Family is the Sect Leader of the Cat Immortal Hall, do not kneel to me anymore. If you really want to thank someone, kowtow to Xu Immortal Family."

Xuan Yu grabbed Xu Qing’s arm and tried to push him forward.

"..."

Xu Qing’s smile froze. He looked at the crowd, who were now kneeling and thanking him.