Chapter 94: Midnight Rooster Crow

People can frighten people to death; whether ghosts can frighten ghosts to death, Xu Qing did not know, but the female ghost suddenly pressing against his face truly frightened this corpse of his.

What kind of ghost has nothing better to do than play sudden-face-attacks!

As for that female ghost's cultivation, she certainly had some skill at frightening people, but when it came to true power...

One must know: powerful ghosts do not frighten people; ghosts that frighten people are not powerful.

Powerful ghosts disdain frightening people; ghosts that frighten people are usually because their cultivation is insufficient to easily extinguish the yang fire on living humans, so they influence human emotions, causing fluctuations in the living person's yang fire, taking the opportunity to harm them.

Humans have three lamps of fire: one atop the head, and one on each shoulder.

As long as the yang fire is vigorous, those minor ghosts and monsters cannot approach.

This is also the reason why, when walking at night and hearing someone call your name from behind, you must not easily turn around.

Because at night, the yang fire is not as vigorous as during the day, making it easy for demons and monsters to take advantage of the opening.

Besides this, the more fear in a person's heart, the greater the emotional fluctuation, the easier the yang fire on their body is to blow out, and the easier it is for yin evil to invade.

In the former, when the lamp extinguishes, the person dies immediately; in the latter, when the evil wind weakens the lamp flame, the person falls ill and never recovers.

Xu Qing had no yang fire atop his head or on his shoulders; instead, he had quite a bit of yin fire on his body. If he truly met a ghost and it blew on him like that, it would likely not only fail to extinguish it, but rather act like adding oil to the fire, growing even stronger the more it was blown.

Inside the mortuary shop, Xu Qing, now prepared, restarted the revolving lantern.

Liu Cai and Feng Liu were, after all, merely mortals. When the yin wind had blown upon their necks earlier, they had already been frightened, their yang fire wavering and unstable. Now, turning their heads, they happened to collide with the sight of the female ghost's fluttering robes; the two frights caused their yang fire to become unstable, and the yin wind on the female ghost naturally took the opportunity to blow relentlessly at them!

"Mother!" Liu Cai turned around first; after seeing the female ghost's fierce face covered in black blood and blue veins, his eyes immediately rolled back, and two of his three lamps of yang fire went out with a puff-puff.

Feng Liu already had ghosts in his heart; now, hearing Liu Cai cry out, he turned to look. Good heavens! The female ghost sitting on the weaving stool flashed once more, pressing right up against him.

Xu Qing had prepared in advance; he slowed the page-turning speed of the Sutra of Deliverance and stared at the female ghost for a while.

To be honest, although this female ghost had no blood color in her face and seemed somewhat fierce and ruthless, judging by his accumulated experience from frequently preparing corpses for burial, the female ghost must have been a pretty young girl of a modest family before her death.

He did not know how she had become a resentful ghost.

At this moment, after seeing the female ghost, Feng Liu did not exhale a single breath, nor did he blink an eye; only bile overflowed from the corner of his mouth, for he had already been scared to death, his gallbladder literally shattered.

According to reason, the revolving lantern should have ended by now, but the Sutra of Deliverance was still turning pages.

Xu Qing suddenly came to his senses; someone had not died completely!

Sure enough, at this moment, one lamp of fire remained; Liu Cai, not yet fully dead, immediately attracted the female ghost's attention.

The female ghost wore a pair of exquisitely embroidered pink-and-white shoes; she floated lightly to Liu Cai and squatted down. She hugged her knees, her small black-and-blue mouth opened, and she blew a breath onto Liu Cai's right shoulder.

With the extinguishing of the final lamp of yang fire, the Sutra of Deliverance stopped turning pages.

Xu Qing came to his senses, and a bamboo basket of Human Class, Lower Grade appeared in his hand; its function was to draw water, yet it would not leak.

"..."

What kind of useless junk is this, like taking off one's pants just to fart?

Xu Qing held up the bamboo basket; this basket was just like any ordinary woven bamboo item, with nothing special about its appearance.

Looking again at the corpse evaluation: Human Class, Lower Grade.

A single corpse, and in the end, it was worth only a broken basket, not even dropping a skill like "Scraping the White."

Xu Qing laughed.

When a person is speechless to the extreme, they can truly laugh out loud.

Liu Cai had not learned any skills in life, nor did he have the ability to flatter; he only wandered the streets killing time, and upon hearing which family was holding a wedding, he would arrive early at the door, then use the banner of helping the host with miscellaneous tasks and socializing as an excuse to join the festivities and take advantage.

When a family held a funeral, he would act as a mourning singer; when a family member became an official and appeared on the list, he would go to the door to report the good news.

In short, he sought to gain without labor, seeking food, drink, and reward money.

Such idle rascals are the worst among the hangers-on!

So the question arises: besides gluttonous and lazy idle rascals, are there any good, non-wretched people among the hangers-on?

You really shouldn't say it, but there truly aren't any!

What is called a "hanger-on"? Only those who do not keep to their proper station, who are shameless, thick-skinned, and greedy-hearted, are called hangers-on.

Such people are also called "Bamboo Slivers."

What is a Bamboo Sliver? It is simply thin strips split from bamboo.

This thing was originally an indispensable object used when weaving bamboo baskets, hampers, and various bamboo items.

As for why it became a derogatory term for hangers-on, it is because when guests in brothels failed to perform, hangers-on would often stand aside and assist with Bamboo Slivers.

Therefore, this "Bamboo Sliver" innocently became a metonym for hangers-on.

Having understood the reasoning, Xu Qing looked again at the bamboo basket in his hand and instead felt the price had been set too high.

Pity the Sutra of Deliverance has no Beast Class evaluation; for someone who lures others into lewd fun, one should not define them with the Human Class.

Putting aside the water-drawing bamboo basket, Xu Qing casually rummaged through Feng Liu's corpse again.

The evaluation was still Human Class, Lower Grade; the reward was a faceless bamboo umbrella, capable of blocking rain.

Xu Qing opened the bamboo umbrella; indeed, it had only the ribs, not a single piece of canopy.

"..."

After a moment of silence, Xu Qing put away the rain umbrella and bamboo basket and asked Xuan Yu, "How much silver did these two corpses cost in total?"

Xuan Yu had just finished eating the osmanthus fish and was licking her paws.

"Senior Brother Wang did not collect silver."

Xu Qing immediately understood.

The corpses sent to him by the Patrol Office would not be free; therefore, it could only be that Wang Ling had advanced the silver for him.

"This matter cannot be left like this!"

A broken bamboo basket, a broken bamboo umbrella; what difference is there between this transaction and doing it for free?

Xu Qing had already decided that when night fell, he would go find that female ghost to chat; if there truly was a grievance, perhaps he could solve a case for Wang Ling, allowing him to recover some official reward silver.

After finishing the corpses at hand, Xu Qing, having nothing else to do on either side, simply returned to the counter, took out the Cave Heaven Talisman, and began to study it bit by bit.

The Way of Talismans is obscure and difficult to understand; it cannot be mastered in a single day or night.

Previously, the skills he gained from the Sutra of Delivering Beings through super-degree could be learned without a teacher, but learning a new skill from the outside world is not so easy.

He studied continuously until evening, and Xu Qing gained some understanding of the Way of Talismans.

"Given my situation, I certainly cannot draw common talismans, such as True Fire Talismans, Evil-Driving Talismans, or Peace Talismans; even more profound ones like Thunder Talismans all require pure, spiritual, and righteous magic power as the talismanic guide."

Xu Qing flipped through them for a long while, and finally his gaze settled on some talismans relatively suitable for his own cultivation constitution.

Ignoring the talismans that require yang-qi to be driven, the remaining ones are those driven by yin-cold qi.

Xu Qing carefully flipped through the pages and found that entry-level talismans included Plain Water Talismans, Pain-Relief Talismans, and Ice Talismans; more profound ones included Divine Movement Talismans, Mysterious Moon Talismans, and Yin Thunder Talismans, among others.

Seeing the Yin Thunder Talisman, Xu Qing felt tempted, yet the innate fear of thunder possessed by zombies made him somewhat apprehensive.

The thunder magic talismans in the Cave Profound Talisman collection are roughly divided into yin and yang categories; drawing and using Yang Thunder Talismans requires relying on the yang-qi nurtured by heart-fire and lung-metal to drive them.

Yin Thunder Talismans, however, use the yin-cold qi generated by kidney-water and liver-wood as the guide.

Xu Qing had never seen a zombie using thunder magic; he had only read records in the "Treatise on Corpses" about zombies being struck by thunder magic until they were charred and burnt to a crisp.

Zombie cultivation inevitably involves the Three Calamities and their consequences; in other words, sooner or later they will be struck by lightning.

Xu Qing pondered the method of the Thunder Talisman, yet in his mind he was considering whether to adapt to the sensation of being struck by lightning in advance to improve his lightning resistance.

However, in the end, he temporarily abandoned this idea.

Not to mention whether a zombie like him could even draw a Yin Thunder Talisman; even if he could, that would be something to consider only after he had mastered the talisman arts.

After all, the Way of Talismans has always been easy to learn but difficult to master, and the Yin Thunder Method is among the more profound talisman arts within it; mastering it well is unknown how much time it would take.

However, what Xu Qing lacked least was time.

"Who says zombies cannot use thunder magic?"

Yin and yang clashing creates thunder; their agitation and rising create lightning; although zombies cannot cultivate thunder magic, they may not be unable to rely on talismans, using yin qi to activate the talismans, thereby indirectly controlling thunder and lightning.

But in the end, whether the lightning strikes the enemy or oneself remains unknown.

"Forget it; I am a zombie, what thunder magic should I learn? Let's see how other talismans are."

Xu Qing, eager to try, ultimately took up the talisman brush in a proper manner and began drawing entry-level basic talismans.

Xuan Yu sat on the counter, watching Xu Qing, who was seriously drawing talismans, with rapt attention; when the other person drew a talisman on a sheet of yellow paper and discarded it to the side, it extended its paw to hook and drag the paper ball around until it accidentally knocked the ball onto the floor, at which point it stopped moving.

By the time evening arrived, a large pile of paper balls had already fallen on the floor beneath the counter.

"I succeeded! Haha, this Daoist Priest has succeeded!"

Xu Qing, having drawn talismans all afternoon, acted as if mad as he picked up a sheet of yellow talisman paper; his excited manner was comparable to Tian Shegong when he first became a Licentiate.

"Xuan Yu, do you want to try the talisman I have drawn?"

Xu Qing could not wait to test the talisman's effect, but after looking around, he found that besides himself and a cat, there was no one else in the shop.

"I don't want to." Xuan Yu instinctively refused.

"You really don't want to? This is the first talisman I have drawn; aren't you interested?"

Xuan Yu was quite curious; at this moment, tempted by Xu Qing, it hesitated for a moment and asked, "What kind of talisman is this? I have heard that some cow-nosed Daoist Priests' talismans are very powerful, capable of subduing demons and monsters."

"Immortal Xuan Yu, rest assured; this is merely an ordinary Fire-Avoiding Talisman, whose function is to avoid and prevent fire."

Xu Qing pasted the talisman onto Xuan Yu's forehead, then casually snapped his fingers, using the Lamp-Lighting Method to awaken the candle on the counter.

"Immortal Xuan Yu may try placing a hand on the candle flame."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yu approached the candle, extended a front paw, and tentatively placed it above the candle flame.

"How is it?"

Xuan Yu widened its eyes and exclaimed in amazement, "Cool and cold fire."

Xu Qing felt a slight stir in his heart and suddenly said, "Wait a moment; I will go fetch some lamp oil."

Having said this, Xu Qing came to the shelf and took out a lamp of the Evil-Driving Lamp Oil that Yang Qiying had obtained from the Cizhao Temple.

To prevent any mishaps, he also moved the water vat beside the stove to his side for standby use.

Removing the talisman from Xuan Yu's forehead that emitted a faint cool qi, Xu Qing pasted that talisman onto Sun Erzhuang, a disciple of the Chasing Horse tradition.

Zombies fear fire; the lamp oil from Cizhao Temple has always been a major threat to him.

This is also the reason why he first learned to draw the Fire-Avoiding Talisman.

Ordinary zombies possess a body of cultivation achievements but can only engage in close-quarters grappling; they are inherently suppressed by magical arts, but if he learns a set of talisman arts to protect himself, he can remedy this shortcoming.

If so, while possessing magic resistance, perhaps he could also use talisman arts against enemies.

"Why does Immortal Xu not continue to let me test the talisman?"

"This lamp oil of mine is somewhat powerful; I am afraid it might hurt you."

Sun Erzhuang stood silently before the coffin, saying not a word.

Xu Qing added the lamp oil to the lamp, brought it before the Silver-Armored Female Zombie, and began testing the reliability of the Fire-Avoiding Talisman.

The golden-red flames were intensely hot; even Xu Qing, holding the lamp, could feel the heat radiating from it.

A faint scent of incense emanated from the lamp; when the flame touched the zombie's body, the talisman pasted on Sun Erzhuang's forehead emitted a faint dark-colored halo that enveloped it.

Seeing this, Xu Qing was delighted; he simply gathered the discarded paper balls from when he was drawing talismans into a pile, placed them beneath Sun Erzhuang's feet, and then poured the lamp oil to ignite them.

A strong, strange incense scent instantly filled the mortician's shop; after about five or six breaths, the talisman on Sun Erzhuang's forehead began to fade; by the time ten breaths had passed, the Fire-Avoiding Talisman suddenly ignited without wind, turning into ash and dissipating.

Seeing the hem of the female zombie's clothes catch fire, Xu Qing hurriedly used a non-leaking bamboo basket to fetch water and douse it.

Unexpectedly, after a basketful of water was splashed out, the fire actually grew even more vigorous.

Xu Qing, with quick eyes and fast hands, immediately grabbed the female zombie by the back of her neck and threw her into the water vat.

"What exactly is the origin of this lamp oil from Cizhao Temple?"

Xu Qing looked at Sun Erzhuang, who had submerged into the water vat, yet whose skirt hem continued to burn for quite a while before extinguishing; his heart was filled with astonishment.

Fire that does not extinguish upon contact with water, and continues to burn even when submerged, must not be an ordinary fire.

Perhaps tomorrow I can ask Hu Baosong; that old fox has seen much and knows much, and likely knows the true nature of this fire.

Suppressing the thoughts in his heart, Xu Qing pulled out the female corpse, whose body was soaked through and revealed her graceful curves, and began to examine her.

Fortunately, the Silver Armored Corpse's flesh was strong enough; the flames had only burned a section of her skirt hem, causing no damage to her body.

"My phoenix crown and embroidered robes are impervious to water and fire, able to ward off filth and deflect weapons, but I do not know if they can withstand the scorching of an alien flame."

Xu Qing pondered for a moment, and a plan had already formed in his mind.

The wedding dress cannot be worn constantly, and whether it can withstand an alien flame is unknown, but at the very least, the Fire-Avoiding Talisman remains effective.

It is just not as enduring as when facing ordinary fire.

However, Xu Qing was not worried about this.

If one Fire-Avoiding Talisman is not enough, then he will draw ten, a hundred.

By then, we shall see if your lamp oil is more plentiful, or my talismans.

After clearing the mess inside the room, Xu Qing, now feeling a sense of crisis, sat before the counter and began to calmly draw talismans.

Night fell, and the candles inside the shop shone brightly.

Xu Qing's technique became ever more skilled; only after drawing three more Fire-Avoiding Talismans did he breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Originally, he had planned to visit the old tailor's house tonight to meet that female ghost.

But now, he was already immersed in the joy of drawing talismans.

Meeting with a female ghost in the shadows is indeed a pleasure, but it is not as important as one's own safety.

Xu Qing had already made his decision; tonight, aside from drawing talismans, he would go nowhere!

At the third watch, the night owl Xuan Yu had vanished, leaving only Xu Qing alone, still holding a candle to draw talismans.

Having outlined the twentieth Fire-Avoiding Talisman, Xu Qing was just about to draw the twenty-first when a rooster suddenly crowed from outside the shop.

"Is dawn breaking?"

Xu Qing was somewhat surprised; he clearly remembered the night watchman outside the street had only beaten the drum for the third watch.

Looking up at the water clock, the time was indeed the third watch without a doubt.

Just as Xu Qing was puzzled, a knocking sound suddenly rang out from outside the mortuary shop.

In the middle of the third watch, where has a guest come from?

(End of this chapter)