I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality-Chapter 120 - 84 Narrow Road for Enemies_2

...

Outside the Underground Street Funeral Shop.

A grandfather and granddaughter stopped their donkey cart.

"Xiaoyun, this is Underground Street, according to Great-Grandfather, Lady Qing Qing’s hall is established here."

A little girl with two long braids sighed, "Great-Grandfather wants to attend the Celestial Banquet himself, but he made Grandpa come along for the trouble..."

"Do not speak disrespectfully of Great-Grandfather. You don’t know the details. That Celestial is a highly skilled Cat Immortal, and Great-Grandfather is a Gray Immortal. How could he come alone to the banquet?"

"Everyone’s settled in Jin Sect. Great-Grandfather and the Cat Immortal must recognize each other’s faces to stay there confidently."

"Otherwise, we might end up returning to Northern County, mingling with those rogue soldiers again."

Hou Xiaoyun jumped off the donkey cart, followed the directions, and finally stopped next to a Paper Mache Shop.

"This must be the place. It’s a funeral shop. No wonder it keeps a Cat Immortal."

Hou Yuan had a large, aged rat in his arms. Before they even stepped inside, the rat turned into a puff of gray smoke, and when it landed, it transformed into a humanoid Rat Spirit.

It wore human-like clothes, stood at the shop’s entrance, bowing with hands clasped and squeaking in a rodent language.

Inside the Funeral Shop, Xu Qing, who had prepared the banquet, heard the commotion outside and went out to greet the guests with Xuan Yu.

At the doorway, when the two groups saw each other, the scene turned chaotic.

Nothing else, just because the people were old acquaintances, and so were the Celestials.

"It’s you!" Hou Yuan almost exclaimed.

Even if the young man turned to ashes, he would recognize him. Back at Baima Temple, this person had abducted him, interrogated him, and forced him to take a few unknown pills.

Though he had become healthier since then, even able to relieve himself from three feet away without getting his shoes wet, this did not change the negative impression of the young man in his eyes.

At fifteen or sixteen years old, Hou Xiaoyun pulled out a quick knife and held it in front of Grandpa, ready to fight at any slight provocation.

At this critical moment, the Gray Immortal suddenly pressed Hou Xiaoyun’s knife back with his paw and bowed apologetically to Xu Qing.

"Long time no see, Daoist Xu, you look even more impressive than before, congratulations."

Xu Qing was momentarily stunned, then acted as if nothing happened, stepped aside, and invited the grandfather and granddaughter to the banquet.

Once inside the shop, Xu Qing saw Hou Yuan’s gaze fall on the hall’s plaques and said with a smile, "Thanks to your guidance back then, I learned much and established this Immortal Hall."

Hou Yuan kept a stern expression, his eyes unfriendly towards Xu Qing.

If he had known earlier that the Cat Immortal Hall’s host was this rude young fellow, he wouldn’t have come!

The shadow of Baima Temple still startled Hou Yuan awake in his dreams occasionally.

Hou Xiaoyun had it even worse. When Grandpa got abducted, she went to report to the Government Office. The official couldn’t ignore a case of daylight kidnapping.

So he asked Hou Xiaoyun who had been abducted.

Everyone thought it might be a sibling, a charming mother, or a debt-ridden father.

But it turned out, a grandfather in his early sixties had been taken.

The official was flabbergasted.

Upon further questioning, Hou Xiaoyun’s grandfather had no debts, wasn’t wealthy, nor had he offended anyone. How could someone without these traits be kidnapped?

For his toothless smile?

The official immediately ruled that Hou Xiaoyun should wait patiently at home. Maybe it was a misunderstanding, or no kidnappers at all, or even a mistaken identity.

Either way, her grandfather’s life wasn’t at risk. If something happened, there’d still be time to re-report to the Government Office.

Hou Xiaoyun waited anxiously for a full day and night until her dazed Grandpa returned to the inn the next day.

She asked him what happened. Had the criminals done anything terrible?

Fortunately, the criminals only asked about Galloping Immortal cultivation and fed her grandfather a few unknown pills.

Hou Xiaoyun took Grandpa to the medical clinic for a check-up. Not reassured, she also got some antidotes, finally feeling at ease.

Now seeing the person responsible using her lineage’s Galloping Immortal Technique to establish a Hall, and inviting them as witnesses?

Hou Xiaoyun couldn’t possibly be in a good mood.

Xu Qing lit a few incense sticks, offering them to the guests and two Celestials, but Hou Yuan refused.

"I don’t smoke this. It’s for Celestials."

Seeing the atmosphere grow tense, Xu Qing turned his attention to Hou Xiaoyun.

"Is this Daoist Hou’s granddaughter? Quite a lovely young lady."

Hou Yuan grew wary, but didn’t expect the young man to act like a gossiping housewife, asking trivial questions.

How old? Ever attended school? At fifteen or sixteen, isn’t it time to consider marriage per Dayong’s customs?

The random questions made Hou Xiaoyun dizzy and lightheaded, nearly ascending then and there.

"Daoist Hou’s granddaughter doesn’t have her Celestial yet?"

Xu Qing checked the hourglass, cleared his throat, and said, "I invited Celestials today, and one unaffiliated Celestial lacks a disciple. If interested, you might meet and see if you fancy each other."

"If you need help, just speak plainly."

Old and wise, Hou Yuan instantly saw through Xu Qing’s intent.

"Not much, just if Daoist Hou sees those two coffins by the west wall?"

Xu Qing poured Hou Yuan a cup of fine liquor, saying, "My master left them. There’s some mystery within. I dare not touch them, so I thought to ask you to use the Wall-Viewing Technique to see what’s inside."

Hou Yuan looked over. The coffins were covered by Funeral Banner, bound with several horizontal and vertical animal hides, and sealed with densely packed Vermillion Yellow Talismans, swaying in the wind.

"Daoist Xu, those are just gimmicks, not real techniques..." Hou Yuan was about to refuse when a demonic wind suddenly swept inside.

As the dust settled, two large rats appeared on the dining table, one yellow, one gray.

Xuan Yu glanced at the offerings on the table, then at the newcomers, instinctively licking his nose with a soft tongue.

The yellow rat, seeing Xuan Yu, hurried forward, clasping hands in a bow, "Huang Old Beard from Xijing Mountain, here to congratulate Daoist Xu’s hall establishment."

Speaking, Huang Old Beard cast a spell, producing a basket of eggs.

"Fifty eggs as a gift. Please don’t find them unworthy."

Seeing a talking weasel, Xu Qing knew Huang Immortal’s skills were extraordinary.

"You’re too kind. Xu Immortal Family prepared many offerings. Feel free to enjoy." Xuan Yu was clearly in a good mood. With Huang Old Beard’s visit, this hall was entirely legitimate.

Hou Yuan and Hou Xiaoyun were stunned by the talking Celestials, thinking they’d met ancient ancestors!

Among Galloping Immortal disciples, their Celestials rarely spoke, only communicating through possession.

The talking Celestials were centuries-old ’ancestors,’ capable of establishing main halls.

With two ’Chief Ancestors’ present, Hou Yuan seemed junior.

Accompanying Huang Old Beard was a wild Celestial, Gray Lady.

A gray rat with fifty years of cultivation, though not much, typical Galloping tasks were within her abilities.

At the banquet, the cats and rodents chattered cheerily.

Halfway through, Xu Qing good-naturedly paired Gray Lady with Hou Xiaoyun, with Huang Old Beard as mediator, forming a Galloping partnership.

After the match, Xu Qing revisited the coffin verification.

Initially, Hou Yuan intended to brush it off, but his Celestial was sensible.

Hearing of the need, Gray Immortal, drunken, jumped on the table, volunteering.

Hou Yuan had no choice but to get up and prepare to verify the coffins.