I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality-Chapter 100 - 75 Digging Graves_2

Upon hearing this, an image immediately flashed in Zhao You’s mind of his younger brother Zhao Rong calling him ’Imperial Brother’ while trailing behind him.

Zhao You exhaled deeply and suddenly said, "I have another question to ask. Please, Mr. Cai, answer truthfully."

"Please speak, Your Highness."

"The soul loss syndrome of the Second Prince and the sudden death of the Fifth Prince—do they have anything to do with the Third Prince?"

Cai Shichun fell silent.

Zhao You instantly understood.

"Why go to such extremes? Dayong is already beset with internal and external troubles. Even if he disregards brotherly affection, he shouldn’t commit such reprehensible acts." Zhao You’s disappointment was palpable. "Even if he desires the throne, I am already sixty years old, how many years do I have left to live? Why would he go to such lengths?"

"Your Highness, have you forgotten the Imperial Grandson? The Emperor is over eighty, the Third Prince is nearly fifty, but the Imperial Grandson is merely thirty. If the Imperial Grandson succeeds the Crown Prince, wouldn’t the Third Prince have to wait bitterly until old age, just like Your Highness?"

Cai Shichun shook his head, saying, "Moreover, even if the Imperial Grandson abdicates in the future, the throne would still only pass to his offspring. When would it ever be the Third Prince’s turn?"

"Your thoughts, Your Highness, are rather inappropriate."

Zhao You smirked bitterly, saying, "Though my methods were underhanded, they were not disgraceful. He has committed fratricide and killed his nephew. Even if he sits on the throne, heaven will eventually settle the score with him!"

Next to Cai Shichun, an elder who had remained silent frowned and said, "Cai Advisor, delays breed complications. We have already lingered here many days. It’s best to conclude our business early and return to the capital."

Cai Shichun nodded, saying, "Your Highness, you should have perished a decade ago. Now, as far as the world is concerned, your death at the hands of the Celestial Heart Sect cannot be undone."

"Before departing, the Third Prince specifically instructed me that the Imperial Grandson’s offspring would be under his protection, ensuring your peace of mind."

Zhao You fell into silence again.

The Imperial Grandson’s offspring, his grandchildren, should now be considered the last remaining heirs of the Crown Prince in the eyes of outsiders.

His grandson and granddaughter had inadvertently gained an extra status.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao You suddenly felt a sense of relief.

In the past, he had labored tirelessly day and night to secure the throne for his eldest son, Zhao Cong. Now, he was laying down his burdens in this manner.

Cai Shichun took the wine pot handed by the elder and poured a cup for Zhao You.

Gazing at the thick, poisonous concoction mixed with wine, Zhao You couldn’t help but twitch his mouth.

At this moment, he suddenly felt the same resistance he had when he was frail as a child and had to drink various medicines.

Now, looking at this cup of wine, it seemed even more lavish than the decoctions from the Imperial Hospital.

"This elder looks familiar. Could you be the Celestial Master from Yunzhao Mountain?"

The elder who had handed over the wine replied indifferently, "It’s rare for Your Highness to remember me."

Holding the cup, Zhao You was surprised and asked, "Yunzhao Mountain is an otherworldly place, detached from mundane affairs and dedicated solely to the Path of Longevity Immortal. Why intervene in worldly matters after so many years?"

"Your Highness, this wine has been warmed with True Yang Qi. If you delay further, it will become cold."

"Ah, never mind." Zhao You raised his cup and drank it in one gulp.

Then he drank three more cups in succession.

Mumbling as he became drowsy, Zhao You said:

"I have too many regrets in this life. If heaven has eyes, I only wish that in my next life, I won’t be born into the imperial family..."

Cai Shichun put away the wine pot and cups, then looked towards the distant rural fields with their rising smoke.

"May I trouble the Celestial Master to find a place with good feng shui for the Crown Prince’s final rest."

The elder, whose hair and beard were white, with an immortal-like demeanor, nodded. He then took out a compass from his sleeve and began observing the feng shui while calculating with his other hand.

...

In the Jinmen Prefecture City, Xu Qing was driving a carriage, quickly heading towards Linhe.

When he passed by Wanshou Village, he slowed down and glanced at the rural fields in the distance.

He had stayed there for half a day on his way here, teaching Wang Liang martial arts cultivation techniques and giving him some Strength Pills and blood-boosting medicinal herbs.

As he was about to leave, the heavens blocked his path, suddenly sending wind and rain. The seven or eight-year-old little sister of the Wang Family specifically brought him a raincoat to shield him from the wind and rain.

Remembering this, Xu Qing couldn’t help but smile.

Such a thoughtful little girl was hard for him—the uncle who was a zombie—not to like.

Driving the carriage to a familiar cottage, Xu Qing pushed open the gate and saw the Wang Family’s little girl helping her grandmother make pancakes in the courtyard.

At the stove built from mud mixed with straw, the little girl was squatting at the stove, continuously pushing dried millet stalks into the fire.

The grandmother of the Wang Family saw Xu Qing, quickly brushed off her hands onto her clothes, then enthusiastically greeted him to come inside and sit.

Xu Qing waved his hand to stop her, saying, "I’m here to return the raincoat. Don’t mind me; carry on with your tasks as usual."

"Mr. Xu, would you like to eat some pancakes? Pancakes made from millet flour are very fragrant!"

Watching the little girl pushing millet stalks into the stove, Xu Qing curiously asked, "Where is your brother? Why doesn’t he fetch firewood for you to burn instead of using these?"

The little girl replied crisply, "Today is the tenth-day memorial service. My brother has gone to honor our parents. We have a lot of firewood at home, but Grandma said that using millet stalks to cook the pancakes prevents them from burning easily and is a two...two what?"

"Two birds with one stone?"

"Yes! It’s a good thing that serves two purposes."

Not waiting for Wang Liang to return, Xu Qing left a handwritten booklet and a bag of silver taels under the raincoat, then prepared to leave.

Before leaving, he said to the little girl, "There are some things Mr. Xu left in the raincoat. Remember to tell your brother when he returns."

The grandmother packed some millet pancakes and insisted on giving them to him.

Xu Qing did not refuse, smiling as he accepted them.

Now that he had returned the raincoat, his ties with the Wang Family siblings were nearly over.

Leaving the cottage, Xu Qing drove the carriage and hadn’t gone far when he saw a young man hurrying home.

Seeing the figure in the front of the carriage, the young man was momentarily stunned, then delightedly said, "Mr. Xu, when did you return?"

Xu Qing shook his head with a smile, "I happened to pass by, so I returned the raincoat. I will be traveling to various places for learning. Why are you in such a hurry?"

Wang Liang suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Almost missed something important! Mr. Xu, today I went to honor my parents at their graves. But oddly, there is a new grave not far from theirs..."

"I don’t know who it is that erected a new grave without notifying us."

"I asked several villagers about it, but no one knew. I couldn’t decide what to do, so I thought I’d ask Grandma upon returning."

Xu Qing was puzzled and said, "Your parents’ grave is a feng shui treasure I specially chose. Could it be some expert recognized the place..."

"Let me ask you, is there an inscription on the gravestone?"

Wang Liang thought for a moment, saying, "There is indeed a gravestone, but it has no inscription."

"Strange."

Xu Qing immediately felt the peculiarity of the matter. After pondering for a moment, he recalled a legend from the zombie handlers, which stated that some Yin Ghosts with certain cultivation would move their grave sites autonomously, searching for feng shui treasure grounds for their own cultivation.

This phenomenon is called ’grave running.’

Could it be that a grave-running zombie or Yin Ghost had come to the Wang Family’s grave site?

Xu Qing was immediately intrigued. Having recently mastered the skill of Inviting Immortals, if there was indeed a Yin Ghost in the grave, he might acquire his first sad immortal.

Without further hesitation, Xu Qing set off for the mountain top where he had chosen the grave site for Wang Liang’s parents, controlling his puppet towards the feng shui treasure nearby.

Quickly passing through the rugged, weed-covered mountain path, Xu Qing moved like a monkey, soon arriving at a grave.

The joint burial of the Wang couple was as it had been when he left, without any unusual signs.

The only new addition was some incense candles and offerings in front of the gravestone.

Ignoring Wang Qiao and Mrs. Li’s grave, his gaze fell on the nearby new grave.

The soil on that grave was still fresh, even slightly moist. The gravestone, as Wang Liang had said, indeed had no inscription.

Since the puppet couldn’t use the Qi Observation Skill, at first, Xu Qing couldn’t determine whether the grave was man-made or an anomaly.

If it was man-made, why was there no inscription on the gravestone?

Furthermore, Wang Liang had asked the villagers, surely someone would know.

Transporting a coffin and gravestone would certainly require passing through village paths.

It was truly odd.

After circling the grave a few times without any findings, Xu Qing took out a shovel and started digging, controlling his puppet to excavate the grave.

Regardless of whether it was human or ghost, he decided to dig it up first!