I was forced to cultivate immortality when I just wanted to lie down

Chapter 163 The mastermind behind the scenes
Escorts often traveled all over the country, covering a wide range of areas, and naturally gained a lot of knowledge and experience.

Therefore, whenever a caravan stops for a rest, people from the martial arts world always like to talk to the caravan's guards and ask them about the news they've heard along the way.

Although Tianjin is not far from the capital, the news of the Tianxin Sect rebels' assassination attempt on the emperor had not yet spread. Xu Qing and Master Feng, however, got a taste of the juicy gossip from the bodyguards first.

"It's really strange, there's been a lot of thunder in the capital lately, and it's always like a bolt from the blue! The Celestial Master's Mansion has such a prestigious name, but the main hall was struck by lightning and a huge hole was left. I heard it's only just been repaired." The gold-clad bodyguard smacked his lips, seemingly trying to force a connection between the unusual celestial phenomena in the capital and the assassination attempt on the emperor.

After all, the Celestial Master's Mansion is backed by the imperial family. If the Celestial Master's Mansion is struck by lightning, wouldn't that mean the imperial family's fate is also in trouble?
The gold-plated bodyguard in front of me is good in every way. He really steps up when something happens during escort missions. The only problem is that he has no sense of propriety and dares to say anything.

Do you think he did it on purpose? Not really. To put it bluntly, this guy is just a boorish brute, lacking any sense of responsibility.

Fearing he might utter some more outrageous remarks, the escort interrupted him and began discussing business matters.

Once everyone had finished their conversation, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) took the opportunity to say goodbye and led his team away from Master Feng's residence.

Seeing that there was no one else around, Master Feng pulled Xu Qing over to his newly delivered goods and together they appraised the valuable antiques and paintings.

“These are all from the previous dynasty. Look at this birdcage. It is said that during the Xi Dynasty, the Southern Yan presented a pair of canaries to Emperor Hongming, and this is the cage used to house those precious birds.”

"This is a perfect opportunity to use it as a new home for my uncle."

A birdcage worth a fortune, used to house chickens?
Xu Qing looked at the glittering birdcage inlaid with agate and gemstones and wondered if the chicken was also edged with gold.
If birdcages had intelligence, they'd probably rather have just rotted away in the workshop.

The two chatted about the birdcage, completely disregarding whether Jinluan and her uncle wanted to stay in it.

"Second Master, I came to see you today because I have something to discuss."

Feng Erye didn't think too much about it. When he heard that Xu Qing was in trouble, he quickly called out, "Look at you, you're chatting with me even though you have something to do. Tell me quickly, as long as I can help, I'll definitely lend a hand!"

No wonder people say that among the gangsters, Second Master is the most righteous. Look at his personality, how open and generous he is.

"Actually, this matter..." Xu Qing was about to say that he came for the Second Master, but he changed his mind as soon as the words were on the tip of his tongue.

"Does Second Master trust me?"

"Look at what you're saying. We're in the same circle, and you've helped me a lot. Last time the escort agency had an accident, you even helped with the rituals."

"If I don't trust you as a friend, am I supposed to trust the fake medicine sellers on the dry bridge?"

"Just tell me what's wrong!"

Xu Qing was secretly pleased. Master Feng was too timid, but with these words as a foundation, things would be much easier from here on out.

"Second Master, since that's the case, you'll have to listen to me from now on. I can't promise you anything else, but I can guarantee one thing: I will never harm you!"

At first, Master Feng didn't think anything was wrong, but when Xu Qing opened his uncle's cage in front of him and had Jin Luan take his uncle away, Master Feng panicked completely.

"Hey, wait a minute! Brother Xu, you can't joke like that. I'm a scaredy-cat, don't scare me!"

"Second Master, don't be afraid. The more afraid you are, the stronger those evil spirits will become," Xu Qing comforted him. "Second Master, you don't need to worry about Uncle either. I just asked Jinluan to take it out for some fresh air. I think it's getting quite bored staying in its cage all day."

Was I worried about it?

Now it's not stuffy anymore, but I can hardly breathe!

Master Feng said anxiously, "With Uncle here, that harmful thing won't dare to come over. If it senses that Uncle isn't here, it will definitely come over to harm people again."

"My benefactor was so powerful in his intervention, but what did he end up like? He died a gruesome death! Not a single piece of his flesh was left; it was all eaten by insects."

"Brother Xu, listen to my advice, let's go out and find chickens now, it's not too late!"

Xu Qing pulled over a grand chair, twirled some walnuts in his hands, and sat down as if nothing had happened.

"Didn't Second Master say he trusted me? Then I have to live up to that trust. Second Master, don't be afraid. Let's have a chat. Maybe after all these years, that evil thing has disappeared."

Master Feng sighed and could only sit quietly in the hall and wait.

In the reception room, the water clock dripped softly, and sunlight cast dappled shadows outside the threshold. Some time had passed since Jinluan and her uncle left, and Feng Erye picked up a teacup with a troubled expression.

But when he lifted the lid, intending to blow away the foam and take a sip of tea, a black and gold worm suddenly emerged from the edge of the tea spout.

Then came the second and third points.
"Oh dear!" Master Feng felt his scalp tighten and goosebumps rose on the back of his hands.

Almost instinctively, he threw the teacup away, and the sound of shattering porcelain followed immediately.

Xu Qing looked in the direction of the sound and saw a bunch of tiny insects, about an inch long, crawling out from the broken porcelain.

This was truly a matter of life and death for Master Feng. He jumped onto the table, wishing he could climb up the pillars to the roof beams!
Xu Qing frowned, his eyes turning completely black as if ink had been poured into them.

Under the watchful gaze of his Heavenly Eye and Yin Eyes, all those shadowy creatures of the underworld were taken in by his eyes.

Xu Qing saw several transparent threads connecting the outside of the hall to the inside, those veins resembling human meridians connecting the broken teacup.

Besides the teacup, some branches of the silk thread were connected to the roof, and some were connected to the gaps between the tables and chairs. The thickest silk thread was connected to the place where Master Feng was hiding on the chopping board.

"Brother Xu, you're very capable, quickly think of a solution! My body is incredibly itchy, I'm afraid I've been possessed by that filthy thing!"

Master Feng pulled open his long gown and saw that a ring of red dots had appeared on his chest, and under the red dots, it looked as if tiny insects were burrowing under his skin.

The scene before him reminded Master Feng of the horrific sight of his entire family being devoured by insects until they were just empty shells.

"My life is over!"

Master Feng's face was ashen, and his lips trembled as he said, "Brother Xu, if you can't come up with a solution, I won't blame you. I just ask that you give me a quick death and perform a proper Buddhist ritual for me in the future, and get me a good coffin that won't be eaten by worms."

Xu Qing frowned as he looked at the insect, then suddenly said, "Second Master, open your mouth!"

Before Master Feng could react, Xu Qing had already reached out and taken out a pill the size of a pigeon egg, and forcibly stuffed it into Master Feng's mouth.

It was a panacea that could cure all diseases and detoxify all poisons.

This elixir, as its name suggests, can be used in various situations. For example, it can be placed in a bowl of arsenic mixed with water to neutralize the poison.

If fed to a person nearing the end of their life, it can give them a breath of fresh air so they can make their final wishes. If fed to someone dying of illness, it can cure them completely!
Even someone with unspeakable troubles can regain their vigor with just one pill.

Not long after Master Feng took the pill, his whole body became burning hot. The poisonous insects that were burrowing under his skin turned around and fled. Before long, seven brightly colored insects covered with dotted patterns crawled out from Master Feng's chest.

Xu Qing reacted quickly, taking out the Thousand Insect Gu Jar, opening the lid, and putting the poisonous insects that had spread their fleshy wings and were trying to escape into the jar.

The Thousand Insect Gu Jar is a container for cultivating Gu Kings. It can hold thousands of poisonous insects at a time. Once the insects are put in, they will lose their minds and fight and devour each other. Only the one that survives to the end will become the Gu King.

Xu Qing didn't know the names of these insects or what their purpose was, but putting them in a gu jar to raise gu was definitely the right thing to do.

Regardless of what kind of insect it is, the one that survives in the end will definitely be the most powerful Gu worm. Before that, he doesn't need to bother distinguishing them.

After dealing with the poisonous insects on Master Feng's body, Xu Qing then gathered all the other insects crawling around the hall into the Gu jar.

After doing all this, Xu Qing took out a golden rooster feather, chanted the Helping Soldiers Incantation, lit incense, and invited the immortals. Before long, the golden phoenix, carrying his uncle, flapped its wings and flew in from outside the courtyard wall.

Xu Qing turned around and instructed, "I already know where this harmful thing is hidden. Second Master, just stay here and don't wander around. I'll be right back!"

After greeting Jin Luan, Xu Qing opened his Yin Eyes again.

The moment the eldest uncle left, Gu worms appeared in Master Feng's house. This shows that whatever Master Feng had offended was watching nearby, otherwise it would not have reacted so quickly.

Following the transparent threads that connect poisonous insects in the air, Xu Qing climbed over several courtyard walls and made his way along the alley to the innermost house.

Upon arriving at the destination, Xu Qing pondered for a moment and then simply brought out the paper figure funeral procession he had previously created.

Those skilled in using Gu poison are often cunning and ruthless. Sometimes you don't know how many types of Gu worms they raise, or what characteristics these worms have.

Among them are venomous insects that prey on corpses, such as the bone-eating worms and black-blooded bats of the southwest, as well as the dream-catching spiders and carrion-eating beetles that have appeared in the Yinhe Ancient Road.

These insects made even Xu Qing, a zombie, feel uneasy, let alone ordinary people.

These insects might not be able to bite through the silver-armored corpse's defenses, but if they crawled onto the body, it would inevitably make people feel disgusted.

Jin Luan was still unaware of what was going on. After the thirty-two straw spirits carried the paper sedan chair out of the alley, Xu Qing lifted the curtain and let Jin Luan go in and be a master for a while.

Jinluan is not afraid of evil spirits, and is not afraid even when she sees paper figures and paper sedan chairs.

However, when Jinluan heard that Xu Qing would let it ride in a sedan chair like a king and that it would be fed insects later, it became somewhat hesitant.

How could someone who plucks feathers from a passing goose and slaps a dog just for walking by be so kind?
Jinluan was reluctant to go in, feeling that the other party was up to no good, but Xu Qing was its meal ticket now.

When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.

Normally, Yizhen would never buy insects for it to eat, let alone catch them.
With a grumble and a reluctant acceptance of Xu Qing's instructions, Jin Luan stepped into the sedan chair. In the next instant, a gust of cold wind lifted the paper sedan chair, which then floated lightly into the courtyard.

In the courtyard, a person was sitting cross-legged on the ground, ringing a bell and chanting.

Beside the bell ringer were numerous earthenware jars of all sizes.

The weather in August is usually hot and dry, but the owner of this courtyard was wearing thick robes, wrapped up tightly in three layers, and even had a veil on his head that looked like a paper doll, making him look like a freshly wrapped rice dumpling!
As Xu Qing manipulated the paper figure, besides noticing its strange attire, he also noticed the earthenware jars in the courtyard where insects were being cultivated.

"Who are you?!"

The Gu Master, dressed in a thick gray robe, looked at the suddenly arriving paper doll procession with suspicion and uncertainty.

In broad daylight, the sudden loss of contact with the Gu worms he had carefully cultivated was already enough to alarm him, but before he could even catch his breath, another group of underworld creatures appeared in the courtyard.

Who can stand this!
While the Gu Master was staring intently at the paper figures and paper sedan chairs, the paper figures controlled by Xu Qing were also sizing each other up.

So this is the person who caused trouble for Master Feng.

The underworld profession is considered unorthodox and involves all sorts of people, but Xu Qing had never seen a person like this before—one who murders an entire family, leaves only one survivor, and then relentlessly pursues them, even living in the same alley as them, constantly seeking an opportunity to eliminate them completely.

What deep-seated hatred must there be?!
Seeing that the paper figure in front of him remained silent and there was no movement from inside the paper sedan chair, the Gu Master leaned on his cane and stood up.

"I understand now. You're the helper that guy surnamed Feng hired. No wonder my insects never came back. It turns out you ruined my plans."

As he spoke, the Gu Master suddenly shook the cane in his hand.

A string of bells was tied to the cane, and when the chaotic sound of the bells rang out, the earthenware pot on the ground began to emit colorful poisonous smoke.

In the smoke, flying insects swooped towards the paper sedan chair, while various reptiles with hundreds or thousands of legs surged towards it like a tide covering the ground.

Xu Qing wanted to test the power of these Gu worms, so he controlled a paper figure to lead the way into the swarm of worms.

Countless crawling and beetle-like flying insects overwhelmed the paper figure, and Xu Qing's desperate wielding of the paper knife could not completely eliminate the endless stream of insects.

After about four or five breaths, Xu Qing discovered that there were many holes on 'his' body caused by insect bites.

Insects are naturally able to restrain paper. Even a refined paper doll would find it difficult to withstand the constant biting of a certain number of Gu worms.

After Xu Qing understood the paper figure's flaws, he stopped testing it.

Beside the paper sedan chair, the Chuling who had been guarding the door decisively lifted the curtain. The next moment, the Golden Phoenix, who could no longer contain itself, pounced straight at the insects.

As the Gu Master watched the paper sedan chair being lifted, he assumed that some powerful underworld figure was sitting inside, but instead, a golden rooster with glowing green eyes pounced out!

The Gu Master watched as the chicken ate insects as if they were nothing, and he couldn't sit still any longer.

This isn't a restaurant; how can he possibly let the other party eat so much?
"I don't care who you are. You can help him for a while, but not forever. I'll remember this debt!"

The Gu Master glared hatefully at the unreasonable golden rooster, then opened his mouth and swallowed a Gu worm.

After consuming the insect, the Gu Master, who used to walk with a cane and was hunched over, immediately became as nimble as a bird.

But just as he jumped onto the wall and was about to escape the courtyard, a demon that was half a head taller than the wall suddenly appeared outside the courtyard!
The Gu Master was so frightened he almost fell off the wall. Where did all these underworld creatures come from in his courtyard?!
The four monstrous generals, each guarding a side of the courtyard wall, were about to strike the Gu Master as soon as he jumped onto the wall. The next moment, the monstrous generals' millstone-sized bone claws came crashing down on him.

With a dull thud, the brick wall collapsed.

In the ruins, the Gu Master lay sprawled among the bricks and stones, twitching for a while before falling completely silent.

(End of this chapter)