I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality

In Chen Mancang’s memory, the Infant-Saving Old Mother was the deity being worshiped, and the widow that Old Huang referred to should be the temple priest of the Child-Giving Temple.

Xu Qing expressed his doubt: "I heard that the widow of the Child-Giving Temple is just the temple priest, how come from your mouth she turns into the Infant-Saving Old Mother?"

Old Huang said nonchalantly: "There’s nothing strange about it. Even immortals need disciples to act on their behalf, and the Infant-Saving Old Mother is no exception."

Xu Qing suddenly understood: "Since the temple priest is a disguise of the Infant-Saving Old Mother, then the deity worshiped in the Child-Giving Temple isn’t the Infant-Saving Old Mother, but the deity who gave birth to those dead infants with the temple priest!"

Old Huang exhaled a ring of smoke, nodded and said: "You are not wrong. The region for a hundred miles around the Child-Giving Temple believes in the efficacy of the Infant-Saving Old Mother. As long as you offer incense, you can pray for a son and get a son, or pray for a daughter and get a daughter. But no one outside the area is willing to come forward and say that the babies born after ten months of pregnancy are all dead infants!"

"They just think it’s their own lack of virtue or sincerity that caused the fetus to be stillborn. But what they don’t know is, in Huangping Village, the righteous man Huang, and in Jiugou Village, Mr. Shi, they are good people through and through, but even the children they prayed for ended up as dead infants, didn’t they?"

Xu Qing continued to ask: "There must be a reason why the Child-Giving Temple is doing this. Is it to deceive people for incense offerings, or is there another purpose... It can’t be just for fun, that would be too wicked!"

"Don’t ask me, I’m just an Old Yellow Weasel. How would I understand human affairs? Even if I knew, I wouldn’t bother getting involved!"

"Stop smoking!"

Xu Qing squinted his eyes, reached out, and snatched the pipe from Old Huang’s hand.