I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality
Chapter 291 - 162: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes (Part 2)

Chapter 291: Chapter 162: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes (Part 2)

Under the gaze of the Yin Pupil, those indistinct underworld entities were completely visible to him.

Xu Qing saw several transparent threads connecting from outside the hall to inside, resembling human veins exactly connected to the shattered teacup.

Besides the teacup, some thread branches connected to the ceiling, some to the cracks among the tables and chairs. The thickest thread was precisely connected to the spot where Venerable Feng was hiding on the chopping board.

"Brother Xu, you’re so capable, quickly think of a solution. I’m itching so badly, I’m afraid that nasty thing has possessed me!"

Venerable Feng tore open his tunic, revealing a ring of red spots that had appeared on his chest, under which seemed to be tiny insects burrowing under his skin.

The sight made Venerable Feng recall the tragic scene of his entire family being gnawed into hollow shells by insects.

"I’m doomed!"

Venerable Feng looked pallid as gold, trembling with his lips and said, "Brother Xu, if you can’t think of a way, I won’t blame you; just give me a swift end. In the future, perform a spiritual ceremony for me, and provide a good coffin impervious to worms..."

Xu Qing frowned at the insects, suddenly saying, "Venerable, open your mouth!"

Before Venerable Feng could react, Xu Qing had already reached out and forcibly stuffed a pigeon egg-sized elixir pill into the venerable’s mouth.

It was a Ten Thousand Spirits Pill, capable of curing a hundred ailments and detoxifying a hundred poisons.

This pill, as aptly named, could be used in various scenarios, like placed in a bowl of diluted arsenic, it could neutralize the poison of the arsenic.

If fed to a decaying-aged person, it could give them a second wind to put their affairs in order. Or if given to a dying sick person, it could completely cure their severe illness!

Even for someone with indescribable issues, one pill would rejuvenate their vigor.

Not long after swallowing the pill, Venerable Feng felt heat surging throughout his body, and those poison insects burrowing under his chest skin suddenly turned around and fled outwards.

Soon, seven brightly colored insects covered in dot patterns crawled out from Venerable Feng’s chest.

Quick-eyed and quick-handed, Xu Qing took out the Thousand Insect Gu Jar, lifted the lid, and captured the flesh-winged, escaping poison insects into the jar.

The Thousand Insect Gu Jar is a vessel for raising the Gu King, capable of containing thousands of poison insects at a time. Once the insects are placed inside, they’ll lose their senses and engage in mutual slaughter and consumption. The last surviving one is the Gu King.

Xu Qing wasn’t sure what these insects were called or their purpose, but placing them in the jar to cultivate Gu was never wrong.

No matter what kind of insect, the last surviving one must be the most formidable Gu insect. Before that, he didn’t need to exhaust himself to differentiate them.

After handling the poison insects from Venerable Feng, Xu Qing proceeded to capture the other insects crawling around the hall into the Gu jar.

Once everything was done, Xu Qing took out a Golden Rooster Feather, sang the Assist Soldier Spell, burned incense to invite spirits, and soon Yizhen flew in from outside the courtyard wall with flapping wings.

Xu Qing turned his head to instruct, "I already know where the harmful thing is hiding. Venerable, just stay here and don’t wander around. I’ll be back soon!"

With Golden Simurgh in tow, Xu Qing once again opened the Yin Pupil.

The old man had barely left for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense when Gu insects appeared at Venerable Feng’s home. Clearly, the entity that offended Venerable Feng had been nearby all along, or it wouldn’t have responded so quickly.

Following the transparent threads that communicated with the poison insects in the air, Xu Qing scaled several courtyard walls, along the alley heading to the innermost house.

Upon reaching the place, Xu Qing pondered briefly before simply taking out the paper funeral procession he had crafted earlier.

Those who excel in using gu insects often possess treacherous and vindictive methods, and sometimes you don’t know how many types of gu insects the opponent has nurtured, nor their characteristics.

Like the Bone-Eroding Worm from Southwest, Black Blood Bat, as well as once-appeared Dream-Catching Spider and Corpse-Eating Turtle from the Ancient Yin River Dao, among them isn’t lacking in corpse-targeting poison insects.

These insects, for ordinary people, and even Xu Qing’s zombie form upon hearing, make one feel uncomfortable all over.

These insects might not be able to penetrate the defense of the Silver Armored Corpse, but if they crawled onto you, would still inevitably invoke a sense of repulsion.

Golden Simurgh didn’t yet understand the situation; it wasn’t afraid even seeing paper people and paper sedan chairs.

But hearing Xu Qing asking it to sit in the sedan chair as master, and that there’d be insects to eat later, made Golden Simurgh hesitated instead.

This pluck-and-go opportunist, where even a passing dog had to take a slap, could this person be genuinely well-intentioned?

Golden Simurgh was internally reluctant to go inside, feeling the other party harbored no good intentions, but it couldn’t help as Xu Qing was its meal provider now.

Under the eaves, how could it not bow its head?

Normally, Yizhen wouldn’t go buying insects to feed it, let alone catch them...

Grumbling and reluctantly accepting Xu Qing’s orders, the Golden Simurgh stepped into the sedan chair. In the next moment, a gust of yin wind lifted it, and the Paperman raised the paper sedan, gently swaying it into the courtyard.

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

Beside the bell-shaker were many large and small clay pots.

It was August, the peak of dry heat, yet the owner of the courtyard was wearing thick layers of robes, wrapped tightly in three layers, even wearing a head cover similar to the Paperman’s, resembling a newly wrapped zongzi!

Xu Qing, controlling the Paperman, noticed not only the unusual attire of the person but also the clay pots used for breeding insects in the yard.

"Who are you people?!"

The Gu Master in thick gray robes looked at the unexpected Paperman troupe with suspicion and unease.

In broad daylight, it was alarming enough that the Gu insects he painstakingly nurtured suddenly lost contact. Before he could catch his breath, a group of ghastly creatures arrived in his courtyard.

He couldn’t handle this!

While the Gu Master was staring intently at the paper sedan, the Paperman under Xu Qing’s control was also scrutinizing him.

So this was the character causing harm to Old Master Feng’s household.

The yin practitioners’ trade is considered a side path, with all kinds of people involved. But someone who kills an entire family, leaving only a single survivor, and then relentlessly chases them down, even living in the same alley to wait for a chance to annihilate them, Xu Qing was encountering such a yin practitioner for the first time.

What kind of deep-seated grudge must there be!

Seeing that the Paperman before him remained silent and nothing happened from the sedan chair, the Gu Master leaned on the cane beside him and struggled to stand up.

"I see, you’re the helper that surnamed Feng invited. No wonder the insects I raised never returned, so you’re the one who ruined my plans."

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

Attached to the cane was a string of bells. As the chaotic bells rang, colorful poisonous smoke began to rise from the clay pots on the ground.

Amidst the smoke, flying insects darted toward the Straw Spirit, while centipedes and myriad-legged crawlers surged like a tide across the ground, rushing towards the paper sedan.

Xu Qing intended to test the power of these Gu insects and controlled a Paperman to face the insect swarm first.

Countless crawling insects and armored flying insects engulfed the Paperman. Despite Xu Qing’s vigorous wielding of the paper knife, the relentless insects could not be completely eradicated.

After about four or five breaths, Xu Qing noticed many bite holes from insects on ’his’ body.

Insects naturally restrain paper. Even a refined Paperman struggles to withstand the continuous gnawing of a certain number of Gu insects.

Realizing the Paperman’s weaknesses, Xu Qing ceased further testing.

Beside the paper sedan, the Straw Spirit guarding the sedan door decisively lifted the sedan curtain. In the next moment, the Golden Simurgh, having endured long enough, darted straight toward the insects.

Seeing the paper sedan opened, the Gu Master assumed some high-level yin practitioner was inside, but instead, a Golden Chicken with glowing green eyes rushed out!

The Gu Master watched as the chicken moved unimpeded, gobbling up insects as if eating heaps of food, and was immediately exasperated.

This wasn’t a food stall; how could he bear such a reckless feast?

"I don’t care who you are. You can help him momentarily, but not forever. I’ll remember this debt today!"

The Gu Master glared resentfully at the unreasonable Golden Chicken and then swallowed a Gu insect.

After taking the insect, the previously hunched Gu Master who needed a cane to walk instantly became agile and swift.

But as he jumped onto the top of the wall, just about to escape the courtyard, a ghostly figure emerged taller than the wall itself!

The Gu Master was almost scared off the wall. Where did all these ghastly things in his courtyard come from!

Four Fierce Generals, each defending a side of the courtyard, stood guard, and just as the Gu Master jumped onto the wall, a massive bone claw as big as a millstone from the Fierce General swung down at him.

With a loud thud, the blue brick wall collapsed thunderously.

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