"I am about to open the furnace and refine this batch of immortality potion. Once the elixirs are ready, I am willing to give you a share, seeking only to form a good relationship."
"Immortality potion?" Xu Qing flipped the Treasure Sword, held the hilt, and still with a sullen face, asked, "How is it refined?"
"You may not know, but I am a Named Disciple under Immortal Baiyun of Ruiyi Temple. The Immortal Master has three types of elixirs: one is the Blood Life Pill, the second is the Fushou Pill, and the third is the Immortal Life Pill. These three are all elixirs that extend life and add blessings..."
"I asked you how it's refined?" Xu Qing stepped forward and unconsciously tightened his grip on the Treasure Sword.
"This... is a crucial secret of the temple." Seeing Xu Qing's expression change, the Daoist Leizi quickly corrected himself, "However, since you're right in front of me, it's not a problem to tell you."
"The Blood Life Pill only requires the blood fetus from the womb of pregnant women, and it can be refined. The blood fetus possesses innate qi, and at least two portions of the elixir can be made. One portion can increase life span by two months, but the more one takes, the less life extension it provides."
"As for the Fushou Pill, being a Named Disciple, I have not been taught by the Immortal Master. I only know that this pill can extend life and also benefit cultivation. I've long craved this elixir, but unfortunately, I haven't even tasted a single grain yet."
"Regarding the Immortal Life Pill, it's a Spirit Pill that can only be encountered by chance and not sought after. I only heard that Immortal Baiyun once refined a batch in his early years, but it was destroyed under the tribulation of elixirs in vain."
Seeing Xu Qing's expression grow darker, the Daoist Leizi finally realized something was wrong.
"Dao brother?"
Xu Qing drew the Treasure Sword and finally spoke, "I once learned a cruel technique from a tyrannical official, capable of slicing off three thousand pieces of flesh until the bone is visible. Though I once thought this practice was unnatural, now..."
After a stick of incense, Xu Qing took out a white cloth and carefully wiped the blood from his hands.
Behind him, a skeleton drenched in blood and flesh opened its jawbone but couldn't make a single sound. If one were to look closely, they would find the opponent had already lost their tongue.
As Xu Qing turned around to wipe his hands, the life of the Daoist Leizi also came to an end. He tried to stare wide-eyed at Xu Qing, but instead caused his ferocious eyes to pop out of their sockets. The intense pain overwhelmed him as he let out his last breath, and fell completely silent.
Xu Qing leaned against the stove, and was silent for a long time.
Perhaps due to becoming Lady Bao Sheng, having witnessed the birth of many small lives, Xu Qing harbors a strange emotion towards infants and children.
The deceased woman and the blood fetus were clearly right in front of him, yet he hesitated to proceed with the Rescue.
In the world, there are two types of resentment that are the hardest to resolve. One is the premature stillbirth of a fetus, where the Infant Spirit cannot obtain normal life, its soul unable to ascend, remaining in the world to endure endless suffering.
This type of Infant Spirit often suffers from hunger and abuse, with profound resentment, especially when the fetal age exceeds half a year or the time of stillbirth is long. The resentment accumulates infinitely with time.
The second type involves those who committed heinous crimes during their lifetime. The resentment of such individuals stems from ignorance, with no forgiveness, unable to see the truth. Only by falling into the boundless realm can liberation be possible.
Xu Qing does not fear the second type, as these sins must be borne by the deceased themselves. He only needs to guide them into the boundless realm to consider it a Rescue.
As for what extreme punishment the deceased will face, and how much calamity they will encounter subsequently, it is unrelated to him.
Only the first type is the hardest for Xu Qing to let go.
Xu Qing cursed Chen Guangrui once more. If it weren't for the County Magistrate's meddling, he wouldn't have felt so intertwined with emotions.
The faith and wish of Bao Sheng Temple, the intense obsession of mothers for their children, and the innate attachment and affection of fetuses pressed invisibly upon him like a mountain, weighing down on him as a zombie.
Xu Qing felt depressed, and the hatred towards the old Daoist Baiyun rose to a new height.
To be precise, it is not just a personal grudge between Xu Qing Xuan Yu and the old Daoist Baiyun.
But rather an enmity between Bao Sheng Temple, Lady Bao Sheng, and Ruiyi Temple.
As if sensing Xu Qing's emotions, the cat sitting by the door walked up to him and rubbed against him.
Xu Qing's mood slightly improved, so he got up and approached the deceased woman.
Flipping the pages of the Sutra of Salvation, the woman's life was mundane, only yesterday morning when she had just sent her husband and other village men off to work, only to be seized by Daoist Leizi during a lapse, who forcibly broke into her home.
Daoist Leizi threatened her with the safety of the fetus in her womb, violated her, and then went back on his word, extracting the blood fetus alive, nurturing it in warm water as a pharmaceutical guide...
The Sutra of Salvation finished flipping, and Xu Qing now held a few fetal protection pills in his hand.
The Sutra of Salvation often rewards memories practiced by the deceased in their lifetime or formed out of posthumous obsessions.
And the woman before him only wished to protect the fetus in her womb, and nothing more.
Xu Qing tidied up the remains of the woman, dressed her in proper attire, and then stood up and approached the dark furnace cauldron.
Next to the furnace cauldron, there was a wooden basin covered by a cloth skirt. Xu Qing lifted it, revealing a blood fetus writhing in the crimson warm water.
Only four or five months old, not yet fully developed, the blood fetus emerged alive before Xu Qing after separating from the mother's womb.
Yet he was powerless to save it.
The blood fetus seemed to sense something, its agonizing writhing body gradually settling down, as the warm red incense floated from the dharma realm's blood lake, enveloping the blood fetus.
Xu Qing buried the mother and child together and then left a written letter at the village household.
Inside, the letter plainly stated the sequence of events. The village woman's husband should know the details of this affair. As for how he would react afterward, that was the farmer's own affair.
"Xuan Yu is no longer afraid?"
On the way to Ruiyi Temple, Xu Qing suddenly noticed the cat beside him no longer appeared so frightened as before.
"Not afraid, Xuan Yu is Bao Sheng Temple's Protector, here to uphold Lady Bao Sheng's dignity."
"..."
...
Under Quyang's jurisdiction, Bai Long Village.
"Uncle Master, are you satisfied with this batch of pharmaceutical guides?"
The young Daoist stood at the village entrance, with over a dozen villagers in white clothes imprisoned in a carriage behind him.
Those villagers sat in the middle of a wooden bar only one foot high, curiously gazing outward.
"The material is good. When the furnace opens this time, at least a hundred batches of immortality potion can be refined. You've done well in cultivating the pharmaceutical guides. At that time, I will report to the master and leave you a few elixirs."
"Thank you, Uncle Master!"
As the two were speaking, the middle-aged Daoist suddenly glanced behind the young Daoist.
"Is this person also from the village?"
The young Daoist turned back, seeing a young man in green garb and white robe, looking gentle and refined, leading a young girl as they walked towards the two.
The young girl wore a black dress, her eyes were deep blue, her face childlike yet cold, holding a Treasure Sword emitting a cold light diagonally. Walking, she maintained a straight line, graceful and elegant.
——————————
Inside, the letter plainly stated the sequence of events. The village woman's husband should know the details of this affair. As for how he would react afterward, that was the farmer's own affair.
"Xuan Yu is no longer afraid?"
On the way to Ruiyi Temple, Xu Qing suddenly noticed the cat beside him no longer appeared so frightened as before.
"Not afraid, Xuan Yu is Bao Sheng Temple's Protector, here to uphold Lady Bao Sheng's dignity."
"..."
...
Under Quyang's jurisdiction, Bai Long Village.
"Uncle Master, are you satisfied with this batch of pharmaceutical guides?"
The young Daoist stood at the village entrance, with over a dozen villagers in white clothes imprisoned in a carriage behind him.
Those villagers sat in the middle of a wooden bar only one foot high, curiously gazing outward.
"The material is good. When the furnace opens this time, at least a hundred batches of immortality potion can be refined. You've done well in cultivating the pharmaceutical guides. At that time, I will report to the master and leave you a few elixirs."
"Thank you, Uncle Master!"
As the two were speaking, the middle-aged Daoist suddenly glanced behind the young Daoist.
"Is this person also from the village?"
The young Daoist turned back, seeing a young man in green garb and white robe, looking gentle and refined, leading a young girl as they walked towards the two.
The young girl wore a black dress, her eyes were deep blue, her face childlike yet cold, holding a Treasure Sword emitting a cold light diagonally. Walking, she maintained a straight line, graceful and elegant.