I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality

"Gentlemen, it seems unlikely anyone will leave here alive today, so why not have a meal first?"

Xu Qing picked up his chopsticks, tapped them on the table, and said in a tone reminiscent of Liao Jinzhong: "At least we should let everyone have their last full meal, shouldn't we?"

"..."

This even made the Daoist He Yi sigh uncontrollably.

He lamented not having the foresight to perform a divination for good or bad omen on his way here, leaving himself in this dilemma.

"What an honor to dine with such a heroic figure as your lordship, but may I ask your name?"

Xu Qing glanced at Liao Jinzhong and chuckled, "A good deed leaves no name. Gonggong is a great blight upon this world, I come to rid the nation of harm, so why would I seek fame?"

Liao Jinzhong paused his hand from playing with the walnuts, holding back his outrage: "You murder the Celestial Master's Mansion's spiritual child, massacre the Jin Sect, and target my godson. Is this also for the country and the people?"

"Otherwise? Is there a good person among them? That would be surprising indeed."

"..."

Liao Jinzhong was silent for a moment, then sneered: "What does being a good or bad person matter? According to me, all your talk of rooting out traitors and evildoers for the nation is just a front for seeking personal profit and doing shady deeds. Why not present yourself in your true light, instead of sneaking like a rat in the dark?"

Xu Qing was amused, not expecting the old eunuch to be so sharp-tongued. But, after all, how does someone who is lacking dare speak like that?

"Gonggong really is rootless but still influential, nothing hard in your body but your mouth."

"Why glare at me, Gonggong? Your physique is the backbone of the Dayong Dynasty; even if anyone else gets angry, that's inconsequential, but Gonggong's must not break, otherwise the Dayong Dynasty is doomed!"

"Otherwise, Gonggong should take off your pants to show the world and be at peace."

"Shut your mouth!" Xu Qing's words infuriated Liao Gonggong so much that he was quivering with rage.

Let's face it, Xu Qing really is quite devilish. This eunuch is genuine palace born and bred, speaking forcefully won't betray out-of-bounds tactics.

Xu Qing skipped the debate and went straight to personal attacks.

Liao Gonggong couldn't take it, crushing the walnut from Master Feng Second.

Xu Qing blinked at the walnuts, kindly reminding: "Gonggong, they're crushed."

"..."

"Both balls are crushed, you're too careless."

"..."

"Waste not, want not. I see the cores are fresh, a shame to waste, eating them might even nourish the body."

"Enough!"

A sudden shout cracked through the air, Liao Gonggong's hair stood, splitting the table.

Xu Qing reacted faster than Liao Gonggong's breaking defense; words failed, so they met with skills.

The Godly Left Hand grabbed Liao Jinzhong's arm, who shook back, a blood-red Gang Qi blocked the death energy from Xu Qing's hand, emitting sizzling smoke.

"Impressive poison. I thought from which prestige sect he came, turns out you practice evil techniques too."

"Too? Seems like the rumors of Gonggong taking lives to boost his cultivation are true."

"Sharp tongue and teeth, I've yet to taste a grandmaster. Since you thwart my plans, I shall use you for a celestial inquiry."

Previously, when the Mirror Reflection Department requisitioned death row inmates, Xu Qing sensed something amiss. He paid close attention and traced threads from the multitude of corpses to uncover a complete truth.

Liao Jinzhong had acquired an evil technique years ago, allowing him to absorb others' power and essence to enhance his cultivation.

This cultivation technique was akin to Xu Qing's Qi Reversion Technique but only increased dao proficiency without converting blood essence.

The technique that could feed on human blood essence belonged more to supernatural evil techniques than martial dao techniques.

Xu Qing had little interest since the Corpse itself had inherent life-stealing and blood-feeding abilities.

Yet Xu Qing maintained strong self-restraint, practicing proper zombie cultivation through the Corpse Nourishing Scripture and avoided bloodthirsty methods, limiting consumption to mundane items like chicken and duck blood available in the common world.

He always knew that he was different from typical evil entities and refrained from actions that could lead to hidden dangers in the future.

Justice prevails over evil, so even though the Dayong Dynasty is rife with demons, no demon dares to run rampant openly.

Even an esteemed grandmaster like Liao Jinzhong must tuck his tail under and act the nice dog.

Hypocrisy at its finest.

Facing an enraged grandmaster for the first time, Xu Qing penetrated the ship's top floor with several exchanges, both settled on separate masts, making their judgments.

"Grandmaster of horizontal training, refined by strange toxins, knowing occult sorcery; such diverse studies, indicating a search for heavenly solutions, akin in some way to me."

Xu Qing observed the elder eunuch with vitality like a furnace and True Qi like an ocean.

If Gang Qi defines a Martial Master's presence, then for a Grandmaster it's the fusion of vitality and Gang Qi, flexible yet formidable.

The momentum like a human-made sea, an abyss gathering waters, and Liao Jinzhong's words confirmed it.

The Martials Arts Grandmaster marks the pinnacle of human cultivation, beyond which one must surpass the martial dao and tread the saintly path.

"Liao Gonggong, I'm different than you; you exhaust means to break human boundaries, yet I need none."

Just about to move, Liao Jinzhong stopped suddenly: "That's intriguing, perhaps you've discovered a way to surpass celestial boundaries?"

Xu Qing pinned a pole banner to the mast, laughing: "Only martial artists need to transcend; did I ever say I'm a martial artist?"

"What do you mean?"

Xu Qing snapped his fingers, plunging the brightly lit ship into darkness.

"Martial artists are mere mortals; gateways are just side paths; only eternal cultivation leads the true way!"

"Liao Gonggong, would you like to witness me at my peak state above water?"