I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality-Chapter 155 - 99: Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage_2

"I wonder how long Brother Xu will be away and when he will return?"

"I don’t know. My cousin did not specify. Perhaps he will return tomorrow, or perhaps not for another month or two."

Zhu Huai’an could only say helplessly, "Then I will come again tomorrow. If Brother Xu returns in the meantime, please pass on a message for me, saying that Huai’an, an old friend from Jin Sect, has come to visit. I would be most grateful."

Leaving the Funeral Shop, Zhu Huai’an saw a woman with a mature charm at the entrance of the Incense and Candle Shop, directing a coachman to unload goods. He approached her to inquire about the Wu Brothers...

...

In the backyard of the Coffin Shop, although it had only been three days, Xu Qing already felt a sense of enlightenment, as if he had broken free from a golden chain, releasing himself from shackles.

A true word of transmission is worth more than ten thousand volumes of books.

Old Hu genuinely taught something valuable!

Perhaps it was because of the presence of that senior sister from the Five Elders Temple, Hu Baosong was thorough in his teaching, answering every question with patience and never showing any sign of impatience.

Xu Qing wanted to ask Hu Baosong about knowledge relating to zombies but couldn’t bring himself to ask directly.

After much contemplation, he had a sudden inspiration and chose a roundabout way to inquire about how Hu Baosong viewed monsters and demons.

"The zombies, Yin ghosts, and monsters you speak of all belong to inhuman matters."

"Inhuman matters, beyond common sense, can be summarized as ghosts, monsters, devils, and entities of the left-hand path."

"I once encountered a master named Ge Hongwen who knew my background. At that time, I had issues related to my demonic bloodline and sought his advice."

Speaking of his demonic bloodline, Hu Baosong subconsciously glanced at Yizhen.

Hearing this, the Daoist nun’s breath hitched, clearly very concerned.

Xu Qing was momentarily stunned upon hearing the name Ge Hongwen.

Isn’t this the enlightened true cultivator I saw in the magic lantern, who claimed there were no Divine Power Immortal Techniques in the world, yet when he turned, he crossed a mountain chasm a dozen feet wide as if gliding like a crane?

Hu Baosong, unaware of Xu Qing’s thoughts, continued, "Daoist Ge explained to me that when a human pretends to be a monster, an object’s spiritual nature becomes a spirit, a human soul that does not dissipate becomes a ghost, an atmospheric anomaly becomes a freak, and an unorthodox spirit becomes a demon. Human hearts lost in confusion become devils, and deviation from the right path becomes the left-hand path..."

"And monsters mostly arise because of humans. Without human provocations, monsters do not create themselves. When people conduct nefarious deeds and harbor grievances and fears, the earth’s qi becomes muddled and the heavenly mechanism becomes capricious, giving monsters the opportunity to enter the world and wreak havoc persistently.

If the world is clear and people righteous, in a time of peace, monsters naturally vanish, avoiding the human world.

As the saying goes, when a nation prospers, auspicious signs appear; when a nation is about to fall, monsters will emerge."

Hu Baosong smiled, "I did not understand, so Daoist Ge pointed out that I was neither monster nor ghost, but a human spirit in the world."

Xu Qing realized, "This monster is not the same as that monster; Elder Ge was referring to heart and mind, not origin."

"As long as one can discern the true nature of the heart and mind, there is no need to worry about appearances of human, ghost, monster, or demon. One must know that monsters can disguise as ghosts, evil can transform into demons, and gods can become monsters, but what is important is the distinction within one’s own mind."

"If you believe you are a monster, then you are a monster; if you believe you are human, then you are human."

Yizhen looked at Xu Qing in astonishment. With her fox demon bloodline, she could empathetically understand the reasoning within.

But Xu Qing appeared normal to her eyes.

A person who is not a monster gaining such profound insights is truly rare.

Little did she know that the youthful man who appeared human before her eyes was not actually alive.

Otherwise, how would he possess so many non-human insights?

...

The next day, Zhu Huai’an came to the Funeral Shop again, but it was still in vain.

"Why does Your Highness pay so much attention to someone who handles funerary business? Time is tight, and the Prince’s Residence requires your attention on many matters. Even if he is a friend, it should not delay your efforts this much."

Zhu Huai’an’s counselor beside him was visibly anxious.

"I have my own arrangements for this matter. You don’t need to say more."

Others might not know, but Zhu Huai’an was well aware that his Brother Xu had true abilities.

When it came to wisdom and experience, he feared Brother Xu was not inferior to the counselors in the residence.

If he could enlist Xu Qing’s assistance, waiting a few more days would be worth it.

...

In the Coffin Shop.

Xu Qing and the other two sat around a peach tree, with an incense burner emitting winding blue smoke on the small table.

Today, Hu Baosong spoke about the cultivation stages of current practitioners.

Xu Qing had previously only known of the six martial realms but was unaware that practitioners of Dao also had six stages.

However, the six stages of cultivators did not correspond to the martial realms.

One was popular in the secular world, while the other was hidden away, beyond common knowledge. They were so different that comparison was not warranted.

"Cultivation techniques are varied and numerous, without a clear framework. Nevertheless, a thousand years ago, a great sect founded the Six Realms Technique, which includes Exorcism, General Knowledge, Punishing Soul, Decaying, Life Shaping, and Primordial Spirit."

Due to the widespread proliferation of these six stages, they became the most commonly used terms in practitioners’ discussions and comparisons.

Hu Baosong eloquently explained.

Exorcism, as the name implies, is equivalent to Liu Youdao’s ability to control Walking Corpses and dare to roam desolate graves at night.

Cultivating perception is the second realm, reflecting the General Knowledge Realm.

Humans possess nine consciousnesses, which include vision, hearing, speech, smell, taste, touch, intent, subconscious, and the hidden.

Opening each consciousness grants marvelous abilities.

Among them, vision, the Broad Vision, once unlocked, allows the seeing of malevolent entities;

Hearing, the All-Hearing, can hear ghostly whispers and divine sounds.

Speech, the Divine Speech, once opened permits the practice of the Silence Technique and the Imperial Decree Technique. It can also enable the utterance of ten thousand words a day, delving into mysteries without feeling hunger or thirst. At its highest level, it can silence sounds, conceal qi, store inner breath, and utter thunderous tones that captivate and daunt hearts with supreme authority.

The smell, the All-Smelling, can discern discrepancies in atmospheric qi with precise accuracy.

Taste, the Five-Flavors, allows one to distinguish the essence of myriad substances, both celestial delicacies and poisonous evils, by tasting a blend.

Touch, the Mighty Touch, allows one to scale walls, perform feats of endurance, and overcome obstacles. At its highest level, it enables the body to transform into myriad shapes, extend to the eight extremities, and contract into minuscule forms. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Intent, the Mental Clarity, opens to detach from all dharmas, allowing no external demons or internal disturbances, attaining ultimate purity.

Subconscious, the Foreseeing, opens to forewarn against calamities and transform dangers.

The hidden, the Hidden Consciousness, enables communion with the Bridge of Heaven and Earth, entering the Divine Scenery to perceive inner and outer truths and comprehend the True Profound.

Of these nine consciousnesses, only the first seven are easy to open, while the last two are heavily dependent on fate and insight.

The Foreseeing Consciousness is crucial for transforming fortune and avoiding misfortune, and the Hidden Consciousness bridges heaven and earth, sensing inner and outer realms, and is a rare sign of great comprehension, not easily cultivated by the average person.

Xu Qing asked Hu Baosong and learned that the first three stages of the Six Realms Technique do not extend longevity. Therefore, most practitioners do not waste their efforts opening more than one or two consciousnesses in the second stage.

Since opening one consciousness marks entry into the General Knowledge Realm, beyond that it’s more efficient to focus on later stages that prolong life.

When Xu Qing asked Hu Baosong how many consciousnesses he had opened, Hu Baosong smiled and said, "My Hu Yang family is born with the eye recognition. The other eight, if unnecessary, no one bothers to cultivate."

After all, whether human or monster, life spans are limited. Everyone vies with heaven for longevity. Opening more consciousnesses doesn’t increase lifespan, so who would choose trivial pursuits over fundamental goals?

Hearing this, Xu Qing was moved.

The Corpse Nourishing Scripture states that when zombies reach the Hidden Corpse stage, they can open nine orifices.

These nine orifices correspond to the nine consciousnesses.

Others have limited lifespans and dare not spend time opening consciousnesses, but he is different.

Zombies are ageless. Even if it took him ten years to open one orifice, a century would suffice to open all nine.

"One orifice, one divine technique; nine orifices, nine abilities. I wonder if the nine orifices of a zombie differ from the nine consciousnesses of the living..."

As evening approached, Hu Baosong, having discussed for seven consecutive days, finally felt weary.

"I’m getting old and can’t sit for long even after a few days’ work."

Hu Baosong looked at the two juniors and said, "Let’s rest for two days and I will then impart the cultivation methods of the Hu Yang family."

Xu Qing was left wanting more.

The cultivation methods of the Hu Yang family he probably could not practice, but the path of cultivation often allows insights to translate. Even if he cannot cultivate them, gaining more experience is beneficial.

After bidding farewell to Senior Sister Yizhen at the Coffin Shop, Xu Qing walked alone towards the Funeral Shop.

As he neared the entrance, he inadvertently glanced at a certain spot.

Across the street, a stranger was squatting, watching him.

Seeing Xu Qing enter the Funeral Shop, the man quickly got up and left Underground Street.