I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality-Chapter 99 - 75 Digging Graves

The commotion at the secluded courtyard caused quite a stir. Xu Qing didn’t stay for long; he gathered the corpses of Qing Luo and the other sect members into the Box Garden and decided to leave.

Right at the entrance, he suddenly remembered something, so he took out ink and a brush from the Mountain and River Map and wrote several lines on the door.

The general idea was: Celestial Heart Sect base, contains strange poison, be cautious entering.

He said no more. Whether the later arrivals heed the warning or not, it’s no longer his concern.

After all, kind words cannot persuade those doomed to die; they brought it upon themselves, it’s not that he didn’t warn them.

"Come to think of it, the almanac acquired at the temple fair turned out to be quite accurate."

Sitting at the front room of the carriage, Xu Qing guided the carriage with one hand while flipping through an almanac produced by Shangqing Temple with the other.

"Lunar March 15th, suitable for traveling and meeting friends; avoid funerals and laying to rest."

Today’s meeting indeed brought joy to both host and guests.

As a Corpse Driver, Xu Qing obtained numerous bodies; the sect members of Celestial Heart Sect adhered to their belief that after death, they would be led to ascension by the Venerable God Maitreya through Corpse Dissolving Ascension.

Whether they would actually ascend through Corpse Dissolving however, is unknown; after all, it’s beyond his professional scope.

In Jinmen Prefecture City, Xu Qing, having completed the last job, made use of the excuse of traveling to Jiangnan for studies, and proceeded to return towards Linhe, starting to prepare for the breakthrough of the Silver Armored Corpse.

...

Fifty miles outside Jinmen Prefecture, Wanshou Village.

"Halt——" Crown Prince’s close servant Li Zhong along with Zhang Jun and their group, were carrying the coffin when the emotionless coachman noticed the boundary monument of Wanshou Village and involuntarily called to stop the convoy.

Two people and two steeds had been waiting for a long time at the boundary monument.

The steeds were Thousand-Mile Steeds, the people were outstanding, both in appearance and demeanor.

"Where is Your Highness heading? Why not dismount for now and let the two of us welcome Your Highness with a grand reception. Whether to proceed or stay can be decided by Your Highness then."

The coachman pulled the reins and stared into the distance, letting the horse beneath him paw its four hooves restlessly.

"Companion, the Capital City is far. If anything happens to me, you must ensure the proper aftercare of the Crown Prince’s matters and that he rests peacefully in the Zhao Clan’s Imperial Mausoleum."

Li Zhong frowned as he looked at the two figures at the boundary monument.

"Your Highness!"

"No need to say more; this is the last thing I entrust to you."

The coachman sighed deeply, as if he had exhausted his strength just saying those words.

He pulled the reins, guiding the horse towards the boundary monument.

The foremost person, wearing a feather fan and scholar’s robe, upon seeing the expressionless coachman, cupped his hands and bowed deeply in respect.

The coachman, Zhao You, ignored him and stared up at the stone monument ahead.

"Wanshou Village..."

Zhao You looked intently at the mottled inscription on the stone monument, the golden paint had mostly peeled off, leaving the engraved characters resisting the erosion of time.

"These three characters were bestowed by Father Emperor back then, consecrated within the palace, personally engraved by Sword Saint Zhou Qifeng wielding the Emperor’s Sword."

"It’s been thirty-three years now."

Zhao You’s hand, always hidden in his sleeve, reached out, seemingly wanting to touch the inscription on the stone monument.

The elder beside the scholar, clad in plain clothes, squinted his eyes upon seeing Zhao You’s hand.

What kind of hand was this? Rotten and gray, seemingly covered in chilblains; once exposed to air for merely an instant, the aloe powder hiding the ugliness fluttered down.

Zhao You’s perpetually emotionless face finally showed a twitch.

Nobody knew what he was thinking at that moment.

"Father Emperor is now eighty-three, seems to live up to Wanshou’s namesake."

"But as for me, unlike him, at a mere age of fifty-plus, I’m a dying tree, eking out an existence only through witchcraft and Gu techniques."

The scholar finally couldn’t help but speak: "The Imperial Grandson, although resembling Your Highness by eight or nine parts, falls short in terms of wit and patience compared to Your Highness."

"If not for the Imperial Grandson’s straightforward nature, Your Highness might have successfully masked your identity, allowing the Grandson to inherit the throne in the future."

These compliments no longer affected Zhao You.

He turned to the advisors and ministers beside the Third Prince, resolving many doubts in his mind upon seeing them.

Emperor Longping had five sons, Crown Prince Zhao You, gifted and steady, yet born weak and sickly. To improve his health, Zhao You practiced equestrian and archery rigorously after coming of age, but it only worsened his frail condition; by age fifty, he was already burned out.

The Second Prince, Zhao Yan, strong and healthy, though not exceptionally bright, being sincere and filial, he could be a good ruler. Unfortunately, Zhao Yan contracted Soul Loss Syndrome ten years ago, neither palace physicians nor reclusive masters had any solution for him.

The year following Zhao Yan’s illness, Emperor Longping ordered the Third Prince to take up arms against the witch-rich Nan Cuo Kingdom, believing the Second Prince’s illness to be related to Nan Cuo witchcraft.

The Third Prince, Zhao Rong, was smart and apparently very dutiful, embodying the principles of fraternity and respect among brothers. freeweɓnovel.cѳm

The Fourth Prince, naturally slow-witted, failed even basic arithmetic upon coming of age, making him the least suitable among the five brothers.

The Fifth Prince, born with dragon-like features, unfortunately died in an accident at the age of three, hence unworthy of further mention.

At this moment, Zhao You looked at the strategists and loyal aides beside the Third Prince, still having some queries in mind.

"Since when did Zhao Rong know the Crown Prince was impersonated by the Imperial Grandson?"

The scholar smiled faintly and said: "Everyone knows, aside from His Majesty and the Empress, the Third Prince reveres the Crown Prince the most."

"The Crown Prince likes sweets; the Third Prince always saved the dried fruits and preserves gifted by the Empress, specially for Your Highness. It’s unfortunate the Imperial Grandson dislikes sweets; from then on, the Third Prince already monitored the Crown Prince closely. Truly, if anyone understands the Crown Prince best, besides the Third Prince, no one else does."