CHAPTER 566: CHAPTER 289: UNDYING ARTS

The old woman originally thought that the deity of Bao Sheng Temple was an unsophisticated wild god who had never seen much of the world. Surely once she spoke and pretended to bestow a great fortune upon the deity, he would be led around by the nose?

To her surprise, as soon as they met, they almost started fighting!

The old woman dared not fool Xu Qing anymore, afraid she might miss this slim chance.

Fine! If force can’t be used, then let’s try a softer approach!

"I have no other way to turn, and I wish to ask for your help with something..."

"Don’t be in a rush to refuse; this favor will benefit both of us, as we should be on the same path."

Who shares the same path with an old witch like you?

While Xu Qing steadied the old woman, his true body at the funeral shop was already riding the mourning horse, heading this way.

He didn’t use the Divine Travel Celestial Scripture, as the Celestial Escape Technique was beyond his current level to handle. It might be okay for routine escapades or fleeing, but against an enemy...

Using the Divine Travel Celestial Scripture to teleport to Ziyun Mountain would at least cost him the magical power from one of the Three Corpse Transformations.

Facing the possibly strongest opponent he had ever encountered, Xu Qing dared not be careless.

Riding a horse might not be fast, but it is steady.

Taking advantage of this interval, he could probe into the old woman’s background as much as possible to avoid being caught off guard in a real fight.

"Old lady, before you speak about asking for help, there’s something I want to inquire about with you."

Xu Qing separated a wisp of incense fire, carrying the dormant little Willow Immortal, sending it out of the Bao Sheng Temple.

Meanwhile, Sister Jin, who was talking with Midwife Liu, hesitated slightly, then found an excuse to leave the temple gate with Midwife Liu.

The old woman frowned slightly, vaguely sensing something was amiss, but she patiently said, "Please speak, I will tell you anything I know."

Xu Qing opened his mouth faintly, "My Bao Sheng Temple and the Cat Immortal Hall are neighbors, and we have a good private relationship. But my friend, the Cat Immortal, was harmed to death by an old hag."

"What do you think I should do if I encounter this old hag?"

"..."

The old woman suddenly realized, "So it’s because of this."

"Killing a life, a deep-seated vendetta. If you want my help, you’d first have to settle the old score, then I’ll consider whether to help you or not."

A dragon is hard to suppress a local snake, Xu Qing had a plan in his mind. If a fight breaks out later, he will use the physical body of Bao Sheng Temple to test the old woman’s capabilities. If feasible, he will switch to his true body to properly handle her affairs, both before and after death.

If the situation proves unfavorable, he can quickly retreat, resume his identity at the funeral shop, and bide his time. Even if he cannot defeat her today, he can outrun her lifespan until she nears the end, and then confront her again to collect her soul.

Both advancing and retreating, Xu Qing had already arranged the old woman’s future in a short time.

Hearing Xu Qing asking her to repay with her life, the old woman was first startled, and then she nodded and agreed:

"This matter was truly my fault. If you really can’t forgive me, I’ll personally give you an explanation later. At that time, if you truly desire what’s left of this half-dead old life of mine, why shouldn’t I give it to you?"

"..."

Xu Qing’s gaze was fixed on the old woman before him, within the Dharma Realm her every micro-expression could not escape his scrutinizing eyes.

Yet through observation and facial analysis, the old woman showed no signs of lying.

Xu Qing had considered countless possibilities but never imagined she would agree to explain herself, even openly stating she was willing to repay with her life.

Something felt off, more than a little off!

"Then die one for me to see right now."

Xu Qing almost blurted out.

"..."

The consistently composed old woman finally couldn’t maintain her own calm.

How are the younger generation these days so difficult to deal with?

It’s one thing to let it slide when younger people behaved rudely at the funeral banquet earlier during the day. But now they’ve come to the temple, and a youngster worshipped by incense is openly speaking of death.

Those who know you say you are the Lady Bao Sheng; those who don’t might mistake you for a Ghost Messenger collecting souls!

Black and white air flowed in the old woman’s eyes, yet standing before her, Lady Bao Sheng radiated divine light in myriad rays, pure and immaculate.

But she couldn’t discern the other’s origins, only noting that it was a newly awakened deity, adept in universal salvation and highly divine and merciful.

"There’s no rush, I’m right here and won’t run away. Why not first hear what I have to say."

Xu Qing, sensing his main body had approached Ziyun Mountain, said with a smile, "You even deceived the cat you kept, do you think I’d believe you?"

The old woman, sensing changes in the surrounding incense smoke, unexpectedly said, "This matter doesn’t just concern you, it relates to the small cat’s lost life as well. Aren’t you even a bit curious to hear it?"

Xu Qing remained silent but his actions slowed.

He had always been curious why this old woman sent Xuan Yu to the Ruyi Temple to refine medicine, and why she never intended to utilize the refined medicine, nor did she demand payment from Baiyun Daoist.

Such conduct seemed insane, Xu Qing could think of no other reason.

Unaware of Xu Qing’s thoughts, the old woman extended her hand, emitting a black mist and a white mist. The two mystic energies combined into a layer of lifeless gray shadow, obscuring the knowledge within the Incense Hall.

"Do you know why in today’s world there are more who do evil and fewer who do good?"

Facing the lofty and ready-to-give-a-speech old woman, Xu Qing directly interrupted, "Because today is an era of great catastrophe, where demons flourish as the Dao declines, the Heaven-Reaching Road is severed, all beings cannot be liberated, and the dissidents of cultivators naturally give rise to evil ways, resulting in fewer good people..."