CHAPTER 547: CHAPTER 279: DEATH’S LAST GLOW, BORN TO BE EVIL (PART 2)

As the Sect Leader of the Cat Immortal Hall, Xu Qing naturally had a close connection with Bao Sheng Temple.

Apart from these factors, Xu Qing was also the manager of Bao Sheng Temple, specially authorized by the County Magistrate. Publicly and privately, Sister Jin regarded Xu Qing as the most authoritative person, second only to the Bao Sheng Goddess.

Xu Qing strolled around the temple inside and out, inspecting, while Bai Xiaoxian hovered around the Sect Leader, following nervously, afraid that any wrongdoing might affect the selection of outstanding immortals for this year’s hall.

Inside Bao Sheng Temple, Liu Su’e and Sister Jin were having a pleasant conversation. When she heard that Liu Su’e used to sing in the pear garden, Sister Jin was delighted; she loved listening to plays.

Sister Jin was experienced and could see Liu Su’e’s mind from their chat: "Lady, do you have a thing for your Brother Xu?"

"No, Brother Xu is my benefactor, I am grateful to him, and also..."

"Also what?"

"Oh, please don’t ask, Elder Sister."

After making a round, Xu Qing returned to the temple, where Liu Su’e was flipping through a parenting handbook.

Upon seeing Xu Qing, she hurriedly hid the handbook in her bosom, afraid of letting him see such a book.

Xu Qing was amused; he had personally written that parenting handbook—what could be in it that he didn’t know?

But he understood. In those days, the idea of propriety between men and women was emphasized, and men assisting in childbirth was uncommon, or else midwives wouldn’t be called midwives.

Leaving Bao Sheng Temple, on the way back to Linjiang County, Xu Qing passed by a school under construction.

Chen Guangrui not only developed education within the city but also established two schools outside the county.

Xu Qing took a look inside; the main structure of the school was already set up. Behind the school were thousands of bamboo poles and stacks of thatch, roughly estimating that the school could accommodate nearly a thousand students.

As he exited the school, a carpenter arrived with wood, and they passed each other by.

Upon reaching the outside, Xu Qing saw Liu Su’e nearby, holding a cloth bag, looking around.

"Brother Xu, I don’t know who dropped this bag, but it’s full of fresh mushrooms..."

Xu Qing took a glance; the bag contained mushrooms with white caps and red stems, looking as if freshly picked after the rain, quite appealing!

"These are Amanita, and charcoal fungus. Tsk, there’s also Green-spored Lepiota..."

"They sound delicious; I wonder who dropped them." Liu Su’e, upon hearing these delightful names, thought they were delicious new mushrooms. Xu Qing, hearing her, nodded and said, "They are indeed delicious, but after eating them, you’d end up needing services at our funeral shop the same day."

"Are these mushrooms poisonous?" Liu Su’e caught the implicit meaning in Xu Qing’s words.

"Not just poisonous, this bag of mushrooms probably has a toxicity far greater than ten pounds of arsenic!"

Xu Qing casually tossed the mushrooms into the Mountain and River Map. Others couldn’t eat the poisonous mushrooms, but for a zombie like him, they were just right.

...

Liu Su’e was alone and unsupported. After returning to Linjiang County, Xu Qing thought of having her acknowledge the peach tree at the coffin shop as a godmother, but Boss Liu did not agree.

In her heart, there was always only one godmother, the old willow by the Tanggu River.

In the evening, Xu Qing returned alone to the Funeral Shop. As he entered, Xuan Yu, possessing Sun Erniang, transformed into a black cat, jumped down from the counter, and then elegantly walked over to Xu Qing.

"Xu Immortal Family has an unpleasant powdery smell on them."

Xuan Yu sniffed, and upon smelling the fragrance on Liu Su’e, couldn’t help but step back two steps.

Cats have an innate dislike for powdery scents.

Xu Qing sniffed himself back and forth, then channeled the Yin energy in him, activating the Celestial Fragrance Pill, and asked, "How about now?"

"Does Xu Immortal Family also like listening to plays?"

While sending off the corpses brought in today, Xu Qing replied, "Didn’t Xuan Yu also like listening to plays before?"

Seeing Xuan Yu remain silent, Xu Qing continued, "Do you remember what I said before about the Eight Banner Marshals and the Yin Erosion King?"

Xuan Yu nodded, "Xu Immortal Family said the Ancient Yin River Dao and the human world are mirror images. The Eight Banner Marshals represent the fortunes of Dayong Kingdom, and the Yin Erosion King seeks to take advantage during chaos as a barbarian."

"Exactly!" Xu Qing casually threw a corpse into a coffin and continued, "People love listening to opera. As long as the opera about the Eight Banner Marshals spreads, the marshal’s incense and popularity in the human world will flourish. The battle on the Ancient Yin River Dao will inversely follow suit."

"Similarly, the plays of the Cat Immortal Hall and Bao Sheng Temple work the same way."

Xuan Yu pondered, "No wonder Xu Immortal Family chose Boss Liu for collaboration."

Xu Qing shook his head, "Not completely. Boss Liu can be considered a friend to us. Don’t forget she’s also the embroidery lady’s teacher?"

"Seems like it." Xuan Yu’s ears twitched, inferring, "Lord Yuan is also half a teacher to me. Would Xu Immortal Family enlist him?"

"..."

Xu Qing stopped his work, turned to the cat, and said, "Lord Yuan taught our divine techniques to deal with the Fox Demon practicing in the White Cloud Cave. Whether you or I survive in the end against that Fox Demon, Lord Yuan wouldn’t mind. He only cares about whether the Fox Demon might break free and wreak havoc on the human world."

"Boss Liu is different; she helps us without any other ulterior motives."

"Really no ulterior motives?" Xuan Yu felt something seemed off.

"None." Xu Qing recalled a strand of sincere aspiration sealed in Bao Sheng Temple and shook his head firmly.

...

As the world changes, the number of outsiders coming to Linjiang County has increased. During this time, the Red-clothed Sect somehow learned of the Ancient Yin River Dao.

To drain Dayong’s vitality, the Red-clothed Sect’s Saintess established the Ghost King Mausoleum, appointing the Doom Ghost King as the sect’s divine sacred, gathering human incense for it.

Xu Qing, upon hearing this, didn’t know how to evaluate it.

The people’s hearts of Dayong were already lost, and everyone wanted quick changes. The Cangyi Group wanting to use the Eight Banner Marshals’ nemesis to drain Dayong’s vitality was within expectations, but using the Doom Ghost King against the Eight Banner Marshals, Xu Qing hadn’t anticipated.

The Doom Ghost King was not even the nemesis of the Eight Banner Marshals; their paths never crossed. How could the Red-clothed Sect be certain that the Doom Ghost King would join the fray for some incense?

Perhaps from the beginning, the Red-clothed Sect had no full guarantee. They were simply unwilling to miss out on any power that could be leveraged. What if the Doom Ghost King acted for the sake of incense?

After understanding the logic within, Xu Qing was not worried that the Eight Banner Marshals would lose to the Yin Erosion King because of this matter.

The little incense the Red-clothed Sect gathered was nothing compared to the Yin River Marshal with dedicated opera verses being sung.

As long as the Eight Banner Marshals could break through Nan Cuo at the last moment, Xu Qing’s plan wouldn’t be a failure.

Besides the Red-clothed Sect matter in recent days, the upcoming autumn execution was the most concerning for Xu Qing.

However, just when Xu Qing was eagerly awaiting the autumn execution, the Government Office suddenly sent over thirteen corpses in one go.

It made Xu Qing think the autumn executions had started early!

"Shopkeeper Xu, these thirteen are civilians from New Yao Lane. Those with black papers are the seven from the Li Family, and the ones with white papers are the five from the Cui Family. All of these people died from eating poisonous mushrooms..."

Poisonous mushrooms?

Looking at the ghastly corpses, clearly showing symptoms of poisoning, Xu Qing remembered the poisonous mushrooms Liu Su’e had found in front of the newly built school a few days before.

But the mushrooms dropped that day were already collected by him; these victims seemed unrelated to those mushrooms.

"Wait! Weren’t they said to have died from eating mushrooms? Why is there a body that hanged itself?"

Examining the bodies, Xu Qing immediately noticed the inconsistency.

The constable delivering the bodies realized, saying, "That body is from the Li Family, and it’s the only one that did not die from eating poisonous mushrooms. However, upon seeing their entire family dead."

Looking at the ghastly corpses, clearly showing symptoms of poisoning, Xu Qing remembered the poisonous mushrooms Liu Su’e had found in front of the newly built school a few days before.

But the mushrooms dropped that day were already collected by him; these victims seemed unrelated to those mushrooms.

"Wait! Weren’t they said to have died from eating mushrooms? Why is there a body that hanged itself?"

Examining the bodies, Xu Qing immediately noticed the inconsistency.

The constable delivering the bodies realized, saying, "That body is from the Li Family, and it’s the only body that didn’t die from eating poisonous mushrooms. However, upon seeing their entire family dead."