I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality
Chapter 186 - 113: The Ways of Claiming a Corpse_2

Chapter 186: Chapter 113: The Ways of Claiming a Corpse_2

The army of the Protectorate consisted of 149 soldiers. After the battle with the Western Rong envoy, they had a loss of seven soldiers, leaving only 142 soldiers to guard this solitary fortress.

After Li Shang sent Badomu’s body to the Quanqiu tribe, he would stop by the fortress walls for several consecutive days.

All because there was a river not far outside the city. Originating from the waters of the high mountains, the river meandered for countless miles, eventually flowing through the entirety of Dayong and emptying into the shores of the East Sea.

"With the Witch God’s protection, perhaps Badomu might be fortunate enough to witness the grand scenery of Dayong along his journey..."

...

Linhe Wharf, on the corpse-transporting boat.

Xu Qing remained silent.

Who could have imagined that events taking place thousands of miles away would affect the stability of the dynasty, and that brave warriors like Badomu would remain unknown to the world.

Xu Qing took out the mortician’s tools and silently touched up the makeup of the man before him.

Once he had completed all of this, Xu Qing finally looked at the reward from the Sutra of Salvation.

A mid-grade Corpse Fixing Technique, and a high-grade High Mountain Flower.

The Corpse Fixing Technique, also known as the Undecaying Technique, could make a corpse remain undecomposed for a thousand years, its appearance just like in life.

The High Mountain Flower was a pure flower, resembling a snow lotus with nine petals. Its function was to dispel evil qi, resentful qi, or hateful qi when a petal was ingested.

Xu Qing gazed at the flower, pondered for a long while, and couldn’t find a suitable candidate to consume it.

He thought, let it gather dust in the Mountain and River Map for now, and save it for another time.

With a slight thought, a lot of milk-white luminescent lotus appeared on the river in the Mountain and River Map and drifted along with the river flow.

After handling the matters at hand, Xu Qing looked back at the corpse before him. Such a brave warrior would likely be turned into a corpse slave in the mines if sent to the Jinmen Gang’s mortuary, which would be a truly tragic fate.

"Jinmen Gang..."

Xu Qing looked around, saw no guards watching the corpse, and with a wave of his hand, he placed Badomu’s body into the Box Garden.

A gentleman loves corpses and does so with principle.

As for if Steward Cai asked about it, he would say that this man was his long-lost brother. If some money was needed to redeem him, he could pay any amount of Qingfu coins!

...

Xu Qing pushed the cart and arrived at the Patrol Office. He was no longer an unknown, lowly Corpse Driver.

When he entered the government office, most of the officials, big and small, would greet him, calling him Shopkeeper Xu or Mr. Xu.

Xu Qing had a premonition that the future affairs of these people might all go through his hands, with him sending them off with proper makeup.

Upon entering the forensic room, Wang Lingyuan immediately put down his work and rushed over to him, overflowing with concern.

"Good, good, your arms and legs are still the same. They said you had been completely consumed by Water Ghosts, but I didn’t believe it. Someone as capable as you couldn’t possibly die so easily."

Die? Xu Qing let out a silent laugh.

That was indeed not an opportunity available to him.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. I have nothing to repay you with but this corpse. I hope you will like it."

"..."

Wang Lingyuan stroked his chin and pondered, "Could this corpse be tied to a case?"

Xu Qing nodded, then revealed all the doubts related to Zheng Deli’s body.

"The helmsman had gone to the Corpse Recovery Team, saying this man fell into the water and asked the team to salvage and rescue him. A passenger, Yuan Hu, vouched for this."

"But when I fished him out, I found he was only wearing his undergarments. After questioning the steward of the Corpse Recovery Team, I learned that Zheng Deli was originally wearing valuable clothing..."

"You suspect the helmsman was moved by greed, killed Zheng Deli, and falsely claimed he fell into the water?"

Wang Lingyuan said, but then immediately shook his head, "However, according to what you said, the passenger also saw Zheng Deli falling into the water. This could only be explained if the helmsman had bribed the passenger to give false testimony, or if the two were in cahoots from the start. Otherwise, it makes no sense."

"Moreover, even if someone did strip the body of its clothing, they could say that it was other fishermen or boatmen who removed it after Zheng Deli fell into the water..."

Xu Qing smiled upon hearing this, "For a proper investigation, you have to listen with the five senses: listening to their words, observing their expressions, sensing their tones, hearing their voices, and seeing their state. But I would add a sixth sense: listening to the corpse."

"Listening to the corpse?" Wang Lingyuan curiously asked, "How can a corpse speak?"

Xu Qing laughed heartily, "This is your specialty, Senior Brother. How could you ask me? A forensic doctor’s examination involves listening to the corpse’s story, doesn’t it?"

Wang Lingyuan realized it and then laughed and scolded, "Examining a corpse is exactly that, you aren’t playing any tricks. I thought you had the ability to ask questions to the dead directly, but so this is what you meant."

At that moment, clouds gathered in the sky, making the room dim. Xu Qing lit a lamp to assist, and Wang Lingyuan carefully examined Zheng Deli’s body, indeed finding something amiss.

"There are strangulation marks around the neck. The lips and nails are not cyanotic. The neck groove is even, with consistent depth, indicating death by strangulation rather than a hanging where the body was lifted off the ground."

To confirm his judgment, Wang Lingyuan took a scalpel and opened Zheng Deli’s chest for further examination.

"There is no froth from the mouth or nose, and the lungs are dry and without luster. This body did not die from drowning!"

Wang Lingyuan removed his leather gloves.

Beside him, Xu Qing had already prepared a blank file and ink brush.

Wang Lingyuan began to record Zheng Deli’s case.

"Just wait a moment, Junior Brother. If you are hungry, you can go to Sibu Hall in the office for a meal..."

"No, thank you. The weather looks unstable. It might rain again later. I will return to my shop for now, and visit you another time."

Xu Qing’s stays at the forensic room were often related to the number of corpses present.

Since there were no additional bodies today, he had no reason to linger.

Xu Qing kept track of time and hurried back to the Underground Street within half an hour.

Returning the cart, he went back to his shop, and as Hu Baosong had mentioned, a violent storm had indeed risen outside.

Thunder roared outside the Funeral Shop, and Xu Qing hid inside his shop, secretly clicking his tongue.

In such stormy weather, danger could easily arise on the waters, and the wharf was never short of fishermen risking their lives for their livelihood.

The stronger the storm, the higher the price of fish.

Every time it rained, the probability of Treasure Fish appearing increased.

At such times, brave fishermen would go out to fish, hoping to turn their fortunes around.

But in Xu Qing’s view, the chances of their boats capsizing were far greater.

"Looks like I’ll need to take an outside job at the Corpse Recovery Team tomorrow..."

Gathering his thoughts, Xu Qing instructed Xuan Yu to close the shop’s door, then took out the Water Daoist’s corpse to start the salvation ritual.

But before the ritual, to be safe, Xu Qing bound the Water Daoist’s corpse with three layers of the five-colored rope soaked in the Holy Spirit Water.

He still remembered the vicious curses this Daoist had uttered before dying.

The wicked Daoist was so sinister in life; who knew what tricks he might have left behind to harm him in death.

Flipping through the Sutra of Salvation, familiar passages echoed in his mind.

"The human path is vast, the celestial path is rugged.

The ghost path is joyous, follow the human door in life.

The celestial path values life, the ghost path values death.

The celestial path is always auspicious, the ghost path is always ominous..."

As the sutra played, it began to repeat continuously. Xu Qing looked down and saw the Water Daoist’s corpse suddenly open its eyes, with strands of dark red mist emerging from its ghostly white, murky eyes.

"Gaa—"

The Water Daoist’s mouth opened wide, and a thick cloud of resentful evil qi shot directly towards Xu Qing’s face.

Xu Qing quickly dodged backward, holding his sword to block, but the glob of qi, seemingly immaterial, passed through his treasure sword and entered his body.

"Ugh—"

Xu Qing couldn’t help but groan.

The moment the dense yin qi entered, he felt a peculiar energy surge through him, like a ravenous wolf devouring a plump lamb, or a shivering person in the depths of winter drinking a hearty broth, a sensation indescribable in words.

The immense yin qi within Xu Qing tore and consumed the foreign entity. At that moment, he faintly heard the Water Daoist’s terrified voice.

"You’re not a demonist, you’re an evil fiend!"

"Spare me! I’m willing to serve you!"

"Ah! Fiend, you shall die a terrible death!"

...

In the end, Xu Qing let out a belch, expelling black ominous qi from his mouth.

Sifting out the impurities, the qi was the Water Daoist’s resentment, now digested beyond recognition.

Returning to the corpse, Xu Qing lifted the curse, and the Sutra of Salvation continued to turn pages.

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