Chapter 646: Can it be alright?

Wang Ping'an gazed at the myriad data on the system panel, worrying which five Lesser Attainment talents, skills, and techniques to raise to Greater Attainment, when a sudden shout jerked him from his myriad thoughts.

He instinctively turned his head and saw Gu Liangong, who had been bustling about at Le Wenmao's funeral, suddenly faint.

It was Zhuo Tie, chatting nearby with others, who reacted first, grabbing Gu Liangong in an embrace, preventing him from falling to the ground.

"Uncle Gu, Uncle Gu, what's wrong with you?"

Zhuo Tie hurriedly asked, his face full of anxiety.

He actually wanted to say, hadn't Gu Liangong repeatedly seen the Gates of Hell appear, become desperate, attempted suicide, hoping to pass through the Gates of Hell and be reborn in a wealthy family in his next life?

He hadn't forgotten that not long ago the Gates of Hell first appeared in Le Wenmao's memorial hall, and Gu Liangong's demeanor then seemed as if he were about to be possessed.

He didn't even want his own life; even just now, Gu Liangong was taken out by a constable who ran to the Zhu clan to deliver news, and when he returned and said he'd seen the Gates of Hell again, he had an envious look.

At that moment.

Gu Liangong suddenly fainted at Le Wenmao's funeral, making it hard not to misunderstand.

"Let me take a look!"

Xuanqing Daozhang had originally thought, waiting for Wang Ping'an to gather enough liveliness, then bring him back to Kumu Guan, so as not to keep his family waiting; upon hearing the sudden shout, he immediately noticed, the fainted Xuanqing Daozhang in Zhuo Tie's embrace, strode over, about to check Xuanqing Daozhang's condition, seeing Zhuo Tie open his mouth as if wanting to say something, hesitating, he frowned and said:

"What, do you have something you want to say?"

Zhuo Tie's voice trembled as he whispered, "Daozhang, I want to ask you for a favor!"

"Say it; if it's not too difficult, as long as I can do it, I'll gladly help you!"

Xuanqing Daozhang nodded.

He and Zhuo Tie were meeting for the first time, having had no prior contact, but relying on, he was willing to bustle about at Le Wenmao's funeral; even if only out of neighborly courtesy, he would accept this favor; now that someone has come to him with a request, he is willing to lend a hand.

Having been given face, he couldn't be ungrateful and do something laughable.

Zhuo Tie confirmed Gu Liangong still had breath; even if he wanted to commit suicide, it would be impossible for a moment to report to the King of Hell; taking a deep breath, he then spoke:

"Daozhang, if later you revive Uncle Gu, Uncle Gu begs you to act as the officiant performing soul salvation at his funeral, and also asks you to refuse him!"

"Why is that?"

Xuanqing Daozhang's brows slightly furrowed; he had imagined many things Zhuo Tie might ask of him, but never this; puzzled, he asked, "Do you have a grudge against him?"

Zhuo Tie saw the strange glances all around—those neighbors who had been helping at Le Wenmao's funeral, now idle and chatting nearby; Gu Liangong's sudden faint had already drawn their gazes, and even though his voice had been soft, they still heard it.

"Daozhang, look at what you're saying—who doesn't know Uncle Gu is a top-notch good person? I have no grudge with him, and he has done me favors; whenever my family ran into trouble, he often helped!"

Zhuo Tie hastily explained a sentence, for if the matter isn't made clear, once these neighbors relay his words to Gu Liangong's family, they might easily think he's ungrateful; he said: "Daozhang, you don't know, just now when the Gates of Hell appeared in Le Wenmao's memorial hall, knowing the benefits of being reborn through the Gates of Hell, he had already considered being reborn through the Gates of Hell."

"If you hadn't said that passing through the Gates of Hell isn't a proper channel but a smuggling route, he wouldn't enjoy the benefits of rebirth through the Gates of Hell; instead, he'd suffer only harm."

"Back then, Uncle Gu was probably already despairing; not long ago he saw the Gates of Hell again, which may have firmed some idea in his mind."

"I fear his fainting now is related to that fixed idea; I worry that if you revive him, Daozhang, he'll beg you to be the officiant at his funeral, and once he agrees, he'll immediately seek suicide!"

Not far away.

Originally Wang Ping'an, who had been thinking about which five skills to upgrade first, seeing there was liveliness to watch, stopped thinking and prepared to wait until the liveliness was over before making calculations; taking advantage of the moment to clear his mind, so as not to be indecisive, hearing Zhuo Tie's words, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself:

"Uncle, uncle, I think you're bowing to the Buddha with a pig's head in hand—what good is asking my master? Do you think my master can summon the Gates of Hell? My master has no such ability; you should be asking me, for in this region, probably only I can summon the Gates of Hell!"

Xuanqing Daozhang understood Zhuo Tie's explanation, his mouth twitching slightly; he very much wanted to tell him that he himself had no such power to summon the Gates of Hell—if anyone did, it would be his 'useless' disciple—but saying that, not only would Zhuo Tie not believe it, the onlookers watching the spectacle wouldn't either.

He couldn't be bothered to explain further.

Xuanqing Daozhang nodded and said, "Rest assured, if Gu Liangong asks me to do this, I will never agree, so as not to give him the idea of suicide."

This novel you have arrived at

He actually could understand Gu Liangong's thoughts; given Gu Liangong's age, he likely had only a few good years left, not bedridden from illness—one could say his fate was decent, but that doesn't mean it will stay good forever; there will always be losses, so rather than burden his descendants, it's better to seize the moment, encounter good fortune, and ponder his own afterlife.

Committing suicide wouldn't burden his children, and besides, passing through the Gates of Hell could let him be reborn into a good fortune in his next life, enjoying blessings in a wealthy household.

"Daozhang, thanks!"

Zhuo Tie also let out a sigh of relief.

"This is what I ought to do, no thanks needed!"

Xuanqing Daozhang wasted no words, approached Gu Liangong, first gave him a careful look, his brows slightly furrowed, then used his Dharma Eye to examine him again, his face growing graver.

Seeing Xuanqing Daozhang's expression, Zhuo Tie jumped in fright, worriedly asking, "Daozhang, Uncle Gu couldn't really be ill, could he?"

"Can it be alright?"

Wang Ping'an gave a hehe laugh; he didn't know his master's medical skill, but could roughly see Gu Liangong's bodily problem, thought it probably wasn't difficult, though whether it could be cured was still uncertain, he inwardly gloated:

"With his body like this, it's utterly a spent bolt, one foot already stepping into the Hall of the King of Hell!"

He would be happy, naturally not because he gloated over another's misfortune—he and Gu Liangong had no grudge, so how could he take pleasure in Gu Liangong's trouble? His happiness came from the fact that, for such a severe problem of Gu Liangong's, he had the ability to treat it.

(End of chapter)