Chapter 178: Removing the Old Year

Jia Yue Qian Long (The eleventh month hides the dragon), La Yue Jia Nian (The twelfth month is a festive year).

After the eleventh month passed, the twelfth month followed.

In the freezing season, Boss Cheng of the incense candle shop across the street was wrapped in a thick cotton-padded jacket, with a jacket worn over it. When Xu Qing came to get incense candles, the boss's wife said curiously:

"It's getting colder every day. You only wear this one robe when you go out; aren't you afraid of the cold?"

"I'm young and full of energy; what am I afraid of the cold for! Besides, the robe I'm wearing is made of cotton and is already thick enough. Unlike Boss Cheng's delicate body, which has to be wrapped in a quilt to go out!"

After entering winter, Xu Qing, in order to integrate into the secular world, specially asked the embroiderer to weave a cotton robe, just to prevent outsiders from seeing any mystery.

Besides that, he also asked the embroiderer to weave a scarf that could just cover his lips and mouth.

Doing this was because there was no heat on the zombie's body. Even in the coldest weather, the zombie couldn't exhale any white air when talking to people.

Xu Qing had always paid attention to these details, but he didn't expect to meet someone like Cheng Caiyun, who was born afraid of the cold.

If it weren't for the fact that people wearing cotton robes often walked on the street, he would have thought he hadn't handled the details well and revealed a flaw!

"You should be careful. I heard that many people froze to death this year..."

"I know about this." Xu Qing sighed: "I haven't touched fewer of those frozen corpses these days. If you don't believe me, touch it. My hands are still cold now; maybe I've caught the cold air."

Looking at Xu Qing reaching out his hand, Cheng Caiyun's face turned green.

This dirty thing, whoever wants to touch it, touch it!

Looking at Cheng Caiyun's appearance of avoiding a plague god, Xu Qing was happy for a while.

After leaving the incense candle shop, Xu Qing went to the paper-cutting shop to get some paper cuttings.

Since learning the paper-cutting-to-reality magic, his paper-cutting skills had reached a new level.

However, in order to take care of the neighbors' business, Xu Qing didn't use this to monopolize the business of the whole street.

Although now, for various reasons, the coffin shop and the burial clothes shop had become his industry, he still liked the days when he operated this funeral street with everyone from the bottom of his heart.

"Wait until I go to the agency to see if I can find a steady and hardworking clerk to run the coffin shop. It's best to find a younger one; I think it will be more durable..."

People say that after the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, it's the New Year. In Xu Qing's eyes, as long as there are corpses to transcend every day, it's the big New Year.

Seeing other shops bustling to hit their performance targets, Xu Qing looked at his own shop, which was cold and clear, without any atmosphere of the New Year.

This won't do. A festival should have a festival atmosphere. What does it look like to be dead and silent?

So, not long after the mortician's shop's autumn promotion ended, Xu Qing followed up with a Spring Festival special promotion.

Just after the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Shopkeeper Xu got up early and posted a new bulletin at the door, saying—"The weather is freezing, but people's hearts are not cold. The twelfth month is a festive year, don't worry about human affairs."

On the left side of the vertical layout, there was also a detailed introduction to the event.

The general content was to welcome the New Year and receive the five blessings. As long as everyone came to the shop in the twelfth lunar month and the first lunar month, they would receive a five-blessing gift package.

The gift package included paper gold ingots, finely cut reincarnation money, eternal lamps for guarding the night, filial piety cloths for showing filial piety, plus the special service of the new Licentiate writing funeral couplets by hand.

In the past, every time the twelfth lunar month arrived, Xuanyu just squatted to the side, quietly watching humans busy. As for why humans did those complicated things in the twelfth lunar month, she couldn't understand.

But this twelfth lunar month, Immortal Xu caught all the cats and rats who had nothing to do in the immortal hall as laborers.

Although there were no living people in the small shop, it was very lively.

"Xuanyu, help me see if this couplet is straight?"

The yellow-clothed man carried Xu Qing on his back, and the latter rode on the man's shoulders, holding the newly written couplet to paste at the door.

The little girl in the black jacket helped Xu Qing correct the position of the couplet very seriously.

Xuanyu used to be unwilling to maintain her human form frequently because she wanted to save incense. Now, because of the Goddess Temple helping the disaster victims, the incense of the Cat Immortal Hall had exceeded one million, so she didn't care about this bit of incense for transformation.

For this reason, Xu Qing specially induced her, saying that during the New Year, people would change their appearance and wear new clothes, and Xuanyu could not be an exception.

After that, it was mostly Xu Qing embarrassingly letting Xuanyu show her original form, and then taking her to the embroiderer to customize the dress.

On the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month, the mortician's shop closed for a day for the first time.

On this day, the immortals of the Cat Immortal Hall gathered at the Water Gate Bridge courtyard. Besides celebrating the New Year together, there was one most important thing.

That was for the immortal hall to hold an annual meeting, make a year-end summary together, and by the way, distribute some incense as a year-end bonus.

When Gu Zixu joined the Cat Immortal Hall, the 20,000 incense sticks he had accumulated were all returned to the hall. Now Xu Qing, with principal and interest, threw 50,000 incense sticks to Gu Zixu, and other immortals received no less than 10,000 incense sticks.

Estimating that there were still a million incense sticks left, Xu Qing said: "There is a little less incense. Don't dislike it, everyone. Make do with this year. After operating the hall well next year, I will compensate everyone well..."

Guan Dazhuang was dumbfounded, and Gu Zixu's hands trembled, speechless for a long time.

Only Huang Xiaoliu's emotions were the most stable, because as early as when the 20,000 incense sticks hit his head, this yellow sable rat with mediocre cultivation fainted.

Looking at that appearance, he wouldn't wake up for three or two hours.

At this time, the immortals only felt their mouths dry. Other halls wouldn't necessarily accumulate 10,000 incense sticks in a year, but in the Sect Master's mouth, it seemed that he felt he gave too little.

Gu Zixu bowed and said excitedly:

"Sect Master's great kindness, the old man will never forget it in his life. From now on, Sect Master, please rest assured. As long as the immortal hall has instructions, the old man will definitely do his best."

Gu Zixu had once been slandered by the grain official of the grain granary, leading to the destruction of the Gray Immortal Hall by believers. At that time, it was Xu Qing who sought justice for him and helped him vent the anger in his heart. Now Xu Qing had given him the opportunity to practice again with the help of incense, so how could he not be grateful?

Guan Dazhuang and Huang Xiaoliu were also the same.

It can be said that among the immortals present, there was no exception; everyone had received Xu Qing's kindness, and it was not a small favor.

In the circle of immortals who pay attention to kindness and righteousness, it wouldn't be too much for them to sell themselves to Xu Qing.

As a result, in the end, the Sect Master also distributed so much incense to everyone. Such an immortal hall, even if you hold a lantern, you can't find it.

In contrast, other halls, including Huang Xiaoliu, who was once in the Huang Immortal Hall and was highly valued by Old Huang, had never received such high welfare treatment.

Facing the immortals' salute, Xu Qing remained silent.

After all the immortals sat down again, Xu Qing slowly said:

"After the New Year, I might go out to travel far, and the return date is uncertain. During this period, the Cat Immortal Hall still needs to rely on everyone to manage it carefully."

"During the days I am away, the Cat Immortal Hall should keep a low profile, don't be greedy for incense. When you need to connect with people, let Erzhuang go."

After saying this, Xu Qing added: "Erzhuang, if the Cat Immortal Hall encounters difficulties from secular people that you can't solve, you can go to Flower Bird Street to find Second Master Feng. He owes me some favors, and maybe he can help."

"If he is not there, you can also find Chief Zhao of the government office. Although this person is not very likable, he is quite upright, and most importantly, he also owes me some favors..."

"Besides secular matters, if you encounter demons you can't fight, or practitioners with deep cultivation, don't force it, and avoid the edge for now, and wait until I come back."

Beside, Xuanyu heard Xu Qing arrange things, and her heart was very uneasy.

After the banquet dispersed, Xu Qing and Xuanyu walked on the way back to the mortician's shop.

Xuanyu lowered her head and followed behind, almost bumping into Xu Qing several times.

"Why don't you look at the road when you walk? If you are tired of walking, I don't mind holding you for a while."

Xuanyu finally said: "When do you plan to cross the tribulation?"

Xu Qing blinked and suddenly laughed: "That's not up to me. It depends on when God is in a bad mood!"

Seeing Xuanyu not speaking, Xu Qing restrained his smile and pondered: "Probably in these few days. My cultivation has far exceeded five hundred years. If I suppress it any longer, even if God's eyes are blurry, he shouldn't be able to hide it."

"When can Immortal Xu come back?"

Xu Qing was silent.

Until he walked to Jingxia Street, he said:

"Xuanyu and I are different from ordinary people. Ordinary people have at most a hundred years of life, but Xuanyu and I take years as days and months as moments. My travel time is destined not to be too long."

"I have already arranged the affairs of the Cat Immortal Hall. During this period, Xuanyu, just practice with peace of mind."

The little girl lowered her head and counted the days. Taking years as days, one year is more than three hundred years.

"I will wait for you for at most two months. If you don't come back, I will find you."

Two months is sixty years.

Xu Qing laughed dumbly.

This cat's way of calculating time was really different from what he expected.

After the New Year, at the beginning of the first lunar month, Xu Qing's shop had a few people coming to pay New Year's greetings for the first time.

The rough Zhao Zhonghe and Wang Lingyuan from the government office—Xu Qing was not surprised that these two came. The only one he didn't expect was Guo Dongyang from Jinmen Prefecture, who braved the wind and snow and brought cured meat to his shop to pay New Year's greetings.

Let's just say, Jinmen Prefecture is not far from here, but it's not close either. With this rain and snow on the road, you are not young anymore. If something happens on the way, it's not coming to pay New Year's greetings, but taking care of the mortician's shop's business.

Guo Dongyang didn't care, only saying that he had been walking in the rivers and lakes for many years, and he had some skills to rely on. At worst, he wouldn't get sick because of some wind and snow.

However, before the day was over, the old man caught a cold.

When he was confused, Guo Dongyang muttered: "It's really strange. There is charcoal burning in this room, and it's not that cold. Why do I feel cold all over at this moment, as if I'm not going to make it..."

This is nonsense. Even a young man with strong energy would feel cold all over when his pulse is taken by a zombie.

"If you are sick, talk less!"

Xu Qing also felt helpless in his heart. He didn't know what the old man was thinking. He clearly had a cold but didn't let the inn clerk find a doctor to diagnose and treat him, but insisted on letting the clerk run to the mortician's shop to invite him over.

He was a gentleman who did funerals and burials, but he had to come to save the dying and heal the wounded. Isn't this nonsense!

Let's just say, letting a bandit who doesn't blink when killing help an old lady walk is more reliable than this!

After brewing a bowl of talisman water and pairing it with a Hundred Herb Pill, the old man was jumping out of bed before the sun had even set.

"What medicine did you give me? Why is it so effective?"

Xu Qing said angrily: "I found a doctor in the pharmacy to grab a cold-dispelling soup. The doctor said that this medicine is effective quickly. If there is no reaction, it is also effective quickly, but this filial piety is the filial piety of wearing hemp and mourning."

Guo Dongyang was skeptical, but looking at Xu Qing's serious appearance, he had to believe it.

Is there such a magical prescription in this world? If there is such a thing, it must be recorded in the Dongyang Travel Notes.

By the fifth day of the first lunar month, Guo Dongyang came to Xu Qing's mortician's shop and said: "Brother Xu, I plan to stay in Linhe County for a period of time. If Brother Xu is free, you can come to the Fuji Tea House to find me."

"If I am free, I will definitely go." Xu Qing promised, but didn't take it to heart.

After this New Year is passed steadily, he will leave the mortician's shop to deal with the unknown disaster.

Before that, he had many things to deal with, so how could he have the leisure to go to the tea house to drink tea?

Out of the mortician's shop, Guo Dongyang looked at the couplet at the door of the shop and stopped for a long time.

"Handle the aftermath without worry, operate to save people in the world."

It was clearly a couplet for a funeral shop, but he felt pleasing to the eye.

"Mist drifting and dew condensing, parting yet never severed; the spirit of the bones reaches through, refreshing and divine—truly a magnificent piece of calligraphy!"

Leaving a comment, Guo Dongyang turned and left.

In the mortician's shop, a black cat was sitting on the counter, watching the insects in the jar fight.

Xu Qing looked at the black cat and said with some surprise: "Why doesn't Xuanyu transform into a human form today?"

Xuanyu raised her head and said seriously: "Immortal Xu said that you need to transform into a human form during the New Year. Now that the New Year has passed, naturally, you have to restore your original appearance."

"..."

Spring Festival limited transformation experience card?

How did he make himself walk into a dead end? Just as Xu Qing was thinking about how to change this restriction, he suddenly heard Xuanyu ask: "Did Immortal Xu say before that the laziest insect in the insect jar is the least likely to become an insect king?"

Xu Qing raised his eyebrows, leaned close to Xuanyu, and a zombie and a cat looked at the thousand-insect jar at the same time.

I saw that after months of fighting, there were few of the thousand insects left.

Xu Qing took a look, and except for the white insect that was still sleeping in the corner, there were only three insects left in the jar, forming a tripod, vaguely reaching some kind of balance.

"Why does this lazy insect seem to have gotten fatter again?"

Beside, Xuanyu said with bright eyes: "I know, this insect goes to pick up corpses to eat at night, and sleeps after eating. Until now, it hasn't fought with any insect."

"..."

Xu Qing heard this and sucked his teeth. Why does this corpse-picking insect have a strangely familiar feeling?

Looking at the fleshy, tender white insect that was almost identical to the grub in the rotten tree stump, Xu Qing couldn't see anything special about it no matter how he looked.

"Does Immortal Xu think it will be the last living insect?"

"Yes." Xu Qing smiled slightly and gave a positive answer.

On the counter, Xuanyu looked at the insect jar, her eyes flickering.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 179 =====