I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality
Chapter 280 - 156: The False Death Syndrome

Chapter 280: Chapter 156: The False Death Syndrome

Fake death, also known as feigned death, exists as a technique among the peripheral and eclectic arts of the Jianghu. It is said that during the previous dynasty, the emperor summoned Ge Hongwen of Songyun Temple on Henglu Mountain to the court to assume the position of National Master. This cultivator of true virtue didn’t want to openly refuse, so he feigned death right in front of his own temple.

At that time, during the height of summer, Ge Hongwen’s body quickly decomposed, attracting flies in an instant. The emperor’s envoy, seeing this, believed it to be true and chose not to persist in coercing Ge Hongwen.

However, later, someone spotted Ge Hongwen again in Linzhou. When the new emperor heard of this, he became even more convinced of Ge Hongwen’s true talents and skills and, following the former emperor’s example, sent someone to invite him to court once more. This time, Ge Hongwen repeated his old trick and ’died’ again.

From then on, with the downfall of the previous dynasty, Ge Hongwen’s name vanished into the mundane world, and no one knew whether he was still alive.

Only Xu Qing, who had performed the rites for Ge Hongwen’s named disciples, knew that this man was still alive and possessed unfathomably profound skills.

Looking at the Zhang family’s young lady lying breathless before him, her pulse not beating, Xu Qing didn’t believe the woman also knew the art of feigned death.

The world is full of strange occurrences. Sometimes when a person dies, they’re cold, yet when it comes time for their funeral and burial, sounds of knocking emanate from the coffin. This is either a case of a zombie or ’fake death’.

Fake death is akin to shock, where the body inadvertently touches a nerve, entering a dormant state. If you open the coffin at this time, the person might become alive again.

However, there are those who, out of fear, dare not open the coffin and proceed to bury the person. Some people awaken from fake death only after being entombed.

Such cases have been common from ancient to modern times. Some only discover scratches and dried blood all over the coffin lid when they move spirits or change coffins.

Following funeral customs, the body should lie in state for seven days. In summer, the body is kept in a cool place for two or three days until there’s a slight change, then buried, which is reasonable.

The fear lies in not following the rules, burying the body immediately, or cremating it after just one day.

More tragically, there have been cases where someone awakens in the middle of being burned alive, and though you wish to save them, it’s nearly impossible, only causing them further suffering.

Xu Qing originally planned to move the spirit and conduct the funeral, but unexpectedly encountered such a rare event today.

In all his years running a funeral parlor, this was as rare as a maiden on a bridal sedan: a first.

Beside the grave, the nursing couple observed Xu Qing’s frowning and relaxing brows, not understanding the situation.

Xu Qing contemplated the ’corpse’ of the Zhang family’s young lady in front of him.

In cases of fake death shock, common sense suggests taking emergency measures such as artificial respiration.

But who knew about that at this time? Even if he asked the nursemaid beside him for help, could they perform the procedure properly?

Xu Qing attempting it personally was absolutely out of the question. Transferring what breath to a zombie?

If he transferred a breath of yin energy and even a lively person might instantly collapse.

He might even be accused by the nursing couple of being a lecher with psychological issues and taken to the magistrate for trial.

Fortunately, Xu Qing knew quite a lot. When he conducted rites for Ge Hongwen’s disciple and became close to Li Si’s honorary ’godfather’, the old doctor Yang Chunfu, he gained a Human-level Medical Dao needle technique called the ’Jia-Yi Acupuncture Technique’, and three Ten Thousand Spirits Pills for emergency use.

Jia-Yi Acupuncture Technique is a miraculous art for healers. This set of techniques contains stimulating therapies for shock and fake death.

Even if the needle technique didn’t work, Xu Qing had the Ten Thousand Spirits Pill as a backup plan.

The Ten Thousand Spirits Pill can cure countless diseases and detoxify. If given to someone on their deathbed or terminally ill, it can extend their life for farewell affairs or even aid in recovery from a severe illness!

An instructor who fakes death, and a pupil who learned to treat fake death—this coincidence is quite something.

Saving a life is like fighting a fire, so Xu Qing did not hesitate any longer. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled out his needle tools from the Mountain and River Map.

Targeting the chest, philtrum, and soles, Xu Qing applied the needles over clothing and, for the Yongquan point on the sole, removed the shoes and inserted through the stockings.

The Zhang Mansion’s nurse and cook watched Xu Qing administer needles to the ’corpse’ with great confusion, exchanging puzzled glances as the cook approached to inquire. But Xu Qing only frowned and shook his head, as if faced with a perplexing medical case in a clinic.

About three to five breaths later, Xu Qing suddenly relaxed his brows and smiled.

The nursing couple didn’t understand until the young lady in a funeral dress in the coffin suddenly gasped and sat up, breathing heavily.

Good heavens! The young lady has come back from the dead!

The cook was so frightened his legs went limp, while the nurse’s lips quivered in fear. They had watched Zhang Wan grow up, or they’d have collapsed to the ground in shock.

Xu Qing asked the nurse to help care for Zhang Wan, but the woman, terrified of the rising dead, dared not approach.

Xu Qing then said to her, "You are half her mother, and she is half your daughter. Would she harm you?"

Finally, Xu Qing added, "The Zhang family’s young mistress had a fake death condition, merely fell asleep, and has now awakened. Proper rest and care will restore her as before."

In the coffin, Zhang Wan looked at the fair young man beside her and the nurse standing at the edge of the grave, feeling puzzled.

Didn’t she slam into a wall to end her life? Where was this place...

Upon hearing Xu Qing’s explanation and seeing the scabs on Zhang Wan’s forehead and her pale, frail face, the nurse’s compassion and grief overwhelmed her fear. Although they hadn’t exchanged words of affection yet, they embraced and cried together.

Seeing this, Xu Qing frowned. This young lady had just danced with death, her body too feeble to withstand such overwhelming emotions.

After the cook managed to coax them out of the grave, Xu Qing had the nurse borrow the caretaker’s stove to prepare soup, which Zhang Wan drank.

During this, the old caretaking man returned, seeing Zhang Wan alive on his heated bed, he was taken aback. View the correct content at NovelFire

Having watched over graves for so many years, he’d seen every kind of situation, but a return from the dead was a first for him.

This life was not lived in vain!

Seeing Zhang Wan truly alive, the cook prepared to return to the Zhang Mansion with the news.

Hearing this, Zhang Wan stopped him.

"People say that the world’s storms are like knives, yet only the old nest under the family’s eaves is warm enough to let one heal. But I feel that my family’s words cut deeper than swords. If I return, I fear I won’t survive even a moment..."

The nurse and cook exchanged glances, but Xu Qing faced them and said, "Zhiyuan is a filial person. The reason for his absence is that he went to the capital to clear his father’s name. Zhiyuan surely mentioned this to Miss Zhang, but perhaps someone at the Zhang family believed gossip, saying Zhiyuan loitered at gambling houses, indulging in vice. They even claimed Magistrate Zhang took in an extravagant son-in-law."

"Others might not know Zhiyuan’s character, but having been wed and shared a bed with him, I imagine Miss Zhang knows his nature better than anyone else."

"Gossip is biting. Even if Miss Zhang returns to the Zhang Mansion, she risks being harmed by malicious words from those with evil intent. It would be better to withdraw for now, recuperate, and plan once Zhiyuan returns."

Touched by Xu Qing’s words, Zhang Wan sobbed once more.

For days, her family listened solely to her sister and brother-in-law, ignoring her words. She didn’t expect her husband’s friend to be so understanding.

Beside her, Zhang Wan’s nurse spoke with righteous indignation, "Who else would spread these words throughout the mansion but the eldest brother-in-law and eldest sister? I wish I’d seen through them earlier, sparing you this suffering."

Her husband, the Zhang family’s cook, hesitated and said, "If Miss doesn’t return to the Zhang Mansion, she’ll need a place to stay. She can’t live in this cemetery..."

Forcing a smile, Zhang Wan said, "It’s no matter. I can find a monastery to live in, adhering to a vegetarian diet and chanting prayers for my husband’s well-being."

Upon hearing the suggestion of a monastery, Xu Qing immediately thought of the unscrupulous nuns at the Child-Giving Temple.

"Miss Zhang, the monastery isn’t truly home. Without a trusted contact, it might not be a secure refuge either. However, if you’re willing to endure a bit of hardship, you could go to Zhiyuan’s home. His mother is there, and you two can look after each other as mother and daughter." NovelFire

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