Wine Worm, originally transformed from the spirit of wine; when stirred into water stored in a jar, it turns into fine liquor.
This method is already beyond the ordinary, naturally not comparable to mundane brewing.
Furthermore, people like Senior Brother Wang from the Funeral Shop, Master Li Si from the broker, and Master Feng from Flower and Bird Street are Xu Qing's dear friends.
They can continuously provide Xu Qing with corpses and underworld items, which is secondary; the main thing is that the relationships are harmonious, so the gifts sent naturally are more thoughtful.
As for Guo Dongyang from the teahouse, Xu Qing had long forgotten him. If he hadn't passed by the Fulai Teahouse and heard the familiar storytelling made him remember.
He popped in to listen for a while. Guo Dongyang was just at the part about how celestial beings descended half a year ago to the Linjiang and Wanshou counties, offering salvation to the suffering.
"Ladies and gentlemen, today's story isn't about talents and beauties, nor does it speak of kings and ministers; it merely tells of the miraculous appearance of the Profound Lady saving humanity."
"Two years ago, in Yaozhou, the river water flooded, drowning sixteen counties across two regions..."
"At this bleak moment, a temple of the Profound Lady appeared twenty miles outside Wanshou County."
"No one knows when this temple was built. Think about it, how many people are there in Wanshou County? Among the usual woodcutters, hunters, and mountain travelers, not a single person knows the origin of this temple."
Xu Qing found an inconspicuous spot in the teahouse, listening to Guo Dongyang tell the story. When he heard the part about the origin of the Profound Lady's Temple, he was slightly taken aback.
Could this old guy have gone around Wanshou County investigating? Otherwise, how could he know so many details?
Continuing to listen, Guo Dongyang put his fan away, scanned left and right, and said:
"The Profound Lady's Temple doesn't have the grandeur of a large temple, nor does anyone come to worship, the blue tiles on the temple's roof have long been covered with dust, the gold paint on the statue has faded, and the incense is so scant it's cold enough to freeze ice chips."
But it was such a cold temple where a disaster victim suddenly broke in today; guess what that disaster victim looked like?"
Guo Dongyang chuckled and said, "This man was so thin his cheeks could hold two taels of water; his eye sockets deeper than a well. Wrapped in a torn coat, he shivered like thousand-year-old bark hanging on a poplar tree with each gust of wind."
This man moved silently, drifting as if stepping on cotton; those unaware would think he was a reed that had acquired a spirit..."
Some tea-drinking patrons laughed, but only Xu Qing remained silent.
He had seen how those refugees looked, and right now, he couldn't laugh no matter what.
"The man entered the Xuan Yu Temple, clearly on the brink of starvation, yet he didn't plead for himself, instead opened his arms and took out a yellow-skinned baby."
"The man placed the child on the incense table, said nothing, and knocked his head three times, hard enough to draw blood!"
"Profound Lady, please open your eyes. Whether I live or die is no matter; this child is doomed. His mother just passed yesterday, and this morning the baby was still clinging to the cold corpse searching for milk..."
"I can't find anyone to save him, so I can only ask for your help."
Guo Dongyang narrated it with flair, Xu Qing originally paid no mind, thinking it was a tall tale the old man must have heard somewhere, but when hearing of the Profound Lady raising her bottle and snapping a willow branch, Xu Qing couldn't hold his composure.
Is this really the Profound Lady you're talking about?
"The Profound Lady touched the willow branch lightly, and then the incense ashes turned into white rice and flour. From then on, the refugees within a hundred miles had food to eat."
"Strangely enough, no matter how many came to take grain, the rice pile never diminished, and the flour at the temple entrance was never depleted."
"Unfortunately, the Profound Lady secretly releasing grain drew the Celestial Emperor's displeasure; just as the disaster victims managed to survive, celestial fire suddenly descended and burned the Profound Lady's temple to crisp."
"Until this year's spring rain, a clear spring suddenly bubbled before the Profound Lady's temple's ruins, a monument emerged beside the spring bearing four poetic lines: 'Clay figures can aid those in dire need, true gods are not found through incense offering, if the world held honest officials, what need would there be for divine intervention?'"
The patrons below stirred into discussions, one person spoke out, "Could such a thing be true? I've heard there really is a new spring and a monument with just these lines in Wanshou County."
Xu Qing's expression grew peculiar; he hadn't erected any monument, nor had he leisurely excavated a spring.
Who did this?
On leaving the teahouse, Xu Qing didn't do much else but made note of the monument left by a mysterious figure outside the Profound Lady's Temple.
In future days, there could be more about this monument.
...
After meandering around and visiting friends, Xu Qing returned to his own 'mortuary' at the Funeral Shop.
Shutting the door, eyeing a storeroom full of corpses, Xu Qing rubbed his hands excitedly. Half a year cooped up at the Imperial Mausoleum had him growing hair, now returning from seclusion, this was his first time starting fresh with body handling.
Flipping through the Sutra of Salvation, all sorts of figures from various backgrounds flashed before his eyes like a carousel.
Old regulars like Strength Pill, Dog Skin Ointment aside, mainly for stock, amid the various folk arts, Xu Qing acquired an intriguing minor technique - the Art of Imitation.
This is a clandestine forgery technique, antiques and paintings, rare treasures, as long as differentiation is based on appearance and texture, one can use this technique for imitation.
Xu Qing was interested in the technique, but more so in the story of the person associated with it.
This man was a regular of the Flower and Bird Street, often buying counterfeit items, several of Master Feng's paintings originated from his hand.
Later, this man was caught and jailed.
According to Dayong law, unless you forged currency or produced harmful fake drugs, it's usually a prison sentence, not a death penalty.
But when this incident came to light, he was directly held in death row by the Government Office.
The reason was none other than the fact that many merchants and magnates in the Jin Sect spent heavily, buying counterfeit goods from him, even some officials were involved.
The counterfeit goods were so realistic that because they were too convincing when judged directly sentenced this man to death.
Yet the crime was labeled as forging fake silver.
Those unaware of the inside story, once the autumn execution passed, those counterfeit goods became real commodities.
Including Master Feng's paintings, if Xu Qing's speculation isn't mistaken, Master Feng's still oblivious, daily admiring the fake paintings intently.
"A true talent, only it's a pity such a skilled craftsman almost let the craft fade entirely, lucky for him he encountered me..."
In the Book of Life and Death no record of zombies, the unique skills Xu Qing learned are numerous, as long as he remains in the world, these skills won't be lost.
............
According to Dayong law, unless you forged currency or produced harmful fake drugs, it's usually a prison sentence, not a death penalty.
But when this incident came to light, he was directly held in death row by the Government Office.
The reason was none other than the fact that many merchants and magnates in the Jin Sect spent heavily, buying counterfeit goods from him, even some officials were involved.
The counterfeit goods were so realistic that because they were too convincing when judged directly sentenced this man to death.
Yet the crime was labeled as forging fake silver.
Those unaware of the inside story, once the autumn execution passed, those counterfeit goods became real commodities.
Including Master Feng's paintings, if Xu Qing's speculation isn't mistaken, Master Feng's still oblivious, daily admiring the fake paintings intently.
"A true talent, only it's a pity such a skilled craftsman almost let the craft fade entirely, lucky for him he encountered me..."
In the Book of Life and Death no record of zombies, the unique skills Xu Qing learned are numerous, as long as he remains in the world, these skills won't be lost.
Those unaware of the inside story, once the autumn execution passed, those counterfeit goods became real commodities.
Including Master Feng's paintings, if Xu Qing's speculation isn't mistaken, Master Feng's still oblivious, daily admiring the fake paintings intently.
"A true talent, only it's a pity such a skilled craftsman almost let the craft fade entirely, lucky for him he encountered me..."
In the Book of Life and Death no record of zombies, the unique skills Xu Qing learned are numerous, as long as he remains in the world, these skills won't be lost.