The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 422 Supporting the Coffin
The struggle within their minds was unknown to anyone except Li Miao.

In reality, the first light of dawn is just beginning to break.

An Ziyang and Mei Qinghe avoided the rising sunlight and slowly made their way along the ruins left by the explosion.

The capital city is now in complete chaos. The Eastern Depot, the martial arts world, Yingzhou, and even Ji Tianrui, who is still hiding behind the scenes, could all take advantage of the situation.

The explosion destroyed all the nearby secret passages, forcing the two to traverse the entire West End from the ground to enter the palace. This section was, in fact, the most dangerous part of the day.

Ideally, they should arrive at the palace as soon as Li Miao and An Qisheng's fight ends and before anyone has had a chance to react.

But the course of events clearly cannot be changed according to the will of the two of them.

After crossing two streets, Mei Qinghe reached out and drew her sword, shielding An Ziyang behind her. At the same time, a commotion of voices could be faintly heard from ahead.

The two exchanged a glance, then, carrying Li Miao and the old Taoist priest on their backs, leaped onto the roof and gazed intently.

On the collapsed street ahead, a dozen or so martial arts practitioners cautiously approached, their weapons drawn, and they spoke in hushed tones.

"Nothing happened."

"It seems to be over... Such a commotion could only have been caused by that Lord Li. I wonder which expert he was fighting against."

"Who cares? The cowardly will starve while the bold will feast. Let's go anyway. Whoever wins, we can both prove our loyalty. But if we both suffer heavy losses..."

The words were left unsaid, but the unspoken meaning was obvious.

An Ziyang sneered.

There are always a lot of fearless fools in the world who can never be completely wiped out.

Tonight's events unfolded too hastily. Only about 40-50% of the martial artists who died inside Wanggongchang were still alive; countless others were scattered throughout the city, constantly converging on this side. These were just the vanguard; the further away from Wanggongchang they went, the more numerous they became.

An Ziyang frowned at first, then his face lit up with joy.

"Just right!"

He looked around and then jumped down into a house.

This is a coffin shop.

An Ziyang glanced around and his gaze settled on a pile of rubble. He raised his hand and flicked it, and a transparent thread covered the area like a large net. With a tug, a rustling sound was heard, revealing a wooden edge at the bottom of the rubble.

Mei Qinghe, who was standing nearby, also stepped forward and offered a palm strike to help him clear the rubble.

A coffin was revealed.

The entire piece is made of dark hardwood with sharp, angular lines. The surface is coated with a thin layer of black lacquer, giving it a glossy sheen. All four sides are inlaid and connected with brass castings, and half of the character "寿" (longevity) is written in white lacquer on the front.

It's unclear which wealthy family commissioned the coffin, but the materials used were extremely sturdy. Even though the house collapsed, the coffin only had a slight chipped corner; the rest remained intact.

An Ziyang carefully pushed open the coffin lid and placed Li Miao inside.

"Commander, I'm sorry to have troubled you."

He whispered something and closed the coffin lid.

Mei Qinghe remained silent, then stepped forward and scraped off half of the character "寿" (longevity) with her sword.

Neither of them said much, and they quickly smeared some black ash on their bodies. With An Ziyang there, it only took them a few dozen breaths to transform themselves into ordinary martial arts practitioners.

An Ziyang tore off some cloth and tied the coffin to his shoulders. Mei Qinghe carried the old Taoist priest on her back, and the two turned and walked outside.

Footsteps could be heard outside.

A dozen or so martial arts practitioners filed in, and upon seeing the two, they were initially startled. Their gazes swept over the two of them, and they froze.

What kind of charter is this?
One was dragging a coffin, and the other was carrying an old man whose death was unknown. They were covered in dirt and blood. What were they doing?

"Uh, please, both of you..."

The leader carefully considered his words.

"Hmm, may I ask what brings you two here?"

He pointed to the coffin.

An Ziyang, his voice hoarse, glanced at him blankly with a pair of scarlet eyes from beneath his drooping hair, and uttered three words.

"My master."

Mei Qinghe also weighed the old Taoist priest on her back.

"Uncle Master."

"Oh—I apologize for being so abrupt."

The leader of the martial arts practitioners suddenly realized something, and his face showed a look of shared sorrow. Without asking any further questions, he gestured outside.

"Excuse me... do you need any help?"

"No need."

An Ziyang replied in a hoarse voice.

rustle--

Dragging the coffin, he staggered step by step toward the outside.

Mei Qinghe also kept her head down and followed along with her hands and feet in unison.

Her talent for acting and deceiving was about the same as Li Miao's talent for martial arts; her current act looked awkward no matter how you looked at it. But in the eyes of these martial arts practitioners, it was precisely an awkward act born of great sorrow.

Watching the two figures depart, the leader of the martial arts practitioners let out a long sigh.

"Sigh... I wonder if my disciples would be this heartbroken if I died here."

"People die for wealth, birds die for food."

His companion echoed this sentiment.

"Bringing a coffin back to their hometown is truly benevolent... but I forgot to ask about their sect and name. If we are on good terms with such people, we can entrust them with our care in times of trouble... Alas, it's not wise to go after them and ask again."

"Yeah yeah."

Ahead, An Ziyang blinked and squeezed away his tears.

He had honed his skills in playing along in brothels long ago. When it comes to deception, there is no better place in the world to hone one's craft.

As the two traveled, they encountered more and more people from the martial arts world.

Their posture drew countless admiring and sympathetic glances.

Too many people have died tonight. It's not just Wang Gongchang; countless others have been slaughtered by the Yingzhou Celestials. The capital city is filled with lamentations tonight. Even those martial artists who haven't lost acquaintances are still deeply affected.

Seeing An Ziyang dragging his coffin back to his hometown again, everyone was moved.

Then a woman came over with a sword and asked with concern.

"Gentlemen, do you need a helping hand? I... also need to leave the city."

An Ziyang said, "No need."

The woman didn't leave; she continued speaking.

"Gentlemen, let's go together... I don't want to stay here any longer."

Before she could finish speaking, tears began to fall.

“My master went to Wanggongchang last night, and judging from the commotion, he's probably in grave danger. I wanted to go and collect his body, but the further I went, the weaker I became…”

She shook her head, crying, and went forward to support the coffin.

"I dare not look. Let me just pretend my master is in this coffin... After I send you all down, I will retire from the martial world. I simply cannot bear these things any longer..."

Her words were sincere and heartfelt.

The surrounding martial arts practitioners all hung their heads in sorrow and remained silent.

An Ziyang hesitated for a moment.

"That's fine. It's too conspicuous for just the two of us. Having a few more people will help us cover up."

So he nodded and continued walking forward.

Unexpectedly, after walking a while, another young man gritted his teeth and ran over, reaching out to support the coffin.

"Me too... Bullshit manuals, bullshit encyclopedias, whoever wants them can have them! Back when I went down the mountain to roam the world, it wasn't for any manuals or riches and glory!"

He didn't hold back a single word he said.

Many martial arts practitioners noticed their expressions change.

Yes, so many people died tonight, and many in the martial arts world are already considering giving up. They came here either because they followed the crowd, or because they were unwilling to accept their near-death experience and had gained nothing.

But the young man's shout woke many people up.

What's the point?

So many people have died for that elusive "Mysterious Insight" manual, why should it be my turn?

After death, will someone take your body back to your hometown, or will it just rot in the ground, or even be discovered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and bring disaster upon your family?
A large crowd surged forward.

Countless hands reached under the coffin and lifted it up.

"I come!"

"I don't want the secret manual anymore! Let's go! Send these two righteous men home!"

"I'm coming too!"

An Ziyang felt a sudden relaxation on his shoulders.

The coffin containing Li Miao was lifted up by dozens of hands and held high.

Dozens of eyes were fixed on An Ziyang.

"Brother, let's go!"

"Even if it's a thousand miles away, we will definitely deliver it to you so that your respected teacher can rest in peace!"

"Exactly! If you say so, we'll follow you no matter where you are!"

An Ziyang's eye twitched.

"No, what are you all so moved about!"

"Put my commander down!"

He had originally intended to blend into the crowd in this disguise, using the disguise of the martial arts world to deceive the Yingzhou Celestials and the eunuchs from the Eastern Depot who might come, but he never expected it to turn out like this.

They managed to hold him up.

He wasn't going out of the city, nor was he going anywhere in the world; he was going to the palace!

If we walk a little further, we'll reach a fork in the road. That'll definitely give us away!
But when An Ziyang looked around, he was stunned by the dozens of excited, admiring, and moved eyes that met his gaze. He didn't know how to respond.

Mei Qinghe, who was standing to the side, was stunned for a long time.

If she hadn't dodged, even the old Wudang Taoist priest would have been snatched away by these martial arts people.

It took An Ziyang a while to calm down.

He said in a hoarse voice.

"We appreciate your kindness, but this matter involves the Embroidered Uniform Guard... We really dare not let too many people know about our sect."

"Let my junior sister and I take care of sending my master back to his hometown."

What he said makes perfect sense.

Yes, all the martial arts practitioners who came here tonight are after the Xuanlan Manual, which is essentially an act of defiance against the imperial court and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. What if they attract too much attention and the Embroidered Uniform Guard comes after them later?
But his words were undoubtedly an insult to the coffin bearers.

The fear of the Embroidered Uniform Guard coming to their door is simply because they're afraid the guards will leak information.

Many people blushed and immediately tried to defend themselves.

But before he could finish speaking, looking at the coffin in his hands, he forced himself to swallow his words back.

Embarrassed.

No one was willing to open the coffin and admit that they might leak information, but no one was willing to rebuke An Ziyang, the "righteous man who dragged the coffin home."

As soon as it stopped, more and more people gathered around.

Even more curious were those who recounted the whole story, causing the martial arts practitioners who were originally heading to Wanggongchang to stay and see how the matter would end.

For a time, one-third of the people heading to Wanggongchang were blocked, gradually clogging up the entire street.

An Ziyang gritted his teeth.

His and Mei Qinghe's disguises were hastily done and not very perfect; those familiar with them would still be able to spot the deception. They shouldn't attract attention now.

But if they force themselves to leave, they will only attract more attention.

After a long while, his shoulders slumped.

"Forget it, let's go first. Once we get to a less crowded area, we'll knock these idiots unconscious and then take the commander back to the palace at top speed."

He turned around in silence and pulled the coffin.

He led the people of the martial arts world forward.

The crowd parted to make way for him.

Amidst countless admiring gazes, An Ziyang gritted his teeth and walked slowly forward.

They walked out of the crowd.

Just then, a figure suddenly flashed across the rooftop not far to the left.

An Ziyang looked up and narrowed his eyes.

A dark black cloak and a flying fish robe.

Li Miao, disguised as a celestial being from Yingzhou, darted across the rooftops with incredible speed. As he passed by, he glanced at the area and let out a cold laugh.

"Oh, ants."

After laughing, he slipped away.

An Ziyang made up his mind.

His plan successfully deceived the celestial beings of Yingzhou.

For now, as long as we walk through this street and get away from the crowds, we'll have survived this ordeal.

He lowered his head again and pulled the coffin forward.

Just as I was about to walk to the end of the street, I heard a scream from behind me.

"Li Miao!"

"again!"

The second fake Li Miao rushed past, causing a stir among the martial arts practitioners.

"What's going on? How many Li Miaos are there?!"

"I saw a ghost! I knew that person was strange. His martial arts skills were like a ghost's. I knew something was amiss!"

"Speaking of which, it seems like Li Miao is killing people everywhere tonight... What's going on?!"

The martial arts world was in complete chaos.

An Ziyang gave a cold laugh, pretended nothing was wrong, and continued walking.

Turn the corner.

Suddenly, Mei Qinghe's whisper came from behind.

"Brother An."

An Ziyang's hair stood on end.

In his "concept," the two are senior and junior disciples, but Mei Qinghe now addresses him as usual.

This means that pretending is no longer meaningful.

He suddenly turned his head.

Sure enough, Mei Qinghe had already drawn her sword, thrown the old Wudang Taoist to the ground, and stared intently to one side.

There are two people there.

A fake Li Miao.

The other one, they were both very familiar with each other, having just met that evening.

Sexual intercourse.

The celestial being from Shuijin Temple, one of the martial arts figures chasing them tonight.

He's not dead.

And he was even smiling as he looked at the two of them.

"My two commanders, please stop pretending."

He smiled, turned around, and bowed to the fake Li Miao.

"Senior, these two are Li Miao's trusted men. As for who is inside the coffin... Senior might as well take a look."

The fake Li Miao nodded and tossed a book to Xing.

"I've given you the Xuanlan cultivation technique. Whether you can master it or not depends on your fate."

Liao Xing smiled and put the manual into his pocket, then put his hands together and bowed to An Ziyang and Mei Qinghe.

The fake Li Miao looked at An Ziyang and Mei Qinghe and let out a cold laugh.

Who's in the coffin?

"Never mind, I'll come and see for myself."

Having said that, he raised his hand and struck out with a palm strike from a distance!
They ripped the coffin lid off!
He glanced at it and his face lit up with joy.

"As expected! As expected! Both sides are severely injured!"

"Hahahaha—I'll kill you, then kill that old geezer, and I'll be completely free!"

Before he finished speaking, he dashed over!

With a raised hand, he was about to kill everyone in front of him, including Li Miao in the coffin!

An Ziyang's eyes widened in fury, and he roared out in anger.

Mei Qinghe gritted her teeth and activated "Sword Twenty-Three," her whole body splattering with blood. She stood in front of the coffin and thrust her sword with all her might at the fake Li Miao!
"The mantis' arms are like a chariot!"

The fake Li Miao laughed wildly and reached out to grab the longsword.

Liao Xing stood behind him, touching the secret manual in his arms, and revealed a satisfied smile.

Joyful, exuberant.

Despair, sorrow.

All emotions were pushed to their limits by the crisis, as if time itself had been frozen—in that very instant!
boom!
Sexual activity exploded.

The flesh wrapped in the moon-white monk's robe resembled a ripe grape, which was suddenly stomped on and burst open, its juice splashing out in all directions.

On his corpse, a dragon robe slowly straightened up.

The emperor flashed behind the fake Li Miao and grabbed his head. The fake Li Miao tried to struggle, but was dragged into an illusion and fell silent instantly.

The emperor stood there, silently looking at Li Miao inside the coffin.

"Da Li..."

He should have tested Li Miao's true energy; with his level of cultivation, he could have easily sensed Li Miao's condition. But he dared not... he was afraid he would only perceive a deathly silence.

The emperor's eyes gradually reddened.

They've already been put in coffins, what else can be done?
For someone of Li Miao's skill level, limb regeneration is commonplace, but he is now lying there covered in wounds, his chest barely rising or falling.

They only spent three days together, barely exchanging a few words, and just like that... the elderly bury their children.

The emperor felt as if his heart was about to break.

An Ziyang let out a long breath and was about to speak.

"Your Majesty, you—"

The emperor waved his hand.

"No need to say it."

He scanned everyone present, and apart from those who were helping Li Miao with his coffin, everyone else was intimidated by his chilling killing intent.

"I want all of you—to be buried with me!!!"

Bang!
The fake Li Miao's head exploded instantly, scattering red and white matter all over the ground.

An Ziyang was taken aback.

No, Your Majesty!
The commander is not dead!
(End of this chapter)