Chapter 136: A Kind Mother's Thread

One grain of rice feeds a hundred types of people; children raised by the same mother can still have different temperaments.

Even among *biao* (runt tigers), there are differences.

These matters cannot be judged in a few words. Just as people often say things have black and white, and people have good and evil, some things are simply not that clear-cut.

Guan Xiaohu brought back a dead infant to repay Guan Huapo's kindness in raising it—you cannot say it was wrong. Guan Huapo drove away the adopted son who was trying to repay her kindness—you cannot say she was right.

These contradictory matters are like a tangled ball of thread in a sewing basket; they cannot be sorted out or explained clearly.

Xu Qing shook his head slightly. Regardless of the process, Guan Xiaohu had ultimately gone astray and committed an irreversible wrong.

Now that he had finished the funeral rites for Guan Huapo's body, the *Scripture of Saving Souls* gave a corresponding evaluation of the corpse: Earth-rank, High-grade.

The reward was a needlework craft called the "Mother-Child Needle Technique," and a mourning staff called the "Filial Son Stick."

The Mother-Child Needle Technique could make broken objects reborn and make broken mirrors whole again. This was no longer a simple worldly craft, but a heavenly technique that approached the Dao and connected with the divine.

The Filial Son Stick was a mourning staff made of Fusang wood.

The *Classic of Mountains and Seas* states: "Above Tang Valley is the Fusang tree, where the ten suns bathe, located north of Black Teeth."

The Fusang tree grows in Tang Valley and is an important medium connecting the divine, human, and underworld realms; some say it is the gateway connecting the three.

Legend has it that in ancient times, a great shaman stood upon it to shoot the suns, breaking the Fusang tree, and since then, the three realms have been completely separated and difficult to traverse.

Because of this, the Fusang tree is also called the Heaven-Reaching Tree or the Heaven-Reaching Mother Tree.

Why is it called the Mother Tree? Because Tang Valley originally had ten suns bathing there. Nine suns stayed on the lower branches, and one sun stayed on the upper branch.

The Fusang tree treated these ten suns like adopted children. When the ten suns fell and only one remained, the Fusang tree became a tree of mourning.

Mourning for the child's injury, mourning for one's own loss—there is nothing greater than this.

Yet even so, Fusang wood still retains warmth; if a person draws near, they need not fear the bitter cold.

The Filial Son Stick Xu Qing obtained also possessed the property of resisting cold.

Besides this, the mourning staff had another effect: it could awaken a descendant's memories of their biological or foster mother.

The old saying goes, "Filial sons are born under the stick."

If the Filial Son Stick strikes a person, it can shock their mind, making them feel as if they are facing their parents, causing them to recall childhood memories.

However, this stick has a drawback: it is ineffective against orphans.

Upon learning the function of the mourning staff, Xu Qing's expression became exceptionally strange.

If he were to use this staff to whip an opponent during a fight, what would happen?

One must know that the greatest taboo in a fight is distraction, and this mourning staff had the effect of influencing the mind. If used properly, it would surely be a sharp tool for teaching and nurturing.

At the third watch, the rain outside the temple grew lighter. Xu Qing glanced at Dazhuang and Erzhuang, seeing them still quietly keeping vigil, so he silently went to the broken wall and took out the Mother-Child needle set rewarded by the *Scripture of Saving Souls*.

The Mother-Child needle set had one three-inch-long "Mother" needle and several smaller "Child" needles.

Xu Qing picked up the silk thread used for sewing corpses and began to work on the wall of the incense hall that had a large hole.

He picked up the scattered bricks and debris one by one, sewing them together. The *rustling* sound was like termites gnawing at a dam. The yellow-clad man before the coffin glanced over, and when he saw Xu Qing repairing the wall, he felt surprised but didn't think much of it.

The human race is born dexterous, not only skilled in construction and craftsmanship but also capable of building houses. These were things their kind lacked. However, it was the first time he had encountered someone who could use a needle and thread to sew up a wall.

Guan Dazhuang watched for a while, then withdrew his gaze.

The way Xu Qing did needlework reminded him of the scenes of his Godmother doing embroidery while she was alive...

The hole in the outer wall of the incense hall, caused by Guan Xiaohu's impact, was shrinking and being sewn shut at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Xu Qing was focused, his movements becoming increasingly skillful. By the time the incense and candles before the hall were about to burn out, the broken wall had been completely sewn together.

Although he couldn't sew the plaster and wall ash back on, being able to sew the bricks and stones of the wall together was not something an ordinary technique could achieve.

Looking at his masterpiece, Xu Qing felt happy. The Mother-Child needles could sew anything, which was undoubtedly a huge boost to his funeral service capabilities.

After all, besides encoffining and corpse-sewing, his mortuary shop also provided after-sales services for burials. If someone's tombstone or coffin cracked or was damaged due to natural or man-made disasters, he could use this set of techniques to repair them.

After sewing the wall, Xu Qing looked around, eager to try more. He looked like a child who had just learned to use a slingshot, wanting to hit everything.

When his gaze fell on Guan Dazhuang, Xu Qing's eyes lit up.

The burly man, who was closing his eyes to rest, felt a chill on the back of his neck. He opened his eyes and saw Xu Qing staring at him with a benevolent expression.

"..."

In a daze, he thought Godmother's soul had returned.

"Dazhuang, does the wound on your body still hurt?"

Xu Qing's tone was exceptionally calm, as if he were looking at his own cat.

Guan Dazhuang didn't know what the young man in front of him was planning. He only saw the young man replace the incense and candles before the coffin with new ones, then take out a needle and thread, and approach him with a motherly smile.

"Dazhuang, come, let me help you sew your wound."

"I dare not trouble you, sir. I actually don't hurt at all!"

For some reason, Guan Dazhuang felt a chill in his heart as he looked at the needle and thread in the young man's hand.

"That won't do. Even if it doesn't hurt, the wound must be sewn properly. Dazhuang, you wouldn't want the old lady's spirit in heaven to see you not cherishing your own body, would you?"

"..."

Just as Guan Dazhuang was about to refuse, Sun Erzhuang, who had been silent, suddenly said, "Sir is a man of great ability, Brother Guan, you might as well let him take a look."

The term "Brother Guan" left the eight-foot-tall man stunned.

The next moment, the stunned man suddenly felt a sharp pain in his body. He focused his eyes and saw that Xu Qing had already pierced the needle and thread into the flesh of his chest.

"Don't move, it will be over soon."

Xu Qing's needle and thread flew, the Mother-Child needles dancing back and forth on his fingers like bees and butterflies weaving through flowers. The hideous wounds torn by the tiger claws were rapidly closing together.

Guan Dazhuang broke out in a cold sweat. He hadn't taken any anesthetic, and now these needles and threads were truly passing back and forth through his body.

He didn't know how many stitches were sewn. By the time the incense and candles were about to burn out again, Xu Qing finally finished the last stitch.

"Take a look. If you think it's not sewn well, I can redo it for you."

"No need, no need! Sir's craftsmanship is superb; it is already sewn perfectly. I am very satisfied!"

Guan Dazhuang hurriedly refused, then reached out to touch his chest.

He saw that the previously hideous and crisscrossing claw marks were now as smooth as new, and not even a trace of thread or a scar could be seen.

While putting away the needle and thread, Xu Qing didn't forget to put a tuft of tiger fur he had snatched into his sleeve pocket.

"As long as you are satisfied. By the way, this leg of yours..."

Xu Qing looked at Guan Dazhuang's lame leg, eager to try again. "Could it be that the bone is broken? How about I help you sew it up?"

Guan Dazhuang's tiger eyes widened. He wondered how a broken leg could be sewn? Would he have to drill holes in the bone and string it together with needle and thread?

"I dare not trouble you, sir. This leg of mine is just a minor bump, a scrape. It's nothing at all!"

"Really nothing?"

Guan Dazhuang stood up and hopped around in a circle in front of Xu Qing.

"Sir, look, it's really nothing!"

Once Xu Qing's gaze shifted away, the forced smile on Guan Dazhuang's face vanished, and he began to bare his teeth and gasp in pain.

The reason was simple: his leg hurt!

At night, when Fatty Sun was keeping vigil, he fell asleep leaning against the coffin again. We don't know where he got such a strong urge to sleep.

Xu Qing shook his head helplessly. This big fatty had experienced so many changes, his mind must have suffered a lot of strain. Being able to sleep now was a good thing; if he were too sad and overworked, it would be bad.

After thinking for a moment, Xu Qing took out a stick of soul-soothing incense and inserted it in front of the fatty, then took out the Filial Son Stick. As soon as the Fusang wood appeared, it dispelled the chill of the rainy night.

Seeing the fatty was completely asleep, Xu Qing turned to look at Guan Dazhuang.

"Dazhuang, can I ask you something?"

"Sir, please ask whatever you wish. If it is something I know, I will certainly tell you everything."

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow, thinking, *Then I'll ask whatever I want! *

"Dazhuang, let me ask you, was Erzhuang really abandoned at the Mountain Lord Temple?"

Guan Dazhuang's tiger body shook, and he laughed dryly. "Sir, why do you say that?"

Seeing the burly man's reaction, Xu Qing already had his answer.

"You once said you discovered Guan Xiaohu in a wild mountain hollow and secretly carried him back to Guan Huapo's home... If there is a first time, there is a second. Since you can do this so skillfully, it's hard to say you weren't a repeat offender before!"

In the *zoumaling*, Guan Huapo had once asked Guan Dazhuang to chase after the parents who had abandoned Sun Erzhuang, but the tiger had returned saying Sun Erzhuang's parents had both fallen into a ravine and died.

How could such a coincidental thing happen in this world!

Parents fleeing disaster and hiding, having just abandoned their child, would have the energy to run so far and jump into a mountain ravine to commit suicide?

Even if they were riding horses to rush to their reincarnation, it wouldn't be that fast!

Combined with Guan Dazhuang later carrying Guan Xiaohu to the sheep pen, this child might have been carried back by this burly man as well.

Xu Qing knew that some pets raised by people liked to carry things home. It was hard to say if this tiger, raised by Guan Huapo, didn't have such a habit.

Guan Dazhuang felt guilty and said, "Godmother was human after all. Even if I had filial piety, it wasn't as convenient as having a human descendant to serve her. If Godmother were to grow old, she would need someone close to serve her..."

"So that's your reason for carrying Erzhuang home?"

Guan Dazhuang looked embarrassed, like a child caught in the act by an elder.

"Let me ask you again: when you carried Erzhuang, where were his biological parents? Was he really abandoned?"

Xu Qing held the Filial Son Stick, his expression serious, just like a teacher in a school.

"Erzhuang was not abandoned..."

"Hmm?" Xu Qing's eyebrows twitched, and the Filial Son Stick in his hand was already restless.

Guan Dazhuang didn't know why, but he felt a sense of emptiness. He looked up at Xu Qing and managed to squeeze out a slightly flattering smile.

"Sir, don't overthink it. There is actually a hidden story behind this."

In the Mountain Lord Temple, Sun Erzhuang's snoring continued. After hearing Guan Dazhuang's account, Xu Qing finally understood.

It turned out that Sun Erzhuang was not abandoned by his parents. When his parents were moving their family, they encountered bandits. Guan Dazhuang was patrolling the mountain and passed by. At that time, the bandits had already killed all the men in the caravan, leaving only some women behind.

Guan Dazhuang had been taught by Guan Huapo since childhood and already had a sense of good and evil.

Seeing what the bandits were doing, he felt a fire in his heart and stepped forward to punish them.

A tiger has tiger power, and a demon tiger even more so. As soon as Guan Dazhuang appeared, with just one roar, some bandits died of fright, and the remaining cowardly bandits were no match for him.

After dealing with the bandits, Guan Dazhuang turned back to the horrific caravan and saw a woman holding a knife, about to stab the infant on the ground.

Guan Dazhuang spoke in human language, demanding to know why the woman was trying to kill the baby.

Seeing the tiger speak, the woman showed no fear. She said in despair, "My husband is dead. Now that I am a woman alone, no matter what, I cannot take my young child across a thousand miles. Since I am going to die anyway, I might as well end it early to save my child from suffering in vain."

Guan Dazhuang was shocked. Even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs; even a *biao* would at most be abandoned by its mother. How could there be people in this world who wanted to kill their own children?

"What kind of crazy talk is this? With me here today, you won't be able to harm this child at all!"

Guan Dazhuang was agile. Taking advantage of the woman's distraction, he carried the child away to a distance.

Seeing the tiger carry the child away, the woman laughed instead.

Guan Dazhuang didn't understand what she meant. He looked back and saw the woman hold the knife across her neck and draw it across.

Not to mention a tiger like Guan Dazhuang, even an ordinary person would be shocked for a long time after seeing this, and might even be left with psychological trauma.

Guan Dazhuang was stunned for a long time. It wasn't until the child in his mouth cried that he came to his senses.

The child needed someone to raise him. Guan Dazhuang thought and thought, and Guan Huapo came to mind, but he didn't dare carry the child back.

If he carried him back in front of Godmother, what would he say when she asked about the child's background?

Should he say he killed the bandits and witnessed the infant's mother commit suicide, but failed to save her?

Guan Dazhuang didn't dare tell Godmother he had killed people, even if they were heinous desperadoes.

After thinking it over, the only safe way was to leave the infant in front of the temple and pretend it was an abandoned baby.

After hearing all this, Xu Qing's gaze toward Guan Dazhuang changed.

This burly man with thick eyebrows and big eyes had secretly done quite a few big things!

Guan Dazhuang sighed, "People say it's all cause and effect. I didn't understand it before, but now that I think about it, these things were mostly caused by me..."

Xu Qing laughed. "Not to mention how much ability you have, who dares to say they can accurately predict the future? Just live by your own thoughts; why think so much?"

Guan Dazhuang shook his head and sighed again. After a moment, he suddenly asked, "May I ask, sir, how do you plan to deal with that monster's corpse?"

The "monster" must refer to Guan Xiaohu's corpse.

Xu Qing smiled faintly. "I am a funeral master. You can rest assured about matters regarding funerals; I will certainly make sure it dies in its proper place."

There are three changes for a corpse: Fire Zombie, Black Zombie, and Fur Zombie. Currently, he already had the Yin-Burning Fire Seed and the Indeterminate Black Water; only the Fur Zombie lacked a treasure for cultivation.

The Fur Zombie belongs to the category of mountain forests, and Guan Xiaohu happened to be a strange mountain creature with fur and horns, which was just right for him to make the best use of it and aid his cultivation.

(End of Chapter)