Chapter 79: Slay the Red Dragon, Subdue the White Tiger

The night was deep and heavy as Xu Qing stepped out of his room to take a stroll.

Along the entire street of Shuimen Bridge, from one end to the other, lights in every household inexplicably flickered on one by one.

In just a short while, Xu Qing, who had ignited 'lights in ten thousand homes,' made a round trip amidst the chaotic sounds of neighbors waking up in confusion.

The street's illumination was once again swallowed by the night.

At this moment, how could those light sleepers possibly return to slumber? One by one, they lit their lamps and grabbed anyone they could find to ask what was happening.

Yet no one could provide a clear explanation; fortunately, for quite a long time afterward, the phenomenon of lights spontaneously igniting and extinguishing on Shuimen Bridge never occurred again, so everyone dismissed it as mere urban legend without further investigation.

As for what the legend entailed, opinions varied: some claimed it was the Night Wandering God on patrol, others said it was the Fire God or Lamp God descending to the mortal realm, while some attributed it to mischievous little ghosts.

Inside the auspicious Fengshui residence, Xu Qing paid no heed to outside affairs and continued his great undertaking of salvation.

After all, having destroyed a Tianxin Sect hideout in Jinmen, the corpses of those rebels he had poisoned were still stored within his box garden, awaiting disposal.

Now that he had firmly established his footing, it was the perfect time to take stock of all the gains from this endeavor.

Xu Qing retrieved the accumulated corpses from the box garden and performed salvation rites on them one by one, earning quite a few more rewards rated as Lower-Middle Grade of the Human Tier.

These Tianxin Sect underlings were, after all, too low in rank.

Xu Qing fell into deep thought.

The Scripture of Salvation could redeem the dead and review their life stories; after evaluation, corpses were typically classified into three grades: Heaven, Earth, and Human.

Reflecting on his past experiences with salvation, Xu Qing realized that these corpse evaluations were not linked to the deceased's social status in life, but rather to the skills they had mastered or the obsessions they held.

For instance, although Liu Youdao was merely a corpse driver from the lowest of the nine professions, the abilities he had learned in life transcended the mortal realm and possessed mystical powers, thus his corpse was evaluated as Earth Grade.

Then there was Yang Chunfu, a disciple of Ge Hongwen, from whom Xu Qing had previously obtained three pills of Lower-Middle Grade of the Earth Tier, known as Myriad Spirit Pills.

These pills differed from ordinary elixirs; each Myriad Spirit Pill could be applied in different scenarios.

For someone poisoned by arsenic, consuming it would neutralize the arsenic toxin.

For those nearing the end of their days, about to die of old age or illness, taking it could extend their lifespan by ten years or cure severe diseases.

If one suffered from unspoken difficulties, the Myriad Spirit Pill could even help restore virility.

Yet such an unreasonable pill was rated only as Lower-Middle Grade of the Earth Tier in the Scripture of Salvation's evaluation.

Xu Qing speculated that the reason Yang Chunfu had barely touched the edge of the Earth Grade was most likely related to the 'Immortal Studies' he had encountered.

In his early years, Yang Chunfu had traveled far and wide seeking teachers, eventually becoming a disciple of Ge Hongwen at the Songyun Temple on Henglu Mountain.

This Ge Hongwen was renowned for his immortal reputation; within Yang Chunfu's memories, Xu Qing had seen Ge Hongwen conduct rituals that caused withered branches across entire mountains to sprout green leaves, and witnessed his robes billowing as if lifted by wind, allowing him to fly over mountains and cross ravines without exerting any effort.

"Earth Grade signifies the ability to comprehend the mystical."

After analysis, Xu Qing finally reached this conclusion.

However, whether this was accurate or not might require finding more cases to confirm.

"If corpses of Earth Grade can comprehend the mystical, then what exactly are corpses of Heaven Grade?"

Xu Qing thought of Yang Chunfu's teacher, Ge Hongwen, as well as Zhuang Tongsheng, the master whom Member Liu had once studied under.

"Immortals, or perhaps cultivators? Or simply people well-versed in certain mystical arts?"

Xu Qing then recalled the conversation between Crown Prince Zhao You and the Celestial Master of Yunzhao Mountain just before Zhao You drank the poisoned wine.

Zhao You had asked that old Celestial Master: 'The Celestial Masters of Yunzhao Mountain are all reclusive cultivators who single-mindedly pursue the immortal path of eternal life; why then do they interfere in worldly affairs?'

At that time, the elder known as the Celestial Master did not answer directly.

"Yunzhao Mountain."

Currently, Xu Qing knew of three places: one was Songyun Temple on Henglu Mountain; another was Yuchi Mountain in Lianhua County; and the third was Yunzhao Mountain, as mentioned by Zhao You.

Perhaps there truly were cultivators residing in these locations.

However, knowing this did not mean Xu Qing intended to investigate these three places in depth.

For those desperately seeking longevity and eternal life, the desire to join an immortal sect might be overwhelming, but for Xu Qing, these were non-issues since what he lacked least was time.

The corpses of cultivators might taste exquisite, but one needed corresponding strength to obtain them.

Xu Qing believed that as a mere little zombie, he had not yet reached the level where he could indulge in the corpses of cultivators.

After finishing the salvation of all the Tianxin Sect underlings, Xu Qing rubbed his hands together and turned his gaze toward Qing Luo, whose jade-like body lay stretched out before him.

This was the only corpse among those present qualified to be placed upon the stone table in the courtyard.

The Tianxin Sect had five Dharma Protectors, their titles distinguished by five colors; Xu Qing had already savored the taste of Bai Luo, which was far more exquisite than that of ordinary underlings.

If the five Luo Protectors shared the same rank, then the flavors of the remaining protectors should also be quite delightful.

Looking at Qing Luo before him, dressed in a green robe and skirt, her face appearing even colder and more beautiful in death than in life, Xu Qing clicked his tongue in wonder.

No wonder Bai Luo had cared so much for Qing Luo; not only did her resemblance to Bai Luo's new wife bear some similarity, but if judged solely on appearance, Qing Luo, hailing from an opera troupe, was even more outstanding than Bai Luo's wife.

It was just a pity that Bai Luo had died without ever once touching Qing Luo's small hand.

Xu Qing chuckled softly, reached out to grasp Qing Luo's slender, delicate hand, white as jade and scallion, and silently recited the verses of the Scripture of Salvation.

With two ice-cold small hands serving as a connecting bridge, countless corpses floated and sank within the waves beneath the Naihe Bridge.

Yet this eerie and bizarre scene flashed by in an instant and did not continue.

Just as Xu Qing tried to focus and look closer, what entered his eyes next was a scene from Qing Luo's life.

"Little Fourth, who told you to stand with your legs apart while urinating?"

"It seems you've forgotten the rules of the Pear Garden! If you wish to become a leading actor, you must start from the ordinary; whether walking, sitting, or lying down, and how you speak, everything must align with the role you intend to play!"

Startled, Qing Luo, called Little Fourth, shivered and turned around, instinctively replying, "Master, I really couldn't hold it anymore; besides, acting on stage is one thing, but being a person offstage is another. Now that I'm offstage, as a man, why should I squat to relieve myself?"

The old troupe leader in charge glared at the 'beauty in the making' before him and said, "You know about acting on stage, but when Master Shan asked you to sing about a woman's feelings, how did you perform? Since you cannot change your nature, then I, as your master, shall correct it for you!"

In the depths of winter, Little Fourth knelt in the opera garden, beneath him lay thick frozen snow, and above his head rested a basin of 'boiling water' that had already begun to frost over.

Little Fourth's fingers froze purple-blue, his teeth chattered from the cold, yet he stubbornly made not a single sound.

Inside the room, ignoring the pleas of his fellow disciples, the troupe leader warmed himself by a charcoal brazier while angrily cursing, "Let him kneel! As long as he doesn't admit his mistake, even if he freezes into a block of ice, it is simply his fate to undergo such an ordeal!"

That night, Little Fourth's senior brother secretly came over, first feeding him a few sips of hot water, then signaling with his eyes for him to climb onto his back, secretly carrying him into the room.

At dawn the next day, just as the old troupe leader was dozing off, a disciple under him suddenly jolted awake from sleep; upon seeing the bright light outside the room, the disciple panicked, scrambling and crawling, leaping from the felt mat onto his master's kang bed.

"Master, disaster has struck!"

Hearing this, the old troupe leader immediately came to his senses; indeed, wasn't his disciple still kneeling in the courtyard!

Now, in the depths of winter, after a whole night had passed, even a man of iron should have frozen to death!

The troupe leader felt a surge of panic in his heart, but he quickly calmed himself down.

Even if a life had truly been lost, so what?

After all, once one entered the Pear Garden, it was equivalent to signing a contract of self-sale; whether one lived or died, wasn't it up to him, the head of the household, to decide?

Stepping out of the room door, the troupe leader took a glance; there seemed to be someone kneeling in the courtyard.

But when he approached for a closer look.

Good heavens! Who was the great genius that had propped up a clothes rack there to fool him?

In the side room, Little Si'er and his senior brother, wrapped in the same quilt, peered through the crack in the window at the troupe leader, who was now thoroughly enraged.

"Disaster! You were so busy being greedy for sleep that you forgot to tell him to go back and finish playing his role completely."

"Senior Brother, you must save me; Master hates being deceived more than anything; if he catches me, my life will surely be hard to preserve."

"Little Si'er, saving your life is not impossible; however, this favor cannot be given for free; you know Master's temper; if I stick my neck out for you, it would be like facing heaven's thunder and lightning."

"As long as Senior Brother is willing to help, no matter what Senior Brother wants, Little Si'er is willing to give it!"

"Are these words true? Are you truly willing to give anything?" While speaking, the senior brother held a smile at the corner of his mouth, looking just like Old Master Shan looked at him, as if wanting to swallow him whole.

Little Si'er's face turned pale; finally biting his lip and pinching the corner of the quilt with his hand, he said: "Others, no; but if it is Senior Brother, Little Si'er is willing!"

"Hahaha! I was just teasing you; I don't have such hobbies!"

After teasing Little Si'er until his mouth hung open, this kind-hearted senior brother then resembled a general setting out for war.

He had Little Si'er dress him in clothes, and then, taking large, steady steps, he marched out of the room door with vigorous spirit and high morale.

That day, Little Si'er's senior brother never returned.

As the senior brother who managed half of the troupe's affairs, he was the last person who should take the lead in making mistakes; therefore, the troupe leader's punishment for him was the heaviest.

Who could have expected that the eldest senior brother, who often played the role of a general on the opera stage, would be unable to withstand the troupe leader's beating, and thus actually died right there in the troupe leader's hands, alive and whole one moment, dead the next.

Little Si'er watched with his own eyes as his senior brother was wrapped in a straw mat and sent to the mass grave; from that day on, he strictly followed his master's teachings: if told to squat to urinate, he would absolutely not stand.

If told to sing of a delicate maiden, he would absolutely not claim to be a man!

On the day of Old Master Shan's birthday celebration, the master, the senior and junior brothers, and everyone in the opera troupe gathered together to congratulate Old Master Shan on his longevity.

Old Master Shan had no interest in any of the other birthday gifts the troupe leader presented; the only thing he was interested in was Little Si'er!

He hoped the troupe leader would leave Little Si'er to accompany him for one night, and the troupe leader agreed.

That night, Little Si'er, dressed in a set of charming clothes and with a face full of pink makeup, carried a pot of wine, claiming it was tribute wine specially bestowed by Old Master Shan, and then, with a smile as beautiful as a flower, he offered toasts to every guest.

Among them, the one he toasted most frequently was none other than the old troupe leader of the opera company, his master.

He also went around offering toasts to each of his other senior and junior brothers one by one.

That night, Old Master Shan obtained the person of his heart's desire.

It was also that night that a major poisoning case occurred at the Shan residence; more than half of the guests who had come to celebrate the birthday died; by the time the authorities investigated and clarified that the culprit was the Pear Garden opera role favored by Old Master Shan, Little Si'er had already packed up his gold, silver, and valuables, bought a sedan chair, dressed up as a young lady from a wealthy family, and left that place of sorrow.

In the years that followed, wandering from place to place, Little Si'er visited famous masters, learned the method of Yin acting as Yang and Yang acting as Yin, and then joined the Heavenly Heart Sect, becoming the Green Net Fiendish Woman, whom everyone feared upon hearing the name.

Occasionally, Green Net would still go to the mass grave; even though he had already escaped the sea of bitterness, he still could not forget the promise he had made to his senior brother.

After Xu Qing finished watching the revolving lantern, the shock in his heart had not diminished in the slightest.

You are telling me that this cold-faced, beautiful, valiant, long-legged beauty before my eyes is a man?

After coming to his senses, the first thing Xu Qing did was to brush away the small hand sticking close to him, and then decisively retreated to a distance of three steps.

Reaching out to pat back and forth on his clothes, he did not know what kind of affectation this was; previously, when performing super rituals for the small minions of the Heavenly Heart Sect, most of them were male corpses, and when he touched their bodies, he had not felt anything unusual.

But now that he knew Green Net's true identity, he instead felt uncomfortable everywhere on his body.

Xu Qing thought to himself: finding the Crown Prince's tomb in a wild grave was one thing, but how is it that now, when performing a super ritual on an ordinary rebel corpse from the Heavenly Heart Sect, I encounter a case where the goods do not match the order?

After wiping his hands clean, Xu Qing looked at the Sutra of Degree.

This corpse, whose goods did not match the order, was consistent with White Net; both received a 'Human' character, Upper Grade evaluation.

There were three rewards: a cultivation method for severing the Red Dragon and subduing the White Tiger; a technique of Yin-Yang Reversal that turns men into women and women into men.

In addition to these, there was also a hidden weapon skill named Plum Blossom Needle.

Xu Qing took out the accompanying set of needle and thread patterned like plum blossoms.

The needle was a poison needle tempered with cold toxin, while the thread was a fine red thread comparable to gold and silver wires.

Xu Qing held his fingers in the Orchid gesture, infused Yin energy into the needle tip, and with a flick of his hand, only the sound of "Thwack!" was heard.

The entire poison needle had already embedded itself into the wooden beam of the window ledge.

He lightly shook his wrist; the moment the red thread went taut, he retrieved the poison needle, which had penetrated deep into the beam, back between his fingers.

Xu Qing remained silent.

If one disregarded its ornamental value and considered it solely for use against enemies or for self-defense, this needle technique still held great utility.

He had already decided that in the future, he would avoid using this set of needle techniques whenever possible; if he must use them, he could not leave any survivors.

In this world, where is there a zombie that plucks flowers and flies needles, striking a pose like a daughter of a family?

How inappropriate it would be if this spread!

Stowing the entire set of Plum Blossom Needles into his sleeve and placing them close to his body, Xu Qing turned his gaze again to the other rewards.

Severing the Red Dragon was a cultivation method regarding women actively blocking their menstrual flow to moisten their Yin essence; Subduing the White Tiger was the method for men to block their seminal essence and cultivate their true Yang.

As long as one practiced this for a long time, gathering essence until it was full and Qi sufficient, a person could return to the year of their first Tian Gui.

This set of methods was also the key to the martial path's transition from Postnatal to Innate.

These were not applicable to a zombie constitution.

Xu Qing gave it only a cursory glance before losing interest.

As a zombie, where would he find a White Tiger to subdue?

Glancing next at the Yin-Yang Reversal Method, capable of turning men into women and women into men, Xu Qing's eyebrows twitched uncontrollably.

Was this thing meant for human cultivation?

Orthodox martial artists cultivate by subduing the White Tiger and slaying the Red Dragon, yet this Yin-Yang Reversal Method starts cultivation by slaying the White Tiger and nurturing the Green Dragon.

Men slay the White Tiger; women nurture the Green Dragon.

Xu Qing bared his teeth, decisively tossing this technique into the bottom of a chest to gather dust.

After settling all affairs, Xu Qing looked at the pile of corpses accumulating in the courtyard.

After a moment's thought, he chose not to store these corpses in his box garden, instead burying them all around the Yin Locust Tree.

The Yin Locust Tree was his substitute life-puppet, equivalent to his second life, so he naturally had to tend to it well.

Locust trees already thrive in yin energy, and the Yin Locust even more so.

Now, with these corpses nourishing yin and gathering evil qi, it would not take long for this Yin Locust to spring back to life.

Having completed all this, Xu Qing returned to his bedroom, using the Gecko Wall-Crawling Skill to dodge various trap pits and mechanisms until he reached his bed.

Before the bed, a coffin stood quietly.

Xu Qing sat motionless on the bed throughout the night; when dawn broke in the east, he placed the yin pearl formed from the Old Cat Evil under his tongue, then flipped over to drop into the coffin filled with Ghost-Face Soil.

Outside the coffin, a puppet automatically covered the lid for him, then embedded the ink-black Yin Ghost Jade into the groove at the center of the lid.

With one chi of corpse-space in the middle and one chi of Ghost-Face Soil above and below, Xu Qing soon felt drowsy after entering the coffin.

On the coffin lid, the Yin Ghost Jade, responsible for nurturing the coffin and gathering yin, emitted a visible dark-green light that tightly enveloped the coffin.

Warm reminder: After an update, the author will check the client's formatting and any typos.

It is generally recommended to read after ten minutes; the experience may be better.





(End of Chapter)