I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality
Chapter 290 - 162: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

Chapter 290: Chapter 162: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

Escort Masters often travel far and wide, and naturally, they gather a wealth of information along the way.

Therefore, whenever the escort team takes a break and stays at an inn, people from the martial arts world love to chat with the Escort Masters to inquire about news along the road.

Although the Jin Sect is not far from the Capital City, the news of the Celestial Heart Sect rebels attempting an assassination in the capital hadn’t yet spread. Xu Qing and Lord Feng, however, were first to hear fresh news from the Escort Masters.

"This is quite mysterious, indeed. Lately, there’s been constant thunder in the capital, even when the skies are clear! The Celestial Master’s Mansion is so renowned, yet a large hole was struck by Celestial Thunder right over the main hall. I heard it’s just now being repaired." The Gold-Hanging Escort Master smacked his lips, seeming to force a connection between the capital’s unusual weather phenomenon and the assassination attempt on the dog Emperor.

After all, the Celestial Master’s Mansion is backed by the royal family. If the mansion is struck by heaven’s thunder, doesn’t that imply that the royals’ fortune is also in jeopardy...

This Gold-Hanging Escort Master is excellent at everything. When incidents happen during escort missions, he readily helps out, except he has no filter on his mouth and dares to say anything.

Is he doing it intentionally? Not really, he’s just a coarse Martial Artist, lacking a string for discretion in his brain.

The Town Guarding Escort Master, fearing he’d say something far too rebellious, interrupted him and started talking about business matters.

When everyone lost interest in talking, the Town Guarding Escort Master got up to bid farewell, leading the escort team away from Lord Feng’s residence.

Seeing no one else was around, Lord Feng pulled Xu Qing over to showcase his newly transported goods, together admiring the valuable ancient artifacts and paintings.

"These are treasures from previous dynasties. Look at this birdcage. It’s said that during the Xixi Dynasty, Nanyan presented His Majesty Hongming with a pair of golden canaries, and this was the cage for those precious birds."

"It’s just perfect to provide a new home for Uncle now..."

A birdcage worth thousands of gold, to house chickens?

Xu Qing stared at the gleaming, gem-inlaid birdcage, wondering if his chicken also had gold linings.

If the birdcage had sentience, it would probably wish it had rotted away in the craftsman’s workshop.

The two chatted about the birdcage, completely disregarding whether the Golden Simurgh or Uncle wished to be inside it.

"Lord, I actually came to see you today for a reason."

Lord Feng didn’t think much of it, hearing Xu Qing had something important, he quickly said, "Look at you, with important matters yet you are here chatting idly with me. Just say what you need, as long as a brother can help, surely he will lend a hand!"

No wonder everyone says in the playful circles, Lord Feng is famously righteous. Look at his nature, so straightforward!

"Actually, this matter..." Xu Qing was about to say he came for the Lord’s sake, but he changed his words.

"Does the Lord trust me?"

"Listen to you, we’re in the same circle, you haven’t stopped supporting me, and last time when the escort agency had trouble, you helped with the rituals..."

"If I don’t trust you as a friend, am I going to trust those selling fake medicine on the dry bridge?"

"Whatever it is, just speak up!"

Xu Qing felt amused internally, though Lord Feng was rather timid, with these reassuring words as a foundation, the subsequent matters would go smoother.

"Lord, if that’s the case, then you must listen to me from now on. I dare not say much, but I can guarantee one thing, I definitely won’t harm you!"

Lord Feng initially felt nothing was amiss until Xu Qing opened Uncle’s cage right in front of him and let the Golden Simurgh take Uncle away, then he panicked completely.

"Hey, wait! Younger Brother Xu, this joke is not funny; your brother is timid, don’t scare me!"

"Lord, don’t be afraid. The more scared people are, the stronger the ominous aura gets." Xu Qing comforted, "Don’t worry about Uncle, I just asked the Golden Simurgh to take it out for some fresh air, I see it’s quite stifled staying in the cage all day..."

I’m worried about it?

Now it’s not suffocating, but I can barely breathe!

Lord Feng hurriedly said, "With Uncle here, those harmful things dare not come over. If they perceive Uncle is absent, they will surely come to harm us."

"My benefactor was mighty when he stepped in, but what was the outcome? Dead without a full body! Not a piece of good flesh left, all chewed up by insects."

"Brother Xu, heed my advice, let’s quickly go find the chicken, there’s still time!"

Xu Qing pulled over a Master’s Chair, rolling walnuts in his hand, sitting nonchalantly as if nothing happened.

"Didn’t the Lord say he trusted me? Then I must live up to this trust. Don’t be afraid, let’s have a chat, perhaps after so many years, those filthy things have long vanished."

Lord Feng moaned with sighs, reluctantly sitting and waiting quietly in the hall.

In the reception hall, the dripped water clock ticked away, shadows flickered outside the doorstep under the sunlight, it was now a whole incense stick’s time since the Golden Simurgh and Uncle left, Lord Feng picked up a tea cup with unease.

But as he lifted the lid, intending to blow away the froth and take a sip, a black-and-gold insect suddenly crawled out at the teapot’s edge.

Then came the second one, the third one...

"Ah!" Lord Feng felt his scalp tighten, goosebumps rose in waves on the back of his hand.

Almost instinctively, he flung the tea cup away, the sound of breaking porcelain quickly followed.

Xu Qing turned his gaze, seeing where the shards lay, there was a pile of inch-long thin insects crawling out from the debris.

This really was a matter of life and death, Lord Feng jumped onto the table, wishing he could climb up the support columns to reach the beams!

Xu Qing frowned, his eyes turning pitch black, like ink dripping in a blink.