Chapter 229: Secret, burying flowers

Xu Qing said he wanted the two masters to save him, but his eyes were always on Daoist Bai Yun.

The old Daoist just thought that the other party intended to join the Xuan Gate, so he asked: "The poor Daoist sees that the donor has an extraordinary bearing. I don't know where your family and hometown are?"

Xu Qing laughed and said: "My surname is Xu, I am alone, and I only have a sensible, innocent, and kind younger sister to rely on. As for my family, it's just a funeral director who conducts funerals for people. Someone like me who has no worries and is not bound by worldly dust, I think it just suits the Daoist's heart."

The old Daoist frowned, then glanced at the fat monk beside him, and said in a light tone: "Zen Master Jinghai, in the poor Daoist's opinion, this donor seems to have some fate with Buddhism."

The fat monk still had a smile on his face: "This donor is from a funeral background, yet he can be invited to attend the wedding banquet. I think he must have something extraordinary. Daoist brother Bai Yun, don't you want to consider it again? Maybe this donor has quite a lot of family assets and can add some incense money to your Daoist temple..."

Hearing this, Daoist Bai Yun immediately turned his probing gaze to Xu Qing again.

So, this old thief Daoist is also a greedy person who likes to collect money!

"I don't have much family assets, but I have long admired the name of the Ruyi Temple Master..."

"How do you know that the poor Daoist is the Ruyi Temple Master?" Daoist Bai Yun was surprised.

"When I went to the temple to burn incense in my early years, I was fortunate enough to see the Daoist's face. Although it was only once, it made me unforgettable for a lifetime."

Xu Qing said it truthfully, and even Daoist Bai Yun and Zen Master Jinghai, who had seen countless people, couldn't see any falsehood.

It was just that when Daoist Bai Yun heard Xu Qing say he didn't have much family assets, there was already impatience on the old Daoist's face.

However, at this time, Xu Qing suddenly changed the subject and said: "Although my family assets are meager, I am willing to donate a thousand taels of silver and a hundred taels of gold as incense money, just to one day step into the gate of ten thousand wonders."

As soon as Xu Qing finished speaking, before Daoist Bai Yun could reply, Zen Master Jinghai beside him couldn't help but speak first:

"Daoist brother Bai Yun has no intention of saving people. In my opinion, Donor Xu has a deeper fate with my temple. If the donor is interested, you can go to my Cizhao Temple to practice Buddhism."

"..."

Daoist Bai Yun glanced at the fat monk who intercepted halfway.

Just when the atmosphere in the field was subtle, the old Daoist's expression suddenly relaxed.

"Since the Zen Master has taken a fancy to this donor, that is the Zen Master's fate. The poor Daoist will naturally not take what others love."

He had important things to do on this trip, so there was no need to delay on these small matters.

At this time, Zen Master Jinghai was stunned. He just mentioned it casually. If it were according to Daoist Bai Yun's temper in the past, he would definitely not let go so easily.

This actually made him unable to figure it out.

On the outside of the table, Xu Qing, who had been staring at Daoist Bai Yun, finally turned his head to look at Zen Master Jinghai this time.

This bald donkey really has no eye for things!

Xu Qing was still trying to fight for the opportunity to approach Old Daoist Bai Yun, but heard the movement of toasting and asking for cups not far away.

It turned out that the groom was coming to toast.

"Friends in the martial arts world gathered at my humble home today, Shang has prepared some thin wine to express my respect. If there is any poor hospitality, I hope everyone will forgive me..."

Just after a cup of wine went down, Shang Shaoyang looked up inadvertently, but happened to see Xu Qing sitting at the same table with the monk and Daoist.

"Brother Xu! I have been looking for you for a long time, but I didn't expect you to be hiding here for peace."

Shang Shaoyang walked quickly to Xu Qing, and when he saw Daoist Bai Yun and Zen Master Jinghai, he hurriedly greeted: "So Immortal Bai Yun and Zen Master Jinghai are also here, excuse me, excuse me."

Immortal Bai Yun? Xu Qing's eyes flashed. He didn't expect this old Daoist to be quite famous in Qianzhou.

Shang Shaoyang didn't want to neglect the monk and Daoist in front of him. After toasting two cups of vegetarian wine, he said: "Immortal, you came just in time. My several brothers-in-law have been waiting for a long time. If the Immortal is free, please move to the inner house..."

Brothers-in-law means wife's brothers.

Xu Qing was puzzled. What did Daoist Bai Yun want to do when he came to the Shang family to find the Gu family?

The pavilion was crowded with people, and Xu Qing temporarily suppressed the doubts in his heart, watching Daoist Bai Yun leave after drinking the wine.

"Brother Xu traveled thousands of miles just to attend my wedding banquet. This friendship is as high as a mountain and as deep as the sea. Today, no matter what, I must toast you a cup!"

"..."

Facing Shang Shaoyang's sincere heart, Xu Qing felt a bit ashamed.

He was only tagging along for a meal; if it weren't for his cat, he wouldn't necessarily be willing to go a hundred miles, let alone a thousand.

The outside world is so dangerous, where is it as safe as Jinmen?

It's just that the corpses buried in the Water Gate Bridge villa don't know Xu Qing's thoughts at this time, otherwise, they would all jump out to find someone to judge.

There is such a big disaster hidden in that place in Jinmen, you say it is safe?

Xu Qing originally didn't intend to interfere in Shang Shaoyang's family affairs, but seeing this kid come over to toast specifically, and saying in front of everyone that he was his brother, if he still hid it, it would be too unkind.

Furthermore, the enemy of the enemy is a friend. If helping Shang Shaoyang could make Daoist Bai Yun unhappy, then he would be absolutely willing.

On this side, Xu Qing took the excuse of going to the toilet and pulled Shang Shaoyang to a quiet place.

"Brother Xu isn't going to the latrine, why pull me here?"

Seeing Xu Qing's heavy expression, Shang Shaoyang immediately reacted: "Brother Xu has something to look for me?"

Xu Qing pondered for a moment and asked back: "Do you know what Daoist Bai Yun of Ruyi Temple is looking for the Gu family for?"

Shang Shaoyang heard the dislike in Xu Qing's words for Daoist Bai Yun. He moved in his heart and replied: "Daoist Bai Yun claims that his master and the Gu family's ancestor Gu Lingjun were fellow disciples, and the Gu family's Dao soldier method also has an unbreakable connection with Ruyi Temple."

"The Daoist has visited the Gu family many times in the past ten years, just to improve the Dao soldier method and let the Gu family strike the prestige of the White-Robed Army again."

"Improve the Dao soldier method?"

Xu Qing frowned and said: "How does he want to improve it? It won't be that he wants the Gu family to pass their own method to him first, and then he will improve it, right?"

"..."

Shang Shaoyang's face showed astonishment. His several brothers-in-law who were rough and sturdy really said so.

Xu Qing bared his teeth and said: "I remember Shang brother once told me a thing, saying that when Shang brother was young, he liked to act chivalrously. Once when he ran away from home, he happened to meet a group of bandits who wanted to hijack Miss Gu. Those people were extremely fierce, not like ordinary mountain bandits, but more like military personnel..."

"What does Brother Xu mean by this?"

Shang Shaoyang completely put away his playful attitude.

"Nothing, just one thing I want to tell Shang brother."

Xu Qing looked at Xuanyu, who was clutching his sleeve and was clearly still in a stress state, and said lightly: "Daoist Bai Yun has had many dealings with the current Emperor in private. In his early years, he was entrusted by the Third Prince Zhao Rong to refine life-extending pills for the late Emperor. Do you know what medicine he used for the first batch of pills?"

"It was the villagers of Bailong Village outside Ruyi Temple!"

Xu Qing said everything was true. These were the secrets he learned in Liao Jinzhong's memory. Bailong Village itself was a place to raise human medicine, but later he didn't know where he learned the evil technique of using the Nine-Life Mysterious Cat to replace living people to refine "immortal medicine."

Xu Qing continued: "If calculated by time, when Miss Gu had an accident, it happened to be when Emperor Longping was in power, and the current Emperor was still the Third Prince..."

Hearing this, Shang Shaoyang frowned.

The current Emperor fighting for the throne and killing each other, ordinary families mostly don't know the inside story, and even if there are rumors in the market, they are mostly half-true and half-false news, which is not accurate.

But Shang Shaoyang is different. He was born in the Shang family, so he naturally has channels to obtain news from the capital. It can be said that there is no aristocratic family that doesn't know about the things Emperor Jingxing Zhao Rong did.

At this time, Shang Shaoyang recalled the incident of Miss Gu being hijacked by disguised government soldiers and bandits, and it was hard not to associate it with the current Emperor. It is hard to say whether Miss Gu's incident had anything to do with the original royal struggle.

"Why did Brother Xu tell me these?"

At this time, Shang Shaoyang's tone was obviously with a trace of alienation and vigilance. Xu Qing smiled when he saw this and said: "I am just a funeral director who often conducts funerals for people. Sometimes I occasionally hear some news, which is true and false, and I never like to tell others."

"Today, Young Master Shang came to toast, perhaps because the wine was going to his head, and I said some things that shouldn't have been said..."

Shang Shaoyang's face turned red, and he said annoyedly: "It was my own measure. I will punish myself with three cups!"

Xu Qing noticed at this time that Shang Shaoyang had been holding the wine pot all along.

"I have to thank Brother Xu for his reminder today."

"That's not necessary. I just don't like that old Daoist, and I like you more, so I came over to say these things."

Shang Shaoyang shook his head and smiled: "Brother Xu doesn't know, the reason why the Gu family is strong is because of the Dao soldier method passed down by Marshal Gu. If this method is obtained by others and they make a fuss about it, the Huainan Gu family will be difficult to stand."

"Speaking of which, the Gu family and the current Emperor... Forget it, it's a big happy day today, don't mention these."

Xu Qing didn't ask further. These things couldn't be hidden from him anyway. The conflict between the Gu family and the current Emperor was just that.

When Emperor Jingxing wanted to inherit the throne, the Gu family supported the dull and honest Fourth Prince.

It was just a matter of standing in line. Now that Emperor Jingxing has sat firmly on the throne, he has set his sights on those who opposed him.

Shang Shaoyang didn't like the infighting in these power fields. Xu Qing saw that he was not interested, so he turned to mention the Flower Garden Old Man Cui Shiyuan.

"I know Cui Shiyuan. This person is obsessed with flowers. I went to his garden with Miss Gu in my early years."

Xu Qing smiled when he heard this: "Cui Shiyuan never lets outsiders into his garden, especially those naughty children who love to pick flowers. The reason you were able to enter his garden is because of the bride's blessing."

"What is the reason for what you said? How can I enter Cui old man's garden because of her?"

Xu Qing immediately told the story of the Flower Garden Old Man and the Gu family.

"Your wife's grandmother was kind to Cui Shiyuan. Because of this past, he let Miss Gu go to his garden to play. You can at most be considered incidental."

"By the way, do you know why the flowers during the wedding ceremony bloomed against the season?"

Xu Qing smiled.

"Could it be..."

Shang Shaoyang immediately reacted: "That's right! That Cui Shiyuan is used to growing flowers. I heard that his ancestors once made a hundred flowers bloom overnight in the cold winter."

"I was still wondering why those flowers bloomed so luxuriantly in the tenth month. It turned out to be him."

Shang Shaoyang suddenly patted his forehead and said: "Since he was willing to do so many good things, he must come to my wedding banquet. I must go and toast him a cup!"

Xu Qing saw Shang Shaoyang walking back hurriedly and had to remind him: "The old gentleman has already passed away, just when he finished setting up these fresh flowers..."

Until the Shang family banquet ended, Xu Qing didn't see Daoist Bai Yun again.

However, he was not in a hurry. Even if he found the other party now, he wouldn't be able to fight in Shang Shaoyang's wedding banquet.

"Does Immortal Xuanyu believe me?"

After leaving the Shang mansion, Xu Qing walked forward with his hands behind his back.

Beside him, the little girl in black clothes and black skirt, with black hair reaching her waist, also learned his appearance and walked forward with her hands behind her back.

Perhaps because she had been with Xu Qing for a long time, the little girl's walking posture and behavior were becoming more and more similar to his.

"Believe!"

Responding to Xu Qing was the little girl's crisp voice.

Xu Qing looked sideways at the other party. There was no hesitation on the slightly baby-fat face, just like words spoken subconsciously.

"Good, then we will go to Mount Yunmeng tomorrow to find trouble with that bull-nose!"

"That bull-nose is very powerful, we might not be able to beat him."

"We can beat him!" Xu Qing was unusually certain.

"Xuanyu, don't forget, you are an immortal with five hundred years of cultivation."

Xu Qing's eyes revealed a different luster, and his tone was inexplicable: "Five hundred years, it is just the right time to cross the lightning disaster."

Besides resisting disasters, incense merit can also delay the arrival of lightning disasters to a certain extent.

When Xu Qing first escaped the disaster, he delayed it for several months. Even when the incense reached a million, he still didn't choose to cross the disaster actively, until he couldn't avoid it and the lightning disaster was about to be pulled into his pants, he had no choice but to run to the imperial mausoleum to cross the disaster.

Now he had already tested the level of the lightning disaster for Xuanyu. Even if it was a heavenly thunder, a million incense was only more, not less, and it was completely enough.

Zombies are not favored by heaven and earth from birth. The lightning disaster Xu Qing faced was already the top-level heavenly punishment. Like Xuanyu, a cat demon who never does evil and insists on doing good deeds every day, the lightning disaster faced would only be easier.

Of course, this ease is relative. The incense of the Cat Immortal Hall is not less than a million, so it is naturally easy to deal with, but that thunder will still be the yin thunder corresponding to the demon class, and it will not be reduced in the slightest because of the incense.

In terms of disasters, humans are easier than demons, and demons are easier than evil spirits who do all kinds of evil.

Zombies are last.

Daoist Bai Yun is at most a person with several hundred years of cultivation. Xu Qing doesn't think he is a master who has already avoided the lightning disaster and broken through to the fourth realm of cultivation.

If so, the Xuanyu of that year would have had no chance to escape at all.

Xu Qing made up his mind. If Xuanyu could take revenge with its own hands, it would undoubtedly be the best result.

A cat's emotions come and go quickly. When it returned to the Cui family residence and saw those beautiful flowers and plants, its mood became lively again.

During the two days he stayed at the Cui family, Xu Qing helped the Cui family return the flower pots and plants used for the wedding to each family.

During this period, Xu Qing didn't forget to collect the fresh flower petals that had just withered. It was a coincidence that when he finished handling all the affairs, he happened to have enough for a coffin of fallen flowers.

On the day of the funeral, what surprised the Cui family was that the newlywed couple from the Shang mansion would personally come to pay their respects to Cui Shiyuan.

Funeral, burial.

Cui Shiyuan's grave was located not far from the residence. Although there were no pine and cypress trees around, it was planted with flowers.

By the time spring warms up next year, this place will definitely turn into a colorful sea of flowers, fragrant and rich.

Cui Shiyuan's reputation was only within the garden during his lifetime, but a few years after his death, his fame became apparent. Later, a talented scholar passing by this place specifically wrote a poem for him, and since then, Cui Shiyuan's clear name has been completely known to the world, and Qianxi has also had the reputation of being a flower capital.

This is exactly: protecting a thousand branches of beauty during his lifetime, sleeping in a cluster of ten thousand stamens after death.

But these are later stories, not detailed here.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 230 =====