Chapter 123

People guard against tigers, tigers guard against people; it's the same for humans and immortals.

Therefore, for immortals to manifest, there must be an 'Errand-Running Disciple' as a bridge.

The Errand-Running Disciple is a messenger between Yin and Yang. Only with the Errand-Running Disciple communicating and mediating in the middle will people not fear the immortals, and at the same time, they can more accurately convey the intentions of the immortals and humans.

Xuanyu has nearly four hundred years of cultivation and can communicate with humans without hindrance. She doesn't need an Errand-Running Disciple to convey messages and can negotiate with humans.

But if she wants the Cat Immortal Hall to be prosperous in incense, she can't do without possessing and running errands to manifest.

And Xu Qing, as the Great Sect Leader of the Cat Immortal Hall, has heavy affairs. How can he do the miscellaneous work of running errands?

He is the proprietor of the Cat Immortal Hall, eating some dividends every year, and when he has nothing to do, he takes pleasure in petting the immortals—this is what he should do.

Therefore, in order to better operate the hall, Xu Qing found two 'Errand-Running Substitutes' for Xuanyu.

One is Sun Erzhuang of the Yin Corpse Sect, and the other is Princess Yanning of the Ghost King's Tomb.

Princess Yanning was originally a pink-faced skeleton. Although she had a face that could topple a country and a city, her body was made of white bones.

This kind of Errand-Running Disciple is only suitable for traveling at night. Ordinary people cannot easily find clues. If they walk during the day, I'm afraid the errand business won't be done well, but instead, the client will be scared away.

However, Sun Erzhuang is different. After being dressed up by him, this female zombie not only looks no different from ordinary people but is also suitable for running errands on various occasions.

After Xuanyu possesses Sun Erzhuang, she can not only help him manage the shop on weekdays, but when encountering errand jobs, he doesn't have to do everything himself.

At this moment, Xu Qing took Sun Erzhuang's corpse out of the Box Garden, and Xuanyu diligently possessed it and began to take on the miscellaneous work of treating the flock of sheep.

He sat on a clean stone surface and chatted with Huang Laoxu.

The black crow is warm-hearted. It landed on the head of a ram and was helping Xuanyu maintain the order of the flock.

Crows can learn to speak like humans; this is not strange. Those sheep were not afraid and just followed it to the stream to drink water.

Xu Qing looked at Xuanyu, who was diligent by the stream, and said lazily: "Old Huang, you are quite comfortable as an immortal. You don't have to run errands and work, and the matter is done."

"What is Fellow Daoist Xu saying? This matter was handled by the Cat Immortal Hall. Even if this old man's face is thick, I won't take this credit to the Yellow Immortal Hall."

Huang Laoxu stood on his hind legs, half-squatting and half-standing on the stone. In his hand, he was holding an old pipe as long as himself.

Raising the pipe, Huang Laoxu's claws rubbed, and a burst of sparks fell into the pipe bowl.

Taking two puffs, Huang Laoxu only felt his tongue go numb and his head go dizzy.

"Don't say, the strength of this old man's tobacco is really big."

Sticking out his big tongue, Huang Laoxu sat on his butt beside Xu Qing, feeling that his mouse life had reached its peak.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, rest assured. From now on, the affairs of the Cat Immortal Hall are the affairs of this Huang Laoxu. The incense of this time is also for the Cat Immortal Hall; my Yellow Immortal Hall will not take a single cent."

Incense has an extraordinary meaning for immortals. This thing can not only increase the cultivation of immortals but can also be used to refine incense magic treasures.

However, the greater function of incense is to deal with the disasters on the path of cultivation.

Within the five elements, above and below the nine netherworlds, for all kinds of cultivation, whether human, ghost, or spirit, as long as they cultivate to a certain level, they will attract disasters.

Either lightning strikes, wind erosion, or burning body—if one of the three disasters and five calamities is not overcome, it will be the end of death and disappearance.

And incense can reach the heart of heaven directly, reducing the difficulty for evil spirits and monsters when experiencing disasters.

If the incense is prosperous, it can even exempt the price and become a walking god in the secular world, equivalent to being guaranteed to become an immortal.

These things are not secrets in the immortal circle; they can be considered things that the ancestors of immortals have demonstrated generation after generation. If they were useless, there wouldn't be so many immortals dedicated to the incense business and working hard.

Xuanyu obviously knew these things, otherwise, this cat wouldn't have been so eager to open the Cat Immortal Hall and pull him into the water.

Cats are lazy by nature. Unless their butts are on fire, they won't be in a hurry.

"Xuanyu already has four hundred years of cultivation, and there is less than a hundred years left until the five-hundred-year disaster..." Xu Qing thought of his own cultivation progress. The cultivation required for a 'Golden Armor Zombie' to break through is also five hundred years.

That is to say, the day he evolves into a Golden Armor Zombie is the day he gets struck by lightning.

This Cat Immortal Hall of his seems to have opened a bit late...

For the first time, Xu Qing had a sense of urgency like getting into a bridal sedan chair but finding that he hadn't finished his makeup.

There are records in 'Corpse Sayings' about Golden Armor Zombies resisting lightning disasters, saying that among all zombies that can achieve Golden Corpse under ancient and modern lightning and fire, one in a hundred succeeds.

But among these zombies, none of them used incense to resist disasters.

It's also true; most zombies don't even have human consciousness, so how would they take the initiative to do good deeds and gather incense?

Xu Qing clicked his tongue for a moment and suddenly asked: "Fellow Daoist Huang, your path is wide. Have you ever heard of the 'Child-Saving Old Mother' of the Child-Sending Temple?"

"Child-Saving Old Mother?"

Hearing this, Huang Laoxu shivered violently. He, who had been confused by the dry tobacco, instantly woke up.

"This old man has not only heard of her, but I have also dealt with her. That widow is not to be trifled with!"

Xu Qing said strangely: "Your Yellow Immortal Hall has many descendants; are you still afraid of a widow?"

"It's not a question of whether she is a widow or not. You don't understand. She is that kind of very unusual widow. She has no husband's family, no husband, but she gave birth to a dead baby with the god worshiped in the Child-Sending Temple. That dead baby is now locked by her in the 'Hundred-Baby Pagoda' on the back mountain of the Child-Sending Temple..."

Xu Qing frowned. The information Huang Laoxu described about the Child-Saving Old Mother had significant differences from the information he learned in the sheep-herder's 'Revolving Lantern.'

In Chen Mancang's memory, the Child-Saving Old Mother was the god worshiped, while the widow Huang Laoxu mentioned should be the temple keeper in the Child-Sending Temple.

Xu Qing expressed his doubts: "I heard that the widow in the Child-Sending Temple is just a temple keeper. How did she become the Child-Saving Old Mother in your mouth?"

Huang Laoxu said indifferently: "This is nothing strange. Immortals must have Errand-Running Disciples as walkers, and the Child-Saving Old Mother is naturally no exception."

Xu Qing realized: "Since the temple keeper is the walker dressed as the Child-Saving Old Mother, then what is worshiped in the Child-Sending Temple is not the Child-Saving Old Mother, but the god who gave birth to the dead baby with the temple keeper!"

Huang Laoxu puffed out a smoke ring and nodded: "That's not wrong. The places protected within a hundred miles of the Child-Sending Temple all say the Child-Saving Old Mother is spiritual. As long as you promise incense, you can ask for a son and get a son, ask for a daughter and get a daughter. But no one outside is willing to stand up and say that the children born after ten months of pregnancy are all dead babies!"

"They only think that their own virtue is lacking and their hearts are not sincere enough, leading to the fetus not living. But they don't know that the 'Good Person Yellow' of Huangping Township and 'Mr. Shi' of Jiugou Village are all ten-percent good people. But didn't the children they asked for also become dead babies in the end?"

Xu Qing continued to get to the bottom of it: "There must be a reason for the Child-Sending Temple to do this. Is it to cheat incense, or is there another purpose... It can't just be because they think it's fun; that's too immoral!"

"Don't ask me. This old man is just a yellow weasel. I don't understand human affairs. Even if I knew, I'd be too lazy to get involved!"

"Stop smoking!"

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes and reached out to snatch the pipe from Huang Laoxu's hand.

"Look how confused you are, and you're still smoking!"

Huang Laoxu wanted to reach out his claws to get the pipe, but not only did he not get it, he was knocked on the head by Xu Qing with the pipe bowl!

Huang Laoxu jumped on his feet holding his head, but Xu Qing's words silenced him—

"Immortals must keep their word. You said just now that the affairs of the Cat Immortal Hall are your affairs. How come I'm asking you about something now, and you're still hesitating?"

Seeing Huang Laoxu wake up, Xu Qing reached out and threw the pipe to the other party.

"Tell me, what is going on with the Child-Sending Temple keeping so many dead babies?"

Huang Laoxu said with a low brow: "This old man doesn't know much either. I only heard that the Child-Saving Old Mother wants to cultivate a 'Nine-Generation Resentful Baby,' using the obsession of those dead babies for life to raise her children."

Xu Qing's eyelids jumped. This is really 'not a family, not entering a family'!

The sheep-herder who abducted children had just been sent away by him, and now another thing had been dragged out for him.

The purpose of the Child-Saving Old Mother collecting living children was probably to refine those dead babies.

"No, this matter must be handled!"

If he knew about this and didn't handle it, then even if he slept in the best coffin and favored the most corpse-concubines in the future, he wouldn't feel right!

Xu Qing sat up straight and asked: "Besides the temple keeper, there are many old nuns in the Child-Sending Temple. Do you know the origin of those old nuns?"

In the sheep-herder's memory, every time he sold lambs, there would be old nuns taking out silver or other treasures to exchange. Whether these people knew the truth and whether they were good or evil was not yet known.

"Those old nuns were originally nuns of the 'Red Apricot Nunnery,' but later, for some reason, the nunnery was burned down by a fire. Since then, these nuns were taken in by the Child-Saving Old Mother and learned the craft of midwifery, doing some work of delivering babies on weekdays."

"Those women who became pregnant in the Child-Sending Temple were mostly delivered by these nuns..."

It turns out this is a whole black industry chain.

Xu Qing felt something was wrong as soon as he heard the name 'Red Apricot Nunnery.' Who would take such a name for a decent nunnery?

It's likely just a nunnery skin doing all kinds of flesh business.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, have you ever been to the Red Apricot Nunnery? How did those nuns maintain their incense and livelihood on weekdays?"

Huang Laoxu told everything in detail, telling many of the methods those old nuns used to seduce incense guests when they were young.

"Those nuns were used to dressing up as young girls married into Yin marriages. The guests pretended to be zombies and ghosts in the coffin. Only when the nun was sent into the coffin would there be a nun's scream before long. The guest would then pretend to be a 'fraudulent corpse' and shout."

"This old man couldn't understand the tricks inside; I could only see the coffin shaking for a long time, and then the nun and the guest would come out naked."

"..."

Xu Qing clicked his teeth.

They say young people know how to play, but who hasn't been young? The tricks those old nuns played were more than he knew!

Seeing Huang Laoxu still wanting to continue, Xu Qing decisively raised his hand to stop him.

There was no other reason than that the Cat Immortal Xuanyu was walking towards him at this time.

He didn't want his cat to hear these dirty things.

"Is everything done?" Xu Qing looked at the adults and children following behind Xuanyu with a smile.

The clothes of these people were all sticky, some already rotten, like the placenta that had just landed, and some children had been sheep for too long. Even if they turned into human form, they still crawled on all fours in a strange posture.

Xuanyu, possessing Sun Erzhuang, had a tight face, looking like no one should come near.

When she came to Xu Qing, her face suddenly relaxed, having a feeling of relief.

"Immortal Xu is the Sect Leader of the Cat Immortal Hall. You don't have to kneel to me anymore. If you really want to thank someone, you can kowtow to Immortal Xu."

Xuanyu pulled Xu Qing's arm and wanted to push him to the front.

"..."

Xu Qing's smile suddenly stalled. He looked at the crowd. Those adults were kneeling on the ground, thanking him.

Seeing this, the children followed suit and kowtowed to him.

Xu Qing's head was as big as a bucket. Now that they were in the deep mountains and old forests, with so many adults and children, it was a troublesome matter to deal with.

He stopped everyone from kneeling and began to ask the adults.

He didn't know until he asked. From the south mountain to the north ridge, from the east village to the west village, just the place names could make people dizzy.

Forget it, sending a Buddha to the west—isn't it just sending some people!

Xu Qing immediately asked Huang Laoxu to invite the errand-running disciples of each village.

Before, those immortals retreated in the face of battle and didn't perform well. Now that there was a ready-made opportunity, if these immortals didn't come, they shouldn't cry when no one offered incense in the future.

While waiting for the errand-running disciples to arrive, Xu Qing didn't idle either. He took the 'Water-Filtering Bowl,' lined up the children who were covered in sticky dirt, and washed them one by one.

After washing them clean, he used the talisman water soaked with 'Disease-Removing Talismans' and let everyone take a sip.

After doing this, there was another cry of 'Living Bodhisattva' and 'Living Immortal' in the crowd.

Xu Qing was unmoved until the sound of "The two female immortals are truly Bodhisattva-hearted" came from the crowd, and he was moved.

"I'm a man, not a female immortal. This one is the female immortal; I'm not!"

After Xu Qing corrected the other party's wording, he found time to take off the phoenix crown and rosy cape.

He didn't want the Cat Immortal Hall to become a joke about a 'Female Immortal Hall' in the future!

Before long, the notified errand-running disciples arrived one after another.

Besides the errand-running disciples, immortals from the Hu Immortal, Liu Immortal, and White Immortal halls also came down to pay their respects.

Xu Qing followed Huang Laoxu into the forest. Foxes, hedgehogs, monkeys, green snakes... all kinds of small animals were like having a big meeting, chattering and discussing endlessly.

As soon as Xu Qing and Xuanyu arrived, everyone immediately quieted down.

Some immortals were still examining the two, while sensible immortals hurriedly stepped forward to pay respects.

Xu Qing took a look and skipped these small animals, instead putting his gaze on the red ghost shadow floating behind the tree shadow.

That was a 'Sorrow Immortal.'

Xu Qing raised his legs and stepped over the immortals who were thanking him, walking straight to the red-clothed female ghost.

"Which hall's immortal are you?"

The red-clothed female ghost said with a smile: "This slave is the Sorrow Immortal of Qushui Stockade."

"Sorrow Immortal of Qushui Stockade? You look more like an evil ghost who buys and sells people and livestock, eating people and drinking blood!"

Xu Qing still remembered when he followed Liu Youdao through the forest and walked the graves, he met this red-clothed female ghost in the forest path.

When the other party floated past the corpse-carrying team, she was still muttering in her sleep, "Sheep, delicious."

And the direction the female ghost floated was exactly where Chen Mancang drove the flock of sheep.

Later, Liu Youdao died, and Xu Qing returned to Linhe along the way, meeting this female ghost again, and on her shoulder, there was an extra sheep.

The female ghost was exposed by Xu Qing, and her expression was quite unnatural: "Fellow Daoist, don't talk nonsense. As an immortal, how could I do such a thing?"

Xu Qing was still thinking about the Child-Sending Temple, so he had no time to argue with a female ghost.

He grabbed the female ghost with one hand, and with the other, he had already taken out several 'Peace Talismans' and pasted them on the female ghost's face.

Peace Talismans have the effect of avoiding evil and eliminating disasters for ordinary people, but when pasted on a Yin ghost, it is no different from a red-hot branding iron pressed against the heart.

Black gas permeated the female ghost, and the places where the Peace Talismans were pasted hissed and smoked.

Surrounding immortals wanted to step forward to stop it, but were blocked by Xuanyu, who was baring her teeth and hissing.

"Are you going to confess or not?" Saying this, Xu Qing took out another stack of 'Town-House Town-Evil Talismans.'

Amidst the screams, the female ghost finally couldn't help but let go:

"I confess! I confess everything! Quickly take the talisman away!"

(End of chapter)