I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality-Chapter 72 - 61: Transformation into a Zombie

Although Wang Qiao’s son was young, his mind was meticulous.

Having experienced the blow of his parents’ deaths, he did not succumb to despair. Instead, he quickly recovered. As the only male of the Wang family, it was natural for him to take on the responsibilities of life.

Assigning his grandmother and sister to a side, the young Wang Liang already exhibited a trace of maturity.

"There are no outsiders here. Junior sincerely seeks guidance once more. Sir, may I ask, did my father really die by accident?"

Xu Qing was a little surprised. He thought perhaps Wang Qiao’s elderly mother might come to inquire about this matter, but he did not expect the youngest son of the Wang family.

"Your father waited day and night at the dock to find a divine doctor who could cure tuberculosis. To earn money for the treatment, he would help carry goods whenever he had spare time..."

"Your father’s death was due to unfortunate circumstances, beyond human power to reverse."

Xu Qing took out the autopsy results issued by the government office morgue and the eyewitness testimonies recorded by the constable at the dock, clearing away Wang Liang’s doubts.

"I understand. Thank you, sir, for transporting my father’s remains. I will forever remember this kindness." As Wang Liang spoke, he took out a money pouch containing the Wang family’s cobbled-together silver coins. Although not much, it was still a considerable amount for an ordinary rural household.

Xu Qing waved his hand in refusal.

"I was transporting the coffin for your father because I was on my way to the prefecture city for an exam. It was convenient; it’s no big deal."

"As for this silver, if you want to run a household, you can’t do it without money in your pocket."

As soon as Xu Qing finished speaking, the boy in front of him showed a range of expressions and then knelt before him with a thud.

"Sir, I wish to use this money as tuition, respectfully asking you to accept me as a disciple and teach me your skills."

Looking at the kneeling boy presenting the tuition, Xu Qing was bewildered, wondering what was going on now.

"Don’t worship me. What skills do I have to teach you? I am but an ordinary scholar..."

"Sir, don’t be modest. Just now, I saw you single-handedly lift the coffin when no one in the village dared to help. I boldly guess that you must be a Martial Master with immense strength..."

"I have been studying for years, knowing my dullness. I cannot earn scholarly honors. With my parents now deceased, if I don’t have any skills, I’m afraid my family will suffer. If so, it would be a disservice to my parents. But more than that, I’m concerned for my grandmother and my younger sister..."

Seeing Wang Liang’s clear articulation and bright mind, Xu Qing felt a sense of hesitation.

Parents deceased, a younger sister at home, the boy displaying exceptional maturity and decisiveness—

Everything about him seemed like a protagonist template.

What’s more commendable is that Wang Liang, at such a young age, was willing to kneel and beg for learning, not for himself but for his family. With such a mindset, if nothing unexpected happens, he will definitely achieve something great in the future.

Xu Qing pondered for a long time, letting Wang Liang kneel without getting up. After a while, he finally spoke:

"I’m used to being alone and do not like accepting disciples. If you truly want to learn some skills, I can teach you some self-defense techniques. As for how far you can go in the future, it depends on your own fate."

Having said that, he had Wang Liang come closer and began to measure the boy’s bone structure with his hand.

Xu Qing had met many Inner Cultivation Martial Artists in the past. While he was not as knowledgeable as a Martial Master running a dojo, he was more than capable of guiding someone into the martial arts path.

"Turn around and relax your body."

Measuring bone structure involves examining the waist, shoulders, neck, hips, and the fascia along the spine.

With a glance, Xu Qing saw that Wang Liang had a thick neck, broad shoulders, full and long arms, making him suitable for practicing either archery, swordsmanship, or hand and palm techniques.

After some thought, he placed one hand on Wang Liang’s shoulder and the other on his spine.

"Brace yourself."

As Xu Qing moved his hands, Wang Liang let out a muffled grunt, gritted his teeth, and soon his forehead was covered in sweat.

Xu Qing was surprised. A normal person, let alone a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy, wouldn’t be able to endure the pain of having their bones and tendons measured.

This kid indeed had some fortitude.

After finishing, Xu Qing took out paper and a brush. Using the Danqing skill he had just acquired, he drew and described the training methods for the Dragon Seal Tiger Form Fist and the key points of the Light Body Skill, along with some textual annotations.

Apart from the Dragon Seal Tiger Form Fist, he spent another hour explaining the considerations from external to internal cultivation to Wang Liang.

The young boy had an excellent understanding of martial arts, remembering everything after one explanation.

"I still don’t know the honorific name of my master..."

"I already said I don’t accept disciples, and my name is not worth mentioning."

Upon hearing this, Wang Liang’s expression became momentarily despondent, but was soon replaced by determination.

"The kindness of teaching and guidance is like parental care. I will never forget it. Even if you do not leave your name, I will remember your kindness."

Having said this, Wang Liang deeply bowed to him.

Xu Qing paid little attention. These were just small episodes in his journey. He was just a passerby, and would not halt his steps because of this.

Later, clouds gathered, and a spring thunder startled countless raindrops to fall.

Wang Liang’s eyes were full of hope, wanting to ask Xu Qing to stay another night.

Xu Qing did not stay. Taking the raincoat given by Wang Liang’s younger sister, he smiled and patted the little girl’s head.

The seven or eight-year-old girl, her eyes swollen and bubbles coming out of her nose, had already started to accept the life of relying on her brother and grandmother.

Putting on the raincoat, Xu Qing took a few Strength Pills and some qi-enhancing medicines from the Mountain and River Map and handed them to Wang Liang before leaving, hoping that he could truly protect his family in the future.

...

In the misty rain, Xu Qing sat in the front compartment of the cart, letting the horse walk along the official road.

The sky gradually darkened, and the rain seemed to fall harder, the thunder overhead becoming more terrifying.

Travelers on the official road turned into a side path. Xu Qing asked around and learned that there was a small temple there to shelter from the rain.

Seeing those scholars and traveling merchants turn into the side path, Xu Qing hesitated. Then a bolt of lightning flashed in the sky, startling him.

In the secular world, common lightning was usually Supreme Yang, very hostile to evil beings. As a Zombie, Xu Qing did not want to leave the crowd to face the thunder alone.

...

In the wilderness, a small temple with a roaring campfire.

Xu Qing hung his raincoat to dry, joining the scholars and various people of the martial world chatting.

Their topics were nothing more than the upcoming spring exams and some martial world anecdotes. freёnovelkiss.com

In the middle, a storyteller traveling from south to north told a story of supernatural entities by the firelight.

A few self-righteous scholars occasionally made critical remarks, saying the words were inelegant, somewhat coarse. But when the story unfolded, they held their breath, forgetting their criticism.

The campfire crackled. When the storyteller finished one story, the crowd urged him to tell another, but he refused no matter what.

"I must save my voice for storytelling in the prefecture city. If you have time, you can find me at the teahouse then."

With the storyteller silent, another young scholar preparing for the exam took over, telling a story about corpse transformation.

"In Yangxin County, there was an old man living in Caidian Village..."