Chapter 223: The Bright Mirror Hangs High

"Nine-Lives Profound Cat, Longevity-Extending Pill."

Xu Qing's face was expressionless, like a lake in an ancient well with no ripples, revealing not a shred of emotion.

He had no ties or burdens, nor anything he truly could not let go of; in these times, those who dealt in the business of the dead, aside from the funeral families passed down through generations, were mostly recluses with lonely and strange personalities.

Xu Qing was no exception, except that compared to others, he had a cat that seemed capable of accompanying him for a very long time.

No one knew what Xu Qing was thinking at this moment; he was merely practicing his skills in wrapping and stitching corpses repeatedly while viewing the dead man's memories, keeping his mind clear at all times, that was all.

Apart from that, there was no difference between him and how he usually conducted rites for the dead.

The kaleidoscope of the corpse beneath his hands continued to play on.

Liao Jinzhong accepted the imperial decree, lowered his head, and exited the main hall.

Zhao Rong, dressed in a golden robe embroidered with dragon patterns, stood under the eaves pillar outside the hall, smiling as he watched Liao Jinzhong.

"Eunuch, the health of Your Majesty's body concerns the fate of the nation and is of supreme nobility; although the immortal medicine from Yunmeng Mountain is good, we must ensure it is absolutely safe."

Liao Jinzhong bowed his body, lowered his eyes, and said, "What Your Highness says is most correct; this matter is of great consequence. This servant has shallow knowledge and begs Your Highness not to withhold your guidance."

Zhao Rong smiled and said, "I have heard that the Immortal Bai Yun can refine three portions of immortal medicine from one furnace. Eunuch, you may take one portion and have someone test the medicine. As for the remaining two portions, as an Imperial Prince, I naturally should sacrifice myself to verify the medicine's nature for Your Majesty to fulfill my filial duty; after two verifications show no danger, it can be presented before the throne for Your Majesty to take. What does the Eunuch think?"

"Your Highness possesses both civil strategy and military prowess, and is complete in filial piety and fraternal love; truly, this is a blessing for Your Majesty and a blessing for the state. This servant bows in admiration."

The scene shifted; Liao Jinzhong and Song Yunxing, one of the Seven Sons of the Xuanji of the Celestial Master's Mansion, went together to Yunmeng Mountain to seek the immortal medicine.

The Seven Sons of the Xuanji of the Celestial Master's Mansion each had different personalities; only Song Yunxing loved worldly affairs and money. Liao Jinzhong spent a vast amount of gold and silver to privately invite Song Yunxing to accompany him, so that when he himself consumed the immortal medicine, there would be an expert in alchemy to guide him from the side.

He was destined to be a servant; the Emperor and Imperial Princes would not feel pity for him, but a servant's life is also a life. Liao Jinzhong had climbed with great difficulty to the position of Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Department; how could he possibly not care about his own life?

Yunmeng Mountain lies fifty li north of Quyang Commandery; inside it is a village called Bailong Village. This village is strange to speak of: those with long lives live extremely long, while those with short lives die extremely young; the former live past a hundred to reach the age of one hundred, while the latter do not reach thirty before collapsing and dying suddenly.

Liao Jinzhong did not understand the reason, but only Song Yunxing had some knowledge; after entering Bailong Village and seeing those villagers with bloodless faces and drifting steps, he declared that this village used the Blood Transfer Method, where the noble members of the clan extracted the blood and qi of the poor and lowly to nourish themselves; under this give-and-take, the gap in lifespans among the people would naturally grow wider and wider.

"Such evil arts have long been lost; I never expected that in this small village, they would have been passed down all this time."

Hearing these words, Liao Jinzhong thought of the rumors about the immortal medicine from Yunmeng Mountain and felt that this matter had gained even more credibility.

This village indeed possesses a miraculous art for extending life!

At the end of Bailong Village, near the deep regions of Yunmeng Mountain, stood a temple with the words Ruyi Temple written above it, inside which was enshrined a white-haired deity named Lord Yuan.

A Daoist boy led the two of Liao Jinzhong into the incense hall and said, "The Daoist Master is currently refining the immortal medicine in the inner hall; the two laymen may wait in the front hall, but must not enter the inner hall."

Liao Jinzhong looked up at the statue of the white-haired old man enshrined in the front hall; this statue was also quite unique. He saw that the statue of the deity wore shackles on its head, and nine iron chains behind its limbs and back resembled blood vessels, deeply embedded into the supporting wall behind it.

On the wall surface was a copied painting of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals restraining a deity, and the positions where those nine iron chains were embedded happened to be grasped in the hands of four Golden Armored Deities in the mural.

However, just as Liao Jinzhong was gazing in fascination, a figure suddenly darted out from within the statue of Lord Yuan accompanied by black mist, followed by a second figure, then a third!

In a brief instant, fully eight black shadows darted out, terrifying Liao Jinzhong into hastily retreating; Song Yunxing beside him likewise took out a Golden Light Talisman to protect his body, and just then, an anxious shout suddenly rang out from behind the incense hall—

"This monster seeks to escape! You all must quickly pursue it; under no circumstances can you let it escape the temple!"

More than a dozen people dressed as Daoists went around the supporting wall, rushed out of the incense hall, and pursued those fleeing black demonic energies.

Liao Jinzhong, as if guided by ghosts and spirits, went around the supporting wall and only then saw the scene behind the wall.

He saw a cauldron carved with strange runes lying on the ground, and where the cauldron connected to the supporting wall, nine chains had already broken eight; the single remaining chain was entirely crimson like blood, like a living creature, linked to the cauldron.

Before the cauldron, the Daoist with crane-feather hair and a child's face, who was controlling the cauldron, did not blame them; he opened his mouth and said, "The two of you have considerable cultivation; please aid this poor Daoist in retrieving the medicinal guide! If it cannot be retrieved, the efficacy of this medicine will surely be less than one-tenth!"

Liao Jinzhong frowned and was about to ask a question, but Song Yunxing, who understood alchemy, hurriedly reminded him, "This is that Profound Cat escaping its bonds. If the Eunuch does not aid us and lets that cat demon escape, this longevity-extending immortal medicine cannot be refined."

In the mortician's shop, Xu Qing felt the familiar yet strange aura within the cauldron, and a nameless fire in his heart burned completely.

Liao Jinzhong and Song Yunxing rushed out of the temple, wanting to subdue the cat demon, but had no way to find it; people were pursuing from all directions, yet from beginning to end, no one could catch even a single shadow of that cat demon.

"This cat demon is so fast that even a Grandmaster could not catch up; how did they manage to capture it?"

Amidst his surprise, Liao Jinzhong immediately turned back and blocked a temple disciple, saying in desperation, "Let me ask you: since you could catch that cat demon before, why is there no method to catch it a second time?"

The temple disciple, with a embarrassed face, said, "Back then, that cat demon was guided by a high master; it was only because the Grandmaster personally intervened that it was captured. Now the Grandmaster is too busy to split his attention, and we have already done our utmost."

Outside the temple, while several people were arguing, a stern angry shout suddenly rang out from within the temple—

"This is a secret art of the Nine Heavens, cherished by the Heavenly Emperor. I was ordered to guard it; how can I let you take it for use in harming heaven and humanity!"

Before the words had fully faded, a brilliant divine light suddenly shone within Ruyi Temple, followed by thunder falling from the half-sky, piercing straight through the incense hall and emitting a booming roar.

"."

Liao Jinzhong felt his mouth and tongue go dry; when he came to his senses, the figure of Song Yunxing beside him had already vanished to who knows where!

He had an imperial order on his person and dared not retreat lightly; with no choice, he grabbed a Daoist boy and coerced him into entering to investigate.

When he saw the Daoist boy emerge unharmed from the incense hall, Liao Jinzhong finally dared to enter the incense hall.

At this moment, the statue of Lord Yuan in the center of the incense hall had been completely shattered, and even the supporting wall had collapsed more than halfway; Liao Jinzhong went around the mess before him and looked toward the inner hall.

He saw the Immortal Bai Yun lying prone on the ground, motionless, and the cauldron before him had been struck by thunder into scrap copper and rusted iron; that single iron chain which had not broken before was now long since snapped into several pieces.

Just as Liao Jinzhong was speechless, the Immortal Bai Yun lying prone on the ground, making not a sound, suddenly began to cough violently.

Dust shook off, and the old Daoist climbed out of the rubble, his face then undergoing a series of changes.

"This old beast is so unfeeling; this poor Daoist earned incense offerings to raise and feed you, yet I never expected that today you would come to ruin my good deeds!"

After the old Daoist Bai Yun finished speaking, silence surrounded them with no response. Beside him, a temple disciple asked about the old Daoist's injuries, and the old Daoist, frustrated, said, "That old beast is merely a manifestation of incense; the thunder it summoned originally had no great power. If it had truly struck at this poor Daoist, that would have been better!"

"I only hate that the old beast's thoughts were extremely wicked; knowing I was refining the Nine-Turn Profound Pill, it caused all the thunder to fall upon the cauldron."

"This is a pill tribulation, and also a human tribulation; it is a pity for this batch of medicine. If it had not interfered, taking this batch of medicine would have extended one's life by at least a hundred years!"

The matter of Emperor Longping seeking the elixir of immortality died in the womb due to an accident, but Liao Jinzhong's journey was not entirely without gain.

To ensure Liao Jinzhong would speak well of him upon his return, the old Daoist Bai Yun accepted this eunuch as a registered disciple and transmitted to him the Ruyi Transformation Art that steals others' cultivation and blood qi.

"This technique is not a mortal art; it is a secret art of the Nine Heavens recorded in a heavenly book obtained by my ancestor when he accidentally entered the Bai Yun Cave."

"With this method protecting you, you will have the opportunity to enter the realm of Heaven and Man."

After Liao Jinzhong received the forbidden secret arts transmitted by the old Daoist Bai Yun, he entered the realm of Grandmaster in just one year; however, compared to other martial Grandmasters, Liao Jinzhong's cultivation path was paved with piles of white bones.

When Emperor Longping passed away and Emperor Jingxing Zhao Rong ascended the throne, Liao Jinzhong, who had greatly won the Emperor's heart, became completely unrestrained.

To break through to the legendary realm of Heaven and Man in martial arts, Liao Jinzhong used the Mirror-Reflecting Bureau to monitor the world; under the name of inspecting the land on behalf of Heaven, he fabricated literary inquisitions; whether in the Jianghu or in martial arts halls, anyone practicing martial arts who lacked any background or connections could not escape the old eunuch's poisonous hand.

Sure enough, the martial arts school was running smoothly until someone from the Mirror-Reflecting Bureau stepped inside and demanded various official permits and licenses. When they discovered the school was indeed law-abiding and could find no fault, the eunuch in charge snapped his documents shut, pinched his fingers into an orchid gesture, and pointed directly at the weapon rack inside the school:

"Why do the sharp tips of all the blades, spears, swords, and halberds on your weapon rack point toward the sky? Could it be you intend to assassinate the Son of Heaven?"

"This is an attempted assassination! Arrest him!"

When martial sects gathered to spar, nothing happened in previous years, but today, after the eunuchs of the Mirror-Reflecting Bureau arrived, one pointed at the Monk practicing the Dragon-Subduing and Tiger-Suppressing Fist and said, "Dragon-Subduing Fist? You intend to rebel! Is the True Dragon Son of Heaven someone you can subdue?"

After arresting the fist-fighter, they turned to the spear-wielder: "Dragon and Phoenix—can such patterns be carved on your spear? This is disrespect toward the Son of Heaven! Seize him!"

In an instant, everyone in the Jianghu lived in fear. Those practicing the Dragon Fist renamed their art the Earthworm Fist overnight, while those studying spear techniques changed the Phoenix-Resounding Spear to the Crowing Spear on the very same day.

You think that was the end of it? That would be underestimating the operational capabilities of the Mirror-Reflecting Bureau!

Not many days later, Liao Duzhu entered the palace to request an Imperial Bestowed Bright Mirror. On the back of this mirror, the Jingtong Emperor had personally inscribed four characters: Bright Mirror Hung High!

As long as one held this mirror, it represented the Emperor's personal presence; whether one was good or evil, holding the mirror up to them would reveal the truth.

However, not long after this mirror was retrieved and before it could be put to use, Liao Jinzhong arrived in Linjiang County.

Xu Qing saw Shang Shaoyang blocking Liao Jinzhong, demanding the mirror, and intending to shine it upon himself.

But who borrows a mirror while holding a hammer in their hand?

What happened afterward was nothing worth watching; the old eunuch experienced a lifetime of misfortune upon arriving in Linjiang County, and when he left, he even encountered the unluckiest person in Jinmen.

Having witnessed the evil life of the old eunuch, the Sutra of Delivering Souls provided an assessment: Earth Grade, Middle Tier.

There were two rewards: one was the Wondrous Conformity Art, and the other was a Mirror of Good and Evil from the Netherworld.

Xu Qing had personally experienced the Wondrous Conformity Art not long ago, and it was just so-so; as for the Mirror of Good and Evil from the Netherworld...

As the name suggests, this is a mirror capable of distinguishing good from evil, but it has one restriction: it can only be used on the dead or dead objects.

Xu Qing held the Netherworld Mirror and shone it upon Liao Jinzhong's corpse. The next moment, the mirror shouted loudly, "Get it away! Don't touch Laozi! This man's heart is too dirty, too filthy!"

"????"

Xu Qing instinctively flipped the mirror and aimed it at himself.

"Great Benevolent Man! Living Bodhisattva! Unbelievable, truly unbelievable! For a man to be reflected in this mirror even once in a lifetime, even if it cracks or shatters right now, it would be worth it!"

"."

Xu Qing's eyebrows shot upward; how could this broken mirror even insult people!

Who is the Great Benevolent Man? Who is the Living Bodhisattva?

Explain yourself clearly!

The mirror began playing dead.

Xu Qing spat and tossed the useless mirror before him into the Shanhe Map.

Can't he tell whether a dead person is good or bad?

If it could shine on the living, Xu Qing might have given the mirror a higher regard; as for now...

"What kind of thing is this!"

After dealing with the chattering mirror, Xu Qing looked at the eunuch's corpse on the cold bed.

Xu Qing did not know whether he counted as a good person or a bad person, but right now, without needing a mirror, he knew how maniacal his expression must be!

That night, Xu Qing carried a bundle wrapped in oilcloth toward the Water Gate Bridge.

When he stepped out the door, Xuan Yu asked what he was carrying. Xu Qing smiled slightly and replied, "Mutton. It's gamey and stinky, and it has a fishy, musky smell. I'm just taking it out to throw away."

Having spoken, Xu Qing walked out of the shop door, but the next moment, one of his feet stepped back inside the threshold.

Turning his head, Xu Qing looked at Sun Erniang, who was being obedient and sensible at the counter, and said one sentence: "Wait for me to return. I have something to ask you, and it concerns your life."

Walking toward the Water Gate Bridge, Xu Qing's expression was unusually calm.

He was thinking about something.

Disciples of the Ruyi Temple on Yunmeng Mountain once told Liao Jinzhong that the cat demon's movement was as eerie as a ghost, making it extremely difficult to capture and subdue. The only time a cat demon was subdued was when a mysterious expert gave guidance; only after the Old Daoist Bai Yun followed the expert's instructions was the cat demon subdued.

If Old Daoist Bai Yun alone had taken Xuan Yu's life, Xuan Yu would never have been so unwilling to mention the matter; there must be a reason unknown to Xu Qing involved.

Old Daoist Bai Yun and those from the Ruyi Temple clearly did not know Xuan Yu beforehand, nor did they know where its weakness lay. The only thing in this that could catch Xu Qing's attention was the mysterious expert who guided Old Daoist Bai Yun.

"An expert?"

Xu Qing, having arrived at the courtyard of the Water Gate Bridge, was now holding an iron shovel and digging forcefully into the ground.

"How tall is he?"

Nearby, the embroiderer hid in a corner, secretly watching Xu Qing's fierce expression as he hacked at the earth, feeling the entire courtyard grow several degrees colder.

Today's Mr. was simply more terrifying than a ghost!

(End of Chapter)