Chapter 9: Gouging

Xu Qing had not held high expectations when he arrived, yet he never imagined that a Squire Lang over fifty years old would also have a chance at immortality!

Truly, one cannot judge a person by their appearance, nor measure the sea with a bushel.

It is just a pity that this old Squire, greedy for worldly desires, devoted all his energy to studying civil and military arts and feng shui—these external paths—instead neglecting the true methods that could strengthen and nourish the self, leaving them completely wasted; otherwise, he would not have died at Song Cai's hands.

After practicing the Art of Gazing at Qi for a while, Xu Qing suddenly felt unwell, his whole body feeling as if he had just stood up abruptly after squatting for a long time, his vision blurring into darkness.

Lasting about two breaths, by the time he came to his senses, the scenery before him returned to normal, as if the colorful mist in the hall had been an illusion all along.

Xu Qing seemed to have an epiphany; it appeared his cultivation was still too shallow, so that when using the Art of Gazing at Qi, he could not sustain it for long.

To wield a great technique requires great power; lacking sufficient power is like buying a fine steed but being unable to feed it premium grain, ultimately like a child holding a blade, unable to unleash the sharpness of a fine weapon.

Xu Qing pondered for a moment and already had a plan.

The Corpse-Nourishing Scripture obtained from Liu Youdao could allow him to take the path of raising corpses, feeding and cultivating himself to evolve.

But the prerequisite was that he must find a way to gather materials for cultivating zombies, only then could he formally begin cultivation.

As for how far he could go with the Corpse-Nourishing Scripture, Xu Qing dared not dream too far; fundamentally, he was not a zombie that cultivated by sucking human blood and qi. According to the scripture, using auxiliary materials for feeding or nourishing with moonlight and yin qi could also cultivate the 'Three Types of Wandering Corpses'; as for which type he could reach, that would depend on his fate...

In the Liu family's spirit hall, Xu Qing, having gained much, was in a good mood, and even tended to the late Squire's appearance with greater care.

After making the deceased look lifelike, Xu Qing signaled the relatives and family members to come forward for one last look; once they had seen him, it would be time to close the coffin and drive in the nails, and from then on, there would be no more meetings.

The First Lady, Li Xiangyun, wept and wailed, speaking words of reluctance to part with the Master; when her grief reached its peak, she sought a white silk cord to follow the Master down, so they might have each other for company.

The steward Song Cai hurriedly stopped Li Xiangyun; she took the opportunity to bury her head on his shoulder and used a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

The Liu Young Master trembled in both legs, and before he could even glance at the coffin, he was so frightened that he retreated repeatedly and sat down heavily on the ground.

Seeing this, Song Cai and Li Xiangyun rushed over together, supporting the Liu Young Master on either side, and then the three embraced and wept together.

The surrounding relatives, seeing this, were all moved, saying only that the steward was loyal and righteous, the Lady was faithful and chaste, and the Young Master was sorrowful and pitiful...

Thus, they all stepped forward to offer comfort.

Watching this family put on such a grand display of acting, Xu Qing felt a wave of disgust in his heart.

That's enough!

I'm still waiting to finish this job quickly and go back to cultivate...

Seeing that the crying had reached a sufficient point, Xu Qing closed the coffin lid and let the Squire's family members drive in the first nail.

When closing the coffin, the first and last nails are generally driven by relatives; this is tradition. If there truly are no relatives or acquaintances, it matters little; after all, some forms are just the living wanting a bit more bond with their deceased loved ones...

When the seven red copper nails were hammered in, just as Xu Qing was about to hammer the eighth, a knowledgeable guest spoke up:

"Little Master, isn't sealing the cargo with seven nails enough? Why drive in more?"

Xu Qing paused his action and said solemnly, "The Squire held an official position in life and was touched by purple energy, so naturally he is different from ordinary people; thus, nine nails must be driven, symbolizing connection to the Nine Netherworlds below, gaining the care and guidance of the Nine Halls of the Yanluo Kings, so that even in reincarnation, he can be born into a wealthy family."

Upon hearing this, the guest's face showed a look of sudden understanding.

See, this is professionalism!

Little did they know that what Xu Qing said was only a secondary reason; the main reason for not driving seven nails lay with this unfortunate Squire himself.

The nails used to seal a coffin are commonly called 'Descendant Nails,' generally seven in number, symbolizing the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper, meaning that future descendants will be prosperous and numerous.

But this Squire Liu was different; although he seemed to have a son, others did not know this son was not his biological child. Even before his death, this ungrateful wolf he had raised for over twenty years merely watched from the sidelines, then immediately recognized Song Cai as his own father.

For a child like this, do you say drive in seven iron nails?

Sorry, Xu Qing cannot do such a guilty deed!

Since he had taken this job, he would have to 'serve' the Squire Liu well, letting him lie in the coffin clearly and openly.

In the matter of guiding the dead, Xu Qing might still be a newcomer, but he would never lack professional ethics like Liu Youdao; by comparison, he believed he still possessed a certain amount of professional integrity.

Not much, but definitely close to the passing line!

After nailing the coffin, leather straps were tied on, three horizontally and two vertically.

Then Xu Qing let the 'Great Filial Son' use a broom to sweep away the loose dust on the coffin, called 'Sweeping Wealth'; then, at one corner of the coffin, a copper coin was placed as a cushion, called 'Lifting the Coffin,' followed by 'Farewell to the Spirit.'

When the coffin left the hall, paper money was burned, and the funeral basin was smashed; then the Great Filial Son of the Liu family held a paper banner and led the way, while all relatives and friends wore hemp mourning clothes and wailed in unison.

Xu Qing waved his hand, and the workers in charge of playing music in the coffin-lifting house immediately understood; the suona sounded, shattering the clouds, while other quieter instruments instantly became mere accompaniment.

About twenty coffin-bearers carried the coffin, walking with a swaying gait; at the front and back, filial sons and grandchildren holding funeral banners protected them, the banners adorned with paper flowers of spring, summer, autumn, and winter in green, yellow, white, and green, looking quite beautiful.

When passing the doors of various households, the sound of firecrackers thrown out crackled and popped, making it even more lively than the New Year!

Some curious young masters and elders rolled up their sleeves and commented at the doorways, after all, a funeral procession of such a grand scale was not seen even once in several years.

There were also women in households who found it ill-omened; they twisted their own children's ears and dragged them back, and at the end, did not forget to close the door tied with a red cloth strip.

Xu Qing wore the clothes Liu Youdao usually wore when performing rituals and followed the coffin all the way to the burial.

By the time the Squire Liu was escorted into the yin dwelling, the sky had passed noon.

According to custom, the funeral procession should ideally be before the Mao or Chen hours, but Song Cai insisted on burying him at noon when the yang qi was strongest and most vigorous.

Going back and forth like this made Xu Qing want to bury the other person in the dirt himself.

With Song Cai's little schemes, how could he not guess!

As the saying goes, a thief's heart is guilty; this was clearly out of fear that the Squire Liu would turn into a ghost and climb out of the coffin at midnight to seek revenge on him, the murderer.

Xu Qing wore a wide-brimmed bamboo hat and had smeared his face with sunscreen specially made by corpse-driving craftsmen, trying to avoid the sun as he walked.

Upon returning to the Liu residence, the steward Song Cai raised his chin, pointing the direction with his chin tip, and said, "I have already spoken with the accountant; go yourself to settle the remaining payment. I have important matters to discuss with the Lady, so I will not accompany you."

Important matters?

Could it be a project worth hundreds of millions?

Xu Qing shook his head, turned around, went to the accountant's office, and found the Accountant Mr.

That Mr. was over sixty years old, with a face resembling Song Cai's by eighty percent; seeing Xu Qing come to collect the service fee, the old gentleman smiled and picked up an abacus, tapping it vigorously.

"The deposit given earlier was five hundred; the remaining unpaid balance is also five hundred. My heart is kind, so why not round it up for you? How about five qian of silver?"

"Five qian?" Xu Qing's face darkened; in the Great Yong Dynasty, one tael of silver equaled 1,200 wen; the other person rounded it up for him, directly adding one hundred wen; seemingly generous, but in reality, he was gouging him!

He should know that the balance he heard from the Retainer was not just five hundred wen, but a solid five taels of silver, which is six thousand wen; as for the deposit, that was extra.

Now, five taels of silver had been slashed by the other party to six hundred cash; this was no longer gouging, this was bloody robbery!

"Half a tael of silver is already generous. After all, a master craftsman commands a master's price. You are an apprentice, considered a junior craftsman, so naturally you must take a junior craftsman's price."

Hearing these words, Xu Qing's already cold and gloomy face grew even colder.

(End of this chapter)