I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality-Chapter 166 - 104 Accident Part 2

His heart stirred slightly, and he casually asked, "How much silver coins did Second Master spend on this pair of walnuts?"

"Five hundred in total. This number feels smooth, more so than mine."

"..."

Xu Qing’s hand paused while playing with the walnuts.

Turns out, the leading performers in Liyuan are worth just the price of two walnuts!

On the stage, a group of Dan characters took turns to perform, showing their talents like peacocks displaying their plumage. However, when Liu Su’e took the stage, those actors instantly lost their color and became mere foils to her radiance.

"My heart was already dead, all hopes perished, yet unexpectedly, spring light pierced the cold night of the ninth month of winter. Could it be that Heaven has mercy on the solitary grass in the valley? But I’m afraid the world is harsh and frigid with much frost. Mo Chou~ Do not forget your station and avoid needless worries; Xu Cheng~ Your endless thoughts are but empty sorrow..."

The sorrowful and lingering lyrics arose without reason. As the singing continued, the distant and indistinct voice suddenly became clear, as if the singing woman was taking delicate steps, nearly in tears as she approached.

Xu Qing even felt a faint scent of incense mixed with the strange fragrance of face powder drifting into his nostrils, making everything around him seem unreal.

"This Liu is... quite interesting."

Opening his Qi Observation Skill, Xu Qing saw that there were shadows of willow leaves rippling back and forth on the stage, like reflections of a large willow tree dangling its tassels by the bank, reflected on the water.

Beside him, Second Master Feng was listening intently, completely unaware of any anomalies.

Xu Qing glanced at the rooster cage, where the two roosters, exceptional at detecting and revealing the true forms of demons and evil spirits, were unusually quiet.

The two roosters tilted their heads, staring at the stage with a concentration even more focused than Second Master Feng’s.

Based on the anomalies Xu Qing saw with the Qi Observation Skill, he could tell that Liu Su’e was just an ordinary person, except for the occasional appearance of the willow tree’s phantom...

Xu Qing recalled Liu Youdao’s foster mother in Little Stone Village. Liu Youdao originally had no name, and the villagers called him Iron Egg because he always roamed the village in crotchless pants.

Later, Liu Youdao met his master, Yang Qiying. Master Yang thought it improper to keep calling him Iron Egg, so he named him Liu Youdao, and the surname Liu was after an old willow tree.

After a play, the leading actress came to the front.

"May I ask where Boss Liu’s home is? Do you have any siblings?"

Liu Su’e bowed and replied, "Responding to sir, Liyuan is my home. Most of us in the theater are orphans who learned to act from a young age. As for siblings..."

"The masters in the theater are my family."

Xu Qing saw that Liu Su’e’s response was flawless, but he was not in a hurry.

He bid farewell to Second Master Feng and Troupe Master Chen and then took Liu Su’e towards Shuimen Bridge.

On the way, Xu Qing purposely made a detour to a general store and bought many things.

In no time, the elegant leading actress from Liyuan turned into his helper.

Scissors, thread baskets, measuring tapes, various silk threads, big and small needles—all bought in one go.

By the time they left the general store, Liu Su’e was carrying numerous large and small packages in her hands.

Xu Qing was not idle either; he carried a birdcage in one hand and several items in the other.

"Mr. Xu’s cousin seems like a talented girl."

Xu Qing smiled and said, "My cousin cannot stay idle. She always wants to find something to do; otherwise, I wouldn’t have invited Boss Liu to teach her opera to pass the time."

"By the way, may I ask why Boss Liu chose the name Su’e? Does it have any special meaning?"

Liu Su’e, slightly out of breath and unable to wipe the sweat from her temples, carried the packages as she walked, saying, "It’s not a joke, sir. Mistress gave me this name because I was beautiful when I was young... Su’e is actually the name of the Moon Palace Fairy."

Liu Su’e’s face reddened, seemingly shy to speak.

She glanced at Xu Qing and, seeing his unchanged expression, continued, "The surname Liu is because I was weak and sickly as a child. The old master sought help from a high person to make me the foster child of a willow tree, saying the foster mother would shield me from the wind and rain."

Xu Qing squinted; this method was similar to Liu Youdao’s.

However, while Liu Youdao’s foster mother had yet to take shape, Liu Su’e’s foster mother seemed to have some cultivation.

Upon reaching Shuimen Bridge, Xu Qing did not go to his secondary residence but instead found a nearby inn and rented a room.

Liu Su’e, unfamiliar with Xu Qing, would not easily go to his residence.

The secondary residence Xu Qing had acquired at Shuimen Bridge was a haunted house among haunted houses, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to take Liu Su’e there.

They decided to rent a room at an inn for mutual convenience.

"Boss Liu, please rest for a while. Later, my cousin will come over."

As Liu Su’e entered the room, Xu Qing transferred the female embroidery tools he had bought into the Mountain and River Map.

Upon returning to the residence, Xu Qing saw the embroidery girl sitting idly by the stone table, resting her cheek on her hand.

The silk threads in the weaving room had long been used up, and the girl was now left to guard the house alone, having nothing to do other than practice.

"Ah, you finally remembered to come back. I thought you had forgotten me!"

"..."

Xu Qing felt something was off with that sentence.

It sounded like he had kept a concubine and was now sneaking back to visit.

"Is this for me?" The embroidery girl’s eyes lit up at the sight of the embroidery tools Xu Qing took out.

Xu Qing nodded.

The embroidery girl happily hugged the basket of tools, overjoyed.

Women of this era were easily satisfied; give them some chicks and ducklings or buy them embroidery tools, and they’d be delighted for most of the day.

Especially for someone like the embroidery girl, who was raised with embroidery and had the natural disposition of a ’virtuous wife and loving mother.’

"Embroidery girl, you are so lonely here with no one to talk to, and it’s not right to continue like this."

"So I took special care to invite a famous actress from Liyuan for you. From now on, you can visit her every two days to learn opera and pass the time..."

The embroidery girl put down the thread reel and looked at Xu Qing with vigilant eyes.

"Why is the young master suddenly being so kind to me?"

Xu Qing put on a serious face and said, "You guard my gate and yard; of course I have to be good to you."

"..." The embroidery girl’s head drooped, her eyes evading his gaze.

After hesitating, she raised her head, as if making up her mind, and looked at Xu Qing with determination, saying:

"Young master, humans and ghosts tread different paths. It’s not right for us to be like this!"

"?"

Wait, so you think all my efforts to enroll you in activities were just to become an Undead Knight?

Xu Qing suppressed a smile, deciding to be straightforward, saying, "Let me be honest with you. I spent money to hire a master to teach you opera, not for anything else but to let you learn the female Dan’s singing techniques for scaring people in the future."

"Your self-devised scary tricks are too rough, not effective once people calm down.

Only through special training, with a master guiding you, learning how to set up scenes to scare people, will you have a chance to surpass other Yin ghosts."

The embroidery girl stuck out her tongue, seemingly not fully understanding his words.

"I understand, you’re doing this for my good."

"..."

Xu Qing thought of many things to say, but ultimately held back.

He was a zombie, after all. Why argue with a mentally flawed girl ghost?

Sending the embroidery girl to the inn, Xu Qing asked Boss Liu to set a class schedule for her. From now on, the girl would be a ghost attending school. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Having arranged her studies, Xu Qing took Xuan Yu and the Golden Simurgh to Underground Street.

Upon reaching the Paper Mache Shop, Xu Qing suddenly smiled.

"Brother Wencai, long time no see. Are you planning to return?"

Wu Wencai, with his face unshaven and looking haggard, forced a smile upon seeing Xu Qing and said, "Thank you for your concern, Brother Xu. Today, I brought my aunt back for recovery."

Xu Qing stepped closer, and upon seeing Wu Wencai’s condition, couldn’t help but frown, "Wencai, what happened to you? How did you become so haggard in just a month?"

Wu Wencai’s lips quivered, and tears silently fell.

He licked his cracked lips and sighed, "It’s a long story!"

Xu Qing turned to look within the Paper Mache Shop, not seeing Wu Yaohua.

"Don’t whimper, tell me what’s going on. Where’s Old Wu?"

Wu Wencai led Xu Qing into the Paper Mache Shop, where paper figures and paper horses silently watched them.

"My uncle was wrongfully imprisoned by the Prefect, now suffering in jail."

Xu Qing asked with a frown, "What crime did he commit?"

"They accuse him of colluding with rebels from the Celestial Heart Sect. Government officials searched his rented house and found three hundred silver coins and letters proving him a traitor."