Chapter 162

If a hall has no incense, it must disband. Gu Zixu had operated his hall for many years, but the believers he had painstakingly gathered were all scattered in a single day because of the relief grain incident.

To say it felt no resentment would be impossible. Since you say I stole official grain, if I don't go and steal it, wouldn't I be taking the blame for nothing?

So not only must I steal, I'm going to pull off a big one!

Gu Zixu spent nearly a year digging a rat den right under the solid foundation of the grain storage, and even built an underground granary behind the den.

Xu Qing sucked his teeth in reaction.

This rat is small-minded, but the things it does are not small at all.

But it still thought too simply. This granary was supervised and built by the Celestial Master Mansion. If Gu Zixu had only just started stealing grain, if he really stole for a month or two—never mind half the grain in the granary, even if only ten percent were lost, the grain official would have to invite experts from the Celestial Master Mansion to deal with the rats.

By then, they would dig your rat den to the ground; are you afraid they wouldn't recover the grain you stole?

Gu Zixu's foot-long eyebrows trembled, still not quite believing it in his heart: "Dig three feet into the ground? This granary took time and effort to build. I only stole some of their grain; could they really tear the whole granary down?"

Xu Qing looked at this simple-minded, down-and-out immortal practitioner and sneered, "Managing a rat plague and repairing granaries—this might not be a bad thing for the officials. Tearing down and repairing means another huge sum of silver coming in. Who knows, some people might even be hoping you'd make a bigger scene. By then, whether it's new accounts, old accounts, or groundless accounts, they can all be pinned on you!"

"..."

Sweat broke out on Gu Zixu's forehead. There would be no way to live in the days to come!

It couldn't even handle the small altar set up by the government and the Cat Immortal Hall they invited. If they held a Grand Sacrifice and invited experts from the Celestial Master Mansion to poke at its nest, its whole family would surely be finished.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, look, our in-law relationship..."

"Don't try to get familiar; I'm not close to you."

The Cat Immortal Hall and the Gray Immortal Hall becoming in-laws? From ancient times until now, no one had ever heard of such an absurd thing!

Gu Zixu gave a dry laugh and furtively waved his hand hidden in his sleeve toward his daughter.

The bride, wearing a red bridal veil and dressed all in white, shyly lifted a corner of the veil and looked at Xu Qing with amorous eyes.

The rat bride's face was like congealed fat, her red lips moist like jade paste; she looked like someone who had walked out of a painting.

The rat bride came gracefully to Xu Qing and bowed, her voice thin and stammering, as if she were somewhat afraid of the cat in front of Xu Qing.

"This concubine, Gu Qiao'er, greets my husband."

Xuan Yu felt its scalp tingle, and all its cat fur stood up like needles in an instant.

Xu Qing reached out to soothe the black cat in front of him. Under the enhancement of his Qi-Gazing Technique, the beautiful Gu Qiao'er was nothing more than a big white rat in his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, rats can store grain and also generate wealth. Although my daughter's looks are ordinary, she is the most prosperous for a husband. If she marries into a farmer's family, she can ensure a bountiful harvest and plenty of food and clothing; if she marries into a merchant's family, she can ensure business flourishes and money is never lacking..."

Xu Qing originally had no great interest in the rat marrying off its daughter, but hearing Gu Zixu's words, it seemed to trigger a certain nerve. He subconsciously asked, "Then if it's a funeral shop dealing in the business of the dead, can it also ensure business flourishes?"

"..."

Gu Zixu stammered, "This, this I have never tried."

"But if Fellow Daoist Xu wants it to be, it can be..."

Xu Qing stared at Gu Zixu, his eyes full of distrust.

This old man, in order to save his own skin, would even send his own daughter out; what else would he not dare to make up?

"Old Man Gu, you are a rat, and I am a cat. We are destined not to be on the same path. However, if you are willing to do one thing for me, I can spare you."

"Please speak, Fellow Daoist. As long as it is within my power, I will certainly not refuse."

"Excellent!" Xu Qing clapped his hands and said, "To tell you the truth, I was hired by the grain official. Now that the autumn harvest is imminent, the granary is not yet full. If you are willing to command the rat swarm to steal the new grain harvested by the villagers outside the Fucheng and fill the granary, I will spare your life. Not only that, I can help you recommend yourself to the official, clear your past grievances, rebuild your temple, and get the imperial court to officially recognize you as a true immortal!"

As Xu Qing's voice fell, Gu Zixu stood up abruptly.

The old man widened his eyes, pointed at Xu Qing's nose, and cursed angrily:

"What a Cat Immortal Hall! I had heard that the Cat Immortal Hall upholds justice and eliminates evil, and I thought you were proper immortals. I never expected you to be filthy things colluding with corrupt officials!"

Xuan Yu turned its head to look at Xu Qing and whispered, "Immortal Xu, we can save up incense slowly, but we cannot bully the weak, steal their rations, or cheat them of their incense. That will damage our karmic merit..."

Xu Qing ignored Xuan Yu's advice and looked around, saying, "Any of you willing to follow orders? I'll say it first: whoever is obedient will have endless incense and rewards; whoever is disobedient..."

While speaking, Xu Qing pulled out a large axe capable of smashing a rat's brain to pieces.

The Mountain-Opening Axe, like a small door plank, reflected a cold light. The few large rats leading the way for Xu Qing were the first to express their stance, one by one chattering and pledging their loyalty to Xu Qing, saying they were willing to steal the grain from the villagers.

Of the few old servants and attendants in the rat den, only one stood on Gu Zixu's side; the others spoke up to persuade him, hoping Gu Zixu would consider the big picture.

"Master, being officially recognized by the imperial court is a once-in-a-century opportunity. If we can build a Rat King Temple, our descendants will have endless offerings to eat and endless incense to enjoy..."

Gu Zixu was so angry he blew his beard and stared. Beside him, Gu Qiao'er supported the old man. Neither of them had expected to encounter such a heart-chilling betrayal at the end.

"Whoever among you wants to follow Old Man Gu, just stand there and don't move. If you want to follow me to be officially recognized and become an immortal, come to my side."

Gu Zixu looked at the old folks from his former hall and shouted, "Have you all forgotten the rules of the immortal hall?"

The few old guys looked at the blustering Gu Zixu, then looked at the fair-faced young man with a calm smile who seemed exceptionally 'noble beyond words.'

How to choose seemed to go without saying.

"Gu Zixu, our old hall is already gone. Look at how much incense is left in the Dharma Realm? You, don't be too high-minded. Following the Cat Immortal Hall at least means you can get an official recognition from the court; that's a good job."

Gu Zixu was so angry he laughed, "Rats and cats working together—what difference is there from seeking skin from a tiger? Do you think the court's recognition will ever reach you?"

Hearing this, the sharp-mouthed, small-faced rat spirit bared its teeth and sneered, "Gu Zixu, you didn't say that when you were marrying off your daughter to curry favor with the noble just now..."

"Shut up! I married off my daughter because I mistakenly believed the rumors that the Cat Immortal Hall was friendly to neighbors and never bullied the weak. Unlike you, the black-hearted official skin harmed you and made you lose your hall, and the next moment you are willing to work for these official skins. If you don't feel humiliated, I feel humiliated for you!"

Gu Zixu's face turned from blue to white, as if he were about to reveal his true form from anger at any moment.

Xu Qing watched the few large rats that had come to his side, nodding and bowing to pledge their loyalty, and felt happy inside.

Reaching out to put Xuan Yu down, Xu Qing danced the axe, the Mountain-Opening Axe weighing over three hundred catties feeling like nothing in his hands.

Although these rats had become spirits and each had decades of cultivation, they were not enough to look at in front of him.

Flipping the axe blade, Xu Qing patted them like flies; one pat and they didn't make a sound.

Xuan Yu's mouth opened slightly, still thinking in its heart why Immortal Xu, who had been chatting and laughing with the rats just a moment ago, had suddenly turned to violence...

However, seeing Xu Qing eliminate these harmful rats like chopping melons and vegetables, Xuan Yu felt exceptionally relieved.

Gu Zixu and Gu Qiao'er supported each other's arms, both grandfather and granddaughter feeling both bewildered and terrified.

This person was too temperamental; how could he just kill the rats like that? This was too brutal.

Xu Qing took out a piece of yellow burning paper and, while wiping the filth off the axe blade, said, "Old Brother Gu, these subordinates of yours aren't very loyal."

"Now that I have cleaned up the house for you, the rest are all trusted people of your own."

Gu Zixu looked at the only old servant left by his side and his daughter, thinking to himself: You've almost killed them all for me, of course only my own people are left!

"What exactly does the Fellow Daoist want to do?"

Xu Qing sat back in the chair. Beside the chair leg, Xuan Yu raised its head, a curve appearing at the corner of its mouth.

It really hadn't misjudged; Immortal Xu had never disappointed it in the way he did things.

"Didn't Fellow Daoist Gu say he wanted to work with my Cat Immortal Hall? Now your opportunity has come. My Cat Immortal Hall already occupies four of the ten halls, and there are still a few halls without a presiding immortal."

"Those with perverse temperaments are not fit for my hall, and those who are unruly, stupid, and difficult to teach are also not fit to be immortals in my hall."

"Fellow Daoist Xu means..."

A rat becomes a spirit with age. Gu Zixu's anger subsided, and he understood the implication. However, to avoid misunderstanding, the old immortal still chose to test the waters first.

This young man didn't play by the rules. After going through this, Gu Zixu no longer dared to rely on his seniority.

"My Cat Immortal Hall lacks messengers to gather wealth and save the virtuous. Fellow Daoist Gu has a kind heart and knows how to gather wealth. Looking at the structure of this rat den, Fellow Daoist Gu should also be proficient in Feng Shui and geography."

"If Fellow Daoist Gu is interested, you can preside over my Feng Shui Hall and concurrently hold the duties of gathering wealth and saving the virtuous for the hall."

Gu Zixu frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "I may have some kind thoughts, but I am not very broad-minded. It is fine for me to join the hall, but this rat den and the granary..."

"I spent a lot of effort building this rat den. If you destroy my home just to please the corrupt officials, then even if I go to the Cat Immortal Hall, I will not be convinced in my heart."

Xu Qing laughed dumbly, not expecting this Jinmen Rat King to be such a stubborn old man with some backbone.

"If the rat den is gone, it can be rebuilt. If Qiao'er and her father are gone, what's the use of just keeping this den? It won't give birth to baby rats."

Xu Qing shook his head and said, "This matter cannot be rushed. If you two trust me, come to my hall. As for the grudge of the officials framing you, after the limelight passes, I will naturally help you vent this anger. Come to think of it, this matter was originally in my plan."

Where did Xu Qing have a plan? He had just come to the granary to handle the immortal-summoning job today; how could he have any plan? It was just an idea he came up with on the spot after seeing Gu Zixu's ability to tunnel and move objects.

When Gu Zixu was at his own Gray Immortal Hall, he had often been fed empty promises by the incense masters and clients.

Saying that if lost items were found, illnesses were cured, or there was grain and money at home, they would burn incense to fulfill their vows. But among those people, more than half were just feeding them empty promises. Once the matter was done and the wish was fulfilled, few people offered incense to say thank you.

Gu Zixu didn't buy that. He wanted Xu Qing to give a clear plan, not just say that you will stand up for me in the future.

Empty words—if they two, because of this one sentence, sold their lives and worked for nothing in the end, wouldn't it become a huge joke?

If things went poorly, after being used, they might even become two dishes on someone's dining table.

Xu Qing looked at the old servant standing next to Gu Zixu.

The latter's mind was quite sharp; the old rat bowed and then retreated.

Xu Qing looked at Gu Qiao'er again.

Gu Zixu rolled his eyes and reached out to stop his daughter from leaving.

"Fellow Daoist, if you have something to say, just say it. My daughter is not an outsider."

"That's not necessarily true; if she marries out in the future..."

Gu Qiao'er twisted her skirt with her small hands and said shyly, "Since this concubine has married my husband, I am part of my husband's family."

"Stop!"

Xu Qing put away his Qi-Gazing Technique and looked down at the cat beside him, which was a bit bristled but still cute. Only then did his heart calm down slightly.

"I was invited to manage the rat plague. If the granary has problems at this time, it will inevitably arouse the suspicion of the officials."

"Only after this matter is over, and a year or a year and a half have passed, will it be safe to solve this problem."

Gu Zixu frowned and said, "I wonder how you plan to solve it when that time comes?"

Xu Qing flicked his finger to ignite a wisp of Yin-burning fire and laughed, "Everyone knows the relief granary has no grain, so I imagine the officials won't feel heartache if a fire dragon rises in the granary."

Others might not know if the relief granary had grain, but Gu Zixu knew clearly.

"You want to burn the grain?"

"It's not easy for farmers to grow grain; why would I burn it?" Xu Qing looked at Gu Zixu with a smile: "You are most skilled at moving wealth and objects. When the time comes, you replace the grain in the granary with straw. Even if it burns clean in the future, no one will think it was the framed Rat King who stole the grain."

"After the limelight passes and the grain is transported out of the city, I naturally have ways to distribute it to those who need it."

Gu Zixu's eyes lit up, but he still had doubts: "There is no lack of experts in the world who can calculate; if someone calculates the clues..."

"You don't need to worry about that. As long as you do your part and establish a connection with the Cat Immortal Hall, I have my own ways to deal with it."

Xu Qing had the Heaven-grade Heaven-Deceiving Technique; all heavenly secrets related to him were obscured. The Heavenly Dao could not investigate, so naturally, there would not be too many worries.

"Then how does the Sect Master plan to report to the grain official later?"

Xu Qing stood up and came to the corpses of the rats that were several times larger than cats, laughing, "The Rat King and its cronies have been eliminated, and the rest of the rat swarm has been dispersed. My Cat Immortal Hall came out to manage the rats; how could I not complete the task?"

That night, tens of thousands of rats suddenly poured out of the Jinmen granary. All the rats in the swarm had heard the news that the Cat Immortal of the Cat Immortal Hall had swallowed the Rat King in one gulp.

This news was told by the old servant who was a crony of the Rat King. The rats were leaderless, so they followed the old servant's instructions and poured out of the burrows to the ground, scattering and fleeing outside the granary.

The grain official and Guo Dongyang were drinking by candlelight in the room when they suddenly heard the sound of rats everywhere outside. The two opened the door and saw a dark mass of rats fleeing out of the granary like refugees escaping a disaster.

The grain official felt his scalp tingle, and his drunkenness dissipated by more than half. Guo Dongyang, however, ran to the door excitedly, letting the rats run over his feet.

Looking toward the source of the rat swarm, Guo Dongyang saw through the night that on top of a granary in the distance, a variegated tiger was standing and watching.

Beside the tiger, a person and a cat stood on the roof, quietly watching the rats flee the granary.

"There really are extraordinary people in the world!"

Guo Dongyang rubbed his eyes. When he opened them again to look closely, the granary roof was empty; not even half a person's shadow could be seen.

(End of this chapter)