Chapter 99: The Little Daughter-in-Law

"Mr. Liu, why do I feel a chill down my back?"

Feng Er's shoulders hunched as if he had just finished peeing in the middle of the night, and he shivered.

Ji Rui's wide sleeves billowed, and a white snake with its tongue flickering slithered out from his collar.

That snake hissed, staring at the black cat at the door as if facing a great enemy.

Xuan Yu proudly lifted his neck, walked elegantly to the coffin, and leaped onto it.

Clearly a cat, yet at this moment, he seemed like the king of the mountains patrolling his territory, giving the visiting immortals a sense of arrogant disdain.

"Are you two the representatives of Lord Feng and Mr. Liu?"

Whoa! A talking cat!

This must be a great immortal!

"Remarkable, I, Lord Feng, have truly lived long enough to see this; this is a true immortal, truly remarkable." Lord Feng marveled, nearly putting down his birdcage, clapping his two sleeves together, and stepping forward to pay his respects.

Ji Rui clasped his hands in greeting, and seeing Lord Feng, who wore a melon-skin cap, still muttering nonsense beside him, he reached out and tugged his sleeve.

Lord Feng immediately came to his senses and hurried forward to offer greetings.

"Your Grace, may you be auspicious! Lord Feng offers his respects."

"."

Xu Qing felt his eyelids twitching; clearly, this was a revered name of an immortal, so how did it become "Eunuch" in your mouth?

If Xuan Yu is a "Niangniang," then what is he? The Retired Emperor?

Lord Feng has a Huagai star in his fate; fortune-tellers said he had a connection with metaphysics and Buddhism/Taoism. Later, when he encountered an unsolvable knot, a master of the Chuma from the north resolved his crisis and introduced him to the Chuma trade, making him a disciple of the immortals.

That master had said that immortals capable of speaking human language are ancestral masters with hundreds of years of cultivation, and one might not encounter such a thing even in a lifetime.

Because ordinary mortals do not have that fortune!

This time he truly saw one, so no wonder the fortune-teller said he was a fortunate person.

When Lord Feng arrived, he thought he was meeting a junior and took it lightly, so he brought no gifts; now that he has met a senior, he cannot be perfunctory.

He patted his sleeves and rummaged his belt; aside from some large-denomination silver notes too vulgar for the table, the only things with any pedigree were the two ornamental walnuts he was playing with in his hands.

Alright then! Although this Cat Immortal is noble, he has never seen a cat that didn't like playing with small balls.

"This is my first visit, and I have no proper gift to offer, so I present these two walnuts to the Immortal as a token of my sincerity."

Xuan Yu looked at the round walnuts Lord Feng placed before him and forcibly restrained the urge to paw at them.

He must maintain dignity and not do anything that would damage the image of an immortal.

"Lord Feng has a kind heart."

Ji Rui was particular about manners; when he came, he bought a box of golden-fried small fish strips at the market.

At this moment, he lifted the small food box and placed it on the coffin lid; the appetizing aroma could be smelled even through the wooden box.

Xuan Yu likewise thanked Mr. Liu.

Since the guests have made their offerings, Xu Qing, as the one who issued the invitation for the Cat Immortal Hall, naturally must prepare a banquet to entertain everyone.

Here, Xu Qing led the two men to the inner room, and as soon as Lord Feng entered, he saw a magnificent rooster lying on the ground.

Hiss! This large red comb was as big as his palm; looking further at the feathers, they were golden and red, smooth and delicate, as if he were played with in hand every day.

And look at that large tail, a colorful, greenish-black.

How is this a chicken? This is clearly an artwork fired in a glazed kiln!

"Brother Xu, don't tell me this is also an immortal you are supporting."

"Not at all," Xu Qing grinned, "This Golden Chicken is raised by my senior sister; she is just boarding it here for two days."

It turned out to be a matter of lineage; Lord Feng looked at his own "Uncle Bo," and if he were to put Uncle Bo on a scale, he probably wouldn't even weigh as much as one leg of the Golden Chicken before him.

"What feed does this chicken eat to grow so large?"

Xu Qing smiled, "As the saying goes, 'Beautiful birds emerge from the peaks, and fragrant grass grows by the deep valley pools.'"

"This chicken is not of the mortal world; it began swallowing the essence of the sun and moon from inside its eggshell in the deep mountains, a naturally formed strange species."

"You speak so mystically; does that mean my Uncle Bo's disadvantage lies in not hatching in the mountains?"

Ji Rui beside him laughed, "Where did you get that idea? Brother Xu's meaning is very simple: some chickens are born extraordinary; no matter how well you feed them, eating mountain delicacies every day, you cannot catch up to them."

"Your Uncle Bo, from the very root, has a bad lineage."

"Snake-handler, if you don't mock me a few times a day, do you think you can't survive?"

These two are truly noisy.

Xu Qing arrived at the second gate and called out to the embroiderer who was wandering about the backyard to clear her mind; seeing Xu Qing personally come to 'invite' her, she gave herself a way out and for the time being forgave the other party.

Arriving at the shop, the embroiderer chopped vegetables and arranged plates, and in a short while, she prepared a table full of delicious dishes.

Today, with 'Feng Xian' among the immortals, the crooked-necked little phoenix and those boiled phoenix eggs absolutely could not be served on the table; Xu Qing could only prepare some yellow strips, glutinous rice, snowflakes, and red millet fine water, these offerings without taboos.

Besides the food for the immortals, the embroiderer also came to Xu Qing midway and asked him for money.

Xu Qing was in high spirits talking with Ji Rui and paid no attention, simply telling her to go to the counter to get it, as there were a few strings of small change there.

When the embroiderer brought fried tofu, stir-fried green vegetables, and cold-mixed peanuts to the inner room, Xu Qing suddenly came to his senses.

He had not gone to the market today, and the shop had no ingredients; where did this female ghost get these dishes?

Suppressing his doubts, Xu Qing did not dare to ask in front of everyone; he would wait until the banquet ended to ask her.

"Brother Xu, remember to come to the Flower and Bird Market in the future; I, Lord Feng, will take you to play some fun things."

Ji Rui clasped his hands and said, "I reside permanently at Diyan Liu; if there is a riverboat moored at the shore with a flag bearing the character 'Liu', that is my residence."

Xu Qing smiled as he saw the guests out; after they left, he turned and went to the embroiderer who was controlling the water flow to wash plates and bowls.

"Where did you get the dishes and oil for the banquet?"

The embroiderer asked strangely, "Of course I bought them; didn't you ask me to cook? There was nothing in the house, so I took half a string of money from the counter; you know this already."

"You, a ghost, went out to buy vegetables? Didn't you scare the vegetable seller to death?"

"That's so simple. Just don't let her see, take the vegetables, leave the money, and walk away—that's it!"

Xu Qing heard this and realized it was indeed the truth!

"Next time I'll go buy the vegetables. Don't keep running off to distant places blindly; if you meet a Taoist with a ponytail or a bald monk, be careful they might raise a hand and wipe you out!"

The embroiderer giggled and said, "I didn't go far; I bought the vegetables right across the street."

"?"

Xu Qing was just wondering where there was a vegetable seller across the street when the owner of the incense and candle shop burst in with great haste.

Looking at the young man standing alone before the water basin, she asked, "Brother Xu, have you just finished eating?"

Seeing the bowl and dishes suddenly drop from the air, Xu Qing could only silently catch them with his hand.

"Just finished. Has Boss Cheng eaten?"

Xu Qing shouldn't have said that; once he did, Cheng Caiyun immediately exploded.

"I haven't had a bite! Don't know which pair of dirty hands stole the vegetables I bought. Although he left half a string of cash, who knows which wild man he is? What if one day he stops stealing vegetables and starts stealing people in the middle of the night..."

"... then your sister-in-law would truly have no face to live!"

As Cheng Caiyun spoke, she began to wipe away tears.

Xu Qing glared at the embroiderer beside him who was enjoying the spectacle without caring about the trouble, and comforted her earnestly: "Boss Cheng, there's no need to fear. Since that 'wretch' took the item but left money, it shows she still follows rules and has a sense of righteousness."

"But what if one day she gets evil intentions, bullies me, leaves a bit of silver, and runs away? Would that count as righteousness?"

"..."

Cheng Caiyun sat on the stool on her own and said, "My husband passed away early, leaving me a young widow. A few days ago, thieves climbed into my courtyard and stole the hundred or so eggs I had saved in the jar. Those eggs were saved for you; sister-in-law has never forgotten the promise I made to you back then."

Cheng Caiyun spoke lightly; if those eggs hadn't been lost, and Xu Qing had asked, she would certainly have claimed her chickens were afraid of the cold or heat and couldn't lay eggs all year round.

Xu Qing glared at the embroiderer again, thinking, Look at the mess you've made, just adding trouble for me.

This time the embroiderer wouldn't stand for it; she whispered in rebuttal, "Don't blame me; I didn't take her eggs!"

"Who is speaking? Licentiate Xu, did you hear that? It sounds like a woman's voice."

"Boss Cheng, you are the only woman here; where would another woman come from? You must have misheard. As for what you said..." Xu Qing paused, then smiled: "We are in this line of business; normally, who dares come to our door to steal or deceive? We wouldn't dare invite bad luck."

Speaking thus, Xu Qing took a Peace Talisman from his sleeve and handed it to Cheng Caiyun.

"This is a Peace Talisman I obtained from the Immortal View Temple; it is said to be particularly effective. Boss Cheng, keep it close to your body; I believe it can prevent petty thieves from getting near."

Cheng Caiyun took the talisman and examined it left and right as if it were a treasure.

Her face flushed, and she cast a loving glance, saying, "Brother Xu, you are the only one who knows how to care for people."

"Speaking of which, this humble wife is twenty-nine this year. Although I am a bit old, my health is still very good."

"..." Xu Qing sensed something was wrong and immediately interrupted: "Boss Cheng, do not speak such nonsense."

Hearing this, Cheng Caiyun chuckled and said, "I'm just joking with you. Who doesn't know you have a beauty hidden in a golden house, keeping a little wife at home!"

Hearing this, Xu Qing was greatly puzzled.

Who is hiding a little wife?

Upon hearing this, the embroiderer spat inwardly, thinking that she was the only young woman in the shop, but she was certainly not someone else's little wife.

"What is there to hide from your aunt? That day when your senior brother brought people over, I personally saw your little wife speaking for you and watching the shop."

"What's wrong, Licentiate Xu? Do you not plan to call her out so your aunt can meet her?"

Xu Qing immediately realized; so the "little wife" referred to Xuan Yu, the female corpse possessed by a spirit.

Speaking of which, the female corpse with the codename Sun Erniang is still lying in that upright black lacquered coffin.

Looking at Xuan Yu again, this cat was currently playing with the two walnuts on the coffin lid.

Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and said, "That should be my distant cousin. She is not here with me at the moment; Boss Cheng, do not misunderstand."

"Cousin? A cousin is good! Fat water shouldn't flow into outsiders' fields. Let your aunt tell you, you must grasp this opportunity well; such a fresh and lively girl shouldn't be given away cheaply to outsiders."

"Otherwise, cook the raw rice into cooked rice as soon as possible..."

Xu Qing heard this and couldn't help but grind his teeth.

A cold, icy corpse; even if he wanted to cook it, he would have to be able to cook it thoroughly.

The moment Cheng Caiyun left the coroner's shop, Xu Qing immediately stuffed the bowl and dishes in his hand into the embroiderer's arms.

At night, Xu Qing, having finished drawing one hundred Fire-Avoidance Talismans, stopped with satisfaction.

After practicing for this period, he had already been able to perfectly draw Fire-Avoidance Talismans without any mistakes.

Besides the Fire-Avoidance Talisman, he had attempted to draw the Peace Talisman many times, but out of twenty attempts, only one was successful.

"The patterns of the Peace Talisman are obviously more complex than those of the Fire-Avoidance Talisman; this is a matter of patient effort and cannot be rushed."

Xu Qing put down the paper and brush, called the embroiderer over, and said:

"I have a courtyard at Shuimen Bridge, but it has been unattended. Today I will take you there, and afterwards you will be responsible for its daily management."

"You need not harbor any resentment; that courtyard has an array I set up, which can gather Yin Qi and Sha, making it a precious place for Yin Ghosts to cultivate."

"However, I must set three rules for you: no matter what you see me doing in the courtyard in the future, do not ask questions and do not interfere; you only need to watch over the courtyard for me."

Xu Qing lit incense and candles, formally held a ceremony with the embroiderer, and allowed her to become the manager of the Cat Immortal Hall's branch hall as an exception.

As for Xu Qing, he has always been the Grand Patriarch of the Cat Immortal Hall, while Xuan Yu is the Hall Master.

After giving the orders, Xu Qing followed the Heart-Verification Method taught by Hu Baosong, wrote the Red Character Oath of Heaven and Earth, and made the embroiderer swear an oath.

"Is this also something that must be done to join the hall?" Having sworn the oath, the embroiderer was filled with doubt and fear; she could clearly perceive that a great terror was looming over her heart from the unknown, and if she violated the agreement, she would inevitably suffer the punishment of the oath.

Xu Qing nodded solemnly.

At the fourth watch, the streets were silent and empty.

Xu Qing placed the corpses of Liu Cai and the other into the Box Garden, and with the embroiderer leading the way, went to the courtyard at Shuimen Bridge.

As soon as the embroiderer entered the courtyard, her eyes lit up.

She floated and drifted in the courtyard, breathing in the Yin Qi that had re-accumulated, feeling as if she were in a fairyland.

Xu Qing let the embroidered lady wander aimlessly around the house, while he took out the corpses of Liu Cai and the other one, and continued digging pits to sow seeds.

"How could you bury corpses in the yard? That's so creepy, this concubine is afraid just living here."

"Weren't these two scared to death by you? And now you're the one who's scared."

Seeing that the embroidered lady still wanted to speak, Xu Qing paused his patting of the soil and said: "When a person dies, the custom is to rest in peace in the earth—naturally one must bury them properly in the ground."

The embroidered lady fell silent at these words.

Only now did Xu Qing realize that the female ghost before him had long since been burned to ashes by her clan, scattered to who knows where.

Early the next morning, a cock's crow that could pierce the clouds suddenly rang out in the silent coroner's shop.

Xu Qing, who had just returned to the shop not long ago, gave a sudden start.

Roosters are inherently restrained against evil spirits—once they hear a cock's crow, minor demons and little ghosts will lie dormant and not appear.

Xu Qing could be considered a major evil spirit, but being suddenly screeched at like that, he couldn't stand it either.

When Jin Luan spread her wings a second time, preparing to crow, a black shadow suddenly appeared behind her, and she immediately felt her chicken neck gripped tightly by a hand like an iron clamp.

"Hah——" Can't breathe!

Jin Luan began to flap and struggle.

When the grip on her neck vanished, Jin Luan sneezed twice in quick succession, and only then felt her breath flow smoothly again.

"What are you blindly screeching about so early in the morning! Remember this—hereafter, in front of me, you're not allowed to crow!"

Jin Luan: "."

When the sky was about to brighten, a female Daoist in a blue-green Daoist robe arrived as promised.

Seeing Daoist Yizhen, Jin Luan acted like a child seeing an elder of the household, circling around her and clucking away.

Although Xu Qing had never unlocked a beast-tongue skill, he could still tell that this chicken was raising its hand to tattle on him.

What tricks can birds and beasts play? They only add to the laughter.

He gave a cold laugh, dismissive.

(End of chapter)