Chapter 268

Looking back through history, those who could remain calm before being escorted to the marketplace for execution are few and far between, let alone being able to chat and laugh.

But today, in front of the bustling marketplace, there was a man surnamed Jiang who not only held his head high during the parade but even raised his hands out of the wooden cage to bow to the elders and fellow villagers on the street.

Looking at him, he was quite proud!

"I, Jiang, am not talented, but at the hour of the snake and the third quarter, I caught a twenty-jin mandarin fish at the mouth of the Tanggu River. This matter was witnessed by the officers of the government office, and I hope everyone knows."

On the side of the prisoner cage, on a long pole, hung a top-quality mandarin fish over three feet long.

"Incredible, truly incredible. If I could catch such a big fish and have such a scene in the marketplace, it would be worth it even if I were beheaded tomorrow!"

Someone shouted: "Jiang Konglou! Where did you set your nest? Tell us quickly! Don't let this good nest be buried in the yellow earth with you."

"Jiang Konglou, if you tell us the location of the nest and help me catch a big fish, I will surely burn more paper money for you after you die..."

Jiang Konglou was determined to become famous; how could he tell them the specific location?

But just then, a good angler said: "Jiang Konglou, if you tell us truthfully, I will go to the funeral shop and order a set of paper-crafted fishing gear for you, plus a covered boat, so you can fish in the nether river after you go to the yellow springs!"

This hit Jiang Konglou's heart. His face changed several times, and finally, he told them the specific location.

"Keep your word! If you don't keep your promise, I will turn into a water ghost after I die and haunt you, making sure you never catch a fish for the rest of your life!"

The man who heard this was clearly angry: "I, Tian Yonggui, have always been a man of my word. Why do you need to make such a vicious oath!"

Not far from the prisoner carriage, Xu Qing was watching this farce with little Shiyue.

Logically speaking, Jiang Konglou's crimes were not enough to warrant death, but unfortunately, he had done too many bad things in his life. Shopkeeper Yu of the Yu Family Food Shop hated his greed and told many "rumors" about Jiang Konglou's past crimes.

The government office followed the clues and actually found something!

Jiang Konglou had his fortune told before, and the fortune teller said that his life of an "empty basket" was a good thing.

He refused to believe it, and as a result, he was exposed on the day he caught the fish.

If one were to delve deeper, Shopkeeper Yu's surname is Yu (Fish). If he hadn't cast his hook at Shopkeeper Yu's place and extorted money, why would he have been bitten by the other party and had the government office discover the murder case?

Isn't Yu (Fish) also a fish?

The things in this are truly unclear and indescribable.

Now, even as he was about to die, Jiang Konglou wanted to get rid of the title of "empty basket," but those who knew him still only remembered the nickname Jiang Konglou. Even though he caught a twenty-jin big fish, when people mentioned this person, they still called him Konglou.

As for his real name, how could it be easier to remember than a nickname?

After watching the excitement, Xu Qing took little Shiyue to the Mortuary Shop and picked out a fine coffin.

When Xuanyu saw Shiyue, who was two heads shorter than her, and learned that Shiyue had entered the Baosheng Temple system, she was overjoyed. Not only did she give her own walnuts to the little girl to play with, but like an old cat with a kitten, she led the little girl to wander around the shop.

Xu Qing looked at the little girl who had become cat-like in a short while and felt that letting her stay in the Mortuary Shop was not a good idea.

Preparing the paper money for the living and the dead, and putting the coffin into the Mountain and River Map, Xu Qing whistled, and the funeral horse came to the shop door with a neigh.

Tonight, the clouds were hidden, and the weather was unusually stuffy. Xu Qing pinched his fingers to calculate the Purple Star Astrology; there was still time.

Mounting the horse, Xu Qing galloped with Shiyue and soon arrived at the mass grave outside the city.

According to Kong Youde's memory, Xu Qing found Lady Ye's burial site among a crowd of graves that looked similar.

The little girl felt something and anxiously circled the grave mound.

Xu Qing shook his head helplessly and immediately took out an iron shovel to start digging the grave.

Children don't understand life and death. When the grave soil was cleared away and she saw the corpse of her own mother who had been beaten to death, she only knew to squat in front of it, crying and calling out.

Xu Qing originally intended to say a few intimate words to comfort the little girl, but just as he was about to speak, he suddenly remembered that the little girl in front of him was no longer a living person.

A ghost crying for the dead—not to mention the living, this was the first time Xu Qing had encountered it.

When the little girl had cried enough, Xu Qing finally said: "Your mother is just sleeping. If you miss her in the future, just sleep more; you can always meet in your dreams."

The child didn't understand big principles, so Xu Qing coaxed her: "Shiyue, look up. It's about to rain soon. We need to hurry and choose a new home for your mother and settle her properly. If the rain falls on the coffin, it won't be good."

In the funeral business, there has always been a taboo: "Rain hitting the coffin means ten years of sourness; rain sprinkling on the grave means a noble person will emerge."

Some bold people will deliberately choose a cloudy day for the funeral, just so that when the new grave is set up, it can receive the dew of heaven.

This "dew" is also the word for "emolument," implying heaven-sent wealth.

However, heaven wants to rain, and mothers want to marry; how can things in this world be so easily controlled? Most of those families who calculated the time for the funeral ended up getting rained on.

The sky is wet and the road is slippery, and the pallbearers' feet are unstable, so it is naturally easy for accidents to happen. Once this happens, these taboos become even more mysterious.

Xu Qing, adhering to the principle of "customer first," never investigated the truth of these taboos; as long as they existed, there was a reason for them to exist.

The purpose of the living has always been to seek peace of mind. If one is too particular about practicality, it would be too tactless.

Xu Qing calculated the time of the rain and hurried toward Wujiu Slope.

When they arrived at the official road west of the city, two figures dressed in green and wrapped in green scarves blocked his way.

The leader held double hooks and bowed: "We two are new to this place and don't know the way. May I ask, brother, is the Jinmen Prefecture in this direction?"

Xu Qing took a look. The two people in front of him had unstable breath and were in a hurry. The one behind had a bloody smell on him, as if he had just experienced a fight.

Seeing Xu Qing not speaking, the leader took a step forward and bowed again: "I hope brother can give us some guidance. I would be very grateful."

Xu Qing looked up and said: "Jinmen Prefecture is to the north. Follow the official road, and you can reach it in less than half a day."

"Thank you, brother. The rivers and lakes are far away; we will meet again if fate allows!"

After the two finished speaking, they turned and galloped toward the north.

Looking at their movement, they were actually two experts of the rivers and lakes!

Xu Qing didn't take it to heart. He rode his horse forward, but after walking a few steps, someone else blocked his way.

"I am Zuo Zixiong, a Company Commander of the Divine Machine Battalion in the capital. May I ask, little Mr., have you seen the rebels of the Cangyi Group pass by here?"

To make it easier for Xu Qing to understand, Zuo Zixiong added: "There are two rebels, one using double hooks and one using a precious sword. The one using the sword has already been wounded by me..."

Xu Qing looked at the middle-aged man in front of him with double swords on his back and double knives in his hands, his expression somewhat strange.

He recognized this Company Commander Zuo, but the other party didn't recognize him.

Now he had inherited Liu Youdao's Mortuary Shop, had firmly established himself in Jinmen, and even opened a temple system, had a hall, and became a headmaster, while the Zuo Zixiong in front of him...

After so many years, why are you still a Company Commander?

Seeing Xu Qing not speaking, Zuo Zixiong frowned: "This matter is of great importance. The Cangyi Group burns, kills, and loots; they are by no means good people. If they are allowed to escape, more people will surely be harmed by them!"

"If you have seen them, I hope you will not hesitate to tell me."

Xu Qing, riding the funeral horse with a white flower on its chest that looked unlucky, nodded and said: "The two of them just asked me for directions, saying they were going to Jinmen Prefecture..."

Hearing this, Zuo Zixiong didn't stop for a moment, turned his horse, and galloped toward the prefectural city.

Xu Qing looked at the direction the other party disappeared, always feeling that this scene was familiar.

When he first arrived and was driven to the righteous manor by Liu Youdao as a walking corpse, didn't he encounter a similar experience!

It was just that the one who blocked the road and asked for directions at that time was the Bai Luo Protector of the Tianxin Sect, and today the one who blocked the road was the rebel of the Cangyi Group.

"Bai Luo pretended to leave but ambushed in secret and killed Liu Youdao. The rebels of the Cangyi Group wouldn't..."

Why talk about the bad luck of the funeral business? As soon as Xu Qing's thought arose, two figures flew over from afar.

The leader held double hooks and was indeed the rebel of the Cangyi Group.

The wounded rebel with the sword bypassed Xu Qing tacitly and blocked his way.

"What are you two doing?"

Xu Qing blinked, looking at the thugs in front of him like a pure white flower.

"We two kindly asked for directions, but you wanted to betray our whereabouts to the dog official! This kind of petty behavior is truly hateful!" The person with the sword had a vicious look in his eyes. He clearly wanted to use Xu Qing to lure Zuo Zixiong away, but he spoke with great righteousness.